August 13, 2010 NO: 14819 Kuwait Times FREE

England defeatHungary 2-1in friendly

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No Ramadanrespite as unrestrocks Kashmir

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Sweet smell offestivity throughthe year

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INSIDE

Judge removesherself from LindsayLohan case

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EIN EL-HILWEH REFUGEE CAMP:Mohammed Al-Amin spends his daysdoing little more than playing billiardsand smoking cigarettes in this sprawl-ing Palestinian refugee camp, wheregunmen roam narrow alleyways dottedwith tin-roofed, cement-block homes.The 25-year-old studied dental labtechnology but works at a small, grub-by coffee shop in the camp, making$100 a month. He dreams of workingwith a respected doctor in Lebanesesociety and being welcomed like anyother foreigner, without being lookeddown on.

“Sometimes I feel like a pressurizedbottle that’s about to explode,” said Al-Amin, who was born in Ein El-Hilwehyears after his family fled what is nowIsrael. “Why should three quarters ofthe Palestinian people here be sellingcoffee on the street?”

The approximately 400,000Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, manyof them born here, are barred by lawfrom any but the most menial profes-sions and are denied many basic rights.Now parliament is debating a new lawthat would allow Palestinians to work inany profession and own property, aswell as give them social security bene-fits.

The bill, due for a vote on Aug 17, isthe most serious effort yet by Lebanonto transform its policies toward therefugees. But the proposal faces stiffresistance, because it has implicationsbeyond expanding the refugees’ civilrights. Lebanon’s population of 4 millionis divided between 18 sects, includingSunni and Shiite Muslims, Christiansand Druse, and every community ishighly sensitive to anything that couldtip the balance of power in a countrywith a grim history of sectarian strife.

Christians and Shiites are particular-ly worried about any possible perma-nent settling of the refugees, who areoverwhelmingly Sunni Muslim. SoPalestinians in Ein El-Hilweh aredeeply skeptical there will be anychange. “They are not fooling us,” saida woman pushing her handicappedmother on a wheelchair to a nearbyclinic run by the United Nations Reliefand Works Agency.

Her mother, 80-year-old JamilehSalameh, lost her right leg in an Israeliair raid on Ein El-Hilweh in 1987.“Nobody cares about us, they will talkand talk but nothing will happen,” she

said. The Palestinians in Lebanon areisolated in their camps to a higherdegree than in any other Arab country.Some 4.7 million Palestinian refugees -who fled or were driven from theirhomes during the 1948 and 1967Israeli-Arab wars - and their descen-dants are scattered across the MiddleEast, in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon,Jordan and Syria, according to UN fig-ures.

Their fate is one of the most emo-tionally charged issues in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Palestiniannegotiators have demanded at least par-tial repatriation, but Israel has refused,saying an influx of refugees would diluteits Jewish majority and threaten theexistence of the state. Unlike in neigh-boring Arab countries like Syria andJordan where Palestinians enjoy morerights, the refugees in Lebanon livemostly on UN agencies’ handouts andpayments from the rival Palestinian fac-tions. Those who do work are eitheremployed by UNRWA or as laborers atmenial jobs such as construction.

Beyond the legal restrictions onthem, they also face deep prejudicefrom many Lebanese. The bitternessdates back to 1970, when the latePalestinian leader Yasser Arafat movedhis base here after being expelled fromJordan in a bloody crackdown becausehis forces tried to form a government torival Jordan’s. Many Lebanese have notforgiven Arafat’s fighters for attackingIsrael repeatedly from southernLebanon, giving Israel a pretext toattack villages and twice invade.

The refugee camps - Ein El-Hilwehin particular - are notorious for theirlawlessness. Lebanese troops patroltheir perimeters but have no jurisdic-tion inside, part of an informal agree-ment with the PLO since the early1970s. Factions of Palestinian fighterspolice the camps, but clashes and assas-sinations are common. The Palestinianleadership does not want refugees togain citizenship, fearing it could denythem their right to ever return home.

But it does support giving them civilrights. Druse leader Walid Jumblatt

proposed the rights bill in June, and ithas triggered a heated debate. Somelawmakers insisted Palestinians shouldnot be granted any “privileges” as longas they do not answer to the state’sauthority. Others argued that lettingPalestinians work and receive socialsecurity would strain the economy.“They (refugees) are not entitled to anyrights according to Lebanese laws -only some facilities that we can givethem,” said Christian leader MichelAoun.

Lawmaker Sami Gemayel of theright-wing Christian Phalange Partyaccused UN agencies of trying to pawnoff responsibility for the Palestiniansonto Lebanon. If that happens, hewarned, “we will move step by steptoward naturalization” of Palestinians.Parliament has split largely on sectarianlines over the bill, with Christiansopposed and Muslims supporting. Theresult may be a compromise that grantsbroader work rights but keeps otherrestrictions like the ban on owningproperty. — AP

‘Nobody cares about us’Palestinians in Lebanon cry out

EIN EL-HILWEH: A Palestinian man (center) drinks coffee near attached pictures of latePalestinian leader Yasser Arafat (right) in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein El-Hilweh nearthe southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon. — AP

Page 2 LOCAL Friday, August 13, 2010

IN MY VIEW IN MY VIEW

By Abdullah Al-Qattan

During Ramadan, all family members get togetherto celebrate this holy month with a prayer andbring back some of the traditional social customs,

such as Graish or Girgian. Today, elderly people stillcherish these traditions and hold on to them more thanever, especially since theywere the only means ofentertainment and amuse-ment during bygone times.

Elderly people are holdingon to olden traditions by wit-nessing how the youth of thiscountry have shifted a littleand have begun creating tra-ditions of their own. Forexample, during their days inKuwait, families from bothsides - of the husband andthe wife - would gather forIftar. Today, elderly peoplesay, it is mostly every familyby itself during the weekuntil and only a weekly fami-ly gathering is held on theweekend.

According to 61-year-oldMohammed Al-Motairi, inthe past, families would usu-ally gather from both sidesand they ask about each oth-er and catch up on every-one’s news. “Many mar-riages were held right afterRamadan because familieswould see who is eligible formarriage so that he or she can be mutually introduced,”Mohammed added.

Today, the busy work schedules and social commit-ments have re-shaped the way the holy month of Ramadanis celebrated. Whereas, now people rarely see each otherdue to their commitments and everyday toil, the youngergenerations seem to be losing track of traditions and havealready started creating traditions of their own.

53-year-old Mona Al-Sane said that families andneighborhoods in the past were close and everyoneknew each other. Today, she says, you rarely see a family

getting together for the entire month of Ramadan ormeet to exchange dishes and recipes, “The younger gen-eration now seems to be more interested in sheeshaplaces than seeing their families during Ramadan. Theyreadily go for fast food and prefer it over good homecooked meals,” Mona added.

Nowadays, everyone is more or less caught up withwork. But in the month thatis dedicated to prayer andfamily gathering, the youth inKuwait insist that they attendthe important family gather-ings along with prayers at themosque. Some also add thatRamadan is usually a slowmonth where there is hardlyanything to do.

For 20-year-old AliBahbahani, the chores ofRamadan always fall on thekids, who help with cleaning,setting up the table anddelivering dishes to relativesand neighbors. “After Iftar,the family usually heads towatch TV and watchesreruns of the same shows,”Ali said.

Nineteen year oldAbdullah Al-Hindi said thatfamilies usually get togetherfor prayers and Futour sothat they can leave and con-tinue with their work andcome back again later atnight for Suhour. Forteenagers Ramadan means,

spending more time with friends. They want to escapeall the formalities and enjoy their time with friends orrelatives who are of the same age.

26-year-old Hanaa Bloushi says that girls’ situation isusually more different than that of guys. This is becausethey usually stay after Futour help with cleaning andhelping out for Suhour, so they don’t get the chance togo out as much as the guys do. “As long as people gettogether during Ramadan, it is okay because our tradi-tions are based on socializing and becoming more famil-iar with each other,” Manna said.

Generation schism

EAT, PRAY, LOVE: Workers are seen eating together during Iftar on first day of Ramadan. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

‘Many marriageswere held rightafter Ramadan

because familieswould see who iseligible for mar-

riage so that he orshe could be mutu-

ally introduced’

By Hussain Al-Qatari

It can be noticed that peoplehave become extremely gen-erous with food during and

shortly before the holy month ofRamadan. They give away food,drinks, hold feasts and donatemoney. I’m sure that it is quiteoverwhelming to see people atthe peak of generosity. It is also

very sad to think of how much weallow and tolerate unfairnessthroughout the rest of the year.

The most important lessonthat people tend to forget is thatthey are supposed to feel withthe poor during this holy month.However, this lesson completelyfails because people tend to beeasily agitated and intolerantwhen they are hungry. Moreover,the large feasts they hold duringRamadan are really not some-thing that poor people are capableof. While the poor go to a mosqueto eat their basic Iftar meal, the

rich are usually in their homes,enjoying a six-course meal thatwas prepared throughout thewhole day. The well-off familiesenjoy the luxuries they havewhile laborers have to cope withthe heat and weather conditionsas well as hunger and sometimesa barely edible meal. Equalitybetween poor and rich, therefore,fails to apply because of people’s

extravagance during this holymonth and their unwillingness toshare this with the poor.

My suggestion is this: Insteadof trying every year to feel withthe poor and miserably failing,why don’t we try to make it ahabit to feed the poor all yearlong, not just during the month ofRamadan? Instead of waiting tobe generous during this onemonth, we should learn how toextend this generosity - in mod-eration - throughout the wholeyear.

hussain@kuwaittimes.net

While the poor go to a mosque to eat

their basic Iftar meal, the rich are

usually in their homes, enjoying a

six-course meal that was prepared

throughout the whole day.

Generosity all year-long

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 3LOCAL

HalluciNations

By Ahmad Saeid

Ihave beenwanting towrite about this

issue on and off foralmost two monthsnow. Ever sinceGoogle withdrewfrom China for allegedly refusing togive in for demands to give access tothe email accounts of members thecountry’s political opposition. Backthen, Google was facing another dis-pute over privacy with Austria, whichinsisted that Google cars should not‘scan’ the roads of the country to makethis information available for users ofGoogle Earth, since such practicesundermine individuals’ privacy.

Earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg,the founder and owner of Facebook,said that the age of privacy is over. Idon’t know about you, but for me thisis a very important statement. Theissue of privacy is becoming morecontroversial for both individuals andstates.

Now with the new disputes overthe recently published classified docu-ments on Wikileaks, and the wholeBlackberry ban fever, privacy isbecoming an item of dispute betweengovernments and corporations. Thequestion we, the consumers, shouldbe asking now is, “Where does thatleave us? And who do we trust?”

Do we go American-style and trustthat our government is always seekingto protect us when it violates ourrights, limits our freedom and inter-venes in our private lives? Or do we

try to protect the corporations thatbelieve only in almighty cash?

For me personally this is anextremely difficult question, sincegovernments around the world arealways trying to find better ways tosneak into the heads of their citizens.On the other hand, many corporationsare ready to do anything for money;they would not only give in to govern-ments’ demands as Blackberry didrecently, but some of them would evengo out of their way to sell informationabout their subscribers to intelligenceagencies, as Facebook has beenrepeatedly accused of doing.

We can keep empowering giantcompanies like Google, and trust themto protect our private information fromgovernments’ attempts to hack into it.But who will protect us from Google ifit gains more control over this new-found, and truly democratic medium,that is the internet? Who can guaran-tee the impartiality of Google orFacebook, or Blackberry for that mat-ter? We definitely cannot depend ongovernments to do that for us,because they have an interest in doingexactly the opposite. At the sametime, we cannot depend on corpora-tions to protect us from governments’

attempts to control us. So what do wedo?

When we need to protect our free-dom of communication through some-thing decentralized like the internet,mobile phones or other mediums ofcommunication, the defense mecha-nism should also be decentralized.

Users should make it clear to com-panies that compromising privacy willnot be tolerated. A company that givesin to the demands of governmentsshould be abandoned by its customers,so that the next company will refuseto give in to governments’ attempts tomonitor its users. This will give thecorporations a playing card to refusethe demands of governments.

At the same time, people need toshow more resistance to governmentattempts to violate their privacy ortheir right to information. For now wehave two pending tasks, protectingWikiLeaks from the Pentagon, and let-ting Blackberry and Facebook knowthat what they are doing is wrong.Then, we might start to create anactual front to use the digital advance-ment as a tool for freedom, not forsuppression.

saeid@kuwaittimes.net

Publicly protected privacy

SATIRE WIRE

By Sawsan Kazak

The Holy Month of Ramadan is uponus, and whether you are fasting ornot, you will experience one thing

during this month: hunger. Functioning andaccomplishing your daily tasks when youare famished is tricky. You will be surprisedas to how many aspects in your life areaffected by hunger, or just the thought ofthe forbidden.

Your cravings are the first to get affect-ed. Foods that you would never eat normally, you will strangelybegin to crave. The simple thought of not being able to drinkwill automatically make you feel intolerably dehydrated. Duringtimes of the day when you would not usually be hungry, you willfind yourself absolutely starving. From sunrise to sunset, yourthoughts will be consumed with what you want to eat, what youwill eat and how much you can actually fit into your body.

With all your thoughts diverted to the quest of food anddrink, other aspects of your life will suffer. Your driving willchange during the month of Ramadan. Your patience seems tobe at a minimum when there is no food in your stomach. Peoplecutting you off, red lights that take longer than usual and pedes-trians will all seem to cause you a great deal of stress and dis-comfort.

Hunger will also affect your perception of the world.Suddenly, everyone around you will seem extremely annoying.Because you are so hungry, you will no longer have patience forprolonged conversations or bad jokes. Your temporary starva-tion will make you perceive other peopleís behavior as rude andirritating. You might find yourself snapping at your co-worker atwork for finishing the ink in the printer or that person at thesupermarket who takes too long to pay for his groceries.

Being hungry is not a comfortable feeling. Being consumedwith thoughts about food is distracting, but you must keep inmind that itís mind over matter. By understanding that yourhunger is affecting your moods and perceptions you could havea little more control on your reactions.

Ramadan Kareem!

sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

How can hungeraffect your day?

Do we go American-style and trust that our governmentis always seeking to protect us when it violates our

rights, limits our freedoms and intervenes in our privatelives? Or do we try to protect the corporations that

believe only in almighty cash?

IN MY VIEW

By Nisreen Zahreddine

Do you have a Facebookaccount? You may, unlessyou feel that you do not feel

the need to be connected or youbelieve that your private life is notanyone’s property. I might havegiven you the wrong impressionwith this sentence. You may haveimmediately thought that I want todiscuss the Facebook’s privacyangle. This is, however, not myconcern in this article. What I wantto talk about, is a specific aspect ofthis social networking website.How far do our Facebook accountsand the posts we make along withour status, reflect our personalityor character, or sometimes, ourreal mood.

People post personal informa-tion on Facebook walls: the kind ofbooks they like to read or the kindof music they love to listen whichis a reflection of their character.Noticeably, most of people postinformation about their potentialinterests that do not necessarilyreflect their actual hobbies. They

intend to lend a certain imageabout themselves so that fellow‘networkers’ are easily impressed.Salem, a regular Facebook user,explains that many of the peoplewho are present on his friends listare the kind that post informationwhich does not explain their char-acter or reflect reality. He said thatmost of create alter-egos of them-selves, so one cannot make clearjudgments on personality throughhis or her Facebook posts, statusand wall activities. Some of themconsider it as social obligation tointeract with people. So, their com-ments come as social complimentsand not actual opinions. Otherstend to ‘don’ intellectual guises of

themselves. Some, also give outthe image of being broad-mindedwhile in reality the opposite is true.

Sam, a young man said thatFacebook is a not a natural andspontaneous social network. It is‘fake’ networking between peoplethat gives them space to lie, asthey do in real life. People do thisfor fun or as a reflection of theirfantasies or even live out theirdreams through the network, heasserted. Most of the people postinformation that contradict withtheir personal convictions, headded. People’s faces usuallyreflect some features of their char-acter, but certainly not theirFacebook accounts.

Don’t give me that face,give me your Facebook

‘Most of them create alter-egos ofthemselves, so one cannot makeclear judgments on personality

through his or her Facebook posts,status and wall activities.’

KUWAIT: A date seller is pictured in his shop. Dates havealways had a fan following in the Middle East but their popular-ity surges especially during Ramadan since people break theirfast with a few dates. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

Indian

Bukhoor

is the

best and

the most

expensive

Friday, August 13, 2010LOCALPage 4

By Nawara Fattahova

Bukhoor, or theincense, is atraditional perfume

that is used all overespecially in the Arab world.Even Westerners are fond ofthis incense and consider itan exotic, oriental variety,and many purchase it whilevisiting the region. It is rarein the West. Also, manyinternational perfume brandshave begun mixing Oudh andBukhoor to their perfumes.The Bukhoor has foundmention in historical booksand has come to symbolizethe region’s spirituality.

The incense is a piece ofperfumed wood that isburned in a speciallydecorated holder called‘Mabkhar.’ A good selectionof Bukhoor is extremelyexpensive to obtain.

However, there are somecheaper types available.According to salesmen whoare experienced in thisindustry, the Indian Bukhooris the best and the mostexpensive. It is sold andmeasured in terms of ‘Tola,‘which equals 12 grams inGCC countries and 10 gramsin Europe, Asia and others.Depending on the type ofshop that sells the incense, aTola of the product may touchKD60. The Bukhoor is takenfrom the bark of a tree. The

liquid that oozes out of it isused to create the Oudhperfume.

There are hundreds ofshops in Kuwait that sellBukhoor. Some are veryfamous and others are lesserknown. There are also manypopular Saudi and Emiratibranded shops in Kuwait thatwork in this industry. So, thecustomer can choosebetween a wide variety ofBukhoor.

“The tree from which theBukhoor is extracted shouldhave been afflicted withdisease. The diseased treeproduces a pleasant-smellingliquid that wets the woodwith perfume. Also, thisliquid produces the expensiveperfume named Oudh. Thelarger the spread of fungalinfection on the tree, themore Bukhoor is obtained.When fungus attacks thetree, it produces antibodies toresist, creating the sweet-smelling liquid,” Abdul Malik,a salesman at Qurashiperfumes told Kuwait Times.

An entire tree is rarelyused to extract the rawmaterial used to produceBukhoor. “The Bukhoorwood is only extracted from

the infected part of the tree.This makes the incense anexpensive variety. Also, theenvironment from where thetree is located affects thequality and price of theincense. The Bukhoor woodis taken from the root ortrunk of the tree,” addedAbdul Malik.

The incense does notexpire easily, “It can stay onfor years, and it is even betterwhen it ages. However, itshould not be exposed towater or humidity, which mayspoil it. If burned in a room,the smell of the incense canlast up to three days, if thematerial is of the best quality.This has been proven by theexperience of ourcustomers,” he said.

The incenses can beclassified into two kinds.“There is the pure ‘SafiBukhoor’ which has a naturalsmell without any additionalfragrances added. Then,there is the mixed Bukhoorcalled ‘Mamoul.’ This ismixed with differentfragrances such as musk,amber and others. Thenatural one is moreexpensive to obtain. One tolaof the best Indian Bukhoor

can reach up to KD60, whilethe Mamoul costs about KD5,” stated Mohammed fromFodari Perfumes store in Al-Fanar Mall.

The Bukhoor is alsoimported from differentcountries, “It is bought fromIndia, which is the best andmost expensive. It is alsoavailable in Cambodia,Thailand, Burma, andMalaysia (which is thecheapest). Some trees aremore than 100 years old, andthese produce the bestincense,” he added.

According to Mohammed,most customers are women,“Although the Bukhoor ismostly sold during the holymonth of Ramadan, prices arenot hiked. Discounts andspecial offers are offeredduring this month,” he noted.

Sw

eet smell of festivity through the

year

KUWAIT: The incense is seen burning in aspecially decorated holder called ‘Mabkhar’.

KUWAIT: Bottles of Bukhoor perfumes. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 5LOCAL

Friday, August 13, 2010Page 6 LOCAL

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 7LOCAL

Friday, August 13, 2010LOCALPage 8

KUWAIT: Brigadier Mohammad Al-Sabr,the Ministry of Interior’s officialspokesman and director of the ministry’ssecurity information department, onWednesday stressed that the MoI isdeadly serious about cracking down onopportunistic beggars during Ramadanand other religious festivals. Brig. Al-Sabr revealed that 16 beggars

had already been arrested the same day,the first day of Ramadan, with eleven ofthem being Asian, two Arab and threeBedoon women. He said that 13 of thosedetained had entered Kuwait on visitvisas, with two listed in their visaapplications as managers and four othersas businesspeople, while one had come tothe country under a local hotel’ssponsorship. All were arrested while begging and

soliciting donations, he said. Brig. Al-Sabralso revealed that the arresting officershad found lists detailing the names anddetails of Kuwaiti businesspeople, local

NGOs and records of donations given inthe possession of a number of thebeggars. He said that combating beggingrequires positive cooperation fromcitizens and expatriates, instructinganybody who is accosted by beggars orsees people soliciting money to call theemergency services hotline on 112 orphone the main security operations roomon 2524 3001 or 2524 3002. Meanwhile, a female Al-Rai

investigative journalist revealed that shehad gone undercover posing as a beggarnear a local mosque last Friday, makingKD50 from kindhearted donors touchedby her ‘plight’ in an hour. Describing theexperience, the reporter said that she hadbeen afraid and ashamed at pleading formoney from strangers and thanking themeffusively when they gave money. “I started at 12 noon and waited for

worshippers emerging from the mosqueafter performing their Jumaa prayers,”she wrote. “In no time my lap was so full

of quarter and half dinar notes that I hadto quickly go and empty it!” Shortly after this, she continued,

another ‘more professional’ femalebeggar appeared, asking the undercoverjournalist to leave as this particular spotwas her ‘pitch,’ which she was not goingto allow a “beginner” to take over. “Bythen, an hour had passed and I left withthe KD50 I collected to change myclothes and interview female worshippersabout the phenomenon,” the journalistreported. Some of the worshippers asserted that

begging had become a “job for the jobless”and individuals with no respect for the law,she said, with one of those interviewedtelling her, “these problems result fromissuing too many family visas to people ofcertain nationalities who only come toKuwait in Ramadan and leave after Eid.”The worshipper added that the securityforces are negligent in carrying out theirduties to monitor and arrest beggars.

Undercover reporter posing as beggar makes KD50 in an hour

MoI arrests 16 beggars on first day of Ramadan

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: An unemployed Kuwaiti man who boasted that hehad been living a wealthy lifestyle on his earnings fromdealing in heroin was arrested after police raided hisKD650-per-month flat, confiscating 250 grams of the drug.The man was arrested following an investigation

launched after Major General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khalifa, theDirector General of the General Department for DrugsControl (GDDC) received a tip-off about the drug dealer’sactivities. A team of GDDC officers monitored the man’s

movements, with an undercover officer posing as acustomer and arranging to buy five grams of heroin fromhim. The dealer, who was arrested red-handed with thedrugs at the handover location, initially attempted to resistarrest but was quickly subdued and taken into custody. Hesubsequently led police to the flat in Bneid Al-Gar wherethey found the rest of the drugs. On being interviewed, heboasted that he had been living an affluent lifestyle on theproceeds of the drug trade, which he said he had carried outon behalf of a friend who is currently serving a sentence inCentral Prison for drug dealing. Meanwhile, a 32-year-old Kuwaiti woman was rushed to

Jahra Hospital in an extremely critical condition after beingstabbed three times, once in the neck, by her husband. Asecurity insider said that the woman’s husband had attackedher after Iftar on Wednesday at her parents’ house when shehad refused to return to their home with him. Afterlaunching the frenzied attack on his wife, the man then fledthe scene. Police are investigating the incident.

Pompous dealer bustedHusband stabs wife

KUWAIT: The drug dealer who was caughtin possession of heroin.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Firemen rescued three childrenafter their father left them in a swelteringhot car for more than four hours whileshopping for Ramadan. Several passersbynear the parking lot in Jahra called policeafter spotting the three children left in the‘sealed’ car alone. Police and firemen wentto the location, opened the car and got thechildren out. The children were tired andsuffering from heat exhaustion. The directorof security for Jahra has ordered thatcharges of child neglect be brought againstthe father.

Riggae attackA 26-year-old man was rushed to Adan

Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit after beingstabbed by three attackers in Riggae, whodragged him out of his car after he startedshowing off in front of them with stuntdriving tricks and stabbed him several timesbefore fleeing the scene. The victimremains in a critical condition and a hunt isunderway for the attackers.

Surra bomb Bomb squad officers carried out a

controlled detonation after an unexplodedbomb was discovered in a residential area inSouth Surra. The device was believed todate back to the 1990 invasion.

Vimto brawlA fight broke out between a group of

women at a well-known Jahra shopping mallover a small carton of Vimto. Police werequickly at the scene and stepped in toseparate the brawling women.

J leeb mugging A Kuwaiti man was robbed by an African

expatriate in Jleeb Al-Shuwaikh. The victimtold police that the attacker, a man in his 30swho appeared to be Somali, had attacked himand stolen KD50 from him before fleeing thescene. A hunt is underway for the mugger.

Ashtray attackAn Indian man in his twenties lodged a

complaint with police, telling him that anerstwhile friend had attacked him whilstdrunk, using an ashtray to hit him around thehead. An investigation is underway into thecase.

Snake break-inAfter receiving a call from alarmed

householders in Jahra reporting a snake intheir home, local police rushed to the scene,razing the reptile.

Border infestationThe Ministry of Interior is working

closely with the Ministry of Health tocombat an infestation of rodents and insectsthat threatens to overwhelm border poststhere. The MoI has reportedly asked the health

ministry to arrange for the bordercheckpoints to be sprayed with pesticide inorder to eliminate the pests, who pose athreat to the health and safety of staffworking there.

Ramadan eating arrestsTwo male expatriates were separately

arrested on the first day of Ramadan forpublic eating and drinking. The first man, anEgyptian, was spotted drinking somethingnear the multipurpose hall in Hasawi, while

the second, an Asian, was taken into custodyafter being found eating a banana. Thesecond man reportedly told officers that hedid not realize that it was Ramadan.

Booze bustsPolice in Mubarak Al-Kabeer raided a flat

being used as an illicit distillery, recoveringa number of barrels of homemade alcohol. Alocal man was arrested at the scene,reported Al-Rai, with police confiscating afurther six boxes of imported spirits fromhim. In a separate case, Farwaniya police

arrested an Asian couple - a Bangladeshiman and a Sri Lankan woman - as they wereabout to begin selling a large quantity ofhomemade liquor to prospective customers,mainly Asian laborers working on the SixthRing Road and in Mina Abdullah. Theofficers recovered 574 bags containingbottles of the home-produced hooch fromthe couple, who were producing it at theirflat in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. The couple weretaken into custody.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: The FSGD operations center received a callabout smoke coming out of the electric room ofSheikha Badriya Hospital, near Sabah hospital.Shuwaikh Industrial and Ardiya fire centers weredispatched to the scene. Smoke had already spread inthe hospital through the air conditioning ducts, so thehospital was evacuated and the smoke wasextinguished.The smoke was caused by a defect in the generator,

which was repaired. No injuries were reported. TheMinistry of Health announced on Wednesday that 43patients had been transferred from the Badriya AhmadChemotherapy Centre to the Hussein Makki JumaCenter. Dr Ahmad Al-Awadhi, the Hussein Makki JumaCenter’s director, told KUNA that although theelectrical problems had occurred in an empty ward ofthe chemotherapy center, the patients were transferredto the Makki Juma Center as a precautionary step, withall the patients being moved swiftly and safely. Dr Al-Awadhi added that as soon as conditions return tonormal at the Badriya Ahmad Center, the patients willbe returned there, stressing, “Everything is undercontrol and there is no cause for concern.”

Electrical hitch at Badriya Ahmad Center causes concern

43 patients transferred to Makki Juma

crimes

Firemen rescue kids from ‘sealed’ car

KUWAIT: The Badriya Ahmad Chemotherapy Centre after one of theunits was affected by an electrical problem. — Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 9LOCAL

KUWAIT: The homeland is setfor a course of great challenge,and the top-most challenge is tostrengthen co-operationbetween the legislative and theexecutive authorities for thebest interest of Kuwait, HisHighness the Prime MinisterSheikh Nasser Al-Mohammadtold Al-Seyassah daily inremarks that were publishedyesterday.

His Highness noted thatthere is no cause for alarm orfear over a lapse in Kuwaitipolitics, because “ours is a state

of institutions and one whichrelies and refers to theConstitution approved by itspeople and leadership.”

As for procedures tofacilitate meeting the objectivesof the State’s development plan,he said focus is now on reducingred-tape and documentprocessing to speed upexecution of projects.

“However, this is not a problemKuwait suffers in particular, butone which is wide-spread amongstates of institutions,” HisHighness remarked.

“We shall try our best toreduce stages of processing, aswe are fully committed to alldetails of the development plan.It is an ambitious plan whichwould rejuvenate the economyand urge people to act ratherthan surrender to a trend ofhollow political rhetoric which isnot coupled with action.

His Highness stressed,“Citizens are bored with greatargument and little action,which plagued us in recentyears.” The development planhas over 20 mega projects, “Andwe shall focus on six or seven ofthese in the first phase; thosedirectly related to services,communications, education, andhealth care.” The premier alsoreferred to laws to beconsidered at Parliament next.“If there are impedimentshampering implementation ofthese projects, laws will beenacted to counter them.” “Weare also considering new viewsregarding the B-O-T law, whichmust be enacted to engage theprivate sector in the mega-projects which may be executed.

“On delay in the projects dueto political influence, thepremier said, “We are aconstitutional state, and law isthe reference in any dispute.There are also courts and thereis Abdullah Al-Salem Hall(Parliament) for any politicalaction, and there areconstitutional institutions thatare to govern all things, whichhad been agreed by all.”“Accordingly, I do not think wewould meet delay. And, I alsonoticed a drop in the politicaldebate and argumentation whichhas caused some problems anddelays in the past. This is a goodsign that people are nowconvinced we are on the rightpolitical path leading todevelopment and hike inproductivity. Everyone inKuwait wishes to see resultsrather than plague thoseworking on realizingobjectives.”

His Highness, meanwhileremarked political events in theregion had some effect onpolitical life in Kuwait, and alsopointed out the big margin offreedom in the state that helpedin the long-winded debate, “Buteverything has to come to apoint of end or restraint.” Onthe future relationship betweenthe two authorities, he said,“There is no harm in someonedisagreeing with you, so long asthe rights of country andcountrymen are kept in focus atall times. And again, we do notmind a rather loud debate, aslong as it clearly servescooperation and maintains

Kuwait focuses on strengthening co-operation between authorities

No cause for alarm over lapse in Kuwaiti politics: PMrespect for rights of all.”

To a question on a solutionfor the stateless (bedoon) issue,His Highness said the planningcouncil is to present a study theCabinet on this regard. “From aquick view, I sensed the studywas fair and objective and

considers all which must beconsidered. It shall be forwardedto the Cabinet after HisHighness the Amir views it, solet us wait for that.” Thepremier also made remarksrelating to youth and youthaction and service. He said, “We

are working on a law on nationalservice which rivals thatadopted by the most advancedcountries so that it helpsencourage hobbies andencourage youth to realize theirpotential and put their abilitiesand their time to best use.” He

went on to say, “This shall havegreat national value andinfluence. All would benefit,whether they be young, mature,or elderly, if we stress the senseof national duty among ouryoung, who are our nation’sfuture.”— KUNA

“We shall try

our best to

reduce stages

of processing,

as we are

fully commit-

ted to all

details of the

development

plan. It is an

ambitious

plan which

would rejuve-

nate the

economy and

urge

people to act

rather than

surrender to

a trend of

hollow

political

rhetoric

which is not

coupled with

action”.

3 The battle of Badr took place on

The 17th of Ramadan

The 10th of Ramadan

The 25th of Ramadan

3

Friday, August 13, 2010Page 10 INTERNATIONAL

HEBRON: Palestinians crowd to receive donated food from an Islamic charity on the secondday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in the West Bank city of Hebron yesterday. —AP

JERUSALEM: Israel has rejected aPalestinian proposal to begin face-to-facepeace talks on the basis of a statementby major powers that would set theirterms of reference, Israeli newspaperreports said yesterday. Reports in theleft-wing dailies Haaretz and Maariv saidPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahutold US envoy George Mitchell onWednesday that he wants direct talks tostart immediately but will not accept anypreconditions.Netanyahu spokesman Mark Regev

had no direct comment on the reports,which said Mitchell’s mission had“failed”. “The government of Israel hasbeen calling for the immediate start ofdirect peace talks between Israelis andPalestinians for more than a year now,”Regev told Reuters. PalestinianPresident Mahmoud Abbas refuses toengage in direct talks before Netanyahuagrees to a clear agenda.Without an agenda, Palestinians say,

Netanyahu may propose terms for apeace treaty that are completelyunacceptable, and leave Abbas lookinglike a rejectionist when he turns themdown. This week ahead of Mitchell’slatest shuttle visit Abbas indicated thathe could go for face-to-face negotiations,if talks were based on a March 19statement by the “Quartet” of powersinvolved in Middle East diplomacy-theUnited States, European Union, Russia

and United Nations.This was the proposal Mitchell took

to Netanyahu, the newspaper reportssaid, although it is not clear whetherIsrael was asked to formally sign up to itor merely acknowledge it. The Quartetstatement says Israel should haltsettlement building in the West Bankand reach a full peace agreement withthe Palestinians within 24 months,creating a state on the basis of theborders that existed before the 1967Middle East war.US State Department spokesman P.J.

Crowley on Wednesday said Secretary ofState Hillary Clinton had discussedAbbas’s proposal with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Russian ForeignMinister Sergei Lavrov and formerBritish prime minister Tony Blair, theQuartet’s Middle East envoy. “If aQuartet statement can be helpful inencouraging the parties to moveforward, obviously, I think that’ssomething that we the United Statessupport,” Crowley said.The Palestinian source said he

believed the Quartet would still issue itsstatement by Monday or Tuesday, givingAbbas the international backing heseeks and putting the ball back inNetanyahu’s court. Mitchell returned toWashington without divulging theoutcome of his fifth shuttle since“proximity talks” began in May, after a

hiatus of nearly 18 months in the peaceprocess.But Clinton described Mitchell’s two-

hour session with Netanyahu as “a good,productive meeting”, adding that theUnited States would “continue to workclosely with both sides to get to directtalks as soon as possible”. US PresidentBarack Obama wants the peace processto return to the level it broke off atnearly two years ago when Israel carriedout a January 2009 offensive againstPalestinian Hamas militants in the GazaStrip.The window of opportunity is

narrowing. A partial 10-monthmoratorium on Israeli settlementbuilding in the occupied West Bank,ordered by Netanyahu last November, isdue to end on Sept. 26, posing apotentially fatal threat to the dialogue.Members of his right-wing coalition

have begun talking in the media aboutways in which it might be partiallyextended. A Palestinian source close tonegotiations said an agenda whichspeaks of a Palestinian state “on thebasis of pre-1967 borders is not anattempt to fix borders beforenegotiation”. “This language is what has been

accepted in all the agreements over thepast 18 years by Israeli prime ministers,including Netanyahu in his first term,”he said.—Reuters

Palestinian formula for talks rejected by Israel

Palestinians say all they want is agenda, not preconditions

SAN’A: Yemen’s government says heavy rains and floodingacross the country have caused the deaths of 53 people sincethe beginning of July. The Ministry of Interior says the latestflooding in the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, 140 miles (220kilometers) west of the capital, has stranded people in theircars as they try to flee the rising waters. Yesterday’sstatement added that acres of farmland have been ruined.Yemen, a poor, tribal country, is beset by a northern Shiiteinsurgency, a restive separatist south and elements of Al-Qaeda lurking in the mountainous hinterlands.—AP

Floods kill 53people in Yemen

Sudan independencevote risks being derailed

KHARTOUM: A referendum due early next year on south Sudan’sindependence will be derailed unless the country’s electoralcommission swiftly resolves an internal row, a southern leaderwarned yesterday. “If the referendum commission within the nexttwo weeks is not able to resolve all the issues that they are facingnow, the referendum will be killed off and the referendumcommission will be responsible for that,” said Pagan Amum,secretary general of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement(SPLM).The referendum, a key plank of the 2005 peace deal that ended

a decades-long civil war between north and south Sudan, is due totake place on January 9, 2011 and promises southerners the chanceto choose independence. “It would be very dangerous to shift thatday because the hopes, expectations and aspirations of the peopleof southern Sudan, as individuals who will be determining theirfuture, is so pinned on that day,” Amum said.“The majority of southern Sudanese will vote for secession if

they have the chance to vote,” he added. Parliament ratified a keylaw at the end of last year setting up the vote and the commissionresponsible for organising it, after nothern and southern leadersovercame a dispute that threatened to jeopardise the peace deal.And since being returned to power in April elections, Sudanese

President Omar al-Bashir has repeatedly promised the referendumon southern independence will go ahead as scheduled. But thecommission, which should have been formed at the beginning of2010, was only nominated in June, and members are still dividedover who should be its secretary general. “The commission now isparalysed, it is not working,” Amum said. “I am afraid there may beelements within the referendum commission that are actuallyplanning... a postponement, or in the worst case a total betrayal (ofthe right) to be exercised by the people of southern Sudan,” headded.Under the referendum law, the final list of eligible voters should

be drawn up by October 9, three months before the vote itself.However, the commission has still not begun the laborious processof voter registration which is expected to take several weeks atleast. Other outstanding issues ahead of the January referenduminclude the demarcation of north-south borders, with Khartoumand Juba still at loggerheads over five distinct sites along thetentative border. “We at the commission will begin the necessarymeasures to try to hold the referendum on time but we must warnthe partners” there is not enough time, commission member TarekOsman al-Taher told AFP on Monday. Officials from Bashir’sNational Congress Party said the commission was merelyexpressing procedural difficulties, and that any decision on a delaycould only be made by the party and its ruling partners, the SPLM.Last month a report by 24 international humanitarian and humanrights organisations warned that Africa’s largest nation was“alarmingly” unprepared for a vote in January. But the SPLMcondemned Taher’s comments as “irresponsible,” and Amum saidany postponement of the referendum would “not be in the interestsof peace.” —AFP

KHARTOUM: Sudanese Minister ofCabinet Affairs Pagan Amum, who is alsothe secretary general of the Sudan People’sLiberation Movement (SPLM), speaksduring a press conference in Khartoum onJanuary 31, 2009. —AFP

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 11INTERNATIONAL

LONDON: Iranian 43-year old mother of twoSakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani is seen in thisundated handout image released by AmnestyInternational in London on July 9, 2010. Aninterview aired on Iranian state television onWednesday showed a woman in a face-coveringchador whom the report said was Mohammadi-Ashtiani. —AFP

BAGHDAD: A relative, right, rests her head on the coffin of slain Dr. IntissarAl-Tuwaijri at her burial service in Najaf, 100 miles (160 kilometers) southof Baghdad, Iraq on Wednesday. —AP

With her face blurred in thetelecast and her words voicedover for translation into Farsifrom local dialect, it was notimmediately possible toindependently verify thewoman’s identity. Ashtianidescribed how she had struck upa relationship with her husband’scousin. “He told me: ‘Let’s killyour husband’. I totally could notbelieve that my husband wouldbe killed. I thought he wasjoking,” said Ashtiani. “Later, Ifound out that killing was hisprofession.“He came (to our house) and

brought all the stuff. He broughtelectrical devices, plus wire andgloves. Later, he killed myhusband by connecting him tothe electricity,” she said. Thehead of the judiciary of Iran’sEast Azerbaijan province told thetelevision show that Ashtiani hadinjected an anaesthetic into herhusband. “After the husbandwent unconscious, the realmurderer killed the victim byconnecting electricity to hisneck,” he said. It was not clearwhether the cousin had beenarrested. “LIES”Ashtiani, a mother of two, has

received 99 lashes for having anillicit relationship with two men.The stoning sentence has beensuspended pending a judicialreview but could still be carriedout, an Iranian judiciary officialhas said. Murder, adultery, rape,armed robbery, apostasy anddrug trafficking are all punishableby death under Iran’s sharia law,enforced since the 1979 IslamicRevolution.Her lawyer, Mohammad

Mostafaei, told Reuters thatAshtiani, who was convicted of“adultery while being married”,was probably pressured intomaking her statements. “Her lifeis in the hands of the people whohave power in Iran, and whateverthey want, they can achieve. It isa normal thing for Iranian TV tosay lies,” he said in Norway. Hesaid the authorities might eithernow release Ashtiani in a show ofmagnanimity or “misuse herstatements to justify herexecution”.Mostafaei said earlier that

Iranian authorities had issued awarrant for Mostafaei’s arrestand held his wife in jail for twoweeks in an attempt to get him toreturn to Iran. In the TVinterview, Ashtiani said shewould lodge a complaint againstMostafaei. “Why did youpublicise my case? Why did youharm my reputation and dignity?Not all of my relatives and familymembers knew that I am prison.Why did you do this to me?”Mostafaei said he had no regretsabout going public becausewithout international scrutinyAshtiani and other people facingdeath sentences would haveeven less of a chance. “Sakineh isa very poor woman who needshuman help, not politicalsteering,” he said. —Reuters

Prosecutor says she was complicit in husband’s murder

Iran woman facing stoning death appears on state TV

TEHRAN: An Iranian woman whose sentencing to death by stoning has sparked international outrage hasapparently confessed to adultery and talked about her husband’s killing in a state television interview. In theinterview, aired on Wednesday night, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani also criticised her lawyer for publicising hercase, saying it had brought shame on her family. A human rights campaign group, the International CommitteeAgainst Stoning, called the TV show “toxic propaganda”. Ashtiani had previously denied the adultery accusationsagainst her. International media attention given to the case has highlighted Iran’s high number of executions andmay have spared Ashtiani from being stoned to death, according to her lawyer, who has fled to Europe.

Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline re-opens after bombing

ISTANBUL/KIRKUK: Iraqresumed exporting oil to Turkeythrough the Kirkuk-Ceyhanpipeline yesterday, two daysafter a bomb attack knocked outflows on the key energy corridor,officials said. Oil flow wasrestored to 350,000-400,000barrels per day, the same rate asbefore the bombing, said anofficial with Iraq’s North OilCompany in Kirkuk.“Iraq started from the first

hours of today exportingthrough the Iraqi oil pipeline toTurkey,” said the official, whoasked not to be named. “We arepumping the same volume asbefore the attack. No problems

at all at the current time.” TheKirkuk-Ceyhan link carries anaverage of 500,000 barrels of oila day, or about a quarter of Iraq’stotal exports. Turkey blamed theoutlawed Kurdistan WorkersParty (PKK) for the bombing,which started a major fire andkilled two people. TurkishEnergy Ministry officials saidTurkey planned to increasesecurity along the route toprevent further sabotage.“The fire was extinguished,

then cooling activities tookplace. Now maintenance workis being carried out,” said aspokeswoman at Botas,Turkey’s state-run pipeline

operator. Authorities have re-routed the flow of oil from thelarger pipe that was bombed toa smaller one that runs parallelwhile repairs on the damagedpipe continue, she said.Pumping began earlyyesterday, the spokeswomanalso said.Energy Minister Taner

Yildiz told reporters in Ankarathat repairs to the larger pipecould take six to seven days.Two shipping agents earliersaid the flow of oil had resumedlate on Wednesday. One agentbased near Ceyhan, who spokeon condition he would not beidentified, said the rate ofpumping was between 4,000and 4,600 cubic metres. Atleast one tanker was waiting toload cargo at Ceyhan afterbeing delayed by the pipeline’soutage, he said.The 960 kilometre Kirkuk-

Ceyhan link consists of twoparallel pipelines. Differentpumping stations along theroute allow pipeline operatorsto switch the flow of crude tothe other line, Iraqi oil-industrysources have said. The PKK,which has waged a 26-yearinsurgency against the Turkishstate, last month claimedresponsibility for bombingKirkuk-Ceyhan in an attackthat stopped flows for severaldays. —Reuters

Cairo mosques begin unified call to prayerCAIRO: Is it even remotelyfeasible to get Cairo’s 4,000mosques to all sing the sametune? This is exactly what theEgypt’s religious ministry isaiming to do, launchingyesterday an ambitious projectto, neighborhood byneighborhood, unify the timingand sound of the Islamic call toprayer across this sprawlingcity of 18 million.The project was originally

meant to start in Cairo’snorthern suburbs onWednesday, the first day of theholy fasting month ofRamadan, but system glitchesand a communicationbreakdown delayed it by a day.“Egyptians have a problemwith timing,” said Sheik SalemAbdel-Galil, the official at theMinistry of ReligiousEndowments who has donemore than anyone to push thisproject forward.“Our goals are to accurately

set the time of prayer so that itis called at the same time fromeach mosque, and to controlthe quality of the voices thatcall the prayer,” he told theAssociated Press. Like prettymuch everything in thisdensely populated, traffic-choked city, the call to prayer,or azzan, in Cairo is a chaoticaffair of wildly different voicesringing out at different times.Even though it is technically arequirement for the caller, ormuezzin, to have a beautifulvoice, many who perform thecall simply do not.The $175,000 project will

equip each mosque with areceiver that will broadcast asingle call to prayer from adowntown studio. Abdel-Galilsaid every one of the city’smosques should be on the

system by the end ofRamadan. “We are in the ageof laptops and computers,technology is advanced and itis better regulated thanhumans,” he said.Cities in Syria, the United

Arab Emirates and Turkeyhave all successfully enforcedsome sort of unified call toprayer, but in Cairo there is theadditional challenge ofthousands of unregisteredmosques. To take advantage oftax breaks, many landlordsconvert a small room at thefoot of their buildings into amosque, also known as azawya, which often makes upfor its small size with massiveloudspeakers. Ashraf Tawfiq, aresident of the northernsuburb of Nasr City, said thesmall zawyas in hisneighborhood still did theirown calls to prayer, but thelarger mosques had allswitched over to the newunified chant, which he saidwas beautiful.“There was an awkward

moment when the mosque’smuezzin began his own call toprayer, but then he wasinterrupted by the unified callcoming out of the mosque’ssound system,” he said. Formany of the muezzins,however, it means a loss oflivelihood and prestige as theyare in some cases downgradedto little more than mosquecustodians. “People in themosque here compete to makethe call and find joy whenmaking it, and we will bedepriving people from thisrewarding practice,” saidSheik Youssef Salah who leadsthe prayers at the al-Noormosque in the lower-incomeneighborhood Imbaba. —AP

Ahmadinejad defends his embattled chief of staff

TEHRAN: Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hasbacked his chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, whohas come under fire from conservative clerics for remarksabout Islam, media reported yesterday. “Mashaie is mychief of staff and I have every confidence in him. He is abeliever, who is faithful to the principles of the Islamicrepublic,” Ahmadinejad said.

A close relative of the president, Mashaie caused astir earlier this month when he told a conference forIranians living abroad that there was an “Iranian school” ofIslam, distinct from other schools, which Iranians should“present to the world” to show the “real nature” of Islam.His comments provoked a backlash from conservativepoliticians and clerics, who accused him of making “pagan”remarks about religion. —AFP

Friday, August 13, 2010INTERNATIONALPage 12

KINSHASA: Uganda’s Lord’sResistance Army rebels haveabducted 697 people in centralAfrica in the past 18 months,killing many of them, accordingto a human rights groupinvestigation. “The LRA haskilled at least 255 adults andchildren, often by crushingtheir skulls with clubs,” saidHuman Rights Watch, whoseresearchers spent a monthgathering evidence on attacksin Central African Republic andDemocratic Republic of Congo.“Nearly one third of those

abducted have been children,many of whom are being forcedto serve as soldiers or arebeing used for sex by thegroup’s fighters,” its statementadded. The group chartedabuses by the rebels thatinclude tying victims at thewaist in long human chains,beating them with branchesand machetes, forcing theminto slave labor, andhumiliating captives by makingthem dance for their freedom.Those who cannot keep up

with the pace of swampy bushtreks are clubbed to death andmany captured children asyoung as 10 are armed andforced to kill other childrenwith clubs, it said. The groupsaid these attacks have had a“devastating impact” oncommunities, forcing up to74,000 people to fleeterritories in southeasternCentral African Republic andneighboring northeasternCongo.Another campaign group,

Enough, said on Wednesdaythe LRA had attacked thenortheastern Bas Ueleterritory 51 times in the past15 months, bringing Congo’sdeath toll at the hands of theLRA to 2,500 since 2008. TheHuman Rights Watch findingsunderlined the scale of thecatastrophe that the UnitedStates is seeking to tackle withnew legislation that requires itto develop a strategy to bringto justice Joseph Kony’s LRAsect, which has relied onmysticism and violence in itsfight against Uganda over 23years.Several efforts to capture

Kony, who is wanted by theInternational Criminal Court,have failed. In 2006, eightGuatemalan special forcesworking with the UN missionwere killed in a raid on theLRA, while joint operationsbetween Sudan, Uganda andCongo also failed in 2008,forcing the LRA to spread outacross the region. “The threatis proportionately muchgreater than anything fromFDLR and ADF,” a UN sourcetold Reuters, referring to twoactive rebel groups in the eastof Congo. —Reuters

Ugandan LRA rebels kill hundreds :Report

255 killed, up to 74,000 people flee in past 18 months

KAMPALA: Idriss Nsobuga (R) weeps at a press conference given by theUgandan military yesterday. Nsobuga is accused of being part of a groupof men which planned the double suicide blasts that killed 76 people onthe evening of the football World Cup final on July 11, 2010. — AFP

MOSCOW: A Russian Emergency SituationsMinistry helicopter drops water on a forestfire blaze at the Losiny Ostrov nature reservein Moscow yesterday. — AP

MOSCOW: Russia yesterdaystepped up efforts to haltwildfires near its main nuclearresearch site, as PresidentDmitry Medvedev said onequarter of its crops have beenlost in a record heatwave. Thefires have also raised alarm thatburning forests could raise upradioactive particles in land stillcontaminated by the 1986Chernobyl nuclear disaster butthe authorities warned againstany panic.Medvedev also reported

success in containing the firesthat have killed over 50 peopleand destroyed entire villages,saying he has given orders to liftthe state of emergency in threeof seven regions. But he warnedthat many farms were on theverge of bankruptcy after onequarter of the country’s cropshave been lost due to the heat.“We have a very complicatedsituation because as a whole inthe country around a quarter ofthe grain crops have beenburned,” Russian news agenciesquoted the Kremlin chief assaying in the southern town ofTaganrog.“Unfortunately many farms

are on the verge of bankruptcyon account of the death of theharvest.” Medvedev also said hehad lifted the state of emergencyin Vladimir, Voronezh and MariiEl regions, while the siatuationremained complicated in anotherfour — Mordovia, Moscow,Nizhny Novgorod and Ryazanregions.Russia is battling what

experts say is the worstheatwave in its millenium-longhistory which has affected nearlyall areas of life and may cost itone percent of gross domesticproduct, or 15 billion dollars.Fires also blazed in neighbouringUkraine, with the emergencyservices working to put out atwo-hectare (five-acre) peat bogfire 60 kilometres (35 miles)

from Chernobyl.Russia sent a special

firefighting train and 70 morepeople to join over 3,400firefighters battling to dousewildfires close to its top nuclearresearch centre in Sarov, a townin the Nizhny Novgorod regionstill closed to foreigners as inSoviet times. While no blazeshad been registered on theterritory of the nuclear researchcentre itself, a nearby naturereserve has been on fire foraround a week.The nature reserve is located

in nearby region of Mordovia andtree leaves and pine needles onthe surface are now burning andsmouldering, said MikhailTurkov, a spokesman for theemergencies ministry’s Volgaregional branch. “Two planes andtwo helicopters are currentlycircling over Sarov,” Turkov toldAFP. “Reconnaissance is beingconstantly conducted from theair.”A firefighting train has been

involved in putting out the fires,while a second train was on itsway to the scene. Two soldierswere killed by blazing trees asthey strove to put out a fire closeto the centre on Monday.Moscow had choked for days onacrid smog that seeped intoapartments, offices, stories andeven underground into theMoscow metro.The city’s air was clear of

smog yesterday as theemergencies ministry said thetotal area of the wildfires in theMoscow region has beenreduced by more than a quarterto 126 hectares over the past 24hours as firefighting teamspoured more than 1,000 tonnesof water over burning fires andpeat bogs. The total area of thefires across Russia was reducedby 10,000 hectares and nearly50,000 people were battling firesin central Russia, the ministrysaid. —AP

Russia steps up fire

battle near nuclear site

MADRID: Moroccan demonstrators blockedtrucks from entering a Spanish enclaveyesterday, keeping out fresh fruit and fishand other products in a dispute overallegations of police violence and racismagainst Moroccans entering the city.The protest was held a day after the kings

of the two traditional allies spoke bytelephone to try calm tempers in a conflictthat began three weeks ago. A seniorSpanish police official in the enclave ofMelilla who visited the border saidprotesters were preventing all trucks fromentering, denying the city products that itimports from Morocco, such constructionmaterials and produce.“They are not letting anything in,” the

police official said on condition of anonymityin line with department rules. The city’scentral market said no trucks from Moroccohad come in. Footage shown on Spanishtelevision showed dozens of protestersgathered on the Moroccan side of the dustyborder crossing, one of them speaking over abullhorn. Melilla is a centuries-old Spanishcity of some 70,000 people, nestled betweenthe Mediterranean to the east and northernMorocco to the west. It is about a quarter thesize of Manhattan. Besides the bustlingcommercial flow, about 35,000 Moroccanscross daily into Melilla to work or shop.Morocco claims the city and another

North African enclave of Spain, Ceuta, as itsown, but Spain rejects any talk of giving upthe cities. The demonstrators manning theblockade yesterday were also pressingMorocco’s claim to the cities. Over the pastthree weeks Morocco has made fivecomplaints alleging Spanish policemistreatment or even racism againstMoroccans crossing into Melilla. Moroccanofficials also accused the Spanish coast guardof finding, then abandoning a group of ailingmigrants in a boat off the Moroccan coast.Spain has denied any mistreatment. The

Spanish foreign ministry declined commenton the blockade, which started a day afterKing Juan Carlos called his Moroccancounterpart Mohammed VI to try to easetensions.Calls to the Moroccan foreign ministry in

Rabat and the Moroccan embassy in Pariswent unanswered. The Muslim fastingmonth of Ramadan began Wednesday. Anofficial at the Moroccan embassy in Madridsaid she had no immediate comment.Spain and Morocco are key allies,

cooperating closely on fighting Islamistterrorism and preventing illegalimmigration. While the blockade couldprompt shortages of some products inMelilla if it continues, the people living therewon’t starve. Much of Melilla’s food isshipped in from Spain. Relations aregenerally good, but periodically suffer fromtension. The most serious break came in2002, when the nations edged close to armedconfrontation after a handful of Moroccantroops occupied a rocky Spanish island offthe Moroccan coast inhabited by goats. Spainsent warships to the area and ejected thetroops. The standoff ended after the UnitedStates brokered a deal to remove all forcesfrom the island.In 2005, another crisis emerged when

several thousand destitute African migrantstrying to make their way to Europeclambered over razor-wire fences intoMelilla and Ceuta over the course of sometwo weeks. In their conversationWednesday, King Juan Carlos phonedMohammed VI and they reaffirmed the“excellent state of relations” between theircountries and promised to work to ensurethat “small problems or misunderstandingsdo not upset this climate,” according to theSpanish royal palace. The official Moroccannews agency MAP confirmed the call andsaid the two kings agreed to meet at anunspecified date. — AP

Moroccan protesters block

Spanish enclave border

Friday, August 13, 2010 INTERNATIONAL Page 13

MEXICO CITY: PresidentFelipe Calderon questionedprosecutors and judgesWednesday as to why so fewpeople are caught andpunished for violent crimes inMexico. Calderon isconducting a series of publicconferences on anti-crimestrategies, amid increasingcriticism of his offensiveagainst drug gangs in whichmore than 28,000 people havedied in drug-related violencesince late 2006. “There are alarge number of people whoare detained in police actions,

caught in the act or in thecompany of other criminalsuspects, and not withstandingthat, the number of people whoare finally brought to trial orconvicted is significantly less,”Calderon said at a meeting ofofficials from Mexico’s judicialbranch. Calderon did not offerany specific figures on theconviction rate, but figuresobtained by The AssociatedPress indicate that only about15 percent of drug suspectsdetained between December2006 and September 2009have been convicted or

acquitted.The chief justice of

Mexico’s Supreme Court,Guillermo Ortiz, saidWednesday that while somecharges are dismissed for lackof evidence, 85 percent ofpeople formally held over fortrial on crimes in general areconvicted. But officials alsoacknowledged that a highlytouted legal reform allowingthe government to seizealleged drug traffickers’property before they areconvicted has been of little usesince it was enacted in May

2009. Ortiz said less than 10cases had been brought underthe property seizure law,saying it had “been of littleuse.” Attorney General ArturoChavez said the law has beenhampered because it requiresprosecutors to reveal evidencefrom criminal cases to provethey have grounds for theseizures.

Criminal cases are usuallykept sealed in Mexico. Mexicohas been under increasingpressure to combat anestimated flow of as much as$10 billion a year in suspicious

funds possibly linked to drugtrafficking. Elsewhere onWednesday, police in thenorthern state of Chihuahuareported finding four dead mentied to a fence in the crucifixposition and five others shot todead inside a ranch home.

The Chihuahua stateprosecutors office said themen were tied to the fencewith ropes, and a sign foundnearby read: “Keep sending uskidnappers, and we will killthem.” The bodies were foundon the side of a highway nearthe city of Cuauhtemoc. Police

also found the bodies of fivepeople inside a ranch in thetown of Villahumada. All hadbeen shot to death, Chihuahuastate prosecutors’ spokesmanArturo Sandoval said.

In the northern state ofDurango, state prosecutorsreported Wednesday they hadfound the hacked-up bodies ofthree people stuffed into sacksin the city of SantiagoPapasquiaro. The sacks weredumped on a street. Thevictims had been dead foraround a day by the time theirbodies were found. — AP

Mexican prez critical of low conviction rate

WASHINGTON: PresidentBarack Obama’s Democraticallies breathed a wary sigh ofrelief Wednesday after primaryvoters in Colorado gave them arare break from anti-incumbentfever ahead of Novemberelections. And Obama’sRepublican foes faced freshquestions about the rise offiercely anti-Washington ‘TeaParty’ insurgents that some inthe party worry could drive offmoderate voters and limit whatare predicted to be heavyDemocratic losses.

Democrats still faced a toughpolitical environment defined bydeep voter anger at the soureconomy, unemployment near 10percent, and frustration withWashington’s failure to find aquicker fix amid a ballooningnational debt.

But establishmentDemocrats, who openly worrythey could lose control of theHouse of Representatives, tooksome satisfaction at the resultsfrom Colorado and Connecticutprimaries. In Colorado,Democratic Senator MichaelBennet fended off a stiffchallenge from former statelegislator Andrew Romanoff by a54-46 margin, aided by an Obamaadministration blitz on his behalf.Bennet quickly set aboutdistancing himself from theestablishment politics ofWashington after becoming thesecond major embattledDemocratic incumbent afterArkansas Senator BlancheLincoln to defeat a dangerousprimary rival.

‘I’ve spent my entire careeroutside of politics,’ Bennet, arelative political noviceappointed last year to fill the seatheld by Interior Secretary KenSalazar, told ABC television themorning after his victory. AndBennet declined to statewhether he would ask Obama tocampaign for him in the generalelections, saying only: ‘He’sbeen a huge help and I appreciatehis endorsement. And we’ll seewhat happens between now andNovember.’ At the White House,spokesman Robert Gibbscredited Obama with helping

Bennet ‘through hisendorsements and appearances’and rebuked any critics who said‘that the Democratic Party as awhole didn’t have a very goodnight.’

But Gibbs ducked a questionabout the president’s futureinvolvement in the race, sayingObama ‘was proud to lend hisname’ and that his support forBennet ‘is fairly well-documented.’ RepublicanSenator John Cornyn, taskedwith getting his party’s senatehopefuls elected, quickly tiedBennet to the agendachampioned by Obama, whosejob approval ratings havetumbled since he took office inJanuary 2009. ‘While there’s nodoubt that Bennet will nowattempt to distance himself fromhis party leaders in Washington,his liberal record in support ofwasteful spending and biggergovernment bureaucracy speaksfor itself,’ said Cornyn.

Bennet will face off againstKen Buck, a prosecutor whocasts himself as an outsider

despite being a long-ago aide toformer Vice President DickCheney and beat theestablishment Republican pick,former lieutenant governor JaneNorton.

‘We are going to reach out ourhand for those independentvoters and Democrats who arealso fed up with Washington,’Buck, who was backed by ‘TeaParty’ activists, reportedly toldsupporters late Tuesday. InConnecticut, Republicans votersanointed millionaire professionalwrestling executive LindaMcMahon their champion in therace for the seat held by retiringveteran Democratic SenatorChris Dodd.

Democrats wasted no time inhammering McMahon for herties to over-the-top spectaclesput on by World WrestlingEntertainment, which she ranfrom its start in 1980 to 2009,when she began her Senate bid.Republicans ‘nominated acandidate who kicks men in thecrotch, thinks of scenes ofnecrophilia as ëentertainment,’

and runs an operation wherewomen are forced to bark likedogs,’ said Democratic NationalCommittee spokesman HariSevugan, who included links tothe YouTube video-sharing site.

Republicans and Democratswere vying for the seat beingvacated by the retiring Dodd, oneof the key architects of Obama’slandmark overhaul of financeindustry rules. The likelyDemocratic nominee, AttorneyGeneral Richard Blumenthal,remains the front-runner but hasrun into trouble after evidencesurfaced that he at timesexaggerated his military servicerecord.

McMahon was expected tomount a vigorous bid partlyfunded with her millionaire’sfortune, but she has alreadyfaced accusations of trying to buythe primary with her wealth. All435 House of Representativesseats, 37 Senate slots, keygovernorships and statelegislatures are up for grabs inthe November mid-termelections. — AFP

Obama allies catch break, Republicans face challenge

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama speaks in the East Room ofthe White House in Washington Wednesday. — AP

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE: Thissketch by courtroom artist Janet Hamlin andreviewed by a US Department of Defenseofficial shows detainee Ihrahm AhmedMuhmoud Al-Qosi attending his war crimestrial on Wednesday. Military jurors sentenceda former cook for Osama Bin Laden to 14years in prison. —AFP

US NAVAL BASE ATGUANTANAMO BAY: AGuantanamo Bay military juryWednesday sentenced IbrahimAl-Qosi, a one-time cook forAl-Qaeda leader Osama BinLaden, to 14 years in prison.The 51-year-old Qosi, fromSudan, is the first detainee tobe sentenced by a GuantanamoBay military tribunal sincePresident Barack Obama tookoffice and pledged to shutterthe controversial facility.

The 10-member jury spenta little more than an hour

deliberating before reaching adecision on the sentence,which must now be approvedby a top official at the Pentagon.Qosi pleaded guilty in July tomaterial support to terrorism, acharge both prosecution anddefense agreed carried asentence of between 12-15years. But he has alsohammered out a plea deal withprosecutors that includesstipulations on how long asentence he should serve. Thedetails of the deal have notbeen made public. — AFP

Former Bin Laden cook gets 14-year sentence at Guantanamo

Democrats still face tough political environment

Friday, August 13, 2010Page 14 INTERNATIONAL

TOKYO: Nearly 200 Japanesecentenarians are missing, officialssaid yesterday, with the total likelyto rise amid a nationwide searchafter the discovery of the 30-year-old corpse of a man registered asaged 111. In the western city ofKobe alone, the whereabouts of 105out of 847 centenarians wereunknown as of the end of July, a cityofficial said. “The city launched aninvestigation on the condition of the105 people,” the Kobe city officialsaid-in addition to 22 others whohave not accessed nursing ormedical insurance in recent years.Those unaccounted-for include

people who would be older than thecurrent officially recognised oldestwoman in Japan, 113-year-oldChiyono Hasegawa, who lives insouthern Saga prefecture. Theyinclude one supposedly 125-year-old woman. The sheer number ofmissing has raised fears that Japan’scurrent welfare system could beeasily exploited by relatives, afterofficials visiting Sogen Kato on his111th birthday instead found hismummified, 30 year-old remains.Police are investigating the late

Kato’s relatives-who claimed he hadretreated to his room to become “aliving Buddha”-for fraud because

the government had kept paying apension into the man’s bankaccount. A total of 9.5 million yen(109,000 dollars) in widower’spension payments had beendeposited since his wife died sixyears ago, and some of the moneyhad recently been withdrawn,reports said.Local government officials have

fanned out for face-to-face meetingswith people registered as aged over100 — of whom fast-greying Japan,with its world-beating lifeexpectancies, had more than 40,000at last count.In city of Osaka, 64 out of 857

centenarians are currently missing.Officials yesterday confirmed that aman who was registered as being127 had been dead since 1966. Thesouthwestern city of Kitakyushualso said it could not confirm thewhereabouts of 10 centenarians. Agovernment report said in July thatJapan’s average life expectancy set aworld-best 86.44 years for womenwhile men’s average life expectancycame fifth globally with 79.59 years.When asked if the revelations of

“missing” centenarians could affectthe expectancy rate, a healthministry official said the rate iscalculated using national census

data, whereas local communitiesand healthcare bodies are leftresponsible to maintain records ofcentenarians. Japan has a traditionof giving birthday gifts tocentenarians, but often the presentsare handed to family members, andworkers are unable to confirmwhether or not the elderly personhas received them.In another case of a missing

centenarian, officials found thatFusa Furuya, who had been listed asTokyo’s oldest woman at 113, hasnot been seen for about half acentury according to her 79-year-old daughter.—AFP

Nearly 200 centenarians missing in Japan

TAEAN: South Korean special warfare command soldiers move into position on a beach duringa sea infiltration drill in Taean, 120 km southwest of Seoul yesterday. —AFP

BEIJING: China’s military yesterdaycondemned a second round of US-SouthKorean naval drills planned in theYellow Sea in the coming weeks, vowingit would respond in kind. Beijingopposes actions by foreign militaryships and planes in waters near its coastthat could “affect China’s securityinterests,” the military’s newspaperPeople’s Liberation Army Daily said inan editorial. “If no one harms me, Iharm no one, but if someone harms me,I must harm them,” said the editorial,signed by Maj Gen Luo Yuan, a frequentoutspoken commentator on militarymatters.“As far as the Chinese people and the

Chinese military are concerned, theseare not joking remarks,” Luo wrote.China has repeatedly criticized thedrills, saying they risked heighteningtensions on the Korean peninsula andignored its objections to any foreignmilitary exercises off its coast. Theexpected participation of the aircraftcarrier USS George Washington isparticularly irksome to China because of

its status as a symbol of US power in thePacific and the possibility of its F-18warplanes flying within range of Beijing.The exercises are the second in a

series of US-South Korean maneuversto be conducted in the East Sea offKorea and the Yellow Sea. No date hasbeen announced, but they are expectedto happen in the coming weeks. Thefirst maneuvers were conducted lastweek. Although the Yellow Sea consistsmostly of international waters, Chinaregards it as lying within its vaguelydefined security perimeter. China’sForeign Ministry issued a statementearlier this week demanding the US andSouth Korea “take China’s position andconcern seriously.” While Luo’seditorial mentioned no specificresponses, China has recently given anunusual degree of publicity to a series ofmilitary drills and live-firing exercisesalong its eastern coastline _ seen bysome as a direct response to the US-South Korean exercises.The criticism comes amid renewed

verbal sniping between Beijing and

Washington over the South China Sea,which China claims in its entirety, alongwith the myriad tiny islands lying withinit. Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Bruneiand the Philippines also have stakedclaims on all or some of the territory,which straddles vital shipping lanes,important fishing grounds and isbelieved rich in oil and natural gasreserves. China responded withoutrage when US Secretary of StateHillary Clinton told a regionalconference last month that the US had a“national interest” in seeing territorialdisputes in the South China Searesolved through a “collaborativediplomatic process by all claimants.”Beijing prefers to leverage its size andstrength to deal with each claimantindividually and blasted Clinton’sremarks as US interference in itsaffairs. China has also been alarmed byjoint search-and-rescue exercises thisweek between the US and Vietnamesenavies, viewing it as part of efforts tobuild an “Asian NATO” to containBeijing’s rising influence. — AP

China’s army condemns S Korean-US sea drills

China vowing it would respond in kind

MANILA: Twelve Filipinofishermen reported missingin rough seas have beenfound alive after theymanaged to keep theirsinking boat afloat. Thefisherman went missingTuesday after it was thoughttheir boat went down. Butcoast guard chief Adm.Wilfredo Tamayo said lastFriday that the crew wasactually able to pump waterout of the boat and stay afloat

long enough to reach nearbyshores. A tropical depressionand monsoon rains havewhipped up big waves in thenorthern and centralPhilippines, sinking andoverturning severalpassenger boats and adomestic cargo ship with acrew of 16. The coast guardsays two crewmen from thefreighter have been rescued,six have drowned and eightare missing.—AP

12 missing Filipino fishermen found alive

Relatives struggle to identify dead bodies in China mudslides

ZHOUQU: San Fenlong wearily removes his mask as he leavesa makeshift outdoor morgue. He has just identified the body ofhis nephew, a victim of China’s horrific mudslides, from the belthe was wearing. The 15-year-old’s clothes were the only itemsSan and his family were able to recognise, four days after theboy’s death. Searing heat and the blunt trauma of the avalancheof sludge and rocks left his face unrecognisable.“We can’t bring him home as his body is decomposing, so

we’re going to bury him here in the mountains,” San said, asanother man’s bruised body, arms outstretched to the sky, lay inthe open awaiting identification. After the disaster in Zhouqu, aremote northwestern town nestled in the mountains of Gansuprovince, the grim task of retrieving and identifying the dead isbecoming more and more difficult. “People are now having toidentify them by the clothes they were wearing or theirbirthmarks,” said San, as yet more rain came tumbling down.Rescuers are still pulling bodies out of the mudslide-which

has so far killed more than 1,100 people-carrying them onstretchers to the morgue, located at the foot of a mountain onthe side of the road leading into Zhouqu. “We dread hearing thephone ring because each call means more deaths,” WuGuorong, the leader of a five-member team tasked withtransporting corpses to two designated funeral homes, told theGlobal Times newspaper.But with more than 600 residents still buried deep in the

muck, and intermittent rain complicating the search, thechances of finding all the bodies are slim to none. As authoritiesgrow increasingly worried about the outbreak of disease,workers clad in white suits and masks comb the town, sprayingdisinfectant in every street corner and on the mudslide frommachines strapped to their backs. An employee at Zhouqu’scentre for disease control, named Zhang, said more than 100people had been assigned to disinfect the zone, including themakeshift morgue.Authorities have told residents the bodies will be kept in the

morgue for two days once they are pulled from the mud. If notclaimed, they will be taken away and buried in mass graves toavoid any disease outbreak. Beyond the human corpses, deadanimals are also a concern, and workers from the localagriculture and animal husbandry department have beendispatched to take care of their remains. “We’ve found dozensof animal carcasses, mostly pigs and dogs,” said Du Yuelin,standing on one of the rivers of mud that swept through thetown, where a dead pig lay out in the open, emitting a foulstench.Some relatives have managed to buy coffins to transport

their loved ones to their final resting place, but these are inshort supply in the mud-ravaged town. —AFP

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 15INTERNATIONAL

JAFARABAD: Flood affected villagers ferry their household belongings to safer ground inJafarabad, Pakistan yesterday. —AP

SUKKUR: Pakistan President Asif AliZardari flew in to a flood-hit area yesterdayfor a first look at the two-week-old crisisafter criticism over his trips abroad and hisgovernment’s perceived slack response.The floods, triggered by torrentialmonsoon downpours, have swampedPakistan’s Indus river basin, killing morethan 1,600 people, forcing two million fromtheir homes and disrupting the lives ofabout 14 million people, or 8 percent of thepopulation.The deluge, which began two weeks

ago, has caused extensive damage to thecountry’s main crops, agriculture officialssaid, after the United Nations appealed for$459 million in emergency aid and warnedof a wave of deaths if help didn’t arrive.Agriculture is a mainstay of the economyand the United Nations has estimatedrehabilitation costs will run into thebillions of dollars. The InternationalMonetary Fund has warned of majoreconomic harm and the Finance Ministrysaid the country would miss this year’s 4.5percent gross domestic product growthtarget though it was not clear by howmuch.Zardari, widower of assassinated

former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, setoff on much-criticised visits to meet the

leaders of Britain and France as the floodswere beginning. Two days after returninghome, he flew to city of Sukkur on thebanks of the swollen Indus river in thesouthern province of Sindh to inspect thedestruction and aid efforts. “PresidentZardari is visiting the one-mile (2 km) longSukkur barrage. From here he will visit aflood victims’ camp,” said presidentialspokesman Farhatullah Babar.Security was tight with only state

media allowed access. Several barrageshave been built across the river to divertwater into irrigation canals and the floodwaters have been building up alarminglybehind them. Ahmed Kamal, spokesmanfor the National Disaster ManagementAuthority, said water levels may risedangerously on Friday and again early nextweek along stretches of the Indus in thecentral province of Punjab and in Sindh.“There can be further devastation,” hetold reporters. The meteorological officeforecast scattered rain with a chance ofthunderstorms across much of the country. The government is still assessing the

extent of the damage but a spokesman forU.N. humanitarian efforts said a third ofthe country had been affected. Hundredsof roads and bridges have been destroyedfrom northern mountains to the plains of

the south. Countless villages have beeninundated, crops destroyed and livestocklost. People have been jostling for food atdistribution points throughout the disasterarea, with the Muslim fasting month ofRamadan, when hungry people break theirfast at dusk with a special meal, adding topeople’s anxiety.“The government ... should provide

clean water and clean food to the people,”said Mohammad Ali, a bread makerscrambling for supplies in the northwest.“Ramadan has arrived, but we see no signof the government giving us any of thesethings.” The wheat, cotton and sugar cropshave all suffered significant damage andthe United Nations has warned of a secondwave of death from disease and foodshortages unless help for the displacedarrived quickly. Pakistan’s main stockmarket has lost more than 5 percent sincethe floods began and ended flat in thintrade yesterday as investors fretted aboutthe economic costs, in particular theimpact on inflation, dealers said. Themilitary, which has ruled for more than halfof Pakistan’s 63-year history, has taken thelead in aid efforts, reinforcing the faithmany people have in the armed forces andhighlighting the ineffectiveness of civiliangovernments. — Reuters

Pakistan president makes first visit to flood zone

Warning of possible more devastation

SRINAGAR: The fastingmonth of Ramadan looks set tobe one of curfews, protests andhardship for Muslims in IndianKashmir, which isexperiencing a wave of popularunrest directed against Indianrule. For two months, violentdemonstrations have rockedthe troubled Himalayan region.Around 50 protesters andonlookers have been killed.Each fatality has fuelled freshanger, in what Kashmir’s ChiefMinister Omar Abdullah hasacknowledged is a “cycle ofviolence”.The constant round of

protests, strikes and curfewshas all but shut down dailycommerce in the mainlyMuslim Kashmir Valley,hurting small traders andmaking shopping for basicprovisions a major challenge.With Ramadan startingyesterday, residents have beenadvised to stockpile essentialsin preparation for a difficultmonth. Muslim clerics inKashmir have in the past usedthe Ramadan period to preachpeace and reconciliation, butwith emotions running highover the dozens of deaths ofprotesters, that message islikely to be muted. “We haveplanned protests duringRamadan against Indian ruleand the innocent killings,” saidSyed Ali Geelani, who heads ahardline faction of the region’smain separatist alliance.Geelani, who would like IndianKashmir to accede to Pakistan,has also urged all Kashmiris tocelebrate Pakistaniindependence day on August14 and mark India’sindependence celebrations aday later as a “black day.”Kashmir is divided between

nuclear-armed rivals India andPakistan, which both claim theregion in full and have foughttwo wars over their territorialdispute. The last time large-scale, anti-India protests hitthe region, in 2008, Geelanisuspended protests ahead ofRamadan and was blamed bymany activists for breaking themovement’s momentum.“The separatists have done

the right thing by calling forprotests during Ramadan,”says Asif Ahmed, ashopkeeper. “This temposhould continue. We should notrun out of steam this time.” OnTuesday, Prime MinisterManmohan Singh sought tocalm tensions by urging

Kashmiris “to give peace achance”. He held out thepossibility of greater autonomyand vowed to address rampantunemployment.But his overtures were

rejected by both hardline andmoderate separatist groups,who want New Delhi to repealtough emergency laws, pulltroops out of civilian areas andrelease political prisoners.“This is the month of peace,but here I think we will bespending it under the shadowof curfews and strikes,” saidNabla Hafiz, a housewife.“Everyone is angry at thekillings and the call for moreprotests will be heeded.” “Wecan’t forget the killings. If westop protesting, that willamount to forgiving Indians,”said her husband, HafizullahBhat.The impasse has made daily

life extremely difficult formany Kashmiris, some ofwhom blame both sides. “It isgoing to be a gloomy Ramadan.I have no money left,” saidSrinagar roadside vendorMohammed Yusuf, who hasbeen forced to borrow moneyto make ends meet. “Theshutdown calls only affect thepoor like me,” Yusuf said,urging separatists leaders to“rethink their strategy”.Moderate separatist leaderMirwaiz Umar Farooq, who isalso chief cleric at Srinagar’smain mosque, the JamiaMasjid, said Kashmiris wouldhave to pull together.“We must help each other.

The rich should help the poorduring Ramadan and thosewhose businesses havesuffered,” Mirwaiz told AFP.“I also appeal to Islamiccountries to send aid toKashmiris.” The authoritieshave closed the Jamia Masjid onsix consecutive Fridays, andFarooq-who has been underhouse arrest for much of thepast two months-said he woulddefy restrictions to deliver aRamadan sermon at themosque this Friday. “Theclosing of the Jamia Masjid is aninfringement of the Kashmiripeoples’ basic right to religiouspractice,” he said. “During themonth of Ramadan, I will prayfor an end to Indian repressionand occupation.” According tothe state finance ministry,curfews and shutdowns thisyear have resulted in economiclosses amounting to 400million dollars.— AFP

No Ramadan respite as unrest rocks Kashmir

KABUL: Afghanistan’s largestgathering of clerics, who met to discussreconciliation with the Taleban, hascalled for the revival of strict Islamic lawas the country seeks ways to winmilitants away from a growinginsurgency. About 350 of the Islamicclerics, or ulema, met for three days thisweek, the meeting ending with adeclaration calling on President HamidKarzai to enact sharia, or Islamic law,including punishments such as stonings,lashing, amputation and execution.

“The lack of implementation ofsharia hodud (punishment) has cast anegative impact on the peace process,”said a 10-point resolution issued afterthe meeting. “We the ulema andpreachers of Afghanistan ... earnestlyask the government not to spare anyefforts in the implementation of shariahodud.”The resolution, seen by Reuters, was

sent to Karzai’s government. The ulemahave a long-standing and deep influencein traditionally conservative Afghanistan

and have often stepped in to backuprisings or been used to bolster pastgovernments. The head of agovernment council of religious leaders,separate to the gathering this week, hasbeen asked to find ways to make peacewith the Taleban after almost 10 years ofwar since the militants were ousted byUS-backed Afghan forces.The head of that government

council, Mawlavi Qiyamuddin Kashaf,attended the meeting of clerics andscholars this week, which included

representatives from both the majoritySunni Muslim sect and minority Shi’ites.“This (gathering) was very new for thepeace efforts and the biggest yet. Theywill go and preach for peace in theirrespective regions,” Kashaf told Reutersyesterday. However, there has so farbeen no reaction from Karzai’sgovernment to the council’s resolution.After years of conflict in Afghanistan,

Karzai has sought to soften perceptionsof his deeply religious country throughprograms such as moderate Islamic

schools. But at the same time he hasbeen pushing reconciliation with theTaleban as violence continues to rise,raising concerns among some of hisbackers in the West. Karzai called a major tribal “peace

gathering” in June to win support forhis plan to offer an amnesty, cash andjob incentives to Taleban foot soldierswhile arranging asylum for top figuresin a second country and getting theirnames struck off a U.N. and USblacklist. —Reuters

Afghan clerics seek return to Islamic law

DUBAI: Private equityfirms such as KohlbergKravis Roberts & Co andregional heavyweightAbraaj Capital whichbenefited from Dubai’sboom years are now lookingto the emirate for reformsneeded to revive the sector.Easing foreign ownershipregulations and reviving themarket for initial publicofferings (IPOs) are keysteps, and analysts sayprivate equity still needsmore business from thepowerful families whichdominate the region’swealth.“We need to see some

investments, we need tosee the macro environmentimproving, we need to getthe families on board,” saidJeremie Le Febvre, partner-in-charge of Middle Eastand North Africa (MENA) atTriago, a private equityadviser. “A combination ofall these factors will makethe Middle East quiteattractive because right nowthe message to investors isquite blurry,” he said.Middle East private

equity investment, onceamong the most promisingsectors in the region,plunged by 80 percent to$561 million in 2009, GulfVenture Capital Associationdata showed. Deal activityhas been slow in 2010 too,with investors backing outfrom capital calls, sellersstill demanding moremoney than buyers arewilling to offer andincreasing competition fromfamily groups hamperinggrowth. Before the globalfinancial crisis erupted,iconic private equity firmsfrom across the globe suchas KKR and Carlyle Groupset up shop, attracted by theregion’s petrodollars andspectacular growthprospects.The risk now is that

without reforms to spur thesector, such firms will goback to viewing the regionmainly as a source of capitaland not an investmentdestination. “There is notmuch room for big

internationals,” Le Febvresaid. “Over the next threeyears you may see somedeals done by a select few,buying perhaps a mobilephone operator or a majorpan-Middle East healthcarebusiness.” Dubai-basedAbraaj Capital, one the GulfArab region’s biggest privateequity firms, has cut the sizeof its fourth buyout fund byhalf, while shares in Egypt’sCitadel Capital are down 15percent this year.“I think it’s safe to

conclude that the privateequity market in the GulfCooperation Council (GCC)is much smaller than wasoriginally expected,” saidYahya Jalil, head of privateequity at The NationalInvestor in Dubai.EASING REGULATIONSEasing foreign ownership

limitations across the Gulfwould have a double positiveimpact as it would allowinvestors to bid for majoritystakes and obtain control of abusiness while also makingthe IPO market moreattractive. More IPOs wouldalso mean better exitopportunities for localbuyout firms. “Relaxing theforeign ownership rules andpermitting more flexibleshare structures would allpotentially make PEinvestments more attractiveto overseas investors andhence promote deal activity,”said Isabella Roberts, apartner at law firm Simmons& Simmons.Transparency and

disclosure among family-owned companies in theregion could also improve.Damas, a Dubai-basedjeweler with retail outletsacross the region, is a case inpoint. The family-owned

business raised $270 millionin its 2008 IPO and a localprivate equity firm took astake. But earlier this year,the company’s founderswere accused of making“unauthorized transactions”valued at $165 million,resulting in managementshake-up and financialtrouble. —Reuters

DUBAI: A pair of recent Gulfbond deals where governmentsoffered explicit guaranteesattracted better terms and fatorder books but analysts say

such moves risk distorting themarket and harming it in thelonger term. Qatari Diar, realestate arm of Qatar’s sovereignwealth fund, sold a $3.5 billion

dual tranche bond last month. Itwas the first state-guaranteedtransaction in the region andlargest this year, attracting amassive order book. On the

heels of that issue came a $1.5billion issue from WahaAerospace, a subsidiary of WahaCapital, which was “irrevocablyand unconditionally” guaranteedby the Abu Dhabi government.These helped boost issuance

in the Gulf Arab region in thesecond half after a slow start hitby the euro zone debt crisis anduncertainty over governmentconglomerate Dubai World’srestructuring. The twoguarantees were motivated byexceptional circumstances, withQatari Diar otherwise facing achallenge to raise a deal of thatsize linked to a property firm inthe Gulf, where values havefallen by half in two years. ForWaha Aerospace, it helped avirtual unknown get a bondaway without a roadshow. Butsome analysts warn that suchexplicit guarantees could haveundesirable consequences.“It would be a dangerous

extrapolation for marketparticipants to think that twoback to back explicitlyguaranteed issues sets a trendfor GREs (government relatedentities),” said Chavan Bhogaita,head of credit research atNational Bank of Abu Dhabi(NBAD). “In spread terms,these bond issues should tradeclose to the sovereign curve thatthey’re linked to, distorting themarket.” Bhogaita also arguedthat too much help for GREswould harm state efforts to havesuch entities stand alone.“Issuing guarantees on a broadbrush basis is not consistentwith that,” he said.

