8 Nov

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

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2010

Catholics hope to establish new church in Kuwait

brief statement the bans will hold “until directives from governments around the world permit carriage of goods from these ports.”

The UAE late last week announced it was tightening security at the country’s airports to more closely monitor goods from certain unnamed countries. It did not provide details or name the countries in question.

Saif Al-Suwaidi, director general of the General Civil Aviation Authority said that officials were not only focused on security threats from Yemen, but from other countries as well. “We are concentrating on having a system in place to prevent penetration from any part of the world,” he said.

One of two packages sent in the mail bomb plot late last month was discovered at a FedEx cargo facility by UAE authorities in Dubai.

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AMMAN: Jordanian candidate for the parliamentary election Nuf Al-Hadid (center) talks to her supporters at her electoral headquarter in Amman. — AP

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MP blasts finance minister over tax Committee probes Russian loan • Ex-KIA chief summoned

By B Izzak KUWAIT: Opposition MP Daifallah Buramia yesterday strongly blasted Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali for saying the government plans to propose imposing taxes and raising service charges on the people. “It appears that Shamali has forgotten or is pretending to forget that imposing taxes and raising service charges is not in his hands or the hands of his government. The whole issue is only decided by the National Assembly,” Buramia told reporters in a statement.

He charged that the finance minister has exceeded his limits and trespassed into the authority of the National Assembly “which is totally unacceptable and rejected”.

Buramia said that the prime minister should instruct the minister not to interfere into the affairs of the National Assembly and to stop such provocative statements. The lawmaker warned that Shamali and those behind him are trying to convert Kuwait into two classes - masters and slaves and we will not allow this to happen at all. Buramia warned Shamali that he is going through a politically risky path, adding Continued on Page 14

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah receiving Swiss Foreign Minister Michelin Calmy-Rey yesterday. — KUNA

PM hosts Swiss FM KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday received the visiting Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey at Al-Seif Palace. His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah hosted a luncheon at Bayan Palace in honor of Calmy-Rey on the occasion of her visit to Kuwait. Addressing the guests at the event, HH Sheikh Nasser welcomed Calmy-Rey and her delegation to “Kuwait, a country similar in many aspects to the features that distinguish your country Switzerland, which has shown how to be a small peaceful country, how to maintain neutrality in a troubled world, to serve peace and security, extending a helping hand to those in

need around the world.”

The Prime Minister continued, “KuwaitiSwiss relations are solid and historical, and I wish to point here to the position taken by Switzerland during the brutal occupation of Kuwait by an evil dictator: [Switzerland’s] position was firmly in support of Kuwait, emphasizing the necessity of respecting international law and ending the aggression.” He further stressed, “Your government has reinforced the principle it has long believed in, that is, the love of peace and security for all nations. We shall also never forget how Swiss schools opened their doors to the children of Kuwait during that difficult period.”

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Islamists boycott Jordan elections AMMAN: Jordan holds parliamentary elections tomorrow that the powerful Muslim Brotherhood will boycott in protest at what it says has been a gradual erosion of parliament’s independence. The Islamist boycott, coupled with apathy over an assembly seen as increasingly a rubber stamp for government policy, could bring one of the lowest turnouts since parliament was revived in 1989, analysts and politicians say.

Def ying liberals and Islamists alike, the government has maintained — with only minor changes — an

election law that under-represents large cities that are Islamist and Palestinian strongholds in favor of sparsely populated tribal areas which form a bedrock of support for the kingdom’s Hashemite monarchy. “Many Jordanians will not participate in the elections because of their conviction of the futility of participating... and this has been strengthened by the new electoral law that is not convincing to anyone,” Mohammed Al-Momani, a political science professor at Yarmouk University, said.

Continued on Page 14

Scientists turn skin into blood WASHINGTON: Stem cell researchers have found a way to turn a person’s skin into blood, a process that could be used to treat cancer and other ailments, according to a Canadian study published yesterday. The method uses cells from a patch of a person’s skin and transforms it into blood that is a genetic match, without using human embryonic stem cells, said the study in the journal Nature.

By avoiding the controversial and more complicated processes involved with using human embryonic stem cells to create blood, this approach simplifies the process, researchers said. “What we believe we can do in the future is generate blood in a much more efficient manner,” said study author Mick Bhatia of the McMaster’s Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute in the Michael G. DeGroote

School of Medicine.

With the ability to create blood for transfusion from a person’s own skin, the advance means someday patients needing blood for surgery or to treat anemia could bypass the blood bank and derive the necessary supply from themselves. The breakthrough could also see future uses such as allowing patients undergoing chemotherapy to endure a longer regime of treatment without the breaks currently needed to rejuvenate the body.

Researchers have been able to perform the skin-toblood transformation in the past, but while using human pluripotent stem cells, widely known as embryonic stem cells. Stem cells that are derived from human embryos hold significant promise for Continued on Page 14

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Chelsea slump at Liverpool 2-0

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Emirates, Etihad halt Yemen cargo

NO: 14904

Urine for sale? South African city wants to buy

Lebanese unity govt ‘paralyzed’

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DUBAI: Airlines in the United Arab Emirates say they have stopped carrying cargo from Yemen as a precaution following the discovery of two mail bombs shipped as air freight. The Middle East’s biggest airline Emirates, which operates out of Dubai, and Abu Dhabibased Etihad Airways each confirmed the cargo embargoes in response to questions yesterday. Discount carrier Air Arabia, based in the emirate of Sharjah, also said it had stopped accepting freight originating in Yemen.

It is unclear when exactly the bans were implemented, but they have been in place since at least last week, spokesmen for two of the carriers said. Etihad also said it has stopped carrying goods from Somalia, which sits just across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen and maintains longstanding trade ties with its Arabian neighbor. It said in a

THULHIJA 2, 1431 AH

BEIRUT: Lebanese special forces soldiers perform an exercise at the end of Beirut Marathon, in downtown Beirut yesterday. Thousands of Lebanese and other nationalities participate in the Beirut Marathon which takes place every year in Beirut. — AP

Saudi enforces smoking ban Smokers arrested at Jeddah airport JEDDAH: Sixteen smokers were nabbed at Jeddah’s international airport early yesterday as Saudi Arabia started to implement a smoking ban, an airport official said. A 200-riyal ($53) fine has been set for violators in the country’s 27 domestic and international terminals, except in designated smoking rooms, said Abdullah Rahimi, head of the General Authority for Civil Aviation.

Rahimi told reporters he hoped the new measure would “help protect the smoker’s health and reduce harm to others,” while urging airport staff to set an example by not lighting up.

Under the new regula-

tions, airport employees face losing their security clearance if caught smoking in smoking-prohibited areas.

Saudi Arabia does not have a general smoking ban in public places, and people smoke freely in government offices.

An official at Jeddah international airport, the main entry point for the annual haj pilgrimage to Makkah which starts next week, said most of the first 16 people nabbed after the ban came into effect at midnight were Saudis. They were allowed to continue their journey without paying the fines immediately but could be stopped on future trips if they fail to pay up. — AFP

Iraq rivals agree to share power Al-Maliki retains premiership BAGHDAD: Iraq’s political rivals reached a breakthrough power-sharing deal in which Nouri Al-Maliki, a Shiite, retains the premiership, a spokesman said yesterday, exactly eight months after inconclusive elections. “An agreement was reached yesterday among the political parties in which Jalal Talabani will continue as head of state, Nouri Al-Maliki will stay on as prime minister and Iraqiya will choose its candidate for parliament speaker,” government spokesman Ali AlDabbagh said.

Dabbagh said the deal was between the National Alliance, which represents the main Shiite parties, and the Kurdish coalition, while Iraqiya’s support hinged on its agreement over the posts of speaker and president.

“Iraqiya has not agreed for the moment over which side will have the parliament speaker’s position and which side will have the presidency,” the spokesman added. Ex-premier Iyad Allawi’s Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc, which won the most seats in the March 7 election but fell short of a parliamentary majority, confirmed the agreement and that discussions were continuing over those key posts.

“There is a draft agreement with the Iraqiya party, but there are still some problems to resolve,” Dabbagh said, adding parliament would meet on Thursday to choose a speaker, the first step to forming a new government. The spokesman added that both

Maliki and Allawi would today attend a ceremony in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Iraqi region of Kurdistan, to formally announce the agreement.

Iraqiya MP Jamal AlButikh said earlier his bloc had agreed on the powersharing deal af ter it was assured that “no political decision would be made without its agreement.” “Iraqiya will go to Arbil under Allawi’s leadership and because the party has been given reassurance in real power sharing,” he said. Butikh said it was unclear if the bloc would be offered the speaker’s position or the presidency, although some of the group’s members declared a preference for the latter, now held by Jalal Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.

Iraqiya MP Alia Nusayef said Moqtada Al-Sadr, a radical Shiite leader who has 40 seats in parliament, had also been invited to the Arbil meeting “because he brings equilibrium.” Sadr had first held discussions with Allawi, but then went into a Shiite alliance with Maliki.

Yesterday’s announcement came after Iraqi Kurdistan’s regional president, Massud Barzani, said he had invited all political groups to meet on Monday in the Kurdish capital to resolve the crisis.

Iraq’s second general election since the 2003 US-led invasion ended in deadlock after none of the main parties won enough of the 325 seats Continued on Page 14

Israel to withdraw from Lebanese village JERUSALEM: Israel will present the UN with a plan to withdraw from the northern sector of a disputed village along the Lebanese border that it has occupied since its 2006 war with Hezbollah, an Israeli official said yesterday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won’t present the proposal to UN chief Ban Ki-moon until today.

Details of the plan were not released, though Israel clearly would like assurances that militants of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah won’t be able to gain a foothold there from which to threaten crossborder attacks. An Israeli withdrawal could also set the stage for more tension between Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s Westernbacked political bloc and its Shiite

Hezbollah rivals, who have extended their political influence in Hariri’s shaky coalition government and maintain the country’s strongest military arsenal.

Hariri’s allies would likely use the pullout to argue that Hezbollah no longer needs its weapons and that disputed land can be regained with the help of the international community instead. Hezbollah, which refuses to disarm, is already saying its military power would be to thank for any Israeli pullout. The political director of the UN force in Lebanon, Milos Strugar, said the force has been “actively engaged with both parties” in an effort to facilitate an Israeli withdrawal from the area.

Ghajar sits on a strategic corner where the boundaries between Syria, Israel and Lebanon are in dis-

pute. Israel captured the entire village of some 2,000 people from Syria in 1967. In 2000, after Israel withdrew its forces from south Lebanon, UN surveyors put the border in the middle of the village, leaving Israel in control of the southern half. Israel reoccupied the northern part in the 2006 war. After the fighting, Israel pledged to withdraw from that sector but gave no timeline for doing so.

Ghajar’s residents are members of Islam’s Alawite sect, whose followers include many members of Syria’s ruling elite. Most of the villagers have said in the past that they want the village to remain united, regardless of who controls it. Netanyahu plans to ask a group of Cabinet ministers to approve the withdrawal proposal after he Continued on Page 14

GHAJAR: An Israeli soldier stands guard as a local boy walks back from school in the village of Ghajar on the border with Lebanon, northern Israel yesterday. — AP

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NATIONAL

Monday, November 8, 2010

Catholics still hoping to establish new church Mahboula too dangerous for church location

By Nisreen Zahreddine KUWAIT: The Kuw ait Human Rights Society (KHRS) has condemned Kuw ait Municipality’s refusal of an application presented by the Catholic Vicariate in Kuw ait for the leasing

KUWAIT: A ranking official underlined yesterday significance of the GCC railway project saying if executed it would greatly enhance inter-Gulf commerce and transport and travel. Abdul Mohsen AlMazidi, the communication undersecretary, called during a meeting of the committee of transport undersecretaries of the GCC, held here, for completing studies regarding the mega venture for sake of launching it by 2017. The GCC that groups Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman have been coordinating closely in various fields since the body was set up in the early 80s. The railway project is one of a series of joint ventures aimed at achieving integration, ultimately.

Minister urges reconciliation, progress KUWAIT: Communications minister and state minister for National Assembly Affairs Dr. Mohammad Al-Busairi has invited MPs to meet with ministers for discussions on developing a joint agenda to guarantee a solution for longstanding disputes between government and parliament.

“Crises and political polarizations have not and will not serve development in the country,” said the minister.

“This is apart from the government’s adamancy not to pay attention to any polarization and to continue the progress of development, and bring about a positive change in the country at all levels.”

Al-Busairi said the government possesses experienced ministers who are able to develop the country in all fields, and MPs must extend the hand of cooperation towards them in order to

implement His Highness the Amir’s wishes on the subject of development and get the related projects underway.

Meanwhile, parliament is expected to submit a number of grilling motions on the longstanding problems in the area of Kuwait’s sports bodies, and on education, following the upcoming week-long Eid AlAdha holiday. Although some have suggested that the Reform and Development Bloc may surprise the government by submitting the education ministry interpellation motion this week, RDB member Walid Al-Tabtabae has denied this, adding that there is no justification for hurrying the grilling, as it will be presented right after the one concerning sports.

Al-Tabtabae said that the priority in the subject of grillings lies in the issue of sports, saying that this has

been the bloc’s declared position for some time and one it has committed itself to. The RDB has no intention of mixing these issues together or embarrassing the National Action Bloc (NAB), which is pursuing the sports-related grilling motion, he added.

Al-Tabtabae said that when the RDB announced that it would be submitting a grilling motion to education minister Dr. Modhi Al-Humoud, it knew that this would follow two other grilling motions, one for the information minister which has apparently been cancelled and another on the sports issue, which will not take place until after the Eid Al-Adha holiday. The bloc will wait until after the sports-related grilling to launch its motion against the education minister, said AlTabtabae, adding that the interpelllation of Al-Humoud has been decided on and is

imperative with the only matter to be decided now being the timing.

Al-Tabtabae asserted that Al-Humoud has harmed Kuwait’s education system, accusing her of attempting to politicize senior posts within the education ministry. He added that this was the first time in Kuwait’s history when there had been a vacuum in the management of Kuwait University, insisting that this situation had paralyzed work at the university.

The MP further asserted that the recent heated exchanges in the National Assembly (parliament) indicate its weakness, pointing to what he termed “documentary poverty”, and a lack of important issues for MPs to adopt which makes them resort to “action” and sometimes heated exchanges to compensate for the shortage.

A statement from the KHRS condemned the municipality’s decision, however, describing it as “disrespect for the freedom of religion in Kuwait.”

Archimandrite Boutros Gharib, the head of the Greek Catholic Church in the country, told the Kuwait Times that, for seven years now, the church has submitted frequent pleas and requests to the municipality to approve its rental of a 1,000-meter property to serve as a church with no success to date.

“We asked both the Lebanese and Syrian ambassadors to intervene in the issue a year ago,” said the senior cleric, adding that the application had then been passed on to Jassem Al-Mubaraki, the head of the foreign ministry’s Arab region department.

The municipality had subsequently promised to approve the application to lease the building in Mahboula, although this was subsequently rejected since most of the parishioners who would be using the church live in Salmiya, Hawally and Salwa before being rejected outright in a subsequent decision. Archimandrite Gharib stressed that the government and His

of a building to be used as a church. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs justified the municipality’s decision, stating that it had been taken on technical grounds and promising that efforts w ould continue to provide a location for a new Catholic church in the country.

Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah have been extremely accommodating and understanding of the situation, as well as being wholly supportive of freedom of religion in Kuwait, adding that Kuwait has had diplomatic relations with the Vatican for some years so there should be no problems over this issue.

The senior cleric suggested that the problems in this situation lies in the increased power of religious extremists who intervene in these matters and wish to prevent the church from having any permanent base since they oppose diversity and cannot accept the existence of other religious beliefs.

He explained that whilst he continues to maintain an unquenchable spirit of optimism, even if the municipality now approved the church’s establishment in Mahboula he and the parishioners would not now accept it since it is a dangerous area for them and he and the vicariate are not willing to put parishioners’ safety or that of the church in danger.

“We demand that our church be located in the Mishref area since it’s nearby, calm and near national embassies,” said

Archimandrite Gharib, adding that religious clerics are considered ambassadors of faith and peace and deserve to be able to practice their religion and establish a church in a safe and tranquil area.

He also revealed that the Vicariate is currently paying KD 1,900 per month for its current residence in Salwa, calling this “totally unfair.”

He suggested that when people get angry about extremist Americans attempting to prevent the construction of a mosque in the US due to religious intolerance and accuse that country of opposing religious freedom as a result, they should in turn not oppose others’ religious freedom in their own country. He pointed out that the Catholic Vicariate has been in Kuwait for half a century now, and that 560 to 600 Roman Catholics are being denied the chance to worship in this one parish.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministry has promised to follow the issue up and resolve the technical problems preventing the approval of a license for a Catholic church, while the Catholics in the area await an opportunity simply to practice their faith in their own place of worship.

MAIA enables 24 Hajj convoys to cross Saudi border easily KUWAIT: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs (MAIA) announced on Saturday that it had completed all the official paperwork to allow 24 convoys carrying Hajj pilgrims to cross the land border at Salmi without further bureaucratic obstacles.

Roumi Al-Roumi, the Director of the ministry’s Hajj Affairs office, said in a press release issued yesterday, that the supervising team had focused on facilitating pilgrims’ travel procedures by checking their transport details and providing them with the necessary phone numbers of the Kuwaiti Hajj Mission in Makkah.

The team also checked the Hajj permits issued by the Ministry and matched them with the pilgrims’ passports in order to prevent any delays, he explained.

Al-Roumi lauded the cooperation of the Ministry of Interior, represented by the Borders Department and the Customs Department, for their efforts in helping facilitate the departure process.

More than 5,000 Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti pilgrims will be travelling with the 24 Hajj convoys. — KUNA

School meals cost 800 fils KUWAIT: The price of a single meal that is provided to elementary students as part of the recently launched catering program falls between 690 and 800 fils. This was confirmed in an official statement recently released by the Ministry of Education. It explained that the project’s total cost approximately will touch KD 58 million for a period of three years.

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Army Chief of Staff General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khalid AlSabah yesterday received the visiting Inspector-General of the Jordanian Armed Forces Brigadier Abdullah Abdulqader Al-Matar and an accompanying delegation. During the meeting, the two senior officials discussed ways of bolstering bilateral relations. The meeting was also attended by the Kuwaiti Deputy Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Khalid Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah and the Head of Kuwait’s Military Investigation Department, Major General Ahmad Mutairan.

kuwait digest

Inadequate health care

By Dr Wael Al-Hasawi he Amiri hospital, one of the most prominent public hospitals in the country, has become so crowded these days that patients have to wait for nearly 20 hours at the emergency room to receive a vacant bed. As residents wait for eight new hospitals to be established in the country, I discovered that under-capacity in public hospitals was actually created due to the improper law enforcement.

The law stipulates that expatriates in Kuwait are entitled to receive medical care through either government-sponsored health care system, or through health insurance provided by employers. One of the law’s articles further explains that the second option can be considered an alternative to the first in providing basic health care services.

What happens in reality is that government-implemented health care totally neglects the health insurance scheme that expats are entitled to receive as per contracts

T

signed with employers. The Kuwaiti government collects health insurance fees from employers, or in many cases, from the residents themselves. Through this system, all residents are covered to receive health services at public medical facilities, ultimately, overcrowding citizens.

On the other hand, the law does not consider medical services provided at private medical facilities, after being insured directly by employers. This saves the government the trouble of providing medical services to citizens as well as residents. No government can provide treatment to every individual living in the country’s soil. Moreover, haphazard implementation of the law has made the government unable to provide the best quality medical services to citizens via public facilities. Residents complain of the hefty fees they are required to pay to the government in return for sub-standard medical services. At the same time, this system also affects the private medical sector owing to lack of adequate support received. — Al-Rai

Al-Saadoun displeased with attitude of NAB members

By A Saleh KUWAIT: A number of National Action Bloc (NAB) members recently told MP Ahmed AlSaadoun that they require more support to ‘grill’ HH the Prime Minister over the sports laws issue. This is because the bloc lacks majority parliamentary support.

Officials that attended the meeting with Al-Saadoun said that NAB members had explained that they would not be able to call for ‘non-cooperation’ with the premier or mention it, without officially filing it with the

Parliament following in the heels of the famous interpellation motion conducted by the former minister of state Mohammed Sharar.

Officials added that Saadoun was displeased with their action, and that the sports issue existed ever since it was first raised for discussion, “You adapted it and handled it improperly without even questioning the concerned minister. You directly ‘grilled’ the prime minister, which was not the right step,” he said. He underscored that the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor should be ‘grilled’ instead.

UNRWA official coming KUWAIT: Representative of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) CommissionerGeneral Peter Ford will be on a two-day visit to Kuwait as of Monday. UNRWA said that the

official would be meeting Kuwaiti officials and partners of the agency, adding that the visit would come amid the UN preparation to invite Kuwait as an official member of UNRWA’s Consultative Committee. — KUNA

NATIONAL

Monday, November 8, 2010

PM hosts Swiss FM Continued from Page 1 The Kuwaiti premier went on, “We in Kuwait, cherish freedom and peace; we constantly emphasize the importance of dialogue and understanding in this day and age, as wars have become destructive and are no more limited to battlegrounds, but have transcended much further to reach the depths of destruction without leaving a single foundation standing.” He took this point further, stating, “Because we constitute a small population, we have often suffered from the injustice of wars, had we not found our solace in the support of the United Nations and other countries, the situation would have been far graver.”

HH Sheikh Nasser emphasized that Kuwait is determined to achieving positive results in the field of developing the country politically and economically, “in compliance with the will of His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, which aims at transforming this country into a financial and commercial hub.” In pursuit of this objective, Kuwait has endorsed a development plan for the years 2010-2014, allocating a budget of $140 billion to develop the infrastructure, construct ports and railways, establish new residential areas and continue its efforts to improve the standards of basic services provided for citizens and expatriates, he said.

“In this context, Kuwait is proud to be in the lead on the Arab and international levels in terms of the quality of education, lifestyle, gender equality, the economic situation and political freedom, doing so according to the classifications published by specialist international organizations and agencies and non-governmental organizations.” Recalling his own time spent in Switzerland, the premier said, “I still enjoy fond memories of arriving for the first time in your country from the United Kingdom on April 24th, 1959, where I completed my university studies at Geneva University, one of the most renowned universities in the world, in a country that is at the forefront of democracy and freedoms.”

He went on, “I was the first diplomat in the history of Kuwaiti-Swiss relations to be appointed Consul General of the State of Kuwait to the Swiss Federation, resident in Geneva, then as Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait to the European office of the United Nations in Geneva in 1966.” Recalling distinguished friends and colleagues, he continued, “I would also like to mention with pride and respect, Paul Gottret, the late father of the present Ambassador of the Swiss Federation to the State of Kuwait, H E Michel Gottret, who was a dear friend of mine when he was chief of Protocol for the Canton of Geneva, as he immensely facilitated the tasks of the diplomatic corps.”

He said, “A few years later, I followed

3 UN Human Development Index

Kuwait ranks 47th in quality of life report

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Kuwait ranks 47th in the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) newly-released 2010 Quality of Life Index. Every year since 1990, the UNDP has published the Human Development Index (HDI) which was introduced as an alternative to the conventional measures

KUWAIT: HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah hosted a luncheon in honor of Micheline Calmy-Rey, Vice President of the Swiss Federal Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs on the occasion of her visit to Kuwait at the Bayan Palace yesterday. — KUNA

In the report, the UNDP reveals that between 1980 and 2010 Kuwait’s HDI rose by 0.4 percent annually, from 0.675 to 0.771 today, putting the country in 47th place out of 169 countries with comparable data.

Meanwhile, the HDI of Arab states as a region increased from 0.398 in 1980 to 0.590 today, placing Kuwait above the regional average.

The HDI trends tell an important story both at the national and regional level, highlighting the major gaps in wellbeing and life chances that continue to divide our interconnected world. UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon announced the release of the report at the UN headquarters in New York at the end of last week, lauding those countries which made significant progress in recent decades.

Five nations are among the ‘Top 10 Movers’ list, with Oman ranking first among the 135 nations included, followed by Saudi

of national development, such as level of income and the rate of economic growth. The HDI 2010 report, entitled ‘The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development,’ represents a push for a broader definition of wellbeing and provides a composite measure of three basic dimensions of human development: health, education and income.

Arabia (5th), Tunisia (7th), Algeria (9th) and Morocco (10th). Jeni Klugman, the lead author of the Human Development Report, was quoted on their website as stating that the progress made by some Arab states cannot be attributed solely to oil and gas earnings, but on their success in long-term improvements in health and education - the non-incomerelated dimensions of HDI. In 2009, Kuwait ranked 31st on the Human Development Index out of 182 states. The report also indicated that life expectancy in the Arab states has increased steadily, from 51 years in 1970 to almost 70 today. Last year, the average life expectancy rate in Kuwait was recorded at 77.5, rising slightly again this year to 77.9, an increase of around 0.4 percent. The report also revealed that infant mortality rates in the Arab countries in general have plummeted, from 98 deaths per 1,000 live births in

1970 to 38 in 2008, below the current world average of 44 per 1,000 births.

The 2010 HDI report placed Norway at the top of the world’s human development achievement list, followed by Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Ireland, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Canada, Sweden and Germany. On its website a UNDP official said that national development should be measured not just in terms of economic growth but also through the factors of health and education achievement.

“Life expectancy remains the main indicator for health,” the official stated. “In education, the expected years of schooling for school-age children replaces gross enrollment, while the average years of schooling in the adult population replaces adult literacy rates to provide a fuller picture of education level.”

kuwait digest

Do we oppress expatriates?

By Muthafar Abdallah

I with interest, as Calmy-Rey was elected President of the Geneva Cantonal Government in 2001, then to be elected a year later to become the fourth woman in the Federal Council for the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is a ministerial post she still occupies to this day. As she is Vice President of the Swiss Confederation for the second time running, we look forward to seeing Calmy-Rey hold the presidency next January for the second time as well,” he said.

He emphasized that Calmy-Rey is a member of “Council of Women World Leaders”, an international network consisting of women who occupy present or former presidential or

prime ministerial roles, whose mission is to globally enroll women of the highest leadership level in taking collective action on issues of great importance to women and fair development.

In September 2010, Calmy-Rey was invited to join the UN Secretary General’s high-level panel, which concerned with comprehensive and sustainable development, he added. In conclusion, the premier said, “We look forward to close cooperation with your country on all levels, especially in the political field, and since you are the head of Swiss diplomacy, we are fully confident of your genuine efforts and your profound and noble objectives.”

would like to bring to notice several practices that dominate our small society, supporting my view that we are no longer tolerant of those that reside in our land, or as some call them - expatriates or foreigners. I call them partners in ‘construction,’ since Kuwait flourished with the export of first oil shipment in June, 1946.

Incidents of intolerance and discrimination are many, and here are some of them: There is no significant excuse for the Municipal Council’s repeated decision to reject the construction of a Catholic Church. Denial contradicts with the basic tenets of political activity on an issue that has significant foreign repercussion, that is, if we want to deal with the issue as being tactically beneficial - not as a principle of freedom of belief as guaranteed by the

Constitution.

I still feel sorry for expatriates because of transport companies’ indifference, and their failure to build air-conditioned waiting areas so that bus users can be protected from summer heat (in Dubai, the issue is over high class cabins). Even Haj campaigns are not spared of discrimination.

Discriminatory practices in terms of accommodation provided, difference in the level the Haj services presented to Kuwaitis and other nationalities, even in the rituals performed are apparent in Makkah !

Undisputedly, even cleanliness in residential areas is subject to discrimination. I enter Hawally everyday as I take my children to school. I notice the rubbish and piles of garbage accumulated outside residential buildings, and the lack of interest in terms of infrastructural services presented in places where expatriates live, as is the

case with Jleeb Al-Shuoyukh. It is a chaotic area that is clearly influenced by society’s insecurity. We hear and read in newspapers about Kuwaiti employees’ being felicitated.

We rarely see a non-Kuwaiti employee employed in a government body being appreciated. This is although all official establishments base their performance on foreign expertise, and this is evidenced by the Kuwaitization policy’s failure.

Discrimination is starkly evident in the labor contracts drawn up and their renewal, and injustice is clearly present in terms of incentives provided like promotions, rewards and sometimes in the number of days of leaves. This is in addition to laborers’ repeated protests against unpaid salaries. I hope these above mentioned examples will help find an answer to the headline of this article which has been written in a question form. —Aljarida

NATIONAL

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Monday, November 8, 2010

International Jaber Al-Ahmad Stadium

Disappointing match results don’t dampen enthusiasm for stadium

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Saturday’s football match between the Kuwaiti Club Al-Qadisiya and the Syrian Al-Itihad team was an exceptional experience, not just an exciting game but the first to be played at the International Jaber AlAhmad Stadium. Unfortunately, despite the large home crowd cheering

KUWAIT: The Third International Conference on Inventions in the Middle East began yesterday under the patronage of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed AlJaber Al-Sabah. The conference is being organized by Kuwait Scientific Club, with 34 countries taking part in the event. His Highness the Amir was represented by Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem, who said that holding the conference in Kuwait gives the opportunity to bring creative ideas together. He expressed pleasure to see Kuwaitis including children present patent inventions in USA and developed countries. He said, “true investment is what we instill in our children to have the will to learn and develop which is the right approach to advancements.”

Gulf railway project delayed till March

By A Saleh KUWAIT: Bidding for the proposed railway project, scheduled to take place by the end of November will be delayed till next March. This is owing to new remarks made by the Environment Public Authority (EPA), demanding that routes be altered. Officials added that the team entrusted with reviewing the project had studied the project’s blueprint and compared it with others. It found that the current design needed to be changed, which would take until December or January before it is officially endorsed by the specialized ministerial committee that offered the project for bidding through the Central Tender Committee (CTC).

Moreover, officials highlighted that the government seeks more international participation in the bidding process, and that it has been contacting the world’s largest ‘specialized’ companies.

Meanwhile, the GCC countries have removed the customs duty exemption granted to

some construction materials like cement and imported steel, in accordance with a proposal submitted by Kuwait. The decision was arrived at during a meeting held between finance and economy ministers in Kuwait yesterday.

Officials said that the decision was made after studying a detailed proposal put forward by the specialized committee of GCC’s Secretariat General.

In another development, the committee in charge of demolishing encroachments issued a late warning to the camps erected at the military parade grounds, remarked lawmaker Mohammad Hayef. He said that campers would have complied to regulations had warnings been issued on time. Hayef added that the Interior Ministry should have taken notice that military parade would be held along Subbiya road earlier.

“Will the citizen always remain the victim of government negligence, or will the government hold those responsible accountable and change the venue of the parade?” he asked.

Apart from the other enthusiastic supporters who packed the stadium to capacity, the match was also attended by Sheikh Talal Al-Fahad the Chairman of Al-Qadisiya Club, along with some MPs and a number of other dignitaries.

The idea of building the landmark stadium was first mooted around 10 years ago, when the late Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah put forward the idea of building a complete sports city. On being completed some time after the scheduled date, with the delays provoking heated debate, the stadium was named after him, Much of the immense parking lot was closed off for Saturday’s match, with police unwilling to explain why. This forced many frustrated fans to park some distance from the stadium, with a number having to park three or four kilometers away before walking to the stadium. Scenes of chaos greeted departing fans, with some cars having apparently become bogged down in sandy areas of the parking lot, with this reporter taking half an hour to get out from the resulting congestion.

Despite these and other minor problems, however, most of the fans were delighted with the new facility, if not with the final result of the match.

“Although the seats were dusty, they’re still great and really comfortable compared to the other stadiums in Kuwait,” said Nawaf, a 23-year-old Kuwaiti Al-Qadisiya fan. “I’m happy that I can sit here on a new plastic seat after having to sit on the ground in the old stadiums that had old, broken chairs.”

The International Jaber AlAhmad Stadium, built at a cost of KD 59 million, is located on the Sixth Ring Road beside the Ardiya industrial zone in Farwaniya

Governorate. The stadium, the largest in Kuwait, can seat 60 thousand spectators. Its design was inspired by Kuwait’s history and geography and its marine traditions, which are expressed by the stadium’s dhow shape.

A total of 58,000 seats are available for ordinary fans, while there are also 300 special places for disabled spectators, 750 for VIPs, 250 for media spectators.

Meanwhile, the special boxes available for corporate or other fans, will seat an additional 600 fans in some style.

The four-floor stadium also holds a number of other facilities, including an athletics track and swimming pool, meeting rooms, and other features, while sites have been allocated around the stadium for emergency personnel.

The first floor of the stadium contains the VIP suites, car parking and a helipad at the back of the building. The second floor consists of the Amiri Hall, a doctor’s room, the main Amiri hall with a view of the pitch, special rooms for officials, and a museum containing a scale model of the stadium, as well as 54 private boxes seating 600 spectators.

This floor also includes rooms for TV and media staff offering seating for 100, as well as dedicated press conference suite offering simultaneous translation facilities in three languages. Also at this floor there are five rooms for the radio commentators. Six studios for the TV broadcasting, and rooms for the police and medical services.

The third floor consists of four prayer rooms, a shop selling sports kits and other sporting paraphernalia and a restaurant offering buffet meals, while the fourth floor houses the control panels for the floodlights and the electronic scoreboards.

them on and many believing that Al-Qadisiya thoroughly outclassed and outplayed their Syrian opponents, the Kuwaiti team lost on penalties following a nail-biting 1-1 result. The usual appeals against the referee’s decisions and unflattering comments on his powers of sight followed, with many spectators believing that he had shown an unjust bias in favor of the Syrian team.

KUWAIT: Members of the Syrian team celebrating their victory (top) and the International Jaber Al-Ahmad Stadium (above). —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Fraudster nets KD 6,000 in Hajj scam KUWAIT: A fraudster who attempted to cheat people out of money through pretending to be a Hajj pilgrimage organizer connected to a reputed Muslim cleric has been arrested.

The man who had placed adverts in a number of local free magazines for his non-existent services, admitted to police on being questioned that he had collected over KD 6,000 from his victims.

Reporters from local daily Al-Watan

uncovered the charlatan’s activities in an investigation, finding that the con artist, who used the name and photograph of respected cleric and International Muslim Scholars’ Union member Dr. Mohammad Abdulrahman Al-Oraifi, was collecting fees of up to KD 250 per person from individuals to carry out a Hajj pilgrimage on their behalf while having no intention of doing so.

Dr. Al-Oraifi denied having any

knowledge of the individual, a citizen of another GCC country who lives in the Jahra area.

“The man was collecting money using my photograph to win his potential clients’ trust,” said Al-Oraifi, adding that he has already taken steps to pursue legal action against the conman.

The fraudster had also claimed to be authorized by the ‘Tabtabae convoy,’ a legitimate group which organizes Hajj

pilgrimages. On contacting the head of the group, Anwar Al-Tabtabae, however, reporters discovered that the group had received no communications from the man and had given him no authorization whatsoever to use its name. Al-Tabtabae confirmed that the convoy is also in the process of taking legal action against the fraudster, saying, “We are suing him and a complaint has been lodged at Kaifan police station.”

Taxation plans to include services re-pricing KUWAIT: The Cabinet will adopt two new draft laws, one pertinent with additional taxes levied on purchases made, and another on re-pricing the cost of services and fees collected from public facilities’ usage. This move will be in line with the taxation law that is already being considered seriously.

This announcement was made

by Mustafa Al-Shamali, Finance Minister who explained in a statement to the press that these three laws are essential in terms of the government’s efforts to diversify resources which are at present overwhelmingly dependant on oil revenue.

“The Cabinet is currently studying the [purchases taxation]

law that is part of the Gulf Cooperation Council,” Al-Shamali said, referring to an agreement reached between all GCC countries to apply this project as well as the re-pricing project in each country.

While indicating that the Cabinet had already contacted the Parliament previously, Al-Shamali noted that these projects were included in the development plan, and were made aware of MPs who had voiced opposition, reported AlRai. Regarding the effect that these laws could have on citizens and residents that fall into the limited income bracket, Al-Shamali clarified that it is still early to disclose any details that relate to these laws.

KUWAIT: Dr Nirmeen Al-Houti, a member of teaching faculty from the Higher Council for Theater chaired the panel that adjudged the play ‘Gaza Monologues.’

It was staged in Amman, Jordan as part of the 17th Jordanian Theater Festival.

NATIONAL

Monday, November 8, 2010

Controversial release of two drug dealers

Al-Muwaizri to file interior minister grilling motion?

KUWAIT: Although it has been rumored for some time that Interior Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalid Al-Sabah will face a grilling over the controversial release of two convicted Iranian drug dealers, the identity of the MP submitting the grilling motion may be different from the one who was expected to do so. It had been predicted that Popular Action

Al-Muwaizri, the current head of the parliamentary interior and defense committee, has already begun proceedings into launching his own grilling motion. This follows an investigation by the previous interior and defense committee into the minister’s directive ordering the release of the two Iranians, who had been facing deportation, which found the minister to be in the wrong over the decision.

All the members of the previous committee, apart from chairman Askar Al-Enezi, agreed on the report’s findings. With Al-Muwaizri now replacing Al-Enezi as committee head, the general feeling in parliament is that the committee will call for further action to be taken based on the report’s findings. Many expect Al-Muwaizri to submit an amended version of the report to parliament for assessment, while the committee is expected to include more previously concealed details on the case, which were

Bloc (PAB) member Musallam Al-Barrak would be the parliamentarian filing the interpolation motion against the minister. However, since it seems that the motion presented by AlBarrak could not garner sufficient support from fellow MPs to go forward to the next stage, another motion may be put forward by another parliamentarian, Shuwaib Al-Muwaizri.

rumored to have been withheld at the instructions of Al-Enezi, in the amended report.

It is believed that Al-Muwaizri will wait to submit his grilling motion against the minister until the report has been resubmitted to parliament and he has familiarized himself with all the details of the case.

Al-Barrak is reported fully supportive of Al-Muwaizri’s grilling bid, especially since it comes at a time when other interpolations against various ministers are in the offing. Many opponents of the government, including Al-Barrak, apparently believe that the glut of grilling motions will help gain public support for their stance against the current parliamentary progovernment majority.

Some believe, however, that these grilling motions could face major obstacles, pointing out that AlMuwaizri lacks the authority to withdraw the interior and defense commit-

tee’s previous report unless he is specifically assigned to do so by parliament.

In a statement on the issue, MP Ali Al-Omair said that the interior and defense committee’s remit to investigate the case had ended the moment it submitted the earlier report to parliament, meaning that it is not entitled to take more action over the issue. AlOmair was assigned by parliament to look into the case following an appeal by the head of the Ministry of Interior’s (MoI) Criminal Investigation Department, Major General Sheikh Ali Al-Yousef AlSabah, who insisted that his testimony to the committee had been misquoted in the original report.

Al-Omair also told Al-Rai that he had received information indicating that Al-Muwaizri had already backed down from the idea of submitting a request that the earlier report be withdrawn.

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MPs’ opinions vary on ‘code of honor’ KUWAIT: Following an unpleasant incident during Thursday’s parliamentary session which saw heated exchanges between MPs, a previously proposed concept of a code of honor, which would oblige parliament members to refrain from using negative language and force them to restrain their tempers inside the parliamentary chamber, has been revived.

MP Hassan Jowhar has announced that he will present the ‘code of honor’ proposal next week, saying that this would counter tribal and sectarian exchanges between MPs, and help raise the level of dialogue inside the parliament.

Another parliamentarian suggested, however, that a code of honor would still be insufficient in itself to prevent the casually offensive remarks exchanged regularly by MPs in parliament, saying that stricter deterrents and penalties need to be introduced to ensure their compliance with any such ruling.

MP Khalid Al-Sultan revealed that he has asked a number of lawyers to devise a legal formula for amendments to the parliament’s internal governing committee, by which stricter measures could be taken against MPs who make offensive and inflammatory com-

ments inside the parliament. “A ‘toothless’ code will be ineffective in stopping these negative practice,” Al-Sultan told Al-Rai, referring to the proposed code of honor. “What is needed is a formula that ‘bites down on’ these practices.” Other MPs, meanwhile, feel that enforcing a strategy to address the deteriorating level of parliamentary dialogue is impossible since demonstrating a commitment to using only acceptable speech should be common sense among parliamentarians, with these MPs asserting that this issue should not be allowed to take the spotlight from other more important matters that should be prioritized by parliament. “MPs themselves should have enough values that prevent them from uttering negative remarks inside the parliament,” said MP Dr. Aseel Al-Awadhi, saying that these negative practices stem from ‘the lack of respect that some MPs have for the opinions of their colleagues who make criticisms of members of the executive authority.”

Another MP, Dr. Rola Dashti, insisted that this issue should not be magnified to the extent where the matter takes priority over more important issues that parliament needs to address. “The deteriorating level of dialogue

is not going to stand in the way of achieving our legislative and monitoring duties,” Dashti asserted, adding, “[MPs] don’t need codes or regulations that teach them the moral values which they already know.”

Meanwhile, the government is eager to pursue cooperation with parliament and to resolve the internecine disputes that have impeded progress, according to a government insider. “The government is not being arrogant or defiant as some MPs have suggested,” the insider told Al-Watan. “It only wishes to achieve fruitful cooperation with government in a bid to resolve the previous parliamentary term’s disagreements and come up with a first class development plan.

The insider added that His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah has always made a point of urging all ministers to respond promptly to MPs’ questions and treat them with the appropriate seriousness. He added that the government is ready to deal with any grilling motion, whether directed against the health, finance or education minister. “Winning a parliamentary majority in our favor is extremely easy,” the insider asserted.

NATIONAL

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Monday, November 8, 2010

Pedophile janitor in custody

Kuwaiti, Pakistani hurt in gun attacks KUWAIT: A Pakistani man was ambushed and shot in a Surra street by three unidentified gunmen, all of whom fortunately had a poor aim, managing only to hit him once, in one foot. The man was apparently walking down the street when the three gun-wielding men, all strangers to him, stepped out of a car and opened fire on him before getting back into the vehicle and escaping, reported Al-Watan. The man was rushed to hosSexual assault A school janitor has been arrested over the sexual assault of a seven-year-old pupil at the Khaitan school where he worked. The janitor was found out after the victim’s father noticed spots of blood on his son’s clothes when he picked him up from school and asked the boy about them. The child broke down and told his father about the attack carried out by the janitor, with the father immediately going to Farwaniya police station to report the incident. Police went to the school straight away, arresting the janitor, who admitted to his actions during questioning. He is being held in custody pending trial.

kuwait digest

Actions that damage national image

By Salah Al-Allaj

I

totally believe in reacting calmly regardless of a situation’s intensity.

This is because I believe that results may come late when compared to staging demonstration or excitement. It will always be closer to the right decision.

Sometimes, such decisions are the only right ones.

During the recent trend where overenthusiasm was on display, some were only interested in playing heroes or placing their personal interests over reason.

The supposedly wise, elite people’s representatives go out to the streets to demonstrate, create chaos and insult each other within the most sacred and democratic institution.

What excuses or manners will we have left to convey to our students in schools and universities, if they deviate from right conduct or break the law by engaging in street fighting, protests or exchanging insults?

Will we ever dare tell them that this is wrong? Will we ever be able to convince them that their acts are childish and irre-

sponsible?

I no longer know what to do in this regard. An MP is supposed to be a mature, respectable individual who represents the nation rather than beguiling it. He or she should be the one who analyzes difficult situations as a wise person who represents his or her electoral constituency in Parliament. I believe it would be inappropriate to rebuke them.

If such conduct, that has considerably damaged Kuwait’s image, was a means to reach a certain end, it cannot be justified in any manner! —Al-Jarida

Programmed power cuts hit 15 areas

KUWAIT: Members of the Kuwaiti Diving Team pictured during their visit to the United Kingdom recently.

Diving Team aims to form international partnerships KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti Diving Team has garnered many achievements in terms of boosting international relations with organizations that pertain with the safety of marine biology. This is following a recent visit made to the United Kingdom.

In a statement made to the press recently, team leader Waleed Al-Fadhel stated that visits featured exchange of information and expertise regarding the marine environment’s protection, boosting cooperation on environmental issues and introducing Kuwait’s achievements to protect marine environment.

The visit included stops made at several

British cities, during which meetings were held with leading organizations in coastal and marine environment fields, in terms of observing coral reefs, cleaning, life-saving as well as protecting marine biology.

Moreover, Al-Fadhel asserted that the Kuwaiti Diving Team aims to form international partnerships that connects all marine environmental activists and organizations, in order to spread as much awareness as possible.

The Kuwaiti Diving Team also visited the exhibition being held in Birmingham for diving equipment, Al-Fadhel further noted.

EPA holds raids KUWAIT: Environment Public Authority (EPA) officers were recently able to rescue more than 100 creatures belonging to endangered species which were being sold at the bird market in AlRai. The raids followed an inspection campaign launched in implementation of the treaty on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

(CITES), reported Al-Rai. “The campaign aimed to look for endangered species in which trade is banned by the international treaty”, said EPA Director General Dr. Saleh Al-Moudhi, also revealed that legal action is being taken against the traders in these animals since they should be aware of the international regulations on this subject.

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) is now conducting periodic maintenance operations at secondary power transformers located across the country. At least fifteen areas will experience power cuts until the end of the week.

It is carrying out maintenance works ahead of the next summer season when consumption rates peak. Temporary power outages may be experienced from 7:30 am until 11:30 am in Al-Shamiya, Abdulla Al-Salem, Al-Roudha, AlAndalus, Al-Salmiya, Mishref, Nuzha, Salwa, Rumathiya, Jaber Al-Ali, Qurtoba, Abdullah AlMubarak, Maidan Hawally, AlQairawan and Khaitan.

Furthermore, the ministry will also replace 5,000 transformers with sturdier ones that are capable of enduring Kuwait’s extreme hot weather conditions.

This will help prevent cases in which transformers’ fires usually increase during summer, reported Al-Qabas.

On a separate note, the Ministry’s Distribution Department recently began an econnection project in conjunction with the Kuwait Municipality. It will first be adopted in the private resident’s sector, before being adopted in investment and commercial sectors.

This was made by Imad AlObaid, Head of the Department’s Extension Division. He noted that the ministry and Municipality had previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding on this procedure.

Meanwhile, Al-Obaid asserted that the ministry is keen on supplying power to units that make requests, after verifying licenses issued from the Municipality. He rejected allegations that the ministry usually delays this procedure, reported Al-Rai. The official explained that the delay was caused due to shortage in the necessary documents needed for transactions to be completed.

Murder investigation A murder investigation is underway after the body of a 24-year-old Kuwaiti youth was discovered in his bedroom at his family’s home. On finding the body, family members immediately called police, reported Al-Anba, with crime scene officers who also rushed to the scene finding that the young man had been dead for at least 24 hours. Police found evidence suggesting foul play was involved in the man’s death and the body has been removed for autopsy while the investigation continues.

Son stabs mother A woman was rushed to the Mubarak Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in a critical condition after being stabbed repeatedly in the head and chest by her 17-year-old son following an argument.

Emergency workers were quickly at the family’s home in Sabah Al-Salem after receiving a report that the boy had attacked his mother with a knife, finding her bleeding heavily from four deep stab wounds, reported Al-Watan. Police are

pital and an investigation is underway into the gunmen’s identities. In another case, an investigation is underway to apprehend the gunman who shot a Kuwaiti man in the shoulder.

Emergency workers rushed to the scene after receiving reports that a man had been shot following a violent argument. The victim reportedly refused to give police details about the incident or any information about his attacker.

still searching for her son who fled the scene after the attack.

Addict brothers Two Kuwaiti brothers have been arrested on charges of possessing drugs and drug paraphernalia. The two were apprehended following a car chase which began when they drove off after police approached them on becoming suspicious of their activities on spotting their vehicle parked near a wedding hall in Qadisiya.

On catching them, officers discovered 71 narcotic tablets in the vehicle, along with three sachets containing heroin, as well as a number of items of drug paraphernalia, reported Al-Watan. On conducting a background search into the men, police discovered that one of them was wanted after fleeing on being sentenced to a prison term in connection with another drugs-related case, while the other had a history of arrests in drug-related cases.

Both men were referred to the General Department of Drugs Control (GDDC) for further action.

Suicide attempt An Ethiopian maid was taken to Adan Hospital with multiple fractures after throwing herself from a window of her employers’ home in Al-Qusour in a suicide attempt. An investigation is underway into the incident, reported Al-Watan, and police are awaiting the woman’s recovery to question her about the reasons behind her attempt to end her life.

Family trouble Police who responded to a report of a car chase on Gulf Road found that the pursuer, a Kuwaiti man, was the father of the woman driving the first vehicle, and had reported his daughter missing a month before. The 24-year-old woman was

forced to stop when her car hit an object at the side of the road, after which both she and her father were taken for questioning. The father told officers that he had begun following his daughter after spotting her by chance as she drove down the street, adding that she had left the family home a month before. The daughter explained that she had left the house after being mistreated following her parents’ earlier separation, reported AlWatan. A police investigation is underway.

TV director absconds Police are hunting for a Kuwaiti TV director who has absconded with KD 34,000 which he was supposed to pay to the producer of a soap opera broadcast on state TV. The Ministry of Information had signed a contract with the producer, agreeing on the monies to be paid, with the director being entrusted with handing the cash over to the producer, reported Al-Rai. The latter quickly discovered, however, that the director had absconded with the cash and filed a report at Salhiya police station.

Wild attack A Kuwaiti farm owner called police to report that wild dogs had attacked and killed a number of his livestock, as well as maiming others. The caretaker at the farm found out about the attacks after being roused from his sleep during the night by strange noises, coming out of the building in time to see the pack of dogs running from the property. He then discovered that four sheep had been killed and another four fatally injured, reported Al-Anba. Security officers have been hunting for the dogs.

Kafeel system cancelation ‘on time’

CAIRO: Dr Rashid Al-Hamad presenting the donation to Dr Sheriff Abu El-Naga.

Kuwaiti ambassador delivers donation to Cancer Hospital CAIRO: Kuwait’s Ambassador to Egypt Dr Rashid Al-Hamad on Saturday handed over a donation from Kuwait’s Islamic Heritage Revival Society to the director of the Children’s Cancer Hospital in Egypt, Dr Sheriff Abu ElNaga.

The gesture emphasized Kuwait’s role in the field of charity and humanitarian work.

“The State of Kuwait and its people have always taken a leading role in assisting their brothers in Arab and Islamic countries,” said Dr. Abu El-Naga, adding that the hospital has received many donations from Kuwaiti people to date.

“There is a continuous cooperation between the children’s cancer hospital and a number of

Kuwaiti authorities, including the General Secretariat of Awqaf in the field of charity and humanitarian work,” he added, also highlighting his numerous visits to Kuwait in response to various calls from different bodies to participate in a number of relevant missions.

On his part, the Kuwaiti ambassador praised the humanitarian and charity work carried out by the Children’s Cancer Hospital in Egypt, calling it “one of the leading institutions in Egypt.” Ambassador Dr. Al-Hamad added that the State of Kuwait and its people have always been supportive of Egypt in numerous areas, saying that this initiative was a model of the cooperation between the two countries in the humanitarian field. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) plans to cancel the current sponsorship system next February, the month in which the Public Authority for Manpower will be officially established.

The ministry continues to seek options that can serve as an alternative for the ‘kafeel’ system. One official recently stated that no final decision has been arrived at to cancel the system that has placed Kuwait into much disrepute.

“The labor law enforced this year clearly states that a public authority for labor and manpower will look into issues pertinent to this field,” said Mansour AlMansour, Assistant Undersecretary for the Labor Sector in a recent statement made to the press. He further asserted on the ministry’s commitment to remain on schedule, reported Al-Qabas.

Meanwhile, Al-Mansour revealed that a parliamentary recommendation has been made to extend the suspension on work permits’ issuance in the public sector for an additional five years. He explained that this move is part of the government’s plans to restrict recruitment to certain fields in order to protect demographic balance.

Naif University, NAUSS agree to scientific cooperation RIYADH: Director-General of the National Security College Maj Gen Muhammad Rafea Al-Daihani yesterday met with the President of Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS) Prof Abdulaziz Bin Sagr AlGhamdi, within the framework of coordination to foster scientific and academic cooperation.

In remarks after the meeting, Maj Gen Al-Daihani said his visit to Naif University comes upon directives by the Minister of Interior Sheikh Lt Gen Jaber Khalid Al-Sabah and the Undersecretary Lt Gen Ahmad Abdullatif Al-Rejaib, who

both urged keen effort to advance capabilities and credentials of ministry officers and to secure chances for them to pursue higher studies.

He pointed out the National Security College, a ministry establishment, is in the process of drafting an academic syllabus for diploma certification for willing ministry officers. Study at the college is to start in the new academic year 2011/2012, he noted, adding that cooperation with Naif University to facilitate progress on this account was discussed during the said meeting.

Points of discussion touched on sub-

jects and material to be taught and accreditation by Naif University, as well as cooperation with University in terms of staff and expertise.

Al-Daihani said Kuwait is the second biggest contributor to Naif University, which functions under the umbrella of the League of Arab States, after the host state. The university boasts five colleges, and first among them is the College of Higher Studies which offers Masters and PhD programs, and the College of Strategic Studies is another prominent establishment.

Naif Arab University for Security

Sciences (NAUSS) seeks to strengthen relations with specialist Arab and international institutions related to security studies and the justice sector, as well as social institutions. It is a regional and world leader in providing a superior level of academia and training in security sciences. It states its mission as “Advancing the performance of the security and criminal justice sectors with the latest knowledge and methodologies and the guidance of Islamic law — and placing strategies and effective solutions to security challenges using the latest academic research.” — KUNA

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, November 8, 2010

Iran ready to hold nuke talks in Turkey TEHRAN: Iran has informed Ankara it is ready to hold talks in Turkey with the six world powers on its controversial nuclear program, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said yetserday. “In the last two or three days, we informed our Turkish friends that we agree to hold negotiations in Turkey,” Mottaki told reporters, asked about a venue for the upcoming talks.

Iran and the six world powers-Britain, China, France, Russia, Germany and the United States-are expected to meet later this month to discuss Tehran’s nuclear program. Mottaki said the Islamic republic was “very optimistic” about the talks and hoped the two sides would soon agree on the date and agenda.

“I hope we will reach an agreement soon over the date and the contents,” he said. “We are very optimistic the discussions will start as soon as possible, as the overall approach of Iran is positive and constructive.” Last month, European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, who is leading the negotiations on behalf of the six world powers, proposed to hold the talks in Vienna starting on November 15.

The nuclear talks have been deadlocked since October 2009 when the two groups met in Geneva. The world powers led by the United States suspect that Iran is masking a weapons drive under the guise of a civilian nuclear program, a charge Tehran strongly denies. —AFP

US deploys Predator drones in Yemen WASHINGTON: The administration of President Barack Obama has deployed unmanned Predator drones in Yemen to hunt for Al-Qaeda operatives who are becoming increasingly active in that Arab country, The Washington Post reported yesterday. But citing unnamed senior US officials, the newspaper said US military and intelligence operatives have not fired missiles from these aircraft because they lack solid intelligence on the militants’ whereabouts. Last month, two packages addressed to synagogues in Chicago containing the hardto-detect explosive PETN hidden in printer ink cartridges were uncovered in Dubai and Britain’s East Midlands Airport, sparking a global scare. On Friday, the Yemeni branch of Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the plot and for the September downing of a UPS cargo plane. The Al-

Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) group posted the message on “jihadist” web forums, and called for more explosive parcels to “enlarge the circle of its application to include civilian aircraft in the West as well as cargo aircraft.”

US officials said the Predators have been patrolling the skies over Yemen for several months in search of leaders and operatives of Al-Qaeda, the report said. But after a series of attacks by Yemeni forces and US cruise missiles earlier this year, Yemeni AlQaeda leaders “went to ground,” The Post quotes a senior Obama administration official as saying. Yemeni officials said they had deep reservations about weapons they said could prove counterproductive, the paper noted.

“Why gain enemies right now?” The Post quotes Mohammed Abdulahoum, a senior Yemeni official, as say-

ing. “Americans are not rejected in Yemen; the West is respected. Why waste all this for one or two strikes when you don’t know who you’re striking?”

Instead, Yemen has asked the United States to speed up shipment of promised helicopters and other military equipment, the report said. A US defense official said plans were being made to nearly double military aid, to 250 million dollars, in 2011, The Post noted. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in Australia Saturday that the US military was looking at how to bolster Yemen’s security forces amid growing concern over AlQaeda’s foothold in the country. “I think in terms of training and so on there are things that we can do to help the Yemenis and strengthen their capabilities,” Gates told reporters on his plane before flying in to Melbourne. —AFP

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Rebel faction sows terror in south Sudan breadbasket LRA responsible for displacing 45,000 people EZO: With its fertile soils and lush vegetation, Western Equatoria ought to be the breadbasket of south Sudan but deadly attacks by Lord’s Resistance Army rebels have left many villagers too scared to farm. Long since driven out of Uganda where they first took up arms two decades ago, the rebels have sown terror across a vast region where the borders of Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR) meet.

Notorious for kidnapping boys to serve as child soldiers and girls to act as sex slaves, the LRA has carried out 22 attacks in Western Equatoria state this year, driving nearly 45,000 people from their homes, the UN says. Of those, some 13,000 have sought refuge in camps around Ezo, a remote border village where they are now dependent on international aid.

Displaced farmers attempt to grow what they can in small plots between the makeshift tents but there is only room for a few potatoes and a little manioc.