DUBAI WORLD HITThe shock call by Dubai

World last November for astandstill on well over $20billion in debt led to a flight ofcapital from the region. Thatshook investor confidence inimplicit guarantees that hadhelped spur dramatic growth inthe Gulf and new issues driedup. “Guarantees are a verygood tool but you’ve got to usethem in a smart way. Youcertainly don’t want to create abunch of contingent liabilitiesjust because you can,” AndrewDell, HSBC’s head of debtcapital markets for central andeastern Europe, Middle Eastand Africa. —Reuters

Friday, August 13, 2010Page 16 BUSINESS

KUALA LUMPUR: A Muslim vendor prepares fried rice for sale at aRamadan bazaar in Petaling Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. —AP

Malaysian state launches Islamic currencyKUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysianstate yesterday launched the Islamicdinar and dirham as an alternativecurrency, allowing the golden andsilver coins to be used as legaltender alongside conventionalbanknotes. Authorities in northernKelantan state, which is ruled by theIslamic opposition party PAS, saidthe Islamic currencies would beused in many shops in the state inaddition to the national currency, theringgit. “We have over 1,000 shops

that have signed up to our campaignand agreed to accept the dinar anddirham for the purchase of goods,”state cabinet minister Husam Musasaid.He said signboards have been

erected in the main market in thestate capital Kota Bharu to showthe conversion table between thedinar and ringgit, and participatingshops will display stickers toencourage people to use the coins.“The response has been very

positive and all the coins whichwere worth a total of 2.0 millionringgit (629,000 dollars) have beensold out at the launch today,” saidHusam, who is in charge ofeconomic and finance planning.According to Islamic law, the dinarmeasures 4.25 grams of gold, whilethe dirham is 3.0 grams of puresilver.A golden coin is equivalent to

about 582 ringgit ($183) while thesilver coin is worth around 13

ringgit but their values fluctuateaccording to market prices. Husamsaid the dinar and dirham currenciescan also be used dealings with stategovernment agencies, such aspaying “zakat”, or alms for the poor.There has been a long debate inMalaysia, a Muslim-majoritycountry with large ethnic Chineseand Indian communities, tointroduce the coins as legal tendernationally.Former premier Abdullah Ahmad

Badawi, whose administrationpromoted a moderate form of Islamthat emphasized economic andscientific development, shot downthe proposal to use the Islamiccurrencies. But his predecessor,Mahathir Mohamad, was anadvocate of the dinar system andurged Muslim countries to use it asa trade instrument. The debate hasdied down since current PrimeMinister Najib Razak came to powerlast year. —AFP

Family businesses a focus for growth in Gulf region

Reforms key to privateequity regaining allure

Govt explicit guarantees a ‘boost/risk’ for Gulf bonds

Govt-backed issues surprise market, raise concerns

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 17BUSINESS

Delhi, BlackBerry meeting ‘inconclusive’No agreement on BlackBerry encryption restrictions

NEW DELHI: The Indiangovernment put off a decisionyesterday on whether to banBlackBerry services over nationalsecurity fears in the world’s fastedgrowing telecoms market. The homesecretary, the top civil servant overinternal security, held talks withintelligence officials and state-runtelecom operators BSNL and MTNLabout how the government couldaccess encryption details, the latestglobal headache for Canadian makerResearch In Motion.A telecoms ministry official, who

asked not to be identified, describedthe talks as “inconclusive” after themeeting. Another source said privatetelecom operators could be invitedlater. “The government first wants tobe sure how to pin down Blackberry,”the source said, when asked whyprivate operators had not beeninvited. An RIM official met India’s

interior minister separatelyyesterday, a government source said.There were no more details.In a matter of a few weeks, the

BlackBerry device-long the darling ofthe world’s CEOs and politicians,including US President BarackObama-has become a target for itsencrypted email and messagingservices with governments aroundthe world. The Indian demands followa deal with Saudi Arabia, where asource said Research In Motionagreed to give authorities codes forBlackBerry Messenger users. TheUnited Arab Emirates, Lebanon andAlgeria also seek access.The government could ask mobile

operators to block BlackBerrymessaging and email until RIMprovides access to data transmittedover the handset, a seniorgovernment official said onWednesday. Bharti Airtel and

Vodafone’s India unit are the largestproviders of BlackBerry services inIndia. A shutdown would affect onemillion of the smartphone’s 41million users. India is one of RIM’sfastest growing markets. If ashutdown takes effect, BlackBerryusers in India would only be able touse the devices for calls and Internetbrowsing.India wants access in a readable

format to encrypted BlackBerrycommunication, on grounds it couldbe used by militants. Pakistani-basedmilitants used mobile and satellitephones in the 2008 Mumbai attacksthat killed 166 people. Officials sayRIM proposes tracking emailswithout sharing encryption details,but that is not enough. A spokesmanin India for the Waterloo, Ontario-based company made no comment.This year, India restricted imports ofChinese telecoms network

equipment over security fears. It isalso worried about the introductionof 3G wireless services with nomonitoring system in place.

COMPETITIONRIM, unlike rivals Nokia and

Apple, operates its own networkthrough secure services located inCanada and other countries, such asBritain. The BlackBerry image couldsuffer if users feel RIM hascompromised its Enterprise emailsystem. Corporate and consumercustomers both use its BlackBerryMessenger instant messaging.The German government has

urged staffers not to use theBlackBerry and several ministrieshave banned them. The EuropeanUnion Commission this monthrejected the BlackBerry in favor ofApple’s iPhone and HTCsmartphones. India seeks access toboth email and Messenger, while

Saudi Arabia has only targeted theinstant messaging service. RIM hassaid BlackBerry’s Enterprise systemlets customers create their own key,and the company has neither amaster key nor a “back door” toallow it or any third party to accesscrucial corporate data.Middle Eastern countries are

concerned that BlackBerry usersmay spread pornography or violaterestrictions on contact betweenunrelated men and women. Toptelecoms firm Bharti Airtel, one ofthe biggest BlackBerry servicesproviders, ended nearly 0.7percentage down on the day at317.55 rupees mainly due toconcerns on earnings. Thebroader market was up 0.02percent. RIM shares closed up 1.7percent at C$58.78 on Wednesdayin a Toronto market that was down2.2 percent. —Reuters

India industrial growth slides to 13-month low

MUMBAI: Growth in India’s industrialproduction slipped to a 13-month low inJune as the effects of governmentstimulus waned and expansion returnedto more normal levels. The slowdown toyear-on-year growth of 7.1 percent inJune comes after eight months ofdouble-digit expansion - a pace that was

unsustainable. The moderation is inlarge part attributable to the high levelsof industrial production at the same lastyear when growth was rebounding fromthe global recession, economists say.Manufacturing, which has the

greatest weight in the index, grew 7.3percent during the month. Capital goods

output grew 9.7 percent, but consumerdurables production remained strong,growing 27.4 percent over last year. Thegovernment revised down Mayindustrial output growth to 11.3 percentfrom 11.5 percent. “Would I beworried?” said Shubhada Rao, chiefeconomist for Yes Bank. “Not really.Momentum is good. Global demand isgoing to be soft so the support of exportsmay remain muted, but the focusentirely has shifted to domestic demand. With a good monsoon, we expect

rural and overall demand to remainstrong.” Credit growth has been rising,advance indicators of purchasing arepositive and bank credit is improving,she said. Strong growth this time lastyear - during the second half, industrialoutput growth averaged 14.3 percent - islikely to keep headline numbers mutedfor some months yet, she said. Sheexpects industrial production growth tocome in at 9.0 to 9.5 percent for thefiscal year through March 2011, higherthan India’s five-year average of 8.5percent. Economies across Asia are also facing

headwinds as governments pull backpost-crisis stimulus spending whiledemand for exports from Europe and theAsia remains subdued. India, however, isless reliant than exports for growth thanmany other Asian economies. Thecountry’s faster-than-expectedindustrial rebound was fueled in part bygovernment stimulus measures, whichare now being unwound. Inflationworries have pushed the central bank tohike interest rates four times this year. The government has raised some

taxes, but it continues to spend. Lastweek, the government askedParliament to approve an additional545.9 billion rupees ($11.6 billion) inspending to combat a Maoist insurgencyin eastern India and to pay for theCommonwealth Games being held inNew Delhi in October, oil subsidies andother outlays. China’s industrial outputin July slowed for a fifth month to 13.4percent over a year earlier, its lowestlevel this year. —AP

MUMBAI: An Indian laborer works at a metal workshop in anindustrial area of Mumbai yesterday. India’s industrial output inJune expanded at its slowest pace for 13 months, undershootingmarket expectations with growth of 7.1 percent from a year earlier,official data showed yesterday. —AFP

India’s Mahindra becomes Ssangyong preferred bidder SEOUL: India’s top utility vehicle maker Mahindra andMahindra has been chosen as the preferred bidder totake over South Korea’s bankrupt Ssangyong Motor,creditors said yesterday. Ssangyong said it would sign amemorandum of understanding with the Indiancarmaker by the end of this month before due diligencebegins in September. Mahindra was chosen over Indiantyre maker Ruia Group and Young An Hat, a localheadgear company that also owns bus maker DaewooBus Co. Three other suitors, including an alliancebetween France’s Renault and Nissan of Japan, hadwithdrawn at an earlier stager apparently because ofthe high costs.Ssangyong, South Korea’s smallest carmaker, said it

would receive deposits worth five percent of thebidding price from the Indian company this month. Theselection was made after studying bid prices, fundingcapabilities and willingness to develop the company, itsaid in a statement. Mahindra, which seeks to go global,has been eyeing Ssangyong to gain access to newtechnologies for sport utility vehicles (SUVs) andexpand its overseas presence.Ssangyong is mainly a manufacturer of low-priced

but robust SUVs such as “Rexton,” “Kyron” and“Actyon” that are sold globally. It also makes sedans. Ifthe deal goes through, Mahindra is expected to becomethe second Indian carmaker to enter the South Koreanmarket after Tata Motors, which bought truck makerDaewoo Commercial Vehicle in 2004. The creditors didnot say how much Mahindra had bid but analysts saidthe cost of more than 50 percent of Ssangyong would beup to 500 billion won ($418 million).However, the ailing company may insist on more

than 740 billion won to clear off debts, they added. “Ithink the proper price should be no more than 500billion won, given the massive cost required tostreamline its product lineup,” Koh Tae-Bong of IBKInvestment and Securities said. “Ssangyong has goodresearch and development capabilities, but it needs toreorganize its product focus from SUVs and big cars tomore popular mid-sized sedans and smaller vehicles. Ihope Mahindra can provide enough capital to do so,” hesaid.Ssangyong was granted court protection from

creditors in February 2009 after rising oil prices andslowing demand due to the global recession hit SUVsales and former Chinese parent Shanghai AutomotiveIndustry Corp declined to pump in more funds. It hassince struggled to stay afloat, though a violent strikeover job cuts disrupted production for almost 80 days.Ssangyong has seen some positive improvements thisyear. It sold 43,881 vehicles, including 26,190 overseas,in the first seven months, compared to 13,091 at thesame point last year. However, Ssangyong’s share pricefell 5.02 percent to 12,300 won after Mahindra won thebid. —AFP

Friday, August 13, 2010BUSINESSPage 18

WASHINGTON: World markets werethrown into turmoil yesterday asinvestors worried that US growth-a keyengine of the global economy-is comingcoughing and spluttering to a halt.Investors from New York to Tokyopoured money into safer assets afterthe Federal Reserve warned the USrecovery would be “more modest” thanexpected.In an effort to bolster market

confidence the central bank on Tuesdayannounced a return to crisis-erastimulus spending. But the policy shiftwas seen more like a plumb line thatrevealed the depths of the Fed’sconcerns. “Investors are now rightlyquestioning the strength andsustainability of the recovery,” saidJoseph LaVorgna, Deutsche Bank’schief US economist. And question theydid. In New York the benchmark Dowindex of 30 leading companies fellaround 2.5 percent, its worst drop innearly a month.Individual US companies shed

millions of dollars in value, continuing adownward trend seen in Asian andEuropean bourses earlier in the day.“Global equity markets werepummeled,” said Sam Stovall ofStandard & Poor’s Equity Research,pointing to gloomy US trade data thatdarkened the mood further. The USCommerce Department reported thatimports to the United States increasedby three percent in June, drainingbillions of dollars out of the USeconomy. “This is spectacularlyterrible,” said Ian Shepherdson of HighFrequency Economics, explaining thatrising imports will eat into alreadyanemic domestic growth.That was enough to prompt analysts

to slash growth forecasts across theboard. Deutsche Bank’s LaVorgnapredicted US growth in this quarterwould be limited to three percent, welldown from the 4.6 percent previouslyforecast and raising doubts that sky-high unemployment can be trimmedsoon. Other economists made similarcalls, slashing past estimates as well aspredictions running deep into next year.It is “bad news for real GDP growth inthe US, which will be further reducedby the effects of rising imports,” saidChristopher Cornell of Moody’sEconomy.com.News from China and Europe did

little to settle nerves. In China, keyindicators showed the world’s third-largest economy was slowing after thegovernment moved to wind backmassive stimulus spending, closeinefficient factories, and curb soaringproperty prices and bank lending.Analysts said the data added tomounting evidence that the Chineseeconomy was losing steam as thegovernment aims to avoid overheatingin the red-hot economy. “I think thepicture is pretty clear that the entireeconomy is slowing,” Ken Peng, aBeijing-based economist for Citigroupsaid.In London, the Bank of England cut

its economic growth forecasts,predicting gross domestic product(GDP) growth would average aboutthree percent over the next threeyears. That was lower than theprevious estimate of between 3.0-4.0percent in May, owing partly to theimpact of the government’s recentausterity budget that was aimed atslashing the public deficit. “Theonslaught of negative news prompted aworldwide sell-off,” said ElizabethHarrow of Schaeffer’s InvestmentResearch. — AFP

Gloom reigns as US recovery slows

H1 operating profitup 19 percent

LONDON: Insurer Prudential said it had reducedthe cost of its failed bid for AIG’s Asian unit andconfirmed it has no further appetite for M&A as itreported forecast-beating half-year profit. Thebotched takeover will cost 377 million pounds($591.4 million), down from an initial estimate of450 million pounds, thanks to reduced feepayments to its advisors and lower foreignexchange hedging costs, Prudential said yesterday.Presenting its first set of results since the

collapse of the AIA deal in May, Prudential-Britain’s biggest insurer- also ruled out reviving itsbid for Hong Kong-based AIA, and said it had noplans for any other big takeovers. “We are focusedon an organic growth strategy. Large inorganictransactions are not on the agenda,” PrudentialChief Executive Tidjane Thiam told reporters on aconference call, adding that the company had“ruled out” another approach for AIA.Prudential was forced to pull its $35.5 billion bid

for AIA, aimed at giving the British insurer acommanding presence in fast-growing Asia, afterits shareholders balked at the price tag and AIGrejected a lower offer. Thiam said shareholderpressure for his resignation and that of Prudentialchairman Harvey McGrath in the wake of thebungled deal had largely subsided. “There’s alwaysa range of views, it’s a diverse community. Butoverall I believe we have the support of the body ofour shareholders and we can only operate on thatbasis,” he said. Prudential also said it had an IFRS operating

profit of 968 million pounds for the first six monthsof 2010, up from 688 million a year earlier, and aheadof the 724 million pounds forecast by analysts,according to the company’s calculation of consensusexpectations. Shares in the insurer were unchangedat 562.5 pence by 0830 GMT, outperforming boththe FTSE 100 and the European insurance stocksindex, which were respectively 0.1 percent and 0.7percent lower. —Reuters

LONDON: The dollar wallowed close to a 15-yearlow point against the yen. A worldwide sell-offerupted on Wednesday after the US Federal Reserveand the Bank of England cut their outlooks thisweek, while investors also shunned risk on signs ofslowing industrial growth and rising inflation inChina.A sharp widening of the US trade deficit added to

the gloom, triggering fears of a double-dip recession.“The global markets have taken a turn for the worseon the back of an intense escalation in risk aversion,”said Joel Kruger, currency strategist at foreignexchange site Daily FX. “Fears over the implicationsof a downbeat Federal reserve, and signs of adramatic slowing in the Chinese economy, weighheavily on investor sentiment. “UK markets havesuffered tremendously as a result, and we believethat the risks from here are for continued downsidepressure in the local markets as broader global macrouncertainty takes hold.”The International Energy Agency, which has rare

insights into oil market data revealing hidden forcesat work in the economy, warned on Wednesday thatsignificant risks to economic recovery could bedetected. The dollar clawed its way back above 85yen yesterday, after striking a 15-year low at 84.73

yen on Wednesday as market players sought a safe-haven amid renewed jitters over the health of theglobal economy.In early morning European deals yesterday,

Frankfurt shares shed 0.31 percent, London lost 0.37percent and Paris also retreated by 0.37 percent invalue. Fresh doubts over the strength of the globaleconomic recovery also sent a chill through Asianmarkets, after Wall Street slumped 2.5 percentovernight. Shanghai dropped 0.57 percent, Sydneysank 1.23 percent and Tokyo fell 0.86 percent,recouping some earlier hefty losses.Interest rates on European sovereign bond

markets firmed slightly after yields on thebenchmark German and French debt bonds fell tohistoric low points late on Wednesday on a risk-aversion rush into safe assets. When demand pushesup the price of government bonds, the fixed interestcarried by the bonds automatically falls as apercentage of the new price. The rate on German 10-year bonds edged up to 2.442 percent from 2.427percent and the French yield to 2.733 percent from2.715 percent.The dollar rebounded somewhat after a “verbal

intervention” from Japanese leaders, who voicedconcerns over the yen’s strength, dealers said. Prime

Minister Naoto Kan said yesterday that the yen’s risewas “rapid” and agreed with his right-hand man andChief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku to followthe situation, Japanese reports said. Investors wereclosely watching whether Japanese authorities willact for the first time since 2004 to stem the yen’sstrength. The euro fetched 1.2923 dollars, up from1.2868 in New York late on Wednesday, when thesingle currency had tumbled below the sensitive1.30-dollar level. Wall Street had nosedived onWednesday as data showing the US trade gap hadwidened sharply in June-to the highest level in 20months on the back of rising imports-rekindled fearsof a second-dip recession. The markets’ grimassessment was also colored by the downbeat viewtaken by the Fed on Tuesday, which warned thatrecovery in the world’s largest economy was slowingand opted for further stimulus measures. The DowJones Industrial Average tumbled 2.49 percent to endat 10,378.83 points on Wednesday, posting its theworst percentage drop in nearly a month.“Overnight, US stocks were pummeled, albeit it onrelatively low volume, as concerns about theeconomic health of the global economy continued toweigh on investor sentiment,” said IG Index analystCameron Peacock. —AFP

World stocks hit by fearsof economic slowdown

NEW YORK: Specialist John Urbanowicz rubs his eyes as he workson the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York. Stocksand interest rates tumbled as investors around the world took ableaker view of the US economy. — AP

Prudential trims cost

of botched AIA deal

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 19BUSINESS

Debt woes sap Europe’s big-dream investmentsPARIS: A rebuilt Prussian palace inBerlin. High-speed rail from Lisbonto Kiev. A new visitor center forBritain’s Stonehenge. They’re justsome of the big-ticket Europeanprojects put on hold by thecontinent’s government debt crisis.Deep in debt after decades ofborrowing too much and still runningbig deficits from the recession,European countries are scaling backsome of expensive building and high-speed transport projects that overthe decades have given life on thecontinent much of its glitter andconvenience. In particular, the dream of a

connected high-speed rail networkacross Europe looks increasinglydistant. Rail visionaries haveenvisioned a vast, unified networkbased on north-south and east-westaxes, linking such cities as Lisbon toKiev and London to Budapest, andexpanding the extensive French andGerman rail systems to embracemore of the continent. But Portugal

is freezing construction of its strandneeded to tie it together, whileHungary is slashing train routes, notlaying new ones. The maker ofFrance’s sleek, high-speed TGVtrains, Alstom, is in the meantimeracking up contracts in China, thePersian Gulf, and the United States -not Europe.Home to many of the world’s

richest economies and some of theworld’s most visited tourist sites,Europe is far from collapse. But withGreece taking a trip to the verge ofbankruptcy earlier this summer, andother governments running bigdeficits because of the financial andeconomic turmoil of the past threeyears, officials are looking for placesto cut back. And putting off the costlyroad, rail and construction projects isproving easier to get past voters thanjob cuts, pay cuts or tax hikes.Some economists warn that

European governments ignore theirenviable infrastructure at their peril,and urge them to join forces and

invest long-term or risk erosion ofEurope’s global stature - and therailways, historic buildings andrestored city centers that make itsuch a lovely place to visit and live.“Our trains used to be the mostadmired in the world. Our roads, oursystem, was among the mostadvanced,” said Olivier Deleu, whoadvises French legislators ontransport policy. “Today, there is littlemotivation to invest in this. After years of budgetary policy

that is questionable, we have reacheda turning point.” In Berlin, thegovernment has suspended plans torebuild a high-profile Prussian-erapalace in the heart of the capital. TheBaroque Stadtschloss palace wasdamaged in World War II and razedby East German Communists tomake way for their parliamentarybuilding, which in turn was torndown due to asbestos. The rebuildingis a project rich in symbolism ofreconciliation and renewal. But itwill cost §552 million, including §440

million from the federal budget. Thestart of construction is delayed from2012 until 2014.In Britain, one of the first things

the new Conservative governmentdid was ax or suspend 24 projectsworth a total of 10 billion pounds($15 billion) agreed in the finalmonths of Gordon Brown’sadministration. Plans halted includea proposed 25 million pound ($38million) visitor center for thefamous prehistoric monumentStonehenge, in southern England,where last month thousandsgathered to mark the summersolstice in a treasured annual ritual.In Ireland, three emergency

budgets in two years have cutinfrastructure spending 35 percentannually to 5.5 billion euros in 2010.That’s meant slowdowns onIreland’s entire program for buildingroads, schools and publictransportation. The biggest casualtyhas been plans to build a subwaylink between central Dublin and the

city’s lone airport. The privatesector, too, is losing the drive toinvest in brick and steel. Plans forwhat would have been Ireland’stallest building - with new recordingstudios for supergroup U2 on top -were scrapped in 2008 because ofslumping property market.Since World War II, generations

of European policymakers have builtup deficits by spending billions oninfrastructure and generous socialwelfare systems. They mortgagedthe future, gambling that growthwould keep pace with, or outpace,the debt. It hasn’t, and Europe’snext generation is facing astaggering bill unless governmentscut spending somewhere soon.“The debt crisis didn’t provokethese problems, but it is makingthem more difficult,” FrancoisRachline, director of the InstitutMontaigne, said in an interview.Infrastructure, while it doesn’tsound alluring, is crucial to anyeconomy. —AP

Sri Lanka pins hopes on China-funded port

Deal fuels Indian concernsHAMBANTOTA: Sri Lanka ispreparing to open the first phaseof a China-funded, 1.5-billion-dollar port project that hasfuelled Indian concerns overstrategic Chinese investment inSouth Asia. Sitting along theancient “Silk Road” tradingroute and one of the world’sbusiest shipping lanes, theHambantota port is intended tobe the engine that will drive SriLanka’s economic recoveryafter decades of ethnic conflict.Partly funded by a soft

Chinese loan of 300 milliondollars, the first phase of thedeep-sea port is scheduled toopen in November. Thegovernment hopes that by thetime the second phase iscompleted in 2014, the port on

the island’s southern tip willhave become a magnet forforeign investment intransshipment and spin-offbusiness opportunities.Sri Lanka Ports Authority

chairman Priyath Wickrama saidHambantota would initially aimto service around 2,500 of the70,000 cargo ships that ply theEast-West sea lane every year.“In about 10 years, with thesecond phase coming on stream,we aim to handle about 8,000ships a year,” he said. SriLanka’s neighbor and biggesttrading partner, India, isbelieved to be concerned thatHambantota is part of a Chinesepolicy to throw a “string ofpearls” geographical circle ofinfluence around India. China is

also developing port facilities inBangladesh, Myanmar andPakistan, and has plans for railprojects in Nepal.“Indian threat perceptions

have grown as China hasbecome more active in SouthAsia,” said Eurasia Group’s Asiaanalyst, Maria Kuusisto. “NewDelhi sees this Chinesemaneuvering as an incursioninto its historic sphere ofinfluence, and is consequentlytrying to outbid the Chinese forstrategically importantinfrastructure projects,” shesaid. Last year, China overtookJapan as Sri Lanka’s biggestlender, providing 1.2 billiondollars in loans. And China hasemerged as the partner ofchoice for big projects in

Hambantota, including a newairport, railway, roads and aconference hall. “The berths for cargo and oil

are coming up nicely and theport will handle its first shipmid-November,” Wickrama saidduring an inspection tour of theport, some 240 kilometerssouth of the capital Colombo.Colombo is currently SriLanka’s main port, handingmore than 6,000 ships a year.Some 30 investors from China,Singapore, India, the MiddleEast and major shipping lineshave already sent in investmentproposals for Hambantota thatrange from ship building,cement grinding and fertilizerbagging to warehousing andvehicle transshipment. —AFP

AHANGAMA: Sri Lankan stick fishermen attempt to catch fish in the late afternoon at AhangamaBay, 25 kilometers south of Galle, Sri lanka. —AP

Qantas ‘optimistic’ despite profits dipSYDNEY: Australia’s Qantas Airways yesterdayannounced a 4.3 percent drop in full-year net profits butvoiced cautious optimism for the industry after itsbattering in the financial crisis. Net profits were 112million dollars (101 million US), down from 117 million ayear earlier, while underlying pre-tax profits rose three-fold to 377 million after last year’s massive cost-cutting.“While global trading conditions remained challenging,they continued to improve, and the Qantas Group hasdelivered a strong result, more than tripling its full yearprofit year-on-year,” Chief Executive Alan Joyce said.“International demand and yield across the business

and leisure sectors continue to improve and domesticbusiness demand is also strengthening,” he added. Joycesaid all sectors of the group, including budget offshootJetstar, were profitable, and that the company expects toincrease capacity in the first half of next year. But Qantasdid not pay a dividend to shareholders for the secondyear running, and declined to forecast future profits“given the volatility and uncertainty of the aviationmarket”.Joyce said the company, which pledged to

dramatically slash costs as profits dived 88 percent lastyear, was seeing “encouraging signs” as freight andpremium travel improve. “We are seeing some verygood signs of improvement. Our freight business hasseen a real improvement and our premium business hasseen a recovery,” he told public broadcaster ABC.“We’ve seen some very encouraging signs. We’restarting to become more optimistic about the future,”Joyce added. The Qantas group controls about two-thirdsof the domestic market and some 30 percent ofinternational passenger movements in Australia.Analysts said the result was largely as expected,

although Qantas’s share price dropped 1.99 percent to2.46 dollars in the wake of the announcement. “Thiswas driven by a stronger contribution from Jetstarbusiness, while Qantas mainline and Qantas Holidayswere slightly weaker than we expected,” a GoldmanSachs analyst told Dow Jones Newswires. Qantas lastyear vowed to trim about one billion dollars in spendingand later axed first class from all but a handful of routesas it sought to recover from the global crisis, which hitfreight and business and holiday travel.Joyce said a “high level of uncertainty” remained but

conditions had vastly improved since the slowdown,despite renewed jitters over growth in Europe, Chinaand the United States. “There is still a high level ofuncertainty ... but we’ve seen a big improvement fromthe depths of the GFC (global financial crisis),” Joycesaid. “We’ve seen the freight market rebound, ourfreighters have had a record year which is a good signof business activity, and our premium traffic isrebounding.” Revenue fell 5.4 percent to 13.8 billiondollars while Qantas retains a cash balance of 3.7billion. —AFP

BEIJING: China’s plans to launch aseries of pilot carbon trading projectsstarting next year underscores itsneed to curb its soaring greenhousegas emissions-now believed to be theworld’s largest. With power capacityset to double again in the next decadeto 1,600 gigawatts, far more than theUnited States, billions of dollars ofinvestment in cleaner technologieswill be needed, and a carbon pricewould help increase energy efficiencywithout jeopardizing breakneckeconomic growth. It could also be aboon to some domestic environmentalexchanges if a compulsory nationaltrading scheme is launched.But experts say China, the world’s

second-largest energy consumer,won’t be rushing to launch a nationalemissions trading scheme or tocommit to absolute emissionsreduction targets. “The big picture willbe worked out before March, but Ibelieve there are going to be certaincomponents that need more time to beworked out-the details on how toimplement it will take some time,” saidChanghua Wu, China director at theLondon-based Climate Group.In the short term, China will want

to protect its position in a UN-backedglobal carbon trading scheme that hasearned it billions of dollars from richnations in exchange for carbon offsets,

known as certified emissionreductions (CERs). Beijing will also becautious given that global climate talkson a “scaled-up” version of the CleanDevelopment Mechanism (CDM),capable of delivering even moreinvestment, have largely stalled.

EXPERT PANELA researcher at the National

Development and Reform Commissiontold Reuters that an expert panel hasbeen working for more than a year onpilot carbon trading schemes in high-emission provinces or sectors-butdramatic gestures are unlikely.“Nothing is decided yet and China isstill looking to see what happens to theCDM and the global climate talks,”said the researcher, who did not wantto give his name because he was notauthorized to speak to the media.The NDRC confirmed on Tuesday

this week it was looking into thepossibility of using “marketmechanisms” in a number of pilot low-carbon cities and regions. A broadcommitment to carbon trading will beincluded in China’s 2011-2015 five-year plan, to be ratified by parliamentin March 2011, but the full details areunlikely to emerge immediately, saidWu of The Climate Group, who has

been involved in the consultations.The cornerstone of any Chinese

carbon market will be the country’spledge, made last year, to reduce its2005 carbon intensity rate-the amountof CO2 produced per unit of GDP- by40-45 percent before the end of 2020.The China Daily newspaper said inJuly that officials had “reached aconsensus” that CO2 trading would bea necessary component. ZhongXiangZhang, a carbon expert at the EastWest Center in Hawaii, said China’sintensity targets would eventually be“converted to absolute emission capsat company levels” and that this wouldform the basis for a domestic tradingplatform.

PROTECTING THE CDMThe CDM, part of the United

Nations’ Kyoto Protocol, grants CERsto industrialized nations when theyinvest in clean-energy projects in thedeveloping world. Those CERs aretraded or used to comply with Kyototargets. While it remains unclear whatthe CDM will look like after 2012when the Kyoto Protocol’s first phaseexpires, its future direction is expectedto shape China’s own carbon marketplans.China has supported calls for a

“scaling-up” of the old project-basedCDM but it has also expressedopposition to reforms proposed byEurope that would commit entiresectors, rather than single projects, toreducing CO2. While domesticsectoral targets are on its agenda,Beijing has complained thatintroducing such methods to the post-Kyoto CDM amounts to a “mandatory”cut and thus violates the Kyotoprinciple of “common butdifferentiated responsibilities”. Thissays rich nations should bear most ofthe burden of cutting CO2.China’s concerns are practical as

well as ideological. If a company alreadyhas to meet CO2 targets at home, itmight find itself in violation of a keyconcept known as “additionality”: if itscarbon reduction plans would havegone ahead anyway, it is not entitled to“additional” CDM revenue throughissuing of CERs. Zhang of the East-West Center said China will make surethat any local market it sets up willremain strictly domestic andunconnected from the CDM or any ofits potential replacements. If the EUgets its way on CDM reform, it couldcomplicate China’s plans to capsectoral emissions or force a level ofmarket integration that it is notprepared to accept, Zhang said.

A FEW PIONEERSWhatever happens to the CDM,

China’s 20 or so environmentalexchanges are hoping governmentcommitments to reduce CO2 willboost their own voluntary tradingschemes and eventually put them atthe centre of a single global market. Sofar, Chinese voluntary emissionstrading has remained negligible, withno compelling reasons to participate.“I think they have explored all optionsand tried their best but the regulatorysystem is the major problem-youcannot rely on a few pioneers,” saidAllan Zhang, director of sustainablebusiness solutions atPriceWaterhouseCoopers in Beijing.A compulsory, not piecemeal,

scheme was also crucial. The ChinaBeijing Environmental Exchange(CBEEX) could benefit most if firmswere forced to buy CO2 credits. Itsgeneral manager, Mei Dewen, said itwas now a matter of preparation.Mandatory “cap and trade” schemesmight still be some way away, but theissue of pre-compliance-buying carboncredits now in order to meet bindingtargets imposed in the future- couldstill drive domestic buyers, he said.“Cap and trade is the Ferrari,” Mei saidin June. “We are now just driving atractor, but things could change- if youcan’t drive the tractor then you won’tbe able to drive the Ferrari.” —Reuters

Friday, August 13, 2010Page 20 BUSINESS

Credit Suisse sees ‘strange shift’ Vedanta eyeing CairnLONDON: India-focused minerVedanta is in talks to buy assets ora stake in British oil and gascompany Cairn Energy, Bloombergreported. Both companies declinedto comment. Some analystsquestioned the rationale andaffordability of such a deal. “A moveinto oil would be a very strangeshift away from Vedanta’s corebusiness of developing mines andsmelters,” analysts at Credit Suissewrote. “We therefore struggle tosee any strategic fit or synergies.” BHP Billiton is the only large

miner to have a significant interest

in oil. Other analysts said thediversified nature of Vedanta, whichhas iron ore, zinc and copper mines,meant people should not rule outthe possibility it will add oil and gasto its commodity basket. Talks areat an advanced stage and a deal maybe announced later this month,Bloomberg reported, citing peoplewith knowledge of the matter.The companies, which each

have a market value of about $10billion and are members of Britain’sblue-chip FTSE 100 index havediscussed options ranging frombuying an equity stake or assets to

a complete takeover, according toone person cited. Shares in Cairninitially jumped as much as 4.3percent on the news beforebacktracking to trade 0.7 percenthigher at 447.9 pence by 1041GMT. Shares in Vedanta were down3.2 percent at 2,281 pence asanalysts questioned its ability toafford another big acquisition.“Funding would be a big issue,”

Credit Suisse, which is alreadypredicting capital expenditure forVedanta of $10 billion over the nextthree years, said. “We thereforesee limited room for additional

debt funding.” Richard Rose,analyst at Oriel Securities, alsosaid an outright bid would besurprising given the premiumalready priced into Cairn sharesthat have risen 35 percent his year,reflecting the potential value ofprospects in Greenland. Thecompany is currently drilling in theBaffin Sea between Greenland andCanada and has said that itsprospects there could contain 4billion barrels of oil.“More likely would be a

potential bid for Cairn Indiathrough the acquisition of Cairn

Energy’s 62 percent stake in thecompany or the acquisition of up to12 percent of Cairn India which webelieve Cairn Energy would behappy to sell down,” Rose said. Thelatter option would allow Cairn toretain a controlling interest inCairn India whilst raising about 1billion pounds for furtherexploration opportunities, headded. Rose said key risks in anydeal would likely include concernsover any cash requirement givenwhat he described as Vedanta’s“relatively stretched” balancesheet. —Reuters

BEIJING: A fruits seller (left in the background) plays chess game with a resident next tohis tricycle cart loaded with various fruits in Beijing. China’s inflation spiked up in Julyamid heavy flooding that disrupted food supplies, adding to pressure on the governmentto control rising living costs as rapid economic growth slows. —AP

CDM priority for now

Orascomswings to unexpectednet loss Djezzy revenue down

CAIRO: Egypt’s OrascomTelecom swung to an unexpectednet loss of $41.4 million in thesecond quarter of 2010, withrevenues from its Algerian unitdown from a year ago. The Cairo-based international mobilenetwork operator said yesterdayits earnings before interest,taxation, depreciation andamortisation (EBITDA) was$441.3 million, and its revenuewas $1.06 billion in the secondquarter.The results were issued after

Russian newspaper Kommersantreported telecoms groupVimpelcom Ltd might buy Italy’sNo 3 mobile operator Wind and51 percent of Egypt’s OrascomTelecom from tycoon NaguibSawiris. A poll of eight analystshad predicted, on average, thatOrascom would make a profit of$70.2 million in the quarter. Thecompany previously reported anet profit of $111.8 million in thesecond quarter of 2009.Revenues from Orascom’sAlgerian unit Djezzy were $436.5million in the second quarter of2010, down from a previouslystated $478.9 million in the samequarter a year earlier, but upalmost 6 percent from the firstquarter.Performance at Djezzy, its

main revenue earner, had beenexpected to suffer undertightening regulatory pressurefrom the Algerian government,which also hit the company witha $597 million back-tax bill lastyear. Stung by that bill and otherhurdles, Orascom tried to sell theunit to South Africa’s MTN thisyear, but Algeria blocked thedeal, citing a law it said gave itthe right to buy the unit beforeany foreign bidder. Orascom,which has a presence incountries from Pakistan toCanada, had previously reporteda $49 million profit in the firstquarter of 2010 and a net loss of$46.4 million in the last quarterof 2009. —Reuters

China targets local carbon trade

Friday, August 13, 2010 BUSINESS Page 21

J C Penney shoppers at Patrick Henry Mall in Newport News, Virginia, make returns and exchanges. — MCT

As they embarked on the annual quest for pensand folders and gym shorts, some shoppersreceived a nice surprise. Illinois’ first-ever

sales tax holiday began on Friday and continuesuntil Sunday. The holiday’s proponents wanted toease the financial burdens of back-to-schoolshopping, so items such as clothes and schoolsupplies are eligible. While most local retailers saidthey saw an increase in sales, many also said theyencountered customers who did not know theywould be receiving the break.“A lot of people actually didn’t know about the

holiday,” said Jill Woosley, manager of J C Penney inHickory Point Mall in Forsyth. “Last week, it wason the news some, and I know I saw it. I don’t knowif customers just haven’t been watching the news.”Part of the reason for the confusion might be the

holiday’s recent enactment. Gov. Pat Quinn signedthe measure into law in July, amid concern fromcritics that the state’s $13 billion budget hole madethis a bad year for such exemptions.Eligible clothing must cost less than $100 per

item for customers to receive the discount; in otherwords, a $120 pair of shoes would not be eligible.However, customers still receive the reduced rate ifthey buy multiple qualifying items that add up tomore than $100, as long as the individual prices donot exceed the limit.Craig Coughlin, team leader at the Target store

in Decatur, said some customers were confusedabout how much their tax rates should be reduced.During the 10-day holiday, people who buy eligibleitems do not have to pay the 5 percent sales tax thatgoes to the state. However, they must still pay theportion of the sales tax that goes to localgovernments.“A lot of the communication, especially out of the

media, has been that it’s a tax-free holiday, when it’snot,” Coughlin said. “It’s a tax-discounted holiday.”Willieann Stokes did not know about the sales

tax holiday in Illinois, but that is understandable:She is from Clarksdale, Miss.Stokes, in town for a family reunion, was

delighted to learn she had received the discountwhile shopping at Wal-Mart at 4265 E. Maryland St.She said she usually takes advantage of the taxholiday in Mississippi and would definitely consider

doing more shopping in Illinois during her visit.Stokes said she believes such measures help the

public and boost the economy.“Any time there’s a sale anywhere and you get

something off, people are always running,” she said.Paul Nisevich, co-manager at the Wal-Mart whereStokes was shopping, said the store had

experienced a definite rise in sales by Saturday. Infact, he said he was surprised by a line of customerswaiting at midnight Friday, when the tax holidaybegan.“We kind of knew it was coming,” said Nisevich,

as a stream of Saturday morning shoppers rolledtheir carts steadily past. “We didn’t expect that.”Woosley, of J C Penney, said she was surprised

so many people were out shopping because DecaturCelebration continued all weekend. She expectedmore customers during the upcoming weekend, andthe store has extended its hours to accommodateshoppers who want extra time to enjoy thediscount.Terry Hotwick, store manager of Kmart in

Decatur, said he also prepared for the tax holiday byscheduling more employees to cover the weekendshifts. While the store’s corporate office handledreprogramming the cash registers, it still takeslonger to ring up customers, meaning additionalstaff members are needed. Hotwick also said manycustomers in the early days of the tax holiday wereunaware it was happening.“How much real advertising have you seen for

it?” he said. But Bonnie Hubbard of Decatur knewabout the holiday and filled her cart with schoolsupplies for her 14-year-old daughter. Hubbard saidshe saved about $20 and only bought what could notbe recycled from last year.“We reuse anything that was in good condition

from the year before, always,” she said. Though shesaid she is a conservative shopper and did notspend any more than she normally would have,Hubbard appreciated the opportunity to save.“Everything helps,” she said. “With the economylike it is, every penny helps.”The sales tax holiday does not apply only to large

department stores. Every retailer in the state isrequired to apply the discount to qualifying items,meaning smaller local businesses offer the samebreaks. Even the Decatur Park District got in onthe action. Rodney Buhr, the park district’s chieffinancial officer, said stores at the three golf coursesand at Scovill Zoo had to configure their cashregisters to apply the discount. The stores containclothing, shoes, backpacks and pencils, which areall qualifying items, Buhr said. — MCT

Shoppers embrace state tax holiday

Shoppers Fernando Cervantes (fromleft) Jose L Ortiz, and Jose Ortiz leave aBest Buy store in Hurst, Texas, loadedwith electronics to send back home tofamily in Mexico. —MCT

Friday, August 13, 2010CAREERsPage 22

By Dawn RosenbergMcKay

Before you begin your jobsearch campaign you musthave a personal marketing

strategy. A personal marketingstrategy provides you with a gameplan for your job search campaign.You should look at the job search asa marketing campaign, with you,the job seeker, as the product.Every product, even the best ones,won’t succeed without a strongmarketing strategy. This beginswith a comprehensive, yet flexibleplan. First you must know to whomyou are marketing. You mustidentify the types of employerswho would be looking for anemployee with your qualifications.Are they all within a certainindustry? Are there manyindustries that hire employees withyour background?

Locating job leadsNext, you must decide what

sources you will use to locatepotential employers. Everyoneyou speak to will have a differentopinion on this. Some people feelthat classified ads are a waste oftime and that networking is theonly way to go. Others believethat executive recruiters will getthem the job they want. To use anold cliche, you should leave nostone unturned. Use all methodsof tracking down potentialemployers.

Contacting prospectiveemployers

You will then need to decidehow you will contact your jobleads. Generally a resume,accompanied by a cover letter, isthe way to go, especially if youare responding to an ad. If you areworking with an executiverecruiter, he or she will set up themeeting between you and theemployer. If you find out about ajob lead through a friend or othercontact, you must decide whetherto telephone the person who ishiring, or whether you shouldsend a resume and cover letter,generally via email. Often yourcontact can advise you.Remember, if you want to useemail, send an introductorymessage first and ask if it is okayto send your resume as anattachment. Most people won’topen an unexpected attachment.

Getting organizedA very important aspect of the

job search is organization. If youdon’t keep yourself organized youwill misplace important namesand telephone numbers. Whenyou later need this information tofollow up on resumes andinterviews you will have to spendyour valuable time searching forit. The Minnesota Department ofEconomic Security has placed onit’s Web site an array ofworksheets to help you keep yourjob search organized. Once you’veestablished a strategy for your jobsearch campaign, you can begin tomove forward. Your next step is toput together a great resume, andto start preparing for your jobinterviews. — www.careerplanning.about.com

By Alison Doyle

Sometimes, it happens by choice. Sometimes,you don’t have an option. In either case, it’simportant to be prepared to change jobs -

because you never know when it might happento you. It’s happened to me both ways. I’ve beenlaid-off and out-of-work at the end of a businessday and had to turn in my company car the nextmorning. That was a tough one! I’ve alsoresigned and managed to stay on excellent termswith my previous employers. In the latter cases,it’s been because I’ve always given plenty ofnotice, offered to help find and train areplacement, and offered to be available forquestions in the future.