“There is no space here to farm properly,” said Archangel Sindan Tyaza, the deputy chairman of Ezo’s displaced persons’ committee. “And if you leave the camp, the LRA are going to kill you.” Camp resident Isaac Dominic, who fled his home village of Maduro after an LRA attack, agreed. “We used to go out into the fields to tend our crops but now because of the LRA nobody ventures out,” he said.

The result of the chronic insecurity in the fields of Western Equatoria has been felt not just in the state but across the whole of south Sudan. This year the World Food Program has provided aid to about 4.3 million south Sudanesearound half the region’s population. “Had there been production in Western Equatoria, we would not have to do that at the scale we did,” said the UN humanitarian

EZO: Boys stand in the southern Sudanese state of Western Equatoria on November 6, 2010. More than 15,000 refugees fearing the Ugandan-led Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have fled to this Sudanese region located close to the borders with DR Congo and Central African Republic. —AFP coordinator for south Sudan, Lise Grande.

“Western Equatoria was the breadbasket of southern Sudan.

So if you don’t have production there, it not only affects the villagers, but the whole of southern Sudan. “Southern Sudan chronically has a food deficit. This year in particular it’s been simply enormous.” Grande said distributing food aid on such a scale raised concerns of its own as deliveries to particular camps often drew attacks from the rebels who proceeded to ransack

the food.

“What’s been happening is that when food is distributed to people who have been displaced or the refugees that have come from the Democratic Republic of Congo, almost unbearably there is an LRA attack right on the heels of that,” she said. “The LRA knows where the food has been distributed and they attack.”

The head of the United Nations humanitarian office, Valerie Amos, who visited Ezo as part of a Sudan tour this week, issued a statement on Sunday calling for

better protection for the region’s residents.

“The protection of civilians must be at the heart of the planning process of the recently announced joint government initiative for an anti-LRA force,” she said. The governor of West Equatoria, Joseph Bakasoro, announced in late September that the autonomous southern regional government would start arming self-defense groups known as “Arrow Boys” to guard rural communities against LRA attack.

He said the southern parlia-

ment had allocated five million Sudanese pounds (two million dollars) to supply them with guns, communication systems and training, as the mainstream armed forces were stretched too thin across the vast jungle region to provide effective protection.

But Amos called for careful supervision of the militia fighters.

“All components of the force, in particular armed community defense groups, should be subject to close government oversight, in collaboration with expert protection partners,” she said. —AFP

8

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, November 8, 2010

Guinea voters head to poll in historic presidential run-off Analysts warn of violence if result rejected CONAKRY: Coup-w eary Guineans voted yesterday in a long-delayed presidential run-off to choose the country’s first democratically elected leader after a campaign marred by violence betw een rival supporters. Cellou Dalein Diallo, w ho took 43 percent of the vote in the first round, is the favorite to become the mineral-rich country’s first democratic president since independence from France in 1958.His opponent, veteran opposition figure Alpha Conde, is hoping to improve vastly on his first round tally of 18 percent.

BARCELONA: Pope Benedict XVI leaves the Sagrada Familia church yesterday. — AP

Pope attacks abortion, defends ‘love of man and a woman’ BARCELONA: Pope Benedict XVI yesterday sanctified a world monument to family, Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia church, launching an attack on abortion and a defense of the love of a “man and a woman.” In a clear reference to abortion just four months after Spain passed laws easing women’s access to the operation, the 83-yearold pontiff said the Church “resists every form of denial of human life”. Only love and faith could lead to true freedom, said the pope, draped in a golden vestment and mytre and addressing 6,500 faithful in the colossal main nave of the church, transformed by his blessing into a Basilica. “For this reason the Church resists every form of denial of human life and gives its support to everything that would promote the natural order in the sphere of the institution of the family,” he said in a reference to the Church opposition to all abortion.

The Church called for social and economic help for women to develop at home and work, and for men and women who marry to form a family with “decisive support from the state,” he said. He urged “that the life of children may be defended as sacred and inviolable from the moment of their conception, that the reality of birth be given due respect and receive juridical, social and legislative support.” The pope, who was faced by a gay kiss-

in protest as he travelled to the Sagrada Familia in his transparent “popemobile”, also defended the traditional pairing of man and woman.

“There also need to be moral advances, such as in care, protection and assistance to families, inasmuch as the generous and indissoluble love of a man and a woman is the effective context and foundation of human life in its gestation, birth, growth and natural end.”Some 6,500 guests including hundreds of priests and bishops witnessed the consecration of the building, where work continues 128 years after the first stone was laid. They sat in the vast nave, surrounded by a forest of white tree-like columns rising 60 meters up, splitting into branches and then spreading into a ceiling of leaves crackled with gold and green mosaic.

Light showered through the stone canopy and down to the nave from orbs open to the sky. With the consecration, the main nave is open for daily mass for the first time since the first stone was laid March 19, 1882. Until now mass has been held in the crypt, Gaudi’s last resting place. Building could still take another 15 years at least, with 10 more spires to be constructed, including the central tower crowned by a cross reaching up 170 meters (560 feet), the main Glory facade, and the sacristies. — AFP

Local Greek votes a test for rescue deal ATHENS: Greeks cast ballots yesterday in local elections that could reverberate across world markets: Prime Minister George Papandreou has vowed to call a snap general election unless voters show support for his bracing austerity measures.

Papandreou’s 13-month-old Socialist government instituted the fiscal reforms so his debtstrapped nation could receive euro110 billion ($140 billion) in bailout loans from the European Union and International Monetary Fund. However, he has not said clearly what results he would consider satisfactory, leaving himself some room to maneuver. The Socialists appear unlikely to suffer a heavy defeat, with opinion polls predicting a roughly even split with main opposition conservatives in the 13 regional governor races.

Opposition parties have all campaigned against the terms of the bailout loans, adding pressure on Papandreou, who has faced months of disruptive strikes and protests as a deepening recession caused a surge in unemployment and small business failures. Conservative leader Antonis Samaras has urged the government to “change course” and replace

austerity with a policy of state investment to stimulate the economy. “We are measuring the government’s strength ... to see whether it can continue the implementation of an exceptionally difficult economic and social policy,” said political analyst and publisher Giorgos Kyrtsos. The early election threat has spooked bond markets concerned about Greece’s ability to cope with the massive government debts that triggered a financial crisis and affected the 16-nation euro currency. The uncertainty has sent borrowing costs sharply higher, with the interest-rate gap between Greek 10-year bonds and Germany’s benchmark equivalent exceeding 9 percentage points on Friday. Papandreou came to power in October 2009 with a landslide victory over the conservatives, and his party enjoys a comfortable majority in Parliament. But his popularity has taken a beating following stringent austerity measures, including freezing pensions and trimming salaries. “Today is a day of important decisions,” Papandreou said as he voted in a northern Athens suburb. “We are also taking decisions for the stability of the course of the country.” Opposition parties

have accused Papandreou of using blackmail to force Greeks to vote in local elections, which usually see lower turnout than national polls. Some 9.8 million people are eligible to vote. “I am not bluffing, but nor, of course, is going to (national) elections my first choice,” Papandreou told the weekend edition of Ta Nea newspaper.

“My only criteria is the interest of the country and of Greeks.”

He insisted that the gains Greece has made in reforming its economy could be under threat.

“I have a duty to note that danger,” he said. “We are winning battles but we have not yet won the war.” EU and IMF officials are due back in Athens this month for a fiscal inspection.

The EU’s statistics service Eurostat is to again revise Greece’s 2009 budget deficit upward, with the figure expected to exceed 15 percent of gross domestic product from the current projection of 13.6 percent. Yesterday’s election follows reforms in local government that boosted the power of Greece’s 13 regional governors, who are directly elected for the first time, and reduced the number of municipalities from 1,014 to 325. — AP

ATHENS: A father carries his son as he waits to vote during the municipal and regional elections yesterday. — AP

Under pressure from the international community the two candidates-who come from two ethnic majorities, the Fulani and the Mandinkemade a joint call for calm on Friday after violent clashes between their supporters. In Conakry voters streamed into voting stations from sunrise for the opening of the vote shortly after 0700 GMT, waiting patiently in line to exercise their democratic right.”Everybody is in a hurry to finish with the old system, money being stolen to benefit a few, the waste,” said retired doctor Saidou Cisse, 67, at a voting station at a seaside school.

“Before, whoever was in power, the treasury was for him and his family. The result: Guinea is rich with its bauxite, its iron, but we live in misery.” Helene Boire, a 55-year-old teacher, is as relieved to see the back of military rule, imposed in a December 2008 coup.

“Finally, we will have a leader elected by the people, to serve the people,” she said.

“It’s a celebration, but people remain tense until the results have been accepted.”Interim president General Sekouba Konate, who was in January tasked with leading the nation to its first free election, voted in the suburb where he grew up.

“I am a very proud, and very happy man,” he declared, adding he had kept his word as a soldier to return power to civilians. Alpha Conde, 72, cast his vote late in the morning, saying he had noted “some problems” at certain voting stations, such as people saying their names were not on the list, and one case of attempted fraud.

“We hope that after this vote then we will really begin a process of democratic development, to end impunity ...,” said Conde. A first round vote on June 27 was followed by hostility between supporters of the two final candidates, who accused each other of planning to rig the vote.

A rumour that Diallo’s camp had poisoned water distributed at an election rally on October 22, landing scores of Conde’s supporters in hospital, led to a series of attacks on the Fulani, causing up to 2,000 to flee their homes and leaving at least one dead.

On the eve of the vote, Konate called on Guineans to “break with a violent past” and reaffirmed that the military was not harboring any “hope to retain power.” “The final challenge of the transition is to elect our president in peace, security, confidence in our common future in the union of all the sons of Guinea.” Guinea’s “father of independence” Ahmed Sekou Toure became a paranoid dictator, who died in office in 1984 after 26 years in power.

A coup upon Toure’s death lead to 24 years of military rule by Lansana Conte.

Conte’s death in December 2008 lead to yet another coup, thrusting the country into crisis as disillusion quickly set in with a junta led by Captain Moussa Dadis Camara.

In September 2009 security forces opened fire on a crowd protesting Camara’s rule, leading to the bloody massacre of 157 people and horrific scenes of sexual violence which left the west African nation traumatised.

Konate has led an interim government since January.

The nation has enormous mineral wealth and multinationals are scrambling for their stake in massive bauxite and iron-ore stores.

However half the population lives under the poverty line, and the majority of homes have neither running water nor electricity. All the country’s borders were closed yesterday and general traffic is forbidden between 6:00 am and midnight. — AFP

CONAKRY: A handicapped Guinean woman smiles as she shows her voting card after casting her ballot at a polling station yesterday. — AP

Kenyan police officer shoots 10 dead NAIROBI: A Kenyan provincial police officer shot 10 people dead in three bars in a small town northeast of Nairobi before surrendering, a police spokesman said yesterday. “He went from one bar to another and was shooting indiscriminately. Apparently he was looking for his girlfriend after he left duty,” Charles Owino, a Nairobi-based deputy spokesman in the regular police division, told Reuters. “Among the 10 dead were two of his colleagues who were investigating the shootings,” Owino said, adding that beyond those who died, no one else was wounded.

Five men and three women were gunned down first at the New Coconut and Club Tha Shrek bars in the market town of Siakago and the two police officers were killed in the shooting spree on Saturday night. The officer tried to shoot himself but had run out of ammunition, and later surrendered to police. Owino said the officer, Peter

Angry residents hold demonstration Karanja, went on the rampage after he finished his shift as a guard at the District Commissioners’ (DC) residence.

Angry relatives of the victims and some residents of Siakago held a brief demonstration last morning, demanding justice. “I have just come from the morgue. I have seen 10 bodies lying there. In Siakago we don’t have security, we do not want these police here,” Beatrice Itai, a Siakago resident, said. “We have no security here. If a policeman can take a gun and goes and kills and says he has done his day’s work ... how on earth is that possible? We want all the policemen transferred.”

Owino said police were investigating a number of leads, including one that Karanja had discovered he had HIV and suspected his girlfriend of infecting him, and another that he thought she was having an affair.

Siakago is a small town near Embu, 120 km (74 miles) northeast of Nairobi towards Mount Kenya. Embu serves as the headquarters of Kenya’s Eastern Province.

“Residents on the ground are very angry. They see us as people who kill rather than people who protect them,” Marcus Ocholla, the provincial police officer for the eastern province, told Reuters. “We as the provincial administration are trying to talk to the relatives of the dead people to calm them down.”

Ocholla said the suspect in the shooting was known to have had a poor disciplinary record, but declined to give details.

The officer served in a branch of Kenya’s police system thatis attached to its provincial administration which has its own chain of command separate from the regular police system. — Reuters

Hopeful voters elect for parliament in Azerbaijan Lacklustre campaign marred by complaints BAKU: The oil-producing former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan voted in a parliamentary election yesterday that the opposition says is stage-managed to give victory to loyalists of President Ilham Aliyev.

Rights groups accuse the ruling party of curbing democratic freedoms, cushioned against Western criticism by Baku’s strategic importance as an oil and gas exporter and transit route for the US military in Afghanistan.

“In this district it’s decided in advance that the ruling candidate will win,” 58-year-old Nader Aliyev said at Baku’s main market after voting. Ilham Aliyev has firmly consolidated power in the Caucasus country since succeeding his father, long-serving leader Heydar Aliyev, in 2003.

The younger Aliyev has presided over an oil-fuelled economic boom in the mainly Muslim country bordering Iran, Turkey and Russia, spawning rampant construction in the capital Baku and the opulence of an emerging jet set.

Critics say the Baku boom masks a widening gap between rich and poor. A personality cult built around Heydar Aliyev, his portrait and words adorning schools and public buildings across the country, makes dissent dangerous, rights groups say. There were few signs of election fervor after limited media coverage and public campaigning. Polls opened under warm sunshine to the sound of the national anthem, and Aliyev voted with his wife without speaking to media. Official turnout was 24 percent by midday (0800 GMT).

Aliyev’s New Azerbaijan Party, campaigning under the slogan “Strong state, strong welfare”, has said it sees no “worthy competitors” in the race for the 125-seat parliament. Monitors from the Organization for

Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have expressed concern over what they describe as credible reports of intimidation and the disqualification of candidates.

Oil-fuelled economic boom “Unfortunately, these elections are heading for mass falsification,” opposition Popular Front leader Ali Kerimli told reporters after voting. The government says projects by oil majors including BP, ExxonMobil and Chevron have brought better living standards for all, but the International Monetary Fund says the oil-dependent economy should be diversified.

“I voted for the ruling party candidate because I’m happy with all the rejuvenation going on in Azerbaijan,” said 50-year-old Firudin Ismailov. The authorities also argue they have also brought long-term stability to the country of 9 million people, strategically located in a volatile region at the threshold of Central Asia.

But Western diplomats are unnerved by a 90-percent hike in military spending ordered by Aliyev for 2011, with Azerbaijan locked for two decades in an unresolved conflict with neighbouring Armenia over the rebel region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Ethnic Armenians in the mountain enclave broke away from Azerbaijan as the Soviet Union collapsed, and Azerbaijan frequently threatens to take it back by force. The past two years have seen the worst skirmishes on the frontline since a ceasefire ended all-out war in 1994. Polls closed at 7 pm (1500 GMT) and official preliminary results are expected to follow within hours. “It’s unlikely my vote will make any difference,” said 41-year-old voter Vladislav Semenov. “The same people with a thirst for profit will end up in parliament, far removed from the ordinary people.” — Reuters

BAKU: Locals cast their ballots at a polling station during parliamentary elections yesterday. — AFP

Former ally urges Berlusconi to quit ROME: The estranged former ally of Premier Silvio Berlusconi urged the Italian leader to resign and begin discussing a new program for a new government, saying yesterday that otherwise he will withdraw his ministers from the Cabinet. In a highly anticipated speech to his supporters, Gianfranco Fini repeatedly attacked Berlusconi, who has also been engulfed in a scandal over his ties to an underage Moroccan girl and alleged encounters with a prostitute.

But Fini said he is willing to take part in an alliance with Berlusconi to spare the country early elections and shepherd it to the natural end of the legislature in 2013 - but only on the basis of a revised, shared program. “We can’t go on this way,” Fini said. “This

chapter is over - or it’s about to be.” Fini, speaking near Perugia, in central Italy, urged Berlusconi to “make the decision to offer his resignation.” “The premier has the honor and the burden to say if he intends to open a new phase, with a new agenda and new program, discussing and taking note of other people’s opinions,” Fini said in a crucial passage of his 90-minute speech. “If he has the courage... we’ll do our part.”

A Berlusconi resignation would not necessarily mean early elections. Once a premier resigns, the president of the republic begins consultations to see if a new government can be formed which would enjoy parliamentary support. Only if this effort fails will the president call new elections. —AP

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, November 8, 2010

9

Drug cartels, fights disrupt US granny tries essential services in Mexico to sell grandson Killings, disappearances occur on daily basis MEXICO CITY: Five Pemex workers went to their jobs at a government-owned gas compression plant near the Texas border six months ago and never returned. Masked men, apparently members of a drug cartel operating there, had warned employees of Petroleos Mexicanos that they were no longer allowed to enter the area. Around the same time in May, three inspectors for Mexico’s Environment Department headed into the wooded mountains west of Mexico City to investigate a pollution complaint.

Their tortured bodies were found the next day.

Authorities said they stumbled onto a drug lab. With killings and disappearances to assert their authority, Mexico’s drug cartels are beginning to interfere with everyday government activities in pockets of the country, keeping workers off their turf and interrupting some of the most basic services.

Not only do they maintain checkpoints and kill police or mayors to control territory, they now try to keep everyone from midlevel officials to delivery truck drivers and meter readers out of rural areas they use to transport drugs, stash weapons and kidnap victims, and hide from authorities.

In the process, they are blocking deliveries of gasoline, pension checks, farm aid and other services to Mexicans. Cartels also rob or extort people receiving government checks, as organized crime branches out from drug running into other illegal businesses.

These interruptions have even affected the US, as agricultural inspections at the border have slowed. The recent search for the body of a missing American tourist on a border lake was suspended under threats of drug-cartel violence and the assassination of the police commander in charge of the search.

“Everything’s stopped,” said Maria Luz Hopkins, a 69-year-old retiree in Tubutama, south of the Arizona border city of Nogales.

“There’s no construction.

Nobody is working the fields because they don’t have gasoline or diesel. The people that used to bring gasoline, they don’t come. How can people work?” Hopkins complained to officials in the Sonora state capitol, Hermosillo, when the government stopped delivering pension checks. She said they came last month in a convoy of about 20 heavily armed trucks after missing a bimonthly payment over the summer.

Federal officials say these are isolated incidents, and deny there is any area of the country where the government can’t operate; as evidence, they point to the 2009 congressional elections and the 2010 census.

“There might have been incidents, but this doesn’t mean that government business is stopping anyplace in the country,” said federal security spokesman Alejandro Poire, while adding, “if and when it happens, federal forces, if need be, will be there to enforce the law and keep government business operating normally.” But in pockets along the border or in the mountains of the interior, fleeting army patrols and brief visits by census or poll workers can hardly count as government control. Even military personnel are nervous and insist on wearing ski masks to avoid identification.

For Pemex, the kidnappings are “a broad problem,” says General Director Juan Suarez Coppel, much larger than one plant and growing, according to figures provided under a freedom-ofinformation request filed by The Associated Press. A total

of 10 Pemex employees or subcontractors were kidnapped in four Mexican states in 2010, compared with only one in 2009, two in 2008 and three in 2007.

Pemex, the country’s largest single industry, supplying about 40 percent of the federal government revenues, would not offer estimates on what financial losses such attacks have caused.

The company could not say what happened to the victims, or how much production had been lost because of the security problems in border states such as Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon, and the Gulf coast states of Veracruz and Tabasco.

“There have been a series of situations in the northern part of Tamaulipas state and part of (neighboring) Nuevo Leon state that have made it difficult to operate,” Carlos Morales Gil, the director of Pemex Exploration and Production, said in a written reply to The Associated Press.

The problems go beyond Pemex. Vehicles carrying the village of Tubutama’s comptroller and director of public works were attacked by bandits and the officials gunned down in June. Electricity flows freely because meter readers refuse to go there, said one rancher, who asked that his name not be published because he fears for his safety near the MexicoArizona border.

Doctors don’t show up at Tubutama’s health clinic, schools closed early last year because shootouts made it unsafe to get kids to classes, and shelves of general stores are bare because suppliers won’t truck in supplies to the town of 1,500.

Many townspeople have fled - the rancher estimates 70 percent - because they feel the government cannot protect them, as have their counterparts in Ciudad Juarez and smaller towns along the Texas-Mexico border. The federal government also stopped delivering cash under President Felipe Calderon’s anti-poverty program, Oportunidades, said the rancher, whose extended family fled Tubutama earlier this year.

The Oportunidades program says it has suffered 134 robberies of town or village deliveries in the last 2 1/2 years, a loss of about 142 million pesos ($1.1 million dollars). Most robberies occur in the area known as the “Golden Triangle,” where the drug-plagued states of Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Durango meet, according to the federal Department of Social Development, which administers the program.

The loss is a tiny percentage of the program total of about 25 billion pesos (about $2 billion) annually.

Officials say they usually try to reschedule a new delivery within days for affected areas, where the handouts are almost the only source of cash income. But in some cases, it takes weeks.

In the border Chihuahua state that includes Ciudad Juarez, drug gangs - and criminals working for or tolerated by them - have grown so powerful and brazen that they rob aid checks from local farmers. Names of those receiving aid are made public as part of a federal program of transparency and accountability. Farmers say the practice makes them targets for extortion.

Federal Agriculture Secretary Francisco Mayorga acknowledged a problem with delivering farm aid to the area. “We are legally required to publish the names of the beneficiaries, but we unfortunately have a risk to their security,” Mayorga said. Chihuahua farm groups last month asked his department to stop the practice.

“They tell some people,

‘We’ll burn your ranch,’ and they will tell other people, “Hey, you have children, something could happen to them ... unless you give me the money,”‘ said Ruben Chavez, the leader of the Unipro farm cooperative in Ciudad Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua.

In the case of the environmental inspectors, officials are almost certain that traffickers tortured and killed them along with a local man serving as a guide after they stumbled across a clandes-

tine drug laboratory, Christopher Cadena, 22, was one of the five Pemex workers who disappeared in area near the border city of Reynosa.

The area across from McAllen, Texas, is the center of a violent rivalry between the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas, a brutal drug gang made up of former Mexican special-forces soldiers.

His father, who asked that his name be withheld because of threats, says the gang that kidnapped his son wanted

area around the plant vacated to move drugs.

“The other four boys, my son’s colleagues, had been threatened the Friday before.

They had told them they didn’t want to see them around there again,” said the father, adding the threats were made by a men dressed in militarystyle shirts and pants who carried assault rifles but wore sneakers instead of boots.

“They want that corridor unpopulated,” the father said.

“They want to kick Pemex out.” —AP

MIAMI: A Florida grandmother was held on a 100,000-dollar bond Saturday for trying to sell her eight-week-old grandson for cash in a plot concocted with her boyfriend, police said. Patty Bigbee, 45, was arrested Friday after attempting to sell the baby boy at a parking lot in Daytona Beach, Florida for 30,000 dollars. She had initially approached a potential buyer in late October for 75,000 dollars, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

But the would-be buyer, who contacted police about the offer and acted as a confidential informant, haggled with Bigbee over the price until they settled on 30,000 dollars. Bigbee was arrested just after the fraudulent transaction took place, and was charged with illegal sale or surrender of a child and communication fraud.

She was booked at the Volusia County Jail. Her

42-year-old boyfriend, Lawrence Works, was also charged as a principal in the illegal sale or surrender of a child. His bond was set at 50,000 dollars and he is being held at the same prison.

The child was placed into the care of the Florida Department of Children and Families.

His mother is behind bars on unrelated charges.

“This was an appalling case,” FDLE Resident Agent in Charge Wayne Ivey told AFP. “Our primary concern was taking the child out of harm’s way and ensuring he was placed in a safe environment.” WFTV said investigators believe Bigbee may have previously had a role in extortion plots and schemes to sell children.

“Couldn’t believe it,” Bigbee neighbor Sandra Wells told the local ABC television affiliate. “I thought they must be in some kind of trouble and that’s why they had to get rid of the baby and they couldn’t keep it.” —AFP

INTERNATIONAL

10

Monday, November 8, 2010

Myanmar votes in first elections in 20 years Heavy security, light turnout as voting begins YANGON: Myanmar voted in its first election in 20 years yesterday under tight security, a scripted vote that assures army-backed parties an easy win but brings a hint of parliamentary politics to one of Asia’s most oppressed states. The carefully choreographed end of half a century of direct army rule is largely a race between two military-backed parties running virtually unop-

posed, due to complex election rules that stifled any prospect of pro-democracy parties causing an upset. The vote will not bring an end to Western sanctions but could reduce Myanmar’s isolation in Asia at a time when neighboring China has dramatically increased investments in natural gas and other resources in the former British colony also known as Burma.

BANGKOK: Political activists including exiles from Myanmar shout anti-junta slogans as they head towards the Myanmar embassy yesterday to stage a protest against the Myanmar election and demand the release of all political prisoners in Myanmar. —AFP

Japan PM ratings down Powerbroker Ozawa scandal adds to voter distaste YOKOHAMA: Support for Japan’s government sank to around 33 percent in a poll released yesterday due to voter dissatisfaction with its handling of a row with China and a funding scandal dogging a party powerbroker. Just under one in three voters backed Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s government in the weekend survey by Kyodo news agency, down almost 15 percentage points from a poll in early October.

Sino-Japanese ties have chilled markedly since September when Japan detained a Chinese fishing boat captain who collided with two Japanese patrol boats near disputed islands in the East China Sea, near poten-

tially vast maritime oil and gas reserves.

Kan has come under heavy fire at home for appearing to cave in to Beijing’s demands to free the Chinese fishing boat captain.

The isles dispute returned to the headlines on Friday after an online video, which media said had been leaked, appeared to show the Chinese trawler colliding with the Japanese vessels. Japan’s government said it was checking the video’s authenticity.

Kan suffered another blow when Russian President Dmitry Medvedev earlier this month visited an island north of Japan claimed by both countries, and the diplomatic strains could cloud a Nov 13-14 Asia-

Pacific summit in Yokohama, near Tokyo.

The Democratic Party-led government, which vaulted to power last year for the first time, has also been rattled by a funding scandal plaguing party powerbroker Ichiro Ozawa. Ozawa, who has denied any wrongdoing but faces indictment over the scandal, has rejected calls from within and outside his party to explain himself in parliament.

Nearly three quarters of respondents to Kyodo’s survey said they do not appreciate the government’s foreign policies. Almost 59 percent said they wanted to see Ozawa summoned to parliament over the funding irregularities. —Reuters

Indonesian volcano sparks travel chaos ‘It feels like that movie ‘2012’’ MOUNT MERAPI: Indonesia’s most volatile volcano sparked transportation chaos yesterday, with several international airlines canceling flights to the capital and neighboring Malaysia airlifting out hundreds of its citizens. Panicked residents who live near the base of Mount Merapi - which has claimed 138 lives in two weeks - crammed into trains and buses to seek temporary refuge with family and friends elsewhere.

The notoriously unpredictable volcano unleashed its most powerful eruption in a century Friday, sending hot clouds of gas, rocks and debris avalanching down its slopes at highway speeds, torching houses and trees and leaving a trail of charred corpses in its path. A mass burial for some of the 90 who died in that blast was planned for later yesterday.

Merapi, meanwhile, showed no signs of tiring, sending out thunderous claps as it shot ash up to four miles (six kilometers) into the air, dusting windshields and rooftops hundreds of miles away. Just days before President Barack Obama’s planned trip to Indonesia - his second stop in a 10-day Asian tour - several international airlines canceled flights to Jakarta, 280 miles (450 kilometers) to the west, due to the risks posed by volcanic ash.

It can clog engines and harm other parts of the aircraft. Paul Belmont, a US Embassy spokesman, said there was no talk yet of changing Obama’s schedule. “But certainly, if the situation evolves into something like what we saw in Europe not long ago (when the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokul closed airports for a week) it’s something we’d have to take serious-

ly,” he told The Associated Press yesterday.

Almost all international flights in and out of Jakarta were canceled Saturday. While some airlines slowly started resuming operations yesterday, Lufthansa, EVA Air, Philippine Air and others were still on the ground.

The Royal Malaysian Air Force, meanwhile, was sending three C-130 transport planes to the city of Solo, 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the volcano, to pick up 664 citizens, many of them university students.

The first batch returned home last evening and the rest were scheduled to head out early today. Merapi’s latest round of eruptions began Oct 26, followed by more than a dozen other powerful blasts and thousands of tremors. More than 200,000 people - many of whom normally live on the fertile

SRUMBUNG: Villagers ride on their motorcycle as Mount Merapi spewing volcanic materials in the background in Central Java. —AP

slopes of the volcano - have since jammed into emergency shelters.

With muddy floors and flies landing on the faces of sleeping refugees, many complained of poor sanitation, saying there were not enough toilets or clean drinking water. The Indonesian government has put Yogyakarta, a city of 400,000 people 20 miles (30 kilometers) from Merapi, on high alert.

Though there have been no orders to evacuate, bus and train stations were crammed with people planning to stay with family and friends far away until things returned to normal.

“My parents have been calling since Friday saying ‘You have to get out of there! You have to come home!” said Linda Ervana, a 21-year-old history student who was waiting in a train station with three other friends from her Yogyakarta university.

After failing to get tickets, they finally decided yesterday to rent a minibus with some other classmates. “It feels like that movie ‘2012,”‘ said Ervana’s 22year-old friend, Paulina Setin.

“Like a disaster in a movie.”

Others in Yogyakarta hopped onto motorbikes and into cars with their families, saying the volcanic ash was making it hard to breathe.

“What choice do we have?” asked Sukirno, 37, as he sped away with his wife and their 8year-old daughter, saying he worried about the effect on their health. “We were thinking about going to one of the refugee camps, but it’s better all around if we stay with relatives.” The biggest threat to Yogyakarta, experts say, are not searing gas clouds, but the Code River, which flows right into the city’s heart from the 9,700-foot (3,000-meter) mountain. —AP

“There are elections that are being held right now in Burma that will be anything but free and fair, based on every report that we are seeing,” US President Barack Obama told students in the Indian financial capital of Mumbai.

“For too long the people of Burma have been denied the right to determine their own destiny.”

Armed riot police stood guard at polling booths or patrolled streets in military trucks in the commercial hub, Yangon, part of a clampdown that includes bans on foreign media and outside election monitors, and a tightening in state censorship. The Internet was barely functioning, hit by repeated failures widely believed to have been orchestrated by the junta to control information. Power failures also hampered early turnout.

It is the first election since 1990, when Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy beat the army-backed party in a landslide. The junta simply ignored that result. Suu Kyi, detained for 15 of the past 21 years, urged a boycott of this poll, saying she “would not dream” of taking part. She could take the spotlight this week, however, ahead of the expiry of her house arrest on Saturday, Nov 13. Her release could energize pro-democracy forces and put pressure on the West to roll back sanctions.

Apathy, low turnout From rural Myanmar to urban centres, apathy was pervasive. In Yangon, many people said they planned to spend time at pagodas with families instead of voting. In Haka, capital of Chin state bordering India and Bangladesh, more people attended church than cast ballots, witnesses said. But the National Democratic Force (NDF), the largest pro-democracy party, predicted overall turnout of 60 percent, a figure that looked high given sparsely attended ballot stations.

“There’s no sign of any organised boycott,” Than Nyein, chairman of the NDF, which broke from Suu Kyi’s party in May, told the Foreign Correspondents Club in Bangkok by telephone. The junta’s political juggernaut, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), is fielding 27 incumbent ministers. Closely aligned with supreme leader Senior General Than Shwe, It is top-heavy with recently retired generals.

It is contesting all the estimated 1,158 seats up for grabs. Its only real rival, the National Unity Party (NUP), is also backed by the army and running in 980 seats. But while the NUP and USDP are both conservative and authoritarian, they may pursue opposing social and economic policies in parliament, ultimately fostering greater democratic debate in a country where an estimated 2,100 political activists and opposition politicians are behind bars, diplomats said. An unexpectedly large vote for the NUP could also be seen as a subtle jab against Than Shwe, as it is thought to be closer to a different faction in the army.

Charges of fraud Although Myanmar assured its neighbors the election would be “free and fair”, it looked anything but. At least six parties lodged complaints with the election commission, claiming state workers were forced to vote for the USDP in advance balloting. In Yangon, many voters turned up to vote only to find their names not on electoral rolls, said Zaw Aye Maung, a candidate for the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party, the second-largest of 22 ethnicbased parties. The pro-democracy NDF accused the USDP of “widespread fraud.” Witnesses said voters who asked officials for assistance at ballot booths were simply told to tick the box of the USDP. “Turnout is terribly low at some polling stations,” said Hla Myint, a spokesman for the Democratic Party (Myanmar), which ran in the 1990 poll and has long opposed military rule.

Twenty-five percent of seats in all chambers are reserved for serving generals. That means an armybacked party needs to win only another 26 percent of the seats through the ballot box for the junta’s allies to control the national legislature.

Thirty-seven parties are contesting places in a bicameral national parliament and 14 regional assemblies. Except the USDP and NUP, none has enough candidates to win any real stake due to a host of restrictions such as high fees for each candidate. Still, some analysts say the election will create a framework for a democratic system that might yield changes in years ahead in a country bestowed with rich natural resources and located strategically between rising powers China and India. —Reuters

BEIJING: In this file photo, Jo Myong Rok, first Vice-Chairman of North Korea’s powerful National Defense Commission, writes an inscription for the University of National Defense of China during his visit to the university in Beijing.

Confidant of N Korea’s Kim Jong Il dies at 82 SEOUL: Top North Korean military official Jo Myong Rok, a longtime confidant of leader Kim Jong Il who traveled to Washington in 2000 on a then-unprecedented goodwill mission, has died.

He was 82. Jo, who was vice marshal of the Korean People’s Army and held the No 2 post on the powerful National Defense Commission behind Kim, died Saturday of heart disease, the official Korean Central News Agency reported from Pyongyang.

“His death is a great loss to the party, the army and people of (North Korea) waging a dynamic struggle to win the victory of the cause of building a thriving socialist nation,” the dispatch said. Jo, a Korean War veteran, paid a rare visit to Washington in October 2000 as Kim’s special envoy, meeting during that trip with thenPresident Bill Clinton. He also later pledged to Madeleine Albright, who was secretary of state under Clinton, that North Korea would take steps to fundamentally improve relations in the interests of peace and security.

Jo was the highest-level North Korean official to visit Washington, and his trip - followed by Albright’s landmark visit to Pyongyang - was part of North Korea’s efforts to keep up the momentum generated by a breakthrough summit between Kim and late South Korean President Kim Dae-jung held earlier that year.

Jo arrived at the State Department for his meeting with Albright dressed in a dark business suit. But for his talks at the White House, he changed into full military dress, complete with a high-brimmed cap - a change of outfit that suggested he wanted to project a tougher line in talks with then-national security adviser Sandy Berger.

It was later that day, at a banquet in his honor hosted by Albright, that Jo invited the secretary of state to visit Pyongyang, and, in her return toast, Albright accepted. However, the reconciliatory

mood between the wartime foes shifted dramatically after former President George W. Bush took office, taking a tougher line against North Korea.

Relations have also been strained over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, and Pyongyang and Washington still do not have formal diplomatic ties. North and South Korea remain in a state of war because their conflict in the early 1950s ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The US stations 28,500 troops in South Korea to deter against any aggression. Jo was born into a peasant’s family in Yonsa County in North Hamgyong Province, KCNA said. He served as a pilot during the war, which North Korea refers to as the “Fatherland Liberation War,” and later rose to the position of chief of staff and commander of the air force of the Korean People’s Army, state media said. Jo’s body will lie in state at Pyongyang’s Central Hall of Workers to receive mourners before a state funeral Wednesday, KCNA said. Kim and his son and heir apparent Kim Jong Un are among members of the funeral committee, it said.

As well as the No 2 job on the defense commission, Jo also served as a deputy to the Supreme People’s Assembly and a member of the politburo of the ruling Workers’ Party, KCNA said. Reports about Jo’s public activities had been infrequent in recent years, sparking speculation in South Korea media about his health and a possible change in Pyongyang’s power structure. His death comes amid a succession movement in North Korea, which has been ruled by the Kim family since late President Kim Il Sung founded the nation in 1948. Son Kim Jong Il took over after his father’s death in 1994. Grandson Kim Jong Un was promoted to key posts within the ruling Workers’ Party in September and since last month has accompanied his father to key functions. —AP

Missing turbine part key to A380 emergency probe SYDNEY: Investigators of last week’s engine explosion on a Qantas superjumbo focused their search yesterday on a missing piece of turbine from the Rolls-Royce engine, and the airline said it hoped to have its grounded fleet of A380s back in service within days.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is leading an international investigation into the blowout on the world’s newest and largest airliner, appealed for help from residents of Indonesia’s Batam island to find the missing chunk of a turbine disc.

The island was scattered with debris last Thursday when one of the A380’s four Trent 900 engines failed minutes into a flight to Sydney, with 466 people aboard. The engine was quickly shut down and the plane returned to Singapore and safely made an emergency landing. “The recovery of that disk could be crucial to a full understanding of the nature of the engine failure, and may have implications for the prevention of future similar occurrences,” the bureau said in a statement.

It released a photograph of a jagged and bent piece of turbine disc from the Trent 900 engine and asked that anyone

who might have found a similar piece should hand it to police.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has blamed the blowout on a mechanical or design fault in the engine, not maintenance.

Experts said the shattered turbine could indicate the failure point. Qantas, Australia’s national carrier, grounded its six double-decker A380s and began rigorous safety checks.

Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines, the other airlines that fly A380s fitted with Trent 900 engines, also briefly grounded their planes last week but resumed services after completing checks.

Joyce told reporters on Saturday that each engine on its A380s would undergo eight hours of tests, and no plane would fly until all checks being undertaken in Sydney and Los Angeles - were complete. “We are hopeful that within days the A380 fleet will start flying again,” he said. As the hunt for clues went on, the bureau said that one piece of the shattered engine that had been found on Batam was being sent to Britain for examination by Rolls-Royce engineers, under the supervision of bureau investigators. Extra experts were being sent from

Australia to Singapore to examine other debris.

Rolls-Royce Group PLC, a London-based aerospace, power systems and defense company separate from the car manufacturer, has said the investigation is in its early stages and that it is too early to draw any conclusions. John Goglia, a former National Transportation Safety Board member and an expert on aircraft maintenance, said the photo showing the broken turbine disc indicates it was the disc that may have failed. The photo didn’t show any signs of discoloration on the disc that would indicate overheating.

There are several reasons why a disc might fail, but they usually involve the metal used to make the disc or the manufacturing method, Goglia said.

He cautioned that he was looking at one photo, which was not enough information to make a definitive judgment.

Meanwhile yesterday, passengers on a Qantas Boeing 747-400 that had engine trouble a day after the A380 began arriving in Australia on alternative flights. The 747-400’s engine overheated six minutes after takeoff from Singapore and had to make an emergency landing. —AP

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, November 8, 2010

11

Obama urges India-Pakistan dialogue US president pledges ‘midcourse corrections’ at home MUMBAI: US President Barack Obama yesterday urged arch-rivals India and Pakistan to work together to resolve their differences, while pushing Islamabad to do more to tackle extremism.

Speaking to college students in Mumbai, Obama said the United States “could not impose” a partnership between the two countries, but added fast-growing India would benefit more than any other nation from better ties with Pakistan. “I am absolutely convinced that the country that has the biggest stake in Pakistan is India,” he told students at the prestigious St Xavier’s College in south Mumbai. “If Pakistan is stable and prosperous, that’s best for India.”

He backed a slow-moving dialogue process between the countries which is designed to build trust and give leaders a basis for tackling the toughest aspects of their relationship, notably the divided territory of Kashmir.

“My hope is that, over time, trust develops between the two countries, that dialogue begins perhaps on less controversial issues building up to more controversial issues,” he said. In due course, he said he hoped “there’s a recognition that India and Pakistan can live side by side in peace and that both countries can prosper”. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since 1947 and suspended full peace talks after the deadly

Mumbai attacks nearly two years ago, which left 166 people dead and more than 300 others injured. The only surviving gunman has said the group was trained, equipped and financed by the banned, Pakistanbased Islamist group Lashkar-eTaiba (LeT) with help from elements in the country’s military and intelligence services.

The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and others in India complained on Saturday that Obama “missed an opportunity” to condemn Pakistan in his first speech after arriving in Mumbai.

Some Indians also question continued US financial and military support for Pakistan, which they consider a rogue state. Obama said that although Islamabad was making progress against what he called the “cancer” of extremism, it was not happening quickly enough. “I think that the Pakistani government understands the threat that exists within its own borders,” he said. “Now, progress is not as quick as we would like,” he added, explaining that the Pakistani military faced difficulties cracking down on extremists in the rugged northwest of the country close to the Afghan border.

The US administration recognized that progress would not happen overnight, he added, saying they would continue to support Pakistan in its efforts. “Our feeling has been to be honest and forth-

KABUL: People protest against the turn out of the recent Afghan parliamentary elections yesterday. —AFP

Afghan election protesters warn of possible violence Quarter of votes already annulled KABUL: Disgruntled lawmakers and candidates in Afghanistan’s parliamentary election, marred by allegations of fraud, renewed protests yesterday over the poll and warned of possible violence if a fresh vote was not carried out. No results have been declared nearly seven weeks after the election. The protests are another sign of political instability in Afghanistan, already facing a growing Taleban-led insurgency. Joined by hundreds of supporters, the candidates and members of parliament who had sought re-election denounced the election as illegal.

“We condemn the Sept 18 election and call it as illegal and ask the government to hold another election,” read a

banner carried by protesters as they marched past the palace of President Hamid Karzai and UN headquarters.

The protesters later headed to the US embassy and delivered a resolution on the election, lawmaker Daoud Sultanzoy said.

“We said that the results of the election will further worsen Afghanistan’s security and force millions of people to head to the mountains” to take up arms, Sultanzoy told Reuters after the demonstration. “We said this election should be scrapped.” The United Nations was the key organizer of the vote. The United States, which has the bulk of some 150,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, was among major donors for the elections. —Reuters

India’s Punjab cheers Nikki Haley’s election NEW DELHI: When Nikki Haley won election last week as governor of South Carolina, a small town halfway across the world in India’s Punjab exploded in celebration.

The Randhawa family in the town of Verka distributed sweets to neighbors, set off firecrackers and broke into traditional Punjabi dances to demonstrate its pride that a relative had been elected the first Indian-American female governor in US history.

“We were eating lunch when we saw the breaking news headline on TV that Nikki had won the elections. We just abandoned lunch and ran to tell family and neighbors,” said Kanwaljit Singh Randhawa, Haley’s cousin. “My wife began dancing the bhangra and our neighbors joined in. My son ran out and bought firecrackers,” he said.

Haley was born Nimrata Randhawa to Sikh parents who had immigrated to the United States from India in the early 1960s. The 38-year-old mother of two is widely known by

her Americanized first name, Nikki, and her married name, Haley.

The Tea Party-backed Republican candidate, who is a Christian, won 51 percent of the vote against Democratic state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, who received 47 percent. The win resonated in Verka, a town known for its milk products and enormous dairy farms. The Randhawas - Haley’s paternal uncle, his three sons and their families - were flooded with visitors and congratulatory phone calls. “Our girl has made us proud,” Randhawa said by telephone from Verka, 280 miles (450 kilometers) north of New Delhi.

The news about Haley’s victory was the top story on Indian TV stations, and camera crews swooped down on Randhawa’s modest middle class Verka home.

“It’s a great honor not just for our family, but it’s an honor for Punjab and for the country,” Randhawa said. —AP

NEW DELHI: US President Barack Obama (left) shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as First Lady Michelle Obama (center) and Gusharan Kaur (right) watch after arriving at Air Force Station yesterday. —AFP right, to say, ‘We are your friend and this is a problem and we will help you but the problem needs to be addressed’,” he said. Obama provoked an angry response in India before he took office by suggesting that the United States could mediate in Kashmir. But even though Obama was careful to stand back from advocating a direct

role in improving Indo-Pakistani relations, students at the college said they were impressed with his candor on the subject and others.

“He answered most of the questions relating to Pakistan and Afghanistan very openly. In India our politicians are just not so open,” Cecilia D’Mello, a 19-yearold science undergraduate at St

Xavier’s, told AFP. “He actually makes us feel that we can make a change. We know that it is not an easy task but we know that it is possible,” she added.

Meanwhile, nearly halfway through his term, President Barack Obama yesterday acknowledged that he must make some “midcourse corrections” if he is

going to win over a frustrated electorate and work with empowered Republicans. Speaking on an economic tour of Asian nations, Obama told college students here that the midterm elections back home reflected the “right, obligation and duty” of people to express their unhappiness by voting out many incumbents. The president himself wasn’t on the ballot last week, but his Democratic Party took a beating. Republicans won control of the House, eroded the Democratic majority in the Senate, made huge gains at the state level and broadly changed the political landscape as Obama positions himself for his own re-election campaign in 2012.

Obama said he will not change his determination to invest money in education, infrastructure and clean energy at a time when the pressures in Washington are to slash spending. But he said the election “requires me to make some midcourse corrections and adjustments.” He said how those will play out over the next several months will depend on his talks with Republicans. His comments seemed to reflect a deeper acknowledgment of the need to make course corrections from the White House, but as he did at a news conference the day after the election, Obama stayed purposely vague on how he would reposition his agenda. —Agencies

The town hall with students, now a staple of Obama’s foreign travel, was part of his outreach to this democracy of more than 1 billion people. India is an emerging power in Asia and an increasingly important partner to the US on trade and security, in part because its rise offers a measure of balance to the growing strength of China.

The president is in the midst of his lengthiest trip abroad as president, a 10-day journey across India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan.

He began yesterday by showing a softer side, chatting with students at a different school and even getting up to dance with them, albeit reluctantly, after his wife, Michelle, had eagerly done the same.

Pakistan, in turn, is as wary of India and sees India’s ties with the US-backed government in Afghanistan as part of an effort by India to encircle it. The countries have fought three wars since 1947, but now engage in periodic peace talks. To the students, Obama said the United States cannot impose peace on India and Pakistan. But he tried to challenge the students’ thinking, defending US support of Pakistan and saying the country with the biggest stake in Pakistan’s stability is India.

“So my hope is that over time, trust develops between the two countries, that dialogue begins ... and that both countries can pros-

per,” the president said. “That will not happen tomorrow.” Obama also said he thinks Pakistan understands the potential terrorist threat lurking within its borders.

Progress on eliminating that threat, however, has not been as quick as many would like, he said.

Obama said the US has reaffirmed its partnership with Pakistan, along with its willingness to help the country stamp out terrorism.

Speaking in a stone courtyard to students who had waited hours in the heat to hear him, Obama encouraged the young people to see themselves as future leaders.

He questioned what they wanted India to become, and what they want from the United States.

“Some of the challenges may be incredibly hard,” Obama said.

“In the face of darkness, we may get discouraged. But we can always draw upon the light of those who came before us. I hope you keep that light burning within you.” The president had time for just six questions, and scores of hands shot up each time he sought a new questioner. Asked for his views on jihad, Obama described Islam as a religion of peace and understanding, yet one that terrorists have sought to distort by justifying killings in the name of religion. “I think all of us have to fundamentally reject the notion that violence is a way to mediate our differences,” he said. —Agencies

OPINION

12

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Lashkar-e-Taiba cadres sucked into Qaeda orbit

By Myra MacDonald

D

avid Headley joined the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group hoping to fight in Kashmir; the PakistaniAmerican ended up scouting out targets for the Mumbai attacks and helping Al-Qaeda plan a strike on Denmark. Headley’s story, contained in confidential Indian government documents, casts fresh light on the November 2008 attack on Mumbai, where US President Barack Obama paid tribute to the victims during a visit to the city this weekend.

It suggests that LeT cadres are increasingly being drawn into the orbit of Al-Qaeda and its affiliates and slipping out of the control of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, as the once cohesive group becomes more fractured and more receptive to Al-Qaeda’s global Islamist agenda. The LeT has in the past been seen as one of Pakistan’s most reliable proxies, security analysts say, eschewing attacks on Pakistan itself and focusing on India and Kashmir.

“Tensions have existed within Lashkar for some time between those with a narrower focus on India and those with an international bent,” said Stephen Tankel, a US-based analyst who is writing a book on the group.

“As the Kashmir jihad waned and Al-Qaeda’s global jihad accelerated, managing these tensions became more difficult. The decision to launch a terrorist spectacular in Mumbai was driven by these internal dynamics,” he added. Headley, arrested in Chicago last year, provided his account to Indian investigators in 34 hours of interviews in June.

According to documents obtained by Reuters, he said plans for Mumbai began as a limited operation to attack an annual conference of software engineers in the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.

Within a matter of months it ballooned into a sea-borne assault by 10 gunman on many targets-the kind that security officials have said could also be planned for European cities- and ended up killing 166 people in a three-day siege. The LeT had been straining at the seams for years, under pressure from the ISI to limit its activities in Kashmir which has been disputed by Pakistan and India since they won independence in 1947.

The group has been and losing members who went off to fight with, and become influenced by, other groups waging the more active jihad in Afghanistan. “I understand this compelled the LeT to consider a spectacular terrorist strike in India,” the documents quote Headley, who has turned witness for the prosecution, as saying.

Headley, who scouted out targets in Mumbai on a number of trips, began working increasingly with Ilyas Kashmiri, the commander of a militant group based in Pakistan’s tribal areas who is closely linked to AlQaeda. He visited Kashmiri twice in 2009, and discussed plans for an attack on Denmark, where the newspaper JyllandsPosten had published cartoons deemed offensive to Islam. The men present “even discussed a general attack on Copenhagen”, Headley said. Headley found himself scouting targets in Copenhagen for Al-Qaeda, and travelling to Sweden and the

British town of Derby to seek help for the attack. It was thwarted when he was arrested in Chicago last year, according to some reports on a tip-off from British intelligence. Much of Headley’s story has been leaking out steadily since his arrest. But what comes across in the testimony given to Indian prosecutors is a much more detailed picture of how the LeT has been transformed over the last decade.

While security officials worry that LeT’s supporters in the Pakistani diaspora could be used in an attack in the West, the group’s leaders still view Kashmir as the most important front. In many discussions cited

by Headley, they asserted its primacy with a zeal which frequently appears to go further than the ISI would like. But it has been heavily influenced by the Afghan war, as LeT cadres have worked with groups fighting the Pakistan army on the border and returned committed to global jihad and less willing to toe the line of the group’s one-time ISI masters.

Pakistan has officially banned the group and curtailed its activities after it began a peace process with India in 2004.

Headley said that with Pakistan facing an identity crisis over the war in Afghanistan and in the tribal areas, “a debate had begun among the terrorist outfits as to whether to fight in Kashmir or in Afghanistan. The clash of ideology led to splits in many of our outfits”. While LeT leaders approved the Mumbai plans, according to Headley, they were influenced by more radical members as targets grew to include places frequented by foreigners and Jews. The targets chosen led even many Indian security analysts to rule out the involvement of the ISI leadership, which they said would never have taken the risk of triggering a US backlash by allowing the LeT to attack Americans and Jews.

The plot then acquired an almost random momentum. With the assault planned for September in Ramadan, a hope was expressed that too many Muslims would not be killed since they would be at home breaking their fast. That was forgotten when this attempt failed after the gunmen’s boat capsized. Plans to use the main railway station as an escape route were ditched when commanders decided the gunmen must fight to the death-turning the assault into a three-day siege, and the terminus into a target where a third of the victims died.

According to Headley, official ISI handlers were aware of the Mumbai plans. But in an organization which runs into the thousands, and where agents were given a great deal of autonomy, it is unclear how far this information was passed up the line.

The Indian documents quote Headley as saying that ISI chief Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha visited an LeT commander in jail after the assault “to understand the Mumbai attack conspiracy”. Asked about the report, a Pakistani official said no ISI officers were involved in the Mumbai attacks, and noted that Pakistan had long been asking India to share evidence it had gathered. India has long argued that Pakistan must not only curb the activities of the LeT but also dismantle “the infrastructure of terrorism” in order to prevent further attacks like Mumbai. — Reuters

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Than Shwe: Myanmar’s reclusive dictator

By Daniel Rook

M

yanmar’s enigmatic dictator Than Shwe is a former postman-turned-psychological warfare officer whose intentions remained shrouded in mystery as the country held its first election in 20 years. There has been speculation that the ailing 77-year-old may step down from the position of commander-inchief of Myanmar’s “Tatmadaw” armed forces and hand over power to a younger generation of trusted lieutenants. But even if he does, few expect the military-or its “senior general”-to hand over the real power to a genuine civilian government any time soon in what is one of the world’s oldest dictatorships. “Than Shwe was trained in psychological warfare and is very skilful at divide and rule and manipulation,” said Benedict Rogers, author of “Than Shwe: Unmasking Burma’s Tyrant”.

“He has stayed in power by requiring the same total loyalty that he showed his superiors, and by manipulating his rivals,” he said. “There is little doubt that he will retain power in some form after the elections, even if it is not in a formal position.” The reclusive leader-said to be a keen Manchester United fan-is not running as a candidate in the poll, but if the junta-backed parties win, as expected, he could become president by parliamentary selection. The military strongman knows the risks of retiring only too well, having put his predecessor, the late dictator Ne Win, under house arrest in 2002 after his family members were convicted of plotting to overthrow the regime.

Than Shwe is famous for his reliance on soothsayers and reportedly gave government workers just hours to move from Yangon to the half-built new capital Naypyidaw in 2006 as the timing had been ordained by astrologers.

Unlike the leaders of some other pariah states, Myanmar’s senior general does

not rely on cult of personality to prop up his regime. But what he lacks in charisma he has made up for with brute force-crushing uprisings, silencing dissent and locking up political prisoners, among them opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, his arch enemy.

Mark Canning, the former British ambassador to Myanmar who has met the junta chief several times, has described him as “small, plump, slow moving and physically unimposing. “He projects no obvious sense of menace or intimidation. He’s far from the image of a fire-breathing demagogue,” Canning says. “He gives every impression of being what he in fact is-someone who has maneuvered himself from lowly beginnings to the top of the military pile, with guile, intrigue and, where necessary, force.” Born in 1933 in a small town near Mandalay, Than Shwe enlisted in the army aged 20 as Myanmar, also known as Burma, emerged from colonial rule. His first combat experience came as a young second lieutenant fighting separatist rebels, before being posted to a roving psychological warfare unit and rising swiftly through the ranks.

The military seized control of the country post-independence in a 1962 coup. Than Shwe took the helm in 1992 after previous dictator Ne Win stepped down in the wake of a failed 1988 student-led uprising. Myanmar’s armed forces are believed to have doubled in size over the past two decades with an estimated 350,000 to 400,000 personnel and experts say its position of strength means it is unlikely to leave the political scene. “The Tatmadaw is not going to simply give up government and return to the barracks,” said professor Andrew Selth, an expert on Myanmar’s military with Australia’s Griffith University. “The military government could be in power, in one guise or another, for many years to come,” he added. —AFP

Democracy icon Suu Kyi still locked up as Myanmar votes A heroine trapped in her own home, Aung San Suu Kyi is an icon of Myanmar’s struggle for democracy and a beacon of hope for many, but her name is not on the ballot for the first election in 20 years. The Nobel Peace Prize winner has long been a thorn in the side of the ruling generals, so fearful of the petite and softly-spoken 65-year-old’s popularity that they have kept her off the political scene for the rare poll. She swept the National League for Democracy (NLD) party to a landslide win in the country’s last election in 1990, winning over the crowds with her steely resolve, charisma and eloquent speeches that called for peaceful change.

But the regime never accepted the result and for most of the two decades since, she has been locked up in jail or under house arrest-only enhancing her image at home and abroad as a symbol of democracy and dignified resistance. She remains detained at her lakeside residence in Yangon, largely cut off from the outside world with just two female aides for company. The controversial decision to shun the vote has bitterly split the opposition, between those in agreement and others who saw a window of opportunity to instigate reform, albeit through a deeply flawed process.

Suu Kyi herself has said she will refuse to cast a ballot and suggested her supporters consider doing the same, although she stopped short of an outright call for a voter boycott, which the junta deems a prisonable offence.

But some observers see her resolve as intransigence that has contributed to Myanmar’s political stalemate. “I’ve never questioned her integrity, I’ve never questioned her honesty and her courage, but I’ve questioned all along her strategy. I don’t think she has one,” said Myanmar analyst Aung Naing Oo, based in Thailand. “If she continues the way she has, she won’t go anywhere.” Whatever her plan, “The Lady”-as she is widely known in Myanmar-remains idolised by many in a country that has been repressed by military rule for almost five decades.

“After 22 years since she entered politics, she has become an institution and so the public will rally around her as long as she’s alive,” said Maung Zarni, a Myanmar research fellow at the London School of Economics.

Oxford-educated Suu Kyi entered Myanmar’s political arena at a relatively late stage, after spending much of her life abroad in India and then Britain, but politics was always in her blood.

The daughter of Myanmar’s liberation hero General Aung San, who was assassinated in 1947, she returned to Yangon in 1988 to nurse her sick mother, as protests erupted against the military and were brutally crushed.

She was quick to take on a leading role in the pro-democracy movement, petitioning the government to prepare for elections and delivering speeches to hundreds of thousands of people at the city’s glittering Shwedagon Pagoda.

Alarmed by the support she commanded, the generals ordered her first stint

of house arrest in 1989. Her most recent stretch of forced isolation began in May 2003 after a deadly attack on her convoy by supporters of the junta.

Her many years in detention have seen her live a spartan existence of early meditation, spy novels and rare chocolate treats-said to be her only “vice” by diplomats who have been in contact with her. Her struggle for her country has also come at a high personal cost: her husband, British academic Michael Aris, died in 1999, and in the final stages of his battle with cancer the junta refused him a visa to see his wife. Suu Kyi refused to leave Myanmar to see him, certain she would never have been allowed to return. She has not seen her two sons for about a decade and has never met her grandchildren.

Her youngest son Kim Aris, 33, arrived in Bangkok ahead of the election as his mother awaits possible release. Her current sentence is due to expire a week after the widely criticized polls. If she is freed, observers believe her defiant stance is unlikely to see her cooperate with an armybacked government. Many also think the generals will restrict her political activities, aware she is the only figure who is capable of unifying the opposition. “To achieve democracy the people should be united, that is very clear. It is a very plain fact,” she told a mass rally at Shwedagon in August 1988. “If there is no unity of purpose we shall be unable to achieve anything at all.” — AFP

Mood flat as jaded Myanmar citizens vote S

hops were closed, Internet cafes shut and streets eerily quiet in Myanmar’s main city of Yangon yesterday as the military-ruled country voted for the first time in 20 years.

Hmwei Hmwei, aged 30, arrived early at one of the main city’s polling booths with her national registration card and queued patiently to exercise her democratic right for the first time. “I come to vote for change. I hope things will be transformed for the better,” said the student who, like all citizens aged under 38, had never voted in a general election before.

The scene was repeated across many-but not all-parts of the ethnically diverse country of 50 million people, from the mountainous Kachin state in the north, bordering China, to the southern coast on the Andaman Sea. Back in Yangon, local Red Cross and fire brigade officials were deployed at polling booths and barbed wire was laid out at the top of some streets, but Western diplomats said there was little sign a major election was underway.

“It’s come across as some kind of low level parish council vote. There’s just no buzz at all,” said Britain’s ambassador to Myanmar, Andrew Heyn. “The lack of excitement on the ground is very striking and reflects the campaign that preceded it.” Police Colonel Khin Maung Aye was on duty for the morning but expressed confidence that the day would progress without hitches. “The situation is peaceful,” he said. “I will vote cheerful-

YANGON: Monks walk at a temple in Bago, about 80 kilometers northeast of Yangon, Myanmar yesterday. Twenty years after the last elections here, when a landslide opposition victory was annulled by the military-run government, Myanmar hold a nationwide vote yesterday that its secretive generals tout as ‘discipline flourishing democracy. — AP ly and satisfyingly... as we are the people who have to choose the government that will be best for the country.” Other observers were less optimistic about

the ballot, which has been widely criticized as a sham to camouflage the military rule that has repressed Myanmar’s citizens since 1962.

The junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) was expected to win easily-despite its unpopularity-thanks to hefty advan-

tages over pro-democracy parties and alleged dirty tricks in the electoral process.

Swathes of ethnic minority areas are barred from taking part at all. Many people were expected to boycott the poll, following the lead of the National League for Democracy (NLD), the party of detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi which won the last election in 1990 but was never allowed into office. “People feel flat,” said a 28-yearold civil society worker in Yangon after casting her first vote. “Not many people want to go and vote but they are worried that their name could be marked if they do not.”

But a deputy returning officer at one polling station in the city, who gave her name as Thidar, said she believed people would seize a rare chance to be political-however flawed the process.

“It’s a little early now, but they will vote,” the teacher said as her booth opened. “People have to go to the markets and prepare for their meals...

They will come later.” But by midafternoon, an AFP correspondent saw very few people out on the rundown streets, where decades of neglect and economic mismanagement are clear from the crumbling infrastructure and poverty of the jaded citizens. “In the 1990 election we were very happy and active with campaigning and singing, and all the shops were open,” said a man in his 50s who asked not to be named. “Today is very quiet. I don’t know why.” — AFP

ANALYSIS

Monday, November 8, 2010

13 focus

Afghan review to back Obama plan, despite violence

By Ross Colvin and Paul Tait

A

December review of the Afghanistan war is expected to say the US strategy is working despite increased violence and record casualties, and that a July 2011 deadline to start withdrawing can be met.

But General David Petraeus, commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, will say that since the addition of 30,000 US troops was just completed in late summer, it will take more time to get a complete picture of how the strategy is working, analysts said. That could affect the pace of the US troop withdrawal. “There will be progress but a lot of ambiguity about interpreting it because of the late start to a lot of these offensives and the seasonality of warfare in Afghanistan,” said Stephen Biddle, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who has advised Petraeus in the past.

Ahead of the review, US officials have been offering more upbeat assessments of a war widely perceived as going badly for the United States and its NATO allies nine years after US-led forces invaded to topple the Taleban for sheltering Al-Qaeda.

Petraeus has ordered stepped-up operations-making greater use of elite Special Forces-that have killed or captured hundreds of Taleban militants in recent weeks. In late October he said the Taleban’s momentum has “broadly been arrested.” But critics and security analysts say Petraeus is presenting

SANGIN: Lance Cpl Andreas Padilla, of Los Angeles, First Marine Division, returns fire during a patrol yesterday in Sangin, Afghanistan.—AP an overly rosy picture. “It is far from clear what impact these deaths, the rate of these deaths, and the prospect of more deaths are having on the calculus of the larger Taleban phenomenon and its senior decision-makers thinking,” said global intelligence company STRATFOR. A NATO official in Brussels expressed concern that Taleban commanders were being quickly replaced and that killing current insurgent leaders could mean they would simply be replaced by “younger, less reasonable” radicals. US President Barack

Obama ordered the review after announcing a new strategy last December to “disrupt, dismantle and defeat” Al-Qaeda and its Taleban allies in Afghanistan. When he rolled out his new strategy, Obama set the deadline to start withdrawing forces under pressure from anti-war liberal Democrats. But if the review says the strategy is working, that could give him more room to agree with generals in the field to keep forces there to ensure that military gains are sustained.

Republicans, who criticized the

deadline for potentially emboldening the Taleban, will have greater oversight of the war after seizing control of the House of Representatives in Tuesday’s congressional elections.

But a top Republican signaled last week that the party would not try to amend the July 2011 date. An administration official stressed the review was never meant to lead to an overhaul of war strategy-unlike Obama’s first review of strategy in Afghanistan and a 2006 Iraq war review that led thenPresident George W. Bush to boost US forces under Petraeus. The review “is not designed to change the direction we are going in Afghanistan because we believe we have the right strategy. What the report is a candid look at how the strategy is working,” the official said.

“There are improvements (in security) we believe set the conditions for the beginning to talk about the transition to an Afghan lead beginning in July 2011,” he said. Other US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said training of Afghan forces could be one area where the strategy is “tweaked.” Current US targets call for expanding the Afghan army and police to 306,000 by next October from more than 260,000 now. A more ambitious target could be set to increase the force further beyond October 2011.

Another area would be looking at ways to keep pressure on militants in Pakistan, where strikes by pilotless US drone aircraft have reached alltime highs in recent months.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is pressing for the review to address a sharp rise in civilian casualties, as well as the role of private security companies and ending or reducing the number of night-time raids and house searches, Karzai’s chief spokesman, Waheed Omer said. In a mid-year report, the United Nations said civilian casualties had spiked by 31 percent in the first six months of 2010 against the same period of 2009. It blamed threequarters of the deaths on insurgents.

More than 479 US troops have been killed in Afghanistan since December, when the new strategy was unveiled.

The willingness of Petraeus to talk up the US military successes in Afghanistan has surprised those who remember him as a taciturn general in Iraq who was always cautious not to appear overly optimistic about gains on the battlefield.

There is much speculation in Washington as to why he has been so talkative. One theory is that he is trying to shape the Taleban’s view of the war as the group is engaged in preliminary talks with Karzai’s government.

Another is that he is trying to stiffen the resolve of politicians in Washington ahead of the report. The Taleban is also closely watching the review. Obama should not think that “if we find this person, destroy this group or that movement, the issue will be resolved,” spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location. — Reuters

Recovery lagging, Republicans reap benefits

By Liz Sidoti

A

ll but wiped out in 2008, Republicans groping for a comeback strategy determined there would be no swift return to economic health under incoming President Barack Obama. They soon also agreed privately to oppose his major legislation. Over the next two years, they criticized, attacked, voted against and then attacked some more as Democrats struggled to pass an economic stimulus measure, health care reform legislation and a bill to rein in Wall Street.

Unemployment, 7.4 percent when Obama took office, soared to 10.1 percent, then barely budged for months.

On Election Day, those calculations made in Republican suites in the Capitol reaped dividends that must have seemed almost unimaginable even to the architects of their strategy: a gain of 60-plus House seats, enough to win a majority and end two years of Democratic dominance in Congress, as well as six new seats in the Senate.

“By sticking together in principled opposition to policies we viewed as harmful, we made it perfectly clear to the American people where we stood.

And we gave voters a real choice,” said Mitch McConnell, the Senate’s Republican leader from Kentucky.

“As Democrats governed left, Republicans stood together time and again, making the case for conservative alternatives.” Ed Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chairman, said “nobody was rooting for unemployment to remain high.”

Gillespie, who was involved in Republican-aligned groups that raised

tens of millions of dollars for independent campaign ads against Democrats, added that “the philosophy of Republicans in Congress is that the answer to our economic problems is not more spending, more government regulation, more mandates. So they opposed his policies on principle, and one of the reasons they don’t support his approach is because they don’t think it works. “At the end of the day,” he said, “the public agreed with them.”

There was more to it.

Many economists agree the economic stimulus, with its combination of tax cuts, aid to states and federal spending on construction and other areas, did create jobs. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress in July that “we should maintain our stimulus in the short term” to strengthen the recovery and help reduce unemployment.

It was not a point Republicans chose to acknowledge.

The Republican Party chairman, Michael Steele, was scathing in his criticism. “The Democrat plan focuses on putting Americans on the public dole,” he said, citing expanded unemployment benefits, food stamps and other federal help.

Newt Gingrich, campaigning for fellow Republicans, sought to define the Democrats as the party of food stamps and the Republicans as the party of paychecks. In many ways, Republicans did exactly what a minority party does creates bright lines of distinction by opposing the party in power.

But, at the outset of Obama’s administration, it wasn’t politically popular to take on a new president with such a sky-high approval rating at a

time when the country was in bad shape. Their strategy was nothing short of audacious. Republicans correctly foresaw that unemployment would rise, and that if the economy remained weak, Obama and Democrats would get little or no credit from the voters for having stopped a near collapse. The Republicans would not have fared so well if voters had agreed with leading economists who said things would have been much worse without those actions, or if Obama’s economic fixes had hastened the recovery.

“When they chose to oppose everything, the only path to success was that he fails and the country fails. That’s a high risk strategy,” said Steve Elmendorf, a Democratic operative and lobbyist. “They couldn’t have gotten away with saying no the past two years if the economy improved. But the economy didn’t improve, and people were still unhappy. And they won.”

Had Republicans gone along with Obama’s plans and put their fingerprints on his policies, voters would have had a less clear delineation on who to fault.

Said Terry Holt, a Republican operative close to House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio: “Republicans won not for guessing right about the economy but for being right about the economy.” As Obama was transitioning from candidate to president, Boehner summoned economists, most if not all conservative, to Capitol Hill to get their economic forecasts. “The history was that economies recover slowly after a financial crisis,” said Doug HoltzEakin, one of those who presented his views at the time. “Get ready for a long

slog,” he recalls telling Boehner. The Republicans knew they had to restore credibility with voters on deficit spending and other economic issues after independents and others turned against them in 2006 and 2008.

They saw their chance as Obama’s agenda began to take shape. Wall Street bailouts begun under President George W Bush were set to be continued. Auto companies on the brink of collapse were lining up for money. Obama administration officials were putting the finishing touches on a massive stimulus plan. A health care system overhaul, too. Democratic budget blueprints called for raising taxes on multinational corporations and the nation’s highest earners. Obama’s stimulus plan, which eventually would reach $814 billion - began to take shape before he took office. Republicans dug in, seeing it as contrary to their own philosophy.

The Republican strategy started coming together during retreats in January 2009, somber events by all accounts. Boehner told his lieutenants and the diminished rank and file that they needed to win on the issues to give people confidence that Republicans were ready to govern. “We have to earn back the trust of the American people,” he told them, and insisted the Republicans be seen as “the alternative party” rather than “the opposition party.” A drumbeat began from Republicans: Obama “spends too much, taxes too much, borrows too much,” Boehner said frequently.

Shortly before Obama took office, two of the new administration’s top economic advisers - Christina Romer and

Jared Bernstein - forecast that the stimulus proposal would keep the unemployment rate under 8 percent.

It gave Republicans an obvious target when it reached 9 percent, and then 10 percent. “There was a fundamental belief that the policies that he implemented were not going to work,” said David Winston, a Republican pollster who advises congressional Republicans. “And they didn’t work. If Obama’s policies would have worked, then the Republican Party would have had to rethink our entire economic philosophy.” That June, the unemployment rate was at 9.5 percent and still rising. Obama’s job approval rating was sliding toward 50 percent. The debate over Obama’s health care plan dominated the summer. House Republican leaders settled on a campaign pitch: “Where are the jobs?”

It was a question Boehner would relentlessly ask for more than a year, and one that would lay the groundwork for the Republicans to later craft a policy platform on the economy and other issues. In elections a year ago, Republicans replaced Democratic governors in Virginia and New Jersey.

Independent voters broke 2-1 against Democrats, foreshadowing big gains a year later. The same thing happened in Massachusetts a few months later when Republican Scott Brown stunned Democrats by winning an election to fill the seat of the late Sen Edward M Kennedy. Ten months later, victorious Republicans met to plan their transition to power in the House of Representatives - just as it was announced that the economy created 151,000 jobs last month. — AP

Afghanistan’s oppressed Hazaras use vote to claim a voice

By Sardar Ahmad

A

fghanistan’s most repressed ethnic group, the Hazaras, have used their vote in recent parliamentary elections to win themselves a political voice that could change their fate.

Throughout the war-shattered country’s history, Hazaras have occupied the bottom rung of society, and as Shia Muslims in a country dominated by Sunnis were brutalized by a succession of rulers. In post-Taleban Afghanistan, however, Hazaras are making democracy work for them, and look likely to take 20 percent of the seats in the recent parliamentary poll.

“Hazaras have always been repressed and abused by their rulers,” said Ahmad, a Hazara intellectual who refused to give his surname because of the political sensitivity of the issue.

“The new system, the democracy that we have had since the fall of the Taleban, is seen by Hazaras as a great chance to prove their existence.”

Hazaras account for 10-15 percent of Afghanistan’s population, which for lack of census data is estimated at 30 million.

They dominate the country’s central highlands, a region surrounded by the conservative Pashtuns, Afghanistan’s traditional rulers from the south and east, and the urbanized, liberal Tajiks in the north and west.

For 200 years, Hazaras-descendants of Mongol conqueror Ghengis Khan, whose hordes rampaged across the region in the 13th century-were treated as second-class citizens, banished to low-status, low-income jobs. Whenever Hazaras rose against the repression, they were brutally subdued by their Pashtun rulers, who sometimes massacred entire clans and then doubled taxes

KABUL: File photo shows Afghan protesters shouting slogans during a demonstration in Kabul as thousands of ethnic Hazaras march through the Afghan capital in a tense protest over a dispute with nomads about land and grazing rights. — AFP on others. The Taleban, the ultra-conservative Islamists who ruled Afghanistan from 1996-2001, kept up the tradition and made abusing the Hazaras one of the defining points of their brutal regime.

But since the Taleban fell in a US-led invasion, the Hazaras have learned how to make the new system, a Westernbacked democracy, work in their favor.

The September 18 parliamentary poll,

the second since the end of the Taleban era, marked a significant milestone on the Hazaras’ rocky journey to equality.

Preliminary results show Hazara candidates won more than 50 of the 249 seats in the lower house of parliament, the Wolesi Jirga. Final results are expected within days. “As a Hazara I’m absolutely satisfied with the results,” said Ahmad, reflecting the growing confidence of the Hazara community.

In southern Ghazni province, which is dominated by Pashtuns and becoming more volatile as the Taleban-led insurgency drags into its 10th year, Hazaras won all 11 parliamentary seats.

Nonplussed Pashtun leaders have said the result was largely due to Taleban threats and harassment, which prevented them from voting. Some Pashtun chieftains frustrated by the outcome had called for a re-run, an election official

said on condition of anonymity, adding: “But that’s not going to happen under the law.” President Hamid Karzai, himself a Pashtun, said recently he would be in favor of a re-run in Ghazni “for the sake of our national unity”.

Hazara parliamentarian Ibrahim Qasimi said: “Hazaras went out and used their right to vote. It’s because they believe in democracy, they like democracy and they like elections.

“Their vote must be respected,” said Qasimi, who appears to have retained his Kabul seat. “The time for war is over. We don’t think much about what happened in the past, we think about the future.” Hazaras, together with most non-Pashtun tribes, took up arms against the Taleban when the Islamists marched north from their stronghold of southern Kandahar in several raids between 1994 and 2001. In 1997 the mainly Sunni Pashtun Taleban took the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, defeating its Hazara and Tajik defenders.

The Taleban then took revenge, according to Pakistani analyst and author Ahmad Rashid, who said in his book “Taleban” that the militia “massacred” Hazara residents in a bloodbath that last for two days. In late 2001, Hazara fought with the Northern Alliance, led by the Tajik guerrilla leader Ahmad Shah Massoud, to help the United States topple the Taleban, losing hundreds in the fighting. Since that victory, the Hazaras have switched their energy to politics, now occupying several key cabinet posts. Abdul Karim Khalili, a key Hazara leader, has been Karzai’s deputy since he became interim leader following the Taleban defeat. “We believe in democracy,” said Ahmad.

“We see it as the only way to claim our rights.” — AFP

Job killing you? Stressed mob bosses seeking help

By Frances D’emilio

T

he mafia boss was having a dreadful time dealing with loss. But he wasn’t struggling with the loss of lives, or even the loss of his freedom. “Doc, it’s my hair,” the mobster from the ‘ndrangheta crime syndicate confessed to his psychiatrist in jail. “I’m afraid of losing my hair. “And look at these spots on my arm. See them?” he half-pleaded as he rolled up a sleeve and thrust out his arm.

“But your hair is fine.

Absolutely fine. And there aren’t any spots,” Dr Gabriele Quattrone tried to reassure his patient - who had tied himself into a knot of anxiety over the hair he believed to be falling from his head and the imaginary blotches popping up all over his arms.

Quattrone is one of a tiny corps of psychotherapists who have treated Italian organized crime bosses or their family members. Patients include dons haunted by nightmares, turncoats tormented after ratting, wives left frigid by rigid codes of loyalty. In exclusive interviews with The Associated Press, granted on condition that the identities of the mobsters not be revealed in line with doctor-patient confidentiality, the doctors offered rare insights into the secretive, increasingly strungout world of Italy’s centuriesold criminal organizations.

Quattrone, a neuropsychiatrist, treated his jailed ‘ndrangheta patient with tranquilizers and made some attempts at nurturing introspection. “It’s the stress of 20 years of being a fugitive, of going on trial,” he told the man, a top boss in Reggio Calabria, the toe of Italy’s boot. “Yeah, I’m stressed, all right. I’m stressed because I’m innocent,”‘ the boss retorted. These are indeed tense times for Italy’s mobsters. A growing police crackdown and a rebellion among businessmen expected to pay protection money have left some sons of organized crime families wrestling with selfdoubt, unsure they are cut out to take their fathers’ and grandfathers’ place in the bloody, vengeful world of the mob.

But seeking help is risky business: among mobsters, visiting a psychologist is a weakness you can pay for with your life. Palermo psychologist Girolamo Lo Verso recalled the case of a mobster’s son who told another therapist at a public mental health facility: “‘If my father knows I come here, he’ll kill us.”‘ “If you’re a mafioso and you’re anxious, you’re not trustworthy and you have to be eliminated,” said Lo Verso.

“A mafioso is paranoid about everything” - trusting the mafia code of silence - “omerta” - more than the medical code of patient confidentiality.

The state’s war on organized crime has put hundreds of bosses behind bars, sometimes for decades, sorely testing the mental health of spouses, children and sometimes the mobsters themselves.

Quattrone, the head of neuropsychiatry at a Reggio Calabria hospital, was once summoned to an apartment building in an upscale neighborhood. An elevator, with no buttons and an armored door, led from the garage straight to an apartment with windows shuttered tight. In the sprawling master bedroom, complete with inlaid swimming pool, lay the mafia boss’ severely depressed wife. Doctor and patient looked into each other’s eyes. The husband’s presence made communication hard but the woman’s gaze told Quattrone everything he needed to know. “We understood each other,” Quattrone said. “She was oppressed in her role as a mafioso’s wife.” Diagnosis?

Existential loneliness.

The wife was depressed because she could hardly ever get out of the house _ and had a driver and a car with tinted windows on the rare times she did. The psychiatrist prescribed antidepressants and checked up on her for the next few months.

Quattrone scoffed at the notion her husband would ever consider psychotherapy himself. As fiction-

al mob boss Tony Soprano put it to his therapist in the TV show “The Sopranos”: “I understand therapy as a concept. But in my world it does not go down.” Lo Verso teaches at Palermo’s University of Studies, which will soon offer a masters course in Mafia psychology, the first of its kind.

The therapists draw psychological profiles from treatment of mobsters and their relatives, turncoat testimony in courtrooms, lawyers’ dealings with Mafia clients, and countless pages of intercepted conversations between bosses that wind up in indictments.

Group therapy sessions conducted in prison also provide fodder for Lo Verso’s research. At group talk in Reggio Calabria’s maximumsecurity San Pietro Prison, inmates turned up perfectly groomed - doused in cologne, hair neatly combed, nattily dressed - and sat in armchairs arranged in a circle, recalled Paolo Pratico, a Calabrian psychologist who organized three sessions.

The prisoners showed eagerness to earn “good conduct” points toward early release. But to the man, they refused to admit the ‘ndrangheta even existed.

Rather, they insisted they were victims of a miscarriage of justice. If the mafia doesn’t exist, they argued, how could they be convicted of mafia association? Many mobsters stay silent when Quattrone visits them in prison. A few complain of nightmares. They see “terrifying” images, but not of the people they’ve killed. One jailed mobster’s sleep was haunted by thoughts of his terminally ill 12-year-old daughter. “I can’t sleep because I hear the voice of my daughter,” the mobster lamented. “It’s not fair that I can’t see her.

I can’t accept that.”

Sociologist Alessandra Dino, who has interviewed wives of Cosa Nostra turncoats and pored over transcripts of turncoat testimony to prosecutors, believes few mobsters have “crises of conscience.” “They have a mechanism of neutrality, where deviance equals normality,” said Dino, who teaches at Palermo’s university.

“Murder becomes philanthropic because it is somehow related to helping the group they belong to.” Lo Verso said he has concluded that “the mafioso identifies himself totally with Cosa Nostra, which is his family. He has no individuality.” The therapist recalled a woman who was leaving her Cosa Nostra husband.

She came to him for a psychiatric evaluation in a bid to gain custody of the couple’s children. The woman, in her 40s, was beautiful, elegantly dressed and accompanied by another man. The pair would go away to romantic hotels for the weekend and sleep in the same bed. The man would undress and get sexually aroused, but the woman kept her clothes on and never showed any sign of sexual excitement. She had the Mafia hardwired inside her, Lo Verso concluded - noting that, like many Mafia wives, she was the daughter of a mob boss, well familiar with Cosa Nostra’s code that the wife never betrays the husband. In short, she remained married to the mob - all the more striking because she suspected her husband of having a hand in her father’s slaying.

Quattrone said over the last decade or two, he has seen a slight shift, from mobsters who wouldn’t have anything to do with psychologists to those who will consult them if they think the problem can somehow be “masked” as a physical illness. A ‘ndrangheta family from the Calabrian countryside came to Quattrone after their young daughter started having panic attacks. “She can’t have a mental illness, she has to have a physical problem,” the girl’s mother and brother told him.

Quattrone ran a battery of tests, and did find an unrelated physical ailment. “The family was very happy to hear she had something. ... Because if it’s a mental illness, the family risks being seen as untrustworthy,” he said. — AP

NEWS

14

Monday, November 8, 2010

Lebanese unity govt ‘paralyzed’ BEIRUT: A year after its hardwon formation, Lebanon’s unity government has achieved little and could fall due to a political crisis over a UNbacked probe into ex-premier Rafiq Hariri’s murder, analysts say. “The government has failed at all levels in addressing any key issues of concern to citizens,” said Mohamad Chamseddine, an analyst with Information International, a Beirut-based research centre.

“It hasn’t accomplished anything because of a lack of political will linked to the fact that there are two currents within the cabinet, each with its own agenda,” Chamseddine said.

The 30-member cabinet headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri-son of the slain expremier-includes ministers from Lebanon’s two fractious camps: one loyal to the premier’s Western- and Saudibacked bloc and the other to the powerful militant group Hezbollah supported by Syria and Iran. The cabinet was formed on November 9, 2009 after more than four months of arduous negotiations. But initial optimism quickly gave way to skepticism and a deepening sense of gloom as the two camps have hit a brick wall over a host of issues, especially Hezbollah’s arsenal and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).

The UN-backed tribunal was set up in the aftermath of the 2005 assassination of Rafiq Hariri and there are unconfirmed reports that it plans to indict Hezbollah members in connection with the murder. The Shiite party has warned against any such outcome, accusing the STL of being part of an Israeli plot and calling on the Lebanese

BEIRUT: Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, runs at the start of the 10km Fun Run of Beirut Marathon, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon yesterday. — AP not to cooperate with the investigation.

Analysts predict the crisis over the tribunal will lead to a total paralysis of government institutions and possibly the fall of the cabinet, a scenario similar to the political deadlock that came close to civil war in 2008. “There is a duality of power in this government,” said Imad Salameh,

political science professor at the Lebanese American University. “We have a state and a quasi-state (Hezbollah) who have to agree on international law,” he said. “The quasi-state says that the STL is irrelevant and the state says that Lebanon is a founding member of the United Nations and abides by UN resolutions.

“The government is now in an impasse over how to resolve this duality of power,” he added. “It has become the hostage of the indictment.”

Salameh said even the rapprochement between Hariri and Syria, which was forced to withdrew its troops from Lebanon in 2005 following international outrage over Rafiq Hariri’s killing, was only holding by a thread. A swirl of diplomatic visits in past months, including by the Saudi, Syrian and Iranian leaders as well as a host of Western officials, has failed to break the deadlock and ease tensions as Lebanon awaits the STL indictments.

The work of government institutions, meanwhile, has nearly ground to a halt, adding to the sense of foreboding among ordinary Lebanese.

“The first order of the day for the government should have been to handle appointments in the administration where 50 percent of posts remain vacant in some ministries,” Chamseddine said. “But the government has not be able to accomplish this and it has seriously paralyzed the administration.”

Analysts noted that highpriority issues for civil society, including those linked to Lebanon’s water and electricity sectors or the state budget, had not been addressed. “This is a government in which you have a forced cohabitation between two rival camps that have not yet declared open war,” said Wissam Bou Harfoush, a political commentator. “The government is basically like a patient on a respirator and the fear is that someone is going to pull the plug.” — AFP

Libya orders US diplomat to leave ALGIERS: Libya has ordered a diplomat at the United States embassy in Tripoli to leave the country within 24 hours for breaching diplomatic rules, two Libyan newspapers reported yesterday. The Libyan authorities gave no confirmation of the reports while a spokesman for the US embassy in Tripoli, contacted by Reuters, said he had no comment. “The Libyan authorities asked the Political Affairs Secretary at the US embassy in Tripoli to leave Libya within 24 hours,” the Internet edition of the Oea newspaper reported.

Citing what it called informed sources, the newspaper said the expulsion followed the diplomat’s visit to the city of Ifrane, 130 km south-west of the capital.

That was “considered by the Libyan authorities to be contrary to the rules and norms of diplomacy,” the newspaper said, without giving any more details. A second Libyan newspaper, Quryna, also reported that a US diplomat had been ordered to leave the country.

The United States and Libya had no diplomatic relations for decades until

2004, after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi renounced weapons of mass destruction. Ties between the two countries hit a rocky patch earlier this year after a US State Department official made disparaging remarks about a speech by Gaddafi. The row was resolved after the official apologized. US firms Exxon Mobil, Hess and ConocoPhillips are among international energy companies with operations in Libya, an OPEC member and home to Africa’s largest proven oil reserves. — Reuters

Israel to withdraw from Lebanese village C o n t i n u e d f ro m Pa g e 1 retur ns from a US trip late this week. It is not clear whether that means not all the details have been sewn up.

Israeli officials have met several

times with the UN peacekeeping force stationed in southern Lebanon to discuss a possible handover. A senior Lebanese army officer refused to comment on the possible withdrawal before the Lebanese government is formally informed by the UN of a plan. Hezbollah

yesterday positioned itself to claim victory for any pullout. “If the withdrawal happens, it (Israel) won’t be doing it for free but because of fear of the resistance and Lebanon’s strength through the resistance,” Hezbollah legislator Nawar Saheli said in Beirut. — AP

MP blasts finance minister over tax Continued from Page 1 that the National Assembly will not allow the government to overburden citizens with new charges. The lawmaker was commenting on statements Shamali made yesterday to Al-Rai newspaper that the government plans to amend the law to introduce taxes and raise charges on public services.

Meanwhile, the public funds protection committee met yesterday and reviewed main issues on its agenda especially the probes it had been assigned to carry out, rapporteur of the panel MP Faisal Al-Muslim said. He said the committee decided to continue the probe into the Russian loan and has summoned former Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) chief Saleh Al-Falah to listen to his testimony.

He said the committee is also engaged in four other probes including the issue of environmental compensation for damages caused by the Iraqi invasion and the issue of court cases filed by Kuwait for issues related to Kuwaiti foreign investments.

Muslim said the committee will send questionnaires to concerned government authorities and summon officials regarding the probes.

In another development, the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah said yesterday that there are no new signs or developments in regard to the Iranian nuclear file to suggest that a regional military confrontation was imminent. Speaking to reporters after meeting with the national assembly foreign relations committee, Sheikh Mohammad said he reviewed with the committee future plans of the ministry and its ambitions to

play an important role on the international arena.

He said that he informed the committee of the ministry plan for Kuwait to join the human rights commission and future plans for the United Nations Security Council and general assembly. Sheikh Mohammad said the government already has a contingency plan which is with the interior ministry and civil defense, adding that there is nothing to suggest that something is happening tomorrow.

He said he will be in Tehran today to attend Asian Development Forum and then will travel to Abu Dhabi to attend the GCC foreign ministers meeting.

Sheikh Mohammad called on Iran to deal with transparency with the requirements of the international legality, reiterating Kuwait’s opposition to any military action in the region.

RAFAH: A Palestinian boy inspects damages following Israeli raids on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday. One person was wounded in the raids which came hours after militants in the enclave fired a rocket into southern Israel. — AFP

Gaza scrap gleaners risk life in tense border zone BEIT LAHIYA: A Palestinian was wounded by Israeli forces yesterday while collecting scrap from a no-go border zone in the Gaza Strip, the latest casualty in the blockaded enclave’s most dangerous way to scrape a living. He was identified by his initials as K A, 20 years old, by medics who say the Gaza Health Ministry ordered them not to give out names unless a shooting were fatal. Gaza medics say 60 scavengers have been wounded and two killed in the tense border zone since January 2009.

A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said two men were spotted inside the buffer zone within 300 meters of the border security wall and fence, where they are not permitted. “The soldiers fired warning shots and when they were not heeded they fired at the lower body and detected a hit.” Thousands of Gazans, mainly young men and boys, go close to the zone daily to pick over the wreckage of factories and houses flattened by Israel in the past few years in its conflict with Islamist Hamas militants who control the enclave.

Most of the shootings occur near the Erez crossing point in the north of the Gaza Strip, where gleaners are a common sight among the steadily dwindling heaps of pancaked concrete that are all that remains of an industrial zone bombed by Israel. Most load the scrap onto donkey carts and take it to be recycled for use in

construction. Israel restricts import of steel and cement into Gaza to stop Hamas using it for military ends, and a cartload of rubble fetches 50 shekels ($15). Since Israel’s three-week offensive in Dec 2008-Jan 2008, Israel troops have warned Palestinians not to come in a range of 300 meters of the border fence or wall in all areas. Some Palestinians with land in the border zone say they can’t tend their fields now without fear of being shot.

Adham Abu Selmeya, a spokesman of the Hamas-run medical service said most of the casualties were shot in the legs, in northern areas where the border with Israel is formed by a high concrete wall with watchtowers and machineguns. He said the Palestinians clearly did not pose real danger, otherwise the Israelis would not be firing at their legs. Israel says Palestinian militants in the past have been detected in the act of trying to plant explosives in the buffer zone, in hopes of harming IDF patrols.

The unemployment rate in Gaza is roughly 50 percent. “This is a suicide job, a deadly job,” said Mohammed Abu Halawa, who nearly lost a leg after being shot and wounded. Halawa, 23 and father of two girls, said he and other workers were collecting rubble from a former Israeli settlement in the north when soldiers opened fire.

“We ran away. And then we returned

to fetch what we had collected. The Israeli soldiers opened fire again and I was hit,” said Halawa who needed metal implants to save the leg. Israel ended its occupation of Gaza in 2005. It has blockaded the territory since Hamas seized control in 2007, to prevent the militants obtaining arms or materials to use for military purposes, and to weaken support for the Islamists among Gaza’s 1.5 million people. Despite Hamas’s 2010 pledge to clamp down on militants who persist in firing rockets and mortars into Israel, the Israeli army says about 180 have been fired this year. Israel forces usually retaliate, often with air strikes at military targets.

Halawa said rubble collectors were, naturally, afraid of being shot at in the border zone but had to run the risk. “You need to raise a family, you need to feed your children and therefore, you have no choice, there is no other work,” said the former tailor. Gaza’s recycling workers have also become experts in extracting cement, gravel and steel from heaps of broken concrete and straightening reinforcing rods for re-use. Thousands of buildings wrecked in the winter offensive of 2009 have yet to be rebuilt. The UN says there is currently a shortage of gravel for reconstruction. “The job is tough,” said recycler Kamel Al-Shenbari, who earns 30 shekels a day at the work, or “enough to make a meal.” — Reuters

Islamists boycott Jordan elections Continued from Page 1 The Islamist absence has left less than a seventh of the 763 candidates campaigning under party banners, with the field open for tribal candidates mostly loyal to King Abdullah, who appoints the prime minister and his cabinet. Prime Minister Samir Al-Rifai has sought to drum up support for the polls and met young people, women and even Muslim imams with one message-participation is a national duty. “Those who don’t vote are giving up their rights. There are a lot of expectations and we hope the next parliament will be representative of the will and desires of every single Jordanian,” Rifai told reporters yesterday.

The ballot comes almost a year after King Abdullah dissolved the last parliament halfway through its term. In the

post-election period, Jordan faces the challenge of forging ahead with reforms to spur growth in a sluggish economy hit by the global downturn. A parliament that acquiesces in unpopular policies was needed to give credibility to state decisions even if its policy-making role was almost negligible, independent politicians say.

The Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s only real opposition, say they are not turning their back on parliamentary democracy but protesting an electoral law that ensures pro-government loyalists are elected. “We are seeking a change in the rules that would bring a parliament that truly represents people,” said Sheikh Hamam Said the head of the Brotherhood, whose political arm, the Islamic Action Front, is the country’s largest party. The Islamists say their

decision also was influenced by fears of a repeat of irregularities and vote rigging seen in the 2007 polls that whittled their weight to a handful of seats. Thousands of plainclothes police were ferried in buses to vote in Islamist strongholds in that election, officials in the last government have conceded.

Some tribal candidates also are unhappy with the law, saying it has divided constituencies in a way that pits one tribal clan against another, eroding the fabric of their close-knit society. “The law has torn tribal bonds in favor of the influential tribes and those with money. It has downsized my aspirations as a candidate who cares about his country to one who must serve his immediate clan,” said Sheikh Talal Seetan Al-Madi, candidate for a bedouin constituency near Mafraq in north Jordan. — AFP

Iraq rivals agree to share power Continued from Page 1 in parliament to form a majority government. Parliament has since remained in hiatus, except for a 20-minute oathtaking ceremony and another brief meeting at which acting speaker Fuad Massum declared an indefinite “open” session.

On October 24, Iraq’s Supreme Court ordered parliament to resume work, after an alliance of civil society groups launched a legal case against Massum, accusing him of violating the constitution

by leaving the session open. The constitution stipulates that a speaker, president and prime minister must be elected in that order. The Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc narrowly won the election with 91 seats, closely followed by Maliki’s State of Law Alliance with 89. Neither had been able to muster the 163-seat majority required in the parliament, despite intense back-door negotiations with various Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish blocs which also picked up seats.

Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party

and Jalal Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which together won 43 seats, had entered into an alliance with Goran and two Kurdish Islamic parties that won six places. The 57-seat bloc gave the alliance the muscle to decide who would form the next government, but Goran’s exit has weakened their position. But Goran, with eight seats, pulled out of the alliance last month after its proposed reforms for greater democracy in the autonomous Kurdistan region were ignored. — AFP

Scientists turn skin into blood Continued from Page 1

Emirates, Etihad halt Yemen cargo Continued from Page 1 It arrived in the city-state after traveling on two separate Qatar Airways flights.

Officials for that carrier did not immediately respond to requests for comment on their cargo policies yesterday. Yemen-based AlQaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has claimed responsibility for the bombs and has vowed to send more explosives-packed parcels.

International courier companies routinely ship packages on scheduled commercial flights. FedEx, UPS and Mideast-based shipping company Aramex each put bans on Yemen cargo in place shortly after the bomb

plot was discovered. Theodore Karasik, a security analyst at the Institute for Near East & Gulf Military Analysis, a think tank in Dubai, said it was appropriate for airlines to halt Yemen shipments given the circumstances.

But he cautioned that Al-Qaeda in Yemen could try to shift its operations elsewhere to circumvent the embargoes. “The first layer is to isolate the Yemen case, then see what the impact is, and then decide if that (ban) needs to be expanded to other countries,” he said. Interpol on Saturday released details and photographs of the two US-bound mail bombs intercepted by authorities in Dubai

and the UK to encourage police and the public to watch out for similar packages.

The police agency posted a four-page warning, where it listed a number of signs that indicate the packages should be treated with suspicion: unbalanced packaging; uneven weight; excessive use of sealing tape; stains, discoloration or other wrapping markings; strange odors; protruding wires; excess postage paid. Interpol said such explosives cannot be detected by using standard X-ray equipment, but noted that airport “puffer” machines, swab tests and bomb-sniffing dogs could help aid detection. — AP

medical breakthroughs but also carry risks, such as the potential to create tumors. But researchers say their new method can create enough blood for a transfusion from a four by three centimeter patch of adult human skin, and can avoid those potential hurdles. “So we don’t need to take skin cells and put it into a pluripotent stem cell. That is inefficient in terms of time,” Bhatia said.

“There are also concerns that they might form a tumor, and the fact that we bypass that makes it more feasible for transplants.” Those needing bone marrow transplants could be particularly aided by the breakthrough, according to John

Kelton, dean of health sciences for McMaster University. “For all physicians, but especially for the patients and their families, the illness became more frustrating when we were prevented from giving a bone marrow transplant because we could not find a perfect donor match in the family or the community,” Kelton said.

“Dr Bhatia’s discovery could permit us to help this important group of patients.”

Clinical trials could start as soon as 2012, the study said. Cynthia Dunbar, head of the molecular hematopoiesis section of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health in the United States, said she was eager to try out the Canadian team’s approach. “I think there are exciting aspects in terms of this

potentially being a much safer approach than going back through embryonic stem cells,” said Dunbar, who estimated it would be five to 10 years before the technique reaches the general public.

“I work for the US federal government, and whether or not we can work with embryonic stem cells is up in the air,” she added. “I’m very excited to try this.”

Bhatia said researchers would next begin experiments to see what other kinds of human cells can be derived from adult skin.

The research was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute, the Stem Cell Network and the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation. — AFP

SPORTS

Monday, November 8, 2010

15

NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Saturday.

St. Louis 2, Boston 1 (SO); Buffalo 3, Toronto 2 (SO); Ottawa 3, Montreal 2; Philadelphia 2, NY Islanders 1; Carolina 3, Florida 2; Chicago 5, Atlanta 4 (SO); Minnesota 3, Columbus 2; Colorado 5, Dallas 0; Pittsburgh 4, Phoenix 3 (SO); Vancouver 6, Detroit 4; Los Angeles 4, Nashville 1; San Jose 5, Tampa Bay 2.

(SO denotes shootout win).

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF GA Philadelphia 9 4 1 43 31 NY Rangers 7 5 1 38 36 Pittsburgh 7 7 1 43 39 NY Islanders 4 8 2 35 50 New Jersey 4 10 1 25 48

PTS 19 15 15 10 9

Montreal Boston Ottawa Toronto Buffalo

Northeast 8 5 7 3 7 6 5 5 4 9

Division 1 34 1 33 1 36 3 31 2 37

33 20 40 34 48

17 15 15 13 10

Washington Tampa Bay Atlanta Carolina Florida

Southeast 9 4 7 4 6 5 7 7 5 7

Division 0 44 2 39 3 44 0 41 0 36

32 39 51 44 32

18 16 15 14 10

St. Louis Detroit Chicago Columbus Nashville

Western Conference Central Division 8 1 2 30 8 3 1 39 8 7 1 49 8 5 0 32 5 4 3 27

18 32 49 32 33

18 17 17 16 13

Vancouver Minnesota Colorado Calgary Edmonton

Northwest 8 3 7 4 7 5 6 7 3 6

32 30 42 38 40

18 16 15 12 8

Division 2 40 2 32 1 45 0 35 2 32

Pacific Division Los Angeles 10 3 0 39 26 20 Dallas 8 5 0 43 37 16 San Jose 6 5 1 34 30 13 Anaheim 6 7 1 35 46 13 Phoenix 4 5 4 33 42 12 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

UNIONDALE: New York Islanders defenseman James Wisniewski (20) dives for the puck between Philadelphia Flyers right wing Andreas Nodl (15) and Flyers left wing Eric Wellwood (47) as Islanders center John Tavares (91) watches from behind during the third period of an NHL hockey game. —AP

Blackhawks edge Thrashers, Blues beat Bruins ATLANTA: Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane scored two goals each, and Viktor Stalberg added the winner in a shootout to help the Chicago Blackhawks end a twogame losing streak with a 5-4 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday. The Thrashers have lost two straight overall and four of five at home.

Atlanta defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, who faced Chicago for the first time since being traded by the defending Stanley Cup champions, was stopped on the Thrashers’ last shootout attempt when Marty Turco reached out and poked the puck away with his stick.

Blues 2, Bruins 1 At Boston, Jaroslav Halak made 33 saves through overtime and two more in the shootout to lead St. Louis past Boston.

Gregory Campbell scored with 7 minutes left in the third period to spoil Halak’s hopes for a fourth shutout in five games.

That ended his shutout streak at 150 minutes, 3 seconds. Halak and the Blues have won six straight games.

Flyers 2, Islanders 1 At Uniondale, New York, Andreas Nodl snapped a tie with 5:25 left for Philadelphia, which stretched its winning streak to six and sent the New York Islanders to their seventh straight loss.

The Islanders played at home for only the fifth time in 14 games this season. Mike Richards added a goal and an assist for the Flyers, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 31 shots. Matt Moulson scored the Islanders’ lone goal. Dwayne Roloson made 24 saves and earned an assist.

Hurricanes 3, Panthers 2 At Raleigh, North Carolina, Eric Staal scored twice and Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist to lead Carolina over Florida.

Cam Ward made 18 saves for the Hurricanes, who bounced back from a 7-4 loss at Florida on Friday night. Darcy Hordichuk and Michael Frolik scored for the Panthers, and Scott Clemmensen made 26 saves.

in the third period to give Minnesota a win over Columbus. Brent Burns scored two power-play goals for the Wild, who won their third in a row, and Mikko Koivu added two assists. Jose Theodore stopped 35 shots. Rick Nash and Kyle Wilson had Columbus’ goals. Mathieu Garon, who had shutouts in the previous two games, lost at home with the Blue Jackets for the first time.

Senators 3, Canadiens 2 At Montreal, Alex Kovalev scored twice for his 996th and 997th NHL points as Ottawa extended its winning streak to three by beating Montreal. Kovalev, who played for Montreal from 2003-09, opened the scoring late in the first. He added his second goal on a power play 6:42 into the third that made it 3-1. Brian Elliott made 21 saves, and Zack Smith also scored for the Senators. Erik Karlsson and Peter Regin each had two assists. Brian Gionta scored with 4:07 left in the third to draw the Canadiens within one.

Jaroslav Spacek also scored for Montreal.

Wild 3, Blue Jackets 2 At Columbus, Ohio, Cal Clutterbuck followed a crushing hit with the decisive goal

Sabres 3, Maple Leafs 2 At Toronto, Tyler Ennis scored the

Avalanche 5, Stars 0

goal of a shootout to help Pittsburgh rally to beat Phoenix.

Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist, and the Penguins also got goals from Evgeni Malkin and Chris Kunitz to come back from an early 2-0 deficit Wojtek Wolski had his first goal and an assist, and Eric Belanger and Radim Vrbata each had goals for Phoenix.

At Denver, Peter Budaj made 31 saves for his first shutout in nearly a year and Kevin Porter scored two goals as Colorado beat Dallas. Philippe Dupuis had a short-handed goal and two assists.

Milan Hejduk and Brandon Yip also scored for the Avalanche. Dallas came into the game leading the NHL in goals per game (3.58) and had scored six goals in Phoenix on Friday, but Budaj kept the high-scoring Stars off the board.

He made 14 saves in the second period and benefited from two hit posts en route to his first shutout since Dec. 7, 2009.

At Los Angeles, Ryan Smyth scored a goal in his 1,000 NHL regular-season game as league-leading Los Angeles beat Nashville for its fourth straight victory.

Jonathan Bernier made 25 saves in his fourth start this season.

He lost his shutout bid when Shane O’Brien beat him on Nashville’s final shot with 2:24 left. Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown each had a goal and an assist, and Willie Mitchell had two assists for the Kings (10-3).

shootout winner for last-place Buffalo against Toronto. Toronto squandered a third-period lead and lost in the shootout for the second straight game. Derek Roy and Jochen Hecht scored in regulation for Buffalo. Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin had goals for the Maple Leafs.

Kings 4, Predators 1

Penguins 4, Coyotes 3

Canucks 6, Red Wings 4

At Glendale, Arizona, Brent Johnson was steady in replacing Marc-Andre Fleury, and Mark Letestu scored the only

At Vancouver, British Columbia, Alex Edler and Manny Malhotra scored powerplay goals 2:44 apart midway through the

Italian poker player Filippo Candio left in fourth place shortly after the tournament’s most famous finalist, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, asserted his way to chip leader then fizzled to a short stack and a fifth-place finish. Candio gambled with a suited king-queen but lost to Cheong’s suited ace-three.

Mizrachi lost the last of his chips after calling an all-in with a pair of queens, but finding himself unable to improve against Jonathan Duhamel’s aces. “Fifth is OK, I’m happy with it,” Mizrachi said. “If I don’t win, there’s a great group of guys left and I’m hoping — I’m rooting for Racener.”

The chips don’t have any monetary value, but are required to remain in the running for the $8.94 million top prize.

Racener will need to lose all his chips to be eliminated from the tournament that started with 7,319 entrants paying $10,000 each to buy in.

Candio won $3.09 million. Mizrachi won $2.33 million but fell short of the $8.94 million title he sought to cap off a special summer. A win in the main event would have given the Florida pro his second win at the series this year.

Mizrachi won the series’ first of 57 open poker tournaments, a $50,000 buy-in mixed game championship considered the series’ second toughest tournament. After losing, Mizrachi greeted relatives and friends who sat behind him for nearly eight hours of cards, excluding breaks. He took pictures with his mom, shook his head and shrugged his shoulders as dozens of fans wondered what happened after several questionable plays with mediocre hands.

“I took a shot to bring up chips,” Mizrachi said of one hand in which he doubled Racener’s stack by calling with

Sharks 5, Lightning 2 At San Jose, California, Patrick Marleau ended San Jose’s long scoring drought with two first-period goals as the Sharks snapped a two-game losing streak with a victory over Tampa Bay. Marleau beat Tampa Bay goalie Mike Smith with a short-handed goal at 12:16.

He scored again 3:10 later.

Dany Heatley, John McCarthy and Logan Couture also had goals for San Jose .

Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos scored for Tampa Bay.—AP

Germany wins eights gold at world champs

Duhamel, Racener to play heads-up for WSOP title LAS VEGAS: Poker professionals Jonathan Duhamel and John Racener have outlasted 7,317 players at the World Series of Poker main event and will play heads-up tonight to determine the $8.94 million crown.

Duhamel, 23, of Boucherville, Quebec, took an overwhelming chip lead early Sunday after picking off a bluff by 24-year-old Joseph Cheong that tested Duhamel for all his chips.

Duhamel called and immediately flipped pocket queens, while Cheong tabled an ace-seven. Duhamel’s hand held and he moved to more than 170 million chips. “It was the first time I had a real hand,” Duhamel said. Cheong was eliminated by Duhamel a few hands later with a queen high, setting up the showdown and giving Duhamel a better than 6-1 chip advantage over Racener.

“He took the easy path,” said Racener, a 24-year-old pro from Port Richey, Florida. “I took the sweating route.” Duhamel began the day with the chip lead and ended it with a seemingly insurmountable stack of nearly 189 million in chips compared with less than 31 million for Racener.

Cheong was seemingly the best player throughout the session that started Saturday afternoon and lasted about 14 hours — including breaks — beyond a time change early Sunday morning. But his bluff against Duhamel crushed his chip lead and completely reversed his position in the game.

He won $4.13 million for third place.

“It kind of sucks that it didn’t turn out better, but I’m very happy with my results, and you know, I can’t really complain with $4 million,” Cheong said.

The runner-up between Racener and Duhamel will go home with a $5.55 million consolation prize.

third period as Vancouver won its sixth straight by topping Detroit.

Daniel Sedin and Mikael Samuelsson also scored, and Roberto Luongo made 24 saves for the Canucks. Defenseman Niklas Kronwall scored his second goal of the game 1:40 into the third period.

Jannik Hansen put in a rebound just over two minutes later as Vancouver handed Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard his first regulation loss (6-1-1) this season.

Daniel Cleary and Jonathan Ericsson also scored for the Red Wings.

LAS VEGAS: The final three players compete in the final table of the World Series of Poker yesterday. —AP an ace-eight against Racener’s ace-king.

“I wanted to give him some action, I wanted to give him a chance if I was wrong.” Candio relished the chance to play at Mizrachi, twice showing him his cards after convincing the professional to fold.

“If you want to win the main event, you must play, you must fight with the best player. Always,” Candio said.

Earlier in the session, Jason Senti was eliminated in seventh place and Florida poker professional John Dolan quickly followed him out the door despite starting the day second in chips.

Dolan, who said he never really got anything going in the session, gambled with a queen and a five and was eliminated by Duhamel holding pocket fours.

Dolan won $1.77 million.

Senti, a 26-year-old poker professional from St. Louis Park, Minnesota, lost the last of his chips with an aceking despite catching two kings on the flop to move squarely ahead of his opponent. Cheong caught running straight cards to save him from losing the vast majority of chips. Senti won $1.36 million.

The hand was the second to eliminate a player by giving him the lead from behind, then taking it away on the last card.

Mizrachi was one card from doubling up Canadian pro Matthew Jarvis earlier in the session and being left with close to nothing. But Jarvis was eliminated in eighth place after Mizrachi found a bet-

ter full house on the river.

Cuong “Soi” Nguyen, the oldest finalist at 37 and the table’s only amateur, was the first eliminated after gambling with an ace-king combination just before minimum bets were set to rise.

He lost against Senti’s pocket queens.

Nguyen said he wasn’t afraid to bust first because getting any further would have been “gravy.” “I wasn’t afraid, because nobody expected me to get this far anyways,” he said. “Hey, I lost for a raise, and I’m OK with that.”

Nguyen won nearly $812,000 for his finish, but did not add to his winnings as each player was paid the ninth-place jackpot back in July. The tournament resumed 111 days after the nine finalists last played together. —AP

CAMBRIDGE: Germany edged Britain by 0.62 seconds to win the men’s eights final, the blue ribbon event on the last day of the world rowing championships on Lake Karapiro.

The crew of Gregor Hauffe, Maximilian Reinelt, Kristof Wilke, Florian Mennigen, Richard Schmidt, Lukas Mueller, Toni Seifert, Sebastian Schmidt and Martin Sauer won the race in 5 minutes, 33.84 seconds, giving Germany its third gold medal from seven finals yesterday.

The British eight, which held second by 1.5 seconds from Australia, included 38-year-old Gregory Searle who returned to competition this year after a decade in retirement and was chasing his second world title, 17 years after his first.

The United States crew of Anna Goodale, Amanda Polk, Jamie Redman, Taylor Ritzel, Esther Lofgren, Eleanor Logan, Meghan Musnicki, Katherine Glessner and Mary Whipple won the women’s eights, beating Canada by more than three seconds. Romania took the bronze medal. Katherine Grainger of Britain won her fifth world title, partnering Anna Watkins to take gold in the women’s double sculls.

The 35-year-old Grainger is Britain’s most successful female rower, having won world championships in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007, along with three Olympic silver medals. Grainger and Watkins combined to win their races at all three World Cup events this season and dominated yesterday’s final, winning by more than five seconds from Australia’s Kerry Hore and Kim Crow, with Poland third.

Britain finished on top of the medals table after three days of finals with five gold, five silver and one bronze medal. Germany was second with five gold, one silver and three bronze, while and host New Zealand was third with three gold, three silvers and four bronze.

Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan gave New Zealand its third gold medal, overtaking Britons Matthew Wells and Marcus Bateman in the late stages of a close race to win gold in the men’s double sculls.

Germany won the men’s lightweight eights from Australia and Italy. Marcello Miani of Italy won the men’s lightweight single sculls from Lukas Babac of Slovakia, while Marie-Louise Draeger of Germany won the women’s lightweight single from Louise Ayling of New Zealand.—AP

SPORTS

16

Monday, November 8, 2010

Australia rule over Kiwis in final preview

AUCKLAND: Australia won a psychological advantage over New Zealand ahead of next week’s Four Nations rugby league final when they beat the Kiwis 34-20 in the final pool match here Saturday.

The trans-Tasman rivals had already been determined as the series finalists after earlier disposing of England and Papua New Guinea and their pool match served more as a dress rehearsal for next week’s decider in Brisbane.

The honours clearly went to Australia, the reigning Four Nations champions, who fielded a weakened side but enjoyed 64 percent of possession and scored six tries

to New Zealand’s three.

Australian coach Tim Sheens gambled on resting seven of his top players, including captain Darren Lockyer and star fullback Billy Slater yet New Zealand still had no answer to the speed and power of the Kangaroos.

“We’re going to take that momentum into next week’s final,” declared the Kangaroos stand-in skipper Cameron Smith.

“A lot has been said in the media this week about our selection process, but we were always confident that the boys we brought in-four on debut tonight-were

going to do a good job.”

The only positive New Zealand captain Benji Marshall took from the game was that there was nothing riding on the result.

“We didn’t deliver tonight. We didn’t do what we practised and we paid for it,” he said.

“Lucky that one doesn’t matter. At least this week we can recover and work on the things we need to work on.” The match was only six minutes old when Australia swept from one end of the field to the other where Cooper Cronk swatted away New Zealand fullback Lance Hohaia to score in the corner.

Brett Morris and Brent Tate followed his path to the tryline and with three goals from stand-in captain Cameron Smith to one from Benji Marshall, Australia had a healthy 18-2 lead after 25 minutes.

With the game rapidly slipping out of their grasp, the Kiwis were jolted into action and dominated the remainder of the half and were rewarded with a try to Frank Pritchard and two goals by Marshall to trail 10-18 at the turn.

But Australia were in charge again immediately after the resumption when Morris scampered down the right touchline, staying just inside the chalk before

flicking an inpass to Darius Boyd who scored unopposed.

Chris Lawrence was first to a Robbie Farah chip kick to further extend the lead and then Morris scored his second try to have the result beyond doubt at the threequarter mark with Australia leading 34-10.

Touches of Marshall magic earned New Zealand some respectability when he set up two late tries. He first bluffed Lote Tuqiri with a pass out of the back of his hand which sent Jason Nightingale over in the corner and then he put Shaun KennyDowall over but New Zealand never seriously looked like overhauling the

Kangaroos.

The match was part of a double-header in the first internationals of any code to be played at Eden Park since the completion of a major redevelopment ahead of next year’s rugby union World Cup. In the earlier match, Harlequins centre Tony Clubb celebrated his Test debut with four tries as England beat Papua New Guinea 36-10 in the match to avoid the wooden spoon.

England’s first win closed a disappointing tournament for PNG, who lost all three games, conceding 154 points while scoring only 22.—AFP

Lorenzo wins to set record points haul

LOUISVILLE: Garrett Gomez riding Blame beats Mike Smith riding Zenyatta (8) during the Classic race at the Breeder’s Cup horse races at Churchill Downs.—AP

Blame upsets Zenyatta in Breeders’ Classic LOUISVILLE: Blame defeated the previously unbeaten Zenyatta in a breathtaking finish to win Saturday’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs and deny the champion mare a fairytale win in possibly her last race. Zenyatta suffered her first loss in a 20-race career that has captured the imagination of the American sporting public after an agonisingly close defeat in a race that lived up to its billing as a classic world championship.