Take care of the basics Whether you’re about to hand in your

resignation or you’ve just received a pink slip,it’s important to prepare to leave and to prepareto conduct a job search. Take care of the basicsfirst and check on eligibility for continuation ofhealth and life insurance benefits, accruedvacation pay, unused sick pay, and otherpayments terminated employees may be entitledto. Keep in mind, that there may be a lagbetween when your current health insurance

coverage ends and a new policy starts. You maybe able to file over the phone or online.

When your work situation is unstable andyou’re not sure if you’ll still have a jobtomorrow, get ready to start, or even get going,on a job search now. Remember, you don’t havean obligation to accept a new position if you getan offer. Plus, it never hurts to see what’savailable and, you never know, you just mightget an offer you can’t refuse!

How to prepare for a job searchIt’s important to have a well-written resume

and compelling cover letters. Simply, resumeshelp get us interviews. A cover letter is oftenyour earliest written contact with a potentialemployer, creating a critical first impression.

References Plan ahead and compile a list of references

and some letters of recommendations, so you’reprepared when a prospective employer requeststhem. Get contact information for your co-workers, vendors, customers, etc so you’ll haveit for future networking purposes.

Contact information Use non-work contact information for all your

job search communications. That way, if youraccess is cut-off at work, you’ll still be reachable.Phone - have a home phone or a cell phone withvoice mail so potential employers can reach you;Email - use a personal email account, not yourwork account.

Reason for leaving If you’ve quit, or are planning on quitting, be

prepared with an answer for interviewers whoare going to want to know why you resigned.

Worried about getting caught? Apply confidentially for jobs online. There are

job sites that let you apply anonymously, pluswill protect your identity from certain employersand recruiters.

Don’t leave anything behind Clean-up your computer - delete personal

files and email and bring home your personalbelongings. Finally, if you are resigning, alwaysleave on the best terms you possibly can anddon’t burn any bridges. Let the company knowin advance that you’re leaving, let them knowwhy (as diplomatically as possible) and thankthem for having had the opportunity to workthere.

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 23technology

Do you wish you could do withoutantivirus software? There are certainlyplenty of good reasons not to like it. After

all, antivirus programs invariably slow downyour computer, annoy you with false positives orstatus pop-ups, and of course most of them costmoney - often on a recurring, yearly basis. Butcan you just say no to antivirus software and stillstay safe? The short answer is "yes" - if youadopt some security-savvy computing practices.

Know thyselfIf you only use commercial software and

never install programs you've downloaded fromthe internet or copied from a friend, then yourmain sources of concern for contracting acomputer virus will come from web sites and e-mail. Common sense - and following theguidelines below - will protect you the rest of theway. On the other hand, if you're addicted to freedownloads, shareware, and "warez" sites thatpurport to offer commercial software at no cost,then you have no viable option. You must installantivirus software - and perhaps even use acouple of programs - to make sure you don't fallvictim to malicious software or phishing attacks.

Most people, however, run just the fewprograms that came with their PCs and don'tventure into dangerous territory on the web. Forthem, the guidelines below will provide adequateprotection.

Web sitesToday's browsers have a lot of security

controls built in, and these tend to do a fine jobof preventing phishing attacks or the automaticdownloading of potentially malicious software.Antivirus tools add little to their already robustprotections.

So if you want to be free of antivirussoftware, be sure to use to latest versions ofInternet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, or Chrome,and keep those browsers up to date through youroperating system's automatic update feature.Also, do not disable or alter the default securitysettings of the major browsers unless you knowwhat you're doing.

If you attempt to access a web site that'sknown to be harmful, most modern webbrowsers will warn you before the site isdisplayed on your screen. If you'd like to feeleven more secure when you're surfing, considerinstalling the free McAfee SiteAdvisor tool(http://www.siteadvisor.com), which adds smallsite rating icons to your search results and a newbrowser button and optional search box to yourbrowser. These controls together do a good jobof alerting you to a potentially dangerous sitebefore you reach it.

Clean e-mailMost of the generalized warnings you hear

about virus-carrying e-mail messages are

misleading. You can't get a computer virusmerely by receiving an e-mail message. Youwould have to click on a link within the messagethat downloads a harmful file onto your PC, oryou would have to open or run a malicious fileattached to a message.

So don't do either one of those things if youreceive an e-mail message from someone youdon't know. Combine that common senseapproach with the latest patches or updates foryour e-mail program of choice, and you shouldhave no use for additional protection offered by abloated security package.

You can add yet another level of security byconfiguring your e-mail program so that itdisplays incoming messages as plain text. Doingso will turn off the display of graphics, which,when clicked, may unleash a virus-carrying file.If you use a traditional e-mail client such asOutlook or Outlook Express, add a good spam-blocking like Cloudmark Desktop(http://bit.ly/7zrVeU) to your toolkit, andchances are very good that any potentiallydangerous messages will get routedautomatically to your Spam folder, where youwill never see it.

Periodic scansJust because you decide to run your PC

without antivirus software doesn't mean youshouldn't check for viruses occasionally. You can

do so, however, without installing anything if youstop in occasionally at one of the free onlinevirus scanners. Among them are Eset OnlineScanner (http://www.eset.com/online-scanner),Avast Online Scanner(http://onlinescan.avast.com), and TrendMicroOnline Scanner(http://housecall.trendmicro.com). All of theseallow you to initiate a system scan withoutinstalling a permanent antivirus package.

Giving inIf you don't like the idea of initiating a virus

scan from a web sit or you just don't feelcomfortable going without antivirus software,you can keep system slowdowns to a minimumand annoyance at bay by opting for one of thesecurity applications that are known to beeffective at detecting threats, relatively easy onsystem resources, and reasonably priced. Titlesthat meet all of those criteria include Microsoft'sSecurity Essentials(http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials)- which is free - PCTools' Spyware Doctor withAntivirus =(http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor), and Norton Antivirus 2010(http://www.symantec.com). Each of these willprovide the background scanning and on-demandprotection that you might need, and each can beconfigured not to bug you unless absolutelynecessary. — dpa

Antivirus software: Do you really need it?

Friday, August 13, 2010Page 24 BEAUTY

All types of surgery require a certainlevel of responsibility by the patient.This is especially true for the different

types of lip augmentation, each requiring alot of responsibility. If you think you’re readythen it’s time to choose the type of lipaugmentation. There are different types of lipaugmentation procedures and they can beadministered by injection or by implant.

Here are the most popular injections andimplants to give you an overview of thedifferent types of lip augmentation. Onceyou’ve researched the different types of lipaugmentation that might suit you, anexperienced, board-certified plastic surgeoncan help you decide which option best suitsyour needs.

For an injected lip augmentation, yoursurgeon will most likely use topicalanesthesia directly to the lip area. This typeof lip augmentation can be performed on anoutpatient basis in the doctor’s office or anoutpatient center, where you will be senthome the same day.

A synthetic material called Artecoll is onetype of lip augmentation that is injected intothe lips to achieve a plump look. However,because it’s synthetic, you are at higher riskof having an allergic reaction to it than withan injection of collagen or fat, but Artecoll’sresults last longer than those treatments.

Another type of injection is Autologen,which is made up of your own collagen.Autologen is extracted from another place onyour body and injected into your lips. Theresults are only temporary, however, there’sno risk of allergic reaction. If you’re notready to commit to the permanent results,this might be the method for you.

Collagen extracted from cows can also beinjected into the lips. Unlike human collagen,cow collagen presents a risk of allergicreaction, and its best to have your surgeongive you a test dose before proceeding withthe full procedure. Results can usually lastanywhere from four weeks to three months.

Dermalogen is another type of collagen,also called injectable Human Tissue Matrix.It’s extracted from deceased human donorsand is also a temporary fix, but your bodyshould not reject it like cow collagen.

Fascia injections use a specific type ofconnective tissue harvested either from yourown body or from a deceased human donor. It

can be injected or implanted, but within ayear your body will reabsorb the fascia.HylaForm is a material created from naturalbody substances, but you will need repeatedtreatments to maintain the results.

Restylane is a clear gel that containshyaluronic acid, a substance, which occursnaturally in humans. There is only a slightchance for an allergic reaction and it’sbiodegradable, so your body will absorb itwithin about six months of the injection.

Types of lip augmentationFat from your own thighs or abdomen can

be injected into your lips as well, with no risk

of allergic reaction and permanent results.This fat can also be implanted surgically.

Different types of lip augmentation alsoinclude implants and surgeries. You will mostlikely receive local anesthesia for this type oflip augmentation as well. Certain procedurescan take up to two hours at a doctor’s officeor outpatient center, depending on thecomplexity, and you will be sent home thesame day.

Fat grafting is the surgical method ofinserting fat extracted from your body, andinto your lips to achieve the desired fullness.Permanent results may be achieved, but thisresult will vary from person to person. Thereis a chance that your body can reabsorb itbecause it is your own fat.

Alloderm is a sheet of collagen createdfrom post-mortem humans. The sheets areinserted through tiny incisions made on theinside part of the lip. The Alloderm type oflip augmentation offers only a temporary fix,with results lasting up to 12 months.

Permanent results can be achievedthrough Gore-Tex and SoftForm types of lipimplants. These are made of syntheticmaterials, so unlike some of the otheroptions, your body will not absorb these.However, because they are synthetic, thereis a risk of allergic reaction.

When deciding what types of lipaugmentation will suit you the best,remember that there is a level ofresponsibility you must accept before andafter surgery. Consult with an experienced,board-certified plastic surgeon to help youdecide which of these techniques suit youthe best, and get ready to pucker up.

If you think you’re

ready then it’s time to

choose the type of lip

augmentation that is

right for you.

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 25BEAUTY

There are ways to keep ourfeet looking soft andsmooth because this is

something many of us may notpay too much attention to but,when the spring and summercomes and sandals are in season,we want to have our feet lookingtheir best, here are some ways tokeep them soft and smooth.

1First if you’ve noticed whenyou walk around barefootduring the summer monthsthat tends to make our feet

ruff and scaly from walkingaround on the floors.

2We must protect our feet tokeep them soft and smoothduring the summer, make

sure you wear some type ofsandals or flip flops, or a houseshoe, because when we walkaround barefoot that will makeour feet rough and scaly becausethey’re unprotected from the hardfloors, many of us are quitecomfortable walking around

b a r e f o o twhen it’shot but,

this isruining

o u rfeet.

3To make your feet soft andsmooth soak them at leastonce per week in warm

soapy water for five or tenminutes, when you’re done drythem and apply moisturizer rightaway, while they are still wet, ourfeet needs to be moisturized just

like the rest of our body and isjust as important becausewhen the weather does getwarm we want to have

beautiful feet as well, andwalking around barefoot all thetime can ruin your feet. You see

many people with rough scaly

feet, their heels are very dry withrough skin and has turned whiteon the bottom, that’s becausethey’re walking barefoot a lot. Soyou want to try to avoid this fromhappening to you.

4After you moisturized thenlet that soak into your skinand dry, then apply some oil

to your feet like baby oil or someVaseline not too much becauseyou don’t want them to be togreasy, then wrap them in a hottowel for about ten minutes, orstick them in a plastic bag, this

will help the oils to absorb intothe skin for that extra protection.Make sure you moisturize yourfeet before they dry this will helpthe moisture to go into the skinwhere it is needed to make theoutside look great as well.

5If you have some scaly skinon your heels gently scrap itoff with a piece of metal like

a slipper spoon that you use toslip your shoes on with, or yournail file will do, don’t scrap toohard because you don’t want toscrap any skin off, just the deadskin, and do this while they’restill wet.

6The key is to keep thosefeet moisturized just likeyour face or the rest of your

body, and try not to walk barefooteveryday if you do, try to do itonly twice per week that way youwon’t do too much damage toyour feet.

7When you’redone witht h e s e

things above goahead andpolish your toenails, because younever know who willsee them if you got sickor was unable to do them fora while you want to keep themlooking as well as yourfingernails, getting a pedicure

won’t hurt because they will alsopamper your feet.

So, go easy on your feet andgive them a break because youwant them to look great in yournew sandals you bought for thesummer. Also you should takecare of them in the winter as wellso, that they will be in good shapefor the spring and summermonths. Try to wear your shoesas much as possible so that youwon’t ruin your feet, I know a lotof people don’t like to wear shoesaround the house but, it’s reallyprotecting your feet if you wearsomething, even if it’s a pair ofsocks, and even if you just gobarefoot part of the day instead ofthe whole day will help keep youfeet soft and smooth. You don’twant to get into bed and haveyour feet stick on the covers orscratch someone because they’reso rough and scaly, with a littlecare you can have soft and

smooth feet allthe time.

Friday, august 13, 2010healthPage 26

Tooth decayTooth decay is one of the

most common diseases in theworld. Despite rates of dentalcaries falling in the last 30 years,it affects almost half of childrenand adolescents and more than55 per cent of adults in the UK.Dental caries is a disease causedby acids - fermented sugars andstarches - breaking down thetooth. It can be very painful andunsightly, and may lead to toothloss if not managed. Thankfullyit's preventable and manageableif detected early.

The white visible section ofthe teeth is called the toothenamel. It's made up of minerals,especially calcium andphosphate. It's constantly beingdissolved (demineralised) andreformed (remineralised)depending on its environment.The bacteria in our mouthsproduce acids when they breakdown carbohydrates. In thepresence of these acids, some ofthe calcium within the enameldissolves and is lost from thetooth surface. This process isknown as demineralisation.

At this stage, surface damageto the tooth can be repaired.Saliva is one of the mouth'snatural defences against thisprocess and protects againstdental caries in several ways:

It helps to remove food fromthe teeth. It contains bicarbonatethat helps neutralise the acidproduction. It delivers mineralssuch as calcium, phosphate andfluoride to the surface of thetooth, enabling remineralisationto take place. Tooth decay occurswhen there's moredemineralisation thanremineralisation. The teeth ofchildren under six years old, and

the elderly are particularlyvulnerable to demineralisation.In children the tooth enamel isstill being developed and isrelatively soft and in the elderly,the tooth enamel is worn.

Dental erosion is theirreversible loss of tooth enameland the dentine layer belowwhich are dissolved away by acidin the diet or other outsidefactors (eg gastric acid fromvomiting). In severe caseserosion can lead to totaldestruction of the tooth. Sugaryor carbonated soft drinks,sweetened yoghurts, pickles andacidic fruits and fruit juices allput the enamel at risk. Erosioncan also be a sign of someonewith an eating disorder includingself-induced vomiting.

Diet and dental health Diet plays a significant role in

both dental caries (cavities ortooth decay) and dental erosion.Good nutrition prevents manydental problems and is importantfrom the outset. From goodnutrition during pregnancy tobreastfeeding in infancy, abalanced diet throughoutchildhood and adulthood is asgood for the teeth as it is forgeneral health.

The modern UK diet containsa mix of sugars and othercarbohydrates that can befermented in the mouth by oralbacteria to produce acid.Research has shown that peoplein countries that eat more sugarhave significantly higher levelsof caries. Studies also show thatwhen people ate less sugar, forexample during World War II,there was also a reduction indental caries.

Both total sugar intake and

the frequency with which it'seaten are factors. Small amountsof sugar consumed frequentlyover a period of time will causemore damage than the samequantity consumed on a singleoccasion. Constant sugarnibbling encourages continuousdemineralisation and the salivadoesn't have time to neutralisethe acids. Sticky or chewy foodsthat remain in the mouth longeralso cause more damage as thebacteria have more time toproduce the acid.

Milk and cheeseCows' milk contains the sugar

lactose - the least cariogenic(decay-causing) sugar. Milk onits own doesn't promote cariesand this has been attributed tothe presence of protectivefactors: calcium, phosphate, andthe milk protein casein.

Cheese protects againstdental caries, partly becauseeating cheese causes more salivato flow and neutralise acids, andpartly because the cheeseincreases calcium concentrationin the plaque stoppingdemineralisation. The fat incheese also reduces the amountof bacteria on the surface of theteeth. So a small lump of cheese

eaten after a meal or asugary/acidic drink will helpprotect tooth enamel.

TeaThere has been some

research that shows that tea mayfight tooth decay. Tea containspolyphenols, which suppress thegrowth of bacteria in teeth.However, tea also containsfluoride so it's unclear whetherthe protective effect is due to thefluoride or the polyphenols, orboth and whether it's the milkadded to tea that adds to theprotective effect.

FluorideFluoride undoubtedly

protects against dental caries andin the UK, regular use of fluoridetoothpaste has contributed toimproved dental health. Fluoridemakes tooth enamel harder andmore resistant to acid attack. Italso affects plaque by reducingacid production. Fluoride occursnaturally in water in some partsof the UK and is sometimesadded in fluoridation schemes.High fluoride intake however canresult in fluorosis (white flecksin the surface of the toothenamel).

A note about chocolateMilk chocolate contains

calcium and casein that helpprotect teeth as milk would.There's a protective factor incocoa itself, but these protectivefactors are unlikely to overridethe detrimental effect on teeth ofthe high sugar content.

Top tips for teethAs well as correct brushing

and flossing and regular dentalchecks, the following dietary

measures can help minimisetooth decay and erosion:

Eat sugary foods less often,particularly those of a sticky orchewable nature. Rememberthat dried fruits can providesugar and a sticky surface onteeth that encourage bacterialgrowth and acid production.

Limit snacking of any foods,and therefore the amount of timeyour teeth are exposed to abacteria-friendly environment .Choose raw vegetables,wholemeal bread, unsweetenedyoghurt or cheese as snacks

Avoid sugary or acidic drinksbetween meals. Water or milkare the best options If you dohave sweets, eat them all atonce. Avoid 'grazing' overextended periods. For examplehave a whole chocolate bar inone go rather than constantlydipping in to a bag of sweets

End a meal with milk orcheese to help neutralise theacid. Leave a gap of one to twohours each time you eat or drinkto allow remineralisation tooccur

Don't have anything exceptwater after you've brushed yourteeth at night - less saliva isproduced at night. Don't brushyour teeth immediately aftereating acidic foods or drinks. Ifteeth are brushed when in ademineralised state, a layer oftooth enamel or dentine may alsobe removed

Drink through a straw.Liquids sucked through a strawhave less contact with teeth andare less damaging than thoseconsumed from a glass

Chew sugar-free gum after ameal to help produce more salivato neutralise the acid

(www.bbc.co.uk)

What you eat can affect your teeth

Diet and dental health

Friday, august 13, 2010 health Page 27

There are a number of diagnostic tools thatcan be used to determine if a patient isallergic to wheat and to narrow down the

allergy to specific wheat components. These testscan be performed and supervised by an allergyspecialist. Allergy clinics, some hospitals, andother types of medical centers may offerscreening for wheat and other potential allergens.It can take several weeks or months to correctlydiagnose an allergy in someone who is allergic towheat because these allergies tend to be complex.

People who are allergic to wheat can react witha number of different proteins found in wheat.Symptoms of wheat allergies can range fromintestinal distress after eating wheat to full-blownanaphylaxis, where the patient's airways close inresponse to allergen exposure. Many peoplenotice wheat allergies because they startdeveloping skin conditions, digestive problems,runny nose, and a variety of other mild symptomswhen they eat a lot of wheat.

The first step in allergy diagnosis is often afood and activity diary. Patients keep track of whatthey eat and what they do and note down anysymptoms or changes in status as well. This canallow a doctor to start linking particular triggerswith allergies. If a food diary shows that wheat-containing products are eaten around the time ofallergy outbreaks, it can be a sign that a patient isallergic to wheat.

Someone who is allergic to wheat may beencouraged to try an elimination diet. The patientcuts back the diet to very bland foods and thencarefully introduces new foods and takes note of

the response. When the patient experiences anallergic reaction, the last foods consumed can betargeted as potential allergy culprits. Forsomeone who is allergic to wheat, it is critical toread food labels carefully during an eliminationdiet because many foods contain wheat where itmight not be expected. Soy sauce, for example, issometimes produced with wheat.

A skin prick test can be performed where thepatient is exposed to specific allergens and the

response is monitored. Such testing is usuallysafe because the allergen doses are very small,but patients still need to be monitored in casethey react poorly. Another option is a challengetest that involves eating small amounts ofconcentrated allergens. Blood testing can be usedas well, and may be recommended if a doctor isconcerned that skin prick or challenge tests couldendanger a patient.

(www.wisegeek.com)

Most of us know about theemotional symptoms ofdepression. But you may not

know that depression can be associatedwith many physical symptoms, too.

In fact, many people with depressionsuffer from chronic pain or otherphysical symptoms. These include:

• Headaches. These are fairlycommon in people with depression. Ifyou already had migraine headaches,they may seem worse if you'redepressed.

• Back pain. If you already sufferwith back pain, it may be worse if youbecome depressed.

• Muscle aches and joint pain.Depression can make any kind ofchronic pain worse.

• Chest pain. Obviously, it's veryimportant to get chest pain checked outby an expert right away. It can be a signof serious heart problems. Butdepression can contribute to thediscomfort associated with chest pain.

• Digestive problems. You might feelqueasy or nauseous. You might havediarrhea or become chronicallyconstipated.

• Exhaustion and fatigue. No matterhow much you sleep, you may still feeltired or worn out. Getting out of the bedin the morning may seem very hard,even impossible.

• Sleeping problems. Many peoplewith depression can't sleep wellanymore. They wake up too early orcan't fall asleep when they go to bed.Others sleep much more than normal.

• Change in appetite or weight.Some people with depression lose theirappetite and lose weight. Others findthey crave certain foods-likecarbohydrates-and weigh more.

• Dizziness or lightheadedness. Because these symptoms occur with

many conditions, many depressedpeople never get help, because theydon't know that their physical symptomsmight be caused by depression. A lot ofdoctors miss the symptoms, too.

These physical symptoms aren't "allin your head." Depression can cause realchanges in your body. For instance, itcan slow down your digestion, which canresult in stomach problems.

Depression seems to be related to animbalance of certain chemicals in yourbrain. Some of these same chemicalsplay an important role in how you feelpain. So many experts think thatdepression can make you feel paindifferently than other people.

Treating physical symptomsIn some cases, treating your

depression-with therapy or medicine orboth-will resolve your physicalsymptoms.

But make sure to tell your healthcare provider about any physicalsymptoms. Don't assume they'll go awayon their own. They may need additionaltreatment. For instance, your doctormay suggest an antianxiety medicine ifyou have insomnia. Those drugs helpyou relax and may allow you to sleepbetter.

Since pain and depression gotogether, sometimes easing your painmay help with your depression. Someantidepressants, such as Cymbalta andEffexor, may help with chronic pain, too.

Other treatments can also help withpainful symptoms. Certain types offocused therapy-like cognitivebehavioral-can teach you ways to copebetter with the pain.

(www.webmd.com)

Depression: Recognizing the physical symptoms

How do I know if I am allergic to wheat?People who are allergic to wheat can react with a number of differentproteins found in wheat. Symptoms of wheat allergies can range from

intestinal distress after eating wheat to full-blown anaphylaxis

Friday, August 13, 2010PETSPage 28

Zoos oldest animals require special care

Zookeeper

Wendy

Lenhart

feeds

medicated

food to Mrs

Emu.

Afew weeks ago, Philadelphia Zookeeper Mandy Fischer heard asmall cough. It was Spot, 25, a

grandmother and matriarch of her groupof spectacled langurs. X-rays andultrasound showed that the elderly Asianprimate is not just losing her teeth. Shehas advanced cardiac disease. Smallwonder: The zoo says she’s the second-oldest spectacled langur in NorthAmerica. And she represents asignificant change in zoos across thecountry.With improved nutrition, veterinary

care and other advances, the animals areliving longer. Animal welfare advocatessay this is good. It shows zoos are doingtheir job. But it also means zoos mustdeal with increasingly difficult geriatric

problems. Animals that would havesuccumbed in the wild are developingailments ranging from renal failure toliver disease. BooBoo the Andean bear,now 30, is slowing down and gainingweight.Puzzles the giraffe was euthanized a

week ago. Her companion Twigga is ayear older - the fifth-oldest female giraffein North America. At 28, she has swollenjoints. Keeper Betsy Karkowski puts herarthritis pill - big as a nickel - inside a

banana. “It parallels what we see withhumans,” said Andy Baker, the zoo’s vicepresident of animal programs. “It’s notthat there weren’t ever geriatric animals.What we’re seeing is a growingproportion.” No one is sure how many. Itis difficult to define “geriatric acrosshundreds of species. And there are littlesurvival data, although researcher LisaFaust, at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, iscrunching age data from zoos in NorthAmerica to determine median lifeexpectancies. Estimates do exist. Theysuggest that more than 20 ofPhiladelphia’s 250 larger mammals havesurvived at least five years longer thanwhat is thought to be typical.The aging of zoo populations prompts

a cascade of concerns. Are social animalsthat have lost companions lonely? Areelderly specimens taking too muchspace? Zoos are arks for species such asthe Micronesian kingfisher, and youngbreeders are crucial for species survival.Research is proliferating.Veterinarian Robin Barbiers, Lincoln

Park’s vice president of collections, plansto study brain function in older animalsof various species. “We know nothingabout cognition as animals age,” shesaid. A colleague, the primate curator, isalready studying aging female gorillas tosee if they go through menopause. Fewanimal species do. Behavioral training ishelping zoos both diagnose problems andmonitor them without resorting toanesthesia, often a risky procedure.When Philadelphia’s Mrs Emu, an

aged 24, developed a chronic limp,keeper Wendy Lenhart spent monthstraining the large Australian bird to walkup a ramp and stand still. This allowedthe vet to use a portable machine to getX-rays of her leg. It was arthritis. Now,Lenhart adds anti-inflammatorymedication to Mrs Emu’s food pelletsand apple treats, then feeds her by hand.“She eats more of it when I stand here,”

she said. Lenhart also has trainedGeorge, an Andean condor more than ahalf-century old, to step on a scale so shecan monitor his weight daily.Philadelphia has adapted living

spaces for the elderly. A tree kangaroothat could no longer climb her pole gothandrails and ramps. A snow leopardwith failing vision got brighter lights.“We all get old the same way,” said zooveterinarian Donna Ialeggio. “The idea isto make sure it is a good aging process.”For oldsters who are losing teeth, zoonutritionist Barbara Toddes orders foodpellets that dissolve easily in saliva.(Keepers used to soften yams in themicrowave for a kangaroo, now gone.)An elderly zebra, Esther, gets

Purina’s Equine Senior. It’s easier to

digest. Overall, her diet is twice asexpensive as those of younger mares. Ifit’s getting close to the end for an animal,Toddes will relax the regime and allowmore treats: “It’s a lot like taking care ofa very old relative. If Grandpa loves hiscandy and he’s 92 ...” It would, of course,be nice if animals lived to the maximumage and died naturally.Gorillas are susceptible to cardiac

problems; a stroke killed the zoo’svenerable Massa in 1984. He was 54, theoldest gorilla in captivity, andresearchers who examined his remainssaid it was like studying Methuselah.(The Dallas Zoo’s Jenny is now 55,eclipsing him.) Decisions on euthanasiafall to a 14-member animal managementgroup, and it can be complicated. —MCT

‘It’s a lot like taking care

of a very old relative’

Zookeeper Wendy Lenhart adds medication to MrsEmu’s food at the Philadelphia Zoo.

Mrs Emu, 24-year-old, eats some food that hasmedication added to it to help her with her geriatricproblems, like arthritis.— MCT

Friday, august 13, 2010 page 29relationships

Love now a click away

Jay and Christina Lorance first met inan MSN chat room in May 1996,when the Internet, or even the idea

of communicating electronically with astranger, was an unfamiliar concept tomany Americans. Their onlineinteraction led to four months oftelephone calls and snail-mail letters,culminating in a face-to-face meeting inColorado. Jay showed up with a ring.One year and four months later, theywere married.

“We shocked a lot of people,” saidChristina Lorance, 41. “I’m from NewYork and he’s from Oklahoma, so thefirst question everyone had was, ‘Howdid you meet?’ ... When we said theInternet, their eyes would bug out. Theydidn’t even think it was true.” Digitalculture has changed drastically since theLorances’ first virtual meeting. Onlinedating is now an accepted andcommonplace way to meet someone,having largely shed its stigma as anoption for only socially stunted nerds.Match.com, one of the leading Websites, celebrated its 15th anniversary inApril.

While advanced technology can’tguarantee in-person chemistry, thathasn’t stopped dozens of new offeringsfrom touting their matchmakingalgorithms or catering to a demographicniche. Michelle Teplitz, a 29-year-oldConnecticut native, was drawn toJDate.com, a site geared toward singles,because she wanted to meet someonewith similar values. “It weeds out thepeople you wouldn’t want to talk to in abar,” said Teplitz, who met her husbandof three years on JDate. “You know

when you’re on this site, (you’remeeting) people who, for the most part,are interested in meeting someone theywant to spend their life with.”

Online dating has grown into bigbusiness. Match.com is part ofIAC/Interactive Corp and recentlybecame the exclusive dating service onYahoo, while eHarmony has acquiredother Web properties related toweddings and parenting, includingWeddingbee and JustMommies. Web-based dating also is taking on newforms, such as mobile applications andservices within Facebook.

Another twist on the model waslaunched this year through WinkVid, thebrainchild of Jordan Fulghum and JakeLumetta. Their Chicago-based companyoffers online speed dating throughwebcams, with each date lasting fourminutes.

“This stigma that’s been around forthe last decade is really starting to beerased because people’s lives aremoving online, and they’re seeing thereal benefits of social networks and ofthese technologies that enable you tomeet people,” Fulghum said. A videochat may help bridge that difficult gapbetween online compatibility and in-

person chemistry. Still, there’s nopredicting how a romantic relationshipwill develop offline. Although somedating sites brag about their ability tomatch up life partners, other servicesacknowledge their limitations.

“I really think of our responsibility as‘no bad first dates,’ which seems like alow bar, but the reason is we can’tpromise you a soul mate,” said SamYagan, co-founder of OKCupid. “That’sridiculous.

That’s chemistry and what happenswhen you see each other.” The simplestreason for online dating’s emergenceinto the mainstream is that moreAmericans are digitally literate. Theage-old practice of meeting and courtinga romantic partner has moved online asconsumers conduct more of their liveson the Web.

A 2006 study by the Pew ResearchCenter’s Internet & American LifeProject reported that nearly 7 millionAmerican adults have gone out withsomeone they met online. That numbersurely has gone up since, said AndrewFiore, a doctoral candidate at theUniversity of California-Berkeley whohas studied online dating since 2003. “Assoon as you talk about 7 million people

going on dates, they can’t possibly all becomputer geeks,” Fiore said. “If youlook at the demographics, people usingonline dating look a lot like people whoare on the Internet in general.”

These typical users includeChicagoans Casey Zgutowicz, 32, andMicaela De Alba, 30, a recently engagedcouple who met on eHarmony. Onlinedating “is good in the sense you’repeeling back the onion,” Zgutowicz said.He said completing eHarmony’sintricate personality questionnaire was a“grueling process” but helpful, because“you know you have a similarfoundation” before meeting in person.

Zgutowicz and De Alba, who areplanning a June 2011 wedding inMexico, said they no longer think their“how we met” story is novel. “We’vemoved beyond it,” De Alba said. Positiveword of mouth also has helped boost thecredibility of online dating sites.According to the 2006 Pew survey, 30million adults reported knowingsomeone who’s been in a long-termrelationship or married someone he orshe met online.

“Once you have a friend who’s in arelationship that started online, you’reat a crossroads,” Yagan said. “Either

your friend is weird and you’re friendswith weirdos, or it’s not weird.”

Still, the stigma exists for somepeople. Holly Brunner, a 32-year-oldpathology assistant in Washington, saidshe met a man via eHarmony who toldhis friends they met in the emergencyroom, where she was summoned toperform a biopsy on a liver tumordiscovered after a motorcycle accidentlanded him in the hospital.

Aside from that odd hiccup, Brunnersaid she’s pleased with her eHarmonyexperience and is in a relationship withsomeone she met via the site in 2008. “Ican’t imagine any other way of dating,”she said.

Sometimes, the spark simply isn’tthere. Samuel DiMatteo, 76, used YahooPersonals for several years but is goingto let his subscription lapse because hedidn’t find “that click” with the handfulof women he met. “Probably, if I wereyounger, it would be better,” saidDiMatteo, a River Grove, Illinois,resident who practices his computerskills at a cafe run by Evanston, Illinois-based nonprofit Mather LifeWays.“When you’re 76, most (people) are setin their ways.”

On the other end of the agespectrum, members of the Webgeneration say they’re fluent in how toread cues from someone whose bodylanguage is hidden behind a computerscreen. “When I see how people type, Ican immediately read theirpersonalities: their grammar, lingo, theNet-speak they use,” said Iris Febres,22, who met her boyfriend of more thanone year on OKCupid. — MCT

The age-old practice of meeting and courting aromantic partner moves online as consumers

conduct more of their lives on the Web

Casey Zgutowicz, 32 (right) and his fiance Micaela De Alba, 30, talk about an upcoming trip to Mexico, in downtown Chicago, Illinois. Thecouple met on eHarmony. — MCT

friday, August 13, 2010Page 30 food

By Sawsan Kazak

The Holy month of Ramadan is upon usonce again and all Iftar tables will be filledwith a variety of delicious dates. Due to

their nutritional value and abundance in theMiddle East, dates are typically used to brakeone’s fast. They are great on their own, but justimagine how great they would be incorporated insavory dishes. Try the following recipes to addthe great taste of dates into the whole meal.

Ramadan karim !Please send suggestions to:

sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

Easy stuffed dates1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated1/4 lb. butter, softened1 1/2 c. flourRed pepper to tasteWhole dates, pitted

Pecan halvesMix ingredients to a soft dough. Pat dough around each date which has been stuffed with

a pecan half. Bake 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Serve hot.

Why do people eat dates

during Ramadan? Dates are a staple fruit of the Middle East having been in cultivation for thousands ofyears. Traditionally, dates are known as the food Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ate when hebroke from his fast.

During the period of Ramadan, when fasting lasts from sunrise to sunset, the body candevelop mild health problems such as headaches, low blood sugar, and lethargy. To avoidsuch problems, one should carefully monitor their eating habits once fasting for the day has

ended. Dates arean excellentsource of fiber,sugar, magnesium,potassium, andhavecarbohydrateswhich will aid thebody inmaintaininghealth. Thecarbohydratesfound in dates alsomake the fruit aslower digestingfood, much betterthan fried or fattyfoods which digestfast and leave onehungry for more!—About

Everyday cooking:

Date

s

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 31FOOD

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

with Dates and Pearl Onions2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 pounds boneless lamb shoulder or

stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces 5 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon crushed saffron threads 1 1/2 cups (about) water 8 ounces pitted dates 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted Cook onions in medium pot of boiling

water 2 minutes. Drain, rinse under coldwater and peel. Heat vegetable oil in heavylarge dutch oven over medium-high heat.Working in batches, season lamb with saltand pepper, add to Dutch oven and brown,about 4 minutes per batch. Using slottedspoon, transfer lamb to bowl after eachbatch is browned. Return all lamb and anyjuices to Dutch oven. Mix in chopped freshparsley, chopped cilantro, groundcinnamon, ginger and saffron. Add 1 cupwater and 1/2 cup pearl onions. Reduceheat to medium-low. Cover and simmeruntil lamb is tender, about 1 hour. Usingslotted spoon, transfer lamb and pearlonions to bowl. Reserve 3 dates forgarnish; add remaining dates and honeyto sauce in Dutch oven. Simmer sauce 5minutes, mashing dates to coarse pureewith back of fork. Add remaining pearlonions and simmer until almost tender,about 5 minutes. Mix in remaining 1/2cup water if necessary to thin sauce.Return lamb mixture to Dutch oven;simmer until heated through about 5minutes. Season tagine to taste withsalt and pepper. Transfer to platter. Topwith slivered almonds and reserveddates.

Date, goat cheese saladFor vinaigrette:2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar 1 tablespoon soy sauce freshly ground black pepper to taste 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 8 cups mesclun (mixed baby greens8 dried dates (pitted and cut lengthwise)6 ounces soft goat cheese, cut into pieces

In a small bowlwhisk togethervinegar, soy sauce,pepper, and salt totaste and add oil ina stream, whiskinguntil emulsified.Vinaigrette may bemade 1 day aheadand chilled,covered. Bringvinaigrette toroom temperatureand whisk beforeproceeding. In abowl toss mesclunwith vinaigretteand divide among8 salad plates. Topsalad with datesand goat cheese.

Chicken with dates5 chicken breastssalt and ground pepper1 Tbl olive oil1 large onion1/2 Tbl ground cinnamon1/4 tsp nutmeg1 Tbl honey2 CUP chicken broth1/2 lb. dates, pitts removed, and halved lengthwisejuice of one lemon1/2 tsp curry powder

Preparation 1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.Heat oil over med-high heat,brown chicken on both sides in batches. Remove chicken and set aside. Add onion topan and cook over med. heat untill soft, about 10 min. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, honey,and stock to onion in pan, and bring to a boil. Add chicken to pan, reduce heat. Coverand simmer for 20 min. or untill chicken is cooked through. Add dates, lemon juice, andcurry powder, cook 5-10 min. or untill thickend slightly. Serve chicken with some of thesauce and dates over rice.

Date walnut loaf 1 8 oz pkg pitted dates1 cup boiling water1/4 cup dark rum6 tbsp butter1 1/2 cups brown sugar, lightly

packed1 egg, beaten1 cup walnuts, chopped2 1/4 cups flour1 1/2 tsp baking soda1 1/2 tsp salt

Line a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with waxor parchment paper and butter thepaper. Chop dates finely. In a medium

bowl, soak dates in 1 cup boiling waterfor 5 minutes. Add rum, butter andbrown sugar. Allow mixture to sit untilcool, about 20 minutes. Stir in eggsand nuts. Combine dry ingredients,then stir into the date mixture justuntil blended. Transfer batter toprepared pan and allow to stand for 15minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to350 degree F. Bake for about 70minutes, or until it tests done. Cool inpan for 5 minutes. Run a butter knifealong edges of pan to free the bread.Turn out on wire rack to coolcompletely before slicing.

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THEY ARE THE 99!

THE STORY SO FAR :

99 Mystical Noor Stones carry all that is left of the wisdom and knowledge of the lost civilization of Baghdad. But the Noor Stones lie scattered across the globe - now little more than a legend. One man has made it his life’s mission to seek out what was lost. His name is Dr. Ramzi Razem and he has searched fruitlessly for the Noor Stones all his life. Now, his luck is about to change - the first of the stones have been rediscovered and with them a special type of human who can unlock the gem’s mystical power. Ramzi brings these gem - bearers together to form a new force for good in the world. A force known as ... the 99!

Aleem the All-Knowing calls the 99 Steps Foundation with a warning about the future: A large bridge is going to collapse! The trouble is, Aleem doesn’t know what bridge, or where it’s located...

www.the99.org

Friday, August 13, 2010Page 34 TRAVEL

Sightseeing: What tosee in New York

The Statue of Liberty

is smaller than most

people expect, but as

such an important

symbol of America,

you have to see it

when in New York.

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 35TRAVEL

1Get a view of the city from a tall building.In the old days, we took visitors to the topof the World Trade Center - you were on

top of the world... Today you have 2 options,either the Empire State Building or Top of theRock in Rockefeller Center. I think I prefer theview from Top of the Rock because you canalso see Central Park from there. The EmpireState Building is more famous and has morehistory to it, and it’s taller-you decide whichyou prefer, but be sure to go up one of them.

2See the Statue of Liberty. The Statue ofLiberty is smaller than most peopleexpect, but as such an important symbol

of America, you have to see it when in NewYork. It is out in New York Harbor beyond thelower end of Manhattan. You can see it fromBattery Park downtown, but we recommendriding the Staten Island Ferry out past it. TheFerry is free and takes a little over an hourroundtrip (you have to get off in Staten Island,but you just walk around the line and get backon to return). It sails right past the statuegiving you a great view and photo op. Theother option is to take the Libery Island Ferryfrom Battery Park (also stops at Ellis Island)— you can no longer climb up the stairs insidethe statue, but you can see it up close and walkaround it. If you have several days in New Yorkand plenty of time, then opt for the Ellis Islandand Liberty Island trip-otherwise, take a quickcruise on the Staten Island Ferry.

3Walk Around Central Park. Well, notactually around it, walk through it. We likestarting at the southern end of the park,

right at 59th and 5th Avenue. You’ll see all thehorse carriages lined up there-if you’ve got themoney, consider one of those (about $35-$40plus tip for 30 minutes, for the whole carriage,not per person), otherwise start walking.Check out the Wollman ice rink in the wintermonths, visit Tavern on the Green (especiallyat night with all the lights), see the CentralPark Zoo if you have kids, have a drink at TheBoathouse, climb up Belvedere Castle for theview-just walk around and enjoy the sights andsounds.

4Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge. Yep,the top level of the bridge is open topedestrians. Take the subway down to

City Hall, then follow the signs to the bridge.You get beautiful views of downtown, all whilewalking on a world landmark. If you haveenough time, go all the way across and tourthe Brooklyn Heights area and take in theviews from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.

5Walk Around Downtown. This is arelatively compact area. Visit TrinityChurch, St. Paul’s Chapel, City Hall, see

Ground Zero where the World Trade Centeronce stood, walk down Wall St. and seeFederal Hall where George Washington wassworn in as first President, see the StockExchange, walk down to Battery Park, andcheck out South Street Seaport. Considertaking a Circle Line boat tour around NYHarbor, or in summer months, a high-speedboat ride on the Beast, tickets for both atSouth Street Seaport. Explore our Downtown

New York Walking Tour.

6See Times Square at night. You have toenjoy the lights of Times Square at night-just get out and walk up and down

Broadway. You’ve seen it a million times inmovies and on New Year’s Eve of course, nowyou’re a part of it! Pop into some of the famousspots like Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museumand the giant Toys R Us store.

7Experience 5th Avenue. Walk along 5thAve. I like to start at 42nd Street at theNew York Library (if you have a little

more time, start out at Grand Central Stationfirst another block or two down 42nd St-theChrysler Building is right next door, and theinterior of Grand Central has awed people fordecades..) — make your way up pastRockefeller Center, window shop at all thefancy stores, check out St. Patrick’sCathedral, see the famous Plaza Hotel, seethe Apple Store glass cube, go into the famousFAO Schwarz toy store, walk past the

mansions and fancy uptown apartments as youhead north along Central Park. Werecommend returning at night as well to seehow Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s arelit up, then hop up to the Pen-Top rooftop barfor a $20 cocktail to enjoy while you savor theviews over midtown.