“It’s mixed emotions because she’s been a wonderful ambassador of the game,” Blame’s jockey Garrett Gomez said.

“People that didn’t know anything about horse racing became fans because of her. I wish she would have went 20 for 20 at the expense of

someone else and not us. I’m very proud to say we beat her.”

Blame, a four-year-old colt who had won eight of his previous 12 starts and was immediately retired to stud after his win, looked to have the race at his mercy when he shot clear as the field swept past the iconic Twin Spires when Zenyatta suddenly gave chase and threatened to mow him down.

For most of the race, Zenyatta had looked a forlorn hope after badly missing the start. She was last for almost the entire mile-and-a-quarter race and was more than 20 lengths behind the leaders with dirt being kicked back in her face.

But the crowd of 77,000 let out a mighty roar as she started to build momentum and closed in on the

leader from a seemingly hopeless position only to fall short by a head.

Fly Down was third, three and a half lengths behind.

“I truly believe I was on the best horse today. If I had to blame anybody, it would be me,” Zenyatta’s jockey Mike Smith said.

“It hurts more than I can explain, just because it was my fault. She should have won.” Zenyatta’s owner Jerry Moss said his horse had lost no admirers in her defeat.

“We’re real proud of our girl. She tried hard and ran a tremendous race only to get beat by the slimmest of margins,” Moss said. “We congratulate Blame and his connections. He beat a superstar.” Zenyatta’s first career loss came after French-based mare Goldikova had also unleashed a

devastating late burst to win the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile and become the first horse to win three times at the world’s richest race meeting.

Patiently ridden by jockey Olivier Peslier, the five-year-old showed a brilliant turn of foot after rounding the final bend in sixth place to flash past her rivals and repeat her victories in the same race in 2008 and 2009.

“She’s amazing, she can do anything,” Goldikova’s trainer Freddie Head said. “I was the first jockey to win this race twice with a mare (Miesque) and now I’m the trainer of a mare winning three times. It’s unreal.” Goldikova provided Europe with one of just two winners of the two-day $26 million meet after Workforce, who won the Epsom

Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, was scratched from the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf just hours before the race.

Connections of the English-based colt were concerned about the hard surface and were pinning their hopes on rain softening up the track. Instead they were greeted by brilliant sunshine.

With Workforce out of way, another English-trained horse, Dangerous Midge, wore down Champ Pegasus in the shadows of the post to provide Frankie Dettori with his 10th Breeders’ Cup win.

“I wasn’t concerned about the ground. I thought the track was in very good condition all week,” Dangerous Midge’s trainer Brian Meehan said.

Jiyai Shin wins Mizuno Classic

Westwood loses Molinari contest SHANGHAI: Lee Westwood narrowly failed to begin life as world number one in winning style when Italian Francesco Molinari pipped him to the HSBC Champions tournament on Sunday after a thrilling finalround shootout.

Second place was still easily enough for the Briton to tighten his grip on top spot with his three rivals Tiger Woods (tied sixth), defending champion Phil Mickelson (tied 41st) and Martin Kaymer (tied 30th) finishing way off the pace.

The 37-year-old Westwood, playing in his first tournament since a calf injury forced him into a break four weeks ago, pushed Molinari all the way but missed an eagle putt on the last that would have forced a playoff.

Molinari, who turns 28 on Monday, held his nerve on the final hole to card a 67 and a combined 19-under-par total of 269 to land him his second European tour title.

Westwood’s solid play all week enabled him to finish a massive 11 shots clear of Woods, whose 281-week reign as top dog he ended, and 19 better than

Mickelson. “Eighteen-under-par and nine shots clear of third is never too bad,” said Westwood, while Woods was also in upbeat mood despite missing a five-footer on the 18th in his closing fourunder 68.

“Overall I felt like I’ve been hitting it well and it’s just a matter of being patient,” the American said.

Woods destroyed Molinari 4&3 in their Ryder Cup singles match last month but the Italian was streets ahead of the 14-times major winner on the tough Sheshan layout.

“It was a great day of golf for everyone and for the two of us, me and Lee,” said Molinari, who partnered his brother Edoardo to win the World Cup at Mission Hills in 2009.

“I’m obviously amazed at the way I played. It was not easy to have the No. 1 player in the world trailing you by one shot. I just played really well, and behaved really well on the golf course. So just feels fantastic now.”

Edoardo watched and applauded as his younger brother claimed victory on the 18th hole.

“I think the turning point was

Saturday’s meeting was tinged with tragedy when Rough Sailing, a longshot in the $1 million two-yearold race on the turf, was euthanised after snapping a bone in his leg in the race, brilliantly won by Pluck.

But it was another young colt, Uncle Mo, that really set pulses racing after a stunning win in the twoyear-old race on dirt.

Uncle Mo left his rivals in his slipstream as he cruised to victory by four and a quarter lengths and established himself as the early favorite for next year’s Kentucky Derby.

“That was as impressive as they get. It was an unbelievable performance,” Uncle Mo’s trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I don’t get goosebumps very often, but I had them today.” —Reuters

SHANGHAI: Francesco Molinari of Italy (right) looks while Lee Westwood of Britain (left) rubs his head during the prize presentation of the Shanghai HSBC Champions golf tournament.—AP definitely on the 16th hole and the second shot I hit there. It put Lee under pressure and his chip was already difficult,” added Molinari junior.

He said he would celebrate his win and birthday with a “few drinks on the plane” as he heads to his next tournament in Singapore.

Westwood was left ruing bad

luck despite his outstanding performance.

“I hit a lot of good shots today and a couple of poor ones.

I had a bit of bad luck. It’s one of those things,” he said.

Starting the final round a shot behind, Westwood needed to make up two on Molinari on the final hole and while the Italian opted to lay-up, the Englishman

attacked the green on the par five.

“It was a little disappointing after hitting a five-iron into the last hole,” he added.

“I can’t believe it got up that slope from where it landed. I expected it to be running down like three or four feet. I just needed the breaks to win and didn’t happen.”

SHIMA: Top-ranked Jiyai Shin won the Mizuno Classic on Sunday for her second LPGA Tour victory of the season and eighth overall, closing with a 5under 67 for a two-stroke victory over Yani Tseng.

Shin finished at 18 under after opening with rounds of 65 and 66 on the Kintetsu Kashikojima course. The South Korean star, also the 2008 tournament winner in the event also sanctioned by the Japan LPGA, earned $180,000 to increase her season total to $1,779,768 and pull within $3,535 of leader Na Yeon Choi with two events left.

“This morning my feel was a little bit rushed, because I won at the Evian and the last couple of months I didn’t win,” Shin said. “I have had a lot of chances, but I didn’t win. I am waiting all the time for the win.

So this morning I felt pressure.

“The first hole I made a birdie and after that I got more confident. But Yani was playing very well.” Tseng, from Taiwan, shot a 66.

“I really tried my best to bring my A-game golf today,”

said Tseng, a three-time winner this year. “I think I did that very well. Jiyai just played so consistently and she is the greatest player on tour. A very good, competitive player.”

Stacy Lewis (68) was third at 15 under, Miki Saiki (70) was 12 under, and Choi (68), Brittany Lincicome (65) and Mika Miyazato (68) followed at 11 under. Shin, who started the day with a two-stroke lead over Lewis, birdied all four par 5s in her bogey-free final round.

Tseng birdied six of the first 11 holes to tie Shin, but parred the final seven.

“I was really, really nervous and we still had more par-5s,” Shin said about Tseng’s birdie on No. 11.” She is a long hitter.

So I was worried about the long par-5s where she can make the easy birdies.”

However, Shin took advantage of the par 5s with birdies on Nos. 13 and 16. Her birdie on the par-5 16th gave her a twoshot lead with two holes to play.

“She made a couple of mistakes and I made a really good birdie on 16,” Shin said. —AP

VALENCIA: World champion Jorge Lorenzo won the last race of the MotoGP season in Valencia yesterday to claim his ninth victory of the campaign and set a record points tally of 383 for the year.

The Spaniard, who wrapped up the title last month, passed Valentino Rossi’s previous record of 373 set when the Italian won the title in 2008.

Lorenzo survived a brush with Marco Simoncelli when he almost slid off the track and passed Casey Stoner, who had started on pole, to hit the front with eight laps to go.

The 23-year-old Yamaha rider pulled away to finish comfortably ahead of Australia’s Stoner, who was competing for the last time on a Ducati before moving to Honda.

“I’m on a cloud. I feel much more emotional winning here than when I won the title in Malaysia,” Lorenzo told Spanish state television.

“Over there I felt very cold, but here after a mad race, and after many problems on each lap, the sacrifice was worth it because I won here in front of all those fans.

“It’s a race I will remember for the rest of my life.”

Rossi finished third in his final race for Yamaha after seven successful seasons and hugged his bike on the side of the track after the race. He moves to Ducati next year.

“It’s been a beautiful experience with Yamaha, we enjoyed ourselves lots and won many races. I will keep those great memories,” Rossi told Italian television.

Spaniard Dani Pedrosa finished seventh which was enough for him to claim the runners-up slot in the championship ahead of Italy’s Rossi. Lorenzo was champion with 383, Pedrosa second on a Honda with 245, and Rossi third with 233.

Czech Karel Abraham won the Moto 2 race ahead of Italy’s Andrea Iannone and Spain’s Julian Simon, who secured the runners up slot behind champion Toni Elias. Spaniard Elias crashed out on the last lap.

Spain completed a 1-2-3 of world titles when Marc Marquez was crowned champion in the 125 cc category race after finishing fourth.

Britain’s Bradley Smith won the race.—Reuters

Jorge Lorenzo

17

SPORTS

Monday, November 8, 2010

Kiwis in driver’s seat in Test against India

Suriname batsman hits a four

Kuwait, Germany excel in Pepsi ICC WCL Div. 8 KUWAIT: Kuwait and Germany make it two out of two at Pepsi ICC WCL Div. 8 Bhutan and Zambia bounced back to claim victories on day two with all to play for on Wednesday in final group matches.

Kuwait once again showed it was the side to beat at Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 8 (WCL Div. 8) as it defeated Vanuatu in its Group A fixture at Hubara. The locals put on a mammoth total of 401 that was just too great a mountain for the Pacific Islanders to scale.

Meanwhile Germany also continued its good run of form beating fellow European qualifiers Gibraltar by 130 runs in its Group B fixture - Germany cap-

ing the side could out-perform itself from the previous day’s game where Vanuatu had scored its highest ever 50 over score (337).

But sadly, the side’s batting could not prevail despite a spirited half-century by Dunn and runs added by Andrew Mansale, Damien Smith and Obed, the team failed to meet the target set by Mirza.

“Cricket’s a funny game and Kuwait set us a huge target today and credit has to go to its two centurions. We didn’t seem to be able to match them in the runs department and our bowling and fielding wasn’t up to scratch today.

“We’ve all to play for on

Bhutan/Suriname Man of the Match Manoj Adhikari for 61 runs from 107 balls tain Asif Khan and team-mate Milan Fernando both scored centuries to secure the victory.

In the other two fixtures of the day, Zambia bounced back from yesterday’s defeat to beat Bahamas in Group B while Bhutan made up for yesterday’s loss by beating Suriname.

Hosts Kuwait put on a dazzling display with the bat today after winning the toss at Hubara and the decision certainly paid off for Hisham Mirza’s side.

Mirza and opening batsman Irfan Bhatti piled on the runs at a rate of knots with the duo putting on a first wicket partnership of 202 before Bhatti was finally dismissed for 111 after a run-out by Andrew Mansale.

The Vanuatu team fielded poorly, missing out on eight catches and added to the poor performance with some erratic bowling.

Mirza didn’t depart until the side were up to 253, the righthanded batsman being caught by Johnathan Dunn off the bowling of Simpson Obed. The Vanuatu bowling attack just couldn’t seem to stem the flow of runs from the hosts and it managed to dismiss the side for 401 in just under 50 overs.

Dunn was the only bowler of note for the Pacific Islanders after he cleaned up the Kuwait tail-enders to finish with figures of 3-14 in just 1.5 overs.

When the time came for Vanuatu to bat captain Andrew Mansale would have been hop-

Tuesday against Suriname as victory could secure us a top two finish in the group which would help when it comes to the qualifying matches,” said Mansale.

In the second game of Group A, Bhutan bounced back from its huge defeat to Vanuatu yesterday by beating Suriname in a tightly fought game that saw the South American side fall just 11 runs short of target.

Tshering Dorji’s side made a decent total of 182 in its allotted 50 overs with Thinley Jamtsho’s 39 and a hard-fought half-century from Manoj Adhikari.

Suriname’s quick fielding helped it keep Bhutan to just 182 and this was aided by poor running between the wickets by Bhutan - the Asian side’s innings featuring four run-outs.

Suriname fell just short of the target despite some strong batting from Bahma Prasad (51) and captain Shazam Ramjohn but struggled against the bowling of Phuntsho Wangdi, the right-arm slow bowler snaffling up 3-40 in his allotted overs.

It will be a relief for Bhutan to have claimed a win today but on Tuesday it will face the inform Kuwait — a side Bhutan has only faced once before and that ended in a loss for the Bhutanese.

“Things went well for us today particularly in the fielding and catching department,” said Dorji, “We held catches, kept things tight so when it came

down to them trying to make the runs and meet the target they couldn’t because we fielded so much better than yesterday.”

“Our top order didn’t do so well today when it came to batting but Manoj performed very well and the main thing ahead of Tuesday is that we need to keep things simple. We need to be consistent with our fielding and our batting.

“I think if we can set a good target here and our bowlers pitch it up a bit and get the ball to swing on the flat pitches, we could be in with a chance,” he added. The day didn’t start well for Zambia with both its opening batsmen dismissed for just three runs each - both being caught off the bowling of Robert Ford. It was then up to Allan Nsensha and Irfan Patel to steady the ship for the Africans against the Bahamas.

The pair did well and later Sharif Yousuf added 35 runs to the board while young Gladson Kandela put in a spirited 33.

Seven of the side were dismissed after being caught by nifty fielding from the Bahamas team and some loose shots by the Zambians.

After the innings break things didn’t go well for Bahamas’ captain Greg Taylor, who yesterday scored 74, with the wicketkeeper departing for just three runs.

Taylor’s brother Mark attempted to keep things ticking over for the side but the Zambian bowling attack was simply too tight for the men from the Caribbean. It took Mark 106 balls to reach 30 runs before he was caught and bowled by Mohmed Mitha.

The lone voice of Zambian twelfth man Kafumu Banda yelled out constantly from the sidelines for just one more wicket and with that more than one wicket fell, much to Banda’s delight. Mark Taylor departed fifth and the next five wickets fell for just 60 runs despite the vocal support from the Bahamas sidelines.

Some tight bowling from Gladson Kandela (3-24) along with Mitha and Godfrey Kandela saw Zambia defeat the Bahamas by 76 runs. Zambia’s coach Peter Kirsten was particularly pleased with the way his senior players performed today: “We played well yesterday against Germany but we didn’t execute our batting to the fullest but after some hard work by the coaching team last night and a

bit of a bad start with the batting this morning the senior players really came to the party today with the bat.

“We’ve got some good youngsters coming through to accompany the seniors and we always know that if we can put over 200 on the board and bat out the 50 overs we’re in with a good chance of victory and that’s what happened today.”

Kirsten was also pleased with the performance of man of the match Gladson Kandela.

“Gladson was the under-19 captain recently and he’s a good performer with both the bat and ball, as today showed. He’s definitely the spearhead opener of our bowling attack now and after today’s tactics paid off I think our group is wide open,” added Kirsten.

Finally, in the second Group B match - Germany beat European rivals Gibraltar by an impressive 130 runs despite a spirited 99 by Christian Rocca the total was just too great for the team.

Germany opening batsman Fernando became the third person to score a hundred on day two of the tournament and he was joined not long after by his captain and team-mate Khan who also reached triple figures.

Gibraltar had thought it was off to a great start when it dismissed Dilshan Rajudeen for a duck after he was caught off the bowling of Matthew Hunter.

Rajudeen’s departure bought captain Khan to the crease and alongside Fernando the duo put on a huge second-wicket partnership of 262 runs before the opener departed for 151.

Having been set the target of 364 runs, Rocca came out with the determination to lead his side to victory but the veteran batsman was the only batsman who made a major impact on the total with his 99 runs.

Mark Bacarese, Ross Harkins and wicketkeeper Richard Buzalgo all added runs to the board but ultimately the target was too great, coupled with Germany’s Shakeel Hassan’s bowling, the spin bowler took 443, meant Rocca’s men fell short of the mark for the second time in a row in this tournament.

Tomorrow is a rest day with play resuming on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s fixtures: Gibraltar v Zambia (Hubara); Bahamas v Germany (Unity); Vanuatu v Suriname (KEC); Bhutan v Kuwait (Sulaibiya)

Kuwait/Vanuatu Man of the Match Irfan Bhatti for 111 runs from 88 balls

AHMEDABAD: Pace bowler Chris Martin put New Zealand in the driver’s seat as it reduced India to 82 for six in its second innings on the fourth day of the first Test at the Sardar Patel Stadium.

Martin finished with figures of 5-25, which included the prize scalps of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, as the Kiwis made a sensational turnaround after being dominated for the best part of the first three days.

VVS Laxman (34) and Harbhajan Singh (12) were the not out batsmen at the close with India 110 runs ahead with four wickets in hand.

It was a memorable day for the touring side as Martin put it in command after debutante Kane Williamson became the youngest New Zealand player to score a century on debut and Vettori reached a rare allrounder’s test double of 4,000 runs and 300 wickets.

Martin’s first spell was all the more impressive considering the limited help he received from the other bowlers.

His subtle seam movement proved too much for the Indian batting order, as he claimed four for 10 by the sixth over and his eventual first-spell line read 96-15-4. Martin had opener Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid caught by wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins during the 4.5 overs New Zealand bowled before tea.

In between, Virender Sehwag was run out when substitute Martin Guptill flicked the ball for bowler Vettori to remove the bails as Dravid refused a single.

India was 2-3 at the break and soon fell to 15-5 as Martin bowled Sachin Tendulkar off an inside edge and had left-hander Suresh Raina caught by Ross Taylor at first slip.

The early wickets allowed captain Vettori to adopt an attacking approach despite the absence of debutant Hamish Bennett and Jesse Ryder due to injuries “We were really charged up after taking three wickets,” said Williamson.

“We don’t know how Martin managed to make the ball do what it did, but it changed the game.”

Earlier, New Zealand batted through almost two sessions to score 459 in reply to India’s 487, conceding a slim lead of 28 runs.

Williamson was dismissed for 131 at the stroke of lunch after batting for 391 minutes, hitting 10 fours from his 299 balls, and shared a useful 86-run stand for the sixth wicket with Vettori (41).

Williamson, on 87 overnight in a team score of 331-5, was caught by Laxman at slip when he played a delivery from leftspinner Pragyan Ojha.

The 20-year-old is the eighth New Zealand batsman to bring up a century on debut. The last to do so was Scott Styris against the West Indies at Queen’s Park in 2002. Others on the list are Lou Vincent, Matthew Sinclair, Rodney Redmond, Bruce Taylor, Jackie Mills and current coach Mark Greatbach.

“Patience is the key on such pitches. We had prepared to play spin bowling here,” said Williamson, who has played six limitedovers internationals and earned a call-up to the test side thanks to his knock of 108 in the fourth match of a recent five-match series in Bangladesh, which New Zealand lost 4-0.

Vettori faced 91 deliveries and hit one boundary and a six. He became only the third allrounder after England’s Ian Botham and Kapil Dev of India to complete the test double when he reached 38 toward the end of the first session. — AP

AHMEDABAD: New Zealand’s Chris Martin bowls during the fourth day of their first cricket test match against India. —AP

SCOREBOARD Scoreboard at the close on day four of the first test between India and New Zealand in Ahmedabad, India, yesterday.

India first innings 487 (V. Sehwag 173, R. Dravid 104, H. Singh 69; D. Vettori 4-118, J. Patel 3-135).

New Zealand first innings (overnight 331-5) T. McIntosh c Dhoni b Khan 0 B. McCullum st Dhoni b Ojha 65 BJ Watling b Ojha 6 R. Taylor c Laxman b Harbhajan 56 J. Ryder lbw b Sreesanth 103 K. Williamson c Laxman b Ojha 131 D. Vettori c Dhoni b Raina 41 G. Hopkins lbw b Ojha 14 J. Patel b Sreesanth 14 H. Bennett b Khan 4 C. Martin not out 3 Extras (b-5, lb-12, nb-5) 22 Total (all out; 165.4 overs) 459 Fall of wickets: 1-8 2-27 3-131 4-137 5-331 6417 7-417 8-445 9-445

Bowling: Khan 28.4-6-70-2, Sreesanth 26-2-882 (5nb), Ojha 53-14-107-4, Harbhajan 43-7-1121, Sehwag 1-0-7-0, Raina 12-1-42-1, Tendulkar 2-0-16-0.

India second innings G. Gambhir c Hopkins b Martin 0 V. Sehwag run out 1 R. Dravid c Hopkins b Martin 1 S. Tendulkar b Martin 12 VVS Laxman not out 34 S. Raina c Taylor b Martin 0 MS Dhoni b Martin 22 H. Singh not out 12 Extras 0 Total (six wickets, 40 overs) 82 Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-1 3-2 4-15 5-15 6-65 To bat: Z. Khan, P. Ojha, S. Sreesanth.

Bowling (to date): Martin 13-7-25-5, Vettori 152-31-0, Patel 10-1-18-0, Williamson 2-0-8-0.

Australia snap seven match losing streak BRISBANE: Australia finally got back to winning ways 18 days before the start of the Ashes with a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the third one-day international yesterday.

The Australians were reeling after losing their previous seven matches in all forms of cricket and had already conceded the three-match series after defeats in the first two encounters. Clint McKay took 5-33 with fellow quick Mitchell Starc chipping in with 4-27 to dismiss the Sri Lankans for a paltry 115, however, and the Australian

batsmen took just 21.4 overs to reach their victory target at the cost of two wickets.

Michael Clarke, standing in for rested skipper Ricky Ponting, was in impressive form and grabbed the winning runs by guiding the ball down to third man for a four, bringing up his 50 in the process.

McKay had given the hosts the perfect start at the Gabba with two wickets in the third over of the day and he struck again in his next over to reduce the Sri Lankans to 3-14.

Ably supported by his 20year-old fellow quick Starc,

McKay returned to help mop up the Sri Lankan tail-end and claim his first five-wicket haul in one-day internationals.

Chamara Silva, who made 33, and opener Upul Tharanga (28) top-scored for Sri Lanka but there was none of the flourish to their batting that saw them secure their first series victory on Australian soil on Friday.

The opening Ashes test is also at the Gabba and the bounce and pace evident in the pitch on Sunday augured well for an entertaining contest starting on Nov 25. — Reuters

BRISBANE: The Sri Lankan team members celebrate after winning the one day series against Australia after the third One Day International cricket match. — AP

SCOREBOARD BRISBANE: Scoreboard after Australia beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the last of three one-day internationals at the Gabba on yesterday.

Sri Lanka won the toss Sri Lanka innings U. Tharanga lbw Watson 28 T. Dilshan c Hussey b McKay 1 K. Sangakkara c Haddin b McKay 0 M. Jayawardene c White Mckay 0 C. Silva b Starc 33 A. Mathews b Starc 9 J. Mendis c Haddin b Starc 5 S Randiv b McKay 7 T. Perera c Smith b Mckay 3 L. Malinga c Ferguson b Starc 2 D. Fernando not out 2 Extras (lb-10, w-14, nb-1) 25 Total: (All out, 32 overs) 115 Fall of wickets: 1-8 2-8 3-14 4-50 5-81 6-92 7-95 8-103 9-112 10-115.

Bowling: McKay 9-1-33-5 (nb-1, w-2), Johnson

5-0-17-0, Watson 5-0-11-1 (w-5), Starc 9-0-27-4 (w-6), Doherty 4-0-17-0 (w-1).

Australia innings S. Watson c Mathews b Fernando 15 B. Haddin c&b Fernando 31 M. Clarke not out 50 M. Hussey not out 6 Extras (lb-1, w-10, nb-6) 17 Total: (For two wickets, 21.4 overs) 119 Did not bat: C. White, C. Ferguson, S. Smith, M. Johnson, X. Doherty, C. McKay, M. Starc.

Fall of wickets: 1-35 2-84 Bowling: Malinga 6-0-31-0 (w-5), Fernando 8-047-2 (w-5, nb-6), Perera 4.4-1-19-0, Mendis 1-010-0, Randiv 2-0-11-0.

Sri Lanka win the series 2-1.

SPORTS

18

Monday, November 8, 2010

Paterno earns historic win with Penn State MIAMI: Heat’s LeBron James drives as New Jersey Nets’ Travis Outlaw chases him during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game.—AP

Heat get past Nets MIAMI: Dwyane Wade had 29 points and 10 rebounds, and LeBron James scored 14 of his 23 points in the third quarter as the Miami Heat pulled away in the second half to beat the New Jersey Nets 101-89 on Saturday.

Chris Bosh added 21 points for the Heat, who used a 25-10 run in the third quarter to turn a close game into a runaway and beat the Nets for the second time in a week. James finished with nine assists.

Anthony Morrow scored 25 points for New Jersey, which lost its fourth straight after a 2-0 start. Brook Lopez added 12 for the Nets, but only six of those came in the game’s final 45 minutes, and Derrick Favors added 11.

Magic 91, Bobcats 88 At Charlotte, North Carolina, Dwight Howard had 22 points and eight rebounds, and Rashard Lewis scored 22 points as Orlando withstood Charlotte’s furious comeback attempt.

The Magic overcame Jameer Nelson sitting out with a sprained ankle and Vince Carter leaving the game with an injury late for their first road win of the season. After trailing by 18 in the third quarter, the Bobcats got within 89-88 on Stephen Jackson’s driving layup with 32 seconds left.

Quentin Richardson then answered with a runner in the lane with 9.8 seconds to go. Gerald Wallace had 25 points and 14 rebounds for the Bobcats.

Cavaliers 107, Wizards 102 At Washington, Mo Williams scored 10 of his 28 points in the final four minutes to lead Cleveland over Washington. In a wild game that featured 16 lead changes and 12 ties, Williams gave Cleveland the lead for good with two free throws with 2:07 to play, making it 97-95. Daniel Gibson, who had 19 points, followed with a 3pointer with 1:33 to play for a five-point advantage.

Al Thornton scored 23 points and Kirk Hinrich 21 for Washington. Rookie John Wall had 13 points and 10 assists.

Spurs 124, Rockets 121 At San Antonio, Tony Parker had 21 points and 14 assists, including seven points in overtime, as San Antonio kept Houston winless.

The only NBA team without a victory this season, the Rockets (0-5) are off to their worst start since 1999. They might have more troubles ahead, too, after point guard Aaron Brooks was carried off the court at halftime with an injured left ankle.

Ginobili scored 28 points, and the Spurs withstood three 3-point tries by the Rockets in the frantic final 14.3 seconds of overtime.

Jazz 109, Clippers 107 At Salt Lake City, Deron Williams scored 30 points, making the tiebreaking layup with 6.8 sec-

onds left in the second overtime, as Utah overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Clippers.

Williams had 22 points after halftime, and Paul Millsap added 25 points and 13 rebounds. Al Jefferson finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds in Utah’s 15th consecutive home victory over the Clippers. Eric Gordon scored 27 points and his slam dunk with 6.2 seconds left in regulation tied it at 91-91.

Hornets 87, Bucks 81

TCU 47, Utah 7 At Salt Lake City, Andy Dalton passed for a career-high 355 yards and three touchdowns, and TCU looked every bit like a team worthy of busting into the BCS championship game with a 40-point demolition of Utah.

TCU receiver Jeremy Kerley, a quarterback in high school, threw a TD pass as the Horned Frogs (10-0, 6-0 Mountain West Conference) jumped out to an early 20-0 lead, quieting a sellout crowd clad almost entirely in black for the “blackout” showdown.

Nuggets 103, Mavericks 92 At Dallas, Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points as Denver went 13 for 21 from beyond the 3-point line in a victory over Dallas.

Chauncey Billups added 18 points and Al Harrington contributed 14 points and eight rebounds for Denver. Jason Terry scored 26 points and Dirk Nowitzki had 23 for the Mavericks, who have lost two of their first three home games.

Blazers 97, Raptors 84 At Portland, Oregon, Brandon Roy scored 26 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points and 10 rebounds as Portland cruised to a victory over Toronto. Jarrett Jack had 16 points, and Andrea Bargnani, Leandro Barbosa and Jose Calderon all scored 12 for the Raptors (1-5), who finished a tough four-game West Coast trip winless and have lost five straight to Portland.

Nicolas Batum (20 points), Andre Miller (13 assists) and Marcus Camby (16 rebounds) all had season highs for the Blazers, who are 5-2 despite a recent spate of injuries. Camby started despite suffering from migraines in recent days.

Grizzlies 100, Kings 91 At Sacramento, California, Rudy Gay scored 32 points and Zach Randolph added 20 to help Memphis beat Sacramento. Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo each had 14 points for the Grizzlies (3-4), who stopped a three-game losing streak.

Randolph grabbed 11 rebounds and Gay had nine.

Tyreke Evans scored 30 points and Francisco Garcia had 21 off the bench for the Kings (3-3), who dropped their second straight game. —AP

NBA results and standings on Saturday.

Cleveland 107, Washington 102; Orlando 91, Charlotte 88; Miami 101, New Jersey 89; New Orleans 87, Milwaukee 81; Denver 103, Dallas 92; Utah 109, LA Clippers 107 (OT); San Antonio 124, Houston 121 (OT); Portland 97, Toronto 84; Memphis 100, Sacramento 91. (OT denotes overtime win)

Boston NY Knicks New Jersey Toronto Philadelphia Cleveland Chicago Indiana Milwaukee Detroit Atlanta Orlando Miami Washington Charlotte

GB 1.5 3 4 4 .5 .5 1.5 2 1.5 1.5 4.5 5

Michigan 67, Illinois 65 At Ann Arbor, Michigan, Michael Shaw scored on a 1-yard run and Tate Forcier threw a 2-point conversion to Junior Hemingway as Michigan’s defense stopped the potential tying 2-point try to lift the Wolverines to a triple-overtime win.

Mikel Leshoure ran for a touchdown to draw the Illini within two.

On the conversion try, Michigan put a heavy rush on Nathan Scheelhaase, who flipped a desperate pass incomplete.

At Milwaukee, David West made 10-of-12 shots and scored a season-high 25 points as New Orleans remained unbeaten with a victory over Milwaukee.

Chris Paul and Marco Belinelli each added 14 for the Hornets, who at 6-0 are off to their best start in franchise history.

Andrew Bogut had 19 points and 14 rebounds in his return to the lineup for Milwaukee after missing Friday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers with a migraine. John Salmons added 14 points for the Bucks, who dropped to 2-5.

NBA results/standings

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT 5 1 .833 3 2 .600 2 4 .333 1 5 .167 1 5 .167 Central Division 3 3 .500 2 3 .400 2 3 .400 2 5 .286 1 5 .167 Southeast Division 6 0 1.000 4 1 .800 5 2 .714 1 4 .200 1 5 .167

STATE COLLEGE: Joe Paterno became the first major college coach with 400 victories as Penn State rallied from 21 points down to beat Northwestern 35-21 at Happy Valley.

Backup quarterback Matt McGloin threw for four touchdowns and the Nittany Lions shut down Wildcats quarterback Dan Persa in the second half to get the 83-year-old Paterno his latest milestone.

Only two other coaches have more wins. Eddie Robinson had 408 with FCS school Grambling State, while John Gagliardi had 476 entering the weekend with Division III St. John’s, Minnesota.

Western Conference Northwest Division Portland 5 2 .714 Denver 4 2 .667 Oklahoma City 3 2 .600 Utah 3 3 .500 Minnesota 1 5 .167 Pacific Division LA Lakers 6 0 1.000 Golden State 4 1 .800 Sacramento 3 3 .500 Phoenix 2 3 .400 LA Clippers 1 6 .143 Southwest Division New Orleans 6 0 1.000 San Antonio 4 1 .800 Dallas 3 2 .600 Memphis 3 4 .429 Houston 0 5 0

Oregon 53, Washington 16 At Eugene, Oregon, Darron Thomas threw for a touchdown and ran for two more as top-ranked Oregon overcame a slow start to beat northwest rival Washington.

LaMichael James ran for 121 yards and three scores for the Ducks, who looked out of sorts in the first quarter when they were held scoreless for the first time this season. Their first points came on a 29-yard field goal early in the second.

Boise State 42, Hawaii 7 At Boise, Idaho, Kellen Moore threw for 507 yards and three touchdowns as Boise State rolled up a school-record 737 total yards.

Moore was spectacular, completing 30 of 37 passes and at one point hitting 19 straight in the first half to help the Broncos (8-0, 4-0 Western Athletic Conference) build a 21-0 halftime lead.

Auburn 62, Chattanooga 24 At Auburn, Alabama, Cam Newton passed for a career-high 317 yards and four touchdowns, and ran for a fifth for Auburn.

The Heisman Trophy contender enjoyed a relaxing afternoon and a warm reception from fans two days after allegations came out that a man tried to solicit payment from Mississippi State when that school was recruiting Newton.

LSU 24, Alabama 21 At Baton Rouge, Louisiana, LSU

PASADENA: Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers’ helmet flies after Rodgers was hit

by UCLA safety Dietrich Riley during the first half of an NCAA college football game at the Rose Bowl.—AP twice rallied from second-half deficits and once again coach Les Miles employed a little trickery on fourth down, this time to deal a crushing blow to Alabama’s national title hopes. Rueben Randle had 125 yards receiving to lead LSU (8-1, 5-1 SEC), including a 75-yard score on a pass from Jordan Jefferson.

Wisconsin 34, Purdue 13 At West Lafayette, Indiana, Montee Ball ran for a career-high 127 yards and two touchdowns, leading Wisconsin past Purdue.

Ball, who got extra work because second-string running back James White was out with a knee injury, had scoring runs of 31 and 15 yards for the Badgers (8-1, 4-1 Big Ten).

Leading rusher John Clay was held to 42 yards on 12 carries.

kick in overtime as Nebraska held off Iowa State in a thrilling final meeting between the two schools as Big 12 rivals.

Stanford 42, Arizona 17 At Stanford, California, Andrew Luck threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns to lead Stanford. Stepfan Taylor added four short touchdown runs for the Cardinal (8-1, 5-1 Pac10), who won easily in the first meeting with Arizona (7-2, 4-2) when both teams were ranked.

Texas A&M 33, Oklahoma 19 At College Station, Texas, Ryan Tannehill threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns, Cyrus Gray added 122 yards rushing and another score, as Texas A&M snapped a sevengame losing streak to Oklahoma.

Nebraska 31, Iowa State 30

Texas Tech 24, Missouri 17

At Ames, Iowa, Eric Hagg intercepted a pass by Iowa State holder Daniel Kuehl on a fake conversion

At Lubbock, Texas, Taylor Potts came off the bench and threw for 188 yards and three touchdowns to lead

.5 1 1.5 3.5

Iowa 18, Indiana 13 At Bloomington, Indiana, Ricky Stanzi threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Marvin McNutt with 2:50 left to push Iowa past Indiana.

The Hoosiers had a chance to win it with 28 seconds left when Ben Chappell threw an 18-yard pass to Damarlo Belcher in the end zone. But Belcher dropped the ball and the Hoosiers turned it over on downs.

Michigan State 31, Minnesota 8 At East Lansing, Michigan, Edwin Baker ran for 179 yards and four touchdowns as Michigan State bounced back from its first loss of the season.

Arkansas 41, South Carolina 20 At Columbia, South Carolina, Ryan Mallett threw for 303 yards and Knile Davis tied a career high with three touchdowns as Arkansas handed South Carolina its worst home loss in five years.

Oklahoma State 55, Baylor 28 At Stillwater, Oklahoma, Justin Blackmon had 173 yards receiving and a touchdown and scored on a 69yard run in his return from a suspension, leading Oklahoma State past Baylor with first place in the Big 12 South on the line.

1.5 3 3.5 5.5 1.5 2.5 3.5 5.5

Clemson 14, North Carolina State 13 At Clemson, South Carolina, Kyle Parker threw for 214 yards and a touchdown as Clemson overcame several mistakes to beat North Carolina State for the seventh straight time.

Italy defeat US NAGOYA: Italy defeated the United States in four sets yesterday to hand the Americans their first defeat at the women’s volleyball world championships.

European champions Italy improved to 3-2 with the 25-16, 24-26, 27-25, 27-25 second-round win. The US dropped to 4-1 in Group F. Serena Ortolani had a team-high 23 points for the Italians. “We had good defending and blocking tonight,” Italian coach Massimo Barbolini said.

“We played well when we were behind.” The loss snapped a 17-game winning streak for the Americans.

“They played a good match and deserved to

Texas Tech. Potts didn’t start for the first time this season but came in late in the first half and threw TD passes of 8, 5 and 16 yards on three straight possessions.

win,” US coach Hugh McCutcheon said. “Italy was defensively very good tonight. They outdug us.” Elsewhere, Olympic champion Brazil rallied to defeat Cuba 23-25, 25-20, 25-13, 25-18 and stay undefeated at 5-0.

Sheilla and captain Fabiana were the leading scorers for Brazil with 17 and 15 points respectively. “We were able to play good volleyball,” Fabiana said. “We had good serves and blocking at the critical moments.”

Defending champion Russia defeated Poland 25-17, 25-21, 33-31 to improve to 5-0 in Group E. Serbia defeated China 21-25 25-20 25-22 2522.—AP

N Carolina 37, Florida State 35 At Tallahassee, Florida, T.J. Yates threw for 439 yards and three touchdowns, and Casey Barth kicked his third field goal of the game with 55 seconds left as North Carolina upset the Seminoles.

Nevada 63, Idaho 17

LOS ANGELES: Southern California linebacker Malcolm Smith (upper right) flips over Arizona State running back Cameron Marshall (lower right) as quarterback Steven Threet looks to pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game.—AP

At Moscow, Idaho, Colin Kaepernick threw a career-high five touchdown passes as Nevada piled up a team-record 844 yards of offense against Idaho.—AP

SPORTS

Monday, November 8, 2010

19

Button says attack was ‘scary situation’ SAO PAULO: Formula One world champion Jenson Button said the attempted attack by armed men on his car as he left the Brazilian Grand Prix was a “pretty scary situation,” and that he only escaped thanks to the undercover police officer who was driving his vehicle.

“The driver was a legend, a great guy, he got us out of trouble,” Button told The Associated Press as he arrived at the track for Sunday’s race.

The driver rammed through several vehicles, swiftly driving Button and the other people in the car through traffic and away from danger, making sure nobody was hurt in Saturday night’s incident.

The attack happened on the same night three Sauber engineers were robbed just outside the Interlagos track, heightening security concerns in the country set to host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio. “We got between six cars to get past and got away,” Button later said at a press conference. “Looking behind there were two guys with hand guns and one guy with what looked like a machine gun.

“It was a pretty scary situation,” he said. “It’s not a very comfortable feeling, not great.” Button’s father, John, also was in the car along with physiotherapist Mike Collier and manager Richard Goddard. McLaren said it had

provided Button and teammate Lewis Hamilton with reinforced armored vehicles driven by armed police drivers who were trained in avoidance techniques.

“We were probably unlucky more than anything else,” Button said, adding the assailants all looked “quite young.” Sauber said five men, one of them with a machine gun, stopped the van carrying its engineers and forced them to hand over two backpacks with personal belongings. No one was hurt and the assailants fled.

Button said he left the track at about 7 p.m. local time (2100 GMT) and the attack happened when they stopped at a traffic light about a kilometer (0.6

mile) from the track. “The driver obviously didn’t feel comfortable and stopped about a car length back,” Button said. “We looked to the right and saw five or six guys walk out of this building at the edge of the road. They looked suspicious. Then they started running toward the car.”

Button, who was sitting in the front seat of the armored Mercedes with tainted windows, said the driver angled the car to speed past other vehicles and drive to safety. “He floored it, banging through other cars and eventually got through,” Button said. “He did quite a job, really did.” Sao Paulo authorities told the AP that they had not been notified of the attack.

No arrests had been made by Sunday afternoon. Every year local police increase security around the track, which is located in the middle of the city in a mostly poor neighborhood.

There have been reports of similar attacks in the past against spectators and even other F1 teams. In 2007, a group of gun-wielding youths held up spectators in three cars leaving the circuit, and in 2006 members of the Toyota team also were attacked by armed youth as they left the track. No one was hurt.

Security at big sporting events has been a major concern to local authorities because of the upcoming World

Cup and the Rio Olympics.

“Security is a matter for the local authorities and we have absolute confidence that the Brazilian and Rio authorities will provide a safe and secure games in six years time,” International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams told the AP. Attacks by robbers on drivers who stop at traffic lights or slow their cars in areas with intense traffic are not uncommon in Brazil.

Gang members have been known to take advantage of the high number of people attending the Brazilian GP at Interlagos, although there have not been reports of assailants specifically targeting teams or foreign journalists

covering the event.

Button said he believed Saturday’s attack was random. “It happens every year, but it’s the first time that it has happened to a driver,” he said. “It’s not a very nice feeling having to come to work in a bulletproof car with a policeman as the driver and two police cars, one in front and one in back, but that’s the way it is.”

Button is fifth in this year’s drivers’ championship and has a remote chance of repeating as champion. He is 42 points behind leader Fernando Alonso of Ferrari with two races to go.

He will start from 11th at Interlagos.

The last race is next weekend in Abu Dhabi. —AP

Vettel wins Brazilian GP

NEW YORK: New York City Women’s winner Edna Kiplagat (center) of Kenya, is flanked by second-place finisher Shalane Flanagan (right) of the United States, and third-place finisher Mary Keitany (left) of Kenya, at the awards ceremony after winning the women’s division of the New York City Marathon. —AP

Gebrselassie’s retirement eclipses NYC Marathon NEW YORK: World-record holder Haile Gebrselassie announced his retirement after dropping out of the New York City Marathon on a day that signaled the rise of a new Ethiopian star.

Gebrselassie’s countryman Gebre Gebremariam won the men’s title on his marathon debut. Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat was another surprise winner in the women’s race. Gebrselassie pulled out on the 16th mile with a right knee injury.

“I never think about to retire. But for the first time, this is the day,” he said. “Let me stop and do other work after this.” Trying to complete the 26.2 miles was rescued Chilean miner Edison Pena, who jogged the tunnels while trapped underground.

Gebrselassie pulled out on the Queensboro Bridge with a right knee injury.

Gebremariam was behind him in the large

lead pack and encouraged him to keep going. “I can’t, Gebre. You have to move,” Gebrselassie urged the younger runner.

“You have to reach them.”

The 26-year-old Gebremariam became the first man to win New York in his marathon debut since Rod Dixon in 1983.

The 2009 cross-country world champion pulled away from Kenya’s Emmanuel Mutai in the 24th mile to win in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 14 seconds.

“Even I told to my wife, ‘I can finish this race, but I can’t win,”‘ Gebremariam said.

“When I saw in 19 or 17 miles, you know, I can win. We are forward and I saw the pace and listen to my body too, so I can win.”

His wife, Werknesh Kidane, is an elite distance runner herself and also planned to make her marathon debut in New York. But she had to pull out because of injury and

watched the race back in Ethiopia with their two young sons. “So maybe next year she’ll come and she’ll win too,” Gebremariam said with a smile.

Another Kenyan, Moses Kigen Kipkosgei, was third. Defending champion Meb Keflezighi of the United States finished sixth. The 31-year-old Kiplagat won her first major marathon title in 2:28:20.

Shalane Flanagan, making her marathon debut, became the first American woman in two decades to finish second. The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in the 10,000 meters was 20 seconds back. Kim Jones in 1990 was the last American woman to finish in the top two. Kenya’s Mary Keitany, also making her marathon debut, was third.

More than 45,000 runners started the 41st edition of the race through the city’s five boroughs. —AP

NEW YORK: New York City Marathon winner Gebre Gebrmariam (center) of Ethiopia, is flanked by secondplace finisher Emmanuel Mutai (right) and Moses Kigen Kipkosgei (left) at the awards ceremony. —AP

Lopez retains WBO world featherweight title LAS VEGAS: WBO world featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez of Puerto Rico defended his title by stopping Mexico’s Rafael Marquez on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Marquez (39-6, 35 KOs) was unable to come out for the ninth round after unofficially losing seven of the eight rounds to Lopez (290, 26 KOs) during a bout scheduled for 12 rounds.

Marquez, who had to postpone this bout once, said he wanted to fight despite a right shoulder injury he suffered before the contest.

He injured that shoulder once again in the third round when Lopez responded to Marquez’s aggressive entrance to the round with two strong flurry of punches. It was during one of those flurries when he injured his shoulder.

Marquez did put up a strong exchange of

punches with Lopez during the fourth round, and it was the only round Marquez won. Lopez also was deducted one point for holding and hitting Marquez behind the head during the round. Lopez was the pursuer for the majority of the fifth through eighth rounds. He was especially dominant in the seventh round, when Marquez was unable to return any of his many power punches.

Lopez backed Marquez into a corner and fired off a flurry of punches to end the eighth round. Marquez retired in his corner to referee Tony Weeks after the eighth round due to the shoulder injury and lost his first fight in his only try against Lopez. “(The referee) asked me ‘Are we going to have to stop this? Do you want to keep fighting?,”‘ Marquez said. “(I told Weeks) ‘I can’t go, I just can’t go.’ If I hadn’t hurt my shoulder

it would have been an all-time great fight. I’d like a rematch.” Lopez made his second defense of the featherweight title he won in January. Marquez has held the IBF bantamweight and WBC super bantamweight titles.

“He’s the best fighter I ever fought,” Lopez said. “If I’m No. 1, he’s No. 2. He was hurting me. “We’re sportsmen. I didn’t want to hurt him more than necessary. The last couple of rounds I thought I was hurting him. That’s why I asked the referee to stop the fight. I didn’t want anybody to get hurt.

“It’s the toughest fight you’ll ever see in this division. Every time he hit me he was strong as an ox.” In the main undercard fight, Glen Johnson knocked out Allan Green at 36 seconds into the eighth round of a super middleweight bout. —AP

SAO PAULO: Sebastian Vettel won the Brazilian Grand Prix yesterday to set up a showdown for the Formula One title at the season-ending Abu Dhabi race next weekend. Red Bull teammate Mark Webber was second, championship leader Fernando Alonso of Ferrari third and Lewis Hamilton of McLaren fourth.

The top two places at the 4.3-kilometer (2.6-mile) Interlagos track gave Red Bull its first constructors’ championship.

Alonso was the only driver who could have won the championship in Brazil, but his thirdplace finish was not enough. He has an eight-point lead over Webber and a 15-point advantage over Vettel ahead of Abu Dhabi next weekend. Hamilton is 24 points back.

Alonso now has 246 points, while Webber has 238 and Vettel 231. Hamilton has 222 points and remains in contention but with remote chances. Alonso can clinch his third F1 title with a secondplace finish in the last race. “In terms of points we are happy,” Alonso said.

“The championship is very open now. With the win, Sebastian is another strong contender. We will see what we can do in Abu Dhabi.”

Defending champion Jenson Button of McLaren, who was nearly robbed by armed men the day before outside the track, finished fifth and cannot win the title.

Vettel got a good start from second place to pass pole polesitter Nico Hulkenberg of Williams and never looked in trouble.

“It’s an incredible day,” Vettel said. “I had a good start.

I saw that Nico had too much wheel spin and used my momentum. There was just enough room there.”

Hulkenberg also was overtaken

by Webber on the first lap, and then was passed by Alonso on the seventh lap. The 23-yearold German rookie was trying to give Williams its first win since 2004, when Juan Pablo Montoya won at Interlagos.

His surprising pole on Saturday was the team’s first in 100 races, since the 2005 European GP. Vettel and Webber pulled away from the field after getting past Hulkenberg, but they temporarily lost their advantage when the safety car was deployed on Lap 51 because of a crash by Force India’s Vitantonio Liuzzi. Hamilton made an extra pit stop under the safety car, but was not able to move closer to the leaders despite the fresh tires.

“I had no grip,” Hamilton said. “I feel quite lucky to have finished where I finished. We’ll go to the next race with nothing to lose. We will just keep pushing.” Vettel won the race by 4.2 seconds ahead of Webber and 6.8 in front of Alonso. Hamilton was 14.6 back.

It was Vettel’s fourth win this season, and the eighth overall for Red Bull, which has been the dominant car this season. But the team arrived at the final two races without a comfortable advantage in the standings because of missed opportunities during the season, including driver mistakes and mechanical failures.

“It has been an extremely difficult season for us,” Vettel said. “We had people talking us down. It was good to show them what we are made off.” Red Bull reached 469 points to clinch the constructors’ title with one race to spare.

McLaren is second with 421.

Webber, who won last year’s race in Brazil, said he was not able to push harder because of an overheating engine, but was satisfied with the result. —AP

BRAZIL: Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany celebrates after winning the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix at the Interlagos race track. —AP

Ivanovic scaling heights again with Bali victory BALI: Ana Ivanovic secured a return to the top 20 as a 6-2 7-6 win over Alisa Kleybanova in the final of the Tournament of Champions yesterday earned the former world number one a second tournament victory in three events.

The 2008 French Open champion, who slumped to 65th in the rankings in July, will rise back up to 17th after closing out her season with a remarkable reversal in fortunes.

That ranking remains a far cry from the top spot the Serb held for 12 weeks following her Roland

BALI: Ana Ivanovic of Serbia holds the trophy after winning the final against Alisa Kleybanova of Russia, at Tournament of Champions. —AP

Garros victory but after ending her season on a sustained high note she has reason for optimism heading into 2011.

“There will be some ups and downs until I get to that level where I feel comfortable playing against top players all the time, but I feel very confident about my game and my fitness,” Ivanovic, who turned 23 during the tournament, told reporters.

“I feel my game is getting close to where it used to be and I’m even more aggressive, and experiencewise I’m much more mature and a more complete player now.”

In August Ivanovic reached the semi-finals in Cincinnati before retiring against Kim Clijsters with an injury. She also won three matches at the US Open and beat Elena Dementieva to reach the quarterfinals of the China Open before heading to Linz in October, where she secured her first tournament win since triumphing at the same event in 2008.

“Having more wins under your belt helps build your confidence, but it’s a long process,” Ivanovic said. “At one point I wasn’t really aware of that. I wanted to have results and get back to the top straight away but sometimes it takes longer than you anticipate.”

Ivanovic said getting to number one had actually been a hindrance to her progress. “I got to number one and I thought, ‘This is great and I have to play even better to improve.’ I started changing my technique and the way I was working.

“It wasn’t good because I had a certain rhythm and I lost that, and then a few injuries crept in and then you lose matches you expect to win. That was hard and I took it very personally and was very hard on myself and brought myself down.”

The confidence she has regained was obvious against Kleybanova as she weathered some heavy hitting from her Russian opponent and served well, sealing the victory with her eighth ace of the match to earn her opponent’s praise.

“She served so well, and even if I had some break points she aced or made a big point,” Kleybanova said. —Reuters

Holders Italy on brink of third Fed Cup SAN DIEGO: Holders Italy closed in on a third Fed Cup title in five years after taking a commanding 2-0 lead over an understrength United States team in the opening singles of the bestof-five match final on Saturday.

Italy’s top player Francesca Schiavone gave the visitors a flying start by brushing aside untried American teenager Coco Vandeweghe 6-2 6-4 in one hour 23 minutes on the indoor hardcourt surface at the San Diego Sports Arena.

Flavia Pennetta then held off a first-set fightback by American number one Bethanie MattekSands, saving one set point, before winning a tense match 76 6-2.

No team has come from 0-2 behind to win the Fed Cup and the Italians are poised to complete another whitewash against the Americans, having swept them 4-0 in last year’s final.

“I’m very happy because they played with heart and they won two important matches,” Italy captain Corrado Barazzutti said of his team. “So we are 2-0 up but it is not finished, the match. We have to stay focused for tomorrow.”

In Sunday’s reverse singles, Mattek-Sands is set to face Schiavone while Vandeweghe meets Pennetta before

Americans Liezel Huber and Melanie Oudin play Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci in the concluding doubles.

However U.S. captain Mary Joe Fernandez said her lineup could change, noting that Mattek-Sands had suffered from leg cramps. “We’re going to play it by ear,” Fernandez added.

Schiavone, the French Open champion and world number seven, had been widely expected to crush Vandeweghe, and she duly delivered after breaking her opponent twice in each set.

“It was a good match for me,” Schiavone said after becoming the most successful Italian at the Fed Cup with a win-loss record of 24-14. “I started really well, particularly the first set, and then I went a little bit down.

“But I played a solid game.

I was aggressive. It was not easy today for her but I think she can play good tennis because she’s very strong, very powerful.” Vandeweghe, making her Fed Cup debut after being chosen ahead of the higher-ranked and more experienced Oudin, was broken in the first and fifth games before losing the opening set in 34 minutes.

Schiavone broke her opponent in the first game of the second when a Vandeweghe fore-

hand sailed wide but the American, ranked a lowly 114th, did well to break back in the eighth.

Vandeweghe however immediately lost serve in the ninth and Schiavone, leading 5-4, coolly served out to love, sealing victory when the American netted a backhand service return prompting the feisty Italian to pump her left fist in celebration before acknowledging her supporters in the crowd.

In the second match, Pennetta broke Mattek-Sands three times to race into a 5-1 lead before the American, roared on by the sparse crowd of just over 3,500, fought back to take an error-littered opening set into a tiebreak.

The Italian world number 23 then regained control, claiming the tiebreak 7-4 when the 58thranked American hit a forehand service return wide.

Further breaks of serves were traded in the fourth and fifth games of the second set before Pennetta broke MattekSands twice more to wrap up victory in two hours.

“I’m really happy today because it was not easy,” Pennetta said after converting her second match point with a pinpoint backhand service return winner down the line. —Reuters

www.kuwaittimes.net

Torres too hot for Chelsea to handle Liverpool 2

Chelsea 0

LONDON: Newcastle’s Andy Carroll (center) rides a tackle past Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere (left) and Sebastien Squillaci (right) during their English Premier League soccer match. —AP

Carroll’s header destroys Arsenal Arsenal 0

Newcastle 1 LONDON: Andy Carroll finally made headlines for the right reasons as the striker gave Newcastle a shock 1-0 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium yesterday.

Carroll, who along with teammate Kevin Nolan had been the subject of lurid newspaper allegations about his private life hours before kick-off, rose superbly to claim the only goal of the game moments before the interval.

That was enough to ensure Newcastle claimed a third successive league victory, while Arsenal’s title challenge was dented by their second defeat in six home league games.

The Gunners failed to offer enough of an attacking threat despite dominating long periods of possession and a miserable afternoon was summed up by the dismissal of L aurent

Koscielny in added time.

Yet while Arsenal laboured in front of goal, Carroll’s predatory instincts stood out and will no doubt have caught the eye of England coach Fabio Capello.

“Andy’s still learning the game, he’s getting better,” Newcastle boss Chris Hughton told Sky Sports.

“He’s had his ups and downs and he gets bullied at times, all of these things, but he’s certainly going in the right direction.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose private life was also subject to newspaper allegations over the weekend, added: “It was a big disappointment because our performance was not good enough.

But I think we were unlucky because they had one shot on target and we lost 1-0.”

Gunners captain Cesc Fabregas came close to giving his side a 13th minute lead when he struck a 25yard free kick against the bar.

Manchester United’s victory over Wolves 24 hours previously meant Arsenal needed to win to maintain a share of second place.

Yet there were few signs of

urgency during a tepid first half that only came to life in the final minute before the interval. Wenger had accused his side of taking their foot off the pedal when they squandered an early lead against Shakhtar.

But against an improving Newcastle side, they failed even to develop initial momentum.

Fabregas remained the home side’s biggest threat and he twice combined with Samir Nasri towards the end of the half during a brief period when Arsenal applied a period of pressure.

First, in the 39th minute, Nasri released his colleague inside the Newcastle area only for Fabregas to fire into the side netting from a tight angle.

Then a minute later the Spaniard returned the compliment with an accurate pull-back that was met first time by Nasri and produced a superb save from Newcastle keeper Tim Krul.

The save appeared to galvanise the visitors who until that point had offered little as an attacking force although their opening goal owed more to the strength and power of Carroll than any inventive attack-

ing play.

Midfielder Joey Barton pumped in a hopeful high free kick from near the halfway line and Carroll rose to out-jump Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski and head into an empty net from 12 yards.

Jack Wilshere, who was making his Premier League return after a three-match ban, released Theo Walcott and the winger was unfortunate to see his angled shot cannon to safety off the crossbar.

Wenger was clearly frustrated by his side’s efforts and he introduced Robin Van Persie off the bench for the striker’s first appearance since sustaining an ankle injury in August.

It was Carroll who remained the game’s dominant forward, however, and he provided a reminder of his threat with a first time effort that flashed wide in the 71st minute.

Krul again saved well from Fabregas in the 82nd minute but the contest was over when Koscielny hauled down Newcastle substitute Nile Ranger in added time to earn a straight red card. —AFP

Lazio pay penalty as Roma claim honors ROME: Roma reignited their Serie A title hopes with a pair of penalties to stun leaders Lazio 20 in the Rome derby at the Stadio Olimpico yesterday.