8See a Broadway Show. You can’t go toNew York and not see a play or musicalon Broadway, right? If you only have one

night in the city, I say skip the show and enjoythose hours walking around the city. But if youhave time, you’ll never forget the experienceof a live show in a New York theater. Thepopular shows are not cheap - there isinformation on Broadway tickets here. You cansee what discount tickets are available on theday of a show at the TKTS booth in TimesSquare (opens at 3PM) or down at SouthStreet Seaport (opens at 11AM).

9Explore Neighborhoods like GreenwichVillage. New York is more than just thearea around Times Square and Midtown.

Check out some other neighborhoods while inNew York. One of our favorites is GreenwichVillage. Try this Greenwich Village WalkingTour if you have a few hours. GreenwichVillage is also home to many jazz clubs, a greatway to spend a late night. Also explore LittleItaly and Chinatown (you can see them both inan hour) for a little more local flavor(Chinatown walking tour here). Pizza atLombardi’s is considered a not-to-be-missedNew York experience.

10New York Museums. Hey, you gottaget a little culture into you when inNew York. Go to the Metropolitan

Museum (the “Met”), the Museum of ModernArt, Museum of Natural History. You canspend hours and hours at all these places-great if you have the time, otherwise makeabbreviated visits to get a feel for thesefamous sites. Also consider the Intrepid (adocked aircraft carrier) Sea, Air, and SpaceMuseum - IntrepidMuseum.org.

(www.galttech.com )

See Times Square at night. You

have to enjoy the lights of Times

Square at night-just get out and

walk up and down Broadway.

You’ve seen it a million times in

movies and on New Year’s Eve of

course, now you’re a part of it

Friday, August 13, 2010BOOKSPage 36

In August 1930, New York State Supreme CourtJudge Joseph Crater left a Manhattan restaurantand was never seen again. Less than a year after

the crash of the stock market, Crater became theembodiment of the fears, and perhaps the frailhopes, of Americans facing the Great Depressionand soon to face WWII and the cold war. WasCrater rubbed out by the Mob, or did he simplydisappear to find happiness as an ordinary Joe?Twenty-five years later, a Rupert Murdoch-likenewspaper publisher hires private investigator

Fintan Dunne to do what the NYPD couldn’t do:solve the mystery of Crater’s disappearance.Freely mixing history, mystery, and novelisticlicense, Quinn offers a noirish tale of TammanyHall politics, crime, Broadway moguls, and cops,populated by more than a dozen interestingcharacters. Dunne’s detection seems to come a bittoo easily, but Quinn’s rich, insightful, evocativedescriptions of New York, both in Crater’s time andin 1955, will certainly please fans of historicalcrime novels.

Few threads havedisappeared so completelyinto history’s loom than the

story of Joseph Force Crater. Agraduate of Columbia Law anda darling of Tammany Hall,Crater rose swiftly in theavaricious milieu of Jazz-AgeNew York politics; by the timethen-governor Franklin DelanoRoosevelt appointed Crater tothe New York State SupremeCourt in April 1930, the once-upstanding young jurist wasawash in chorus girls and shadybusiness deals. Vacationing inMaine that summer, Crater wascalled back to New York on amysterious errand. A fewnights later, his wife in BarHarbor awaiting his return,Crater stepped into a taxi on42nd Street after eating dinnerwith friends. He was neverseen again. Like the mysteriessurrounding Amelia Earhartand infant Charles Lindbergh,Jr., Crater’s disappearancefascinated a nation recentlyplunged into the GreatDepression.

Novelist Peter Quinn beginsThe Man Who Never Returnedwhen the trail has grown coldand Crater’s fame is all butforgotten. Fintan Dunne, theanti-anti-hero of Quinn’sprevious novel, The Hour ofthe Cat, is a superannuateddetective with the requisitethick skin: veteran of twoworld wars and years on theNYPD, he’s straight out ofcentral casting. But Dunne isdone: having built and thensold a successful detectiveagency, struggling to enjoy anearly retirement in Florida, hefinds himself hopping trains toChicago and Los Angeles tocheck up on branch offices andold contacts. Then a surprise:he’s summoned to New Yorkby a quirky, demagogue-ishnewspaper mogul, by the nameof Walter Wilkes, who wants toresurrect the Crater mystery inorder to launch a new glossymagazine to compete with thelikes of Time and Life. Wilkes’smonologues are a bore, and hisdesigns for magazinepublishing and the Cratermystery are more than a littlebit implausible. The case isnow is a quarter-century old,its every lead exhausted. ButDunne can’t resist a cold case-and Wilkes’s young assistant,the driven and alluring NanRenard, captures hisimagination.

My friend Joshua Glenncalls the cohort born between1894 and 1903 the HardboiledGeneration. It was, asFitzgerald would write in hisdebut novel, This Side ofParadise (1920), one that had“grown up to find all Godsdead, all wars fought, all faithsin man shaken.” The men inQuinn’s book are born of thisgeneration. Caught betweenthe rigors of combat and theennui of peace and pleasure,they bear all the hardboiled

hallmarks: the brittle dialogue,the breakfasts of bourbon andtoast, the small-time tribalismof old New York. But thepleasures of The Man WhoNever Returned are not to befound in its fealty to timewornconceits. “History is one damnthing after another” could be ahardboiled sentiment, but itwas historian Arnold Toynbee,born too early to be a properhardboiled, who coined thephrase. He used itdisparagingly, arguing inessence that those who believeit are condemned to experienceit. The past, he argued, onlymakes sense when we can stepback and see it whole.

But when does the luxury ofthat perspective ever presentitself? In fact it’s never so neatas one thing after another; it’smany things happening all atonce, most of them beyondhope of sorting out. One of thepleasures of historical fictiondepends on the author’s skill ininterweaving the fabular andthe factual-knitting into thetangled skein of acts and thingsa single golden thread of story.The task is similar to that ofthe criminal, really-if it’s donewell, it’s impossible to knowwarp from weft. Quinn workshis jaded dicks and dames withscores to settle quite intimatelyinto that weave, where theysparkle and gleam. Their ticsand hangups tell us what weneed to know not only of theircharacters, but of their times aswell. Explaining the toughDunne’s aversion to airliners,Quinn writes, “Planes alwaysbrought back the war, the rush,the anxiety, the need to geteverywhere in a hurry. Thethrill of looking down on theworld from several thousandfeet wore off quickly.” Theremay only be a hip flask’s worthof psychology in thatobservation, but it’s servedneat.

Quinn’s jaded cops quoteEcclesiastes and Poe, Danteand Thomas Aquinas. St.Thomas’s aesthetic of clarity isespecially salubrious inDunne’s line of work-and trueto the hardboiled genre, itarrives almost too late. But inthe end it’s not Aquinas but anolder saint, Ambrose, whoholds the key to the Cratermystery-and that’s as close to aspoiler as this review willcome. The presence of suchancient shades in The ManWho Never Returned seemsfanciful, but they’re a reminderthat the diversions and demonsQuinn’s characters pursue areancient ones, not limited to oneera or generation. In the end,the mystery is unraveled-buthistory claims its prerogative,swallowing up the answers.Joseph Force Crater-his namelike the open hole in whichFintan Dunne and hisgeneration first saw death-remains missing to this day.

— www.bn.com

Review

BOOKS Page 37Friday, August 13, 2010

Novelist, political historian, and foremostchronicler of New York City. Peter Quinn joinedTime Inc. as the chief speechwriter in 1985 and

retired as corporate editorial director for TimeWarner at the end of 2007. He received a B.A. fromManhattan College in 1969, an M.A. in history fromFordham University in 1974 and completed all therequirements for a doctorate except thedissertation. He was awarded a Ph.D., honoriscausa, by Manhattan College in 2002.

In 1979, Quinn was appointed to the staff ofGovernor Hugh Carey as chief speechwriter. Hecontinued in that role under Governor MarioCuomo, helping craft the Governor’s 1984Democratic Convention speech and his address onreligion and politics at Notre Dame University.

His 1994 novel Banished Children of Eve(Viking/Penguin) won a 1995 American Book Award.His second novel, Hour of the Cat (Overlook), set inBerlin and New York on the eve of WWII, waspublished in June 2005. Looking for Jimmy: InSearch of Irish America (Overlook), a collection ofnon-fiction pieces, was published in February 2007.All three books are in print. His next novel, TheMan Who Never Returned, will be published insummer, 2010.

Quinn co-wrote the script for the 1987 televisiondocumentary “McSorley’s New York,” which wasawarded a New York-area Emmy for “Outstanding

Historical Programming.” He has participated as aguest commentator in several PBS documentaries,including “The Irish in America;” “New York: ADocumentary Film;” “The Life and Times ofStephen Foster,” as well as the Academy Award-nominated film, “The Passion of Sister Rose.” Hewas an advisor on Martin Scorcese’s film “Gangs ofNew York.” He helped conceive and script the six-part documentary “The Road to the White House,”which aired on TG4, in Ireland, in 2009.

Along with his book writing, Quinn was theeditor of The Recorder: The Journal of the AmericanIrish Historical Society from 1986 to 1993. He haspublished articles and reviews in The New YorkTimes, Commonweal, America, American Heritage,The Catholic Historical Review, The PhiladelphiaEnquirer, The L.A. Times, EirÈ-Ireland, and innumerous other newspapers and journals.

At present, Quinn is on the advisory boards of theAmerican Irish Historical Society, NYU’sGlucksman Ireland House, the Tenement Museumand the New York City Landmark Conservancy. Heis president and co-founder of Irish AmericanWriters & Artists.

Married to Kathleen Burbank Quinn, he and hiswife are the parents of Genevieve Barry Quinn andDaniel Ryan Quinn. They reside in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.

—www.newyorkpaddy.com

The Civil War has just entered its third bloody yearand the North is about to impose its first militarydraft, a decision that will spark the most devastating

and destructive urban riot in American history. BanishedChildren of Eve traces that event as its tentacles gripNew York City. The cast is drawn from every strata: alikeable and laconic Irish-American hustler, an ambitiousand larcenous Yankee stockbroker, an immigrant servinggirl, a beautiful and mysterious mulatto actress and herwhite minstrel lover as well as a cluster of real-lifecharacters, including scheming, ever-pompous GeneralGeorge McClellan, fiery, fierce Archbishop “DaggerJohn” Hughes and fast-declining musical genius StephenFoster. The fates of these characters coalesce in thecataclysm of the Draft Riots, as a pivotal period in thehistory of New York and the nation is painfully, vividly,magically bought to life.

In this stunning work chronicling the author’sexploration of his own past- and the lives of manyhundreds of thousands of nameless immigrants who

struggled alongside his own ancestors- Peter Quinnpaints a brilliant new portrait of the Irish-American menand women whose evolving culture and values continueto play such a central role in all of our identities asAmericans. In Quinn’s hands, the Irish stereotype of“Paddy” gives way to an image of “Jimmy”- an archtypalIrish-American. From Irish immigration to modernpolitics, Quinn vibrantly weaves together the story of aremarkable people and their immeasurable contributionto American history and culture.

On the eve of World War II, ahomicide is commited in NewYork City, a simple murder

indistiguishable from hundreds ofothers. But all is not as it seems. Twovastly different men- an Americandetective and a German admiral- aredrawn into the gathering storm. It issoon plain that this case stretches farbeyond the crime scene- to NaziGermany and into a murderousconspiracy of a scope that defiesimagination. With masterful commandof fact and fiction, Peter Quinntransports readers to a pre-war NewYork brimming with atmosphere andconsequence.

Friday, August 13, 2010childrenPage 38

Sudoku for kids Solution

Friday, August 13, 2010 children Page 39

"Iam so bored," saidJessica one earlySunday morning.

"There is nothing fun to doaround the house."

Jessica Beth was 8 yearsold and very energetic readyfor some fun. She triedplaying inside all by herself,but after a while it was not anyfun. Jessica read to her dolls,and got on her computer, butsoon that was boring.

"What else can I do for fun?"thought Jessica. Minutes later,Jessica's Daddy entered theroom. "Jessica why are youlooking so bored?" asked herDaddy. "It is a boringmorning," replied Jessica.

"Sure there is plenty to dofor fun," said her Daddy. "Justwait right here."

Jessica's Daddy went backinto his bedroom and into hiscloset. "What in the world isDaddy doing in his closet?"thought Jessica. "What is helooking for?" About fiveminutes later, Jessica's Daddycame back with a huge blacktrunk. "What is in the trunk?"asked Jessica. As her Daddyopened the trunk, he pulledout a black top hat, a long blackcane and black tap shoes. Heput them on and moved some

of the furniture back for extraroom. "Now, let me show you anew dance," said her Daddy."This is how I used to dancewhen I lived and performed inNew York City."

Jessica's Daddy looked veryfunny in his top hat andtwirling his cane. She did notknow that her Daddy knewhow to sing and tap dance.

As she looked into histrunk, there were old black andwhite pictures of her Daddydancing and singing in front ofpeople. There were evenpictures of her Daddy when hewas little around her age.

She tried on some of the oldhats that her Daddy used towear while dancing.

"Come on Jessica, now letsdance," said her Daddy. "Now,let me teach you one of myfavorite songs." Hours had pastwith Jessica and her Daddyhaving the best of fun dancingand singing. Jessica eventaught her Daddy one of herdances.

Hours later after having somuch fun, Jessica's Daddy said,"Now we better clean up thisroom before we go to Churchand your mother wakes up."

www.bedtime.com

Dancing with Daddy

Friday, August 13, 2010Page 40 OPINION

Juarez cartel gets desperateBy Scott Stewart

On Aug 3, the US Consulate inJuarez, Mexico, reopened afterbeing closed for four days. On

July 29, the consulate had announcedin a warden message that it would beclosed July 30 and would remain closeduntil a review of the consulate'ssecurity posture could be completed.The closure appears to be linked to amessage found on July 15, signed by LaLinea, the enforcement arm of theJuarez cartel. This message wasdiscovered at the scene shortly after asmall improvised explosive device(IED) in a car was used in a well-coordinated ambush against federalpolice agents in Juarez, killing twoagents.

In the message, La Linea claimedcredit for the attack and demanded thatthe US Drug EnforcementAdministration (DEA) and FBIinvestigate and remove the head ofChihuahua State Police Intelligence(CIPOL), who the message said isworking with the Sinaloa Federationand its leader, Joaquin "El Chapo"Guzman Loera. The messagethreatened that if the intelligenceofficial was not removed by July 30, LaLinea would deploy a car bomb with100 kilograms of high explosives inJuarez.

The deadline has now passedwithout incident and the consulate hasreopened. Examining this chain ofevents provides some valuable insightsinto the security of US diplomaticfacilities as well as the current state ofevents in Juarez, a city that in recentyears has experienced levels ofviolence normally associated with anactive war zone.

Security StandardsWhen considering the threats in

Juarez that led to the closure of the USconsulate, it is useful to examine thebuilding itself. The consulate is housedin a new building that was constructedin accordance with securityspecifications laid out by the US StateDepartment's Standard EmbassyDesign (SED) program, standards firstestablished by the Inman Commissionin 1985. This means that the buildingwas constructed using a designintended to withstand a terrorist attackand providing concentric rings ofsecurity. In addition to an advancedconcrete structure and blast-resistantwindows, such facilities also feature asubstantial perimeter wall intended toprotect the facility and to provide astandoff distance of at least 100 feetfrom any potential explosive device.This standoff distance is crucial indefending against large vehicle-borneimprovised explosive devices(VBIEDs) because such a device cancause catastrophic damage to even awell-designed structure if it is allowedto get close to the structure beforedetonation. When combined, a heavyperimeter wall, sufficient standoffdistance and advanced structuraldesign have proved very effective inwithstanding even large attacks.

The US Consulate in Juarez is awell-designed building with adequatestandoff. Certainly, the building couldwithstand the type of attacks that thecartels in Mexico have conducted todate, which have largely consisted ofarmed assaults, grenade attacks (theUS consulates in Monterrey andNuevo Laredo have been attacked

using hand grenades in the past twoyears) and occasional attacks involvingsmall IEDs.

The building and its perimeterwould also likely withstand a VBIEDattack of the size threatened by LaLinea, but such an attack is notsomething the US government wouldwant to risk. Despite the securitydesign of the Juarez consulate, aVBIED attack would likely causesubstantial damage to the facility andcould result in the deaths of peopleoutside the building.

Perhaps the most vulnerable peopleduring such an attack would be thehundreds of Mexican citizens (andother foreigners) who visit theconsulate every day to apply forimmigrant visas. Juarez and MexicoCity are the only two US diplomaticposts in Mexico that issue immigrantvisas and both have a very heavy flowof visa applicants. US consulates alsofrequently have a number of Americancitizens who visit each day in search ofconsular services.

Such visitors are screened at asecurity facility located on the edge ofthe consulate's perimeter in order tokeep weapons from entering theconsulate complex. This screening

facility/waiting area lacks standoffdistance and would provide a softtarget vulnerable to an attack. Thelocal guards who provide perimetersecurity for the facility and screenvisitors would also be vulnerable. Theconcern over the vulnerability ofvisitors was evidenced in the wardenmessage that announced the Juarezconsulate's closure. In the message,people were urged to avoid the area ofthe consulate during the closure, whichnot only would reduce the risk ofcollateral damage if an attack occurredbut would also give security personnelless activity to monitor for potentialthreats.

One other intriguing point aboutthe security at the US Consulate inJuarez and its closure due to La Linea'sVBIED threat is that the incident didnot occur at a diplomatic post in a far-away terrorist hotspot like Yemen, Iraqor Pakistan. The US Consulate inJuarez is located less than seven milesfrom downtown El Paso, Texas.

Desperate MeasuresAs we noted some months back,

there have been persistent rumors thatthe Mexican government has favoredthe Sinaloa cartel and its leader,Joaquin Guzman Loera, aka "El Chapo".This charge has been leveled byopposing cartels (like Los Zetas andthe Juarez cartel), and events on theground have seemingly supported theaccusations, despite occasionalindications to the contrary, like the July29 death of Sinaloa operative Ignacio"El Nacho" Coronel Villarreal in ashootout with the Mexican military.

Whether or not such charges aretrue, it is quite evident that the Juarezcartel believes them to be so, and hasacted accordingly. For example, inMarch, three local employees of theUS Consulate in Juarez weremurdered, two of whom were UScitizens. According to the Mexicannewspaper El Diario, a member of theLos Aztecas street gang was arrestedand has confessed to his participationin the murders. Los Aztecas and itsAmerican cousin, Barrio Azteca, areboth closely linked to the Juarez cartel.

According to El Diario, the arrestedAzteca member said that a decisionwas made by leaders in the BarrioAzteca gang and Juarez cartel to attackUS citizens in the Juarez area in an

effort to force the US government tointervene in the Mexicangovernment's war against the cartelsand act as a "neutral referee," therebyhelping to counter the Mexicangovernment's favoritism toward ElChapo and the Sinaloa Federation.

Then, in the wake of the July 15IED ambush in Juarez, La Linea leftthe message threatening to deploy aVBIED in Juarez if the FBI and DEAdid not investigate and remove thehead of CIPOL. Using an IED in anambush to get the world's attention(which it did) and then threatening toattack using an even larger device isfurther evidence that the Juarez cartelbelieves the Mexican government isfavoring Sinaloa.

And this brings us to the currentsituation in Juarez. The Juarez cartel iswounded, its La Linea enforcer groupand Los Aztecas ally having been hitheavily in recent months by both theMexican government and Sinaloaforces. The last thing the group wantsto do is invite the full weight of the USgovernment down upon its head bybecoming the Mexican version of Pablo

Escobar's Medellin cartel, whichlaunched a war of terror uponColombia that featured large VBIEDsand resulted in Escobar's death and thedestruction of his organization.

In a similar case closer to home forthe Juarez cartel, one of that cartel'spredecessors, the Guadalajara cartel,was dismantled after the USgovernment turned the full force of itsdrug enforcement power against theorganization following the 1985 tortureand execution of US DEA special agentEnrique "Kiki" Camarena. Interventionby the US government prompted bythe Juarez cartel not only would focuson the organization in Mexico but alsowould likely result in US lawenforcement going after theorganization's assets and personnelinside the United States, which couldbe devastating for the cartel.

The current leader of the Juarezcartel, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, is thenephew of Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo,one of the leaders of the Guadalajaracartel and one of the Mexicantraffickers arrested in 1985 andconvicted of killing Camarena. FonsecaCarrillo was also convicted ofmurdering two American tourists inGuadalajara in 1985 and a host of other

charges. Now in his late 70s andreportedly suffering from cancer,Fonseca Carrillo will die in prison.Because of this family history, there isvery little doubt that Carrillo Fuentesrealizes the potential danger of usingsuch tactics against the USgovernment.

And yet despite these dangers, bothto the organization and to himself,Carrillo Fuentes and his followers haveapparently tried to draw the USgovernment deeper into the conflict inJuarez (though they have been carefulso far not to assassinate any USdiplomats or conduct any large andindiscriminate terrorist attacks). Atpresent, the Juarez cartel seems to bewalking a tight line of trying to get theUS government's attention in Juarezwhile not doing anything tooprovocative.

These actions reflect the desperatesituation in which the cartel finds itself.In practical terms, an increase in USactivity in Juarez would not only hurtSinaloa but also impact the ability ofthe Juarez cartel to traffic narcotics.Although the FBI has already noted

that it believes Sinaloa now controlsthe flow of narcotics through Juarez,the willingness of the Juarez cartel tosuffer this type of impact on its ownoperations indicates that theorganization believes the deck isstacked against it and that it needs anoutside force to help counter thecombined efforts of the SinaloaFederation and the Mexicangovernment.

For its part, the US government hasnot shown the willingness to becomemore actively involved in Juarez, nordoes it have the permission of theMexican government to do so. TheMexicans are very protective of theirsovereignty, and the US governmenthas shown that it will not overstep itsbounds unless it is provoked by anincident like the Camarena murder.This means that the limited threats andattacks the Juarez cartel has beenusing are unlikely to result in any realincrease in the US presence in Juarez.

Ordinarily our assessment wouldbe that the various Mexican cartelslearned from the Camarena case andEscobar's experience in Colombia andhave been very careful not to provokethe US government and to avoid beinglabeled narco-terrorists. It simplywould not be good for business, and thecartels are, in fact, businesses, eventhough they specialize in an illicittrade.

That said, in the recent past, wehave witnessed cartels doing thingsinside Mexico that used to beconsidered taboo, like selling narcoticson Mexico's domestic market, in aneffort to raise money so they cancontinue their fight for control of theirterritory. (Their ability to make moneyhas been affected not only by the cartelwars but also by drug interdictionefforts.) We have also seen cartels thatare desperate for cash becomingincreasingly involved in humansmuggling and in kidnapping andextortion rackets.

It will be important to watch theJuarez cartel closely over the next fewmonths as the United States refuses tobecome more involved and as thecartel becomes increasingly desperate.We believe the Sinaloa Federation andthe Mexican government will continueaggressively to target the remnants ofthe Juarez cartel. Faced with thiscontinued onslaught, will the Juarezcartel choose to go quietly into thenight and allow Sinaloa to exerciseuncontested control over the Juarezplaza, or will it in desperationundertake an even more audaciousattempt to draw the United States intoJuarez? Killing US consulateemployees has not succeeded inincreasing the US presence, andneither has threatening a VBIED, so itmay feel compelled to take things up anotch.

Although we have not yet seen aVBIED deployed in Mexico, explosivesare readily available in the country, andthe July 15 attack demonstrated thatLa Linea has the ability to deploy asmall IED in a fairly sophisticatedmanner. It is quite possible that LaLinea could use that same technologyto craft a larger device, even a VBIED.The capability, then, seems to be therefor larger attacks. This leaves theintent part of the threat equation. Itwill be important to see, above all, ifdesperation pushes Carrillo Fuentesand the Juarez cartel to take the next,large step. — Stratfor

People wait at the US Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, July 30, 2010. – AP

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 41ANALYSIS

By George Friedman

Arizona's new law on illegal immigration wentinto effect last week, albeit severely limited bya federal court ruling. The US Supreme Court

undoubtedly will settle the matter, which may alsotrigger federal regulations. However that turns out,the entire issue cannot simply be seen as an internalAmerican legal matter. More broadly, it forms part ofthe relations between the United States and Mexico,two sovereign nation-states whose internal dynamicsand interests are leading them into an era of increasingtension. Arizona and the entire immigration issue haveto be viewed in this broader context.

Until the Mexican-American War, it was not clearwhether the dominant power in North America wouldhave its capital in Washington or Mexico City. Mexicowas the older society with a substantially largermilitary. The United States, having been founded eastof the Appalachian Mountains, had been a weak andvulnerable country. At its founding, it lacked strategicdepth and adequate north-south transportation routes.

The ability of one colony to support another in theevent of war was limited. More important, the UnitedStates had the most vulnerable of economies: It washeavily dependent on maritime exports and lacked anavy able to protect its sea-lanes against morepowerful European powers like England and Spain.The War of 1812 showed the deep weakness of theUnited States. By contrast, Mexico had greaterstrategic depth and less dependence on exports.

The Centrality of New Orleans

The American solution to this strategic weaknesswas to expand the United States west of theAppalachians, first into the Northwest Territory cededto the United States by the United Kingdom and theninto the Louisiana Purchase, which Thomas Jeffersonordered bought from France. These two territoriesgave the United States both strategic depth and a neweconomic foundation. The regions could supportagriculture that produced more than the farmers couldconsume.

Using the Ohio-Missouri-Mississippi river system,products could be shipped south to New Orleans. NewOrleans was the farthest point south to which flat-bottomed barges from the north could go, and thefarthest inland that oceangoing ships could travel. NewOrleans became the single most strategic point inNorth America. Whoever controlled it controlled theagricultural system developing between theAppalachians and the Rockies. During the War of 1812,the British tried to seize New Orleans, but forces ledby Andrew Jackson defeated them in a battle foughtafter the war itself was completed.

Jackson understood the importance of NewOrleans to the United States. He also understood thatthe main threat to New Orleans came from Mexico.The US-Mexican border then stood on the SabineRiver, which divides today's Texas from Louisiana. Itwas about 200 miles from that border to New Orleansand, at its narrowest point, a little more than 100 milesfrom the Sabine to the Mississippi.

Mexico therefore represented a fundamental threatto the United States. In response, Jackson authorized acovert operation under Sam Houston to foment anuprising among American settlers in the Mexicandepartment of Texas with the aim of pushing Mexicofarther west. With its larger army, a Mexican thrust tothe Mississippi was not impossible - nor somethingthe Mexicans would necessarily avoid, as the risingUnited States threatened Mexican national security.

Mexico's strategic problem was the geographysouth of the Rio Grande (known in Mexico as the RioBravo). This territory consisted of desert andmountains. Settling this area with large populationswas impossible. Moving through it was difficult. As aresult, Texas was very lightly settled with Mexicans,prompting Mexico initially to encourage Americans tosettle there. Once a rising was fomented among theAmericans, it took time and enormous effort to send aMexican army into Texas. When it arrived, it wasweary from the journey and short of supplies. Theinsurgents were defeated at the Alamo and Goliad, butas the Mexicans pushed their line east toward theMississippi, they were defeated at San Jacinto, nearpresent-day Houston. The creation of an independent

Texas served American interests, relieving the threatto New Orleans and weakening Mexico. The final blowwas delivered under President James K Polk duringthe Mexican-American War, which (after the GadsdenPurchase) resulted in the modern US-Mexican border.That war severely weakened both the Mexican armyand Mexico City, which spent roughly the rest of thecentury stabilizing Mexico's original political order.

A Temporary Resolution

The US defeat of Mexico settled the issue of therelative power of Mexico and the United States but didnot permanently resolve the region's status; thatremained a matter of national power and will. TheUnited States had the same problem with much of theSouthwest (aside from California) that Mexico had: Itwas a relatively unattractive place economically, giventhat so much of it was inhospitable. The regionexperienced chronic labor shortages, relatively minorat first but accelerating over time. The acquisition ofrelatively low-cost labor became one of the drivers ofthe region's economy, and the nearest available laborpool was Mexico. An accelerating populationmovement out of Mexico and into the territory theUnited States seized from Mexico paralleled theregion's accelerating economic growth.

The United States and Mexico both saw this asmutually beneficial. From the American point of view,there was a perpetual shortage of low-cost, low-endlabor in the region. From the Mexican point of view,Mexico had a population surplus that the Mexicaneconomy could not readily metabolize. The inclinationof the United States to pull labor north was thusmatched by the inclination of Mexico to push that labornorth.

The Mexican government built its social policyaround the idea of exporting surplus labor - and asimportant, using remittances from immigrants to

stabilize the Mexican economy. The US government,however, wanted an outcome that was illegal under USlaw. At times, the federal government made exceptionsto the law. When it lacked the political ability to changethe law, the United States put limits on the resourcesneeded to enforce the law. The rest of the countrydidn't notice this process while the former Mexicanborderlands benefited from it economically. Therewere costs to the United States in this immigrantmovement, in healthcare, education and other areas,but business interests saw these as minor costs whileWashington saw them as costs to be borne by thestates.

Three fault lines emerged in United States on thetopic. One was between the business classes, whichbenefited directly from the flow of immigrants andcould shift the cost of immigration to other socialsectors, and those who did not enjoy those benefits.The second lay between the federal government,which saw the costs as trivial, and the states, whichsaw them as intensifying over time. And third, therewere tensions between Mexican-American citizensand other American citizens over the question ofillegal migrants. This inherently divisive, potentiallyexplosive mix intensified as the process continued.

Borderlands and the Geopolitics of Immigration

Underlying this political process was a geopoliticalone. Immigration in any country is destabilizing.Immigrants have destabilized the United States eversince the Scots-Irish changed American culture, takingpolitical power and frightening prior settlers. Thesame immigrants were indispensible to economicgrowth. Social and cultural instability proved a lowprice to pay for the acquisition of new labor.

That equation ultimately also works in the case ofMexican migrants, but there is a fundamentaldifference. When the Irish or the Poles or the South

Asians came to the United States, they were physicallyisolated from their homelands. The Irish might havewanted Roman Catholic schools, but in the end, theyhad no choice but to assimilate into the dominantculture. The retention of cultural hangovers did notretard basic cultural assimilation, given that they werefar from home and surrounded by other, very different,groups. This is the case for Mexican-Americans inChicago or Alaska, whether citizens, permanentresidents or illegal immigrants. In such locales, theyform a substantial but ultimately isolated group,surrounded by other, larger groups and generallyintegrated into the society and economy. Successrequires that subsequent generations follow the pathof prior immigrants and integrate. This is not the case,however, for Mexicans moving into the borderlandsconquered by the United States just as it is not thecase in other borderlands around the world. Immigrantpopulations in this region are not physically separatedfrom their homeland, but rather can be seen asculturally extending their homeland northward - in thiscase not into alien territory, but into historicallyMexican lands.

This is no different from what takes place inborderlands the world over. The political border movesbecause of war. Members of an alien populationsuddenly become citizens of a new country.Sometimes, massive waves of immigrants from thegroup that originally controlled the territory politicallymove there, undertaking new citizenship or refusing todo so. The cultural status of the borderland shiftsbetween waves of ethnic cleansing and populationmovement. Politics and economics mix, sometimespeacefully and sometimes explosively.

The Mexican-American War established thepolitical boundary between the two countries.Economic forces on both sides of the border haveencouraged both legal and illegal immigration northinto the borderland - the area occupied by the UnitedStates. The cultural character of the borderland isshifting as the economic and demographic processaccelerates. The political border stays where it is whilethe cultural border moves northward.

The underlying fear of those opposing this processis not economic (although it is frequently expressedthat way), but much deeper: It is the fear that themassive population movement will ultimately reversethe military outcome of the 1830s and 1840s, returningthe region to Mexico culturally or even politically. Suchborderland conflicts rage throughout the world. Thefear is that it will rage here.

The problem is that Mexicans are not seen in thetraditional context of immigration to the United States.As I have said, some see them as extending theirhomeland into the United States, rather than asleaving their homeland and coming to the UnitedStates. Moreover, by treating illegal immigration as anacceptable mode of immigration, a sense ofhelplessness is created, a feeling that the prior order ofsociety was being profoundly and illegally changed.

And finally, when those who express theseconcerns are demonized, they become radicalized. Thetension between Washington and Arizona - betweenthose who benefit from the migration and those whodon't - and the tension between Mexican-Americanswho are legal residents and citizens of the UnitedStates and support illegal immigration and non-Mexicans who oppose illegal immigration creates apotentially explosive situation.

Centuries ago, Scots moved to Northern Irelandafter the English conquered it. The question ofNorthern Ireland, a borderland, was never quitesettled. Similarly, Albanians moved to now-independent Kosovo, where tensions remain high.The world is filled with borderlands where political andcultural borders don't coincide and where one groupwants to change the political border that another groupsees as sacred.

Migration to the United States is a normal process.Migration into the borderlands from Mexico is not.The land was seized from Mexico by force, territorynow experiencing a massive national movement - legaland illegal - changing the cultural character of theregion. It should come as no surprise that this isdestabilizing the region, as instability naturally flowsfrom such forces. — Stratfor

Arizona, borderlandsand US-Mexican ties

Stephanie Cox (left) and Shelby Cox join hundreds during a rallyorganized by supporters of the new Arizona immigration law SB1070 atthe Arizona Capitol July 31, 2010 in Phoenix. — AP

The Last Airbender is M NightShyamalan’s controversialadaptation of the hugely popular

children’s TV series Avatar: The LastAirbender, set in a future world of fantasyin which civilisation has broken down andfour famous nations, based on the ancientelements of fire, water, earth and air,battle for supremacy. As the story begins,chaos reigns, but hope is rekindled by thediscovery of a 12-year-old boy, Aung, whohas been trapped in an iceberg for 100years. It turns out that he is an Avatar, abeing capable of bringing order to theworld (and nothing to do with JamesCameron’s giant blue smurfs). Unfortunately, the rapacious fire nation,

who have been doing rather well out ofchaos, are determined to ensure thefledgling messiah does not get to fulfil hisdestiny (don’t these guys ever learn?) Thefilm arrives in cinemas this weekend inthe UK, though it has been out for a whilein the US.

The buzzIt has been a long time since

Shyamalan was any sort of criticalfavourite, but the brickbats thrown at hislatest movie, supposedly a labour of loveand the first in a trilogy, would be enoughto end the Hollywood careers of mostfilm-makers. Not only has the movie beenroundly condemned for appalling specialeffects, a poorly executed 3D transfer anda confused and tepid narrative, butShyamalan has found himself at the centreof a rabid debate about Hollywood castingpractices after choosing white actors toplay the principal parts. Perhaps ratherinevitably, given that the TV series thatgave birth to it conjures up a culturaluniverse with a distinct air of the far eastabout it, various US groups have beenvocal in their rage.“To take this incredibly loved children’s

series, and really distort not only theethnicity of the individual characters butthe message of acceptance and culturaldiversity that the original seriesadvocated, is a huge blow,” complainedMichael Le of Racebending.com, a fan sitecalling for a boycott of the film.The Media Action Network for Asian-

Americans also urged people not to seethe movie, the first time it has made sucha public statement. “This was a greatopportunity to create new Asian-Americanstars ... I’m disappointed,” spat presidentGuy Aoki.

The bitchingThe critics, meanwhile, have been no

more kind. The film currently has a ratingof 8% “rotten” over on the reviewsaggregator site rottentomatoes.com,putting it on a par with some of the worst-received movies of the year. Mostreviewers have focused on Shyamalan’scasting faux pas, yet there is a sense thatthe film would have been an absolutestinker in any case.“The Last Airbender is an agonizing

experience in every category I can thinkof and others still waiting to be invented,”wrote Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times. “[Shyamalan’s] first inexplicablemistake was to change the races of theleading characters; on television Aang wasclearly Asian, and so were Katara andSokka, with perhaps Mongolian and Inuitgenes. Here they’re all whites. Thiscasting makes no sense because (1) It’s a

distraction for fans of the hugely popularTV series, and (2) all three actors arepretty bad.”“The dearth of racially appropriate

casting in the US simply means that fewerAsians were humiliated by appearing inwhat is surely the worst botch of a fantasyepic since Ralph Bakshi’s animateddesecration of The Lord of the Rings backin 1978,” wrote Time magazine’s RichardCorliss. “The actors who didn’t get to bein The Last Airbender are like thepassengers who arrived too late to catchthe final flight of the Hindenburg.”

The fawningAmazingly, there are a few critics out

there daring to break ranks. “Yeah, it’s kidstuff, and parents aren’t going to beenjoying any Pixar-style dual themes.This is strictly for the preteens who liketheir heroes young, their morals simpleand their villains clear,” wrote USA

Today’s Scott Bowles. “And Shyamalandelivers. Credit the director foremphasising the film’s multiple fightscenes, which crackle, particularly for akids’ movie. This could have played likeSpy Kids Know Kung Fu, but Ringer is areal martial arts prodigy, and co-star DevPatel (Slumdog Millionaire) trained formonths. It shows.”

The puntersRemarkably, The Last Airbender is

trending right now on Twitter, and itdoesn’t even seem to be one of thoserather dubious “sponsored” trends.Unfortunately, the vast majority of tweetsappear to be in Thai, so it’s hard to knowquite what the general reaction is.

The prognosisShyamalan’s film hasn’t yet managed to

break the $200m barrier worldwide,despite a production budget of $150m and

a rumoured promotional spend of another$130m, so a sequel seems unlikely. Thathasn’t stopped the film-maker talking uppart two as an apparently “darker”prospect.The thing is, darker is unlikely to help

here. The Last Airbender is a film so rifewith banal, expository dialogue and paper-thin characterisation that you can almostsee the clumsy screenwriting pokingthrough like varicose veins beneath theskin. It may have been filmed forchildren, but that is no excuse for theinfantile nature of the movie-makingprocess here: the original TV seriesoffered up a realm of magical fantasy onpaper far more enticing in its exoticmake-up than ... say ... Harry Potter, yetThe Last Airbender makes the mostwooden moments of that series seem aswell-executed as a perfectly performedRiddikulus spell. This is one Avatar withlittle spirit to guide it. —Guardian

Friday, August 13, 2010SPOTLIGHTPage 42

The Last Airbender: Racially dubious, or just not very good?

The bizarre casting of M Night Shyamalan’s new

fantasy epic has provoked a race row - but would it

have been a stinker in any case?

The photographic self-portrait is as old asphotography itself.

Likewise, the urge to camouflageor self-dramatise oneself in front ofthe camera. In 1840, HippolyteBayard portrayed himself as asuicide victim in a photographentitled Self Portrait as a DrownedMan. He was incensed at not beingaccorded the same kind of respectas his contemporary, Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre, and themorbid tableau was his response toan art establishment which, he felt,had overlooked his achievements.

In depicting himself in such amelodramatic fashion, Bayardbecame not only the firstphotographer to take a self-portrait, but a pioneer of the kindof obsessive self-dramatisation thathas come to define conceptualphotography in recent times. AutoFocus: The Self-Portrait inContemporary Photography is,depending on where you stand, afeast of elaborate photographicreinvention or further evidence ofthe paucity of real intellectualthought that underlies so muchconceptual practice.

Susan Bright, a curator as wellas a writer, begins by contrastingBayard’s pioneering self-portraitwith the artist Gavin Turk’s 1997Portrait of Something That I’llNever Really See, in which Turkturns his deadpan eye on his“dead” self. Eyes closed, headshaven, skin blotched and pallid,Turk certainly looks the part, butthe work is also, unconsciously orotherwise, about the death of thephotographer. Or as Bright puts it:“Although Turk conceptualised andauthored the self-portrait, he didnot actually ‘take’ the photographhimself.”

Bright’s book is structuredaround five somewhat hazy, oftenoverlapping, themes:autobiography, body, masquerade,studio and album, performance. Ineach, the notion of the self isstretched to an often absurddegree. Bright includes some well-known photographers - MartinParr, Boris Mikhailov, Nan Goldin -but many names will remainmysterious to anyone not engagedwith contemporary conceptual art.

They include the other NickCave, a Chicago-based sound-artist, the seriously disturbingZhang Huan from China, who, forone performance art piece,covered his body in raw meat andburrowed into the ground, as wellas a duo called My Little DeadDick, who met on the internetthrough a photosharing website,fell in love and now documenttheir life together in digitalimages. Their images are carefullyposed to look casual, a definingtrope of contemporaryphotography.

Sexuality, gender and culturalidentity are the other dominantthematic tropes. Both GillianWearing, a British artist, and HewLocke, a British-Guyanese one,

create elaborate disguises to hidebehind while shedding light ontheir respective societies. JemimaStehl’s self-portraits, in which she

strips in front of curators andcritics, are as much about thepredatory nature of thecontemporary art market as they

are about herself.As Autofocus shows, the urge

to turn the camera on oneself is asstrong today as it was in Bayard’s

age. The images may raise morequestions than they answer, butthey intrigue and provokenonetheless. —Guardian

Friday, August 13, 2010 SPOTLIGHT Page 43

Photography: Self-portraits as an art formSince the beginnings of photography, artists have

used the self-portrait to push the technical and

artistic boundaries of the medium

ACROSS1. A fatal disease of cattle that affects the central nervous system.4. High quality grape brandy distilled in the Cognac district of France.10. The unit of frequency.13. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into theRhine.14. National capital of Kiribati.15. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.16. A small pellet fired from an air rifle or BB gun.18. Having made preparations.19. Loose or flaccid body fat.20. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with veg-etables.22. A member of an American Indian people of Yucatan and Belize andGuatemala who once had a culture characterized by outstanding archi-tecture and pottery and astronomy.24. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.25. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.27. Light informal conversation for social occasions.29. A quantity of no importance.30. Jordan's port.33. Not only so, but.35. A small cake leavened with yeast.39. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.40. A federation of North American labor unions that merged with theCongress of Industrial Organizations in 1955.42. One who works hard at boring tasks.44. A federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed atreducing pollution and protecting the environment.45. A unit of weight equivalent to 1000 kilograms.47. An international organization of European countries formed afterWorld War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation amongits members.48. A public promotion of some product or service.51. Joint capital (with Riyadh) of Saudi Arabia.55. Long-tailed brilliantly colored parrot of Central and South America.57. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.58. (in Scotland) A child.59. Fungus used in the preparation of punk for fuses.62. Psychoactive substance present in marijuana.63. Greek mythology.66. The basic unit of money on Malta.67. 10 hao equal 1 dong.68. Grind together, of teeth.69. (cosmology) The original matter that (according to the big bang the-ory) existed before the formation of the chemical elements.