Marco Borriello and Mirko Vucinic both netted from the spot to give Claudio Ranieri’s men the honors. AC Milan went second and closed the gap to Lazio at the top to two points as they won 3-2 at rock bottom Bari.

Roma are now seven points behind Lazio but perhaps more importantly just four behind champions Inter Milan in third.

Lazio coach Edy Reja complained that the referee had not been fair on his team. “My players are saying, that’s enough, you can’t play against 12,” he said. “The game was decided by certain episodes.

In the previous days Roma were complaining that they never got any decisions, well they can’t do that now. “We were denied a penalty at 1-0, (John Arne) Riise fouled (Stefano Mauri). “For the penalty for 2-0 (Julio) Batista had already fouled (Guglielmo) Stendardo, which should have been given, and then Simplicio handled (in the area) near the end.”

Roma coach Claudio Ranieri saw things differently. “I don’t understand what they’re complaining about, in the first half we were denied a valid goal,” he said.

“If Lazio lost because of the referee then that will only please Roma fans even more, now they will be lapping it up like the rich.”

The first half in Rome was a tight affair with few chances although Lazio captain Tommaso Rocchi was just inches away from converting Stefano Mauri’s inviting centre. Lazio opened up Roma again on 21 minutes but Brazilian playmaker Hernanes leant back as he connected with Stefan Radu’s pull-back and smashed it high over the bar.

Simone Perrotta squeezed a shot inches wide for Roma before the visitors had the ball in the net on 43 minutes. John Arne Riise released Borriello down the left and he crossed for Leandro Greco to slot home from close range but

Borriello was hit with a narrow and debatable offisde decision.

Into first half injury time Borriello used his strength to bring down a ball on his chest but from eight yards couldn’t hook his shot on target. And yet just after the restart Roma were deservedly in front.

Simplicio’s goal-bound shot hit Stephan Lichsteiner on the arm and although he could do little to get out of the way, the referee had no choice but to award the penalty.

Borriello’s effort was weak but it somehow managed to squeeze under Fernando Muslera’s body and over the line on 52 minutes.

Simplicio should have added a second 13 minutes from time after Riise’s bursting run down the left but the Brazilian hit the bar from 10 yards out. Lazio then missed a glorious opportunity as Mauri failed to turn in Christian Ledesma’s free-kick from inside the six-yard box. Vucinic kept Muslera busy with a vicious daisy-cutter from 20 yards before Pasquale Foggia crashed a back post half-volley against the woodwork from close range. But three minutes from time Vucinic sent Muslera the wrong way from the spot after Andre Dias was harshly judged to have brought down Julio Baptista despite minimal contact.

Milan were off to a good start in the south as Massimo Ambrosini and Mathieu Flamini put them in charge in the first half. And Pato’s goal after the break sandwiched by Vitaly Kutuzov and Paulo Barreto efforts proved the winner.

Injury-hit Juventus remain fourth after they came back from a goal down to beat 10-man Cesena 3-1. On Saturday, champions Inter Milan needed a dubious penalty award to earn a 1-1 draw at home to Brescia.

The visitors had opened the scoring on 14 minutes through Andrea Caracciolo but Samuel Eto’o’s 17th goal in 16 games this season-one more than he managed in the whole of the last campaignfrom the spot 17 minutes from time levelled matters. —AFP

ITALY: AS Roma forward Mirko Vucinic of Montenegro (left) and Lazio midfielder Cristian Ledesma of Argentina go for the ball during a Serie A soccer match. —AP

Barca win put pressure on Real MADRID: Lionel Messi, David Villa and Pedro gave Barcelona a 3-1 win at Getafe that put the pressure on Real Madrid in La Liga yesterday.

The champions moved two points above Jose Mourinho’s unbeaten Real into first place with 25 points from 10 matches. Real were hosting Atletico Madrid in the city derby in Sunday’s late game.

Getafe crowded their own half to try and stifle the visitors but Barca weaved an intricate web of passes to set up Messi after 23 minutes and the Argentine scored inside the near post.

Messi’s subtle lay-off created the second for Villa in the 35th and Pedro grabbed the third after Barca pressured the home defence into a mistake in the 65th. Barca defender Gerard Pique earned his second yellow card and was sent off for handling the ball in the area soon after.

Manu del Moral pulled one back for

Getafe from the penalty spot in the 70th. With the visitors rattled, Getafe pressed forward but a red card for midfielder Derek Boateng took the wind out of their sails and Barca could have scored again in the final minutes. Earlier, Villarreal came back to beat Athletic Bilbao 41 and keep pace with the leaders on 23 points. Bilbao’s Spain striker Fernando Llorente scored with a back-post header after only six minutes at the Madrigal but Villarreal turned the game around before the break. Brazilian Nilmar levelled with a header in the 39th and Spain’s Santi Cazorla capitalised on a poor clearance to net six minutes later.

Bilbao had defender Jon Aurtenetxe sent off in the 77th for a second bookable offence and Italy’s Giuseppe Rossi and Ecuador’s Jefferson Montero grabbed breakaway goals at the end. —Reuters

LIVERPOOL: Fernando Torres continued Liverpool’s renaissance with two goals that sealed a 2-0 victory over league leaders Chelsea at Anfield and maintained his impressive personal record against the London club.

The Spaniard, so disappointing for his country in the World Cup and for his club for much of this domestic campaign, has scored seven times in eight appearances for Liverpool against Chelsea and his latest efforts were particularly timely, with his team having now won three consecutive league games.

Torres was little short of astonishing in the first half yesterday as he helped Liverpool take control of the game.

This was a markedly different Liverpool - and a completely different Torres from the player that had opened the season in such desultory fashion.

Torres scored after just 11 minutes although the goal owed much to his team mate Dirk Kuyt, playing for Liverpool for the first time in a month after recovering from injury collected on international duty for Holland.

Martin Skrtel’s pass from inside the Liverpool half was collected by the Dutchman who, in turn, chipped the perfect, hanging cross into the Chelsea penalty area, one which just eluded the leap of John Terry on its way to Torres who controlled the ball superbly before beating Petr Cech from close range.

If that goal was an impressive display of Liverpool’s new-found team play, the second goal, a minute before the interval, showcased the Spanish forward’s magnificent predatory instincts.

Ashley Cole lost the ball in midfield to Raul Meireles, the Portuguese international in turn feeding Torres, who advanced just inside the area before curling a magnificent, right-foot shot past Cech on its way into the back of the Chelsea goal.

The two goals took Torres’ Liverpool career tally to 60 goals in 79 starts in the Premier League, astonishing figures, especially in the light of his slow start to this season which saw him score just once in his first 10 appearances of the campaign, in all competitions.

Chelsea had threatened in the 13th minute with Cole’s leftwing cross finding Salomon Kalou who rose above Paul Konchesky but could only steer his header directly at Pepe Reina.

The remainder of the first half belonged firmly to Liverpool, however, with Torres’ flick finding Maxi Rodriguez for a blast over, the home side appealing for a penalty after an accidental handball by Yuri Zhirkov, and young right-back Martin Kelly capping a strong run with a shot from the edge of the area which John Terry managed to block.

At the interval, Carlo Ancelotti introduced Didier Drogba, on the bench due to overnight illness. Drogba placed a disappointing, long-range freekick wide before Cole’s 59th minute cross from the left found the head of Ramires whose effort flew just off target.

Finally, two minutes later, Reina was called into serious action for the first time, as he dived at his near post to parry a threatening drive from Zhirkov.

If that save was solid, the next, after 65 minutes was magnificent as Reina managed to block a six-yard shot from Florent Malouda, who met Drogba’s right-wing cross with an effort that looked a certain goal until the goalkeeper somehow blocked on his line.

Cech was equally impressive in keeping Chelsea in the contest after 74 minutes when Kuyt latched onto a deflected Meireles shot and shot goalwards from eight yards, only to be denied by the outstretched right leg of the Chelsea goalkeeper.

Nicolas Anelka looked to have given Chelsea a lifeline five minutes from time only for his strike to hit the Liverpool bar, via Reina’s save, with Jamie Carragher making an astonishing tackle to prevent Drogba tapping in the rebound. —AFP

LONDON: Liverpool’s Fernando Torres (centre) keeps the ball from Chelsea’s Yuriy Zhirkov during their English Premier League soccer match at Anfield Stadium. —AP

Balotelli lifts City West Brom 0

Man City 2 BIRMINGHAM: Mario Balotelli eased the pressure on Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini by scoring twice before being sent off in yesterday’s 2-0 win against West Bromwich Albion.

Balotelli netted twice in six minutes in the first half at The Hawthorns before he made a rapid transformation from hero to villain with a straight red card in the second half for a reckless kick at Youssouf Mulumbu, who was also later sent off.

That dismissal provided evidence of why Balotelli’s high-maintenance reputation has dogged his career and Mancini was clearly furious, despite his obvious relief at a first win in four games ahead of their crunch encounter with Manchester United on Wednesday.

City’s desperately needed vic-

tory inflicted West Brom’s first home defeat in the league since January and there were signs that Mancini can indeed challenge for the title with his expensively assembled squad.

In Italian striker Balotelli, he clearly has a maverick talent but one that will test his patience countless times again this season.

Defeat in the Europa League to Lech Poznan in midweek did little to soften the spotlight on Mancini, who is expected to challenge for the title after a massive close-season spending spree.

Three defeats in succession is not the kind of streak City’s billionaire owners had in mind when they appointed Mancini and it was crucial that the nosedive was halted as quickly as possible to avoid patience snapping in the boardroom.

A poor turnout from the visiting fans appeared to suggest the faith in Mancini is dwindling. And the opening quarter of an hour was hardly an improvement from their last visit to the Black Country, when they were embarrassed by

Wolves.

But once Balotelli stopped picking fights with opponents and concentrating on his reported 180,000 pounds a week wages, City were ahead after 20 minutes.

City were more menacing thanks to the return of Carlos Tevez and his cross from the right found Balotelli at the far post and he bundled the ball over the line.

The shackles appeared to have been removed and Balotelli ruthlessly capitalised on suspect Albion defending from Gabriel Tamas seven minutes later to beat Scott Carson with a low drive.

Albion were second best for large portions of the first half, failing to test England international Joe Hart. But they were improved in the second, with Simon Cox arrowing a splendid 20-yard drive against the upright. Balotelli’s dismissal, a grapple with Mulumbu followed by a rash kick, galvanised the home side but there was to be no gallant fightback as they slipped to only their fourth defeat of the campaign, with Mulumbu also sent off for a foul on Tevez. —AFP

LONDON: Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez (right) battles for the ball with West Bromwich Albion’s Gabriel Tamas (centre) and Pablo Ibanez during their English Premier League soccer match. —AP

EPL results/standings Arsenal 0, Newcastle 1 (Carroll 45); Liverpool 2 (Torres 11, 44) Chelsea 0; West Brom 0, Manchester City 2 (Balotelli 20, 26).

English Premier League table after Sunday’s matches West Brom 11 4 3 4 14 19 15 (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, Everton 11 3 5 3 12 10 14 points): Blackpool 11 4 2 5 17 23 14 Chelsea 11 8 1 2 27 5 25 Fulham 11 2 7 2 13 12 13 Man Utd 11 6 5 0 24 13 23 Aston Villa 11 3 4 4 10 14 13 Arsenal 11 6 2 3 22 11 20 Birmingham 11 2 6 3 12 14 12 Man City 11 6 2 3 15 10 20 Blackburn 11 3 3 5 11 13 12 Newcastle 11 5 2 4 20 14 17 Stoke 11 3 1 7 10 16 10 Bolton 11 3 6 2 17 16 15 Wigan 11 2 4 5 8 20 10 Tottenham 11 4 3 4 13 14 15 Wolverhampton 11 2 3 6 11 18 9 Sunderland 11 3 6 2 11 12 15 West Ham 11 1 4 6 9 20 7 Liverpool 11 4 3 4 12 14 15

Samsung Galaxy Tab, new dimension of mobile technology

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Wataniya wins ‘Brand of the Year’ award from Superbrands

KAMCO reports KD 1.69m net profit in Q3 2010

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Monday, November 8, 2010

www.kuwaittimes.net

GCC customs union in final stages: UAE Most states accepted distribution by GDP size DUBAI: Gulf Arab oil producing countries are in the final stages of reaching a deal on how to distribute revenues from customs duties, a senior official at the United Arab Emirates finance ministry said yesterday.

The introduction of a customs union in 2003 had been hailed by officials as a major achievement countering critics’ claims that the Gulf Arab bloc would be unable to realize economic integration in the world’s biggest oil exporting region. But differences have delayed an agreement on how to introduce a permanent system to distribute custom receipts among six members of the

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

“The customs were unified in 2003 at five percent and a common market would require the customs barriers to be removed,” said Younis Al-Khouri, undersecretary and director general at the UAE finance ministry told Reuters in an interview. “We are still in the final stages of agreeing on how to distribute the amount received from the customs,” he said on the sidelines of a conference about the GCC common market in Dubai.

In September, Kuwait’s finance minister said the GCC members have made much

progress to clear the last obstacles for the agreement but total completion of the customs union would take two to three years.

“There are so many alternatives on the table, most of the countries have accepted one of the thoughts that will reflect the GDP (gross domestic product) of each,” Khouri said.

“The last formula that will add how much of the customs was received already from each country,” he said. In May, GCC officials said the UAE, the region’s trade hub and the second-largest Arab economy, was unhappy with a quota of receipts pro-

posed by the GCC secretariat but some said that a bigger issue would be to scrap red tape at border crossings.

Trucks transporting goods had been held up for days mainly at the border between Saudi Arabia and the UAE earlier this year, casting doubts about the efficiency of the customs union plan.

GCC officials see the current customs system as temporary as it is expensive to run. The tariff is collected at the first entry point and the revenue is shared according to a final destination of the product.

Besides the bloc’s biggest economies

Saudi Arabia and the UAE, other GCC members such as Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain also take part in the customs union.

The GCC’s attempts over the past three decades to emulate the European Union’s economic integration have been dogged by delays in a monetary union plan and regional rivalry between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.

The value of the intra-GCC trade has jumped to over $70 billion now, from less than $30 billion ahead of the customs union launch in 2003, Abdel Aziz Abu Hamad Aluwaisheg, director general for international economic relations at the GCC

Secreatriat General told Reuters at the same event. Khouri also said the United Arab Emirates was hoping to attract more foreign investment through introduction of prerequisites for the Gulf common market.

“We have started implementing most of the requirements for the GCC common market,” he said. “Hopefully that will attract more foreign direct investment, manufacturing as well as technology to the GCC.” Foreign direct investments to the UAE plunged to 14.7 billion dirhams ($4 billion) last year, from 50.4 billion in 2008 following the global financial crisis. — Reuters

Prices rise as Fed returns to press Commodities weekly update

By Ole S Hansen

T

he US Federal Reserve returned to the money pump on Wednesday and the market reacted accordingly by sending the dollar lower while stocks and commodities rose strongly.

The amount of $600 billion that will be spent buying US treasuries over the next eight months was on the high side of expectations hence the subsequent reaction. In a statement the Fed committee once again reiterated their commitment to keep an exceptionally low fed funds rate over an extended period.

The purchase will primarily be directed towards government bonds in the five to ten year maturity range. This should provide the best support for mortgage bonds thereby keeping borrowing cost for homeowners under control. The flipside is the emergence of the US Federal Reserve as the speculators best friend as his attempt to drive the dollar lower will help to drive commodity prices higher. Whether this eventually will lead to another bubble remains to be seen.

Below is illustrated how different sectors performed in the months before and after the now famous speech by Fed chairman Ben Bernanke at Jackson Hole on August 22. This speech kicked off the expectations for additional quantitative easing. The rally in commodities and stocks accelerated after August as the dollar came under increased pressure. It is also worth noting that future inflation expectations had been falling before the speech only to increase strongly up until today.

The S&P 500 index has returned to levels not seen since September 2008 as a prolonged period of low interest rates increases the attractiveness of stocks and commodities.

Meanwhile the dollar has now lost more than 14 percent versus a basket of currencies and is getting close to the previous low point recorded in November last year.

In Europe the government debt problems have re emerged with yield spreads between the safe haven of German government bond and especially Ireland and Greece widening again. This is one of the short term clouds on the Euro horizon which could potentially reverse some of the recent gains versus the dollar.

The month long rally in commodities went into a higher gear after the Fed announcement. The Reuters Jefferies CRB index gained four percent on the week from a broad based rally with the index heavy energy sector (minus natural gas) rallying strongly on the back of Saudi comments combined with the weaker dollar.

Adverse weather also continues to support the already strong rally among agricultural products.

Crude oil shifted up a gear this week leaving the recent trading range behind and setting out on a journey towards 90 dollars per barrel. The rally which began before the Fed announcement came about as the Saudi oil minister shifted the upper limit off their comfort zone from 80 to 90 dollars. The announcement was probably in response to the weaker dollar seen these past few months but also a belief that the global economic recovery can be sustained despite higher prices at the pump.

For now though the US Federal Reserve will not stand in the way of further price appreciations as they attempt to drive the dollar lower. The Fed announcement and subsequent dollar sell off triggered the move above 85 dollar with 90 now being the target, this level represents a 50 percent retracement of the 2008 to 2009 sell off.

Natural gas had another bad week after the rally the previous week as the weekly storage data surprised to the upside sending prices lower. The complete lack of good news continues to haunt this beleaguered product and the only support seems to stem from the relentless buying associated with long-only indices and exchange traded funds. Unless we see a change in the weather forecast for the approaching winter record storage levels will cap any major rallies. Gold climbed to a new record high Friday and silver reached a 30 year high after the resumption of quantitative easing.

Some profit taking was seen Wednesday ahead of the announcement which left both markets in a better position to react to the news. The combination of weak dollar and continued increased inflation projections brought investors back in droves and the speculative long positions through futures and ETF’s will have risen as a consequence.

The psychological level at 1,400 on gold should provide some near term resistance while the market decide whether the dollar should be sold even lower at this stage. Looming uncertainties about sovereign debt in Europe has the potential of keeping the market supported even if a dollar correction materializes.

Agricultural commodities had another strong week as fundamentals combined with QE and weaker dollar continued to attract buying interest from investors and commercial users.

Cotton: Trading 87 percent higher YTD as global stockpiles drop to a 14 year low with global production lagging behind consumption for the 5th year running. US the world’s largest producer saw hailstorm hitting Texas while a cold front in China may hamper cotton harvesting and reduce fiber quality. Sugar: The price has now more than doubled since the May low reaching an almost 30 year high. India the world’s second largest producer has restricted exports as their domestic stockpiles are less than what is preferred. Output from Brazil, the world’s largest producer is lower than the same time last year. Corn: On track to reach 6 dollar per bushel having rallied 20 pct over the past month and now hovering near a 2 year high.

USDA Crop production and supply/demand report next Tuesday will be watched closely as the market fear continued tightening of supplies.

SEOUL: South Korean protesters attend a rally at Seoul yesterday. Tens of thousands of South Korean activists protested against the Group of 20 summit to be held in Seoul this week, with police on high alert for violence in the capital’s streets.—AFP

Workers, citizens rally against G20 in S Korea SEOUL: Thousands of people chanted anti-globalization slogans in South Korea’s capital yesterday to protest this week’s Group of 20 summit. Part of the crowd attempted to march down nearby streets but were stopped by riot police, who fired pepper spray.

The protesters sang, danced and waved signs reading “We oppose the G20” at a large plaza near Seoul City Hall. South Korea is hosting a gathering of leaders from the G20 advanced

and developing economies on Thursday and Friday. Some protesters danced and played traditional Korean drums, while about 9,000 riot police and many police buses encircled the rally site to keep order.

The rally was initially peaceful, but some protesters engaged in minor scuffles with riot police who tried to prevent them from marching through downtown streets. Riot police fired pepper spray at some protesters at

the front of the crowd, forcing them back. The protesters oppose globalization and say the G20 is not focusing on creating jobs or protecting social programs.

Labor activist Lee Chang-geun accused the G20 of failing to formulate meaningful measures to curb speculative financial capital and of pushing cuts in public spending on social welfare.

Activists plan to stage smaller ral-

lies every day until the summit begins Thursday, he said. The G-20 forum, founded in 1999, has taken on greater significance since the global financial meltdown and is seeking to reform the world economy to ensure stable growth and strengthen the financial system to prevent a recurrence of the 2008 crisis. It held its first summit in Washington two years ago.

South Korean police and military are on heightened alert to prevent

any attempt by protesters, terror groups and North Korea to sabotage the summit, which will include President Barack Obama and other leaders. North Korea has a history of staging provocations when world attention is focused on rival South Korea.

The Korean peninsula remains officially at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. — AP

Dubai Q3 house prices drop 6% Arabtec, Deyaar weighs DUBAI: Dubai house prices fell 6 percent on the year in the third quarter to their lowest level since the second quarter of 2009, due to the seasonal summer slowdown and tough financing conditions, Colliers International said yesterday.

Prices in the Gulf Arab emirate, home to the world’s tallest building, also fell 6 percent from the previous quarter. That was the second consecutive quarterly fall this year, the property consultancy said. The number of transactions in the third quarter fell 4 percent from the previous quarter,

it added.

“After a period of stable prices we are beginning to witness a shallow but lengthening slide in overall average prices,” said Ian Albert, the firm’s regional director.

“Despite some improvements in loan to value ratios and interest rates, lenders, the banks and financial institutions remain committed to a conservative lending policy typified by greater due diligence in the lending criteria,” Albert added.

Colliers expects around 33,000 new homes to be delivered to the

market by the end of 2010, down from its previous estimate of 41,000. “However, given Dubai’s history so far, a large number of these units may not be delivered on time and may cross over into 2011,” the report added.

Apartment prices fell 7 percent in the third quarter from the previous quarter, villa prices declined 5 percent while townhouse values fell 8 percent, Colliers said.

Dubai house prices will fall another 11 percent before hitting a trough in 2012, a Reuters poll in October found. — Reuters

DP World updates bond prospectus DUBAI: Dubai-based global ports operator DP World, a unit of conglomerate Dubai World filed an updated prospectus for a $5 billion bond program, raising the possibility of an issue in the near future.

In October, chief executive Mohammed Sharaf said the company has $3 billion available to fund expansion plans but does not rule out going to the market to raise additional financing in the future.

Arrangers for DP World’s $5 billion 2007 global medium term note program (GMTN) are Citigroup,

HSBC, Standard Chartered and Deutsche Bank, the prospectus, dated Nov. 4, says.

DP World, considered one of the more profitable units of struggling Dubai World, had $8.04 billion in outstanding debt at the end of June 2010, according to the prospectus.

State-owned Dubai World reached an agreement with its bank creditors to restructure about $25 billion in debt in September after months of tough negotiations over the terms.

The move paved the way for

Dubai government to raise $1.25 billion from the international debt market in a dual-tranche offering which was four times oversubscribed.

A flurry of new bond mandates from the Gulf Arab region have been announced in recent weeks and many of the recent issues that have come to the market have been substantially oversubscribed, pointing to significant pent up demand. DP World shares ended 0.8 percent lower yesterday. —Reuters

on Dubai; Qatar on high MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: Dubai’s Arabtec weighed on the emirate’s index yesterday as investors reacted to the firm’s lower-than-expected Q3 earnings while other regional markets gained on high oil prices and strong global markets. Arabtec dropped 5.1 percent, its biggest fall since May 25, after its thirdquarter net profit slumped 96 percent on rising expenses and a sharp drop in revenues, falling well short of analysts’ forecasts. The largest builder in the United Arab Emirates by market value, made a net profit of 6.8 million dirhams ($1.85 million) in the three months to Sep 30, compared with a net profit of 166.6 million dirhams in the same period last year.

“Operationally, revenues were on track, but the big miss came in the form of fresh provisions,” says Majed Azzam, AlembicHC real estate analyst. “That’s what investors have reacted to-it seems like the company is uncomfortable with some of the receivables on its books.”

Property developer Deyaar added to the fall after it declined 7.8 percent to a near 7-week low. The firm reported a thirdquarter net loss of 145 million dirhams ($39.49 million) on Thursday.

Dubai’s benchmark was the worst performer in the Middle East markets, dropping 0.9 percent. In Qatar, bellwether

Industries Qatar (IQ) reached a near 16month high tracking gains in Saudi Arabia the day before on strong oil prices. IQ gained 3.8 percent, its highest close since June 15 last year.

“Petrochemical companies like IQ are reacting to oil prices,” said Marwan Shurrab, vice president and chief trader at Gulfmena Alternative Investments.

“Saudi’s performance on Saturday is encouraging investors,” he added. Qatar’s benchmark rose 0.7 percent.

The board of Kuwait’s telecom firm Zain approved opening the company’s books for due diligence by UAE’s Etisalat which has offered to buy 46 percent of the firm, a source close to the deal told Reuters yesterday. Zain climbed 2.8 percent on news of the that the company’s board meeting. The broader Kuwait index however slipped ending lower by 0.1 percent. Saudi Arabia’s index fell by 0.4 percent as traders booked profits after a rally a day before. “The focus will be top-down for the next month, but as valuations get richer then company results will become more important and there will be greater differentiation between names,” said Hashem Montasser, EFG-Hermes managing director and head of regional asset management. — Reuters

BUSINESS

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Monday, November 8, 2010

Ernst & Young kicks off work on landmark Kuwait Metro project Partnerships Technical Bureau inked KD2.2m contract with E&Y KUWAIT: Ernst & Young, the largest professional services firm in the Middle East and North Africa, has announced the start of its transaction advisory w ork on the landmark Kuw ait Metro project. The transaction advisory w ork involves a technical and financial feasibility of the Metro project, recommendations on an appropriate transaction structure for the project and assistance to the government in selecting a party or consortium that w ill develop, operate and maintain the Metro netw ork under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) mechanism.

A map showing the old proposal for the Kuwait Metro Project.

DLA Piper Kuwait to advise KD52m sale of interest in Al-Shaab National Real Estate Co to NBK KUWAIT: Leading Kuwaiti law firm DLA Piper Kuwait in association with AlWagayan, Al-Awadhi and Al-Saif (NEN) advised Securities House for Real Estate on the sale of KD 52 million ($184.5 million ) interest in Al-Shaab National Real Estate Company to National Bank of Kuwait (NBK). NBK has signed a contract with the Securities House Real Estate Company to acquire the company with all its physical and legal assets, including 6,000 square metres of land in the Sharq area that will house the new headquarters of the bank.

Tarek Yehya, Senior Legal Advisor at DLA Piper Kuwait in association with NEN, acted for Securities House Real Estate in the sale of the company to NBK, and stated that the deal was “one of the most complicated and complex transactions of its kind that involved the sale and purchase of a number of very sensitive assets. The two parties are two very successful market players in the region and assured a smooth tran-

sition from the preliminary negotiation phase to the very end of the transaction.

Commenting on the deal, Securities House Real Estate Company’s Chairman and Managing Director, Bader Naser AlHumaidi said, “the land plot acquired by NBK featuring both spaciousness and strategic location at Sharq area is quite fit to accommodate a headquarters as grand and prestigious as NBK. We are happy to witness an iconic architectural monument for a renowned bank such as NBK being built on this land plot.”

Nader Al-Awadhi at (NEN) Al-Wagayan, Alawadhi, Al Saif’s Senior Partner, Kuwaiti national said, “We are delighted to have been involved in such a landmark transaction and to have worked with two of Kuwait’s leading companies. The complexity of the transaction demonstrates the outstanding capability and dedicated team work of the lawyers involved on both sides of the transaction.”

Nader Al-Awadhi

Ernst & Young is leading a consortium that also includes WS Atkins, a leading engineering, design and environmental firm, Ashurst, a leading international law firm, and ASAR, one of the largest law firms in Kuwait.

Announcing the kick off, Waleed Al-Osaimi, the Office Managing Partner of Ernst & Young Kuwait said: “This is a very important and landmark day for Kuwait.

“The Kuwait Metro will not only develop the transportation infrastructure of the country but will also have a knock-on effect on the daily lives and living standards of its people.

“We will adhere to the guidelines of the PPP law and work closely with the Partnerships Technical Bureau to bring the project to fruition in the most cost and time effective manner.”

Varun Dev Sharma, Partner of Transaction Advisory Services in Kuwait added: “We have assembled the right team of financial, technical and legal advisors with extensive global and regional experience to ensure that the Project benefits from our best available resources. We are proud to be associated with this critical infrastructure project”.

Adel Al-Roumi, the Chairman of Partnerships Technical Bureau said: “ We are confident of the multidimensional advisory approach being adopted by the Ernst & Young led consortium resulting in seamless transfer of knowledge, experience and the appropriate allocation of resources that is essential and which will ensure the speedy start and completion of the Kuwait Metro.”

The Partnerships Technical Bureau (PTB) signed a consultation contract for the Metro project worth KD2.2 million with Ernst & Young last week.

The metro project is planned to link the southern and northern parts of the country with Kuwait City.

The project aims at decreasing the dependency on private transportation methods - providing a comfortable and ecologically sustainable mode of travel for all.

Samsung Galaxy Tab, new dimension of mobile technology convergence A new smart media device, surpasses mobile boundaries KUWAIT: Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd, a global leader in mobile technology, introduced the newly launched Samsung Galaxy Tab (Model: GT-P1000) to the Kuwait market. The Tab was showcased and offered at GITEX 2010 that took place from 17-21 October, 2010. Powered by Android Operating System 2.2, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is the first of the company’s tablet devices, representing a new category of mobile products for Samsung.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab brings together all of Samsung’s leading innovations to provide users with more capabilities while on the move.

Consumers are able to experience PC-like web-browsing and enjoy all forms of multimedia content on the perfectly sized 7-inch display, wherever they go. Moreover, users can continuously communicate via e-mail, voice and video call, SMS/MMS or social network with the optimized user interface.

“Samsung sees the United Arab Emirates and GCC as a key market for its mobile division, and we have witnessed tremendous growth since the introduction of our smartphones earlier this year,” said Young Woo Jun, General Manager, Samsung Gulf Electronics. “The Galaxy Tab represents the company’s first foray into this recently established market, and combined with Samsung’s mobile DNA and long history of successful mobile products, we are certain the Galaxy Tab will steer the smart media devices market in new directions.”

The Galaxy Tab makes use of a striking 7” TFT-LCD display that, combined with a 1GHz application processor, delivers exciting mobile experience for watching HD films in a variety of formats, viewing pictures, e-reading or sharing documents. Its light weight provides perfect portability, making it a truly mobile multipurpose communications device. Standard support for the latest Adobe Flash Player 10.1, the Galaxy Tab fully supports swift, seamless viewing of every single page of the web, while native Arabic language support means the Galaxy Tab was built with the Middle East region in mind no more illegible characters when checking your Arabic content!

Designed with complete mobile technology convergence in mind, the Galaxy Tab makes use of ‘Hubs’ to provide access to any and all content easily and quickly. The ‘Readers Hub,’ Samsung’s unique e-reading application, provides easy access to a vast digital library - from classical literature to the latest best-

sellers and reference materials. Other newly introduced ‘Hubs’ include the ‘Media Hub,’ a gateway to a world of films and videos, and ‘Music Hub,’ an application giving access to a wide range of music tunes.

As with other Android(tm)powered devices from Samsung, the Galaxy Tab makes use of the ‘Social Hub’, providing always-on social networks connectivity allowing users to enjoy communications with their friends, colleagues, and families whenever they want and wherever they are.

“Being in the Middle East, the Tab includes native support for the Arabic language, something that has virtually always been lacking in similar product offerings, while Flash support is a first on a tablet device, allowing for a smoother and richer online experience,” continued Jun. “A myriad of connectivity features allow users to experience PC-like web browsing,

multimedia content and push email support, while still being able to enjoy full telephony support.”

With 3G HSUPA connectivity, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 3.0, the Samsung Galaxy Tab enhances users’ mobile communication on a whole new level. Using the Tab’s 1.3MP front camera, users can engage in Video conferencing over 3G. Typing on the large 7-inch display with SWYPE texting makes email communication smoother and more efficient, while the Samsung Galaxy Tab can act as the perfect speakerphone on the desk when used for voice telephony, or a mobile phone on the move via Bluetooth(r) headset.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is the best portable solution for every lifestyle that needs a constant connection, giving users the power to consume, create and communicate from wherever they are.

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

.2750000 .4500000 .3900000 .2890000 .2770000 .2820000 .0045000 .0020000 .0758640 .7391240 .3900000 .0720000 .7245790 .0045000 .0480000

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 .2794500 .4521360 .39218000 .2906090 .2793240 .0526160 .0423120 .2839910 .0360560 .2174030 .0034380 .0063510 .0025120 .0032680 .0039920 .0761030 .7414430 .3952620 .0745500 .7264100 .0066140

US Dollar Sterling pounds Swiss Francs Saudi Riyals

TRANSFER CHEQUES RATES .2821500 .4523600 .2871290 .0752080

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.501 6.334

.2850000 .4590000 .3980000 .2970000 .2830000 .2880000 .0075000 .0035000 .0766270 .7465520 .4100000 .0770000 .7318610 .0072000 .0570000 .2815500 .4555340 .3951270 .2927930 .2814230 .0530120 .0426300 .2661250 .0363270 .2190370 .0034640 .0063990 .0025310 .0032930 .0040220 .0766750 .7470150 .3982320 .0751100 .7318690 .0066640

Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash GCC COUNTRIES Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

3.270 2.508 3.968 218.810 36.220 3.975 6.622 9.458 0.267 0.310 74.865 77.139 729.380 745.660 76.451 ARAB COUNTRIES 51.550 48.948 1.317 204.170 396.450 187.700 6.140 35.749

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 280.630 Euro 401.020 Sterling Pound 455.460 Canadian dollar 280.350 Turkish lire 200.450 Swiss Franc 292.020 Australian dollar 282.170 US Dollar Buying 279.895 GOLD 259.000 131.000 67.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

SELL CASH 289.100 746.500 4.250 283.100 551.300 14.100 53.300 167.800 50.900 399.300

36.860 6.470 0.033 0.263 0.245 3.580 398.630 0.190 93.110 47.100 4.400 227.300 1.908 48.700 729.130 3.400 6.670 77.650 74.950 219.350 43.400 2.674 459.200 42.600 295.900 6.200 9.800 198.263 76.590 281.100 1.350

36.710 6.345 0.032

396.750 0.189 93.110 3.990 225.800 728.950 3.285 6.610 77.220 74.950 219.350 43.400 2.513 457.200 294.400 6.200 9.660 76.490 280.700

GOLD 1,433.940

10 Tola Sterling Pound US Dollar

TRAVELLERʼS CHEQUE 457.200 280.700

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

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 287.600 746.500 3.988 281.600

219.300 49.126 397.800

Rate for Transfer 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

Selling Rate 280.600 281.604 454.677 396.073 291.450 687.736 742.681 76.375 77.053 74.795 395.947 48.585 6.354

Pakistani Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees

3.291 2.511 3.980 6.576 3.449 9.450 6.121 3.956

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) 280.650 3.295 6.360 2.520 3.985 6.605 76.480 75.040 746.000 49.120 459.200 0.00003280 4.025 1.550 398.600 5.750 399.500 286.100

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

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 280.300 397.000 457.050 281.150 3.475 6.343 49.115 2.508 3.983 6.570 3.285 744.850 76.420 74.800

•Rates are subject to change

BUSINESS

Monday, November 8, 2010

23

Dollar continues to drop amid policy talk KUWAIT: The US dollar’s downtrend continued last week amid speculation about the quantitative easing program that will be revealed on Wednesday.

The euro broke higher during the week, boosted by the Fed’s announcement of their asset-purchase program and the ECB’s decision not to take any further stimulus measures. The euro opened the week at 1.3947 and reached a high of 1.4282 on Thursday. The currency erased most of its gains on Friday after a better-than-expected job report in the US, and ended the week at 1.4032.

The Sterling Pound had a strong performance against the greenback. The currency opened the week at 1.6038, reached a high of 1.6299, and managed to keep most its gain and closed at 1.6182. The Japanese Yen range traded between a high of 81.58 and a low of 80.40, and ended sessions at 81.25. After the Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to hike interest rates, the Australian dollar broke parity with the US dollar, reached a high of 1.0183, and closed at 1.0160.

Quantitative Easing The highly anticipated quantitative easing program was finally revealed by the Federal Reserve in its meeting last week, and the announcement was in line with market expectations. The Fed committed to buying treasury securities at a pace of $75 billion per month, until June 2011, for a total of $600 billion. Economists and analysts had expected the program to range between $500 billion and a trillion, so

this amount is at the lower end of the scale. The central bank announced that they will regularly review the pace of its securities purchases and the overall size of the program in light of incoming information, and will adjust the program as needed to best promote maximum unemployment and price stability. Quantitative easing will pump more liquidity in markets which will drive interest rates lower, although the potential drop is limited to the current low levels. The policy also serves to fight deflation.

With additional liquidity in the system, prices tend to go higher hand in hand with and inflation.

The purchases are in addition to the mortgage reinvestments ranging between $250 and $300 billion over the same period, resulting in an average purchase pace of $110 billion per month.

J ob Market The US Economy generated a net gain in jobs for the first time in five months. Indeed, businesses stepped up their slow pace of hiring. Figures from the Labor Department showed nonfarm payrolls climbed 151,000 in October following a 41,000 drop the previous month. This figure beat the forecast of a 60,000 rise in payrolls, and gave signals that the economy could be cruising towards a job market recovery. In addition, private hiring, which excludes government agencies, rose 159,000 in October, the biggest gain since April, and higher than the expected rise of 80,000.

So far this year, the economy has added 874,000 jobs and over a million in the private sector, compared with more than 8 million jobs shed since 2008. The solid jobs growth failed to make an impact on the unemployment rate, which remained at 9.6% for a third straight month, in line with market expectation.

Services Sector The services sector in the United States expanded in October at the fastest pace in three months, indicating that the recovery is gaining strength even as central bankers loosen monetary policy. The Institute of Supply Management’s (ISM) index of non-manufacturing business, which covers about 90% of the economy, rose from 53.2 in September to 54.3 in October. A faster expansion in services may encourage companies to increase hiring, in an effort to reduce the unemployment rate from its current high level. Similarly, the ISM Manufacturing Index rose from 54.4 to 56.9 this month, also showing acceleration in the sector’s expansion.

ECB Unaffected The European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday left its key interest rate unchanged at 1.00%, and the president Jean-Claude Trichet signaled that the central bank intends to stick to its exit strategy even after the Federal Reserve eased their policy further. The ECB’s removal of emergency stimulus is being complicated by renewed concerns about the fiscal

NBK WEEKLY MONEY MARKETS REPORT

health of countries like Ireland, Portugal and Greece, and by the monetary policy taken by other central banks like the Fed and the Bank of Japan. Furthermore, the appreciation of the Euro against the US Dollar could also undermine Europe’s economic recovery by reducing the eurozone’s exports.

PMI Figures The euro-zone services sector recovery continued to lose momentum in October. The Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) for the services sector fell from an earlier 54.1

to 53.3 in October, its lowest level since February. National growth disparities remained prominent: while growth in the region remains largely dependent upon France and Germany, Spain contracted further and growth barely registered in Italy and Ireland.

The euro-zone composite PMI, which represents a broader measure of private sector activity that combines both the services and the manufacturing sectors, slipped also to an eight-month low of 53.8 in October.

This number being above 50, still

points to an expansion in both sectors, but also shows that the expansion is continuously losing steam and could turn into a contraction soon.

During its policy meeting last week, the Bank of England (BOE) held its base rate at 0.50% as expected. Moreover, the BOE resisted pumping more money into the economy through quantitative easing, and kept its emergency stimulus program unchanged at its current GBP 200 billion, as the strength of the UK recovery persuaded officials not to join the Federal Reserve in buying

more government bonds. That decision comes after GDP figures were higher than expected in the third quarter, showing an improvement in the English economy.

Asia Pacific The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) surprised the markets by raising its key cash rate by 25 basis points, from 4.50% to a two-year high of 4.75%. Justifying this decision, the central bank said that the country’s economic growth will accelerate next year, spurred by trade and mining investment, and higher commodity prices. The RBA had already led the developed world’s central banks in hiking rates, and has already raised its benchmark rate by 1.50% since October 2009.

Bank of J apan The Bank of Japan (BOJ) decided by a unanimous vote at its meeting to keep their key interest rate, the overnight call rate, in a range of 0% to 0.10%. The central bank said in a statement that Japan’s economy “still shows signs of a moderate recovery, but the recovery seems to be pausing”. The BOJ finalized its asset-purchase plan which amounts to JPY 5 trillion in an effort to stimulate the sluggish economy, but did not announce any further easing steps to try to halt the Yen’s advance.

Kuw ait Dinar at 0.28000 The USDKWD opened at 0.28000 on Sunday morning.

Wataniya wins ‘Brand of the Year’ award from Superbrands Leading Kuwait brands honored at ‘Oscars of Branding’ tribute event

VIVA Kuwait CEO Eng Najeeb Al-Awadi

Free calls from VIVA Kuwait More surprises and irresistible offers with VIVA Festiva KUWAIT: VIVA Kuwait launched another transparent and convenient offer under the umbrella of “VIVA Festiva” for its customers, enabling them to make free calls and proving that anything is possible.

With the “From 5 to 5” campaign, representing the first digit of all VIVA numbers; VIVA Kuwait offers its current and new Prepaid and Postpaid customers the ability to make free calls to any VIVA number between 5 am to 5 pm totally free of charge. The prepaid customers, however, can enjoy this offer after completing five-minute call during this period. Hence, giving VIVA Kuwait customers an opportunity to stay connected during day time with their families, friends and colleagues in the most affordable way.

VIVA Kuwait is introducing a new era in dealing with its customers through “VIVA Festiva” where many amazing tailored services are yet to be expected, stressing that it is not VIVA Kuwait’s first time to generously provide its customers with outstanding offers and services to fit their needs and lifestyle.

About this promotional offer, VIVA Kuwait, CEO, Eng Najeeb Al-Awadi, said” VIVA Kuwait’s world is original and

unique, where a comprehensive study of the needs of the Kuwaiti market produces services which enables customers to easily access the communication field taking into consideration the financial ability of all society segments by offering reasonable and affordable packages.” AlAwadi, added, “ Proving everything possible with VIVA Kuwait, comes an offer to be enjoyed at the peak time of the day where employees, students, businessmen and women, and housewives at home and any other place, make calls and interact absolutely free of charge.”

This innovative offer is the first of its kind in Kuwait, as VIVA Kuwait enhances the concept of interacting and communicating for free with no strings attached, elaborating on its social responsibility towards current and new customers. This offer represents a solid interpretation of providing services away from the commercial and advertising slogans.

The Free Calls Offer is another addition to “VIVA Festiva” surprises, allowing our customers to talk freely within the applied terms and conditions, offering mobile users several unrivalled and exclusive services.

Abu Dhabi’s Aldar needs $2.7bn by 2011: Report DUBAI: Abu Dhabi’s Aldar Properties needs 9.8 billion dirhams ($2.67 billion) by 2011 as it seeks funding to survive, Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a report.

The developer, Abu Dhabi’s largest by market capitalization, is expected to re-finance 3 billion dirhams of debt by year-end, the bank said. “We are skeptical about the terms of a new financing solution,” it said. “Aldar could surprise on the upside if it received an explicit sovereign-guaranteed issuance in the current easier credit market. Issue size would be critical to share price performance. “Uncertainty remains about the government willingness to carry market risk,” the bank added, maintaining its underperform rating for Aldar.

The developer’s shares have fallen 51 percent since March 28, driven by fears that minority investors will suffer if state support proves dilutive, with last week’s resignation of its chief executive fuelling negative sentiment around the stock. — Reuters

KUWAIT: Superbrands Middle East yesterday announced that Wataniya has won the ‘Brand of the Year’ at the second annual Superbrands tribute event, which was held at the Movenpick & Convention Centre - Free Trade Zone. The country’s strongest brands were individually honored at the event, which also saw the unveiling of the 2010 Superbrands book featuring many of the country’s best brands. Dubbed globally as the ‘Oscars of Branding’, the event was attended by the country’s most prominent senior business, marketing and branding executives.

“The tribute event is a celebration of many of the country’s strongest brands and in turn recognition of the people who work hard to ensure the success of their brands. We are happy to announce that Wataniya was voted ‘Brand of the Year’ for 2010 as they scored the highest points amongst all the brands. Despite the global economic slowdown, Wataniya has overcome the challenges faced by the telecoms sector with its innovative promotions and initiatives, which have proven to be a huge success,” said Mr. Mike English, Director, Superbrands Middle East.

“Wataniya is a brand that continues to excel and grow - a perfect example of a Superbrand. They do not produce or sell any unique products and yet they are trusted and recognised internationally. We would like to congratulate them on this feat and wish them even more success in their future endeavors,” English added.

Fifty four top brands were awarded Superbrands status out of thousands available in Kuwait. The brands that scored more than 80% of the total possible marks were declared Superbrands by the Brand Council. To win this accolade is a powerful endorsement and evidence for existing customers, potential customers, the media, suppliers, investors and employees of each brand’s exceptional status.

The Superbrands Council, which comprises of some of the leading names in Kuwait business circles, compile the shortlist which is then scored online by more than 2,500 marketing professional.

Those brand which meet the stringent criteria set by the council are awarded with Superbrands status.

Most of the selected brands appear in the Superbrands Kuwait book, which traces the history and achievements of each of the brands. The 2010 Superbrands book is a coffee table book, which includes a two-page profile of each Superbrand tracing the foundation and development of the brand and a ‘Things You Didn’t Know section’ highlighting interesting facts about the brand and its unique achievements.

Superbrands - Members of the organizing committee.

A still from the awarding ceremony — Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Superbrands: Honoring trademarks

Magician performs during the event.

Jet Airways to introduce 46 new domestic flights MUMBAI: Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, and Jet Airways Konnect, its all-economy service, will introduce 46 new flights across India as part of its winter schedule, effective November 1, 2010 onwards.

In addition to the launch of new flights on existing sectors, the airline has introduced services on nine additional sectors across India, with immediate effect. Jet Airways Konnect will inaugurate a daily service on the tenth sector, Aurangabad Pune, effective March 1, 2011.

The airline will introduce direct services between Vishakhapatnam and three important Indian metros- Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderbad. It will also connect Delhi with Bhopal and Ahmedabad, and Aurangabad with Pune, as outlined in the table below.

According to Nikos Kardassis, CEO, Jet Airways, “With domestic air traffic, particularly business travel, on an upswing, there has been a strong up-shift in demand towards twin-cabin services on several

Daily flights to Colombo from Delhi, Mumbai routes. The introduction of Jet Airways’ Premiere and Konnect Select products on these new routes, in addition to the introduction of new services on existing domestic routes, is in response to this, and we are confident that they will prove extremely popular with guests.” Jet Airways also introduced daily direct state of the art Boeing 737-800 flights to Colombo from Mumbai and Delhi from November 5, 2010.

Flight 9W 256 will depart Mumbai daily at 0210 hours reaching Colombo at 0445 hours. On the return sector, flight 9W 255 will depart Colombo at 2045 hours and reach Mumbai at 2320 hours. On the Colombo- Delhi sector, 9W 258 will depart Colombo at 0750 hours and reach Delhi at 1130 hours. On the return, flight 9W 257 will depart Delhi at 1305 hours and arrive at Colombo at 1640 hours. The commencement of these two new flights between

India and Sri Lanka , are in addition to the existing double daily Chennai- Colombo Chennai services. The Airline launched International operations to ChennaiColombo - Chennai in 2004.

With this enhanced connectivity, Colombo will now be connected to Jet Airways’ two strategic hubs - Delhi and Mumbai, thus offering its guests seamless connectivity through the two key Indian cities onto several destinations across North America, Europe, as well as destinations across the Gulf, Middle East and Far East on the Jet Airways network.

According to Sudheer Raghavan, CCO, Jet Airways, “Jet Airways is delighted to provide direct links from the financial and the national capital to the Emerald Isle, which is fast emerging as a highly rated global tourism destination. We are happy to offer seamless connections to several desti-

nations to our guests from Colombo across our Global network through our two important gateways of Delhi and Mumbai. We are also happy at the same time to strengthen air connectivity to destinations within the SAARC region with convenient connections to both Kathmandu and Dhaka via Delhi.”

The airline will deploy the state-of-theart Boeing 737-800 aircraft, offering 8 Premiere and 162 economy class seats.

Guests will also be treated to the airline’s award-winning in-flight product that is among the best in its class.

Sri Lanka is fast becoming the tourism destination for holiday and leisure traveler across the globe, known for its beaches, magnificent landscapes, ecologically-wondrous forests and abundance of wildlife. Jet Airways is offering attractive inaugural fares as part of this launch, for which guests may get in touch with their nearest travel agent or the airline office 0112475375 (Delhi) or log on to www.jetairways.com

24

BUSINESS GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT

KSE trading remains sluggish

Dubai’s Arabtec Q3 profit slumps, below forecasts Expenses rise in Q3, revenue drops

KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange started the week on a mixed note with a sluggish trading activity. KSE kicked off yesterday’s session with greater losses, however, active trading on Mobile Telecommunications Co (Zain), which closed up by 2.78 percent lifted Global General weighted Index to end in green territory. The board meeting of Zain held yesterday discussed opening the company’s books for due diligence by UAE’s Etisalat , which has offered to buy 46 percent of the company.

Global General Index (GGI) closed 0.21 points up (0.09 percent), at 222.48 point as the Market capitalization increased reaching KD36.03mn. On the other hand, Kuwait Stock Exchange Price Index closed in the red zone shedding 7.30 points (0.10 percent) from its value and closed at 7,117.4 point. The index remains riding on the upward bullish trend line but failed to hold its early gains. The first target level at 7,200 point is still intact while above the support area at 7,100 point - 7,080 point.

Market breadth During the session, 128 companies were traded.

Market breadth was skewed towards advancers as 50 equities advanced versus 38 that retreated.

Trading activities ended on a negative note. Volume of shares traded on the exchange decreased by 43.21 percent to reach 269.36mn shares, the value of shares traded decreased by 18.11 percent to stand at KD53.14mn.

The Investment Sector was the volume leader yesterday, accounting for 40.65 percent of total shares and the Services Sector was the value leader, with 43.82 percent of total

Monday, November 8, 2010

DUBAI: Dubai’s Arabtec said yesterday net profit for the third-quarter slumped 96 percent on rising expenses and a sharp drop in revenues, falling well short of analysts’ forecasts.

The largest builder in the United Arab Emirates by market value, made a net profit of 6.8 million dirhams ($1.85 million) in the three months to Sep 30, compared with a net profit of 166.6 million dirhams in the same period last year.

The firm’s shares were down 4.2 percent at 0703 GMT, having risen as much as 1.9 percent earlier yesterday ahead of the release of the results. Four analysts polled by Reuters had on average expected the builder to post a net prof-

traded value.

Company-wise, Al-Mal Investment Company was the volume leader, with a total traded volume of 23.18mn shares changing hands. Zain Co was the value leader, with a total traded value of KD15.62mn.

In terms of top gainers, Ajial Real Estate & Entertainment Company was the biggest gainer for the day, adding 16.39 percent and closed at KD0.142. Kuwait Insurance Co came in as the biggest decliner, dropping by 10.53 percent and closed at KD0.340. Global Insurance index was the biggest loser which shed 2.29 percent to close at 46.53 points.

Sector-wise Sector-wise, five out of eight indices went down yesterday, Global Food sector was the second biggest loser as it shed 1.73 percent to close at 398.68. This was a result of Kuwait Foodstuff Company (Americana). which dropped 2.38 percent to close at KD1.640.

Banking stocks succumbed to the selling pressure, ending the day down 0.71 percent.

However, the sector is up 34.13 percent so far in 2010. Three of the nine sector components ended in the negative territory.

National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) shouldered the sector’s performance with a 1.49 percent loss.

Regarding the advancers, Global’s Services Index took

the lead with a 1.49 percent gain backed by Mobile Telecommunication Co(ZAIN), which rose 2.78 percent to close at KD1.480.

Oil news The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $84.33 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $82.56 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

Corporate news Gulf Cable and Electrical Industries Co has made a clarification about the news published in a local gazette as regards submitting the lowest bid for the KD10,512,625 tender of the Ministry of

Electricity and Water (MEW).

Accordingly, the firm will supply low-voltage cables. The Central Tenders Committee (CTC) declared that Gulf Cable was the lowest bidder, but the company was not informed officially of the tender award, because of completing some routine procedures.

The Kuwaiti dinar was traded 0.280 against the US dollar on Sunday while its rate against the euro was at KD0.392. The Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) said on its website that the rate of the national currency rose to KD0.453 against the sterling, KD0.003 versus the yen, and was KD0.291 vis a vis the Swiss franc.

it of 94.8 million dirhams for the third-quarter.

General and administrative expenses for the quarter rose to 155.9 million dirhams from 100.6 million dirhams a year earlier, while revenues dropped to 1.28 billion dirhams against 1.66 billion dirhams the year before.

Profit for the first nine months fell to 252.4 million dirhams, compared with a net profit of 511.7 million dirhams in the same period of 2009.

Arabtec, which is bidding for $8.17 billion of work outside its local markets, may look at new funding sources for its expansion plans, its chief financial officer told the Reuters Middle East Investment Summit in October.

Ziad Makhzoumi had told the summit he

expected to see third quarter profit in line with second quarter profit.

Arabtec’s second quarter profit was 111.1 million dirhams.

Arabtec is expanding overseas to diversify its portfolio away from Dubai’s once-booming property sector which has been hit hard by the global financial crisis as developers slow or cancel projects and jobs are slashed.

It is focusing on winning projects in new markets and has tendered for work in Turkmenistan, Azerbeijan and Angola.

Property prices in Dubai have been under pressure since late last year, when the financial crisis and a slump in oil prices ended a six-year economic boom in the Gulf region. —Reuters

UAE gold sales down 10% in Oct: Retailers DUBAI: Retail gold sales volumes in Dubai and Abu Dhabi fell by around 10 percent on the year in October as high gold prices deterred consumers despite the Indian festive season, retailers said yesterday.

“Ahead of Indian festival of Diwali demand is usually strong but this year prices are just too out of reach for a lot of people...we saw a drop of around 10 percent in volumes,” said Tushar Patni, director of Ajanta Jewelers, one of the largest retailers in the emirate capital of Abu Dhabi.

Spot gold hit a record high above $1,397 an ounce, then slipped back to $1,393.15. Investors

often buy the metal as an inflation hedge and alternative to the dollar when the US currency weakens.

“When things are not going well in the festive seasons you can only imagine what will happen a few months from now because there is no sign that the prices will come down,” said a retailer in Dubai’s old gold souk.

As cash-strapped consumers struggled to purchase gold this time of year, demand for silver coins was seen to be higher, said Pradeep Unni, senior analyst and trader at Richcomm Global Services in Dubai. —Reuters

BUSINESS

Monday, November 8, 2010

25

KAMCO reports KD 1.69m net profit in Q3 2010 KUWAIT: KIPCO Asset Management Company (KAMCO), one of Kuwait’s premier asset management and financial services company, has posted a 92.7% gain in the 2010 third quarter net profit, posting a net profit of KD 1.69 million, or 7.1 fils per share. This figure exceeds the Q3 results of 2009, which were KD 0.88 million, or 3.5 fils per share.

KAMCO reported total Q3 revenue of KD 8.16 million in 2010. Total shareholders’ equity in Q3 totaled to KD 87.82 million, where total company

assets amounted to KD 171.57 million during the same period.

On this occasion, KAMCO Managing Director and CEO, Sadoun Abdullah Ali commented, “Our KAMCO achievements serve as success indicators which are reflected through the growth in financial performance in spite of the challenging economic conditions. These positive results could not have been accomplished without KAMCO’s methodology of human resource development which aims to enhance its employees’ competencies and perfor-

mance level in order to excel,” he also added, “KAMCO continues its success journey which commenced in the beginning of 2010 and has witnessed numerous financial achievements and developments in the first nine months. Some of these are the successful completion of a KD40 million ($140 million) local bond issuance by United Real Estate Company (UREC), in which KAMCO and NBK Capital acted as Joint Lead Managers, and the launch of a partnership between Kuwait Projects Company (Holding) ‘KIPCO’ and Fairfax Financial

Holdings. These accomplishments have begun to mark signs of profitability, as we are very optimistic about the growing demand in our investment products and services, and will aim to seize attractive investment opportunities which have emerged in this last period during the market recovery, coupled with our high performance level and gained investor confidence. I would also like to reflect our team’s sterling efforts and deep professional expertise which have greatly contributed to our high standing in the investment market.”

APEC ponders free trade region as frictions loom KAMCO Managing Director and CEO Sadoun Abdullah Ali

ADB chief says capital controls ok sometimes

Dubai Financial Market swings to Q3 net loss DUBAI: Dubai Financial Market (DFM) swung to a third-quarter net loss as declining trading volumes and the inclusion of sister bourse Nasdaq Dubai’s results in its earnings hurt the bottom line.

The firm, the Arab world’s only publicly listed exchange, made a loss of 2.95 million dirhams ($803,400) in the three months ending September 30, it said in a statement on Dubai’s bourse website on Sunday.

This compares to a profit of 71.51 million dirhams in the third quarter of 2009. When excluding Nasdaq Dubai’s earnings, DFM’s third-quarter profit was 3.8 million dirhams.