DOWN1. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds.2. A fencing sword with a v-shaped blade and a slightly curved handle.3. A trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group.4. A New England state.5. An awkward stupid person.6. Pasture grass of plains of South America and western NorthAmerica.7. Submerged aquatic plant having narrow leaves and small flowers.8. Having awns i.e. bristle- or hair-like appendages on the floweringparts of some cereals and grasses.9. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

Friday, August 13, 2010Page 44

Word SleuthSolution

Yesterday’s Solution

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51

Yesterday’s Solution

10. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yield-ing a durable timber and resinous juice.11. A series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished.12. A island in the Netherlands Antilles that is the top of an extinct vol-cano.17. A region of Malaysia in northeastern Borneo.21. Obvious and dull.23. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).26. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.28. A state in northwestern North America.31. (Scotland) A small loaf or roll of soft bread.32. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.34. A newt in its terrestrial stage of development.36. Having the leading position or higher score in a contest.37. An indehiscent fruit derived from a single ovary having one or manyseeds within a fleshy wall or pericarp.38. A radioactive element of the actinide series.41. The display of motion picture.42. An awkward stupid person.43. A Bantu language spoken by the Kamba people in Kenya.46. South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates.49. In a sincere and heartfelt manner.50. Small tropical American tree bearing edible plumlike fruit.52. Applying to ordinary citizens.53. (in Indian English) The number that is represented as a one fol-lowed by 7 zeros.54. A communist state in Indochina on the South China Sea.56. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).60. Airtight sealed metal container for food or drink or paint etc..61. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.64. An informal term for a father.65. A radioactive transuranic element produced by bombarding plutoni-um with neutrons.

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 45

COUNTRY CODES

Afghanistan 0093Albania 00355Algeria 00213Andorra 00376Angola 00244Anguilla 001264Antiga 001268Argentina 0054Armenia 00374Australia 0061Austria 0043Bahamas 001242Bahrain 00973Bangladesh 00880Barbados 001246Belarus 00375Belgium 0032Belize 00501Benin 00229Bermuda 001441Bhutan 00975Bolivia 00591Bosnia 00387Botswana 00267Brazil 0055Brunei 00673Bulgaria 00359Burkina 00226Burundi 00257Cambodia 00855Cameroon 00237Canada 001Cape Verde 00238Cayman Islands 001345Central African Republic 00236Chad 00235Chile 0056China 0086Colombia 0057Comoros 00269Congo 00242Cook Islands 00682Costa Rica 00506Croatia 00385Cuba 0053Cyprus 00357Cyprus (Northern) 0090392Czech Republic 00420Denmark 0045Diego Garcia 00246Djibouti 00253Dominica 001767Dominican Republic 001809Ecuador 00593Egypt 0020El Salvador 00503England (UK) 0044Equatorial Guinea 00240Eritrea 00291Estonia 00372Ethiopia 00251Falkland Islands 00500Faroe Islands 00298Fiji 00679Finland 00358France 0033French Guiana 00594French Polynesia 00689Gabon 00241Gambia 00220Georgia 00995Germany 0049Ghana 00233Gibraltar 00350Greece 0030Greenland 00299Grenada 001473Guadeloupe 00590Guam 001671Guatemala 00502Guinea 00224Guyana 00592Haiti 00509Holland (Netherlands) 0031Honduras 00504Hong Kong 00852Hungary 0036Ibiza (Spain) 0034Iceland 00354India 0091Indian Ocean 00873Indonesia 0062Iran 0098Iraq 00964Ireland 00353Italy 0039Ivory Coast 00225Jamaica 001876Japan 0081Jordan 00962Kazakhstan 007Kenya 00254Kiribati 00686Kuwait 00965

Kyrgyzstan 00996Laos 00856Latvia 00371Lebanon 00961Liberia 00231Libya 00218Lithuania 00370Luxembourg 00352Macau 00853Macedonia 00389Madagascar 00261Majorca 0034Malawi 00265Malaysia 0060Maldives 00960Mali 00223Malta 00356Marshall Islands 00692Martinique 00596Mauritania 00222Mauritius 00230Mayotte 00269Mexico 0052Micronesia 00691Moldova 00373Monaco 00377Mongolia 00976Montserrat 001664Morocco 00212Mozambique 00258Myanmar (Burma) 0095Namibia 00264Nepal 00977Netherlands (Holland) 0031Netherlands Antilles 00599New Caledonia 00687New Zealand 0064Nicaragua 00505Nigar 00227Nigeria 00234Niue 00683Norfolk Island 00672Northern Ireland (UK) 0044North Korea 00850Norway 0047Oman 00968Pakistan 0092Palau 00680Panama 00507Papua New Guinea 00675Paraguay 00595Peru 0051Philippines 0063Poland 0048Portugal 00351Puerto Rico 001787Qatar 00974Romania 0040Russian Federation 007Rwanda 00250Saint Helena 00290Saint Kitts 001869Saint Lucia 001758Saint Pierre 00508Saint Vincent 001784Samoa US 00684Samoa West 00685San Marino 00378Sao Tone 00239Saudi Arabia 00966Scotland (UK) 0044Senegal 00221Seychelles 00284Sierra Leone 00232Singapore 0065Slovakia 00421Slovenia 00386Solomon Islands 00677Somalia 00252South Africa 0027South Korea 0082Spain 0034Sri Lanka 0094Sudan 00249Suriname 00597Swaziland 00268Sweden 0046Switzerland 0041Syria 00963Taiwan 00886Tanzania 00255Thailand 0066Toga 00228Tonga 00676Tokelau 00690Trinidad 001868Tunisia 00216Turkey 0090Tuvalu 00688Uganda 00256Ukraine 00380United Arab Emirates 00976United Kingdom 0044Uruguay 00598

Taur us (Apr i l 20-May 20)When they say "Go with the flow,"what "flow" are they talking about?Do they mean the flow of yourearly childhood conditioning? The

flow of your friends' opinions? The latest culturaltrends? Your immediate instinctual needs? Whenthey say "Go with the flow," are they urging you tokeep doing what's easiest to do and what will winyou the most ego points, even if it keeps you frombeing true to your soul's code? I'm here to ask youto consider the possibility that there are many flowsto go with, but only one of them is correct for youright now. And in my opinion, it is flowing in anunderground cavern, far from the maddening crowd.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGYAries (March 21-April 19) WhenI studied method acting with DavidMamet, he taught us to developsuch a vivid imagination that wecould taste the pretend coffee that

we drank out of an imaginary cup. We'd feel the heftof the cup in our hand and the steamy heat rising.We'd hallucinate the bitterly flavorful smell, and themuscles of our face would move the way they mightif we were sipping the real thing. Pop star Lady Gagadidn't work with Mamet while she was maturing asan actress, but she got similar teachings. Recently,she told New York magazine that she can "feel therain, when it's not raining." And more than that: "I canactually mentally give myself an orgasm." If you thinkthat you will ever want to have that strong an imagi-nation, Aries, now is a good time to start workingtoward that goal.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)"There would not be such a thingas counterfeit gold if there were noreal gold somewhere," says a Sufiproverb. Why am I bringing this to

your attention at this particular moment in your lifestory? Here's the bad news: You're in possession ofsome counterfeit gold that you think is authentic.Here's the good news: Within a short time after wak-ing up to the truth about the fake stuff, you willlocate the real thing.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)Here's a thought from theCancerian philosopher GastonBachelard: "He who listens to the

singing of the stream cannot be expected tounderstand the one who hears the singing ofthe flame: They do not speak the same lan-guage." While I mostly agree with that poeticformulation, I think you're about to be a tempo-rary exception to the rule. Normally you areacutely attuned to the singing of the stream;your skill at reading its nuances are supremeamong the zodiac. But I expect that in the com-ing days, you will not only have the power toappreciate the song of the fire; you'll even beable to empathize with and understand peoplewho are entranced by the song of the fire.

Leo (July 23-August 22)Paul, a fortune-telling octopusin Oberhausen, Germany, hadan amazing run of success pre-dicting the results of World

Cup competitions a while back. His technique?His handlers gave him a succession of choicesbetween two tasty morsels, each representingone of the teams in a given match. The treat hepicked to eat was the team whose victory heprophesied. I wish I could access his expertiseto help me sort out your upcoming decisions.It's really important that you not over-think thepossibilities, but rather rely on simple gut reac-tions. Why don't you pretend you're an octopus,and imagine that each choice you have to makeis symbolized by some food item. Ask yourself,"Which is yummiest?"

Virgo (August 23-September 22)Lewis Carroll's sequel to Alice'sAdventures in Wonderland was Throughthe Looking Glass. As he wrote it, heinvited his illustrator John Tenniel tooffer editorial advice. In response,Tenniel tactfully suggested that Lewis

cut out a certain chapter. Lewis agreed, and so thestory, as we read it today, doesn't include Alice'smeeting with a grumbling wasp who wore a brightyellow wig that sat disheveled on its head like aclump of seaweed. Think of me as your version ofTenniel, Virgo. As you finish up your labor of love,consider following my recommendation to omit thepart that resembles a wasp in a wig.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) I recommendthat you enjoy an abundance ofrecreational time in the comingdays, Sagittarius. But I hope

that you will favor a rigorous physical challengeover lying lazily on the beach. I hope that you willread great literature instead of mass marketpaperbacks, and that you'll attend a brain-bendingworkshop rather than being a spectator at asports event. Catch my drift, Sagittarius? Say yesto embarking on a vision quest that scares thefear out of you and pumps up your spiritual ambi-tion; say no to wasting away in a puddle of slug-gish, circuitous daydreaming.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Sixty-nine per-cent of conservatives thinkthat hell is a real place, and

over half of all liberals do. Shocking! In myastrological opinion, believing in hell wouldgrossly interfere with your ability to know thetruth about your life right now. So would anirrational fear of failure, an obsession with ene-mies, or a tendency to define yourself in oppo-sition to bad stuff. Here's the alternative: Tothrive, all you have to do is accentuate whatyou love, identify what you want, and focus onrewards.

Aquarius (January 20-February 18) This is an excel-lent time for you to get moreconscious and proactive aboutwhat images you bring into yourlife and surround yourself with.It's always important to monitorthe pictures flowing into yourimagination, of course, but it's

especially crucial right now. Your mental and phys-ical health are unusually dependent on it. Soplease do yourself a big favor and gaze upon asmuch uplifting beauty as you can. Favor gardensover garbage dumps, soaring vistas over stripmalls, interesting faces over scowling mugs.

Pisces (February 19-March20) Every year smokers tossaway over four trillion cigarettebutts, fouling the environment

terribly. But recently a few Chinese scientistsembarked on the seemingly impossible projectof finding value in this noxious waste.Collecting up big piles of discarded filters, theydeveloped a process to extract chemicals thatare effective at preventing corrosion whenapplied to steel pipes. Your assignment, Pisces,is to accomplish a comparable miracle: Turnsome dreck or dross into a useful thing; discov-er a blessing in the trash; build a new dreamusing the ruins of an old pleasure.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)The film Avatar hammers out such vehe-ment anti-military, anti-capitalist, and anti-imperialist themes that it could have beenendorsed by the leftist rock band RageAgainst the Machine. And yet it's the

highest-grossing film in the history of the world. Onecritic marveled at its popularity in even the most con-servative areas of America, noting that it got "a the-ater full of people in Kentucky to stand and applaudthe defeat of their country in war." Your assignment inthe coming week is to do what Avatar has done: Tryto make sure that your opponents and skeptics areentertained by your message -- maybe even excitedand intrigued.

Libra (September 23-October22) If you and I were sitting faceto face and I asked you, "What arethe most important lessons you've

learned these last 11 months?", what would youtell me? I think you need this type of experience:an intense and leisurely conversation with a goodlistener you trust -- someone who will encourageyou to articulate the major developments in yourlife since your last birthday. Here are some otherqueries I'd pose: 1. How have you changed? 2.What long-term process needs to come to a cli-max? 3. What "school" are you ready to graduatefrom? (And by "school" I mean any situation thathas been a hotbed of learning for you.)

Friday, august 13, 2010Page 46 what's on

Embassy information

EMBASSy OF USThe United StatesDepartment of Stateannounces theincrease in variousvisa fees to ensuresufficient resources

to cover the increasing cost of processingnonimmigrant visas (NIVs). US lawrequires the Department to recover thecost of processing non-immigrant visasthrough the collection of the applicationfees. The increased fees are to take effectJune 4, 2010. Under the new rule,applicants for all visas that are not petition-based, including B1/B2 tourist andbusiness visitor visas and all student andexchange-visitor visas, will pay a fee of$140. Applicants for petition-based visaswill pay an application fee of $150, as eachof the below categories requires a reviewof extensive documentation and a more in-depth interview of the applicant than othercategories, 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 abilityP visa for athletes, artists and entertainers Q visa for international cultural exchangevisitors R visa for religious occupations The application fee for K visas forfiance(e)s of US citizens will be $350. Thefee for E visas for treaty-traders andtreaty-investors will be $390.

EMBASSY OF INDIA

The Embassy ofIndia has furtherrevamped andimproved its LegalAdvice Clinic at theIndian WorkersWelfare Center, and

made the free service available to Indiannationals on all five working days, i.e. fromSunday to Thursday every week. Kuwaitilawyers would be available at the LegalAdvice Clinic daily from Monday toThursday, while Indian lawyers would beavailable on Sundays. Following are the freewelfare services provided at the IndianWorkers Welfare Center located at theEmbassy of India: [i] 24x7 Helpline forDomestic Workers: Accessible by toll freetelephone no. 25674163 from anywhere inKuwait, it provides information and adviceexclusively to Indian domestic sectorworkers (Visa No. 20) as regards theirgrievances, immigration and other matters.[ii] Help Desk: It offers guidance to Indiannationals on routine immigration,employment, legal, and other issues(Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iii)Labour Complaints Desk: It registers laborcomplaints and provides grievance redressalservice to Indian workers (Embassypremises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iv) Shelters: Forfemale and male domestic workers indistress; (v) Legal Advice Clinic: Providesfree legal advice to Indian nationals(Embassy premises; Kuwaiti lawyers 3 PMto 5 PM, Monday to Thursday; Indianlawyers 2 PM to 4 PM on Sunday); and (vi)Attestation of Work Contracts: Privatesector worker (Visa No. 18) contracts areaccepted at the Embassy; 9 AM to 1 PM;Sunday to Thursday; Domestic sectorworker (Visa No. 20) contracts areaccepted at Kuwait Union of DomesticLabor Offices (KUDLO), Hawally, Al-Othman Street, Kurd Roundabout, Al-AbrajComplex, Office No 9, Mezzanine Floor; 9AM to 9 PM, Saturday to Thursday; 5 PMto 9 PM on Friday.

Indian Independence Day On the occasion of the Independence Dayof India, a flag-hoisting ceremony will takeplace at the Indian Embassy premises onArabian Gulf Street at 7 am on Sunday,August 15, 2010. The flag hoisting will befollowed by the reading of the message ofthe President of India and singing ofpatriotic songs. All Indian nationals arecordially invited to attend the function.The customary Open House Receptionafter the ceremony is not being held thisyear in view of the holy month ofRamadan.

EMBASSy OF KOrEA“The Embassy of theRepublic of Korea to theState of Kuwait and itsconsular section will beclosed on Sunday,August 15, 2010 on the

occasion of the National Liberation Day.”

EMBASSy OF AUSTrAliAThe AustralianEmbassy will be closedon Sunday the 15th ofAugust for a publicholiday.

EMBASSy OF BANGlADESHThe Embassy of thePeople’s Republic ofBangladesh in Kuwaitwill follow thefollowing office hoursduring the holy month

of Ramadan. Sunday to Thursday: 09:00 -3:00 pm. Friday and Saturday: Weeklyholidays.

EMBASSy OF PAKiSTANA flag hoistingceremony will be heldat the Embassy ofIslamic Republic ofPakistan on Saturday,August 14, 2010 at 8

am to commemorate the IndependenceDay of Pakistan. All Pakistanis arecordially invited to attend the ceremony.During the holy month of Ramadan Al-Karim the office timings, of the Embassyof Islamic Republic of Pakistan will befrom 8 am to 2 pm. The consular serviceswould also be available during the officehours.

EMBASSY OF turkEY

The Embassy of theRepublic of Turkeyannounces thatTurkish languagecourse will restart atthe Embassy’s

Tourism, Culture and Information Office 4October 2010. The lessons will be held onMondays and Wednesdays from 6:00 -8:00 pm. For further details andregistration please contact. * TheEmbassy at Tel: 22531785 (only from 9am to 3 pm) * Or fill the application formon http://kuweyt.befscnet.net and send itto the e-mail:Turkish_embassy_Kuwait@hotmail.com

EMBASSy OF THAilANDAll foreigners whoapply for Tourist Visaat the Royal ThaiEmbassies and theRoyal Thai ConsulateGeneral worldwide,

including eligible foreigners who apply forVisa on arrival at designated checkpoints,will be exempted from tourist visa feesuntil 31 March 2011. Such arrangement isfor Tourist Visa only.

PABAK tourney: The PABAK organizingcommittee would like to announce theopening of the PABAK/Western Union24th Conference Basketball Tournamentin the second week of August 2010.Registration in the following categories:Open 5’9” & under, non-leaguers,veterans and inter-company, is now goingon at the Kuwait Sports Club for theDisabled gym in Hawally every Friday,through email at: rodcerezo@yahoo.com;or call: 6668954. Early entries: IKEA,Kuwait Cement Co, Wataniya AW,Unisteel, POLO and Caboria Restaurant.

Sept 17

Onam Fest 2010: ‘Vanithavedi Kuwait’ aleading women’s association will becelebrating Onam on Friday, Sept 17,2010, from 9 am - 6 pm at the IndianCommunity School, Khaitan Branch, theprogram named as ‘OnamFest 2010’ willhave the public meeting followed byvarious cultural programs. The traditionalOnasadya will be served. For thesuccessful conduct of Onam Fest 2010, aprogram committee has been formed. DrVasanthy Nair (general convenor),Valsamma George, Dr Mary (JointConvenors), Prasanna Ramabhadran (Artsconvenor), Tolly Prakash (Foodconvenor), Shiny Ajith (Raffle convenor),

Sumathy Babu (Souvenir convenor), ValsaSam (Publicity convenor), SyamalaNarayanan, (Reception convenor),Sharlette Albert (Volunteer captain). Formore details, contact: 24342807,66428433, 66596625, 24331598.

Theater & Music

All level music classes: ‘Treasure ofTalents’ (est in 1992) music educationprogram invites all level music classes onpiano, theory of music, vocal, flute.Academic Level teachers help prepare forinternational exams, children concerts,yearly ‘Treasure of Talents’ Festival andmusic competitions. Contact Prof Cezary,Tel. 25320427, 66549009 of Ms Yasmeene- Berlitz Institute Tel: 22542212.22512533 or email:treasureoftalents@yahoo.comtreasureoftalents@hotmail.com

���

Call to classical music lovers: Are youa lover of music? Would you like topromote the traditional Indian classicalmusic in Kuwait? If your answer is in theaffirmative, please write ton more detailsto music_karnatic@yahoo.co. in (that is,music underscore karnatic) with yourcontact details or call 7978286.

FAST Shoot: Filipino Action ShootingTeam (FAST) officials, with the support ofGen. Ahmmed Al Saleem would like toinvite everyone to their Fun Shoot everyTuesday from 17:00-21:00 hours. Fordetails contact: Butch Alinea 99816563,Danny San Juan 99540595 Carlos Gutierrez97270371 and FAST Adviser MannyCornelio 66737298.

���FPSC Fun Shoot session: The

Filipino Practical Shooting Club (FPSC) isinviting its members and non-memberswho are gun sports enthusiast to join us

every Thursday at 17:00 hours to 21:00hours (5 pm to 9 pm) for a fun shoot inpractical shooting target continues FPSCwill hold a sanction tournament for thePhilippine Practical Shooting Association(PPSA) as a requirement for the clubaffiliation for the year 20l0. All FPSC/PPSAmembers are obliged to participate in thesedisciplines. For particulars, please call thefollowing officers: Tony 66600481, Eric99570689, Jovi 66742419, Rommel66850748, Dadz 66634012, Sunny99545917, Joseph 99517467, Ramon97433824, Ramir 99629631.

Sports

Announcements

Navathara bids farewell to Vincent Thomas

NVATHARA Arts and Cu1turalAssociation bid farewell to Mrs andMr Vincent K Thomas, working

committee member of NAVATHARA, onJuly 23, 2010 as they intend to completethe expatriate (a period of almost 27years) life in Kuwait and returninghomeland for good. Vincent K Thomas haddedicated his precious time to for social,arts and cultural activities during histenure in Kuwait and as a token ofNAVATHARA’s appreciation andrecognition of his good and longstanding

services, he was honored by the membersand a sift was presented to him.The meeting was presided by

President PA Menon, while GeorgeChacko, General Secretary welcomed thegathering, Jacob Pynadath, Workingcommittee chairman, Binu K John, MrsBirni K John, Joy Thumpassery, AntonyMuricken, MJ John remembered VincentK Thomas of his services, dedications andfacilitated. C K Kurian thanked thegathering and wished Mr. Vincent all thebest for the future.

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 47

Al Omooma Hospital holds seminar on the ‘Importance of proper nutrition during pregnancy’

“Eating the right foodthroughout pregnancy,and even a few months

before pregnancy, is essential toensure the proper health of boththe mother and child.” “When itcomes to eating healthy duringpregnancy, what type of food youeat is more important than, howmuch food you eat.” “What youneed to eat and what you will wantto eat will change during eachtrimester of pregnancy.” “Age,physical, psychological and medicalconditions that require their ownspecific diets all have a bearingwhen it comes to ensuring healthof the baby and mother duringpregnancy.” These were some ofthe remarks made by LaylaHussain Agha, a leading dieticianand specialist in gestationaldietetics in Kuwait. Layla wasspeaking before a large gatheringof ladies at a seminar entitled,‘Importance of proper nutritionduring Pregnancy’, arranged by AlOmooma Hospital, the premiermaternity and child-care hospital inKuwait.

Beginning her seminar, thespecialist nutritionist explainedthat it was just as important forpregnant ladies to consult theirdietician as it was for them toconsult their doctor or nurse. Infact, it is important for the three,doctor, nurse and dietician to workas an integrated team to ensurethat a successful pregnancy ensuesand that the baby and mothercontinue to enjoy good health.“Remember, while you arepregnant, you are eating for two.Your baby depends on the food youeat for its growth anddevelopment. And you, too, willfeel better if you pay closeattention to your diet and followthe recommendations of yourdoctor and dietician.”

“As soon as you start thinkingabout having a baby, you shouldstart thinking about what you eat,”said the Nutritionist. “You need tobegin eating foods that are rich invitamins and minerals, eating fromthe five major food groups andbalancing your meals. Once youbecome pregnant then goodnutrition should be a priority inorder to provide the right nutrientsimportant to your baby’s growthand to your own well-being,” addedLayla. While nutritional needs willchange during the differenttrimesters of pregnancy andprevailing physical conditions,medical ailments and tolerance foreating will determine what dietyou follow, there are some generalguidelines that will be important tofollow throughout the nine months.For starters, these include eating abalanced meal, making sure not toskip meals, and eliminatingcaffeine and drinking plenty ofwater.

Layla, who has proficiency indietetics and is an ardent trainer ofyoung dieticians, is specialized inailments related to pregnancy,including gestational diabetes,gestational hypertension as well aspediatric and geriatric nutrition.The doctor who considers dieteticsa passion, is determined toincrease awareness among the

public about the role of a dieticianand the critical role they play inensuring a proper diet that can leadto a healthy life. “People are notaware that a lot of illnesses thatthey suffer from can be cured, ormitigated to a large extent, simplythrough realigning their diet. Aqualified dietician, after a thoroughexamination of the patient, canrecommend curtailing some foodor consuming others, which, alongwith a proper lifestyle, can help aperson lead a healthy life,” said thespecialist.

During the seminar, thenutritionist elaborated on how toprepare and eat balanced andhealthy meals while highlightingthe major problems associated withpregnancy, including morningsickness, gestational hypertensionand gestational diabetes. Layla wenton to speak of the different dietaryrequirements during the threetrimesters and weight gainsassociated with each period. Whiledetailing the importance of properexercise during the pregnancyperiod she stressed that during thefirst trimester women should notengage in any form of strenuousexercise other than walking. Laylaalso spoke of the importance offamily support during pregnancy,especially during bouts of severemood swings that can accompanythe period.

Detailing some of the essentialelements in a proper healthy dietduring the nine-month period ofpregnancy, Layla said: Calcium isone of the most important mineralsthat need to significantly increaseduring pregnancy. Folic acid, whichhelps in the development of thefetal brain and spine, is another

essential element for a healthybaby. It is especially importantduring early pregnancy when manywomen do not even know that theyare expecting. Protein is anotherelement the intake of which shouldbe increased during pregnancy.

During the first trimester one ofthe main nutritional concerns maybe battling morning sickness, whichcould be subdued to some extent byeating small meals frequently andmunching on salty snacks. Duringthe second three months ofpregnancy,mothers shouldcontinue to eat awell-balanceddiet and increasethe calorie intakeper day. Theseextra caloriesshould primarilycome fromprotein that couldagain be added todiet as healthysnacksthroughout theday. In the finalthree monthsbefore deliverythe weight of thebaby will morethan triple. Formothers thismeans feelingfuller faster.However, it isstill necessary toeat a well-balanced dietwith sufficientcalories. The bestway to do this isto eat smalleramounts of food

more often. Picking a variety ofhealthy snacks that will supply theneeded nutrients is a good way togo about this.

Concluding her seminar, Layladeplored the lack of transparencywhen it came to advertisingnutritional services. She stressedthat only qualified people should beentrusted to offering advice on diet.Lack of proper guidelines withregard to certification means thateven a person who reads a book onnutrition can claim to be an expert

nutritionist. Layla imploredmothers to be aware of thedifference when it comes tochoosing the right person to advisethem on their dietary needs duringpregnancy, which is undoubtedlythe most critical period in theirlives. Meanwhile, Al OmoomaHospital emphasized that they willcontinue to conduct regulareducational seminars aimed atimproving societal health-care andincreasing awareness among thepublic.

Page 48 Friday, August 13, 2010CLASSIFIEDS

Arrival Flights on Friday 13/08/2010Airlines Flt Route TimeWataniya Airways 188 Bahrain 00:30Tunis Air 327 Tunis/Dubai 00:35Kuwait 544 Cairo 00:50Wataniya Airways 306 Cairo 00:50Wataniya Airways 434 Damascus 00:55Middle East 408 Beirut 01:05Gulf Air 211 Bahrain 01:05Jazeera 187 Dubai 01:10Pakistan 215 Karachi 01:15Turkish 772 Istanbul 01:15Ethiopian 620 Addis Ababa 01:45Air Arabia Egypt 551 Alexandria 02:00Egypt Air 614 Cairo 02:05Jazeera 267 Beirut 02:10DHL 370 Bahrain 02:15Emirates 853 Dubai 02:25Jazeera 513 Sharm El Sheikh 02:30Wataniya Airways 322 Sharm El Sheikh 02:35Etihad 305 Abu Dhabi 02:55Qatari 138 Doha 03:20Jazeera 241 Amman 03:20Air France 6770 Paris 04:50Jazeera 503 Luxor 05:50Jazeera 527 Alexandria 06:20British 157 London 06:30Kuwait 416 Jakarta/Kuala Lumpur 06:35Kuwait 206 Islamabad 07:15Kuwait 302 Mumbai 07:50Fly Dubai 053 Dubai 07:55Kuwait 676 Dubai 08:00Kuwait 352 Cochin 08:05Kuwait 286 Chittagong 08:05Kuwait 284 Dhaka 08:10Kuwait 362 Colombo 08:20Emirates 855 Dubai 08:25Arabia 121 Sharjah 08:40Qatari 132 Doha 09:00Etihad 301 Abu Dhabi 09:25Iran Air 619 Lar 10:40Gulf Air 213 Bahrain 10:45Wataniya Airways 182 Bahrain 10:45Middle East 404 Beirut 10:50Wataniya Airways 102 Dubai 11:05Jazeera 165 Dubai 11:15India Express 815 Mangalore/Doha 11:35Yemenia 825 Sanaa 12:00Jazeera 171 Dubai 12:40Gulf Air 219 Bahrain 12:50Egypt Air 610 Cairo 12:55Jazeera 457 Damascus 13:10Kuwait 672 Dubai 13:15Wataniya Airways 432 Damascus 13:35United 982 Washington DC Dulles 13:35Jordanian 800 Amman 13:35Fly Dubai 057 Dubai 13:50Jazeera 257 Beirut 14:05Wataniya Airways 422 Amman 14:10Kuwait 552 Damascus 14:35Kuwait 744 Dammam 14:40Jazeera 481 Sabiha 14:40Qatari 134 Doha 15:05Kuwait 546 Alexandria 15:30Mihin 403 Colombo/Dubai 16:40Jazeera 427 Bahrain 16:50Etihad 303 Abu Dhabi 16:50Emirates 857 Dubai 16:55Gulf Air 215 Bahrain 17:15Wataniya Airways 402 Beirut 17:15Saudia 510 Riyadh 17:20Jazeera 239 Amman 17:40Arabia 125 Sharjah 17:40Jazeera 367 Deirezzor 17:55Srilankan 227 Colombo/Dubai 18:00Wataniya Airways 304 Cairo 18:35

Kuwait 166 Paris/Rome 18:40Wataniya Airways 106 Dubai 18:45Kuwait 502 Beirut 18:50Kuwait 542 Cairo 18:50Kuwait 618 Doha 19:00Jazeera 497 Riyadh 19:00Jazeera 177 Dubai 19:05Kuwait 614 Bahrain 19:20Kuwait 674 Dubai 19:20Kuwait 774 Riyadh 19:25Kuwait 102 New York/London 19:25Indian 575 Chennai/Goa 19:30Kuwait 562 Amman 19:40Nas Air 745 Jeddah 20:00Fly Dubai 061 Dubai 20:05Middle East 402 Beirut 20:10Kuwait 1502 Beirut 20:25Rovos 081 Baghdad 20:30Jet A/L 572 Mumbai 20:30Saudia 506 Jeddah 20:35Wataniya Airways 642 Vienna 20:45Wataniya Airways 404 Beirut 20:50Kuwait 786 Jeddah 20:50Wataniya Airways 632 Rome 21:00DHL 372 Bahrain 21:00Gulf Air 217 Bahrain 21:05Jazeera 459 Damascus 21:15Qatari 136 Doha 21:35United 981 Bahrain 21:55Emirates 859 Dubai 22:00Lufthansa 636 Frankfurt 22:30Jazeera 185 Dubai 22:40Jazeera 429 Bahrain 22:45Egypt Air 612 Cairo 22:55Shaheen Air 441 Lahore/Karachi 23:00KLM 0447 Amsterdam/Bahrain 23:10Egypt Air 606 Luxor 23:15Bulgaria Air 777 Bourgas 23:50Wataniya Airways 108 Dubai 23:55

Departure Flights on Friday 13/08/2010Airlines Flt Route TimeEgypt Air 607 Luxor 00:15Bangladesh 044 Dhaka 00:15Lufthansa 637 Frankfurt 00:50Indian 982 Ahmedabad/Hyderabad/Chennai 01:05Pakistan 206 Lahore 01:10Tunis Air 328 Tunis 01:25Turkish 773 Istanbul 02:15Pakistan 216 Karachi 02:30Air Arabia Egypt 552 Alexandria 02:40Egypt Air 615 Cairo 03:05DHL 371 Bahrain 03:15Emirates 854 Dubai 03:45Etihad 306 Abu Dhabi 04:00Qatari 139 Doha 05:00Wataniya Airways 101 Dubai 06:50Jazeera 480 Sabiha 07:00Air France 6770 Dubai/Hong Kong 06:20Jazeera 164 Dubai 07:05Jazeera 456 Damascus 07:45Gulf Air 212 Bahrain 07:45Wataniya Airways 181 Bahrain 07:50Jazeera 256 Beirut 08:05Wataniya Airways 431 Damascus 08:10British 156 London 08:25Jazeera 170 Dubai 08:30Kuwait 545 Alexandria 08:35Fly Dubai 054 Dubai 08:40Kuwait 177 Frankfurt/Geneva 08:55Kuwait 671 Dubai 09:00Kuwait 117 New York 09:05Wataniya Airways 421 Amman 09:10Kuwait 551 Damascus 09:10Arabia 122 Sharjah 09:20Wataniya Airways 631 Rome 09:30

Emirates 856 Dubai 09:40Wataniya Airways 641 Vienna 09:45Qatari 133 Doha 10:00Etihad 302 Abu Dhabi 10:10Wataniya Airways 401 Beirut 11:35Gulf Air 214 Bahrain 11:35Iran Air 618 Lar 11:40Middle East 405 Beirut 11:50Wataniya Airways 303 Cairo 11:50Kuwait 743 Dammam 11:55Kuwait 541 Cairo 12:00Jazeera 238 Amman 12:10Jazeera 366 Deirezzor 12:15India Express 816 Bahrain/Mangalore 12:25Kuwait 103 London 12:30Kuwait 501 Beirut 13:00Yemenia 825 Doha/Sanaa 13:00Gulf Air 220 Bahrain 13:55Jazeera 426 Bahrain 13:55Egypt Air 611 Cairo 13:55Kuwait 1501 Beirut 14:25Wataniya Airways 105 Dubai 14:30Jordanian 801 Amman 14:30Kuwait 561 Amman 14:35Fly Dubai 058 Dubai 14:35United 982 Bahrain 14:50Jazeera 176 Dubai 14:55Kuwait 673 Dubai 15:10Wataniya Airways 403 Beirut 15:10Kuwait 785 Jeddah 15:20Kuwait 617 Doha 15:35Jazeera 496 Riyadh 15:35Jazeera 458 Damascus 15:50Kuwait 773 Riyadh 16:05Qatari 135 Doha 16:20Kuwait 613 Bahrain 16:20Rovos 082 Baghdad 17:00Etihad 304 Abu Dhabi 17:35Mihin 404 Dubai/Colombo 17:40Wataniya Airways 305 Cairo 18:05Gulf Air 216 Bahrain 18:05Emirates 858 Dubai 18:05Arabia 126 Sharjah 18:20Jazeera 184 Dubai 18:30Saudia 511 Riyadh 18:35Srilankan 228 Dubai/Colombo 19:10Wataniya Airways 407 Beirut 19:25Wataniya Airways 107 Dubai 19:40Jazeera 428 Bahrain 19:50Jazeera 266 Beirut 20:10Kuwait 361 Colombo 20:20Fly Dubai 062 Dubai 20:50Nas Air 704 Riyadh 20:55Kuwait 343 Chennai 21:00Kuwait 331 Trivandrum 21:00Oman Air 648 Muscat 21:15Middle East 403 Beirut 21:20Jet A/W 571 Mumbai 21:30Wataniya Airways 187 Bahrain 21:35Gulf Air 218 Bahrain 21:55Saudia 507 Jeddah 21:55DHL 373 Bahrain 22:00Kuwait 675 Dubai 22:10Jazeera 612 Lahore 22:25Qatari 137 Doha 22:35Kuwait 203 Lahore 22:40Kuwait 301 Mumbai 22:45Emirates 860 Dubai 23:10Jazeera 526 Alexandria 23:20Jazeera 636 Aleppo 23:35United 981 Washington DC Dulles 23:40Jazeera 502 Luxor 23:40Kuwait 411 Bangkok/Manila 23:40Egypt Air 613 Cairo 23:55

IN CASE YOU ARE NOT TRAVELLING, YOUR PROPER CANCELLATION OF BOOKINGS WILL HELP OTHER PASSENGERS TO USE SEATS.

FLIGHT SCHEDULE FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 49CLASSIFIEDS

PRIVATE CLINICS

Ophthalmologists:Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 5622444Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 5752222Dr. Masoma Habeeb 5321171Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 5739999Dr. Mohsen Abel 5757700Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 5732223Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 5732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT):

Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 4555050 Ext 510Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 5644660Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 5646478Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 5311996Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 5731988Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 2620166Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 5651426

General Practitioners:

Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 4555050 Ext 123Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 4719312Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 3926920Dr. Kathem Maarafi 5730465Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 5655528Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 4577781Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 5333501

Urologists:

Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 2641534Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 2639955Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 2616660

Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 5313120Plastic Surgeons:

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 2547272Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 2617700Dr. Abdel Quttainah 5625030/60

Family Doctor:

Dr Divya Damodar 3729596/3729581

Psychiatrists

Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 2635047Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 2613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians:

Dr Adrian Harbe 3729596/3729581Dr. Verginia s.Marin 572-6666 ext 8321Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 2655539Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 5343406Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 5739272Dr. Salem soso 2618787

General Surgeons:

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 2610044Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 5327148

Internists, Chest & Heart:

Dr. Adnan Ebil 2639939Dr. Mousa Khadada 2666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 5728004Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 5355515Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 4726446Dr Nasser Behbehani 5654300/3

Paediatricians:

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 5340300Dr. Zahra Qabazard 5710444Dr. Sohail Qamar 2621099Dr. Snaa Maaroof 5713514Dr. Pradip Gujare 3713100Dr. Zacharias Mathew 4334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat(2) Plastic Surgeon

Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar,FRCS (Canada) 5655535

Dentists:

Dr Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 2641071/2Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 2562226Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 2561444Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 2619557Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 2525888Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 5653755Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 5620111

Neurologists:Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 5633324Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 5345875

GastrologistsDr. Sami Aman 2636464Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 5322030Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 2633135

Endocrinologist:Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 5339330Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 5658888Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 5329924

Physiotherapists & VD:

Dr. Deyaa Shehab 5722291Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 2666288

Rheumatologists:Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 5330060Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 5722290

Internist, Chest & Heart:DR.Mohammes Akkad 4555050 Ext 210Dr. Mohammad ZubaidMB, ChB, FRCPC, PACCAssistant Professor Of MedicineHead, Division of CardiologyMubarak Al-Kabeer HospitalTel: 5339667

Dr. Farida Al-HabibMD, PH.D, FACCConsultant CardiologistTel: 2611555-2622555

ACCOMMODATION

FOR SALE

SITUATION WANTED

Sharing furnished room forone bachelor with a Keralabachelor for KD 30 inJeleeb Shuwaikh Opp.German Clinic Area.66475154. (C 2562)

12-8-2010

Sharing accommodationavailable for a Keralite non-smoking executive bache-lor in Abbassia with aKeralite couple in a semifurnished independentroom with immediate effect.Tel: 24315223 Mob:99553260 after 4 pm. (C2556)

Furnished sharing accom-modation available for aMuslim family, in 3 bed-room flat with all facilitiesfrom 01-09-10. Interestedplease call. Mob: 66212821

(C 2555)10-8-2010

Sharing accommodationavailable with family forKeralite family or a workinglady or bachelor nearIndian Community Seniorschool, Salmiya. Tel:66135116.

(C 2553)

Sharing accommodationavailable in a C-A/C build-ing with separate bath-room, in Abbasiya,Sreeragom furniture build-ing (opp. Spencerce bak-ery) for a couple or anexecutive bachelor with aKeralite family fromSeptember 1. Contact No:24348730 / 99750711. (C2552)

9-8-2010

Sharing accommodationavailable for a Keralite fam-ily or working ladies toshare with another working

CHANGE OF NAME

No: 14819

MATRIMONIAL

Brilliant fresh BCom grad-uate 1st class and 2 yearsexperience in India know-ing Tally 9 and Peachtree

Mitsubishi Gallant 1999model. Metallic blue, goodcondition. Contact:99864105. (C 2559)

11-8-2010

Toyota Yaris 2008, black,inside black, hatchback, fulloption, run 30,000 km only,in excellent condition. KD2,350. Tel: 99881982.

(C 2551)9-8-2010

Pajero 99, excellent ladydriven, running 160,000 kmaccident free, ready forchecking KD 1350. Call:60677297 (C 2540)

Menʼs right hand newbrand deluxe golf set 18pec graphite shaft on allwood oversize fairwaywood with sand wedge,putter & deluxe bag includ-ing. Price KD 175 (originalprice KD 300). Interestedmay call: 99793184 (C2541)

7-8-2010

I, Elumalai Samikkannu,holder of Indian passportNo. G7958947 change myname to Mohammad.

(C 2564) 12-8-2010

I, Abdul Rauf, S/O AbdulGhani Bhati, holder ofIndian PassportNo.Z1852053 do herebychange my name to readas Abdul Rauf Abdul GhaniMohamed Bhati. Hereafterall my dealings, documentsI will be known by the newname. (2558)

10-8-2010

Proposals invited for 31years Keralite Ezhavamale, divorced, working inKuwait looking for suitablealliance. Caste no bar.Email: prabinparapu-rath@gmail.com

(C 2554)9-8-2010

Proposals invited fromprofessionally qualified RCboys of decent backgroundfor our daughter, RCManglorean, good lookingand very decent,24/161cm, BCom, MCom;Cosmetology; currentlyworking in Mumbai.Contact Email: famarriage-proposal@gmail.com bizstrategies_dvp@yahoo.com

8-8-2010

Accounting, seeks immedi-ate placement. Tel:65179245. (C 2561)

11-8-2010

Young graduate engineer(electronics & commerce)sufficient experience, Indianin Kuwait, requires job /opportunity in gulf. Pleasecontact: 99173091 /24331510.sam.oldsaber@gmail.com

(C 2557)10-8-2010

Need a suitable job asadmin asst/secretary/cus-tomer services. B.A(English). 3 years experi-ence in Kuwait and goodorganization skills. Can joinimmediately. Please call:65578767

(C 2546)8-8-2010

lady, well furnished twobedroom flat, near GermenClinic Abbasiya. Tel:94467326

(C 2549)

Sharing accommodationavailable with family for sin-gle decent bachelor, nonsmoking. Opposite Al-Rashid hospital, SharaAmman, Salmiya. (Forladies only) Tel: 66232356

(C 2547)

Sharing accommodationavailable for a couple or aworking lady share withsmall family, near Robinstore, Abbassiya fromSeptember 1. Tel:97647066

(C 2545)

TV ListingsFriday, August 13, 2010Page 50

Orbit /Showtime Channels

00:00 Dollhouse01:00 Defying Gravity02:00 Warehouse 1303:00 Ghost Whisperer04:00 The Ex-List05:00 Survivor Heroes vs Villains06:00 ER07:00 Dollhouse08:00 The Ex-List09:00 Big Love10:00 Ghost Whisperer11:00 Survivor Heroes vs Villains12:00 ER13:00 Big Love14:00 Ghost Whisperer15:00 The Ex-List16:00 Defying Gravity17:00 Warehouse 1318:00 Dollhouse19:00 The Bachelor20:00 Friday Night Lights21:00 Happy Town22:00 Kings23:00 Sons of Anarchy

00:45 Animal Cops Houston01:40 Air Jaws 202:35 Weird Creatures with NickBaker03:30 Untamed & Uncut04:25 Breed All About It04:50 Breed All About It05:20 In Too Deep05:45 Monkey Life06:10 RSPCA: On the Frontline06:35 Dolphin Days07:00 Animal Crackers07:25 Meerkat Manor07:50 The Planet’s Funniest Animals08:15 The Planet’s Funniest Animals08:45 Breed All About It09:10 Breed All About It09:40 In Too Deep10:05 Deadly Waters10:55 Monkey Life11:20 Night11:50 Animal Precinct12:45 E-Vets: The Interns13:10 Pet Rescue13:40 Animal Cops Philadelphia14:35 Wildlife SOS15:00 RSPCA: On the Frontline15:30 Sharkman16:25 The Planet’s Funniest Animals16:50 The Planet’s Funniest Animals17:20 Groomer Has It18:15 Great Ocean Adventures19:10 The Great Polar Bear Adventure20:10 Animal Cops Houston21:05 I Shouldn’t Be Alive22:00 Whale Wars22:55 Animal Cops Philadelphia23:50 Untamed & Uncut

00:15 Suburban Shootout00:45 Green Green Grass01:15 Ideal01:45 The Weakest Link02:30 Last Of The Summer Wine03:00 Gigglebiz03:15 Tweenies03:35 Tellytales03:45 Tikkabilla04:15 Gigglebiz04:30 Tweenies04:50 Tellytales05:00 Tikkabilla05:30 Coast06:30 Mastermind 200607:00 Gigglebiz07:15 Tweenies07:35 Tellytales07:45 Tikkabilla08:15 Gigglebiz08:30 Tweenies08:50 Tellytales09:00 Tikkabilla09:30 Mastermind 200610:00 Coast11:00 Last Of The Summer Wine11:30 Last Of The Summer Wine12:00 The Weakest Link12:45 Eastenders13:15 Doctors13:45 Mastermind 200614:15 Coast15:15 Last Of The Summer Wine

15:45 Last Of The Summer Wine16:15 The Weakest Link17:00 Doctors17:30 Eastenders18:00 Inspector Lynley Mysteries18:45 Inspector Lynley Mysteries19:30 Mastermind 200620:00 The Weakest Link20:45 Doctors21:15 Inspector Lynley Mysteries22:00 Inspector Lynley Mysteries22:45 The Jonathan Ross Show23:35 Live At The Apollo

00:00 MasterChef Goes Large00:30 Indian Food Made Easy00:55 Ching’s Kitchen01:20 Ty’s Great British Adventure01:45 Ty’s Great British Adventure02:10 Cash In The Attic02:55 Cash In The Attic03:40 Come Dine With Me04:30 Hidden Potential04:55 Cash In The Attic USA05:15 Antiques Roadshow06:05 MasterChef Goes Large06:30 Hidden Potential07:00 Cash In The Attic USA07:20 Antiques Roadshow08:00 Living In The Sun08:55 Bargain Hunt09:45 Hidden Potential10:05 Cash In The Attic USA10:30 Indian Food Made Easy10:55 Ching’s Kitchen11:15 Ty’s Great British Adventure11:40 Ty’s Great British Adventure12:10 Antiques Roadshow13:00 Come Dine With Me13:50 Cash In The Attic14:40 Living In The Sun15:30 Bargain Hunt16:15 Indian Food Made Easy16:45 Ching’s Kitchen17:00 Ty’s Great British Adventure17:25 Ty’s Great British Adventure17:50 Antiques Roadshow18:45 Come Dine With Me19:45 Boys’ Weekend20:15 Rhodes Across China21:00 Living In The Sun21:50 Cash In The Attic22:40 Come Dine With Me

00:40 Street Customs Berlin01:35 Dirty Jobs02:30 Destroyed in Seconds03:00 Destroyed in Seconds03:25 Discovery Project Earth04:20 Mythbusters05:15 How It’s Made05:40 How Stuff’s Made06:05 Dirty Jobs07:00 Massive Machines07:25 Discovery Project Earth08:15 Street Customs Berlin09:10 Mythbusters10:05 Ultimate Survival11:00 Overhaulin’11:55 Border Security12:25 How It’s Made12:50 How Stuff’s Made13:20 Mythbusters14:15 Miami Ink15:10 Ultimate Survival16:05 Dirty Jobs17:00 Deadliest Catch17:55 Mythbusters18:50 Cake Boss19:15 Border Security19:40 The Gadget Show20:05 How It’s Made20:35 How Stuff’s Made21:00 Wheeler Dealers

Feuds07:45 Behind The Scenes08:10 Behind The Scenes08:35 E! News09:00 The Daily 1009:25 Denise Richards: It’sComplicated09:50 Leave It To Lamas10:15 E!es12:00 E! News12:25 The Daily 1012:50 Behind The Scenes13:15 Pretty Wild13:40 Keeping Up With TheKardashians14:05 Kendra14:30 Dr 9021015:25 Ths16:15 Behind The Scenes16:40 Behind The Scenes17:10 Keeping Up With TheKardashians17:35 Keeping Up With TheKardashians18:00 E! News18:25 The Daily 1018:50 Keeping Up With TheKardashians19:15 Pretty Wild19:40 Ths20:30 Keeping Up With TheKardashians20:55 Chelsea Lately21:20 Kendra21:45 Kendra22:10 E! News22:35 The Daily 1023:00 Chelsea Lately23:25 Wildest Tv Show Moments23:50 Pretty Wild

Friday the 13th on Show Movies

00:30 Perfect Disaster01:20 Catch It Keep It02:10 Gamer Revolution03:00 Beyond Tomorrow03:50 Thunder Races04:45 How Stuff’s Made05:10 Weird Connections05:40 One Step Beyond06:10 Perfect Disaster07:00 Thunder Races08:00 Universe09:00 Weird Connections16:20 How Stuff’s Made16:50 Scrapheap Challenge17:45 Brainiac18:40 The Gadget Show19:05 The Gadget Show19:30 Mission Critical: Hubble20:20 How It’s Made20:45 How It’s Made21:10 Mega Builders22:00 The Gadget Show22:25 The Gadget Show22:50 Mission Critical: Hubble23:40 Mega Builders

01:00 Shallow Grave-1803:00 Of Mice And Men-PG1505:00 Ceux Qui Restent-PG1507:00 Janis-PG09:00 Chariots Of Fire-PG11:00 The Bridges Of MadisonCounty-PG1513:15 Annie-FAM15:30 Centre Stage 2: Turn It Up-PG1517:15 October Sky-PG1519:00 Frozen River-PG1521:00 Things To Do In Denver WhenYou’re Dead-1823:00 L’affaire Farewell-PG15

00:15 Suite Life On Deck00:35 Jonas01:00 Sonny With A Chance01:25 Hannah Montana01:50 Hannah Montana02:15 Jonas02:35 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody03:00 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody03:25 Fairly Odd Parents03:50 Phineas And Ferb04:15 Replacements04:35 Suite Life On Deck05:00 Hannah Montana05:01 Kim Possible05:50 A Kind Of Magic06:15 Fairly Odd Parents06:35 Replacements07:00 Stitch07:01 Fairly Odd Parents07:50 Phineas And Ferb08:15 Replacements08:35 A Kind Of Magic09:00 Jungle Junction09:10 Special Agent Oso09:35 Handy Manny10:00 Imagination Movers10:20 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse10:45 Jungle Junction11:00 Fairly Odd Parents11:25 Phineas And Ferb11:50 Wizards Of Waverly Place12:15 Sonny With A Chance12:40 Hannah Montana13:00 Hannah Montana13:25 Jonas13:50 Sonny With A Chance14:15 Wizards Of Waverly Place14:35 Fairly Odd Parents15:00 Phineas And Ferb15:25 Replacements15:50 Suite Life On Deck16:15 Hannah Montana16:40 Kim Possible17:05 A Kind Of Magic17:30 Fairly Odd Parents17:55 Replacements18:15 Stitch18:40 Wizards Of Waverly Place19:00 Hannah Montana19:25 Sonny With A Chance19:45 Fairly Odd Parents20:10 Phineas And Ferb20:35 Suite Life On Deck21:00 Wizards Of Waverly Place21:25 Hannah Montana21:45 Jonas22:10 Suite Life On Deck22:35 Sonny With A Chance23:00 Hannah Montana23:25 Wizards Of Waverly Place23:50 Wizards Of Waverly Place

00:00 Chopped01:00 30 Minute Meals01:30 Good Deal with DaveLieberman02:00 Guys Big Bite03:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back toBasics03:30 Everyday Italian04:00 30 Minute Meals05:00 Tyler’s Ultimate05:30 Guys Big Bite06:00 Barefoot Contessa07:00 Everyday Italian07:25 Food Network Challenge07:50 Everyday Italian08:15 Good Deal with DaveLieberman08:40 Guys Big Bite09:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back toBasics09:30 Everyday Italian10:00 30 Minute Meals10:30 Unwrapped11:00 Paula’s Party11:30 Barefoot Contessa12:30 Everyday Italian13:00 30 Minute Meals13:30 Guys Big Bite14:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay14:30 Good Deal with DaveLieberman15:00 Iron Chef America15:30 Barefoot Contessa16:00 Everyday Italian17:00 Chopped17:30 Unwrapped18:00 Guys Big Bite18:30 Iron Chef America19:00 30 Minute Meals19:30 Tyler’s Ultimate20:00 Iron Chef America21:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back toBasics21:30 Everyday Italian22:00 Chopped

00:30 A Haunting01:20 FBI Files02:10 Autopsy: Most Shocking Cases03:05 Dr G: Medical Examiner04:00 Forensic Detectives04:55 Ghosthunters05:20 Dr G: Medical Examiner06:10 Real Emergency Calls06:35 Real Emergency Calls07:00 Forensic Detectives07:50 FBI Files08:40 CSU09:30 Diagnosis: Unknown10:20 Forensic Detectives11:10 FBI Files12:00 Real Emergency Calls12:25 Real Emergency Calls12:50 Solved13:40 Mystery ER14:30 Forensic Detectives15:20 FBI Files16:10 CSU17:00 Diagnosis: Unknown17:50 Forensic Detectives18:40 FBI Files19:30 Real Emergency Calls19:55 Real Emergency Calls20:20 Solved21:10 Mystery ER22:00 Extreme Forensics

00:15 Leave It To Lamas00:40 Dr 9021001:30 Wildest Tv Show Moments01:55 Reality Hell02:20 E!es03:15 Extreme Hollywood04:10 Sexiest05:05 Battle Of The HollywoodHotties05:30 Streets Of Hollywood06:00 30 Most Outrageous Celebrity

01:15 Hidden Agenda03:00 The Big Man04:55 Bat 21 06:40 Chains Of Gold08:15 Movers & Shakers 09:35 Secret Of N.I.M.H.10:55 The Black Stallion Returns12:35 True Heart14:05 The Black Stallion16:00 Sleepover17:30 American Friends19:05 Strictly Business 20:25 Dreamchild 22:00 Martin’s Day 23:40 High Spirits

00:30 Word Travels01:00 Bondi Rescue01:30 Bondi Rescue02:00 The Best Job In The World02:30 4Real03:00 Don’t Tell My Mother03:30 Madventures04:00 Banged Up Abroad05:00 Pressure Cook05:30 Lonely Planet: Roads LessTravelled06:30 Word Travels07:00 Bondi Rescue07:30 Bondi Rescue08:00 The Best Job In The World08:30 4Real09:00 Don’t Tell My Mother09:30 Madventures10:00 Banged Up Abroad11:00 Exploring The Vine

00:00 Champions Tour Highlights 3MChampionship 01:00 The Big Ten’s Greatest Games:Football 2001 Michigan State vNorthwestern 06:00 World of Athletics 06:30 The Golf Channel - TBA07:00 Golf Central International LIVEFrom the PGA Championship 08:00 The Golf Channel - TBA09:30 Asian Tour Brunei Open 10:00 MLB: Minnesota Twins atChicago White Sox13:00 Golf Central International LIVEFrom the PGA Championship 14:00 Rolex Spirit of Yachting GiragliaRolex Cup 14:30 World Sport 2010

00:15 Fat Dog Mendoza00:40 Rescue Heroes01:00 Tales from the CryptkeeperMarathon06:00 Max and Ruby06:25 Rupert06:45 Rolie Polie Olie07:15 Corduroy07:35 Boo and Me07:40 Babar08:05 Babar09:20 New Adventures of Madeline09:45 Heathcliff10:05 George Shrinks10:35 Fat Dog Mendoza11:00 Sonic Underground11:20 Sonic Underground11:45 Beverly Hills Teen Club

12:10 Sabrina The Animated Series12:35 New Adventures of Ocean Girl13:00 Dinosaur Island14:15 Dennis The Menace14:40 Birdz15:05 Heathcliff15:30 Fat Dog Mendoza15:50 Boo and Me15:55 Birdz16:20 Sabrina The Animated Series16:45 New Adventures of Ocean Girl17:10 The Future is Wild17:35 Rescue Heroes18:00 Dino Squad18:20 Boo and Me18:25 Ace Lightning19:00 The Future is Wild19:20 New Adventures of Ocean Girl19:50 Sabrina The Animated Series20:15 Rescue Heroes20:35 Ace Lightning21:00 The Future is Wild21:25 New Adventures of Ocean Girl21:50 Dino Squad

15:00 Beach Sports Toyota Water JamRochester , NY15:30 The Big Ten’s Greatest Games:Football 2001 Michigan v MichiganState 17:30 FIM Motocross Lommel,Limburg18:30 Mobil 1 The Grid 19:00 MLB: Minnesota Twins atChicago White Sox22:00 USGA U.S. Women’s AmateurCharlotte, NC

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 51

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning on Super Movies

16:50 Ax Men 217:40 Cities of the Underworld18:30 Ancient Discoveries19:20 Prehistoric Mega Storms20:10 Investigating History21:00 Seven Deadly Sins21:55 Cities of the Underworld22:50 UFO Files23:40 The Universe 3

01:00 Code01:04 Hit Us02:00 Urban Hit02:45 Playlist05:00 Code05:04 Playlist08:00 Code08:04 French Only08:45 Playlist13:00 Code13:04 Urban Hit13:50 Playlist16:00 Code16:04 Africa 1016:45 Playlist18:00 Urban Hit18:45 Playlist19:00 Trace Video Mix20:00 Code20:04 New20:45 Playlist23:00 Club 1023:45 Playlist

00:00 Dr 9021001:00 The Designers01:30 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane02:00 How Do I Look?03:00 Split Ends04:00 The Designers04:30 Style Her Famous05:00 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane05:30 Area06:00 How Do I Look?07:00 Style Star07:30 Dress My Nest08:00 My Celebrity Home09:00 Style Star09:30 Style Her Famous10:00 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?11:00 Peter Perfect12:00 Ruby12:30 Giuliana And Bill13:00 Clean House14:00 Clean House Comes Clean14:30 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane15:00 Dr 9021016:00 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?17:00 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane18:00 The Dish18:30 Style Her Famous19:00 Jerseylicious20:00 Tacky House20:30 Clean House Comes Clean21:00 How Do I Look?22:00 Dallas Divas And Daughters22:30 Dallas Divas And Daughters23:00 Giuliana And Bill23:30 Giuliana And Bill

11:30 Lonely Planet: Roads LessTravelled12:30 Word Travels13:00 Bondi Rescue13:30 Weird And Wonderful Hotels14:00 Positive Footprints14:30 Warrior Road Trip15:30 Madventures16:00 Banged Up Abroad17:00 Exploring The Vine17:30 Lonely Planet: Roads LessTravelled18:30 Word Travels19:00 Bondi Rescue19:30 Weird And Wonderful Hotels20:00 Positive Footprints20:30 Warrior Road Trip21:30 Madventures22:00 Banged Up Abroad23:00 Exploring The Vine23:30 Lonely Planet: Roads LessTravelled

00:00 Modern Family00:30 Modern Family01:00 The Daily Show with JonStewart01:30 The Colbert Report02:00 Late night with Jimmy Fallon03:00 Inbetweeners03:30 The Ricky Gervais Show04:00 Everybody Loves Raymond04:30 Family Biz05:00 Just Shoot me!05:30 Late night with Jimmy Fallon06:30 Everybody Loves Raymond07:00 Eight Simple Rules07:30 The Fresh Prince of Bel Air08:00 Frasier08:30 Just Shoot me!09:00 Family Biz09:30 The Drew Carey show10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond10:30 Will & Grace11:00 Frasier11:30 New Adventures of oldChristine12:00 Late night with Jimmy Fallon13:00 The Drew Carey show13:30 Just Shoot me!14:00 Family Biz14:30 Modern Family15:00 Modern Family15:30 The Daily Show with JonStewart16:00 The Colbert Report16:30 Ten Things I hate about you17:00 Everybody Loves Raymond17:30 Frasier18:00 The Simpsons18:30 Gary Unmarried19:00 Kath & Kim19:30 Two and a half men20:00 Late night with Jimmy Fallon21:00 The Daily Show with JonStewart21:30 The Colbert Report22:00 Reggie Perrin22:30 The Ricky Gervais Show23:00 Everybody Loves Raymond23:30 The Simpsons

00:00 What’s Good For You01:00 10 Years Younger01:30 Look A Like02:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show03:00 The Monique Show04:00 The Tonight show with JayLeno05:00 GMA (repeat)07:00 GMA Health07:30 What’s the Buzz08:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!09:00 Never Trust a Skinny Cook09:30 Huey’s cooking adventures10:00 What’s Good For You11:00 The View12:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show13:00 What’s Good For You14:00 GMA Live16:00 GMA Health16:30 What’s the Buzz17:00 Never Trust a Skinny Cook17:30 Huey’s cooking adventures18:00 Look A Like18:30 10 Years Younger19:00 The View20:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show21:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!22:00 The Tonight show with JayLeno23:00 The Monique Show

07:00 Special Agent OSO 07:25 Handy Manny 07:50 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

08:15 Imagination Movers 08:40 Special Agent OSO 08:50 Jungle Junction 09:00 Handy Manny 09:25 Imagination Movers 09:50 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse10:15 Special Agent OSO 10:40 My Friends Tigger And Pooh 11:05 Lazytown 11:30 Handy Manny 11:55 Imagination Movers 12:20 Little Einsteins 12:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse13:10 Special Agent OSO 13:35 My Friends Tigger And Pooh 14:00 Handy Manny 14:25 Imagination Movers 14:50 Special Agent OSO 15:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse15:30 My Friends Tigger And Pooh 15:55 Jo Jo’s Circus 16:20 Handy Manny 16:45 Imagination Movers 17:10 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse17:35 Special Agent OSO 17:45 My Friends Tigger And Pooh 18:10 Handy Manny 18:35 Imagination Movers 18:55 Special Agent OSO 19:10 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse19:35 Handy Manny 19:45 Handy Manny

00:00 X-men Origins: Wolverine-PG1502:00 Exterminators-PG1504:00 My Life In Ruins-PG1506:00 Temple Grandin-PG1508:00 Motherhood-PG1510:00 Jonas Brothers Concert-PG12:00 Up-FAM14:00 Cutting Edge 3-PG1516:00 Motherhood-PG1518:00 Nick And Norah’s InfinitePlaylist-PG1520:00 Cloudy With A Chance OfMeatballs-PG22:00 Friday The 13th-18

01:00 Texas Chainsaw Massacre: TheBeginning-1803:00 The Italian Job-PG1505:00 Ice Twisters-PG1507:00 The Building-PG1509:00 Newton Boys-PG1511:00 The X Files-PG1513:00 Enough-PG1515:00 Newton Boys-PG1517:00 Speed Racer-PG19:10 Donnie Brasco-PG1521:20 New Town Killers-PG1523:00 Children Of The Corn-18

00:00 The Go-getter-PG1502:00 Jason Byrne Live At VicarStreet Theatre-PG1504:00 Lock And Roll Forever-PG06:00 First Kid-PG08:00 The Pink Panther 2-PG1510:00 Girl’s Best Friend-PG1512:00 The Promotion-PG1514:00 City Slickers-PG1516:00 The Go-getter-PG1518:00 How To Be-PG1520:00 The Associate-PG1522:00 Just Buried-18

00:00 Moomin And MidsummerMadness-FAM02:00 Rugrats Go Wild-FAM04:00 Aussie And Ted’s GreatAdventure-PG06:00 The Nameless Warrior-FAM08:00 Scruff A Christmas Tale-FAM10:00 Aussie And Ted’s GreatAdventure-PG12:00 Barbie Fairytopia Mermaidia-FAM14:00 Rugrats Go Wild-FAM16:00 Superman/batman : PublicEnemies-PG1518:00 Justice League: Crisis On TwoEarths-PG20:00 My Favorite Martian-PG22:00 Barbie Fairytopia Mermaidia

00:00 Heroes01:00 The Closer02:00 CSI Miami03:00 In Plain Sight

04:00 Three Sisters04:30 Home Improvement05:00 Without a trace06:00 Emmerdale06:30 Huey’s Cooking Adventure07:00 CSI Miami08:00 Three Sisters08:30 Home Improvement09:00 In Plain Sight10:00 Without a trace11:00 CSI Miami12:00 Emmerdale12:30 Huey’s Cooking Adventure13:00 Three Sisters13:30 Home Improvement14:00 Heroes15:00 The Closer16:00 Without a trace17:00 In Plain Sight18:00 Better Off Ted18:30 billable Hours19:00 Bones20:00 Bones21:00 Flash Forwards22:00 Without a trace23:00 In Plain Sight

00:00 AFL Highlights01:00 Futbol Mundial01:30 Total Rugby02:00 Cricket ODI Highlights04:00 Triathlon05:00 Rugby League Challenge Cup07:00 Live AFL Premiership10:00 ICC Cricket World10:30 Live Rugby Union ITM Cup12:30 Live NRL Premiership14:30 NRL Premiership16:30 Total Rugby17:00 Rugby Union ITM Cup19:00 Futbol Mundial19:30 Total Rugby20:00 Live Currie Cup22:00 Live Super League

03:00 World Sport03:30 Total Rugby04:00 Masters Fotball07:00 PGA Championship13:00 European Tour Weekly13:30 Futbol Mundial14:00 Mobil 1 The Grid14:30 Total Rugby15:00 AFL Premiership17:30 Mobil 1 The Grid18:00 NRL Premiership20:00 World Sport20:30 European Tour Weekly21:00 Live PGA Championship

00:00 UFC 117 Silva vs. Sonnin03:00 WWE NXT04:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter05:00 UFC Unleashed 06:00 UFC Unleashed 07:00 WWE NXT08:00 WWE Vintage Collection09:00 Red Bull X-Fighters 10:30 Le Mans Series Highlights 11:30 UAE National Race Day12:00 NRL Full Time12:30 Live NRL Premiership 14:30 Mobil 1 The Grid15:00 Red Bull X-Fighters 16:30 UAE National Race Day17:00 Planet Power Boats 17:30 WWE NXT

01:00 Surrogates-PG1503:00 The Golden Compass-PG05:00 Hoot-PG07:00 Living Out Loud-PG1509:00 The Rocker-PG15

11:00 The Golden Compass-PG13:00 Taking A Chance On Love15:00 Monsters Vs. Aliens-PG17:00 The Rocker-PG1519:00 Quantum Of Solace-PG1521:00 Bride Wars-PG1523:00 Changeling-PG15

00:10 Sweet Bird Of Youth02:10 40 Carats04:00 Quo Vadis07:00 A Patch Of Blue08:45 Quo Vadis11:30 An American In Paris13:20 The Wings Of Eagles15:05 Bite The Bullet17:20 2001: A Space Odyssey19:40 Beau Brummell21:30 The Screening Room22:00 Fun With Dick And Jane23:45 Westworld

00:30 Ancient Discoveries01:20 Prehistoric Mega Storms02:10 Declassified03:00 Mega Disasters03:55 Modern Marvels 04:50 Ax Men 205:40 Cities of the Underworld06:30 Ancient Discoveries07:20 Prehistoric Mega Storms08:10 Declassified09:00 Mega Disasters09:55 Modern Marvels 10:50 Ax Men 211:40 Cities of the Underworld12:30 Ancient Discoveries13:20 Prehistoric Mega Storms14:10 Declassified15:00 Mega Disasters15:55 Modern Marvels

00:00 Julian and Camilla’s WorldOdyssey01:00 Travel Notebook02:00 Julian and Camilla’s WorldOdyssey03:00 Intrepid Journeys04:00 Globe Trekker05:00 Julian and Camilla’s WorldOdyssey06:00 Planet Food07:00 Globe Trekker08:00 $100 Taxi Ride08:30 Distant Shores09:00 Top Travel09:30 Cutting Edge California10:00 Planet Food11:00 Globe Trekker12:00 Globe Trekker13:00 Chef Abroad13:30 The Thirsty Traveler14:00 Sophie Grigson in the Souk14:30 Distant Shores15:00 Top Travel15:30 Cutting Edge California16:00 Globe Trekker17:00 $100 Taxi Ride17:30 Chef Abroad18:00 Planet Food19:00 Globe Trekker20:00 Globe Trekker21:00 Working Holiday22:00 Planet Sports23:00 Globe Trekker

Friday, August 13, 2010SPECTRUMPage 52

Alanis Morissettedidn’t know she waspregnant until a doctor told

her. The ‘You Oughta Know’ singer - who this weekannounced she is expecting her first child with her rapper

husband Souleye, real name Mario Treadway - went to see herphysician for another reason when he gave her the happy news.During a TV interview with Chelsea Handler, she said: “I went tothe doctor and he said, ‘Well this looks like the scan of a pregnant lady.’The ‘Chelsea Lately’ host then put it to Alanis that she had “obviouslygone to the doctor because you thought you were pregnant?” To which therock star replied: “No actually I thought I wasn’t. But I mentioned inpassing that I was a bit late, so he said, ‘Well let’s just take a quick look.’ “Even after being told by her doctor she was expecting, 36-year-old Alanis -who is five months into her pregnancy - still couldn’t believe it. Sheexplained: “I said, ‘But there’s still a chance I’m not though, yes?’ And hesaid, ‘About as much chance as me getting a sex change.’ “And I said, ‘Sowhen are you getting a sex change!?’ “ The musician also revealed shewas instantly attracted to Mario the first time she met him at ameditation ceremony at her house. She said: “He walked in and Ithought to myself, ‘Wow he’s incredible sexy.’ “ Alanis - whomarried Mario at her Los Angeles home in May after datinghim for just eight months - has also tweeted herfollowers her joyous news, saying: “Yes, happynews, i’m pregnant :) we’re so excited to

start our family.... xo a (sic)”

Alanis Morissette gets pregnancy shock

Travolta to buy a lakeside house

J ohn Travolta is reportedlyplanning to buy a $2.5 millionlakeside house. The 56-year-

old actor and his wife KellyPreston - who are expecting anew baby together - have beenlooking at a property on the shoreof Keuka Lake, New York, and arehoping to make the sale quickly sothey can relax before the birth. Asource told National Enquirermagazine: “The word is John’s jetrecently landed at the local PennYan airport and the deal is readyto go down.” The impressivemulti-leveled mansion is locatedon a half-acre plot on the “mostspectacular” spot of the lake andhas three bedrooms, fivebathrooms, a swimming pool, agym, outdoor kitchen facilities andboasts a 360-degree view of thewater. Kelly, 47, has been advisedto take it easy ahead of the birthand the lake and the Town ofWayne, where the property islocated, is the perfect place forher to rest up ahead of theNovember due date. The sourceadded: “I can’t think of a morebeautiful, peaceful place for Johnand Kelly to kick back in theweeks before their new babyarrives.” The couple already havea 10-year-old daughter Ella andsuffered tragedy when their 16-year-old son Jett passed away inJanuary 2009 after having aseizure during a family holiday tothe Bahamas.

J essica Alba knew she was going tomarry her husband the first time shemet him. The actress felt an instant

connection with Cash Warren - who she tiedthe knot with in May 2008, shortly beforeshe gave birth to their daughter Honor Marie- and had to call her pal to let them know shehad found her ‘Mr Right’. She explained:“Right after I met Cash, I called my bestfriend and was like, ‘I met this guy and I feellike I’ve known him forever and I’m gonnaknow him for the rest of my life!’ “ Despitetheir instant chemistry, Jessica insists it iscrucial to work at your relationship and saysbeing a team is far more important than

being romantic. She added to the US editionof Cosmopolitan magazine: “The romanticstuff comes and goes, but it’s like, does thatperson have your back? You have to be ateam navigating through wherever life maylead you and I want a friend for that.” The‘Sin City’ star - whose daughter Honor isnow two - recently revealed she plans toadopt a child with Cash in the future. Shesaid: “My mom grew up around a hugefamily, and they always wanted more kids,and I was like, ‘Why don’t you just adopt?’“I’m totally inspired. If you have the love,and the capacity to love children, you shouldjust adopt. And I plan on doing it.”

Alba fell for her husband immediately

Friday, August 13, 2010 SPECTRUM Page 53

Kim Kardashian hasconfirmed she isdating Miles Austin.

The reality TV star - whosplit from her NFLfootballer boyfriend ReggieBush earlier this year - hasrevealed she and the DallasCowboys wide receiver arehaving fun and “takingthings slow”. She said:“He’s in the middle of hisfootball season and he’sfocused and I’m just tryingto have fun and takeeverything really slow. Myschedule is really hectic.”Kim - who is aunt to sisterKourtney’s eight-month-oldson Mason - explained hermother Kris Jenner is verykeen for her daughter to find

the right man and settledown, but she is happy tofocus on her career at themoment. However, the 29-year-old beauty does wantchildren in the future. The‘Keeping Up With TheKardashians’ star added toE!: “I think she’s reallyanxious, and probably waymore anxious than I am, forme to settle down. At myage, she already had four kidsbut I don’t feel any pressure.“Now is the one time in mylife I can be 100 per centselfish. I’m not married; Idon’t have kids; I can focuson my career. I definitelywant kids and I want fourkids, for sure. But I need tofind a husband first!”

Kardashian dating Austin

Dannii Minogue admits herstyle has “taken a backseat” since she became a

mother. The Australian beautywelcomed her first child, a sonEthan Edward, into the world lastmonth and while she’s loving everymoment of parenthood sheconfesses the last thing on hermind is being a fashionista. Shesaid: “I’ve got a lot to learn but I’menjoying every second - althoughmy style has taken a back seat. PJsand UGGs are all I’m rocking rightnow. “I’m so used to admiringcouture dresses, skin creams,Louboutins or scented candles,never did I think baby clothes andtoys would bring me so much joy!Cute just isn’t the word. Cupboard

space, though, might be aproblem.” Dannii also revealed howshe is already planning her outfitsfor when she returns to her job asa judge and mentor on UK TVtalent show ‘The X Factor’. Writingin her column for Britain’sGlamour magazine, Danniirevealed: “Before Ethan arrived Ichecked the autumn/wintercollections online. Alongside myAussie favorites, Ralph & Russoand J’Aton, Marc Jacobs’ ladylikeshow really appealed to me. I’mobsessed with this silver number -It’d look great on TV. Anotherfavorite is Halston’s yellow columngown - elegant and good for abrunette. And a gorgeous red dressat Paul Smith is so Sophia Loren.”

Dannii Minogue has ‘taken a back seat’

Bieber thinks Cole is hot

J ustin Bieber thinks Cheryl Cole isone of the “hottest girls” in the world.The 16-year-old pop star has a crush on

the ‘Fight for This Love’ singer and also hasa soft spot for Katy Perry - who is engagedto Russell Brand. He said: “Cheryl and Katyare two of the hottest girls in the world - andso normal and funny with it. “If I was a fewyears older they are the kind of girls I’d liketo date. I want a younger version of Cheryland Katy - a mixture of the two would behot.” Although Justin accepts he has littlechance of romancing either Cheryl, 27, orKaty, 25, he is keen to invite them both outso they can give him some tips on how tobag a girlfriend as beautiful as both of them.He added to The Sun newspaper: “Maybethey could coach me and tell me how towork out which ones are the good ones.That would be pretty awesome. I would liketo invite the two of them out for dinner sothey can tell me the best way to win awoman like them.” Justin would also like towork with Cheryl and Katy in the future andhe would love to record a duet with RobbieWilliams. He said: “I want to meet Katy andCheryl in a professional capacity too, notjust because they are hot, but because theyare super-talented. “I also think RobbieWilliams is really cool. He owns the stagewhen he is out there and is a great all-roundentertainer.” —Bang Showbiz

Ryan Seacrest has askedJulianne Hough to move in withhim. The ‘American Idol’ host

recently met his 22-year-oldgirlfriend’s family at a birthday partyfor her sister Katherine and is nowkeen to make a commitment in theirrelationship. A source said: “He’s notafraid to take things to the next level.Everyone is shocked by how fastthings are moving.” Julianne issmitten with Ryan and loves hisromantic ways, which included himrecently paying for her entire hotelsuite to be covered in orchids, pansiesand roses. The source told InTouchWeekly magazine: “There were rose

petals in the Jacuzzi, bouquets all overthe floor, flowers on the coffee table,and petals all over her bed. “Thegesture was beautiful and madeJulianne’s heart melt.” Last weekend,

the couple made a rare publicappearance, driving round LosAngeles in Ryan’s Aston Martinconvertible, before stopping for lunchat the Four Seasons Hotel’s poolsideCabana restaurant. One onlooker said:“It was warm and beautiful outsideand the couple cruised with the topdown on the car. “Ryan and Juliannelooked very happy together and evenheld hands in the car. Ryan waslaughing and seemed very smittenwith Julianne. “Julianne didn’t seem tomind that Ryan got attention in therestaurant, and instead actedsupportive and waited by his side untilhe finished greeting his fans.”

Seacrest moving in Hough

Friday, August 13, 2010SPECTRUMPage 54

Music

Graham McPhersonaka Suggs, left, andCathal Smyth akaChas Smash of the

British pop-ska bandMadness perform

during their concertat the Sziget (Island)

Festival on theShipyard Island in

Northern Budapest,Hungary. The IslandFestival is one of the

biggest culturalevents of Europe

with an emphasis onmusic. — AP

By Gary Graff

Adam Young said he’s “halfwaydone” with the next Owl Cityalbum, and he’s hatching plans

for at least one eyebrow-raisingcollaboration. “One of my dreams hasbeen to get Taylor Swift to do asong,” Young, who remixed JohnMayer’s “Half of My Heart”(featuring Swift) told Billboard.com.“I have kind of a cool idea for thissort of hybrid, countryish directionfor a new song that would be perfectfor her,” Young said. “We’re hopingfor the best. I can’t even imagine how

busy she is, so if it happens, it’s cool.Fingers crossed.”Young-who recently had to cancel

some of his Maroon 5 opening datesdue to a kidney stone-says that he’scorresponded via e-mail with Swift “afew times. She says she’s a fan, and vice

versa, for sure, so hopefully there’llbe collaborating.” Young adds thathe’d also like to work with DashboardConfessional’s Chris Carrabba, who’s“a pal. It would be fun to get his voiceon there.”As for what the follow-up to

2009’s platinum “Ocean Eyes” will

sound like, Young predicts “morevariety across the board-maybe asong with a ton of electric guitar,maybe one that’s really kind oftrancey or European trance-influenced, maybe a super urban, hip-hop kind of [song], just taking whatthe last record did but maybeenhance that.” Young is once againdoing “everything aside from themastering” by himself, so he doesn’twant to set a timetable for recordingor the next album’s release.“It’s kind of a long process,” he

explains. “Whenever I’m home andoff the road, that’s my main focus. I

was in the studio in June and July, andthen we’re out here on the road ‘tilSeptember. Then I’m heading back(in the studio) for a couple months inthe fall.” Young said he’s also keenlyaware of the expectations that willundoubtedly greet his “Ocean Eyes”followup.“There’s the whole sophomore

slump thing,” he acknowledges, “andeverybody’s going to say, ‘Can he doit again? Was ‘Fireflies’ just a flash inthe pan?’ “I’m pretty optimistic...and,honestly, if this is it, I’m absolutelygrateful,” said Young. “I was workingfor Coca-Cola in a warehouse before

any of this started, so I’m definitelygrateful to be creating rather thanhauling around pallets of soda.”Owl City finishes its run with

Maroon 5 on Aug 15 and then starts athree and a half week stint withMayer on Aug 18, followed byheadline dates in Australia, NewZealand, Japan, the UK and Europeduring November and December.Meanwhile, Young has beenextending his creative reach with “AnAirplane Carried Me to Bed,” analbum he crafted in 2007 under themoniker Sky Sailing, prior to OwlCity taking off. —Reuters

Owl City preps new album; hopes to nab Taylor Swift

By Anthony McCartney

Paris Hilton was suedyesterday for allegedlywearing someone else’s hair.

A company that manufactures hairextensions claimed the 29-year-oldsocialite breached her contract towear and promote their product

when she sported the fake locks ofa competitor in 2008. HairtechInternational Inc. is seeking $35million in damages — 10 timeswhat she was apparently paid underthe contract. The fraud and breach-of-contract suit cites the heiress’partying as contrary to Hairtech’smarketing campaign. The filing also

claims Hilton missed a launch partyfor the hair extension line becauseshe was serving a stint in jail in2007. Hilton served 23 days in 2007after she was caught driving twiceon a suspended license while onprobation for reckless driving.The filing states the company’s

lost $6.6 million on the launch partyalone, although a jury or judge willhave to decide whether Hilton owesany money if the case goes to trial.Phone and e-mail messages toHilton’s publicist Dawn Miller werenot immediately returnedyesterday. The case isn’t the firsttime Hilton’s role as a pitchwomanhas gotten her sued. The producersof the film “Pledge This!” suedHilton in 2008 in federal court inMiami, claiming she didn’t properlypromote the film. A judge ruled lastyear that she didn’t owe the roughly$8.3 million it cost to the make thefilm, which played in fewer than twodozen theaters. The court is stilldeciding how much, if any, ofHilton’s $1 million fee for “PledgeThis!” she may have to return tofilmmakers. — AP

Paris Hilton sued for $35mfor wearing wrong hair

In this June 6, 2010 photo, Paris Hilton arrives at theMTV Movie Awards in Universal City, Calif. —AP

Singer George Michael has beencharged with possessingcannabis and being unfit to

drive after allegedly crashing his carinto a photography shop last month,police said yesterday. The “CarelessWhisper” star has been bailed and isdue to appear before magistrates inLondon on August 24.He was previously arrested and

bailed after the incident in the plush

Hampstead district of north London,near his home. London’sMetropolitan Police confirmed hehad been charged, in a statementwhich referred to him by his realname. “Georgios Panayiotou, aged47, of Highgate, N6 returned onpolice bail today,” it said. “He wascharged with possession of cannabisand driving whilst unfit through drinkor drugs.” —AFP

George Michael chargedwith drug, driving offences

In this Friday June8, 2007 file photomusician GeorgeMichael reads astatement as heleaves Brentmagistrates court inLondon after hewas sentenced to100 hours ofcommunity serviceand banned himfrom driving for twoyears for drivingunder the influenceof drugs. —AP

Friday, August 13, 2010 SPECTRUM Page 55

Movies

US actress EvaLongoria Parker

and Cuban-American actor

Andy Garciapose for the

photographersbefore a press

conference afterthe presentationof their new film

‘Cristiada’presently being

filmed in Mexicodirected by

Dean Wright, onAugust 11, 2010

in Mexico City. —AFP

Zsa Zsa Gabor released from hospitalBy Derrik J Lang

Zsa Zsa Gabor returned home Wednesday to recuperateafter being hospitalized at the UCLA Ronald ReaganMedical Center since July 17 for a broken hip, her husband

said. Prince Frederic von Anhalt, the 93-year-old actress’eccentric partner, told reporters gathered outside their Bel-Airmansion overlooking Los Angeles that Gabor is glad to be back.

“She is at home, and she is happy,” said von Anhalt. “Shesmiled already and started flirting with the guys who took herhome. When she starts flirting, she is in good shape. At homehere, with the environment and the air up here, we have lots ofoxygen, and everything is clean. There’s not lots of nurses anddoctors hanging around.” The Hungarian-born, glamour-lovingactress’ condition deteriorated after she underwent hip-replacement surgery after she broke her hip while trying to getinto her wheelchair.

Gabor, who has to use a wheelchair after a 2002 car accidentand a 2005 stroke, was originally expected to spend one week inthe hospital but ended up being there four weeks, said vonAnhalt. “She’s not a young chick,” he said. “She’s 93 years old.This time, she was scared. We have been married 24 years.She’s been in the hospital a few times, but she was neverscared. She always smiled and said, ‘Don’t worry. Everything isgoing to be OK.’ She was scared because of her age and the bigoperation.”

An ambulance followed by a police escort and led by vonAnhalt, who was behind the wheel of his Rolls Royce, arrived atthe gates of their Bel-Air home early Wednesday evening.Afterward, von Anhalt met with reporters and photographers atthe end of the driveway. He called Gabor a fighter and said “shecan go on for many more years.”—AP

Zsa Zsa Gabor lies in the back of anambulance, as she is returned to her homeafter being discharged from the UCLAhospital in Bel Air, Los Angeles. —AP

Awoman accused of attacking Leonardo DiCapriowith a broken bottle at a Hollywood party in 2005pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to assault with

a deadly weapon. Aretha Wilson, 40, is expected toreturn to court Aug 23 for a preliminary hearing. Wilson,who fled to Canada and was extradited to the UnitedStates to face the charge, remains in a California jail.

DiCaprio, star of current hit movie “Inception,”suffered “great bodily injury’” when Wilson attacked himwith a broken beer bottle, according to an arrestwarrant. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Hilleri GMerritt previously issued a protective order requiringWilson to stay at least 500 yards away from the actor andtwo witnesses to the alleged attack. —Reuters

Leonardo DiCaprio

attacker pleads not guilty

The judge who sentLindsay Lohan tojail has removed

herself from the troubledyoung actress’s drunkendriving probationproceedings, followingcomplaints she had improperconversations about the case.Superior Court Judge MarshaRevel “was having calls anddiscussions with people onthe case and we were notpresent,” said Jane Robisonof the Los Angeles DistrictAttorney’s office.Robison said on Wednesday

that Lohan’s case will now beoverseen by Judge Elden Fox,although there are no newcourt hearings. Lohan, 24, is currently in a

90-day drug and alcoholrehabilitation program at theUniversity of California, LosAngeles after having served 13days behind bars for violatingher probation in a pair ofdrunken driving cases. Amongthe improper contacts Revelhad with people in the casewere discussions over whereLohan would attend rehab.