Earlier this year, DFM bought Nasdaq OMX’s one-third stake in sister bourse, Nasdaq Dubai, with the two markets switching to a single trading platform and synchronized opening hours in a bid to bolster declining turnover.

This consolidation is nearly complete, chief

executive Essa Kazim said in the statement.

“DFM (has) started the implementation of an ambitious strategy to diversify revenue and profit streams and limit dependency on trading commissions as the main source of profitability,” Kazim said.

The firm will look to boost information sales revenues, he added. DFM’s traded value fell 54 percent in the first nine months of 2009, while full-year turnover is poised to slump to a sixyear low. DFM’s nine-month profit to the end of September fell to 77.8 million dirhams, down from 258 million in the year-earlier period.

Dubai’s index is down 4.5 percent this year and some 73 percent below a January 2008 peak as a property crash in the emirate and multi-billion debt restructuring by government conglomerate Dubai World sent shares tumbling.

DFM’s shares closed 3.5 percent lower in earlier trading yesterday. — Reuters

Coal India issue could boost future state sales: Analysts MUMBAI: The success of India’s $3.4-billion sale of shares in state-run Coal India has raised hopes of big returns for the government from a cascade of looming partial privatizations, analysts say.

The sale of a 10 percent stake in Coal India was oversubscribed 15 times and shares soared 40 percent on their opening day of trade last week as foreign and domestic investors scrambled to invest in the world’s biggest coal miner. It was India’s biggest stock sale ever and “will see a positive rub-off on future disinvestments”, Sanjay Sharma, head of equities with Deutsche Bank, told AFP. The Congress-led government is planning stakes sales in at least half a dozen stateowned firms in the coming months as part of a wide-ranging divestment strategy encompassing energy to steel companies.

The government aims to make the most of a booming share market which has soared 20 percent this year to hit record highs, boosted by inflows from foreigners escaping dismal returns and

anaemic growth in the developed world.

Next out of the starting gates is state-owned energy transmission company Power Grid Corp of India which plans to launch an offer Tuesday to raise 80 billion rupees ($1.8 billion).

Other state-run firms including Steel Authority of India, Hindustan Copper and Manganese Ore have also lined up share sales.

India hopes to raise a total of 400 billion rupees ($9 billion) by next March from selling chunks of state-run companies with the proceeds to be used for social and infrastructure projects.

The income will also help reduce the budget deficit to 5.5 percent of GDP in the year to March from 6.65 percent the previous year.

The success of the Coal India offer was partly due to attractive pricing.

Investors cold-shouldered earlier issues by state-run iron-ore miner NMDC and thermal-power generator NTPC which were seen as overpriced. “The government has become sober from expe-

rience (in disinvestment),” said Maju Nair, of Mumbaibased brokerage Sharekhan.

The Coal India sale drew strong foreign interest and analysts expect a similar response to upcoming government stake offers. “There is definite appetite for (Indian) paper if the pricing is fair,” said Srinivasan Subramanian, investment banking head of Enam Securities. India has attracted a record 27 billion dollars in foreign investment this year. “India has crossed the stage where just strong economic fundamentals are bringing in investments,” said Pramod Gubbi, a director at global investment bank Execution Noble. “Higher yields are attracting investors,” Gubbi said.

India’s privatization plans could also get a lift from last week’s decision by the US central bank to pump more money into the economy to help kickstart economic recovery, analysts add.

“Even if a small allocation of these (US) funds flow towards India, there will be a fresh boost” to the market, Gubbi said. — AFP

An Indian coal miner uses the telephone inside an underground tunnel of a mine owned by the Sinagareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) at Godavarikhani, some 250 kilometers east of Hyderabad. — AFP

YOKOHAMA: Asia-Pacific economies, including China and the United States, w ere laying the groundw ork yesterday for a vast free trade area, but frictions over currencies and geopolitical rivalries threatened to undermine regional harmony.

China and the United States turned down the heat in an acrimonious dispute over currencies and trade imbalances at a meeting of finance ministers from the 21-member AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

Meeting in Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto on Saturday, the finance chiefs declared members will move towards more market-determined exchange rate systems reflecting underlying economic fundamentals, and refrain from competitive devaluation of currencies.

US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told reporters on Saturday that while there was now broad consensus to develop some form of policy framework to avoid excessive current account imbalances, specific targets should not be expected from a Group of 20 summit in Seoul on Nov 11 and 12, just ahead of an APEC summit.

“It’s not something you can reduce easily to a single number,” Geithner said. He had earlier suggested countries should aim to cut surpluses or deficits to a targeted share of gross domestic product over time.

Geithner was also forced to fend off criticism that the United States was deliberately weakening the dollar after the US Federal Reserve announced last week it was in effect running the printing presses to buy another $600 billion in government bonds in an effort to reinvigorate the flagging US economy.

The series of APEC meetings in Yokohama, just south of Tokyo, will conclude next weekend in a summit that brings together US President Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and other leaders of fast-growing nations around the Pacific rim.

APEC members have signed more than 100 bilateral and other mini-free trade agreements with each other, and stitching them together somehow into an area that accounts for 44 percent of global trade is an ambitious task.

“I think FTAAP is a very good idea,” Asian Development Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda said in an interview on Sunday, referring to the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific.

“Rather than doing bilaterally or with a small number of countries, free trade deals work better when more countries get involved because that will not only benefit member countries but also reduce the negative impact on non-member nations, and that could be a plus for the global economy.”

Kuroda said regional coordination was needed to deal with the differing rates at which currencies are appreciating in Asia’s hot emerging markets.

“Southeast Asian currencies are appreciating, but the Chinese one is not. There is a gap among emerging market currencies,” Kuroda said. “This is causing a big problem, so we need to talk more about currency cooperation in the region.

“If regional coordination and cooperation progress, it will help ease global imbalances,” Kuroda said. Capital inflows into developing countries have been massive. Flows into emerging market funds reached $46.4 billion in the year to the fourth week of October compared with $9.4 billion for all of 2009, according to Global fund tracker EPFR. — Reuters

LAHORE: Pakistani women carry water cane as they come back home in Lahore yesterday. Pakistan’s economic outlook has deteriorated sharply as a result of the floods. The agriculture sector, which accounts for 21 percent of Gross Domestic Product and 45 percent of employment, has been hit particularly hard. — AFP

Jordan unveils 2011 budget AMMAN: Jordan is targeting reducing its budget deficit to just five percent of its GDP in fiscal 2011, the country’s finance minister said yesterday.

Public spending under the proposed budget for fiscal 2011 has been set at about 6.24 billion Jordanian dinars ($8.81 billion), a slight increase of 364 million dinars from expenditure under the 2010 budget.

“The budget for next year was prepared according to expectations that the regional and international economies are recovering from the repercussions of the global recession,” said Finance Minister Mohammad Abu-Hammour.

The budget forecasts a deficit of

1.06 billion dinars ($1.49 billion), or 5 percent of the GDP, Abu-Hammour said. That’s 500 million dinars ($706 million) less than this year’s record deficit, which constituted 25 percent of the budget.

Public revenues are estimated at 5.18 billion dinars, representing 24.7 per cent of the gross domestic product, said Finance Minister Mohammed Abu-Hammour. He said that figure included 4.89 billion dinars in expected local revenues and an estimated 290 million dinars in unspecified foreign grants.

Resource-poor Jordan was among the hardest hit of the Arab nations during the global economic crisis in 2008 and

2009. The country relies heavily on foreign investments, remittances from workers abroad and foreign aid — all of which were affected during the financial crisis.

The United States is Jordan’s largest aid donor, spending $4 billion in the last decade to keep the economy its key Arab ally afloat. It gets much of its other aid from oil-rich Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia, which provides Jordan with crude at discounted rates. Economist Hani Horani said while the 2011 deficit was “realistic and reasonable,” Jordan should further curtail spending to “achieve self-reliance instead of depending on foreign aid.” “With the

global recession in mind, donor nations might prefer to help their people rather than a foreign country,” he said. “We should not expect foreign aid to continue forever.”

AbuHammour said the 2011 budget, which must be ratified by parliament to be elected tomorro, takes into consideration expectations for a flow of investment to stimulate growth and create more jobs.

He said the government will continue to curb operational spending, mainly in terms of fuel, electricity, water use and travel expenses, while maintaining a hiring freeze in public institutions except in the health and education ministries. — AP

Japan says it will open up economy, seek more FTAs YOKOHAMA: Acknowledging that its global economic status is declining, Japan’s government is declaring it will work to “open up the country” and redouble efforts to forge free trade agreements to boost its economic prospects.

A policy paper released on Saturday reflects Japan’s concerns that it is falling behind in forging free trade deals. It says Tokyo will work to wrap up pending negotiations with Australia and Peru, resume suspended trade talks with South Korea, and seek new talks with other countries or regions. “If Japan’s trade and investment environment becomes less attractive than the environment in other countries, there is a possibility that future employment opportunities will be lost,” the paper on comprehensive economic partnerships says.

The document, produced by a wide range of ministries, represents new government policy and will be formally adopted by the Cabinet this week, Noriyuki Shikata, a spokesman for Prime

Minister Naoto Kan’s office, said yesterday.

The document was released ahead of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit that Japan is hosting in Yokohama next weekend, where leaders of 21 economies will explore the possibility of a Pacific-wide free trade area. As host, Japan should show leadership to pave the way for realizing this goal, the paper says, although some APEC members are balking at the idea.

Tokyo says it needs to gather more information about a USbacked trade agreement called the Trans-Pacific Partnership that Kan’s government is considering joining, but that it will begin consultations with some TPP members.

Japanese farmers are opposed to the TPP because they worry that cutting import tariffs will ruin them. More broadly, the paper says Japan faces a “watershed moment” and needs to deepen ties with emerging economies as huge structural changes in the global

YOKOHAMA: Automobiles for export park at a Yokohama port, south of Tokyo. economy are causing its own economic status to decline.

“Recognizing this, the government of Japan is absolutely resolved to ‘open up the country,”‘ it says. However, it doesn’t get very specific beyond saying Tokyo would be more aggressive in promoting more free trade deals and that it

would press ahead with domestic reforms, including in agriculture. The paper recognizes the potential adverse impact on farmers. It suggests that Japan needs to overhaul its farming policy, adding that with its population of farmers aging, agriculture in Japan might not be sustainable in the future. — AP

26

BUSINESS

Monday, November 8, 2010

US debt battle could lead to government shutdown WASHINGTON: Fresh from US election victory, Republicans face a rapid test of their debt-slashing resolve, one that could spark a government shutdown and, some fear, undermine efforts to aid the recovery.

Contrary to popular belief, the US government cannot spend at will. Like anyone with a bank account, Washington has a limited overdraft.

Instead of asking the bank for an extension, presidents have to get permission from Congress, and frequently do. But that might now be tricky for President Barack Obama.

Around a year after the last raise, Obama’s administration is expected to run up against the current debt ceiling sometime early next year.

Obama will then have to go cap in hand to a Congress that now includes many ultra-conservative Republicans and Tea Party candidates who think the current level of $14.3 trillion is quite enough, thank you very much.

One of the right’s standard bearers, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, has called on Republicans to refuse to raise the debt ceiling, a move that would cause a government shutdown.

With a majority in the House of Representatives and a big enough minority to thwart action in the Senate, that threat is being taken very seriously.

“The government cannot function unless the debt ceiling is lifted,” former labor secretary Robert Reich told

AFP. “Ordinarily, it’s automatic,” he added, “But the new Tea Party branch of the Republican party will insist on making a big issue out of raising the debt ceiling.”

Throughout the election campaign, Tea Party candidates like Kentucky senator-elect Rand Paul pushed a policy of starving the government “beast” by cutting spending at the same time as lowering taxes.

Paul’s election pledges to “fight to balance the budget and dramatically reduce spending” would be difficult to square with voting to enlarge the deficit.

Opinion polls show the US public is angry at what it views as overspending

by Washington at a time when many

American families have been forced to tighten their belts.

And Republicans have voted to shutter the government before. In 1995, Gingrich led the party to a vote against lifting the debt ceiling, causing all non-essential services to be cut to prevent a catastrophic US default that would have sent the global economy into free-fall.

According to Reich, who served under Democratic president Bill Clinton, the more hardline Republican new kids on the block will face opposition from the party establishment, which is loath to reinforce Democrats’ efforts to paint them as obstructionist.

“More traditional Republicans, including (House speaker-in-waiting)

John Boehner, won’t want to because they don’t want to get into a game of chicken with the White House of a sort Newt Gingrich precipitated,” according to Reich.

“The public is in no mood for a government shutdown. They want their elected representatives to be able to work together effectively. So the interesting political question is who will win the showdown on this issue within the Republican Party.” There are already signs that the hard right may not be willing to once again engage the nuclear trigger of fiscal policy. “No one regardless of who is in the majority wants to see the US default on its debt,” said Mattie Corrao of the conservative group

Americans for Tax Reform, which usually advises representatives to vote against raising the ceiling.

“What we will hopefully see in the future is people working to damp down on all of this reckless spending and work toward a point where we are not considering a debt ceiling, but the outlays in and of themselves.”

Whatever the outcome of the political tussle within the Republican party, financial experts are warning that another government shutdown would be an unmitigated economic disaster.

“It would be a huge negative hit for the economy,” according to David Min, a former Congressional staffer who now works for the left-leaning

Center for American Progress.

According to Min, shutting down the government would even neutralize the Federal Reserve’s recent 600 billion dollar punt to prime the economy, a policy dubbed quantitative easing two, or QE2.

“If the Republicans shut down the government, any impact of QE2... will be dwarfed by the huge negative fiscal impact of shutting down the government.”

“If you cut down the government, even for a week or two, you furlough workers, you shut down services, that is going to be a huge fiscal hit, the fact that money is a little bit easier to acquire through credit is not going to offset that,” he said. —AFP

Unemployed risk losing welfare benefits

Jobless Britons could be made to do manual work cuts to Britain’s huge welfare bill, reduce dependency on benefits and weed out those earning money but not declaring it, papers said. “What we are talking about here is people who have not been used to working having both the opportunity and perhaps a bit more of a push as well, to experience the workplace from time to time,” Foreign Secretary William Hague told BBC TV. “The vast majority of people in Britain will think that is the right thing to do.”

Shortly after the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition took power in May, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith unveiled plans to simplify the complex web of benefits available to reduce errors and inefficiencies.

Duncan Smith said the system had become regressive and was not giving people the right incentive to work as many were financially better off unemployed.

Under his plans separate benefits for items such as housing, income support or incapacity will be replaced by a “universal credit” system whereby individual households would get a single welfare payment to ensure those in work would be better off.

The Observer newspaper said that in return, long-term unemployed would be told to take up work placements of at least 30 hours a week for a SEOUL: South Korean protesters gather in central Seoul yesterday to demonstrate against the upcoming G20 four-week period.

Summit to be held in the South Korean capital. —AP If they refuse or fail to complete the program, their jobseekers’ allowance, worth 64.30 pounds a week for those over 25, could be PARIS: The Group of 20 coun- quickly,” is the refrain again, he age-continue to be widely used years on what has changed? stopped for at least three tries, meeting next week, were said. The G20 rich and develop- and traded with little meaning- The bonus culture, said to have months. encouraged too much risk-taksupposed to have stamped out ing major economies have made ful regulatory oversight.

GARDENING “Sure, there are fewer ing, seems alive and well, anathe financial market abuses at reform of the financial markets Charities, local councils, the heart of the global crisis but a key objective but analysts say (derivatives) now than before lysts said. voluntary organizations and This year, the banks, brolittle seems to have changed that good intentions are failing the global crisis but they are private companies will be still as much in use. Some kers and finance houses will pay to keep up with reality. since their last summit. contracted to provide the “Nothing has changed, if it is seven trillion euros ($9.9 tril- bonuses worth some $144 bilAnalysts said hopes for placements, which could reform after the market chi- only that the banks now give lion) are out there,” said Olivier lion to staff, according to a Wall involve gardening, clearing canery that brought down a the appearance of being much Huneau, a dealer at www.nou- Street Journal study. “We have up litter or painting schools, undoubtedly made a lot of series of ‘too-big-to-fail’ banks stricter so as not to get veautrader.com the Sunday Times reported.

Uncontrolled speculative progress, on paper, but much of and sparked the worst slump splashed all over the front “We will shortly be bringsince the 1930s have faded with pages,” said Eric Singer of trade in derivatives sank US it is just window dressing,” said ing forward further proposthe return of the ‘get rich quick’ Singer and Hamilton, a head- investment banking giant Pierre Ciret, economist at als on how to break the cycle hunting agency specializing in Lehman Brothers in late 2008, Edmond de Rothschild Asset mentality. of dependency blighting “The bad old habits have financial services appoint- setting off a chain reaction that Management. many of our communities Ciret said the banks, many brought the global financial syscome back much faster than ments. and make sure work always Derivatives-complex and tem, and then the economy, to kept afloat by massive governwas expected,” said Denis pays,” a spokeswoman for ment support, need to be closely Marcadet of Vendome Associes often highly speculative invest- its knees. the Department for Work Never again, said the politi- scrutinized because, if they are ment instruments blamed for in Paris. and Pensions said.

“Make a lot of money and much of the turmoil and dam- cians and regulators, but two more careful now, “that will all The proposals echo simichange once their balance sheets lar schemes in the United are sorted out.”

States, but do not go as far as Singer said the authorities do not understand that speculative the system there which limbubbles can now build very its the time people can claim quickly, meaning that regulators benefits. have to anticipate more.

“The message will go At their 2009 summit in across; play ball or it’s going Pittsburg in the United States, to be difficult,” Duncan the G20 called for increased Smith told the Daily oversight of derivatives markets, Telegraph on Saturday. trader salaries and bonuses along Harriet Harman, deputy with reform of the ratings agenleader of the opposition cies-to make them better moniLabor Party, said they would tors of credit risk-and curbs on wait for full details of the proprietary trading, where broreforms before deciding kers trade for themselves not whether to oppose the meaclients. sures but added she believed But other reform measures some of the proposals were appear more distant. New rules unfair. proposed in September by the “Without jobs, welfare Basel Committee of internationreform won’t work,” she told al regulators to strengthen the BBC TV. capacity of banks to confront In 2009/10, the governfuture crises do not take effect ment spent 87 billion pounds until 2013. on benefits and tax credits Another initiative to improve for people of working age, the quality of bank equity holdings will not become operational dwarfing most other items of until January 1 2015. government spending.

Nevertheless, bank lobby groups The government estibeen active on the sidemates that some 1.4 million NICE: Chinese President Hu Jintao (right), French Finances Minister Christine have lines, arguing that too severe a in Britain have been Lagarde (center) and French Industry Minister Christian Estrosi arrive at the air- tightening of regulations could people on out of work benefits for port of Nice, southern France yesterday. Chinese President Hu Jintao will visit hobble lending and pose a threat nine or more of the last 10 to the global recovery. —AFP Lisbon, Portugal after a three-day visit in France. —AP years. –Reuters LONDON: Britain’s long-term unemployed could be forced to carry out compulsory manual work or risk losing their welfare benefits under plans being put forward by the government, newspapers reported yesterday.

The US-style scheme would see the long-term jobless ordered to take up four-week placements in order to get them used to having a full-time job.

The idea is part of major reforms, due to be unveiled this week, to make

Get rich quick trumps market reform: Experts

HYDERABAD: Chairman of Tata Sons Ratan Naval Tata (right) greets chairman of United Technologies Louis Chenevert (center) in the presence of Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Konijeti Rosaiah (left) during the Tata Advanced Systems unveiling ceremony of the first Sikorsky S-92 Helicopter cabin made in India in Hyderabad yesterday. Tata Advaced Systems has set up a Greenfield manufacturing facility at the APIIC-Aerospace and Precision Engineering Special Economic Zone in Hyderabad.The facility is export oriented, and the cabins manufactured will form the overall helicopter structure that Sikorsky will integrate and complete for its global S-92 aircraft customers. —AFP

Strong Aussie dollar to hit budget bottom line: Swan SYDNEY: The surging Australian dollar will erode government revenues, particularly from mining exports, Treasurer Wayne Swan warned yesterday ahead of his midyear budget update.

Swan said the dollar’s march past parity with the greenback last month for the first time in its 27-year history would weigh on the budget bottom line by depressing the value of commodities, which are contracted in US dollars.

“The higher dollar means our exporters bring home less income and that flows through to reduced company and resource taxes,” Swan said.

“That’s just the logical conclusion of the dollar going up the way it has in the couple of months since the previous budget update was issued during the election campaign.”

The “Aussie” jumped to a

record high of 101.76 US cents Friday, boosted by an unexpected 25-basis-point hike in official interest rates by the Reserve Bank of Australia and US economic stimulus measures by the Federal Reserve.

Swan said the bullish currency was the most significant of “hefty threats to the bottom line” that he would outline in Tuesday’s budget update.

Commodity prices have grown more than six percent since the middle of the year in US dollar terms, but their real value has fallen by more than seven percent because of the appreciating Aussie, he explained.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the upswing would mainly hurt revenues forecast to flow from a proposed 30 percent tax on coal and iron ore mining, but stressed her promise to bring the budget back to sur-

plus by 2013.

“The high Australian dollar has had an impact on revenues and there is consequently revisions that will be seen,” Gillard told commercial television.

“But we are... going to keep up the discipline and we will bring the budget back to surplus as promised.”

May’s budget put Australia’s deficit at 40.8 billion dollars for 2010-11 and flagged a “small” surplus of one billion dollars for 2012-13, while forecasting unemployment of 5.0 percent, growth of 3.25 percent and inflation of 2.5 percent.

Growth in the year to June was 3.3 percent, with the latest figures putting unemployment at 5.1 percent and underlying inflation at 2.4 percent as Australia rides a oncein-a-century resources boom on rapacious demand from Asia. —AFP

DAVIE, Florida: An old rusty set of pad-locks with chain and fence blocks one of the entrance to what was to have been a luxury townhouse development in Davie, Florida. A plunge in housing prices set off the economy’s slump. Most Americans were left financially stressed in some way. Millions of people abandoned all but the necessities; for some, the necessities became luxuries. —AP

Italian business leaders voice growing anger at Berlusconi MILAN: Italian businessman Mario Cortella can barely contain his embarrassment at the latest revelations of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s sexual escapades-at a time when Italy’s economy is in trouble.

“When we go abroad, our colleagues ask us: how do you manage with someone like that?” said Cortella, head of OpenKristallux, a small bathroom fittings business in the Venice region, one of the Italy’s wealthiest areas. “His bragging, his jokes are negative, they’re hurting Italian companies.” It’s not

just the scandals that are bothering Italy’s vibrant business world-it’s a perceived slowdown in reforms that is holding the country back.

“The country is paralysed and the government is not taking the initiative at a very difficult time for the economy,” Emma Marcegaglia, the head of Confindustria, Italy’s powerful employers federation, said earlier. She called on Italy to regain some institutional pride as “a new wave of mud undermines the credibility of institutions and the government.”

In a less pointed way, Italian central bank chief Mario Draghi made similar points on Friday, warning that Italy needed to increased its competitiveness and proceed with much-needed structural reforms in order to recover growth.

“The difficulty that the Italian economy has in growing and in creating revenue should not cease to worry us,” he said. “We could be at a crossroads” between growth and decline due to a lack of attention to the country’s structural problems, Draghi said. —AFP

TECHNOLOGY

Monday, November 8, 2010

27

Republican victory dooms ‘net neutrality’ WASHINGTON: The stunning Republican gains in the US elections appear to have doomed efforts to pass a “net neutrality” bill that would require Internet service providers to treat all Web traffic equally.

President Barack Obama, Democrats in Congress and Silicon Valley have backed net neutrality but it has met with opposition from telecom and cable companies and many Republicans who see it as unnecessary government regulation.

With the Republicans seizing control of the House of Representatives in Tuesday’s vote and picking up half-a-dozen seats in the

Senate, analysts said net neutrality is not expected to make any headway in Congress.

“There’s essentially no prospect of a net neutrality bill passing anytime soon,” said Richard Bennett, a senior fellow at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.

Bennett, in a blog post at Hightechforum.org, noted that all 95 Democratic members of the House and Senate who had signed a public pledge to protect an “open Internet” had lost their seats in the Republican tidal wave. “This election puts net neutrality on the back

burner, and raises the importance of spectrum, intellectual property protection, and Internet privacy,” Bennett said.

While disagreeing on net neutrality, many Republicans and Democrats agree there is a pressing need to auction off more wireless communications spectrum to cope with the explosion of mobile devices.

Another issue that appears headed for the back burner is immigration reform, which has been pushed by technology companies eager for visas for skilled engineers and software programmers from countries such as India.

“The Republican gains though are likely to make it more difficult to get comprehensive immigration reforms passed, which the tech industry has supported,” said Ed Black, president of the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA). While net neutrality and comprehensive immigration reform appear to be out of reach, the new Congress being sworn in in January can be expected to move forward on some technology legislation.

“Many tech issues are bipartisan,” said Black, citing cybersecurity and online privacy protection as areas where Democrats and Republicans can find common ground. A num-

ber of bipartisan cybersecurity bills are already wending their way through Congress while the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act is also being examined to bring it into the Internet age. Tuesday’s vote also saw the defeat of a US congressman who has been a prominent voice in technology issues for a long time and the election of a senator who has been a thorn in the side of technology giants.

Representative Rick Boucher, a Democrat from Virginia and net neutrality advocate who chaired the House subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, lost his re-election bid. Elected to the

Senate was Richard Blumenthal, who as the attorney general of Connecticut spearheaded probes into adult services advertisements on Craigslist and Google’s “Street View” online mapping service. Tuesday’s election also saw two high-profile former chief executives of technology companies, both Republicans, lose their bids for elected office in California.

Former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman lost the governor’s race despite spending more than 160 million dollars of her own money on her campaign and former HewlettPackard chief executive Carly Fiorina failed in her Senate bid. — AFP

Asia-Pacific governments chip away at Internet freedom

PORTSMOUTH: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (C), smiles as she sits with Commander-in-Chief Fleet of the Royal Navy, Admiral Trevor Soar (L), and the Commanding Officer of HMS Ark Royal, Captain Jerry Kyd (R), during her visit to the aircraft carrier, in Portsmouth, southern England on Friday. — AFP

Sprint axes China’s Huawei, ZTE ‘on security grounds’ WASHINGTON: The newspaper on Friday said the Pentagon and some US lawmakers are increasingly concerned about ties between the two Chinese telecommunications-equipment makers and the Chinese government and military.

Citing “people familiar with the matter,” the Journal said the Defense Department and lawmakers are concerned about the security implications of letting the Huawei and ZTE equipment into critical US infrastructure.

The newspaper quoted unidentified officials as saying China’s military could use Huawei or ZTE equipment to disrupt or intercept American communications.

US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke called Sprint chief executive Dan Hesse this week to discuss concerns about awarding the work to a Chinese firm, but did not ask Sprint to exclude the Chinese suppliers, the Journal said.

The Journal said the Department of Defense (DoD) declined to discuss Huawei or ZTE, but said it “is very concerned about China’s emerging cyber capabilities and any potential vulnerability within or threat to DoD networks.”

The Journal quoted an unidentified source as saying security concerns played a key role in Sprint’s decision to exclude Huawei and ZTE but

there were also doubts about the ability of Chinese companies to execute the job. The newspaper said Huawei and ZTE had submitted bids that were lower than their competitors, AlcatelLucent, Telefon LM Ericsson of Sweden and South Korea’s Samsung.

The Journal said the highest bids to modernize Sprint’s existing cellular network came in at around 8.5 billion dollars, more than the company, the third-largest US wireless carrier by number of subscribers, is willing to pay. The newspaper said Sprint is now renegotiating with Samsung and AlcatelLucent in the hopes they will submit lower bids. — AFP

MANILA: Students from South Korea work on their robot to compete in the World Robot Olympiad in Manila on Saturday. More than 22 countries are competing and more than 1000 participants in the 3-day robotics event for youngsters. — AFP

Alarm glitch could have iPhone users scrambling CALIFORNIA: Apple says the end of daylight savings time could cause problems for iPhone users. The Cupertino-based company said on its website that repeating alarms set on iPhones and some versions of the iPod touch may not recognize the end of daylight saving time and may work incorrectly shortly before or shortly after the Sunday morning time change.

Apple says devices using the mobile operating system iOS 4.1 are likely to trigger alarms before or after the time change. The company recommends turning off repeating alarms and setting them manually until today, when it’s safe to set them to repeat again. Apple is releasing an update of the software later this month to address the glitch. — AP

HONG KONG: The tentacles of government censors are creeping ever further across the web in the Asia-Pacific region as officials from Thailand to Australia try to control what people say and do online. Aside from China, which has a vast army of censors operating behind what has been dubbed the “Great Firewall”, other countries are also taking steps to restrict access to the Internet.

A massive cyber attack has crippled the web in militaryruled Myanmar ahead of controversial election, IT experts say, raising fears of a deliberate communications blackout for the vote. But moves to rein in Internet freedoms in other countries in the region are often presented as being well intentioned. Australia proposes introducing an Internet filter to block sites containing material such as rape, drug use, bestiality and child sex abuse.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has defended the plan as a moral move which will bring the web into line with TV and film which have long been censored by the state. “My fundamental outlook is this: it is unlawful for me as an adult to go to a cinema and watch certain sorts of content, it’s unlawful and we believe it to be wrong,” Gillard said recently.

“If we accept that then it seems to me that the moral question is not changed by the medium that the images come through.”

Yet the plan has been heavily criticized as setting a precedent for censorship and has even been attacked by web giants Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft. Australian anti-censorship campaigner Geordie Guy said while the filter was not designed to control political dissent it was a case of the state “putting its foot down on what the population can see”.

In another Asia-Pacific democracy, the Philippines, several bills have been filed seeking restrictions on the Internet, mainly focused on pornography and the trafficking of women. And in Thailand, a wide-ranging campaign of government censorship has shut down thousands of Internet sites. It is a reflection of the deep political divide in the country, where 91 people died and nearly 1,900 were hurt in clashes between Red Shirts and troops during two months of protests, which ended with a bloody army crackdown in May. Thousands of web pages have also been removed in recent years on the grounds that they were insulting to the Thai royal family. In April, a Red Shirt sympathiser was arrested and charged for allegedly insulting the monarchy on Facebook-a serious crime punishable by up to 15 years in jail. He remains in detention awaiting possible trial. The editor of the popular Prachatai website could face up to 70 years in jail after she was arrested on charges of insulting the monarchy and breaching computer law-for comments posted by users of the site.

John Palfrey, co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, says online censorship and surveillance are growing around the world. “This increase in control is taking place concurrently with the growth of the role that the Internet and digital media are playing in the ways that people live and societies function,” he told AFP. “Oftentimes, these online controls grow out of well-meaning online protections designed to help keep children safe.

“But the same mechanisms that we use to keep our chil-

XINJIANG: Two young Chinese Uighur Muslims, view an Osama bin Laden video at an internet cafe in the city of Urumqi in China’s western Xinjiang Province on April 1, 2008. — AFP dren from unwanted content and contact can be used to keep dissidents from communicating with one another or with the world outside their own society.“The tools that prevent harmful forms of pornography from being published can also keep a political manifesto from reaching its intended audience.

“The same tools that bring a terrorist to justice before he can harm his targets can also be used to put a muck-raking journalist in prison for something that she said in an email or a web chat.” Sometimes calls for censorship of the Internet are for religious reasons. Hundreds of Indonesian Islamists rallied in central Jakarta in June to demand the stoning to death and

public caning of celebrities who allegedly appeared in homemade sex videos circulating online.

About 1,000 protesters led by radical group Hizbut Tahrir shouted “Allahu akbar” (God is greater) and brandished black flags and banners with slogans such as “Arrest those who commit promiscuous sex”. Hizbut Tahrir spokesman Mohammed Ismail Yusanto said the Internet was a threat to Islamic values in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country. “The widespread circulation of the celebrity sex videos shows the bad side of uncontrolled information technology, which will surely become one of the most terrible destroyers of morality,”

he said. “Based on sharia law... those who are married should be stoned to death and the unmarried should be caned 100 times in public. “With that kind of punishment it is guaranteed promiscuous sex won’t spread wildly like it is now.”

Radical groups like Hizbut Tahrir have little popular support among Indonesia’s 240 million people in a state which is constitutionally secular and culturally moderate. But President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has backed calls for tighter controls on the Internet in response to the sex video furore and has warned that the nation risked being “crushed” by the information technology “frenzy”.

While China is a major cen-

sor of the Internet in the region, communist Vietnam has also cracked down, arresting bloggers who have criticised the government’s relationship with Beijing. “Some of the most advanced forms of Internet censorship and surveillance are carried out in Vietnam, following the lead of neighbouring China,” said Harvard University’s Palfrey. “Over the next five to ten years, I see an escalating struggle between states that wish to control the information environment and citizens who wish to communicate privately and freely with one another. “I expect that we will see substantial growth in the ability of states to listen in on conversations online.” —AFP

Cable subscribers flee, but is Internet to blame?

NEW YORK TV subscribers are ditching their cable companies at an ever faster rate in the past few months, and many of them aren’t signing up with a satellite or phone competitor instead. Their willingness to simply go without pay television could be a sign that Internet TV services such as Netflix and Hulu are finally starting to entice people to cancel cable, though company executives say the weak economy and housing market are to blame.

Third-quarter results reported this week by major cable and satellite TV companies show major losses, but don’t settle the question of what’s causing them. If “cord-cutting” in favor of Internet video is finally taking hold, that has wide-ranging implications.

Consumers who use the Internet to get their movies and TV shows bypass not just the cable companies, but the cable networks that produce the content. The move could have the same disruptive effect on the TV and movie industries as digital downloads have already had on music.

A few weeks ago, the CEO of phone company Verizon Communications Inc. likened cord-cutting to what started happening to the local-phone companies five or six years ago, when people started giving up their landlines in favor of relying solely on their cell phones.

“The first thing when that happens is you deny it,” Ivan Seidenberg said. “I know the drill. I have been there.”

On Thursday, Time Warner Cable Inc.’s chief operating officer, Landel Hobbs, said the company doesn’t see evidence of people dropping cable in favor of the Internet. He said the biggest subscriber losses have been among people who don’t have cable broadband services; high-speed Internet - from cable or a competitor - is key to watching video online.

These people seem to be going to satellite or giving up on pay TV entirely.

On the theory that college students might be among the first to drop cable TV, the com-

pany looked at changes in subscriber figures in college towns such as Austin, Texas, and Columbus, Ohio. They weren’t out of line with previous years, and they corresponded to the level of student enrollment, he said. “We’ll continue to monitor cord-cutting, but haven’t found evidence where you might expect to see it,” Hobbs told analysts on a conference call.

Time Warner Cable lost 155,000 video subscribers in the July-September quarter, compared with 64,000 a year ago.

The only larger cable company, Comcast Corp., reported last week that its subscriber loss more than doubled in the third quarter, to 275,000. Comcast said many of those leaving had taken advantage of low introductory rates that the company offered last year when the analog TV broadcast network was shut down.

Of the satellite companies, DirecTV gained subscribers and Dish Network Corp. lost them. On a conference call Friday, Dish CEO Charlie Ergen said the Internet was making itself noticed as a competitor. “You know, my kids think I’m crazy for being in the pay-TV business because they don’t pay for TV. They don’t pay for movies,” Ergen told analysts.

The country’s eight largest publicly traded pay-TV companies, representing about 85 percent of the subscriber total, had reported their results for the third quarter by Friday.

These cable, phone and satellite companies showed a combined gain of 66,700 video subscribers, or a 0.3 percent increase at an annualized rate, about a third the growth of the population. The figure was a slight recovery from the seasonally weak second quarter, when they gained just 12,400 subscribers. But it’s far short of the 401,300 subscribers gained a year ago.

Missing from the tally is the third-largest cable company, Cox Communications, which is privately held and doesn’t report subscriber counts publicly. If it lost cable subscribers at the same rate as Comcast and Time Warner

Cable, the nine largest pay-TV companies had zero net gain for the latest quarter and lost subscribers in the second.

Cable companies have been losing video subscribers for some time, but they have been compensating by upgrading basic subscribers to more expensive digital tiers, as well as adding broadband and phone subscribers.

However, both Time Warner Cable and Cablevision Systems Corp. lost digital video subscribers in the third quarter. Both added record-low number of phone subscribers, as years of growth are coming to an end.

Meanwhile, Netflix Inc.’s streaming service has become so popular that it is now the largest source of US Internet traffic during peak evening hours, according to Sandvine Inc., a Canadian company that supplies trafficmanagement equipment to Internet service providers. A variety of gadgets can send Netflix’s streams to the living room TV, including game consoles and the $99 Apple TV box. Many high-end TVs now come with the built-in ability to play Internet content.

Thomas Clancy Jr, 35, in Long Beach, NY, canceled the family’s Cablevision subscription this spring. He said he has been happy with Netflix and other Internet video services since then, even though there isn’t a lot of live sports to be had online. “The amount of sports that I watched certainly didn’t justify a hundred-dollar-a-month expense for all this stuff. I mean, that’s twelve hundred dollars a year,” Clancy said. “Twelve hundred dollars is ... near a vacation.” But Clancy - who has no relation to the thriller writer - is also an example of the hurdles cord cutters face. He uses an Internet-connected Blu-ray player to get Netflix movies to the TV. And he pulls a cable from his computer to the TV for Internet content Netflix doesn’t have. Clancy owns a computer consulting firm and is tech-savvy enough to do all that. Most people wouldn’t know how. — AP

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HEALTH & SCIENCE

Monday, November 8, 2010

Urine for sale?

DURBAN: A dry toilet, from which urine can be collected for processing while faucal material can be disposed of as dried matter or even used as soil amendment, is seen in Umzinyathi. — AFP

DURBAN: Get paid to pee. That’s the deal on offer in the South African city of Durban, where the city is looking to buy liquid waste to encourage residents to use dry toilets. Aiming to improve hygiene and save money, the port city has installed in home gardens about 90,000 toilets that don’t use a single drop of water. Now Durban wants to install 20-litre (quart) containers on 500 of the toilets to capture urine-rich in nitrates, phosphorus and potassium, which can be turned into fertilizer.

A municipal worker would collect the jerry cans once a week and could pay around 30 rands (four dollars, three euros) to the family-not a small sum in a country where 43 percent of the population lives on less than two dollars a day. Currently the tanks are emptied by each household, and the waste often ends up getting dumped into the environment. Swiss lab Eawag and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are backing a study to draw up the modalities for the scheme, which is already winning fans. “If we can turn the toilets into a source of revenues, then they will want to use the toilets,” said Neil MacLeod, Durban’s head of water and sanitation.

Most people are reluctant to use the dry toilets. In the sprawling township of Inanda, residents have ripped doors and roofs off the outhouses, annexed them to the main house, or completely stripped them away. Discussing bodily fluids is so taboo that people are reluctant to explain their discomfort. One young mother accused thieves of stealing “the door and the toilet” from her outhouse, which she now uses as a

Go Mediterranean to curb cholesterol he Mediterranean diet, famous for its heart healthy benefits, is getting more rave reviews from researchers. In Canada, scientists discovered a diet packed with nuts, avocados, and olive oil can reduce “bad” cholesterol while bolstering the good stuff.

The new study, published November 1 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, supports that a Mediterranean diet, naturally high in monounsaturated fats, can lead to heart health. The findings, from a twomonth study of 24 adults with moderately high cholesterol, revealed that a diet rich in monounsaturated fats dropped “bad” cholesterol (LDL-C) by 35 percent and raised “good” cholesterol (HDL-C) by around 12 percent.

David Jenkins at the University of Toronto and St. Michael’s Hospital in Ontario, Canada, recommends filling your plate with nuts, avocados, and sunflower and olive oils, while cutting back on highly refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and processed snack foods, to reduce LDL-C levels. Other key factors include plenty of cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber (10 grams for every 1,000 calories) from whole grains, almonds, eggplants and okra.

According the Mayo Clinic, the hearthealthy Mediterranean diet also emphasizes: * Getting plenty of exercise * Eating primarily plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts * Replacing butter with healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil * Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods * Limiting red meat to no more than a few times a month * Eating fish and poultry at least twice a

T

week * Drinking red wine in moderation (optional) Need more good reasons to go Mediterranean? Recent research from the University of Rovira i Virgili in Reus, Spain, revealed that Mediterranean diets can help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes-even without counting calories or dropping weight.

Also researchers at Tel Aviv University suggest that eating Mediterranean foods can work as a natural sunscreen to protect against skin cancerTo read the study: http://www.cmaj.ca/. — Relaxnews

Scientists meet to ensure supply of Asia staple, rice HANOI: Scientists from around the world meet in Vietnam tomorrow aiming to ensure a steady supply of rice-the staple food for Asia’s poor-against threats that include climate change and urbanization. “Amidst constant pressure on global food production, worsening poverty, and climate change, the need to find ways to ensure there is enough affordable rice for everyone is critical,” said a statement from the International Rice Congress.

The event, held every four years, is the world’s largest gathering of the rice industry, and will bring together more than 1,000 researchers, traders, agricultural ministers and other delegates from Asia and beyond.

“Our foremost concern... is how to fully extend advances in technology, biology, genetics and IT to deliver benefits to the rice industry, and especially to the poorest people dependent on rice,” To Phuc Tuong, chairman of the congress’s organizing committee, said in the statement.

Rice is the staple food for more than three billion people, about half the world’s population. The three-day meeting in Vietnam comes after a report said Asian countries need to sharply increase and better manage rice stocks to improve food secu-

DURBAN: Umzinyathi resident Gceneni Mtanzi, who uses one of the many dry toilets with a urine separation unit. —AFP garage. “When the (city) council brings the toilets to them, they look at it as an inferior system,” said Lucky Sibiya, an outreach officer with the water department. “People don’t understand how important it is,” he said. “There is a belief saying that touching the faeces brings misfortune.”

As soon as they can afford it, people invest in a septic tank and abandon the dry toilets, which require spreading a layer of sand after each use and using separate sections for the urine and the solid waste. The tanks then must be

emptied regularly. Dry toilets were invented in Yemen centuries ago. “They work well in rural areas because the fertilizer produced from the urine and the faeces is used locally,” said Pierre-Yves Oger, a water and sanitation consultant based in South Africa. “But in urban areas, there’s a dissociation between the producer (of the waste) and the user of the recycled products, and it’s very hard to overcome the psychological block,” he said.

That’s why few cities have launched large-scale dry toilet projects. Durban

rity in the region, where 65 percent of the world’s hungry live. “As Asia’s population continues to grow and to urbanize at unprecedented rates, food insecurity in the region could worsen unless action is taken now,” said a September report by the USbased Asia Society and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Manila, a co-organizer of the Hanoi conference.

“Declining trends in agricultural research and rural investment may lead to long-term food supply shortages and increased vulnerability to the famines that used to plague the region,” the report said. Rice-producing areas are home to nearly 560 million extremely poor people who live on less than 1.25 dollars per day.

This is more than for any other crop, the report said, adding that about 90 percent of rice is grown in Asia, on more than 200 million rice farms. “Rice is the staple food for most of the poor in Asia, where poverty remains staggering, particularly in South Asia,” it said. Vietnam is the world’s secondbiggest exporter of rice, behind Thailand.

IRRI estimated that annual investment of 120 million dollars in Asia between 2010 and 2030 could increase rice productivity by 8.5 percent. —AFP

began its program in 2002 when a cholera outbreak revealed the lack of hygiene in a city where more than a quarter of the four million residents have no sanitation. To avoid having to install an entire sanitation system, and to save water, Durban opted for dry toilets. The city remains convinced that was the right choice. “South Africa is a waterstressed country,” said Teddy Gounden, who heads the project. “With the increase in demand for drinking water, we cannot afford to flush this valuable resource down the sewer.” — AFP

Blacks struggle with unwed mothers rate HOUSTON: One recent da y a t Dr Na ta lie Ca rroll’s OB -GYN pra ctice, located inside a low -income apartment complex tucked betw een a gas station and a freew ay, 12 pregnant black w omen come for consultations.

Some bring their children or their mothers. Only one brings a husband.

Things move slow ly here. Women sit shoulder-to-shoulder in the narrow

Olive oil, a Mediterranean staple, can help keep your ticker healthy.— AFP

South African city wants to buy

Seventy-two percent of black babies are born to unmarried mothers today, according to government statistics. This number is inseparable from the work of Carroll, an obstetrician who has dedicated her 40-year career to helping black women. “The girls don’t think they have to get married. I tell them children deserve a mama and a daddy. They really do,” Carroll says from behind the desk of her office, which has cushioned pink-and-green armchairs, bars on the windows, and a wooden “LOVE” carving between two African figurines. Diamonds circle Carroll’s ring finger. As the issue of black unwed parenthood inches into public discourse, Carroll is among the few speaking boldly about it.

As a black woman who has brought thousands of babies into the world, who has sacrificed income to serve Houston’s poor, Carroll is among the few whom black women will listen to.

“A mama can’t give it all.

And neither can a daddy, not by themselves,” Carroll says.

“Part of the reason is because you can only give that which you have. A mother cannot give all that a man can give. A truly involved father figure offers more fullness to a child’s life.” Statistics show just what that fullness means.

Children of unmarried mothers of any race are more likely to perform poorly in school, go to prison, use drugs, be poor as adults, and have their own children out of wedlock.

The black community’s 72 percent rate eclipses that of most other groups: 17 percent of Asians, 29 percent of whites, 53 percent of Hispanics and 66 percent of Native Americans were born to unwed mothers in 2008, the most recent year for which government figures are available. The rate for the overall US population was 41 percent.

This issue entered the public consciousness in 1965, when a now famous government report by future senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan described a “tangle of pathology” among blacks that fed a 24 percent black “illegitimacy” rate. The white rate then was 4 percent.

Many accused Moynihan, who was white, of “blaming

w aiting room, sometimes for more than an hour. Carroll does not rush her mothers in and out. She w ants her babies born as healthy as possible, so Carroll spends time talking to the mothers about how they should care for themselves, w hat she expects them to do and w hy they need to get married.

HOUSTON: File photo shows Christelyn Karazin holds her 15-monthold daughter, Emma, while her husband, Mike, sits with son Zachary, 5, daughter, Chloe, 7, and Kayla Higgins, 12, Christelyn’s daughter, at their home in Temecula, Calif. Karazin had her first child with her boyfriend while she was in college; they never married. — AP the victim:” of saying that black behavior, not racism, was the main cause of black problems. That dynamic persists. Most talk about the 72 percent has come from conservative circles; when influential blacks like Bill Cosby have spoken out about it, they have been all but shouted down by liberals saying that a lack of equal education and opportunity are the true root of the problem. Even in black churches, “nobody talks about it,” Carroll says. “It’s like some big secret.” But there are signs of change, of discussion and debate within and outside the black community on how to deal with the growing problem. Research has increased into links between behavior and poverty, scholars say.

Historically black Hampton University recently launched a National Center on African American Marriages and Parenting. There is a Marry Your Baby Daddy Day, founded by a black woman who was left at the altar, and a Black Marriage Day, which aims “to

make healthy marriages the norm rather than the exception.” In September, Princeton University and the liberal Brookings Institution released a collection of “Fragile Families” reports on unwed parents. And an online movement called “No Wedding No Womb” ignited a fierce debate that included strong opposition from many black women.

“There are a lot of sides to this,” Carroll says. “Part of our community has lost its way.”

There are simple arguments for why so many black women have children without marriage. The legacy of segregation, the logic goes, means blacks are more likely to attend inferior schools. This creates a high proportion of blacks unprepared to compete for jobs in today’s economy, where middle-class industrial work for unskilled laborers has largely disappeared. The drug epidemic sent disproportionate numbers of black men to prison and crushed the job opportunities for those who served their time. Women do

not want to marry men who cannot provide for their families, and welfare laws created a financial incentive for poor mothers to stay single. If you remove these inequalities, some say, the 72 percent will decrease.

“It’s all connected. The question should be, how has the black family survived at all?” says Maria Kefalas, coauthor of “Promises I Can Keep: Why Poor Women Put Motherhood Before Marriage.” The book is based on interviews with 162 lowincome single mothers. One of its conclusions is that these women see motherhood as one of life’s most fulfilling roles, a rare opportunity for love and joy, husband or no husband. Sitting in Carroll’s waiting room, Sherhonda Mouton watches all the babies with the tender expression of a first-time mother, even though she is about to have her fourth child.

Inside her purse is a datebook containing a handwritten ode to her children, titled “One and Only.” It concludes:

“You make the hardest tasks seem light with everything you do. “How blessed I am, how thankful for my one and only you.” Mouton, 30, works full time as a fast-food manager on the 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. shift. She’s starting classes to become a food inspector. “My children are what keep me going, every day,” she says.

“They give me a lot of hope and encouragement.” Her plans for them? “College, college, college.” On Mouton’s right shoulder, the name of her oldest child, Zanevia, is tattooed around a series of scars.

When Zanevia was an infant, Mouton’s drug-addled fiance came home one night and started shooting. Mouton was hit with six bullets; Zanevia took three and survived. “This man was the love of my life,” Mouton says.

He is serving a 60-year sentence. Another man fathered her second and third children; Mouton does not have good things to say about him. The father of her unborn child?

“He’s around. He helps with all the kids.” She does not see marriage in her future. “It’s another obligation that I don’t need,” Mouton says. “A good man is hard to find nowadays.”

Mouton thinks it is a good idea to encourage black women to wait for marriage to have children.

However, “what’s good for you might not be good for me,” Yes, some women might need the extra help of a husband. “I might do a little better, but I’m doing fine now. I’m very happy because of my children.” “I woke up today at six o’clock,” she says. “My son was rubbing my stomach, and my daughter was on the other side. They’re my angels.” Christelyn Karazin has four angels of her own.

She had the first with her boyfriend while she was in college; they never married.

Her last three came after she married another man and became a writer and homemaker in an affluent Southern California suburb.

In September, Karazin, who is black, marshaled 100 other writers and activists for the online movement No Wedding No Womb, which she calls “a very simplified reduction of a very complicated issue.” —AP

Monday, November 8, 2010

HEALTH & SCIENCE

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Brazil’s Lula to visit Mozambican anti-retroviral plant MAPUTO: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will visit what is set to become Africa’s first public factory to produce anti-AIDS drugs, during a state visit to Mozambique that begins tomorrow. The two-day visit will bookend his presidency, underscoring his efforts to reach out to Africa by helping Mozambique, a fellow former Portuguese colony, follow in Brazil’s footsteps in the fight against AIDS. Lula, who hands over the reins to protege Dilma Rousseff on January 1, is stopping in Mozambique en route to the G20 summit in South Korea, one of eight foreign trips planned for his final days in office, according to state news agency Agencia Brasil.

“President Lula will visit the site of the future anti-retroviral factory during his visit,” Mozambican health ministry spokesman Leonardo Chavane said. “The project is the product of a collaboration between Brazil and Mozambique.” The factory,

which aims to help Mozambique increase the availability and affordability of HIV medication, was conceived during Lula’s state visit to Mozambique during his first year in office in 2003. Brazil famously offers free anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment to every HIVpositive citizen, a program that sparked controversy when it was announced in 1996 because of concerns about drug resistance and violation of pharmaceutical copyrights.

But it has since been praised as a model for the developing world, with the World Bank estimating the free medicine saved more than half a million lives.

Chavane said the new factory will make the fight against AIDS more efficient in Mozambique, where 2.5 million people - 11.5 percent of the population-are living with HIV but just 200,000 take ARVs, according to the UN AIDS agency.

“Currently, the anti-retrovirals used in Mozambique are purchased in Europe, India or the

United States. That makes them very expensive because of the transportation costs,” Chavane said. “The factory will allow us to increase the amount of medication available while lowering the cost.

That will help us fight AIDS more efficiently.”

While several private laboratories in Africa have ventured into small-scale ARV production, the Mozambican factory will be the first public facility on the continent to produce the drugs. An opening date for the plant has not been set, but Chavane said it is on track for completion in 2011 after the first machine arrived last week. Brazil has pledged 20 million dollars (14 million euros) for the 26-million-dollar project-eight million dollars in equipment and 12 million dollars in licensing fees. Besides touring the factory, Lula is also scheduled to launch an agricultural development program and speak at the national teachers’ university during his visit. — AFP

Vietnam govt targets bloggers and activists HANOI: A fresh crackdown is under way against bloggers and activists in Vietnam as political tensions rise before a Communist Party Congress in January, observers say. In the latest arrest, Cu Huy Ha Vu, a prominent government critic, was held for “propaganda against the state”, official television said Saturday. It quoted the Ministry of Public Security as saying investigators found antistate documents in Vu’s laptop and that he had advocated a multi-party system.

Last year Vu filed an unsuccessful court complaint against Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung over a controversial bauxite mine.

Authorities also rejected a bid by Vu’s law firm to represent at trial several Catholic parishioners convicted last month in connection with a dispute over a cemetery. The Catholics, and now Vu, are among at least 17 community activists, dissidents and bloggers reported to have been convicted, arrested or charged since October 1. While critics outside the ruling Communist Party have been targeted,

observers say there has also been criticism from within, over a scandal at state-run Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group (Vinashin).

Vinashin has been driven to the brink of bankruptcy and lawmakers in the communistdominated National Assembly last week demanded answers. One deputy, Nguyen Minh Thuyet, called for a vote of no confidence in the prime minister, who appointed the firm’s former chairman Pham Thanh Binh. Binh was suspended in July and later arrested over the group’s debts, which local media said amounted to at least 80 trillion dong (4.3 billion dollars). Observers have questioned why the long-rumored scandal was finally allowed to surface in the state-controlled press in recent months, and have speculated about its impact on the prime minister, whom they say is fighting to maintain a top leadership post.

The government has also been criticized-by a broad section of society-for its decision to allow the bauxite mining in Vietnam’s Central

Highlands. Prominent intellectuals and former officials last month petitioned the government to stop the development. The five-yearly Congress determines which leaders will run the one-party state. Not all of the recent arrests can be attributed to the looming Congress but there is a jostling for political power and “a heightened sensitivity to dissent”, said a foreign diplomat who declined to be named. He sees the latest arrests as part of a cycle since 2007 but “it’s just sort of sped up in the last while”. There has also been a fresh wave of attacks against websites, observers say. The anhbasam.com political and social blog became the latest to be hacked, its founder Nguyen Huu Vinh said last week. His website was damaged on the same day statelinked media reported that gossip blogger Le Nguyen Huong Tra, who uses the pseudonym Co Gai Do Long, had been detained for “infringing on the interests of the state” after she allegedly criticized a security official and his family. —AFP

WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

30

Monday, November 8, 2010

ICS creates musical history ashn e Bahara’n created history in JGhazal Kuwait when, on Friday, October 22, legend Talat Aziz and several

‘Trashion Show’ to Treasure and Iszonica Modelling School have teamed up to stage an amazing charity fashion and creative Tartrash ‘Trashion Show’ to raise money for women in need living in Kuwait. Dazzling dresses made from recycled materials and textiles will compete on the runway and showcase the amazing creativity of their designers. Beautiful one-of-a kind pieces of functional art will be exhibited at the event. Date: Wednesday November 10, 2010. Time 7-9pm. Venue: Holiday Inn Hotel Salmiya.

prominent poets entertained a rapturous crowd of ghazal and mushaira lovers. It was first time in Kuwait that such a wonderful concept of mixing ghazals with mushaira was being organized. And the credit for organizing the event goes to the Indian Cultural Society, which has on several occasions in the past proven their commitment to promoting Indian art, culture, heritage and literature.

ICS President Ashfaque A Khan welcomed the guests and briefed them about “Jashn e Bahara’n’. The event started with Urdu couplet of Bahadur Shah Zafar. The chief guest of the glorious evening was the Indian ambassador of Kuwait, Ajai Malhotra, while various dignitaries from Kuwait, including Ibrahim Shuhaiber, Saud Al-Hashmi, and Jasmin Shuhaiber participated as guests of honor. The event Souvenir was released by Ajai Malhotra along with and Ibrahim Shuhaiber of Fahaheel English School; Mushtaq Ali of Jet Airways; Hormuzda Dawar from AlMulla Exchange, Aijaz Ahmed of Sahara Air Condititon Co, Asad Khan of Kuwait Swedish Co, Ajay Goel from City Center,

Fazil A Razzaq of Recafco and Dr Sneh Lata Goel of Nuna Counseling. Guest of Honor, Jasmin Al-Shuhaiber, expressed her happiness at holding such a wonderful event in Kuwait.

Audiences gave a standing ovation to the ‘The Dancing Divas’ (a dance troupe of young children) when they performed a number based on the Sufi theme “Khawaja mere Khawaja” and “Orre... Piya ...” on stage. The Mushaira session started by famous Urdu poet Mansoor Usmani with his exotic explanation and magnetic voice.

The poet with a hilarious twist to his lines, Sharif Bahrti tickled everyone with his multilingual shayeries and jokes.

Birthday Greetings

A Dance with the Sun: Beach clean-up by FCC

appy birthday to Habeeb Mamdouh Yousry! Love and best wishes from family, friends, and well-wishers. May God always keep you in his loving care and protect you.

ntroduced for the very first time in Kuwait , the Filipino Cultural Club in cooperation with the Philippine Embassy along with Filipino organizations in Kuwait will be holding a Physical Fitness Program dubbed as “A Dance with the Sun by the Sea” and a Beach Clean-up at the Mc Donald’s seaside which will run for three months. The program will kick off on Friday, November 12, 2010 at 7:30 am, with so much activities in store for children and adults alike. Part of the activities will be an on -the-spot painting and photography contests. Let us therefore make this day a special event to remember. Come, join us and tag along your family and friends.

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The whole auditorium seemed mesmerized as they applauded and tapped their feet in rhythm to the ghazals. The second round of mushaira was compered

by Mansoor Usmani. Due to repeat demands from the audience the mushaira ran on till mid-night. Talat Aziz and all the poets along with musicians were honored with mementos.

Talat Aziz sang many more ghazals during the second session. His last performance was a salute to Sufism and full of spiritual peak ...”Dama Dam Mast Kalander”. The music for the event was professional, and provided perfect support to Talat Aziz with Jeetendra Kathak on

Tabla, Mohamed Rashid Khan on Violin, Pradeep Pandit on Harmonium, Deven Yogi on keyboard In view of ghazal environment, the overall auditorium was decorated with candles in elaborate candlestands and flowers by Shagufta Khan.

Computer work was taken care of by Binu Sisupalan and Moon Khalid. Others involved in making the evening a resounding success were, Hashim, Anup, K Zama, Suket Patel, Haroon, Anthony, Sajjad and Shahzad, all of whom played a vital role in the event. Arpan Gupta, Jyoti Patel, Vijya Nair took charge for perfect marketing and distribution. General Secretary Mohammed Kagdi was responsible for

Football coaching ictured are the Under 10 and Under 12 teams at the PGA Centre of Excellence at Shaab Park which provides professional football coaching to selected players three times a week. The teams have been training together P for two weeks now in preparation for their fixture program which commences at the end of October. The PGA in association with Everton FC provides football coaching courses for over 400 players at centers in Shaab, Hawally, Salwa and the Hilton Resort, Mangaf.

‘Natyalaya Festival 2010’ e the Natyalaya Nritha Kala Kshethram are pleased to W inform that the 11th anniversary celebrations of our dance institution, Natyalaya Nritha Kala Kshethram is scheduled to be held at Carmel School in Khaitan on Friday, November 19, 2010 at 4 pm. The renowned Kathakali artist Kalamandalam Rajesh Kumar will be the special guest in this year’s anniversary celebrations.

Kalamandalam V Rajesh Kumar is a very popular artist having completed a six-year diploma in First Class in Kathakali from Kerala Kalamandalam. He has got 15 years experience in Kathakali and 20 years experience in Bharathanatyam, Mohiniyattom, Kuchippudi and folk dance. He has performed under the able guidance and teaching of Kalamandalam Leelamma.

Currently, he is studying for a degree in Bharathanatyam (BFA) at Kalaikaveri College, Trichi, Tamil Nadu. He was awarded with the title ‘Kalaprathibha’ during the 2000 Keralothsavam. He has also participated in the North and South Zone National Festival held in 2005/2006 and in the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth games in Australia. Besides, he has been also participating regularly in all the tourist and development program every year. Our special guest Kalamandalam Rajesh Kumar will be performing Poothanmoksham, Kirmiravadham (Lalitha), Uthraswayamvaram (Bhanu mathi) and Fusion with Natyalaya Krishna Prakash.

EMBASSY OF BANGLADESH The Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Kuwait has taken up an initiative to update the database of Bangladesh nationals residing in the State of Kuwait. For inclusion in the database all the Bangladesh nationals are requested to collect the Registration Form from the Labour Wing of the Embassy. The forms can also be collected sending request to bdoot@kems.net e-mail address. The filled-in forms can also be submitted by hand, by email or by fax (number 24913204).

The Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Kuwait will remain closed from Friday, 12 November to Saturday, 20 November on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha. The embassy will re-open on Sunday, 21 November.

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, AlMutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca.

The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday.

Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday. Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emer-

gency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home.

The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca.The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca.

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India has further revamped and improved its Legal Advice Clinic at the Indian Workers Welfare Center, and made the free service available to Indian nationals on all five working days, i.e. from Sunday to Thursday every week. Kuwaiti lawyers would be available at the Legal Advice Clinic daily from Monday to Thursday, while Indian lawyers would be available on Sundays. Following are the free welfare services provided at the Indian Workers Welfare Center located at the Embassy of India: [i] 24x7 Helpline for Domestic Workers: Accessible by toll free telephone no. 25674163 from anywhere in Kuwait, it provides information and advice exclusively to Indian domestic sector workers (Visa No. 20) as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. [ii] Help Desk: It offers guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal, and other issues (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iii)

auditorium management and printing works. Transport was provided by Sahara Air Condition Co. ICS President, Ashfaque A Khan, who compered the entire evening in professional and cordial manner, expressed thanks to all sponsors, wellwishers, event committee members, volunteers, all technical staff and the audience. He also assured everyone that ICS would strive to bring more interesting evenings in the future.

ICS has previously hosted several memorable events such as ‘Taal se Taal’, ‘Shaam e Ghalib’, ‘Nazar Ke Samne’, ‘Suroon- Ki-Shaam’, ‘Shaam-e-Ghazal’, ‘Geet and Ghazal Nite’, ‘Mehefil-eMushayara’, ‘Music Nite’, ‘Shab- e-Meraj’, ‘Jhoomte Sitare”, and many more. The program was well-compered by Ashfaque Ahmed Khan, and his presentations were interspersed with rib-tickling humorous jokes and comedy Shayaries. In conclusion, the program was a rich package of entertainment of Mushaira and Ghazal that mesmerized the audiences and held them in splendid raptor till the very end, with the beautiful voices of singer Talat Aziz and the poets, exemplary control they and the musicians exercised over tunes, modulations, humor and perfect presentation.

Labour Complaints Desk: It registers labor complaints and provides grievance redressal service to Indian workers (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iv) Shelters: For female and male domestic workers in distress; (v) Legal Advice Clinic: Provides free legal advice to Indian nationals (Embassy premises; Kuwaiti lawyers 3 PM to 5 PM, Monday to Thursday; Indian lawyers 2 PM to 4 PM on Sunday); and (vi) Attestation of Work Contracts: Private sector worker (Visa No. 18) contracts are accepted at the Embassy; 9 AM to 1 PM; Sunday to Thursday; Domestic sector worker (Visa No. 20) contracts are accepted at Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO), Hawally, Al-Othman Street, Kurd Roundabout, Al-Abraj Complex, Office No 9, Mezzanine Floor; 9 AM to 9 PM, Saturday to Thursday; 5 PM to 9 PM on Friday.

EMBASSY OF SLOVAK REPUBLIC The Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Kuwait would like to announce to the public that due to technical reasons, the business hours will be only on Sundays and Tuesdays from 9 to 12. This will be effective starting October 24, 2010 until May 1, 2011.

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.

EMBASSY OF FRANCE The Embassy of France in Kuwait will be closed on November 11th because of French holidays.

The Embassy of France will be closed also On the 1st day of Eid Al Adha.

EMBASSY OF THE 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

EMBASSY OF NEPAL This is to inform all the concerned that the Embassy of Nepal, Kuwait shall remain close today to celebrate Happy Dipawali 2067 (2010).

Kuwait Scorpions RFC play well in Gulf Veterans Championship November 5, the Kuwait Scorpions RFC OnVetsFriday, team (a team made up of players aged 35 or older) travelled to Qatar for the first round of the Gulf Veterans trophy. The Kuwait team was made up of seasoned professionals from all over the globe, many of whom had played International Rugby as younger men.

The first game was against the highly combative AGRFU Potbellies, a select team made up of former AGRFU professionals. The score line of Kuwait 35 Potbellies 0 was a true reflection in the gulf of class between the two sides. Flying winger, Darren Adam, scored two tries and the flying Scotsman, Ben McCreath two also. The second game was against the combined forces team stationed in Qatar. This was a massively physical encounter, with several players being sidelined due to injury. Nevertheless, the Kuwait team put in a convincing performance to win the game 24-0. Gabe Gatto scored a brace of tries.

The third game was effectively the group decider against home team, and pre Tournament favorites, Doha RFC. The game was a brutal affair, with both sides unwilling to yield under pressure. In fact it was Glenn Hazel from Kuwait who opened the scoring after some good work from the tireless Marcus Waudby. In fact Kuwait lead until the last minute of the game, when a couple of errors let Doha back into the game. This game took its toll on several of the Kuwait team, with Steve Allan, going to hospital with a ruptured Achilles tendon. The final score line was 14-7 to the Qatari team.

The final game was the playoff for the 3rd place position against a very strong team from Bahrain. The game was intense from start to finish, with last ditch tackles being made by both teams to keep the score tight. In fact, at the final whistle both teams could not be separated - 7-7 was the final act of the first of three Vets competitions taking place throughout the season. Third place was achieved courtesy of a greater point’s difference and player/coach Keith Wilson was really impressed with his players, ‘this was a solid foundation on which to build. We played with great heart and commitment. Every player stood up and was counted today.

The next tournament is the Dubai 7’s in December.

Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Monday, November 8, 2010

WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

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AUK music performance he Music Program at the American University of TKuwait in partnership with the French Embassy in Kuwait is hosting a music recital by the group ‘Le Petit Orchestre Swing dc France’ today at 7 pm in the Liberal Arts Auditorium at AUK. Following in the Jazz tradition of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, Le Petit Orchestre Swing de France’, in their second tour of the Gulf Region, are renowned for their jazz instrumental interpretation of post war French songs associated with the rhythms of American Swing. The group is made up of three members Laurent Zeller, jazz violinist, and Gilles Parodi and Laurent Bajata on rhythm and lead guitars.

AUK President Dr Winfred Thompson and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Dr Nizar Hamzeh will attend the recital. From the French side, the French Ambassador Nada Yafi, the Cultural Counselor at the French Embassy Julian CLEC’H, and the Attachee in Charge of Cultural Affairs, Sabrina Kadri at the French Embassy, will be in attendance.

About the expected event, Julian said, ‘Which place would have been better than AUK to welcome such a concert? Indeed, the ‘Petit Orchestre Swing De France’ brings marvelously together famous French songs with the rhythms of American swing. Co-organized by the Cultural service of the French Embassy in Kuwait and the Music Program at AUK, this concert shows that our cooperation is not only academic but also cultural.

Dr Lisa Urkevich, Coordinator of the AVK Music Program, commented on the special style of music that will be presented in the concert, ‘Le Petit Orchestre Swing de France’ offers the community and our students a wonderful opportunity to hear this unique stylized jazz music up front and personal.

The music itself, which calls on both American and French traditions, is like our partnership with the French Embassy, as it demonstrates the brilliant product that can be created when two cultures meet. Admission is free and the recital is open to the public. For more information please contact the AUK Music Program at music@auk.edu.kw.

Toastmasters attracts first lady from Kuwait to annual convention he annual convention of the Toastmasters organisation, which is the Tlargest voluntary teaching Organization in the world specialized in arts of communication and leadership skills was conducted four days in California & attended by 92 countries around the world. Nouf AlAmmari where she attended the convention where she represented the State of Kuwait, as a member of Toastmasters Kuwait wearing an old Kuwaiti dress in opening day and lifting the flag of the State of Kuwait, among dozens of flags of other countries in the opening ceremony, she became the first Kuwaiti member to represent the state of Kuwait in this event.

Nouf was given the opportunity to speak about her experience in press statement for the organization which was received with great recognition by placing it on the main front of their website. “We learned a lot. We want to come back next year that it’s poignant to see people from so many different cultures and nationalities find common ground. Toastmasters makes all differences melt away, because we’re all here for the same thing: to learn, to be better, and to be the best we can be”.

Dr K J Yesudas to present Carnatic classical concert uch to the delight of Carnatic music connoisseurs in Kuwait, Padmabhushan Dr K J Yesudas will present a live classical concert titled ‘Gandharva Ganam’ on Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at the American International School, Maidan Hawally. Dr Yesudas is presenting a musical program in Kuwait after a gap of eight years.

Venkataraman Potti of Udupi, the organizer of the mega event, told a press conference that the concert will be a memorable event for hundreds of ‘Dasettan’ fans in Kuwait who were eagerly waiting for a live concert by the ‘King of Carnatic Music’ as he is better known worldwide.

Winner of scores of accolades including the prestigious Padmabhushan and Padmashree awards, Kattassery Joseph Yesudas is better known as ‘Gana Gandharvan’. After recording over 40,000 songs and scoring seven national awards for the best playback singer, he is still enchanting music lovers the world over.

Dr Yesudas sings Indian classical music, devotional and popular songs. He has recorded thousands of songs in many Indian languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya, Marathi, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tulu, Malay, Russian, Arabic, Latin and English through his long career.

Over the last few decades, Dr Yesudas has assumed the role of a cultural ambassador of India during his numerous performances abroad, promoting both Carnatic and film music. He has played a major role in popularizing Indian music and spreading Indian culture abroad.

Suresh Krishna, who was also present at the press conference said that the con-

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In addition to that Nouf had meeting with the President of the organization Gary Chamdit who was very pleased to see someone from Kuwait and hoped to see more members of the State of Kuwait next year. On the other hand a celebration took place for the inauguration of the new President of the organization Pat Johnson, who was very delighted to see the representatives of Kuwait’s toastmasters clubs. Nouf AlAmmari and her young brother Khalid Al-Ammari who represented the gavel clubs which allocated to those who are less than 18 years.

During the event she met World Champion Jim key who was one of the main speakers. Jim key stated “I visited Kuwait in 2004 and I hope to visit it again because it is such a wonderful and an exceptional country with educated people who are always willing to learn”.

The Toastmasters is a voluntary nonprofit organization, which is neutral to any controversial topics such as religion or politics, or any other. It is aimed to develop the individual’s ability to communicate effectively and to be skilled in

cert of Dr Yesudas is organized by Udupi with a view to promoting Carnatic classical music in Kuwait. “There are a large number of ardent Carnatic music lovers in Kuwait. And this will be the right opportunity for them to listen to one of the greatest classical vocalists,” he added. Dr Yesudas will be supported by veteran artist Thiruvaroor Bakthavalsalam on Mridangam, Nagai Murali on Violin and Thripunithura Radhakrishnan on Ghatam.

Filipino Badminton Committee he Filipino Badminton Committee is inviting all badminton enthusiast to join its 20th Badminton Tournament. The event which is held for a cause will start on November 5 and will last until December 10 at the Kuwait Disabled Club, Hawally every Friday from 8 AM until 5 PM. The tournament will be a team event of 5 players. Each team must have Level 1 & 2 (Men’s), Level 1& 2 (Ladies’) and Level 3 (Ladies’). The deadline for submission of line up will be on October 15. Special prize will be given for Best Uniform, Best Team. For more information, call 97197268.

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Soorya festival 2010 oorya Kuwait Chapter, in association with UAE Exchange Centre is all set to stage “Soorya Fest 2010, on Thursday, November 18, 2010, at the American International School Auditorium, Maidan Hawalli, at 7 pm, according to officials.

Indian Ambassador Ajai Malhotra will inaugurate the festival aiming to promote international integration through Culture.

The concert “Sarod Duo”, the title itself tells about the combination of 2 the renowned Sarod players Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan, the two sons

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the leadership and management fields in a professional manner.

Kuwait contains a number of clubs in three languages Arabic, English and French. Nouf Al-Ammari had stated that “the movement of Toastmasters is a global movement towards prosperity and the experience of the convention has given me a lot and it was such a great honor to carry the flag of my country and to be the first Kuwaiti lady representing Kuwait”. Al-Ammari also dragged the attention to these Kuwait clubs due to the huge role they play in the development of the individual especially the young people of Kuwait. And added that Kuwait’s experience with Toastmasters needs a lot of support and development.

During her presence it was revealed to AL-Ammari the wonderful system of Toastmasters clubs that is based on democracy and independence with club member being on the top of the pyramid and the club being ruled by all of its members. Finally she invited to visit the Kuwait clubs & asked everyone to give themselves a precious gift which is change to be the best.

and disciples of the Sarod Maestro Amjad Ali Khan, along with Ustad Rashid Mustfa on Tabla, will be the first of its kind to be staged in Kuwait, officials added.

Initiated into the fine art of Sarod playing at a very tender age, Amaan Ali Khan began his public performances as early as eight. He is now considered as one the finest young Sarod players and has attained very special place for himself to all music enthusiasts. Ayaan Ali Khan, stepped into the world of music at the age of eight, has been performing concerts worldwide ever since. Ayaan has won the hearts of music lovers both India and around the Globe. Recipients of the MTV’s Lycra Award for the most stylish person in Music in 2006, both were honored recently by the Mayor of the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Acknowledged for his solo performances and accompaniment to vocalists, instrumentalist and dances Rashid Mustafa is a top grade artiste of the All India Radio and Doordarshan.

Frequently featured at prestigious concerts in India and abroad Rashid Mustafa has been awarded the Thirakwa Award by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in 1984.

Playing Sarod, the most popular instrument in Hindustani (northern Indian) classical music along with Tabla creating a wide variety of different sounds will be a special feast to all arts lovers of Kuwait.

As usual, the entry for the show will be restricted with invitations. For more details, please contact 97977317, 66250037, 99293929, 97278029 or contact at Sooryakuwait@yahoo.com Soorya India, led by versatile mastermind Soorya Krishnamurthy, is present in 18 countries. It has been propagating the art of India outside the country for

Balyakalasakhi adds glitters to Engineers’ Forum fest uwait Engineers’ Forum (KEF) celebrated Onam K and its annual celebration on November 5 at American International School, Maidan Hawally. Among various cultural items that were presented was Balyakalasakhi (childhood friend) a drama based on late Indian writer Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer’s celebrated short story of the same name. K K Shemijkumar wrote and directed the 70 minute drama that had engineers and their children as actors.

Well-known actor among Indian expats Rajesh Poonthuruthi gave life to Majid, the persona of the author who originally wrote the story in 1944. Priti Seenu, an engineer by profession acted as Suhra, the female protagonist. Jojan, Jessy Jaison, Siddarth Harikumar and Celine Vincent Santhosh who took other roles are also part of

dragging first part and an attempt to over-romanticize the story became the stone in the soup. KEF actors as well as the technicians behind the production deserve an ovation. What comes along after leaving the theater hall is the song beautifully rendered by Kishore Menon.

KKK’s Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrations uwait Kannada Koota, a cultural bonanza that promisK premier cultural association es to enthrall and mesmerize in its 26th year of existence, is the audience by taking it back all set to stage its showcase event of the calendar - the Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrations. KKK cordially invites the koota members and kannadigas residing in Kuwait to the program 3 - 9 pm on November 12, 2010 at Dr Kamal Al-Rayes Auditorium of American International School. The event will be graced by the Indian Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, Ajai Malhotra, as the Chief Guest. Captain Ganesh Karnik, Deputy Chairman NRI forum Government of Karnataka will be the Guest of Honor.

The 500th anniversary of coronation of the great king Krishnadevaraya, who ruled the erstwhile Vijayanagara Empire, a part of which is now Karnataka, has been celebrated in Karnataka with a lot of pomp and splendor. The rule of Krishnadevaraya was hailed as the Golden Era of prosperity and glory. As a tribute to the great ruler, KKK would like to recreate the glory of the Vijayanagara’s emperor in a unique and colorful manner. Over hundred Koota children will participate alongside seniors in a

the last 11 years with the active support of its Chief Patron Dr B.R. Shetty, Managing Director, NMC group of companies.

Global Goans Convention 2010 to be held in Kuwait nnouncing at the press briefing in Goa yesterday, Hon. Commissioner of NRI Affairs (Cabinet Ranking) and former Minister of External Affairs, Government of India, Eduardo Faleiro stated ‘the next annual Global Goans Convention would be held in Kuwait on November 16 and 17, 2010 was being organised by the Goan Cultural Centre, Kuwait during which the Vishwa Konkani Sammelan too would be held along with a cultural programme with the involvement of Konkani speaking expatriate communities of Goa and elsewhere in India”. The annual Global Goans Convention 2010 will be held in the State of Kuwait in coordination with the Department of NRI Affairs, Government of Goa and the Embassy of India, Kuwait on November 16 & 17 and will be hosted by the Goan Cultural Centre at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Kuwait. The Global Goans Convention 2010, whose theme this year is ‘The NRI Goan’, will, in its annual debates, present the NRI Goan community with an opportunity to discuss various issues pertaining to them in their countries of domicile as well as back home in Goa, and will mainly deal with issues related to their social, financial, investment and cultural aspirations and development. It is expected that delegates and eminent speakers from over 10 countries will be participating in the convention this year.

“We are happy and proud to be associated with this prestigious event”, in a statement confirming the news on its website www.goanculturalcentrekuwait.com. “We are overwhelmed by the response to the

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KEF family.

The dramatization of the well-known story is first of its kind and the director succeeds in evoking nostalgic feelings in the audience.

With a song sequence well strewn and dialogues in tune with the plot and the setting, the drama is worth watching. On the other hand, the

press statement, GCC chairman, Carmo Santos remarked. Last year, Goan Cultural Centre had the largest delegation attending the Global Goans Convention held in Muscat, Oman, added Suresh Naik, GCC President and Advisor . It may be recalled that Carmo Santos was bestowed with the NRI Leadership Award at the hands of former Minister of NRI Affairs Valayar Ravi at a glittering ceremony in the presence of Goa’s Chief Minister, Digamber Kamat, in recognition of his efforts and dedication towards the Indian expatriate community. He was among a galaxy of Goan personalities chosen by Goa’s Department of NRI Affairs from Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Delhi. The Convention will be held in coordination with the Embassy of India at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Farwania. A special Brochure will be launched during the Convention.

Arpan Kuwait to present ‘Tune & Taste-2010’ rpan Kuwait will present ‘Tune & Taste- 2010’-a festival of food, music and heritage-to mark the 11th anniversary of the association at the Indian Community School (Senior Girls), Salmiya on December 3. The celebration presenting a potpourri of cultural programs will start at 9.30 am and conclude at 6.30pm.

Rajkalesh, the versatile television anchor and the producer of popular TV show, “Taste of Kerala” and “Taste of Dubai” will supervise cookery shows and competitions as part of the celebration.

Rajkalesh, who presented stage and television shows in and outside India, will adjudge the winners of the cooking competitions that will be held in major centers in Kuwait prior to the final on December 3.

Also a magician, trained under world famous magician Gopinath Muthukad,

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to the era of Krishnadevaraya and the rich culture, social and economical prowess of the Vijayanagar Empire, through a garland of dance and drama. The celebration is not only a tribute to the great emperor but also an attempt to inspire one and all in the audience.

The other attraction of the evening will be a performance from the world renowned entertainer Uday Jadugar, a gifted and multifaceted personality of the highest caliber.

He is among India’s finest exponents of Shadow Play and a children’s favorite. He is a master ventriloquist, a versatile actor, an ace photographer and author of several books on conjure, jokes, Sudoku and personality development. Uday Jadugar has already conducted over 8,000 shows both in India and abroad.

His shows bear the unmistakable stamp of world class entertainment and appeals to people of all ages, languages and religions. He will be assisted by his co-artist Arun Kumar Dutt. For more information about Kuwait Kannada Koota, please visit www.kuwaitkannadakoota.org.

Rajkalesh will mesmerize the audience with his spellbinding ‘Magic and illusions’ show.

The added attraction of the day-long celebration will be a musical extravaganza to be presented by well-known Idea Star singers Roshan, William Issac and Neelima along with upcoming playback singer Uma. Classical and folk dance performances, folk song presentations etc will add spices to the unique program ‘Tune & Taste 2010’. For details and participation in cooking competitions, email to: arpankwt@yahoo.com TIES Center announces Winter schedule IES Center announces its schedule of Winter Arabic Courses which will extend from October 29, 2010 through December 23, 2010. The courses are offered with the following options: Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 The Arabic courses at TIES Center are designed according to the students’ needs and requirements. These courses are intended for all expatriates who wish to learn the Arabic language and culture.

Upon completion of these courses the student will have a) Confidence in conducting basic Arabic communication (speaking, reading & writing) b) A basis for developing Arabic as a second language c) A better understanding of Arabic Culture d) Ability to interact with their classmates and learn about their background and culture For more information please contact us on 97144138 or visit our website www.tiescenter.net.

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TV PROGRAMS

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Monday, November 8, 2010

Orbit / Showtime Listings Morgan Freeman 23:00 Mega World 23:50 Superships 00:00 Ellen de Generes 01:00 Kathy Griffin 02:00 GMA Live repeat 03:00 The Bachelor 04:00 Warehouse 13 05:00 Ghost Whisperer 06:00 GMA Live repeat 07:00 Kathy Griffin 08:00 Eureka 09:00 Cold Case 10:00 Ellen de Generes 11:00 Damages 12:00 Warehouse 13 13:00 The Bachelor 14:00 Eureka 15:00 GMA Live 17:00 Cold Case 18:00 Ellen de Generes 19:00 Without a Trace 20:00 Big Love 21:00 Rescue Me

00:50 Shark Attack Files 2 01:45 Untamed And Uncut 02:40 Into The Dragon’s Lair 03:35 Untamed And Uncut 04:30 I Shouldn’t Be Alive 05:25 Animal Cops Houston 06:20 Untamed And Uncut 07:10 Wildlife SOS 07:35 Rspca: Have You Got What It Takes?

08:00 Corwin’s Quest 08:50 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 09:40 Groomer Has It 10:35 Animal Battlegrounds 11:00 Stranger Among Bears 11:25 Stranger Among Bears 11:55 Monkey Life 12:20 Rspca: On The Frontline 12:50 Animal Precinct 13:45 E-Vets: The Interns 14:10 Pet Rescue 14:40 Animal Cops Houston 15:35 Wildlife SOS 16:00 Rspca: On The Frontline 16:30 Dogs 101 17:25 Project Puppy 17:50 Project Puppy 18:20 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 19:15 The Pack 19:40 The Pack 20:10 China’s Last Elephants 21:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 22:05 Rogue Nature With Dave Salmoni 23:00 Maneaters

00:25 Life On Mars 01:15 Under The Greenwood Tree 02:50 Casualty 03:40 Casualty 04:35 The Roly Mo Show 04:50 Fimbles 05:10 Penelope K, By The Way 05:20 Tellytales 05:30 Me Too 05:50 Balamory 06:10 The Roly Mo Show 06:25 Tellytales 06:35 Penelope K, By The Way 06:50 Fimbles 07:10 Me Too 07:30 Balamory 07:50 Tellytales 08:00 Penelope K, By The Way 08:10 Fimbles 08:30 Me Too 08:55 Balamory 09:15 Penelope K, By The Way 09:25 Tellytales 09:35 Fimbles 09:55 Me Too 10:15 Balamory 10:40 Mastermind 2006 11:10 Last Of The Summer Wine 12:10 The Weakest Link 12:55 Strictly Come Dancing 13:40 Doctors 14:10 Mastermind 2006 14:40 Michael Palin’s New Europe 15:40 Last Of The Summer Wine 16:40 Strictly Come Dancing 17:20 The Weakest Link 18:10 Doctors 18:45 Mastermind 2006 19:15 Michael Palin’s New Europe 20:15 Strictly Come Dancing 21:00 The Weakest Link 21:45 Doctors 22:15 Eastenders 22:45 Holby City 23:45 Under The Greenwood Tree

00:20 Masterchef 02:25 Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 02:50 Living In The Sun 03:40 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 04:25 The Home Show 05:15 The Home Show 06:00 Cash In The Attic 06:45 Fantasy Homes In The City 07:30 Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 08:00 Antiques Roadshow 08:50 What Not To Wear 09:15 What Not To Wear 09:40 Antiques Roadshow 10:30 Hidden Potential 10:55 Cash In The Attic USA 11:20 Cooked 11:45 What To Eat Now - Autumn 12:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 13:05 Superhomes 13:55 The Restaurant UK 14:45 What Not To Wear 15:10 What Not To Wear 15:35 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 16:25 Daily Cooks Challenge 16:55 Cash In The Attic USA 17:15 Bargain Hunt 18:00 Masterchef 18:50 Daily Cooks Challenge 19:20 Daily Cooks Challenge 19:50 The Restaurant UK 20:40 Masterchef 21:10 Glamour Puds 21:35 Chef At Home 22:05 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 22:55 Superhomes 23:45 The Restaurant UK

00:40 Destroyed In Seconds 01:35 Motor City Motors 02:30 Wheeler Dealers 03:25 X-Machines 04:20 How Stuff’s Made 04:50 How Do They Do It? 05:15 Destroyed In Seconds 06:05 Extreme Engineering 07:00 Fifth Gear 07:25 Extreme Engineering 08:15 American Chopper 09:10 Mythbusters 10:05 Ultimate Survival 10:55 Overhaulin’ 11:50 The Gadget Show 12:20 How Stuff’s Made 12:45 How Do They Do It? 13:15 Mythbusters 14:10 Miami Ink 15:05 Ultimate Survival 16:00 Dirty Jobs 16:55 Overhaulin’ 17:50 Mythbusters 18:45 Cake Boss 19:10 Border Security 19:40 The Gadget Show 20:05 How Do They Do It? 20:35 How Stuff’s Made 21:00 Dual Survival 21:55 Deadliest Catch 22:50 Swamp Loggers 23:45 I Escaped Death

00:40 Perfect Disaster 01:30 Engineered 02:20 How The Universe Works 03:10 Nasa’s Greatest Missions 04:00 The Colony 04:50 The Colony 05:45 Weird Or What?

06:40 How Does That Work?

07:10 The Future Of...

08:00 Junkyard Mega-Wars 09:00 Sci-Fi Science 09:30 Sci-Fi Science 10:00 What’s That About?

10:55 Stuntdawgs 11:20 The Gadget Show 11:50 The Future Of...

12:45 How Does That Work?

13:15 Catch It Keep It 14:10 Weird Connections 14:35 What’s That About?

15:30 Nextworld 16:25 The Gadget Show 16:55 Sci-Fi Science 17:20 Sci-Fi Science 17:50 Kings Of Construction 18:45 Brainiac 19:40 Mega World 20:30 Superships 21:20 How It’s Made 21:45 The Gadget Show 22:10 Through The Wormhole With

00:40 Dr 90210 01:30 E! Investigates 03:15 Extreme Hollywood 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties 05:30 Streets Of Hollywood 06:00 THS 07:20 Holly’s World 07:45 Behind The Scenes 08:10 Fashion Police 08:35 E! News 09:25 Giuliana And Bill 09:50 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 10:15 25 Most Sensational Hollywood Meltdowns 12:00 E! News 12:50 Fashion Police 13:15 Pretty Wild 13:40 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:05 Kendra 14:30 THS 15:25 E!es 16:15 Behind The Scenes 17:10 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 18:00 E! News 18:50 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 19:15 Pretty Wild 19:40 E!es 20:30 Kendra 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:20 The Spin Crowd 21:45 The Spin Crowd 22:10 E! News 23:00 Fashion Police 23:25 Kendra 23:50 Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami

00:00 M1 Challange 02:30 Eds Up 04:10 Winter Dew Tour 09/10 05:50 Wall Rats 06:40 Continuum 07:30 I-Ex 09:00 Fim World Motocross Championships 2009 09:50 Fim World Motocross Championships 2009 10:40 Fim World Motocross Championships 2009 11:30 Ifmxf 2009 11:55 Fim World Motocross Mx1 = Mx2 12:45 Fantasy Factory 13:10 Fantasy Factory 13:35 Mantracker Series 2 14:25 Man’s Work 14:50 Man’s Work 15:15 Eds Up 15:40 Eds Up 16:05 Fim World Motocross Mx1 = Mx2 16:55 Fantasy Factory 17:20 Fantasy Factory 17:45 Fim World Motocross Championships 2009 18:35 Fim World Motocross Championships 2009 19:25 Fim World Motocross Championships 2009 20:15 Ifmxf 2009 20:40 Mantracker Series 2 21:30 Fantasy Factory 21:55 Fantasy Factory 22:20 Fim World Motocross Mx1 = Mx2 23:10 Eds Up 23:35 Eds Up

00:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:00 Food Network Challenge 02:00 30 Minute Meals 02:30 Tyler’s Ultimate 03:00 Food Network Challenge 04:00 Barefoot Contessa 04:30 Unwrapped 05:00 Iron Chef America 06:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 06:30 Guys Big Bite 07:00 Chopped 08:00 Paula’s Best Dishes 08:25 Good Deal with Dave Lieberman 08:50 Guys Big Bite 09:15 Barefoot Contessa 09:40 Everyday Italian 10:05 30 Minute Meals 10:30 Tyler’s Ultimate 11:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 11:30 Barefoot Contessa 12:00 Unwrapped 12:30 Paula’s Party 13:30 Guys Big Bite 14:00 Good Deal with Dave Lieberman

14:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 15:00 Barefoot Contessa 15:30 Everyday Italian 16:00 30 Minute Meals 16:30 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 17:00 Iron Chef America 18:00 Barefoot Contessa 18:30 Unwrapped 19:00 Paula’s Best Dishes 19:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 20:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 20:30 Good Deal with Dave Lieberman 21:00 Food Network Challenge 22:00 Barefoot Contessa 22:30 Everyday Italian 23:00 Iron Chef America

01:00 Stray Dogs-PG15 03:00 Dirty Pretty Things-PG15 05:00 L’affaire Farewell-PG15 07:00 Call Of The North-PG 09:00 Ambrose Bierce: Civil War StoriesPG15 10:45 Les Miserables-PG15 13:00 Farrah’s Story-PG 15:00 The Babe-PG15 17:00 The Brothers Bloom-PG15 19:00 A Thousand Acres-PG15 21:00 La Graine Et Le Mulet-PG15 23:30 A Clockwork Orange-18

00:40 True Crime Scene 01:30 I Almost Got Away With It 02:20 Ripped From The Headlines 03:10 On The Case With Paula Zahn 04:05 True Crime Scene 05:00 I Almost Got Away With It 05:55 Black Museum 06:20 Ghost Lab 07:10 Real Emergency Calls 08:00 Diagnosis: Unknown 08:50 Real Emergency Calls 09:40 Forensic Detectives 10:30 Solved 11:20 Murder Shift 12:10 FBI Files 13:00 Ghost Lab 13:50 Disappeared 14:40 Diagnosis: Unknown 15:30 Real Emergency Calls 16:20 Murder Shift 17:10 Forensic Detectives 18:00 Solved 18:50 FBI Files 19:40 Diagnosis: Unknown 20:30 Real Emergency Calls 21:20 Ghost Lab 22:10 Disappeared 23:00 Ripped From The Headlines

00:00 Kath and Kim 00:30 The Simpsons 01:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (repeat) 01:30 The Colbert Report (repeat) 02:00 Entourage 02:30 Curb your Enthusiasm 03:00 Saturday Night Live 04:30 Entourage 05:00 Curb your enthusiasm 05:30 Everybody loves Raymond 06:00 Frasier 06:30 The Drew Carey Show 07:00 Best of Late night with Jimmy Fallon 08:00 The Simpsons 08:30 Everybody loves Raymond 09:00 Frasier 09:30 The Drew Carey Show 10:00 Will & Grace 10:30 Better off Ted 11:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:30 Frasier 12:00 Best of Tonight Show with Jay Leno 13:00 The Simpsons 13:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 14:00 Frasier 14:30 Kath & Kim 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 Best of Late night with Jimmy Fallon 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 Will & Grace 19:00 Better Off Ted 19:30 Kath & Kim 20:00 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 South park 23:30 Better Off Ted

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 09:25 Handy Manny 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 13:35 JO JO’S CIRCUS (SCANDI YR1) 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 19:40 Special Agent Oso 19:50 Jungle Junction

Cairo Time on Show Movies

00:45 Nancy Drew 01:10 The Hardy Boys 01:30 Inspector Gadget 02:00 Dino Squad Marathon 07:00 Dennis The Menace 07:25 Beverly Hills Teen Club 07:45 Pelswick 08:10 Jass Time 08:12 Boo And Me 08:15 Fat Dog Mendoza 08:40 The Fairly Oddparents 09:05 The Beach Crew 09:10 Cyberchase 09:35 Birdz 10:00 The Beach Crew

10:05 Heathcliff 10:30 Ned’s Newt 10:55 New Adventures Of Madeline 11:20 Rupert 11:45 Babar 12:10 Max And Ruby 12:30 Corduroy 12:55 Rupert 13:20 New Adventures Of Madeline 13:45 Ned’s Newt 14:10 Corduroy 14:35 Max And Ruby 15:00 Babar 15:25 Rupert 15:50 Ned’s Newt 16:15 Beverly Hills Teen Club 16:40 Sabrina The Animated Series 17:05 The Beach Crew 17:10 Boo And Me 17:15 New Adventures Of Ocean Girl 17:40 Dino Squad 18:05 The Future Is Wild 18:30 Rescue Heroes 18:50 Even Stevens 19:15 The Beach Crew 19:20 Boo And Me 19:25 Dennis The Menace 19:35 Fat Dog Mendoza

00:15 NFL TBA at TBA 03:30 Sport Express 04:00 ASP Surfing World Championships Billabong Pro, Tahiti 05:00 Golf Central International 05:30 Golf Channel - TBA 08:00 Champions Tour Charles Schwab Cup Championship Final Rd. San Francisco, CA 10:30 NFL Game Day 11:00 NFL TBA at TBA 14:00 Golf Central International 14:30 Asian Tour CIMB Classic 15:00 NFL TBA at TBA 21:00 Major League Soccer Playoffs TBD

00:15 Out Of Jimmy’s Head 00:40 Chowder 01:05 Cow And Chicken 01:30 Cramp Twins 01:55 George Of The Jungle 02:20 Adrenalini Brothers 02:45 Eliot Kid 03:10 Ed, Edd N Eddy 03:35 Ben 10: Alien Force 04:00 The Powerpuff Girls 04:15 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 04:40 The Secret Saturdays 05:05 Codename: Kids Next Door 05:30 Ben 10 05:55 Best ED 06:20 Samurai Jack 06:45 Cramp Twins 07:10 Eliot Kid 07:35 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 08:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 08:25 Chowder 08:50 Best ED 09:15 Chop Socky Chooks 09:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 10:05 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 10:30 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 10:55 Eliot Kid 11:20 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 11:30 Squirrel Boy 11:55 Robotboy 12:20 Camp Lazlo 12:45 The Powerpuff Girls 13:10 Class Of 3000 13:35 Ed, Edd N Eddy 14:00 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 14:25 Codename: Kids Next Door 14:50 Ben 10 15:15 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 15:40 Squirrel Boy 16:05 Eliot Kid 16:35 Casper’s Scare School 17:00 Skunk Fu! 17:25 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 17:50 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 18:15 The Secret Saturdays 18:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 19:05 Hero 108 19:30 Chop Socky Chooks 20:00 Best ED 20:25 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 20:50 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 21:05 The Powerpuff Girls 21:30 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 21:45 Ben 10: Alien Force 22:10 Ed, Edd N Eddy 22:35 Robotboy 23:00 Camp Lazlo

00:00 Blindness-18 02:00 Genova-PG15 04:00 45 R.P.M.-PG15 06:00 Nurse.Fighter.Boy-PG15 08:00 H2o Extreme-PG15 10:00 Little Nicholas-PG 12:00 You Don’t Know Jack-PG15 14:15 Keith-PG15 16:00 H2o Extreme-PG15 18:00 Cairo Time-PG15 20:00 You Don’t Know Jack-PG15 22:15 Friday The 13th-18

01:00 Predator-PG15 03:00 The Hills Run Red-18 05:00 Along Came A Spider-PG15 07:00 The Watch-PG15 09:00 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider-PG15 11:00 Lost Junction-PG15 13:00 Serbian Scars-PG15 15:00 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider-PG15 17:00 The Betrayed-PG15 19:00 Punisher: War Zone-18 21:00 The Fan —PG15 23:00 Buried Alive-18

00:00 Christmas At The Riviera-PG 02:00 Tortilla Soup-PG15 04:00 Good Burger-PG 06:00 Beverly Hills Chihuahua-PG 08:00 Hoot-PG 10:00 The Promotion-PG15 12:00 Clueless-PG15 14:00 How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days-PG 16:00 Christmas At The Riviera-PG 18:00 Fever Pitch-PG15 20:00 The Rocker-PG15 22:00 How To Lose Friends And Alienate People-PG15

00:00 Christmas In New York-PG 02:00 Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius-FAM 04:00 Zorro’s Secrets-PG 06:00 Patoruzito-FAM 08:00 Gulliver’s Travel-PG 10:00 Zorro’s Secrets-PG

The Missing Person on Super Movies 12:00 Piper Penguin And His Fantastic Flying Machines-PG 14:00 Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius-FAM 16:00 Tommy And The Cool Mule-PG 18:00 Bedtime Stories-FAM 20:00 Young Fisherman-PG 22:00 Piper Penguin And His Fantastic Flying Machines-PG

00:00 CSI: NY 01:00 Kings 02:00 Martha Stewart 03:00 House 04:00 The View 05:00 Downsize Me 06:00 Emmerdale 06:30 Coronation Stree 07:00 House 08:00 Martha Stewart 09:00 Downsize Me 10:00 House 11:00 The View 12:00 Emmerdale 12:30 Coronation Stree 13:00 Martha Stewart 14:00 CSI: NY 15:00 Kings 16:00 What’s Good For you 17:00 The View 18:00 Emmerdale 18:30 Coronation Street 19:00 CSI: Miami 20:00 Desperate Housewives 21:00 House 22:00 The View 23:00 What’s Good For you

00:00 Futbol Mundial 00:30 European PGA Tour 06:00 Spirit of a Champion 06:30 Spirit of Yachting 07:00 Scottish Premier League 09:00 Scottish Premier League 11:00 Anglo Welsh Cup 13:00 Premier League Snooker 16:30 World Match Racing Tour Highlights 17:30 Scottish Premier League 19:30 Futbol Mundial 20:00 ICC Cricket World 20:30 Live Goals On Monday 21:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 22:00 Scottish Premier League

00:15 Spirit of a Champion 00:45 Rugby League Four Nations 04:30 Rugby Union ITM Cup 06:30 World Sport 07:00 European PGA Tour 12:30 World Sport 13:00 Scottish Premier League 15:00 Rugby Union ITM Cup 17:00 Triathlon 18:00 Futbol Mundial 18:30 ICC Cricket World 19:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 20:00 Rugby League Four Nations 22:00 ICC Cricket World 22:30 European PGA Tour Highlights 23:30 Triathlon

00:00 WWE Bottom Line 02:00 WWE NXT 03:00 WWE Vintage Collection 04:00 UFC 121 07:00 WWE Bottom Line 08:00 Red Bull X-Fighters 09:30 Le Mans Classic 10:00 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge 11:00 V8 Supercars Championship 13:00 Planet Power Boats 13:00 V8 Supercars Championship 13:30 FIA GT1 World Championship 15:00 WWE Smackdown 17:00 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge 18:00 Prizefighter 21:00 UFC Unleashed 22:00 UFC Unleashed 23:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter

01:30 The Stoning Of Soraya M.-18 03:30 Franklyn-PG15 05:15 From Time To Time-PG15 07:00 The Loss Of A Teardrop DiamondPG15 09:00 Whip It-PG15 11:00 Creation-PG15 13:00 Witness: The Kidnapping Of Patty Hearst-PG15 15:00 The Missing Person-PG15 17:00 Whip It-PG15 19:00 Beauty And The Briefcase-PG15 21:00 Doubt-PG15 23:00 Paranormal Activity-PG15

01:10 Coma 03:05 Bear Island 05:00 North By Northwest 07:15 The Screening Room 08:00 Edge Of The City 09:25 Bachelor In Paradise 11:10 Bhowani Junction 13:00 Ben-Hur 16:25 North By Northwest 18:40 Bear Island 20:40 The Screening Room 21:05 The Big Sleep 23:00 The Prize

00:40 Ancient Discoveries 01:30 How the Earth Was Made 02:20 The Universe 03:10 UFO Files 04:00 Ancient Discoveries 04:55 Life After People 05:50 Clash of the Gods 06:40 Ancient Discoveries 07:30 How the Earth Was Made 08:20 The Universe 09:10 UFO Files 10:00 Ancient Discoveries 10:55 Life After People 11:50 Clash of the Gods 12:40 Ancient Discoveries 13:30 How the Earth Was Made 14:20 The Universe 15:10 UFO Files 16:00 Ancient Discoveries 16:55 Life After People 17:50 Clash of the Gods 18:40 Ancient Discoveries 19:30 How the Earth Was Made 20:20 The Universe 21:10 UFO Files 22:00 Life After People 22:55 The Universe 23:50 Ax Men

00:00 The Dish 00:30 Fashion Police 01:00 Clean House 02:00 My Celebrity Home 03:00 How Do I Look?

04:00 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

05:00 Married Away 06:00 Style Her Famous 06:30 Area 07:00 How Do I Look?

08:00 Millennium Fashion: The Year In Fashion 09:00 My Celebrity Home 10:00 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

11:00 Married Away 12:00 Peter Perfect 13:00 Ruby 14:00 Clean House 15:00 Clean House Comes Clean 15:30 Style Her Famous 16:00 Jerseylicious 17:00 Ruby 18:00 How Do I Look?

19:00 How Do I Look?

20:00 Peter Perfect 21:00 Clean House 22:00 How Do I Look?

23:00 Marry Me In Mexico: Trish’s Dream...

00:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 01:00 Down The Line 02:00 Word Travels 02:30 Culture Shock 03:00 Travel 360 04:00 Globe Trekker 05:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 06:00 The Thrillseekers Guide 06:30 Surfari 07:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Rudy Maxa’s World 08:30 Top Travel 09:00 Word Travels 09:30 Essential 10:00 Chef Abroad 10:30 Floyd On Africa 11:00 Surfari 11:30 Raider Of The Lost Snow 12:00 Globe Trekker 13:00 Planet Food 14:00 Flavours Of Spain 14:30 Top Travel 15:00 Word Travels 15:30 Essential 16:00 Globe Trekker 17:00 Rudy Maxa’s World 17:30 Chef Abroad 18:00 Panasia 18:30 Floyd On Africa 19:00 Globe Trekker 20:00 Planet Food 21:00 Hollywood And Vines 21:30 The Thirsty Traveler 22:00 Working Holiday 23:00 Globe Trekker

02:00 Impromptu 03:50 Foxy Brown 05:25 Staying Together 06:55 Board Heads 08:25 Return Of A Man Called Horse 10:30 Spellbinder 12:10 Napoleon 13:35 A Home Of Our Own 15:20 Curse Of The Pink Panther 17:10 Maxie 18:50 The Legend Of Johnny Lingo 20:20 Madison 22:00 Asteroid

00:00 VH1 Rocks 00:30 Smells Like The 90s 01:00 Music For The Masses 02:00 VH1 Music 06:00 Chill Out 08:00 VH1 Hits 10:00 Aerobic 11:00 VH1 Hits 12:00 Music For The Masses 13:00 Top 10 14:00 Music For The Masses 15:00 VH1 Pop Chart 16:00 VH1 Hits 18:00 Music For The Masses 20:00 Guess The Year 21:00 Music For The Masses 22:00 Muse Top 20 23:00 Muse Top 20 00:00 Travel 360 01:00 Planet Food 02:00 Globe Trekker 03:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 04:00 Chef Abroad 04:30 Flavours Of Peru 05:00 Globe Trekker 06:00 Rudy Maxa’s World 06:30 Top Travel 07:00 Hollywood and Vines 07:30 The Thirsty Traveler 08:00 Chef Abroad 08:30 Floyd Uncorked 09:00 Surfari 09:30 Skier’s World 10:00 Globe Trekker 11:00 Planet Food 12:00 Flavours Of Peru 12:30 Top Travel 13:00 Hollywood and Vines 13:30 The Thirsty Traveler 14:00 Globe Trekker 15:00 Rudy Maxa’s World 15:30 Chef Abroad 16:00 Flavours Of Peru

Monday, November 8, 2010

33

ACCOMMODATION Room for rent only for family in Farwaniya, block 1, near Canary, Fire Station.

Contact: 99035093, 66015996. (C 2846) Sharing room available, attach bath for couple, Muslim family Indian or Pakistani in Farwaniya, near Yadgar Hotel. Contact: 66988845. (C 2847) 8-11-2010 Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya, from 1st December. Contact 24331438 / 99162583.

(C 2842) 7-11-2010 Spacious bedroom with separate bathroom is available for sharing in a two bedroom/two bathroom flat for Keralite couples in Abbassiya near United Indian School. Call after 7 pm.

Contact: 66846299.

(C 2838) Keralite business person looking for 2-3 executive bachelors or a small family to share in a furnished 2 1/2 bed flat with 2 bath, hall, behind 4th Ring fire station, Salmiya. Tel: 99642938/ 22439217.

(C 2840) An executive Keralite bachelor, own small business looking for a nice accommodation in City,

Salmiya, Hawally, Rumaithiya areas, with a Keralite family - stays almost 5 months in Kerala in an year. Tel: 99530247/ 99748209.

(C 2841) Furnished single bedroom flat available from 01-122010 in front of Pakistan International School, Khaitan. Contact: 66412523.

(C 2836) 6-11-2010 Sharing accommodation available for bachelors in Salmiya, Amman street opposite Al-Rashid hospital.

Contact: 65515717.

(C 2835) Single room accommodation required for a 50+ executive bachelor to share with a decent Muslim family.

Please contact: 66750417, 66674415. (C 2834) 4-11-2010 Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya for one or two working ladies in a new C-A/C flat with Ker-

alite family. Contact: 66013882. (C 2832) Sharing accommodation in Sharq near Amiri hospital CA/C, 2 bathroom, 3 bedrooms, kitchen, big hall, neat flat, preferred Indian family or two working ladies sharing with Keralite Christian family. Call: 99849490.

(C 2821) Mahboula room for rent in a flat, with A/C, kitchen and other facilities for a Christian couple or bachelor near ABC tower. Contact: 66216713/ 65135094.

(C 2822)

FOR SALE Honda Accord, 4 doors, 1998 model, excellent condition, full options, 120,000 km. Price KD 1,150. One year Insurance. Call: 55522942. (C 2837) 6-11-2010 Fridge KD 35, Sony Video camera no-TRV-330 KD 40,

still camera Olympus KD 15. Contact: 66013882.

(C 2833) 3-11-2010 SITUATION WANTED

Sri Lankan house maid looking for a job, for European family, have experience. Contact: 97413349.

(C 2843) Indian male, Accountant having six years experience in Kuwait looking for suitable opening. Can handle accounts up to finalization and good working experience in Accounting Modules. Interested please contact: 65067919. (C 2839) 7-11-2010 Brilliant young B.Com graduate passed in first class knowing Peachtree and Tally having 2 years working experience in India seeking suitable job as Accountant. Tel: 97333492/ 65179245.

(C 2820) 6-11-2010

MATRIMONIAL Proposals invited, for a 28y.o. (172 cm) Nair professional boy working as a Graphic Designer in a reputable firm in Kuwait, from Nair girls aged below 25 based either here in Kuwait or in India. Please contact email: rajeshkwtimes@gmail.com Seeking suitable alliance for a Marthomite girl (5始5 tall, good looking), 25 years old, BSc (N), hailing from Mallappally (Pathanamthitta dist) working in a private hospital in Kuwait, from parents of God fearing, good looking and professionally qualified Christian grooms.

Email: mathewthomas102@gmail.com (C 2825) NRI Marthoma parents invite proposals for their daughter 25/163, fair, B/B in Kuwait, B.E Computer Engineering employed in Banga-

lore. From parents of God fearing, good looking, well employed boys, brought up outside Kerala, belonging to Marthoma/CSI/Orthodox family. Respond with recent photograph and bio-data.

Email: mathewj23@gmail.com (C 2831) 2-11-2010 Proposals invited from employed Ezhava PG boys above 30 yrs for an Ezhava girl, 29 yrs, Chathayam, MBA, M.Phil, currently employed as faculty. Please respond to jaykrishna76@gmail.com (C 2818) 1-11-2010 SITUATION VACANT

Wanted a very good Indian female cook for a decent Kuwaiti family to prepare Indian/Arabic/Chinese dishes, fair ladies preferred.

Contact: 65111536.

(C 2839) 6-11-2010

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 08/11/2010 Airlines Flt Route Wataniya Airways 188 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 305 Cairo Bangladesh 045 Dhaka/Bahrain Gulf Air 211 Bahrain Turkish 772 Istanbul Egypt Air 614 Cairo Jazeera 267 Beirut DHL 370 Bahrain Emirates 853 Dubai Etihad 305 Abu Dhabi Qatari 138 Doha Ethiopian 622 Addis Ababa/Bahrain Falcon 201 Dubai 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 Middle East 404 Beirut Jazeera 447 Doha Iran Aseman 6521 Lamerd Jazeera 171 Dubai Egypt Air 610 Cairo Oman Air 645 Muscat Kuwait 672 Dubai Jordanian 800 Amman United 982 Washington DC Dulles Fly Dubai 057 Dubai Jazeera 257 Beirut Saudia 500 Jeddah Kuwait 552 Damascus

Time 00:30 00:50 01:05 01:05 01:15 02:05 02:10 02:15 02:25 02:55 03:25 03:30 05:25 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 10:50 11:20 11:45 12:40 12:55 13:15 13:15 13:35 13:35 13:50 14:05 14:30 14:35

Nas Air Jazeera Qatari Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Wataniya Kuwait Etihad Emirates Gulf Air Saudia Wataniya Jazeera Arabia Wataniya Jazeera SriLankan Kuwait Wataniya Airways Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Indian Fly Dubai Wataniya Middle East Rovos Jet A/W KLM Wataniya Airways DHL Gulf Air Jazeera Emirates Qatari United Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera Tunis Air Lufthansa Pakistan Wataniya Airways

745 Jeddah 525 Alexandria 134 Doha 548 Luxor 546 Alexandria 678 Muscat/Abu Dhabi 118 New York 104 Dubai 502 Beirut 303 Abu Dhabi 857 Dubai 215 Bahrain 510 Riyadh 202 Jeddah 239 Amman 125 Sharjah 432 Damascus 367 Deirezzor 227 Colombo/Dubai 104 London 304 Cairo 106 Dubai 542 Cairo 786 Jeddah 618 Doha 177 Dubai 744 Dammam 674 Dubai 614 Bahrain 774 Riyadh 575 Chennai/Goa 061 Dubai 186 Bahrain 402 Beirut 081 Baghdad 572 Mumbai 0445 Amsterdam 404 Beirut 372 Bahrain 217 Bahrain 459 Damascus 859 Dubai 136 Doha 981 Bahrain 429 Bahrain 449 Doha 185 Dubai 327 Tunis 636 Frankfurt 239 Sialkot 108 Dubai

14:55 15:00 15:05 15:10 15:30 15:35 16:15 16:30 16:45 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:20 17:40 17:40 17:50 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 20:15 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 23:35 23:45 23:55 23:55

Departure Flights on Monday 08/11/2010 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 Turkish 773 Istanbul Bangladesh 046 Dhaka Egypt Air 615 Cairo DHL 371 Bahrain Emirates 854 Dubai Etihad 306 Abu Dhabi Ethiopian 622 Addis Dhabi Air Arabia Egypt 554 Alexandria Qatari 139 Doha Jazeera 422 Bahrain Jazeera 446 Doha Gulf Air 212 Bahrain Jazeera 524 Alexandria Jazeera 256 Beirut British 156 London Jazeera 170 Dubai Kuwait 545 Alexandria Fly Dubai 054 Dubai Kuwait 677 Abu Dhabi/Muscat Kuwait 671 Dubai Kuwait 551 Damascus Arabia 122 Sharjah Kuwait 547 Luxor Emirates 856 Dubai Qatari 133 Doha Etihad 302 Abu Dhabi Kuwait 501 Beirut Gulf Air 214 Bahrain Kuwait 165 Rome/Paris Wataniya Airways 303 Cairo Middle East 405 Beirut Kuwait 541 Cairo Jazeera 238 Amman Jazeera 366 Deirezzor Wataniya 201 Jeddah Wataniya 431 Damascus Kuwait 103 London Kuwait 785 Jeddah Egypt Air 611 Cairo Iran Aseman 6522 Lamero Oman Air 646 Muscat

Time 00:05 00:25 00:30 00:50 01:00 01:05 01:10 02:15 02:15 03:05 03:15 03:45 04:00 04:15 04:20 05:00 07:30 07:40 07:45 08:00 08:05 08:25 08:30 08:35 08:40 08:45 09:00 09:10 09:20 09:20 09:40 10:00 10:10 11:00 11:35 11:45 11:50 11:50 12:00 12:10 12:15 12:25 12:25 12:30 13:30 13:55 13:45 14:15

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

Wataniya Airways Jordanian Fly Dubai United Jazeera Kuwait Wataniya Airways Kuwait Saudia Nas Air Jazeera Kuwait Qatari Kuwait Kuwait Rovos Etihad Wataniya Gulf Air Emirates Kuwait Arabia Jazeera Saudia Kuwait Jazeera SriLankan Jazeera Wataniya Airways Wataniya Airways Kuwait Fly Dubai Kuwait Middle East Jet A/W Wataniya Airways KLM Gulf Air DHL Kuwait Emirates Falcon Kuwait Qatari Kuwait Kuwait Jazeera United Jazeera Kuwait

105 Dubai 801 Amman 058 Dubai 982 Bahrain 176 Dubai 673 Dubai 403 Beirut 617 Doha 501 Jeddah 746 Jeddah 458 Damascus 773 Riyadh 135 Doha 613 Bahrain 743 Dammam 082 Baghdad 304 Abu Dhabi 306 Cairo 216 Bahrain 858 Dubai 543 Cairo 126 Sharjah 184 Dubai 511 Riyadh 285 Chittagong 448 Doha 228 Dubai/Colombo 428 Bahrain 433 Damascus 107 Dubai 283 Dhaka 062 Dubai 331 Trivandrum 403 Beirut 571 Mumbai 187 Bahrain 0445 Bahrain/Amsterdam 218 Bahrain 373 Bahrain 675 Dubai 860 Dubai 102 Bahrain 381 Delhi 137 Doha 301 Mumbai 205 Islamabad 526 Alexandria 981 Washington DC Dulles 502 Luxor 411 Bangkok/Manila

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 17:35 18:05 18:05 18:05 18:10 18:20 18:30 18:35 18:45 18:50 19:10 19:20 19:30 19:40 20:00 20:50 21:00 21:20 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:55 23:20 23:40 23:40 23:40

SPECTRUM

34

Monday, November 8, 2010

Calvin

CROSSWORD 134

Aries (March 21-April 19) Close relationships and

other ties between people become a focus for much of your thinking process now. You may find yourself on the phone with a friend talking about marriage and the things that go into the mix to make a good marriage work. Compassion, respect and the willingness to share are probably the top of the list for requirements. You help guide a confused friend in the right direction today. Travel and adventure are compelling temptations as you dare to stretch your horizons. You may find yourself being put to good use by your friends this afternoon. You may have to reorganize your plans so that you can lend a helping hand. This could mean helping someone to move. All of this should go rather smoothly.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Some updates in your home

may be lots of fun to tackle. You have a garage or storage shed that you may decide to turn into a room for a young person. Depending on the responsibility of this young person, the room may be enjoyed as a game room. Family, home, relatives and real estate play a part in making this day exciting. Think about the goals you and your family may want in the future and start planning on how you want to reach those goals. Make short- and long-term goals. You and your family members may cease to waste time and money acquiring that which is worthless, and may develop an eye for that which is lasting and worthwhile. Marriage, contracts, and partnerships are possible and plans with these things in mind will be very successful.

Pooch Cafe

ACROSS 1. A boy or man.

4. A member of the Semitic speaking people of northern Ethiopia.

10. Surface layer of ground containing a matt of grass and grass roots.

13. Fermented alcoholic beverage similar to but heavier than beer.

14. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

15. An accountant certified by the state.

16. Wife of Balder.

18. (Norse mythology) The primeval giant slain by Odin and his brothers and from whose body they created the world.

19. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

20. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

22. Dip a foot or hand briefly into a liquid.

24. Take in, also metaphorically.

27. (astronomy) The angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing.

28. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

29. The trait of lacking restraint or control.

34. Relating to or characteristic of or occurring on land.

37. Burrowing marine mollusk living on sand or mud.

38. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

39. How long something has existed.

41. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

43. Any of various types of cabbage.

47. Spicy sauce of tomatoes and onions and chili peppers to accompany Mexican foods.

48. United States astronomer (1835-1909).

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

51. Tropical woody herb with showy yellow flowers and flat pods.

56. A family of Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in southeastern Asia.

58. The United Nations agency concerned with civil aviation.

61. The month following February and preceding April.

62. Imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time) from 206 BC to 221 and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy.

63. A hinged catch that fits into a notch of a ratchet to move a wheel forward or prevent it from moving backward.

65. A Kwa language spoken by the Yoruba people in southwestern Nigeria.

66. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

67. (of words) Formed in imitation of a natural sound.

68. A member of a Mayan people of southwestern Guatemala.

DOWN 1. An island of central Hawaii.

2. Fear resulting from the awareness of danger.

3. The brightest star in Cygnus.

4. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

5. Informal terms for a mother.

6. Any plant of the genus Hoya having fleshy leaves and usually nectariferous flowers.

7. A defensive missile designed to shoot down incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles.

8. A sudden short attack.

9. The first of the Old Testament patriarchs and the father of Isaac.

10. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

11. A translucent mineral consisting of hydrated silica of variable color.

12. A challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy.

17. Submerged aquatic plant having narrow leaves and small flowers.

21. A light strong brittle gray toxic bivalent metallic element.

23. A decree that prohibits something.

25. Date used in reckoning dates before the supposed year Christ was born.

26. (British) An open river valley (in a hilly area).

30. The cry made by sheep.

31. Tropical woody herb with showy yellow flowers and flat pods.

32. An onerous or difficult concern.

33. A quantity of no importance.

35. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

36. The compass point that is one point north of northeast.

40. Untanned hide especially of cattle.

41. Informal terms for a mother.

42. The basic unit of money in Western Samoa.

44. English monk and scholar (672-735).

45. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar.

46. A crude stone artifact (as a chipped flint).

50. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

52. A training program to prepare college students to be commissioned officers.

53. (Islam) The man who leads prayers in a mosque.

54. The basic unit of money in Bangladesh.

55. Starch resembling sago that is obtained from cuckoopint root.

57. A nucleic acid consisting of large molecules shaped like a double helix.

59. The corporate executive responsible for the operations of the firm.

60. Black tropical American cuckoo.

61. Thigh of a hog (usually smoked).

64. An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) There is a feeling of being at peace and stable on the emotional level. Music is likely to play a more important role for you this morning. Some of you have the music writing talent and if not you will enjoy listening or performing. You might consider a class in music writing. Family members may call on you to help make decisions concerning group issues this afternoon. By giving others some time to think through your ideas, positive results will happen; do not push. You have a natural sense of what others want at this time. This is also a great time to reflect and understand your own situation. You may spend some time this afternoon in fulfilling some earlier promise made to a young person. You may be a mentor or a coach to several youngsters.

Non Sequitur

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You are at your mental best with sharp ideas and clear thoughts. This is an excellent time to make decisions and take care of mental busy work. This afternoon you may find yourself having a good time, surrounded by friends and young people. You appreciate your particular situation and enjoy support from those around you.

Conversations surrounding dreams, psychic phenomena, flying saucers and the like may be fun to delve into this afternoon. This can be inspiring or it can be confusing, depending on how you are able to integrate these things into your overall experience. You may find yourself creating and experimenting with colors through your art. Your artistic talents are complimented— rewards are possible. A loved one has compliments.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Unusual approaches to philosophy, religion, law and politics come to play a bigger role in your life now. You are fascinated in these subjects and there may be talk among you and your friends to take or sit in on some of these courses. Developments in these fields can have a big impact on you. Spiritual studies bring questions to mind that you may search and find unsatisfactory answers to your own religion.

Knowledge that has been withheld may now be presented to you and you are in need of more answers. This is a kind of spiritual or philosophical rebirth and it is not always gentle. Exchanging information is an important activity today. Being more involved with neighbors or siblings is an important step this afternoon.

Zits

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Your attention may be on investments today as a neighbor or friend brags or shows off a few pictures of an investment. You may decide you like the idea of real estate as an investment and will seek to create some time to investigate the matter. Give yourself plenty of time before making a decision. The universal forces around you are positive; however, research carefully before you sign a contract. You could find yourself at a bazaar, selling your special recipe or helping at some booth in an art show this afternoon. If not, it is certainly a time for garage sales and cleaning out closets. Lovers, children and other people dear to your heart are emphasized this evening; whatever is current gains your attention. It is stimulating just being with you.

Libra (September 23-October 22) Instant gratification is one of the temptations you are subject to now: you want things, and you want them this instant.

This is a practical and materialistic kind of focus, one that emphasizes the making and spending of money.

Learning what really counts is an important lesson that may be learned the hard way. Someone older or in authority may disapprove of your actions or decisions today. Try not to react too suddenly. Slow down, dive into some busy activity that includes a plan. Soon you will have that desired item. It may be very productive to look for those coupons that you can double or special days to shop when you can triple the coupon. Tonight you may meet or become involved in that long-awaited relationship with someone very special.

Mother Goose and Grimm

You are a very sensitive person who can depend on feelings and intuition to get around in life. Fortunately, as intelligent as you are, you seek proof for things you sense have meaning. Loved ones will ask for your attention most of this day and the only way to really do any sort of research or reading would be to visit a library. Later today you could be more available to the people around you, particularly the young ones. Possessing good common sense, you are always very practical and down-to-earth; nurturing and protective to all. Cooking, growing things and music will keep you happily busy this afternoon and evening. You may encourage a young person to enjoy their hobby or teach them a science experiment this evening.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) A charitable organization is brought to your attention this morning, perhaps through an announcement in your Church Bulletin or through some other form of information. You seem to be involved with the care of children most of this day. Outer circumstances are favorable and it should be easy for you to handle whatever comes across your path at this time. Things may seem almost magical in the way situations work out favorably for all. At home, later today you find time to organize and tend to the weekend chores that were previously left undone. There is time to enjoy catching up on phone calls before a date with your sweetheart. This evening you may enjoy a most relaxing candlelight dinner and perhaps a movie with your loved one.

Yesterdayʼs Solution

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) You may

find yourself teaching a class within your religious organization this morning. Others value you for your ability to make some difficult topics easy to understand.

You may have some brilliant ideas that would help the elderly or handicapped person you know. Inventions along this line have been considered for some time. There may be several ways to receive money for what you want to do and that would be through a city awareness fund, several garage sales from different individuals with a sign posted for the cause, etc. Keep a door open for new ideas. If you are not in a permanent relationship a polite individual may introduce themselves this afternoon. Perhaps you could take some time out for a two-person bicycle ride in the park.

Yesterdayʼs Solution

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Phone calls, news broadcasted from the radio and taken from the newspaper, plus visits with friends in your religious circle all seem to pass your checkpoint today. Reports show that everything is doing fine in your world; it’s all good news. Whatever project you decide to dive into today gets encouragement. You and your family may discuss a project that each person can contribute time and money into and gain as a result. A steady income is not the idea. The group may decide to create a family time-share with rules from which the arrangement can be enjoyed. Final decisions can be made in the future; for now, the ideas are multiplying. Eventually, everyone will agree and a legal contract can be signed. Music is relaxing this evening.

INTERNATIONAL CALLS Kuwait Qatar Abu Dhabi Dubai Raas Al Khayma Al-Shareqa Muscat Jordan Bahrain Riyadh Makkah - Jeddah Cairo Alexandria Beirut Damascus Allepo

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) Cleaning out, trashing the unnecessary, giving away the extras and setting the unessential are what this morning is all about. This is a kind of spiritual or philosophical rebirth and it is not always easy.

Answers may not always be available. A new cycle begins signaling a greater than usual interest in relationships, social connections and the arts; on a more intellectual level than in the past. Seeing both sides of an issue and figuring out resolutions to opposing views are important issues for you now. This just may have to do with family inheriting property and the division or sale of the property. Work, health, diet and the other things that take care of us, if we take care of them, can provide a lot of satisfaction as a new life phase begins.

INFORMATION

Monday, November 8, 2010

35 FIRE BRIGADE Operation Room 112 Al-Madena 22418714 Al-Shohada始a 22545171 Al-Shuwaikh 24810598 Al-Nuzha 22545171 Sabhan 24742838 Al-Helaly 22434853 Al-Fayhaa 22545051 Al-Farwaniya 24711433 Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983 Al-Fahaheel 23927002 Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983 Ahmadi 23980088 Al-Mangaf 23711183 Al-Shuaiba 23262845 Al-Jahra 25610011 Al-Salmiya 25616368

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw

For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 HOSPITALS Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha始a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

24874330/9 CLINICS

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

4892674

Al-Omariya

4719048

N.Kheitan

4710044

Rabiya

4732263

Fintas

3900322

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988 AIRLINES

PHARMACIES ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE Ahmadi

PHARMACY Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

ADDRESS Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

PHONE 23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554

EMERGENCY 112

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists: Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea Dr. Masoma Habeeb Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy Dr. Mohsen Abel Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly

25622444 25752222 25321171 25739999 25757700 25732223 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT): Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners: Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists: Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Plastic Surgeons: Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari Dr. Abdel Quttainah

22617700 25625030/60

Family Doctor: Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Zahra Qabazard Sohail Qamar Snaa Maaroof Pradip Gujare Zacharias Mathew

25710444 22621099 25713514 23713100 24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047 Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0 Gynaecologists & Obstetricians: Dr Adrian Harbe 23729596/23729581 Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321 Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539 Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406 Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272 Dr. Salem soso 22618787 General Surgeons:

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044 Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Paediatricians: Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

(2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535 Dentists:

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists:

Internist, Chest & Heart: DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210 Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Tel: 25339667 Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Consultant Cardiologist Tel: 2611555-2622555 Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324 Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

Internists, Chest & Heart: Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939 Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300 Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004 Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515 Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446 Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Physiotherapists & VD: Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291 Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030 Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Endocrinologist: Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330 Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari

25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr

25329924

Psychologists/Psychotherapists Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688 info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677 William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

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

Big headed Freida Pinto F

r eid a Pi nt o was once big-headed about her beauty. The Mumbai-born actress - who has been dating ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ co-star Dev Patel since 2008 - has revealed she used to let compliments about the way she looked go to her head. She said: “When I was small, a lot of people would say I was a cute chubby little baby, with light blue eyes, and my mum said initially I let it go to my head. But by the time I reached college, I kind of toned it down. It’s like a growing-up experience.” However,

the 26-year-old star admitted she now would prefer people praise her acting skills, rather than the way she looks. Freida added: “I don’t like that to be honest. Every time someone tells me, ‘You look so beautiful in the film’. I don’t care! Just tell me if the performance was good. “To be honest I still love shopping at H&M and Topshop, because if you really want to be stylish you should be able to mix and match different clothes, put them on yourself and still end up looking like a million bucks.”

Way’s old rock rebellion

Douglas warned LaBeouf

Downey Jr predicts undeserved award

M

ichael Douglas warned Shia LaBeouf not to date Carey Mulligan. The veteran actor advised his ‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps’ co-stars - who recently ended their year-long romance - not to embark on a relationship as it is never a good idea to mix business with pleasure. Michael - who played Carey’s father in the film said: “I warned Shia about that. I told him, ‘Do not get involved with your leading lady. Trust me. Whatever you do, don’t do that.’” Michael - who has children Dylan, 10, and Carys, seven, with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones as well as

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he ‘Insatiable’ singer recently got engaged to NFL hunk Jason Bell, but said the couple aren’t about to rush into marriage, and could take years to plan their wedding. She said: “It will definitely be a long engagement. We haven’t even had an engagement party. I’m going to ride this one out.

It still feels so new, so we could do this for ten or 12 years, you know!” Nadine, 25, announced her engagement in September, saying she was taken completely by surprise when Jason got down on one knee. She said: “I just got back from London and he was in New York and he surprised me with a ring and stuff, while I was in my pyjamas! If I had known I would have had a blow-dry or at least had a manicure or something! “He got down on two knees, not one knee because he had played football for a while so he was all banged up. It was different! It was really, really nice. He’s probably dying now.”

Simpson saddened by Lachey’s engagement

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erard Wa y dyed his hair in an act of rebellion against being a rocker in his 30s. The My Chemical Romance singer has colored his locks bright pink ahead of the release of his group’s fourth album ‘Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys’, and admits his change of image was a deliberate move to save the group from being categorized with other older musicians.

He said: “I’m happier, but I think in some odd ways more rebellious.

“In some ways the color is more rebellious, even if it’s self-rebellion, there’s no big, secret, hidden enemy. “We’re in our 30s and we’re in a rock band and you see things start to happen with bands at that period of life. I think it was a rebellion against that, against being brought into that whole modern rock thing.” The 33-year-old star also admitted the group’s introduction of more color in their wardrobe away from the blacks which dominated their look around their last album ‘The Black Parade’ was a gradual move. He explained: “Every week someone would show up with something new that was color, like, ‘Oh I got these sneakers that are in color,’ and it kind of crept in almost like a virus into our lives. “And then we had normal-looking wardrobes after a while.” ‘Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys’ is released on November 22.

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essica Simpson is reportedly “deeply saddened” by ex-husband Nick Lachey’s engagement. The blonde beauty is said to be upset her former spouse - who she married in October 2002 - has proposed to current partner Vanessa Minnillo, who he started dating just months after his divorce from the ‘Dukes of Hazard’ star was finalized in 2006. A source close to Jessica - who famously vowed to stay a virgin until she got married

- said: “Even though Jessica wants to be happy for Nick, this is a very difficult time for her. “Nick was the love of her life then and he was her first, so she will always have a very special place in her heart for him. She’s deeply saddened.” According to friends of Nick - who briefly separated from Vanessa last summer before the pair reconciled - the singer had not planned to marry again after being hurt so badly from his union with Jessica, but finally feels

Love back with Balazs

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31-year-old Cameron from his previous marriage - has recently completed a grueling course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment for throat cancer and although he is optimistic about the outcome, he admitted it was bad timing as there is so much he still wants to do with his life.

The 66-year-old star said: “The timing of this sucks because there are so many things I wanted to do that I can’t right now. But I’m convinced that I’m going to lick it and come out a stronger and better person.”

Monday, November 8, 2010

Coyle’s engagement could last a decade

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obert Downey Jr thinks he will win an Oscar when he doesn’t deserve to. The ‘Iron Man’ star - who lost out on a Best Actor accolade in 1992 for his role in ‘Chaplin’, despite being favorite to win - insists awards ceremonies don’t necessarily recognize people for their talents or achievements, but decide when is the right “time” to give out an honor. He said: “As long as I stick around, I’m going to end up with a bunch of them anyway as they’re going to run out of people to give them to. “And I’m probably going to win it one year when someone else deserves to win it. Why? Because it’s my time. And that’s the way things work around here. I’m just an uptight mutt at the top of his game.” Despite his prediction, the 45-year-old star insists he doesn’t care about winning awards anymore. He told Britain’s GQ magazine: “I want to qualify that there is no physical pain in not winning something. There is psychological turmoil and lack of understanding, but what is really going on here? I can lie, and pretend I worry but I don’t care. Honestly. “There was a time when I thought the only way out of hell was to win a certain type of award. And then I thought, ‘What a pitiful existence.’ “

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ourtney Love has reportedly rekindled her romance with hotelier Andre Balazs. The Hole singer was seen kissing Andre at the Mercer Hotel, in New York, and the pair are said to be an item again after splitting in May. A source said: “They were all over each other.” The reunited couple are now planning to move to the UK together and want to buy a house in north-west London when Andre opens two new hotels in the British capital next year. Andre, 56, is also trying to be a calming influence on 46-year-old Courtney - famed for her hell raising behavior and past drug use -and has told her if they are going to be a couple she needs to turn her back on her wild ways. A friend told The Mail on Sunday newspaper: “Andre flew Courtney to St. Tropez to meet his father in the summer. He calls her by her middle name Michelle and they often just spend nights eating ice cream and watching movies. They feel very strongly about each other. “But he has told Courtney that if it’s going to work then she needs to clean up her act. She’s serious about this too and is even willing to end her rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle.” Andre - who owns the Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles - was previously married to Ford Models heiress Katie Ford but they divorced in 2004.

He then dated actress Uma Thurman for three years until separating from her in March 2007. Courtney is famously the widow of Nirvana rocker Kurt Cobain - who committed suicide in 1994.

She has an 18-year-old daughter Frances Bean from her relationship with Kurt. Andre and Courtney broke up in May after Andre became angry at the rock star’s need to talk publicly about their romance and her jealous behavior.

secure in his relationship with the actress.

One insider told gossip website PopEater: “Nick knows what it’s like to lose someone that you love and wasn’t going to let it happen again. “He never thought he would ever get married again after Jessica broke his heart. He never thought he would ever allow himself to be vulnerable again, but after dating for a long time he trusts Vanessa and knows she’s the girl he wants to spend the rest of his life with.”

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Monday, November 8, 2010

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Music & Movies

White father of African rock marks anniversary

By Jenny Gross n a rehearsal studio one afternoon in 1986, a white South African musician wrote an international hitpartly in Zulu, the language of the largest ethnic group in the country. “Asimbonanga,” which means “we’ve never seen him,” the song refers to the generation of South Africans who grew up under apartheid and had never even seen a photograph of Nelson Mandela, the country’s hope for reconciliation who was imprisoned under South Africa’s apartheid regime.

Johnny Clegg, later dubbed the “white Zulu,” was sure his song’s message would be lost. At the time, his new genre of music, a blend of Western pop and Zulu rhythms, was banned from the radio-as Mandela’s photo was banned from newspapers.

Clegg’s concerts were routinely broken up, and he and other members of his multiracial band had been arrested several times for challenging a South African law meant to keep whites and blacks apart.

“Asimbonanga,” in which the names of Mandela and other prisoners are spoken aloud in defiance of state radio rules of the time, was released in South Africa in 1986 and abroad a year later. The South African government immediately banned the video and restricted the song from radio programming, so most South Africans only got to hear it a few years after its release.

They embraced it. For the 57-year-old Clegg, the pinnacle of his career occurred while performing in Frankfurt a few years after Mandela was released and became the country’s first black president in 1994. Clegg began to sing “Asimbonanga,” which had quickly risen to the top of the charts. In the middle of the song, the Frankfurt crowd started cheering loudly. Clegg turned around and to his surprise, saw Mandela dancing on the stage.

“I was taken by a wave of such amazing emotions,” Clegg told The Associated Press. “I wrote that in 1986, knowing it was going to be banned and not knowing he (Mandela) was ever going to be released because we were in the middle of a civil war.

Eleven years later, in a new South Africa, I’m playing the song, and the very man I wrote it for walks on stage and sings it with me.” Clegg celebrates his 30 years as a musician-with the bands Juluka and Savuka and later as a solo act-in a concert in Johannesburg Saturday. He calls the performance “a kind of validation that the body of work that I and my band and other co-songwriters put together in that early time under incredible difficulties managed to survive and is being celebrated in the new country.” Thousands of people streamed into the concert grounds near Johannesburg’s botanical gardens early Saturday evening, with the multiracial crowd sitting on picnic blankets on the grass.

Concertgoer Jeremy Stewart, 32, said he remembers his parents taking him and his sister to hear Clegg at the Market Theatre, then the home of anti-apartheid

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protest theater in Johannesburg, in 1985. “He’s added another dimension to bringing people together and breaking down boundaries between races,” he said.

Kaizer Moyane, 38, of Johannesburg, said of Clegg: “I think his music speaks to everyone in the country. He’s a hero.” Sipho Mchunu, Clegg’s musical partner from the days of their legenday Juluka band, will join him Saturday. Juluka ended in 1985, when Mchunu returned to his Zulu homeland in eastern South Africa to take up cattle farming. Under the South Africa’s racially segregated regime, Clegg’s multiracial band performed in small spaces such as churches, university halls and private homes because laws prohibited blacks from performing in white areas and whites from performing in black areas.

“If you were a mixed band like we were trying to be, you were in trouble immediately,” Clegg said. Radio disc jockeys were banned from playing Clegg’s music, but the live performances spread like wildfire. The band, which mixed traditional Zulu high kicks and warrior dress as well as musical elements with Western styles, began to perform unannounced in the townships so that authorities wouldn’t have time to ban shows.

Outside of South Africa, the music became an instant hit, and the band toured extensively through North America and Europe during the height of racial tensions in South Africa. Clegg’s African rock stemmed from his childhood when he noticed how a street musician had “Africanized” a guitar, a European instrument: He was immediately hooked. As a student he began to experiment with the cross of English words and Zulu rhythms.

“Everybody thought it was absolutely ridiculous in the beginning, apart from migrants and students who thought it was really weird, but because it was weird it was cool,” he said. Clegg was born in England and lived in Israel, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Zambia during his childhood, attending six primary schools in five years.

He called himself a loner. “I felt like a migrant,” he said.

“So when I met migrant workers-Zulu migrant workers-there was something about them that I intuitively connected with because they were also establishing these tenuous connections with different places.” Clegg spent years in Zulu communities, learning the culture, dance and language.

“Nobody moves like me because I’m coded and wired with that tradition, and that was something which a lot of people found quite fascinating,” he said. In his life and career, he has answered a question he poses in the lyrics to Asimbonanga: “Who has the words to close the distance between you and me?”

“I discovered that through music, I could connect very deeply and profoundly in a continuous way,” Clegg said.

“And that for me was kind of a salvation.” — AP

In this photo of Wednesday Nov 3, 2010 South African musician Johnny Clegg speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at his house in Johannesburg, South Africa.(Inset) Johnny Clegg —AP

Depp reteams with Burton fter collaborating on several films, from 1990’s Edward Scissorhands to this year’s blockbuster Alice in Wonderland, director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp will recreate the vampire tale of Dark Shadows, set to begin production in April 2011.

Based on the popular daytime television soap opera from the 1960s, Dark Shadows follows vampire Barnabas

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Collins, to be portrayed by Depp, and assorted witches, werewolves and ghosts.

After this gothic story had been postponed for various projects, the new shoot date was reported by the Hollywood blog Deadline. The script is by Pride and Prejudice and Zombies novelist Seth GrahameSmith and John August, who wrote the Big Fish screenplay for Burton.

Another long-time collaborator with Burton, Danny Elfman, will compose the musical score.

Currently in production with Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Depp will next be seen in The Tourist with Angelina Jolie opening December 10. Other films coming up are Rango, an animated film by Gore Verbinski due in theaters March 2011, and The Rum

In this photo made available yesterday, British musician, singer and songwriter Sting performs during his concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the Papp Laszlo Sports arena in Budapest, Saturday. The Hungarian capital is the last stage of Sting’s world tour ‘Symphonicity’.

— AP

Brooks’ benefit concert sells out — 9 times

By Chris Talbott arth Brooks is going to be very busy in December. Brooks sold more than 140,000 tickets Saturday morning and his benefit concert for Nashville flood relief ballooned from one show to nine. A news release says the day’s sales set a record for tickets sold in Tennessee, besting a concert held by Michael Jackson in

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(From left) Ryan Gosling, Mike Vogel, Derek Cianfrance actor Mike Vogel, actor Ryan Gosling, and director Derek Cianfrance arrive at the premiere of the feature film ‘Blue Valentine’ in Los Angeles on Saturday. — AP

Diary based on a Hunter S. Thompson story.

Other projects Depp has on his schedule that may require juggling are Kathryn Bigelow’s Triple Frontier and Snow White and the Huntsman. Burton is also working on a feature-length animated film, Frankenweenie, based on his short film and planned for release in March 2012. — Relaxnews

File photo shows country singer Garth Brooks performs during a charity concert in Los Angeles, to benefit the Southern California 2008 Fire Intervention Relief Effort (F.I.R.E). —AP

Knoxville that drew more than 72,000 fans.

Brooks initially retired about a decade ago to spend more time with his family, but demand for the best-selling solo artist in US history remains high.

He came out of retirement late last year, announcing a series of shows in Las Vegas that quickly sold out. He’ll now play six shows in nine days from Dec 16-22. Tickets were $25 apiece. — AP

Jam announces new live album release date o commemorate its 20th anniversary, American rock band Pearl Jam announced via the band’s website on November 4 the release date for Live on Ten Legs, a new live compilation. The album releases internationally on January 17 (except in North America, where it releases January 18). The 18-track album features live tracks recorded over the course of the band’s 2003-2010 world tours. The band’s last live set, Live on Two Legs, was released in 1998 and has been certified platinum in the US. The new release will be available internationally as a digital version, a CD, and a deluxe version, which features a CD, double LP package, four mini-poster

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reprints, and five photographs.

The album will also be available as a vinyl in the US. Album tracks include “Animal,” “Rearview Mirror,” “Jeremy,” “Just Breathe,” “Alive,” and “I Am Mine.” Since its inception in 1990, Pearl Jam has become one of the longeststanding alternative rock bands to first find success in the 1990s, selling an estimated 60 million records worldwide.

Pearl Jam’s last and ninth studio album, Backspacer, reached number one on album charts in six countries. —Relaxnews

Pearl Jam vocalist Eddie Vedder. —AFP

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Monday, November 8, 2010

Travel

10 favorite places in

Las Vegas

By Gary A Warner ’ve been visiting Las Vegas for more than four decades, seen casinos come and go (some blown sky high). I’m not much of a night owl or high-roller, but I have my own kind of fun. Here’s my personal favorite things to do in Las Vegas: Fly in and out of McCarran Airport: Arrive in the morning, with the sun glinting off the Luxor pyramid seemingly across the street from the runway. Leave at night amid the shouting lights of the Strip, climbing up in to the sky and seeing the ribbons of light give way to the black of the surrounding desert.

Shoot machineguns: Every gun you’ve ever seen in a gangster, war or cop movie is at The Gun Store. For a price you can shoot a Tommy Gun like Al Capone’s henchmen or try out an Russian-designed AK-47 or the German Hechler & Koch MP5. It’s a guilty pleasure amid strict legal and safety conditions-what Las Vegas is all about.

Bellagio’s dancing w aters: The spray jet ballet in front of the Bellagio is the best free experience in a city filled with ways to separate you from

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Las Vegas, Nevada is aglow with neon.

—MCT

Vietnam:

hanh has invited me to have dinner at his home. After we finish touring the Cu Chi tunnels, an intricate network dug by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, he asks me to meet him in a side lobby of the hotel. He doesn’t seem to want anyone, including the tour operator who sits near the registration desk, to see us leaving together.

Still, I wait for him in the main lobby.

I want to watch the women walk by in their form-fitting ao dais. Thanh has gone to buy an extra motorbike helmet for me. When he returns and finds me in the lobby, he’s agitated.

“I asked you to meet me in the side lobby,” he says. “Did the tour operator see you?” “Yes,” I say. “Is there something wrong?” “Did you say anything to her?” “No, I didn’t tell her anything.”

In the hotel’s garage, we find his small motorbike, an Italian contraption that has been falling apart. I put on my helmet and hop on behind him. He guns the engine, and we pull out into the streets of Saigon.

(Renamed Ho Chi Minh City after it fell to communist forces, Saigon is still the name used by many locals.)

I hold onto him at first. It’s been 10 years since first I hurtled on a motorcycle through a swarm of Vietnamese motorbikes, mopeds, bicycles, cars and trucks, all operating on some version of chaos theory.

“They don’t want the tour guides to take you home,” Thanh says,

“because they’re afraid we’ll take you to a bad place.”

As we head toward the river, I have a vision of Thanh taking me to meet some men in an alley. I probably should have left some of my money back in the safe in my hotel room. Oh, well, too late. Go with the flow. Have a little faith.

Thanh follows a scrum of motorbikes up a ramp, onto the ferry.

We’re all seated on our bikes, men,

Over the years it has become a tourist attraction itself, the place to go if you want to buy a deck of cards from a casino that was imploded years ago or get a roulette table just like the one that took your money on The Strip Lunch at the Peppermill: The first place I ever pulled a slot machine.

My dad let me sneak one of my own quarters in while we waited for a table at the still-popular spot on The Strip.

The one-story restaurant is a Lilliputian survivor of Las Vegas Boulevard gone Gulliver. The retro Fireside Lounge is a favorite, in part because my late uncle was a contractor on the signature ringed fireplace.

Dinner at the Golden Steer: There was a time when a good restaurant in Las Vegas didn’t have to be a transplant from New York or San Francisco. You didn’t even need to step inside a casino. Granted that overall, the food in Vegas is vastly superior to the past. But when I want to go back in time, I head to the Golden Steer. The 52-year-old restaurant anchors an ancient (by Vegas standards) strip mall just off The Strip.

But with no windows, once you are inside it’s all red booths, red meat and red wine. — MCT

many men’s hearts, but for now she’s simply a charmer. She starts flirting with me, mugging for my camera. “Let’s go to the market,” Thanh tells me and the children. My chance meeting with Thanh almost never happened. After arriving in Saigon late Monday night, I rose early on Tuesday and tried to book a full-day city tour. The desk clerk told me it was short notice. She made a

ble down a main avenue. Around us, the small houses and shops resemble a shantytown.

After several twists and turns, we pass a university and enter Thanh’s neighborhood. Mostly working-class and middle-income families live here, with the occasional gated French-style villa housing a wealthy family.

For $200 a month, Thanh and his wife, Nga, rent a one-floor apartment

America told me, ‘You look like a Mervin.’” And with that, we spent the next three days touring Saigon, the Mekong Delta and Tay Ninh province. I found out later that the two full-time tour guides with the hotel were busy when I tried to book my tour. Thanh, a freelancer, was eighth or ninth on the list. I can only guess that he was eager to get some last-minute business.

Motorbike riders pull up to the Brodard Bakery, a small bakery in Saigon’s main shopping district.

Motorbike riders pull up to the Brodard Bakery, a small bakery in Saigon’s main shopping district. women, old and young, packed onto the boat like cattle, eager to escape the pen. After crossing the Saigon River, we plunge into District 2, which Thanh says is home to some of Saigon’s poorest families. We rum-

By Gary A Warner n traveling around the United States, I’ve visited hundreds of places. Here are ten of my favorites. Maybe you’ll see a familiar name, or better yet, a place you are yet to try.

North Shore of Kauai: This is the lush, green Hawaii that most people dream of. Sure it is wetter than the Kona side of the Big Island, but didn’t you come to Hawaii for the tropical beauty?

West of Hanalei there are no big hotels, big restaurants or big anything. Just beaches, botanic gardens and mom-andpop shops.

Upper West Side of New York City: Too many visitors waste their time around Times Square. The real New York is in Greenwich Village or Soho or Lexington Avenue. My personal favorite is the Upper West Side-the stretch between Broadway and Central Park from 59th Street to 86th Street, full of life 24 hours a day.

Wrigleyville of Chicago: I’m a nut about baseball and there’s no neighborhood like the home of the Chicago Cubs.

Arrive on the elevated train and drop down into the pulsing neighborhood of bars, cafes, shops. Then head over to Wrigley Field, the oldest ballpark in the country. Just don’t expect the Cubs to win.

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town casinos keep minimums low.

The once ubiquitous $2 minimum is rare anywhere these days, but on recent visits I’ve also found low minimum tables at Sunset Station. I also hear Arizona Charlie’s is good, too, though I haven’t played there yet.

Bow l at Red Rocks: When my dice rolling puts me in the hole, I go roll bowling balls. Las Vegas has more high quality bowling alleys than anywhere in the country. My favorite is Red Rocks Lanes, especially in the dead of the night. 11011 W Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas.

Sw im at Flamingo: There’s a swimming pool for every taste in Las Vegas-the waterpark style pool at Mandalay Bay. While the French have been giving up topless sunbathing, it’s the rage at pools like Bare at the Mirage. My favorite is the huge pool at the Flamingo, complete with waterfalls and shady grottos. Do check out the small pool nearby ringed by large pink flamingo statues.

Shop at Gamblers General Store: The place to go for all your home gambling needs, or just to pick up a cool Vegas souvenir. This shop opened to supply the casinos with cards, dice and other necessities.

Taking a chance on the streets of Saigon

By Thomas Huang

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your cash. Whether it’s Sinatra or Rachmaninoff (or Debussy’s Clair de Lune, like at the end of “Ocean’s Eleven”), the effect is mesmerizing.

It’s one of the few calming experiences in the clank-clang-buzz capital of the world. 3600 Las Vegas Blvd South.

Neon Museum: I hate all the computer-driven signs on The Strip that blare and shout in usually white lights.

Give me the soft glow of neon, which used to dominate The Strip and downtown. There are still a few good examples left (the south end of the Flamingo-wish they would tear down that bridge across Las Vegas Boulevard). But happily the Silver Slipper, Aladdin’s lamp and other classics live on in a downtown walking tour of neon saved from the wrecking ball. Guided tours are available if booked in advance.

Play craps dow ntow n: Dice is my game and I like to play a lot of side bets. But if I am going to lose my shirt, I want to do it slowly. So rolling the cubes on The Strip is almost always out. Most evenings, it’s tough to find a table with under a $10 minimum (Casino Royale next to the Venetian is an exception). The down-

that looks like a garage. They live with their 3-year-old daughter, Tien, and several cousins. In the foyer, Thanh parks his motorbike next to a banyan tree growing from a large clay pot. In the front room, there’s a

Willamette Valley of Oregon: Settlers braved thousands of miles to get to this land and the draw is still there.

Never too hot or too cold. A beautiful river running north to south. Great college towns like Eugene and Corvallis. Farms and garden shops selling what comes out of some of the best soil in the country.

Lincoln Highw ay in Ohio: The drive along one of the oldest routes in the United States takes you through the main streets of dozens of small towns.

It’s best in the fall, when the mellow autumn colors make the journey almost melancholy. Many towns have murals that were painted to tell the town’s stories.

Avenue of the Giants in California: I love the off-season along the winding road north of Garberville. Here the pavement doesn’t cut through the forests like the modern version of Highway 101 it criss-crosses. The lanes meander between thousands-years-old coastal redwoods that tower over the ferns and fallen trees below. Pull over anywhere and take a walk-your blood pressure will drop 20 points in a minute.

Savannah: I’ve been all across the South, inland and coastal, Texas to Florida to Virginia. Savannah in Georgia feels the most special of all. It has pretty squares and shady trees, great food and spirited nightlife. It’s less pretentious

TV with cable, a computer with Internet access, a DVD player, a small dining room table, a few chairs and a bed for Tien and two young cousins. The bed is just a frame with a straw mat laid on top of it.

Near the TV, Thanh has built an altar with incense sticks. A man in an old black-and-white photograph stares at me. “My grandfather,” Thanh says. His grandfather, he says, was with the Viet Cong and killed several French and American sol-

than the more internationally popular Charleston, SC, up the coast.

Lexington Green: The emerald green spot in the center of the Massachusetts town hardly looks like the hardscrabble spot described in accounts of the first skirmish of the Revolutionary War. Despite its place at the center of

diers. We are quiet for a while, thinking about reconciliation.

On the walls of the front room, Thanh has taped several posters of farm animals, birds and fish. Other posters show fruits and vegetables.

The posters carry the Vietnamese and English names. Thanh has been teaching his daughter English.

Tien bounds into the apartment, returning from her day at school, holding the hand of her adult cousin, Tam. In 15 years, Tien will break

American history (and location within an hour from Boston), it remains a remarkably low-key spot. On a quiet spring or fall day, it’s possible to buy a lunch at a nearby store and have a nice picnic on the battlefield with less than a dozen people doing the same.

Monument Valley, Utah/Arizona:

Baskets full of fresh baguettes round out the breakfast buffet at the Rex Hotel in Saigon, Vietnam. —MCT few phone calls. “Come back at 8:30,” she said.

At the appointed time, I shook hands with a thin, dark-skinned man with thick, wavy hair. “My name is Thanh,” he said. “My nickname is Mervin. One of my first clients from

Its place within the huge Navajo reservation ensures two things: it’s not a National Park and it is one of the farthest spots in the U.S. from an interstate. That leaves the skyscraping monoliths at one of the most iconic spots in the nation (and American cinema) relatively crowdfree, especially outside of summer vaca-

We immediately clicked. Maybe it was because I insisted on calling him Thanh, rather than Mervin. Maybe it was because I asked him to take me to several bakeries to look for French baguettes, which must have amused him no end. —MCT

tion months.

North Shore of Oahu: Come in the winter and watch mountains of water that have rolled across the Pacific to crash into spots like Banzai Pipeline and Sunset Beach. Despite its world renown, the place remains one of the least developed spots in the islands. — MCT

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Monday, November 8, 2010

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Travel

A lazy hiker’s guide to the Appalachian Trail

By Ellen Creager ome might call it cheating.

I’m up on Max Patch, a gem of the Appalachian Trail. Max Patch is a treeless, grassy mountain dome with a 360-degree view, much like the spot where Maria twirled around in the opening of “The Sound of Music.” For a bit, I’m totally alone. I sit on the grass, humming. Tiny gnats fly by. A paint box of October color splashes the

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mountains. The blue Great Smokies lie beyond.

Then, here comes a man walking a little white dog named Ivy Jane. Here’s a young couple asking if I can take their picture. Here’s a classroom of schoolchildren on a field trip. Max Patch is a hiker highlight along the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail. But I didn’t hike here. I drove from Asheville, parked in a gravel lot and walked up a hill.

Is it cheating to just show up on the Appalachian Trail and grab the scenery without paying the price of

hiking long hours or days? If it is, I have a lot of company. The trail has 2 million visitors a year. But fewer than 2,000 are hikers traveling end-to-end on a 5- to 6-month odyssey. About 16 percent are section hikers, attempting the whole trail, but over many years. The rest are day users or just staying a night or two. The average hike?

Less than 20 miles. And some visitors are around for only a few minutes, says Brian King of the

Appalachian Conservancy, which takes care of the trail. “A lot of people will stay for an hour and go in and walk a half-mile. There are an amazing number of people who do that. Or somebody is driving from Ohio to Florida and sees a sign.

They run out 25 yards, step onto it, run back, then blog and say they were on the Appalachian Trail.”

On many Americans’ bucket list, the AT-as hikers call it-was completed in 1937. It winds through 14 states from Springer Mountain, Ga, to Mt Katahdin, Maine. Up on Max Patch, two-day

hikers crest the hill carrying thick walking sticks. Chris Bishop and Brian Landers of Chuckey, Tenn., would love to hike the whole trail at once, “but I’ve got twins at home,” says Bishop, pulling out a picture of his 2-year-old daughters.

“We do it just for fun,” says Landers, saying they usually try to do the trail in 13-mile chunks. “We know a man at home who hiked the whole thing and I felt sorry for him-he looked like he didn’t have any toes left,” Landers adds. Then a hiker comes by with a really heavy pack, his golden retriever pulling ahead. Larry Kass of Raleigh, NC, had planned to go 20something miles that day and went 370 miles this summer: His goal is to hike the entire trail in sections.

Kass does not begrudge sharing Max Patch or its view with day visitors. The AT is big enough for alleven a few strange folks who he thinks live on the trail and “who seem to have no destination,” he says. And Max Patch is the scene of one of his all-time favorite memories. It was in June, at night, and the grass was still tall. “At night, this whole place was covered with fireflies,” he says. “There were so many lights you couldn’t tell the sky from the ground.”

Max Patch is bald of trees because it used to be a farmer’s field for grazing cattle. The US Forest Service keeps it mowed. Up here, as along the entire route, the AT is marked with posts, each emblazoned with a streak of white paint. Those posts look like a fence line across the top of the world.

Much of the Appalachian Trail is backcountry-and access points are limited. But the trail also cuts directly through some towns. (see sidebar) Just 18 miles north of Max Patch is one of those towns, Hot Springs. The trail goes right down

the town’s main street, leading out of the woods onto the road, across the street and down the sidewalk.

The trail is marked with white blazes and inlaid symbols.

The first place hikers see is the Smoky Mountain Diner. Many a hiker has spilled into the diner, dirty and hungry, yearning for a Skillet Breakfast piled high with a zillion calories of grub. In August, the diner delivered five pizzas to a Boy Scout troop up on the Appalachian Trail.

“Food is such an important thing to hikers,” says owner Genia Hayes-Peterson. She knows. She has hiked 850 miles of the AT herself over several years. She trained for the trek by hiking twice a day with a backpack full of 25 pounds of dried beans. In Hot Springs, the trail passes the library, the post office, the hiker supply shop and the Hot Springs Resort and Spawhere for 12 bucks you can soak in a private, sheltered outdoor tub next to a babbling river. You also can hike to Lovers’ Leap or fish in the French Broad River.

It’s also a good place for souvenirs. One popular T-shirt read “I hiked the entire appalachian trail”but in small type right after the

word ENTIRE is the phrase “width of the.”

But don’t get the idea I just lazed around up here. Up on Max Patch, I did hike, staying for 2 hours, walking first one direction then the other. I admit I was gasping just climbing the hill from the parking lot-I wasn’t used to the near 5,000-foot elevation. And boy, I thought I was in shape-until I met a couple heading up as I headed down. They had huge, heavy packs.

They were at least 20 years older than I am. And they weren’t even breathing hard. If I weren’t so lazy, I’d want to be them.

If you go Getting there: Max Patch and Hot Springs have no airports. Lazy Appalachian Trail visitors should base themselves in Asheville, NC, with its trendy inns, cell service and microbrews.

Driving tips: The drive from Asheville to Hot Springs is 50 minutes on excellent roads. From there, it’s another 17 miles, about 45 minutes, south to Max Patch (wooded drive, gravel uphill roads, bad signage, so get good directions before you head out-I’ve posted them on my blog,

www.freep.com/traveldiva).

Cool Appalachian trail tow ns Many towns are near the Appalachian Trail, but only a handful are smack dab on it. Here are the most notable, according to Brian King, spokesman for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy: Hot Springs, NC (population 690) — Small but pretty outdoors mecca, and “the trail runs right down the sidewalk.”

Damascus, Va (population 1,070) — Bills itself as the friendliest town on the trail; its Trail Days festival in May is a hiker favorite: “If you don’t include Damascus, the hikers will go crazy.”

Kent, Conn (population 3,000) — Just named by Yankee magazine as best leaf-peeping town in New England: “A little high-end but really nice. Right on Route 7.”

Harpers Ferry, WVa (population 307) —Headquarters of the Conservancy and a psychological midway point for hikers.

Boiling Springs, Pa (population 2,770) — A lake in the middle of town bubbles up from a spring: “A wonderful little town.”

Hanover, NH (population 11,070) — Home of Dartmouth

College. “A high-end place; they have blazes (AT markings) directly on the sidewalk.”

If you’d rather drive than w alk Hey, Ma, look at that view-and whoa! Watch those curves. Long before text messaging was invented, drivers have been distracted and mesmerized by the views on the high, narrow Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile scenic route through the mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

This is the parkway’s 75th anniversary. It does not intersect the Appalachian Trail, but it roughly parallels it from a distance, creating for the driver a similar experience to what hikers get on the AT. If you’re visiting Asheville and are more the driving type than the hiking type, parkway access is just outside town. Head north on the parkway to the Folk Art Center for shopping (Mile 380) and up to Craggy Gardens and Craggy Dome (Mile 364.5) for the scenery. There you’ll find amazing views-but we beg you, park the car before looking (www.blueridgeparkway.org, free.) —MCT

Cambodia:

Following the music in Phnom Penh quito netting, in a guest room near a grove of mango trees, guarded by two excitable dogs. I toss and turn.

Late into the night, the neighborhood wedding party celebrates with loud Cambodian pop music, and I can hear drunken voices trying, unsuccessfully at times, to sing along.

Then there is quiet for a while, but music starts up again at 5 in

watch a man and woman paddle their boat down the river, stopping every so often to catch fish in their nets. Downstream, in the distance, several men help their cows wade (and then swim?) to the opposite shore.

I try to capture this scene, the sunrise over the river, with my camera, but I am no photographer, and I can’t quite make the images

The sun rises over the Mekong River outside of Phnom Penh. Amid the song of cicadas, a man and woman paddle their boat down the river, stopping every so often to catch fish in their nets.

By Thomas Huang he quiet boy, Kosair, takes me for a walk through his village on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. We walk down a dirt path, past a small storefront where a woman comforts her baby. Cars and motorbikes have gathered in front of another house; there’s a wedding party tonight. We walk by a group of dark-haired schoolgirls who stare at me, and their giggles turn to laughter. I know I must be a peculiar sight, a tall ChineseAmerican man in clothes rumpled by days of travel.

Every so often, people on motorbikes zoom by, and I clutch my camera more tightly, protecting it from their rooster tails of golden dust. I assure myself that the boy and I are safe. This is a peaceful village, and while Phnom Penh was a violent city just a few years ago, things have stabilized.

Still, I am disoriented; I don’t belong here; I don’t know where we are going. I could lose my way,

T

Kosair relaxes on a hammock in the humid afternoon.

Kosair and his sister, Sreyleak, tease each other on the patio, playing tug-of-war with a towel. —MCT and who would know? The boy, Kosair, with large, watchful eyes, walks in the glow of the sun, barechested, wearing knee-length shorts and sandals. I am staying with his family in a house owned

by a friend, an American journalist.

We pantomime our way through a conversation. We move our first two fingers, pointed downward, to show that we are going for a walk.

We hear a song in the distance. To

my ears, it sounds like a blend of xylophone, wind chimes and steel drums. Together, Kosair and I say, “Music.” We point at other things and say the words: Car, road, tree, house, river. We cross a bridge over the Mekong River, and, looking back, Kosair gestures toward our starting point, a small house on the riverbank. “Dey Sena,” he says, or something that sounds like that. His mother’s name is Sena. Perhaps he is saying, “That’s my mother’s house.”

Kosair seems to be guiding me toward the music. We are both curious about where it’s coming from. I wonder whether it’s coming from a temple. We turn down another dirt road and pass several traditional stilt houses. A few people sleep in hammocks in the space underneath their houses. We

never do find the source of the music.

Kosair notices that a man in a white shirt is following us. The boy seems a little spooked. He motions for us to return home. We walk a little more quickly. Our stride grows a little longer. Once home, we are greeted by Kosair’s grandfather and his mischievous little sister, Sreyleak. The family embraces me with their warmth and cooks me a dinner of Khmer chicken soup, stir-fried shrimp and vegetables, and steamed rice. I eat my meal on the patio and watch the fishermen in their skiffs float by. Families emerge from their houses to bathe their children in the river.

My friend’s place is a compound of small houses overlooking the Mekong River. I sleep under mos-

Kosair’s grandfather takes a visitor through the compound of small houses owned by an American journalist who splits her time between the US and Cambodia. the morning. (Later, I learn that it is wedding season in Cambodia, and the predawn music signals the beginning of another wedding.)

The wake-up call turns out to be a blessing.

Jumping out of bed, I pull on my clothes and wander out into the humid air, stepping gently onto the patio with my camera. I hear the song of cicadas, the wind rustling the trees, the lapping of water on the banks. In the soft, new light, I

show what my eyes see. I think about the woman I loved for many years, a steadfast traveling partner.

I want to share this moment with her, but she is not there. Still, it is a profound experience. Even though I am not a particularly religious person, I am moved to whisper, “Thank you, God.” And then it is a new morning. I hear the laughter of Kosair and Sreyleak. I walk back to the house to pack my things and say goodbye. —MCT

www.kuwaittimes.net

Secret underground art show thrills New York

By Sebastian Smith t’s the hottest, most talked about art show in New York-and almost no one even knows where it is. With a huge space and 103 of the hippest contemporary artists participating, “The Underbelly Project” sounds like a powerhouse production at the Met or MoMA. But while the Big Apple may have seen most things in the art world, this is different. Illegally located somewhere deep underground in an abandoned station of the New York Subway system, “Underbelly” consists of graffiti art by a who’s who of the street genre’s leading exponents.

Starting in 2009, they worked clandestinely, with almost military discipline, to elude the authorities, navigate pitch-black tunnels, paint, and resurface.

Their work completed, the artists sealed access to the subterranean complex and abandoned their mysterious outpourings. The show’s website, www.theunderbellyproject.com, has for the last week displayed nothing more than a brief written introduction against the flashing background of empty tunnels. It “defies every norm of the gallery scene,” wrote Jasper Rees, one of the few outsiders allowed to glimpse the phantom show and who revealed its existence October 31 in The New York Times. “Collectors

I

Metropolitan Transport Authority, or MTA, confirmed to AFP only that “it is a closed station. All I can tell you is that it’s in Brooklyn.”

The war between the MTA and graffiti vandals has been going on for decades. Spraying of subway trains got so out of control in the 1970s and ‘80s that many carriages were almost inundated in “tags.” “Tagging” continues today, but the MTA immediately pulls those cars out of service, starving would-be artists of the notoriety they crave. And Seaton said the “Underbelly Project” was not being taken lightly.

“Trespassing is against the law, as is vandalism.

Anyone caught in connection with this incident is subject to arrest,” Seaton warned.

That illegality is exactly what drove the “Underbelly Project” as it sought to reclaim graffiti’s daredevil roots and, in the words of the project’s website, create an “elusive pirate treasure of contemporary art.” The show also sought to roll back the commercialization and gentrification of graffiti.

This is an age when street artists like JR and Britain’s Banksy have global recognition and collectors are pouring in money. Next year, Los Angeles’ trendy Museum of Contemporary Art plans a major retrospective of graffiti called “Art in the Streets.” And last year,

A woman looks at the itvsquad.com website showing an artwork, part of ‘The Underbelly Project,’ in Washington on November 5, 2010. — AFP can’t buy the art,” Rees says. “The public can’t see it. And the only people with a chance of stumbling across it are the urban explorers who prowl the city’s hidden infrastructure or employees of the Metropolitan Transport Authority.”

Photos posted by the Times and on street art blogs show dramatic, wild works executed in appalling conditions of dust, damp and darkness broken only by camping lanterns. Slogans like “We own the night” give way to abstract creations, surreal human forms, and ghoulish apparitions of rats and skulls. But what created an instant legend was the idea of entombing the work. “Even if any of us wanted to go back (and I do), even if we could remember how to get there (and I don’t), we can’t,” writes Michael “RJ” Rushmore, who was taken to photograph the site, for his blog vandalog.com. “‘The Underbelly Project’ has become a time capsule.”

New York’s ghost sta tions A guessing game is underway across art websites about the location of this ultimate underground experience. Many New Yorkers are unaware of the archipelago of abandoned stations, platforms and tracks, or trackless tunnels running parallel to the visible Subway system. There are nine complete stations alone, according to the website Abandoned Stations.

Charles Seaton, a spokesman for the

the Cartier Foundation in Paris had its own “Born in the Streets” show.

So taking their spray cans four storeys under New York was about as far from the chic gallery scene that “Underbelly’s” artists could get. As, Workhorse, one of the two leaders of the project, told Rees: “If you go in there and break your neck, nobody’s going to hear you scream.” But, like the incomplete map of the Subway system, not everything is straightforward. Although they worked in secret, many of the artists taking part in the project are literally stars in the worldwide graffiti community.

LTV Squad.com, another blog, cites a “‘who’s who’ of the art world,” including Sane, Swoon, Roa, Posterchild, Faile, F5, Smells, and Cash4. “‘The Underbelly Project’ is perhaps the biggest, boldest art project of its kind ever created within NYC.” That kind of hype is making some graffiti aficionados skeptical. “The artists talked about not making this a mainstream thing with the galleries, but in a sense it falls right into that,” said Eric Felisbret, a former tagger who runs the influential www.at149st.com website and who recently published “Graffiti New York,” a photo history.

“It helps reinforce their street cred and that’s what gets buyers interested in this form of art. It builds the mystique,” Felisbret told AFP. He added drily: “If they wanted to be secret, they wouldn’t have contacted the Times.”— AFP

A picture shows a graffiti artist with the portrait of Nobelwinning US novelist Toni Morrison during the unveiling ceremony of a memorial bench marking the abolition of slavery in Paris (the first to be inaugurated outside the United States by the Toni Morrison Society) in Paris. Morrison, author of ‘Beloved’ and whose poetic novels on slavery and the AfricanAmerican experience earned her the Pulitzer and Nobel prizes, in 1988 and 1993, was awarded yesterday a city of Paris medal honoring thinkers and artists with strong ties to the capital, a day after receiving France’s highest decoration, the Legion of Honor. —AFP

International Women’s Group showcases Japanese traditions

By Wendy Clayton KUWAIT: In an event held yesterday, Ira Malhotra, President of the International Women’s Group welcomed its members at the Radison Blu to a presentation of Japanese traditions.

The Japanese Ambassador’s spouse Mieko Komizo introduced guests to the ancient art and practice of ‘Ikebana’ and the traditional costume of Japan, the kimono. Komizo explained to guests that Ikebana is the name given to the art of traditional flower arrangement, which was first stylized during the Muromachi period (1333-1568). Ikebana was once practiced as one of the social graces required before women were married.

Today it is used more for home decoration or as an enjoyable pastime.

Takako Nikaido and Akiko Matsunaga then demonstrated Ikebana flower arrangement to the

Pictured here are ladies from the Japanese Embassy and community, and members of IWG. interest of all present. Nikaido explained that there are a limited number of plant varieties used within one design. However, a varying array of pots, containers and vases can be used for the base. A mixture of flowers, branches and greenery are used to complete one design.

Following the Ikebana demonstration, ladies from the Japanese Embassy and Japanese community displayed an assortment of kimonos.

Various styles of kimonos are used for different occasions, especially those that denote married women from unmarried ones.

Nikaido demonstrated how an Obi is tied, the fabric that is wrapped around the waist. As with kimonos,

Swinging sleeve kimono —Photos by Joseph Shagra

A display of traditional Ikebana flower arrangement.

IWG President Ira Malhotra presents Mieko Komizo with a gift.

Taiwan woman ‘marries’ herself Taiwanese woman said yesterday she had “married” herself by throwing a wedding banquet. The 30-year-old Chen Wei-yi, who has been an Internet sensation since announcing her “wedding” plans last month, held the ceremony in a Taipei hotel Saturday witnessed by 30 relatives and friends.

“Marrying myself is a way of showing that I am confident and

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upbeat and that I accept myself for who I am,” said Chen, who is an office worker. “We must love ourselves before we can love others. I must marry myself before marrying the special someone,” she told AFP. Chen’s supporters have hailed the move as “creative,” with some suggesting a group wedding for those who wanted to “marry” themselves, according to her Facebook page.

Taiwanese authorities have said that many women now choose to marry at an older age or to stay single, which is seen as a major factor causing the island’s birth rates to dwindle to one of the world’s lowest.

A record low 117,000 Taiwanese couples tied the knot in 2009, down nearly a quarter on the previous year, according to government figures.

This handout photo released by Chen Wei-yi and taken on November 6, 2010 shows Chen’s mother putting a wedding ring on her daughter during a wedding ceremony in Taipei. — AFP

there are various varieties and methods in which the Obi is tied. Nikaido explained that is takes around 10 minutes to tie one. In order to do this, she uses ‘secret’ methods to tie her own Obi. The length of an untied Obi can reach up to four meters.

The price range of a kimono depends on the fabrics used and the intricate patterns printed on the fabric.

Its care requires careful folding of the garment and storage in a box. Once a year, the kimono is taken out and hung in the sun to air. The garment is traditionally handed down through the generations from mother to daughter. At the end of the presentation, Malhotra presented Komizo and her ladies with gifts of appreciation.