— Reuters

Judge removes herself from Lindsay Lohan case

In this Thursday, May 20, 2010 file photo,Judge Marsha Revel speaks during a hearingin a courtroom in Beverly Hills, Calif. — AP

French screen sirenBrigitte Bardotwarned yesterday she

would not authorizeHollywood film makers toshoot a movie about her life,arguing that no otheractress could capture herpersonality. “There is no one who

can do it,” said Bardot, 76, a1950s and 1960s star of“And God Created Women”who retired from acting inthe 1970s and became ananimal rights activist.“They have their own

personality, but they don’thave mine,” she said onFrench radio station Europe1. She was responding toreports that US directorKyle Newman was planning

to make a film about theFrench star and would casthis wife, the model andactress Jaime King, asBardot.“I don’t agree to a film

about me without me havingbeen warned and without meagreeing on who will playmy part,” Bardot said. “Ihave heard nothing about itand there is no question ofdoing anything about mewithout my agreement.”Bardot was recently

played by her compatriotLaetitia Casta in abiographical film aboutanother 1960s French icon,singer Serge Gainsbourg.Bardot told Europe 1 shehad not seen that film.

—AFP

French star Bardot says ‘no

one’ can play her

Brigitte Bardot

Friday, August 13, 2010SPECTRUMPage 56

Lifestyle

By Phil Hazlewood

High in the hills of western India, HomiDhalla looks around the Bharot Cavescomplex, pointing out the cracked and

crumbling stone in the roughly-hewn rocks. “Ifwe wish to save these caves, the worldcommunity has to stand up and do somethingabout it now before it’s too late,” he says, as theweb video fades to a still image of two Parsipriests worshipping in one of the stark greyvaults. Time and neglect have left the ancientcaves in a dangerous state of disrepair that nowthreatens them as a place of pilgrimage forIndia’s fire-worshipping Parsi community.In the 14th century, their ancestors fled to

the caves with the sacred fire of theirZoroastrian religion to escape a Mughalinvasion. According to legend, the “Iranshah”-the first fire to be consecrated in India-stayed litthroughout the 12 long years they were there.So far, 3,000 people have signed a petition onthe www.zoroastrians.net portal-where Dhalla’svideo is shown-which will be sent to theArchaeological Survey of India, urging it torepair the protected caves.“If we have 7,000 to 8,000 (signatories) I will

be happy,” Dhalla, the founder-president of theWorld Zarathushti Cultural Foundation, toldAFP at his home in Mumbai. “There is anurgent need to conserve the caves for posteritywithout delay or else this sacred heritage willbe lost forever.” Whether the caves nearSanjan, close to the state border of Maharashtraand Gujarat, survive or collapse further into thehillside is not just dependent on funding. Theproject-and others like it — more thananything depends on people.Zoroastrians, who follow the prophet

Zarathustra and worship Ahura Maza as thecreator of the universe, fled persecution inancient Iran and arrived in India in the 10thcentury. They have risen to prominence overthe centuries as industrialists, philanthropists,teachers, musicians, artists and writers in Indiaand abroad. Famous Parsis include the Tatafamily, which owns one of India’s mostsuccessful business houses, the conductorZubin Mehta and the late Queen singer FreddieMercury.

‘It’s a race against time’But the population of India’s most successful

and celebrated minority has been in steadydecline, with numbers down to just under70,000 in India, according to the last census in2001. As the birth rate falls and Parsis marryoutside the community or migrate, experts saythey face a race against time to catalogue thedistinctive religion and culture for futuregenerations.Kainaz Amaria has seen the decline first

hand, particularly in rural areas where once-thriving Parsi communities have died out andtheir homes and fire temples now lieabandoned. The 32-year-old photojournalist,who comes from a family of Indian Parsi priests,arrived in Mumbai last year and has beendocumenting everything from weddingceremonies to water rituals in the close-knitcommunity. “I like to focus on the customs andthe cultures and the traditions that are typicallyParsi,” said Amaria, who is in India on the USgovernment’s Fulbright scholarshipprogramme as part of her masters degree invisual communication.Comparing her experience growing up on

the US west coast and Parsi life in India, shesaid all it took was her parents to emigrate andone generation for some rituals to disappear. “Ifthey’re not documented they’ll fade away,” shesaid. “This is my little way of giving somethingback to the community. I feel a very strongsense of responsibility.” The decline in Parsinumbers doesn’t mean that nothing has beendone to preserve tradition. —AFP

Racing against time to preserve India’s Parsi past

In this photograph taken on August 19, 2009, an Indian Zoroastrian or Parsi woman walks by figures of‘knights’ at a fire temple after offering prayers on Parsi New Year ‘Navroze’ in Mumbai. —AFP

By Guillaume Lavallee

From Cape Town toKhartoum, extremetourists Guillaume and

Enora have trekked off the beatentrack on foot, surviving on lessthan two dollars (1.5 euros) a dayon a journey that will take themthree years to complete. Unlikecompatriots who have crossed theAfrican continent by car in theDakar rally, or by motorbike orbicycle raising money for a cause,these French tourists decided totrek through jungles and desertsin a professed bid to betterunderstand humanity.“In the beginning we walked

for the adventure, and then wetried to understand Africans’strange attitude towards us,” saidGuillaume Combot, 31, a formerFrench parachutist who studiedpsychology in Canada and hadonce tried to become a monk atthe Saint-Benoit-du-Lac inQuebec. “We took off withoutreally knowing why. I was a littlelost and I knew that I just wantedto walk.“The first stage was to try and

understand Africa, the secondstage was more broad, to try andunderstand humanity,” Combottold AFP while in Khartoum. Hesaid people didn’t understand themotivation behind walking acrossthe continent, particularly outsidethe cities and large towns. “Thequestion to us was always ‘whyare you acting like you are poor,why are you pretending to besuffering?,’” he said, a little

dispirited.Together with his friend Enora

Nedelec, 21, the pair left Francefor Cape Town in February 2009with 3,000 Euros (nearly 4,000dollars) in their pockets with theaim of walking back to Paris-anadventure that should take himthree years, while she plans to endher journey in Jerusalem a littleearlier. Their budget gives themless than two dollars a day each toeat, drink, sleep and wash. Theyventure off every day, not knowingwhen they’ll eat or where they’llsleep. “We wanted to colour every

kilometre (mile) with emotion,which is something possible onfoot but much more difficult whenyou are travelling faster,” saidNedelec, who put her midwiferystudies on pause to discover theworld on foot.Travelling with backpacks,

which at their heaviest werearound eight kilograms (17 lbs),they often slept on mats in theopen air. “During our walk, wedon’t know where we will sleep,how many kilometers (miles) untilthe next village, when we will eat,drink,” said Nedelec.

The two have been resting inKhartoum, marking the end of thesub-Saharan Africa leg of theirjourney and the beginning of theirventure into the Arab world.Without Nedelec, Combot walkedthrough a large part of southSudan-a region still recovering fora decades-old civil war with thenorth and where tribal conflictsand attacks by Ugandan rebelssow fear among many.“There was one day I was

stopped 14 times, but generally itwas around 10 times a day ...Every time I was asked ‘Why areyou walking?’” Combot said.Locals quizzed him on whether“tourists” worked forinternational organizations.“They didn’t know what a

tourist was,” said the young manwith balding head, showingsculpted muscles beneath a beigeshirt. On some of the moreobscure routes of south Sudanvillagers, some of whom had neverseen a white person, wereintrigued by the Frenchman. “Inone village, they asked me to eatsomething to prove I was not aghost,” he recalls.On the banks of the Kiir river,

at the entrance of the sensitiveAbyei region which straddlesnorth and south Sudan, policemenpolitely tied him to a tree, he said.“They put a chain around myankle and then the chief said: doyou want coke or sprite?,” Combotsaid. “I wish it could last 10 years.I’m not in a rush to go back. I don’tknow what I’ll do once I’m home,”he added. — AFP

Extreme tourists walk Africa on less than two dollars a day

Guillaume Combot, 31, and Enora Nedelec, 21, tourKhartoum on their trek on foot across Africa fromCape Town, on July 28, 2010. —AFP

Friday, August 13, 2010 SPECTRUM Page 57

Lifestyle

A visitor at ashopping mall looks

at a large 145 by 195-cm Quran on

display for theIslamic holy month of

Ramadan in Jakartayesterday. Muslimsobserve Ramadan,

one of the five pillarsof Islam, by

abstaining from food,drink and sex fromdawn until sunset.

Indonesia is theworld’s most

populous Muslimcountry. —AFP

By Jacob Adelman

Visitors have long come to thehilly Southern Californiahamlet of Ojai to get stuffed

with the Pixie tangerines grown asa specialty in the area’s citrusgroves. Now they are coming to getscrubbed with them, too. The OjaiValley Inn and other spas across thecountry are cashing in on the crazefor locally grown fruits and herbs byintegrating them into skintreatments and massage therapies.Customers say they like knowingthey are supporting small, localfarms and appreciate the freshnessof the items used. “When they putthis stuff on, I can smell freshjuice,” said Ojai Valley Inn guestJulia Pizzinat, 70, who had the 50-minute, $145 Pixie Tangerine &Pomegranate Scrub, which useshalved tangerines as applicators fora sugar-based exfoliant. “It’s notlike something that’s been made inMilwaukee and sent out in crates.” Guests’ greatest demand used to

be for treatments employing exoticingredients from far-off places, suchas heavily perfumed body creamsfrom Europe, spa managers said.But in the past few years, the localfood movement firmly entrenchedin the nation’s pricier restaurantshas spread to spas. Treatmentsusing products from local farms area niche offering, so their sales havenot been tracked separately. Butspa managers say guests areincreasingly opting for suchluxuries. Atlanta-based spaconsultant Mark Wuttke saiddemand is being driven by a desirefor a unique experience tied to a

spa’s location.“People are looking for a more

authentic experience,” he said.“People don’t necessarily want tohave the same experience inFlorida as they have in New York asthey have in California as they havein Dubai.” He cautioned, however,that spas using locally growningredients risk disappointingguests who expect to get the sameservices year-round. Most cropsgrow only part of the year.“There are seasonal variations,”

Wuttke said. “I can offer it today,but if you come back in six months’

time, you might not be able to havethat because it’s no longeravailable.” Emily Walker, whomanages the Spa Hotel Healdsburgin California’s Sonoma County, saidusing local ingredients fits with theethos already embraced by manywine country visitors. One of herspa’s treatments features a salve ofwine and honey from the nearbyQuivara Vineyards. Another uses amassage oil made with the samelocally grown Meyer lemons foundon the spa restaurant’s menu.“We sort of carried it over

because the climate here in wine

country is ‘farm-to-table,”‘ Walkersaid. “So now it’s ‘farm-to-spa.”‘The Aspira Spa in westernWisconsin, meanwhile, designedsome of its treatments around theelderberries that grow naturally onthe surrounding plains, but not ingreat enough quantity to make allthe ointments and creams slatheredon guests.The spa had been importing

elderberries from a farm in thePacific Northwest but recentlycontracted with the nearby StoneyMeadow organic farm to grow theberries, along with lavender,

rosemary and other herbs, said LolaRoeh, general manager of theOsthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake,which houses the spa. A 65-minuteElderberry Facial there costs $190.“In the restaurant, our pork comesfrom a farm that’s 10 miles away.Our beef comes from anothernearby organic farm,” Roeh said.“This is really part of the wholeresort.” Stoney Meadow ownerAndrea Levsen said spa sales arehelping her business, which sheotherwise runs on a community-supported agriculture model, inwhich consumers pay upfront forregular shipments of produceduring the growing season.“I think it does aid the CSA

mission,” Levsen said. “Themission of the CSA was to helpfamilies be healthier, to helpfamilies have access to healthierfood. (The spa business) allows usto put more money into the farmhere.” At Friend’s Ranches in Ojai,which began selling Pixietangerines to the Ojai Valley Innearly this year. The owners weresurprised to find their fruit wasbeing used in spa treatments.“I thought it was kind of silly,”

said Emily Ayala, who owns thefarm with her family. “As a farmer,you’re growing food and sometimesyou think it’s wasteful when peopledon’t use your food to eat. I didn’tknow that people rub themselveswith a tangerine.” But thatskepticism turned to delight whenonline orders for the Pixies spiked.“It gave us another level ofexposure with customers whootherwise might not have tried thetangerine,” Ayala said. — AP

Locally grown fruits latest trend in spa treat

Body technician Bree Sarver demonstrates the pixie tangerine and pomegranatetreatment on Andrea Olsonat the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa on Tuesday, Aug 3, 2010 inOjai, Calif. — AP

Friday, August 13, 2010page 58 sports

KOHLER: Golf fans watch play during a practice round prior to the start of the 92nd PGA Championship on the StraitsCourse at Whistling Straits. —AFP

KOHLER: US Ryder Cup captainCorey Pavin has denied reports TigerWoods was guaranteed a place on theAmerican team if he failed to secureautomatic selection, insisting theworld number one will be treated thesame as everyone else.

Although it is considered aforegone conclusion that Woodswould be offered a wildcard if hemissed out, Pavin said a US mediareport that Woods had already beengiven assurances was incorrect.

“There’s nobody that’s promisedany picks right now,” Pavin told anews conference Wednesday on theeve of the US PGA Championship.

“It would be disrespectful to

everybody that’s trying to make theteam. “I’ve got quite a few people I’mlooking at. I would not disrespect anyof the players that are potentialplayers on the team.”

Under the US team’s rules, thetop eight players on this season’sRyder Cup Points List will earnautomatic selection for the Oct. 1-3event in Wales. The remaining fourspots on the 12-man team will bedecided by Pavin next month.

Even though he is ranked numberone in the world, Woods is currently10th on the list after missing part ofthe season following the sordidrevelations about his private life.

He could still play himself on to

the team with a strong performanceat Whistling Straits this week but hasindicated he would happily accept aninvitation if he missed out.

“He’s a hell of a player and Iwould like him to play well this weekand make the top eight. That wouldbe fantastic,” Pavin said. “Hecertainly wants to play the RyderCup and he wants to play well.

“There’s maybe 20 players that Iwould be looking at right now forthose four spots...and he’s definitelyhigh on the list.”

While Pavin was hesitant to sayWoods was certain to be picked,European team captain ColinMontgomerie had no need for

diplomacy when asked what hewould do if he was in charge of theU.S. team.

“Of course I’d pick him,” theBriton said. “He’s a wonderful,wonderful player, the best player ofour generation, if not a fewgenerations. No team would beweaker with him on it, believe me.”

Montgomerie was lessforthcoming when talking about hisown selection dilemma when hepicks his team at the end of themonth.

There are currently nineEuropeans ranked in the world’s top20 including five who have yet toqualify for the team.

“I’ve got Justin Rose, PadraigHarrington and Paul Casey andthere’s a number of (other) top 20players (yet to qualify),”Montgomerie said.

“It’s a headache and it’s a niceheadache to have. It’s the first timethat a European captain has had sucha strong team that haven’t quitequalified as yet.

“I will be discussing with mythree vice captains and going throughevery scenario and pairings andlocker rooms and all sorts and we’llget that situation right. “It’s mostunfortunate this particular year thatI’m going to have to leave outwinners this year.” —Reuters

Pavin denies Woods guaranteed Ryder Cup place

Fog delaysstart of US PGAKOHLER: Thick fog delayedthe start of the 92nd US PGAChampionship at WhistlingStraits on Thursday withconditions expected to remainovercast for the rest of the day.

Americans Bo Van Pelt,Scott Hebert and VaughnTaylor were scheduled to teeoff from the par-four first at0700 local (1200 GMT) but thattime was likely to be pushedback by at least an hour.

“Once the fog has lifted andit is clear to play, the firststarting time will be 30minutes following that time,”officials said.

Four-times champion TigerWoods, who has failed to winthis season in eightappearances on the PGA Tour,had been set to start from the10th hole at 0820 (1320).

The American, hunting his15th major title but first sincethe 2008 US Open, has beengrouped with holder YangYong-eun and 2004 championVijay Singh of Fiji for the firsttwo rounds.

South Korean Yang becameAsia’s first male major winnerat Hazeltine National last yearafter spectacularly overhaulingWoods in the final round toclaim the title by three shots.

US Masters champion PhilMickelson had been scheduledto tee off from the first at 1335(1835) with Britain’s US Openwinner Graeme McDowell andBritish Open champion LouisOosthuizen of South Africa.

In other high-profilegroupings, 2008 championPadraig Harrington of Irelandhas been drawn with formerwinners Davis Love III andJohn Daly while Americanworld number four SteveStricker will play withAustralian Adam Scott andNorthern Ireland’s RoryMcIlroy.

The PGA Championshiphas, in recent years, enjoyedthe strongest field of the fourmajors and 97 of the world’stop 100 players are chasing theseason’s final grand slam titlethis week. —Reuters

China trims titles target ahead of world champsBEIJING: China must temper itsexpectations ahead of thebadminton world championshipsin Paris later this month andtaking home just three of the fivetitles up for grabs is a realistictarget, said head coach Li Yongbo.

China won all but the mixeddoubles at last year’s worldchampionships in India but theoutspoken coach said the poorform of some key players thisyear could weaken theirdominance.

“Of course I always want allfive. But this time we have to beless optimistic,” Li told TitanNews. “It is impossible to evenmatch last year’s four wins.”

The Chinese women’s teamsuffered a shock defeat to SouthKorea in the Uber Cup in May,ending their hold on the trophythat went back to 1998.

“The women are still in theshadow of the Uber Cup defeat,

and the best men’s pair, Cai Yunand Fu Haifeng, have not playedtogether for months because theyrepresent different clubs in thedomestic league. So it is also verydifficult,” he added.

Lin Dan, who has won themen’s singles at the last threeworld championships, is the onlyin-form player in the China team,Li said.

The Olympic champion,however, faces a tough path to afourth title with world numberone Lee Chong Wei of Malaysiaand former world and Olympicchampion Taufik Hidayat in thesame side of the draw.

“Lin is doing very wellrecently,” Li said. “I believe hecould beat Lee in the semi justlike he did at this year’s ThomasCup. And I hope he could win thefourth consecutive title ... So wedo not want more. Three will beenough.” —Reuters

Munaf Patel called up to reinforce Indian attack

NEW DELHI: Indian medium pacer Munaf Patel is heading to Sri Lanka tostrengthen the team’s depleted bowling attack for the ongoing tri-series, the Indiancricket board (BCCI) said yesterday.

“Munaf Patel is joining the Indian team in Sri Lanka as an additional member ofthe squad. He will reach Dambulla tomorrow,” BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said ina statement. India were hampered by injuries before the team departed for SriLanka for a three-match test series, which ended 1-1, and the ongoing one-dayseries that also includes New Zealand.

Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan missed the tour because of a shoulder injury whileright-arm seamer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth returned home before the testseries began with an injured knee.

Ishant Sharma missed the opening match of the tri-series due to an ankle injurywith India going on to lose Tuesday’s encounter against New Zealand by 200 runs.Abhimanyu Mithun was drafted in to replace Ishant but the medium pacer couldonly manage four overs before he left ground due to heat stroke. India are alsowithout lead spin bowler Harbhajan Singh for the tri-series. Munaf played the lastof his 43 one-day matches against Australia at Guwahati last year. India’s nextmatch in the tri-series is against Sri Lanka in Dambulla on Monday. —Reuters

PHILADELPHIA: Roy Oswalt pitchedseven impressive innings in his homedebut and two relievers finished off thesix-hitter as the Philadelphia Philliesbeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0 onWednesday.The two-time NL champions are 15-

4 since July 22, but lost another playerwhen Ross Gload left with a strainedright groin.Oswalt (7-13) allowed five hits,

walked two and struck out five. It washis first win in his third start for thePhillies. Dodgers starter ClayBillingsley (9-7) gave up two runs andfive hits in six innings.Ryan Madson worked around a

leadoff double in the eighth, striking outtwo batters. Brad Lidge pitched aperfect ninth for his 15th save.

Rockies 6, Mets 2At New York, Melvin Mora hit a go-

ahead grand slam with two outs in theeighth inning as Colorado downed NewYork. Angel Pagan hit a two-run homerin the first for the Mets and JonathonNiese hung on to the early lead, but thebullpen came undone.With two outs in the eighth, Hisanori

Takahashi (7-6) gave up a single to ToddHelton and walked Carlos Gonzalez,prompting manager Jerry Manuel to callon Manny Acosta. Acosta’s first offeringwas a wild pitch that let the runnersadvance, and Troy Tulowitzki wasintentionally walked.Mora hit his slam — the Mets lead

the majors having given up nine thisseason. Matt Belisle (5-4) struck out theside in the seventh, part of a string ofseven straight Mets who whiffed. RafaelBetancourt and Huston Street followedwith a perfect inning each.

Padres 8, Pirates 5At San Diego, Kevin Correia took a

one-hit shutout into the seventh inningand Jerry Hairston Jr. hit a two-runhome run as San Diego beat Pittsburgh.Correia faced the minimum through 6 1-3 innings before the Pirates chased himduring a four-run rally in the seventh. Correia (9-7) won for the fourth time

in five decisions. San Diego’s AdrianGonzalez went 4 for 4 with a walk, drovein two runs and scored twice. MiguelTejada scored three runs for the Padres,

who beat the Pirates for the fifth straighttime this season.Correia finished with seven

strikeouts and one walk. Heath Bellpitched a perfect ninth for his 33rd save,his 20th straight since May 29.

Giants 5, Cubs 4At San Francisco, Pat Burrell hit a

go-ahead solo homer in the eighthinning after an earlier two-run singleand Aaron Rowand also homered as SanFrancisco edged Chicago. Rowand’s10th homer of the year, which came inthe sixth, gave him seven straightseasons with double-digit home runs.Burrell’s eighth homer of the year

leading off the eighth came off JustinBerg (0-1). Sergio Romo (5-3) recordedfive outs for the win, while Brian Wilsonpitched the ninth for his 33rd save.

Marlins 9, Nationals 5At Washington, Mike Stanton had

five hits and four RBIs and Chris Volstadwon his third game for Florida againstWashington this season.It was the third straight win for the

Marlins (56-56) and the 18th time thisseason they have reached .500. Stantonhad the first five-hit game of his two-month career, with a two-run double in afour-run first inning, an RBI single inthe second, a double in the fourth, a longhome run in the seventh and a single inthe ninth. His previous best was threehits. Stanton’s first double keyed a four-run first inning where Florida battedaround against Scott Olsen (3-4), whoallowed seven runs and eight hits in 1 2-3 innings _ his shortest start since July8, 2007. Ian Desmond had two homeruns _ his first multi-homer game _ forWashington, while Adam Dunn hit hisleague-leading 31st.

Cardinals 6, Reds 1At Cincinnati, Colby Rasmus hit his

first career grand slam and AdamWainwright dazzled again to lead St.Louis to the three-game sweep ofCincinnati.The defending NL Central champs,

scraped up from a cleat-kicking brawlthe previous night, overtook the Redswith their first three-game sweep inCincinnati since 2005, moving a gameahead in the standings.

Rasmus’ homer off Bronson Arroyo(12-7) broke it open in the fifth.Wainwright (17-6) remained unbeaten inday games, allowing two singles inseven shutout innings before athunderstorm caused a 46-minute delayand left standing water on the field.

Braves 8, Astros 2At Houston, Omar Infante drove in

the go-ahead run with a 10th-inningdouble and Brian McCann addedinsurance with a grand slam later in theinning to give Atlanta a win overHouston. Infante’s hit bounced low onthe wall in left field and scored RickAnkiel to put Atlanta back on top 3-2,giving closer Billy Wagner (6-2) the winafter he blew a save in the ninth.

Brandon Lyon (6-5) intentionallywalked Melky Cabrera to set up a run-scoring single by Alex Gonzalez thatpushed the lead to 4-2 and chased Lyon.McCann’s pinch hit slam off JeffFulchino landed in the stands in rightfield and put the game out of reach.

D’backs 8, Brewers 2At Milwaukee, Arizona equalized a

major league record by hitting fourconsecutive home runs, with AdamLaRoche, Miguel Montero, MarkReynolds and Stephen Drew allconnecting in the fourth inning of a winover Milwaukee. The Diamondbacksbecame just the seventh team in historyto accomplish the feat. —AP

Friday, August 13, 2010 Page 59SPORTS

American LeagueEastern Division

W L PCT GBNY Yankees 70 43 .619 -Tampa Bay 69 45 .605 1.5Boston 66 49 .574 5Toronto 59 54 .522 11Baltimore 40 74 .351 30.5

Central DivisionMinnesota 64 50 .561 -Chicago White Sox 64 50 .561 -Detroit 55 59 .482 9Cleveland 47 67 .412 17Kansas City 47 67 .412 17

Western DivisionTexas 65 48 .575 -LA Angels 59 57 .509 7.5Oakland 57 56 .504 8Seattle 44 71 .383 22National League

Eastern DivisionAtlanta 66 48 .579 -Philadelphia 63 50 .558 2.5Florida 56 56 .500 9NY Mets 56 57 .496 9.52Washington 49 65 .430 17

Central DivisionSt. Louis 64 49 .566 -Cincinnati 64 51 .557 1Milwaukee 53 62 .461 12Houston 48 65 .425 16Chicago Cubs 48 66 .421 16.5Pittsburgh 39 74 .345 25

Western DivisionSan Diego 66 46 .589 -San Francisco 65 50 .565 2.5Colorado 59 54 .522 7.5LA Dodgers 59 55 .518 8Arizona 46 69 .400 21.5

MLB results/standings

Major League Baseball results and standingson Wednesday. St Louis 6, Cincinnati 1; Detroit 3, Tampa Bay2; Atlanta 8, Houston 2 (10 innings); LAAngels 2, Kansas City 1 (10 innings); Oakland5, Seattle 1; Florida 9, Washington 5;Philadelphia 2, La Dodgers 0; Baltimore 3,Cleveland 1; Boston 10, Toronto 1; Colorado 6,NY Mets 2; NY Yankees 7, Texas 6; Arizona 8,Milwaukee 2; Chicago White Sox 6, Minnesota1; San Diego 8, Pittsburgh 5; San Francisco 5,Chicago Cubs 4.

White Sox beat TwinsCHICAGO: John Danks pitched eightsharp innings as the Chicago WhiteSox beat Minnesota 6-1 on Wednesdayto move back into a first-place tie inthe American League Central with theTwins.Carlos Quentin homered in his

second straight game while helpingthe White Sox draw even again afterbeing knocked out of first place for thefirst time since July 10 with a 12-6 lossto the Twins on Tuesday.They fared better this time after

dropping four of five, with a rarevictory over a team that had won 18 of23 against them.Danks (12-8) allowed one run and

six hits. Quentin hit a two-run shot inthe second off Glen Perkins (0-1) thatmade it 2-0. The Twins got two hitsapiece from Michael Cuddyer and JoeMauer, who has 27 in his last 50 at-bats after going 2 for 4.

Yankees 7, Rangers 6At Arlington, Texas, Marcus

Thames hit a long homer then had thego-ahead RBI single in the ninthinning as New York rallied from fiveruns down for a split in the two-gameseries with fellow-division leaderTexas. Thames’ grounder between

shortstop and third base came afterDerek Jeter had tied the game with achopper past a drawn-in infield, an RBIsingle off Rangers rookie All-Starcloser Neftali Feliz (3-3).Mariano Rivera worked the ninth

for his 24th save in 26 chances. ElvisAndrus led off the inning with a triplebefore the Yankees closer retired theNos. 2-4 hitters. Thames led off theeighth with his fourth homer of theseason getting New York within 6-5.

Orioles 3, Indians 1At Cleveland, Brad Bergesen

pitched a two-hitter for his first win innearly three months as Baltimoredowned Cleveland.The Orioles won their fourth

straight and moved to 8-1 under newmanager Buck Showalter. Theybecame the last team in the majors toreach 40 wins this season. Bergesen(4-9) held the Indians hitless until LuisValbuena singled with two outs in thefifth. Asdrubal Cabrera singled withtwo outs in the ninth for Cleveland’sother hit.Baltimore backed Bergesen with

13 hits and he won for the first time in13 starts. He had gone 0-7 with a 6.65ERA. Bergesen walked two andstruck out four.

Red Sox 10, Blue Jays 1At Toronto, Bill Hall hit two home

runs, and Adrian Beltre and J.D. Drewalso connected for Boston in acomprehensive win over Toronto.Hall, who drove in four runs, and

Mike Lowell each had three hits as theRed Sox improved to 9-2 againstToronto this season. The Red Sox havehit 153 home runs this season, secondin the majors to Toronto’s 178.Clay Buchholz (13-5) won his third

straight decision, allowing oneunearned run and five hits in eightinnings and lowering his ERA to 2.49.Hall led off the second with a home

run, then added a two-run shot, his15th of the season, in the fourth. It wasthe fourth multihomer game of hiscareer. Drew hit a solo homer inBoston’s five-run fifth, his 14th. Beltrecapped the inning with a three-rundrive, his 21st.Blue Jays right-hander Shaun

Marcum (10-6) allowed a season-higheight runs and seven hits in four-plusinnings, including a career-high fourhome runs.

Angels 2, Royals 1At Anaheim, California, Bobby

Abreu homered in the bottom of the10th inning to give Los Angeles

Angels a three-game sweep of KansasCity.Abreu sent a 1-1 pitch from Jesse

Chavez (0-1) into the right-field seatswith one out. The Angels rushed fromthe dugout to greet Abreu but stoodback, giving him plenty of room tosafely cross the plate.Kendry Morales sustained a

season-ending broken leg on May 29while jumping on home plate during araucous celebration of a walkoff grandslam.Angels starter Jered Weaver struck

out 11, giving him a major league-leading 182. He surpassed his career-high of 174 strikeouts last season.

Tigers 3, Rays 2At Detroit, Ryan Raburn hit a

tiebreaking, two-run homer in thesixth inning as Detroit held on to avoida series sweep to Tampa Bay.Justin Verlander (13-7) gave up one

run and six hits while striking outseven over six innings. Ryan Perrypitched 1 2-3 innings of scoreless reliefand Jose Valverde allowed a run beforeearning his 22nd save in 23 chances.Matt Garza (11-7) gave up three runsand seven hits in 5 2-3 innings. He iswinless in three starts since his no-hitter July 26 against Detroit. —AP

Phillies blank Dodgers, Mets stumble

CLEVELAND: Baltimore Orioles’ Brian Roberts is forced out at second by Cleveland Indianssecond baseman Jayson Nix, who threw to first to get out Ty Wigginton for a double play in theninth inning. —AP

Friday, August 13, 2010Page 60 SPORTS

SAN JOSE: A California woman suedthe governing body of US competitiveswimming and her former coach,claiming he sexually abused, humiliatedand harassed her when she was ateenager training under his supervision. The lawsuit, announced Wednesday,

is one of several around the countryalleging USA Swimming covered upwrongdoing and allowed a culture ofabuse to exist in coaching ranks. The lawsuit also names the West

Valley Swim Club and Pacific Swimming,the West Coast branch of USASwimming. USA Swimming declined tocomment on the latest case but said itinvestigates misconduct complaints andrevokes membership if behavior wasinappropriate. The latest lawsuit claims swim coach

Norman Havercroft sexually abusedJancy Thompson over a five-year periodin the 1990s, beginning when she wasabout 15. The Associated Pressgenerally does not identify victims of

alleged sexual abuse. However, the now28-year-old has chosen to speak publicly.Thompson, who graduated from the

police academy and does gangintervention for a nonprofit group, saidshe came forward to help affect change.“I was robbed of my childhood and

never performed to my full capabilities,”she said. “I want to ensure that no onehas to endure what I went through andcarry such a burden the rest of theirlives.” A telephone message left at a listing

for Norman Havercroft in Corona delMar was not immediately returned.USA Swimming said it investigatesmisconduct complaints and revokesmembership if behavior wasinappropriate. The alleged abuse took place at

various locations in Santa Clara County,including a Los Gatos swim club whereThompson trained, the homes ofThompson and Havercroft, and at aschool, according to the 44-page lawsuit

first filed June 18 and amended Aug. 4.Havercroft is accused in the lawsuit

of groping, engaging in sexual acts,providing pornography and buying anInternet camera for “cyber” sex.The abuse carried on after

Thompson turned 18, even though shenever gave consent, according to thesuit filed in Superior Court in San Jose.The suit also claims Havercroft

abused another female and says USASwimming knew about that case and didnothing to remove Havercroft from hisposition. That woman is not a plaintiff inthe lawsuit.“In the worst of ways we claim that

he took advantage of the coach-athleterelationship, exerting his power andauthority,” attorney Robert Allard said. Jane Weil, a lawyer for USA

Swimming and Pacific Swimming, saidthe organizations had no “knowledge ofunlawful conduct” by Havercroft, asalleged in the suit. Weil said the San JosePolice Department and the Santa Clara

County district attorney’s officeinvestigated claims of abuse by theother female and brought no criminalcharges against Havercroft.During the police investigation,

detectives interviewed Thompson andher mother regarding the other case.Thompson said Havercroft never actedinappropriately with the swimmers,according to a 1997 police reportprovided to the AP by Weil.A message left with a police

spokesman was not immediatelyreturned. A spokeswoman for thedistrict attorney’s office, Amy Cornell,confirmed that office has never broughtcharges against Havercroft.The alleged victim in the other case

sued Havercroft and West Valley SwimClub in 2001. The case was settledconfidentially. Weil said neither USASwimming, nor Pacific Swimming wereinvolved in that case. A call to a phone number listed for

the West Valley Swim Club said the

number was no longer in use. USASwimming has come under fire for itshandling of alleged abuse cases but hassaid it was taking steps to keep youngathletes safe. At least 46 coaches andofficials have been banned for life,mostly for sexual misconduct. The organization will vote on

measures at its national convention inSeptember that include a new athleteprotection policy, expanded backgroundchecks, and a requirement that all adultswho interact with swimmers becomemembers of the organization.In the lawsuit, Allard called it a

belated effort that demonstrates a“callous indifference to the health andsafety of the young swimmers acrossthe country.” In the Thompson case,simple steps would have prevented thealleged abuse, he said.“Just a basic look into it, do

something about it and remove the manfrom coaching,” Allard said. “It’s nothard.”—AP

Coach, USA Swimming sued over alleged abuse

PARIS: Clermont, who wontheir first French Top 14 final atthe 11th attempt last season,tackle Perpignan, the team theydefeated to clinch that elusivecrown, in Friday’s seasonopener.The two clash after a

summer which has seen littletransfer action while the seasonwill also see the fewest numberof foreign players involved thanin previous campaigns.There have been some

interesting comings and goings,notably regarding ambitiousoutfit Toulon who are bidding toimprove on their somewhatcontroversial semi-final loss toClermont.They lost Kiwi forward

Sonny Bill Williams back toNew Zealand but signedEngland winger Paul Sackey.His proven try-scoring abilitywill first be put to the test athome to Bayonne, who haverebuilt since they were savedfrom relegation only byMontauban’s failure to providesufficient financial guarantees.Fellow cash-rich club

Racing-Metro, who reached theplay-offs in their first campaignback in the elite, have alsomade what should be a goodinvestment in Argentina’s‘magic man’ Juan MartinHernandez, who returns fromSouth Africa to former clubStade Francais’ bitter cityrivals.Clermont’s outstanding

scrum-half Morgan Parra, whohad a stellar season both inFrance’s Six Nations GrandSlam side and for his clubwhere he assumed kickingduties when Butch James formslipped, is clear they have to setaside what they achieved lastseason.“We mustn’t forget what we

achieved but then we have putit to a corner of our heads andfocus on retaining the title.Winning it twice will be evenmore difficult,” said Parra.Perpignan will be looking to

regain the title they won in2009 and coach Jacques Brunelis keen to put memories of theClermont defeat behind them.“This is not about revenge,”

said Brunel, who has broughtback veteran Australian backManny Edmonds, who enjoyeda successful five-year spell withthem from 2002-07.“The final is lost, it is

finished with and over. Webegin another season, anotherstory, a marathon that must seeus get off to a good start andthat it is against Clermont, iseven better.“They are a big team, who

beat us not long ago, againstwhom we want to show ourtrue worth.” Toulouse won theEuropean Cup for the fourthtime last season, but coach GuyNoves wants to reclaim thenational title they last won in2008.However, they go into their

home match with promotedAgen devoid of many of theirforeign contingent includingformer All Black scrum-halfByron Kelleher, who is stillrecovering from a broken jawsuffered playing for theBarbarians.Toulon take on Bayonne

lacking key players such asSouth African captain Joe vanNiekerk and veteran scrum-halfPierre Mignoni while there is adoubt over England fly-halfJonny Wilkinson who has ashoulder injury.Stade Francais had a terrible

season last term but what theyhope is the start of a newgolden era under highly-regarded Australian coachMichael Cheika begins at home- at the Charlety Stadium astheir previous home Jean BouinStadium has been demolished -on Friday against Bourgoin.Stade president Max

Guazzini certainly believes thatbrighter times lie ahead andtakes solace from whathappened the last time Stadewere not involved in theEuropean Cup.“Michael (Cheika) played

for us. He is a personality whodoesn’t allow for anynonsense,” said Guazzini.“Regarding our not being in theEuropean Cup, the last time weweren’t involved was in2002/2003 and we went on tobe champions.”—AFP

BUDAPEST: Petra Chocova from Czech Republic swims a Women’s 200m breaststroke heat atthe Swimming European Championships.—AP

Kubusch edges Rouault in heats at Europeans

BUDAPEST: Christian Kubusch ofGermany set the fastest time in thequalifying heats of the 800-meterfreestyle event yesterday at theEuropean swimming championships.Kubusch finished in 7 minutes, 53.93

seconds, 0.37 seconds faster thanSebastien Rouault of France, who wonthe 1,500 freestyle on Wednesday. GergoKis of Hungary was third. Pal Joensen of the Faeroe Islands,

whose silver behind Rouault in the 1,500was his country’s first internationalswimming medal, was fourth, andFederico Colbertaldo of Italy, theEuropean record holder, was fifth.

Evgeny Lagunov of Russia posted thebest time in men’s 100 freestyle heats,touching in 48.50 seconds. TeammateAndrey Grechin was second andEuropean record-holder Alain Bernardof France was third.Therese Alshammar of Sweden won

the heats of the women’s 100 butterflyin 57.89 seconds, ahead of JeanetteOttesen of Denmark and Amit Ivri ofIsrael. European record holder SarahSjoestroem was fifth, 0.97 secondsbehind Alshammar, who won the 50butterfly on Tuesday. Rikke Moller-Pedersen of Denmark was fastest in theheats of the 200 breaststroke, her time

of 2:26.43 good enough to rally past SaraNordenstam of Norway. Stacey Tadd ofBritain was third. Nadja Higl, owner ofthe European record with 2:21.62, wasfifth. Thursday’s finals will be in themen’s 50 backstroke, 200 breaststrokeand 200 butterfly. In the women’sevents, finals will be held in 100backstroke, 200 individual medley, 800freestyle and the 4x200 freestyle relay. The 30th edition of European

championships is the first majorinternational meet where competitorscan no longer wear the neck-to-ankleoutfits that helped set dozens of worldrecords in recent years.—AP

Perpignan get chance to avenge French final loss

Friday, August 13, 2010 page 61sports

SWEDEN: USA Tyson Gay (left) wins the men’s 100m final ahead of Jamaica’s Usain Bolt(right) at the IAAF Diamond League meeting at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium in this August6, 2010 file photo.—AP

LONDON: Tyson Gay willlook to follow up his victoryover world and Olympicchampion Usain Bolt inStockholm last week in the100 metres at the LondonGrand Prix here today.American sprinter Gay

handed Bolt only his secondprofessional 100m defeatwhen easily beating theJamaican in last Friday’sDiamond League meet in theSwedish capital, clocking 9.84seconds.Bolt on Tuesday

announced he would not becompeting for the rest of 2010because of a back injury,leaving sprint rivals Gay andPowell to battle it out in thethree remaining DiamondLeague meetings.Powell, who like

compatriot Bolt has run aworld-best time of 9.82 secsthis year, was absent inStockholm owing to backtrouble and admits he is not atpeak fitness.“I have had a lot of

problems with my groin andthat spread to my back andhamstrings,” Powell said.“Since Paris (July 16), I havebeen unable to train at 100percent. I have been gettingtreatment twice a day everyday and slowly I am gettingbetter.“My coach (Stephen

Francis) and manager (PaulDoyle) have all my races linedup but I am not even aware ofwhat is next,” added Powell.“All I am doing is focusing ongetting healthy and back ableto race. I am taking it day byday.”Gay, a three-time world

champion, has beaten Powellover 100m on English soilalready this season - at theDiamond League event inGateshead last month - andwill be the favourite at CrystalPalace after his recentexploits against Bolt.Trinidad’s Richard

Thompson and American pairWalter Dix and Wallace

Spearmon are also down tocompete in the sprint.There will be many other

intriguing battles in the two-day meet, where the crowdwill welcome back a host ofathletes who helped Britainreturn a record 19-medal haulat the EuropeanChampionships in Barcelona.Home favourite Mo Farah,

the new European 5,000m and10,000m champion, will takeon Kenyan-born AmericanBernard Lagat over 3,000m.Lagat won world indoor goldat that distance earlier thisyear.Also today, three-time

world champion Allyson Felixof the United States competesin the 200m and former worldchampions Bershawn Jacksonand Felix Sanchez go upagainst David Greene andRhys Williams, who grabbed aBritish 1-2 at the EuropeanChampionships, in the 400m.American 100m hurdler

David Oliver has been in formthis season, clocking apersonal best of 12.89 secs -just 0.02 secs off DayronRobles’s world record - inParis, and has another chancein London to surpass theCuban’s best time. Britain’snew European championAndy Turner will also bepresent tomorrow.American Jeremy Wariner,

the Diamond Race leader inthe 400m thanks to fourvictories in the series thisseason, will go head to headwith closest rival JermaineGonzales of Jamaica.And in the field events,

there should be a three-wayfight for victory in the men’striple jump when Britain’sworld and newly crownedEuropean champion PhillipsIdowu, Sweden’s ChristianOlsson and France’s TeddyTamgho face off. There aretwo more Diamond Leagueevents this season - in Zurichon August 19 and in Brusselseight days later.—AFP

Gay gunning for more glory in London

Powell pulls out of London Grand PrixLONDON: Jamaican sprinterAsafa Powell has pulled out ofthe 100 metres at the DiamondLeague meeting here todaybecause of ongoing problemswith his back injury.Powell, who made his

decision after seeing a doctorin London on Wednesday, saidin a statement yesterday: “I amdisappointed that I will not beable to run at the LondonGrand Prix as I love running infront of the Jamaican fans here.“I visited the doctor

yesterday and he has advisedme not to run in order to helpthe recovery of my injury. I hadhoped it would be better butunfortunately this is not so.”London chiefs confirmed on

Wednesday that Powell wasstill struggling with the same

injury that forced him to pullout of last Friday’s DiamondLeague meeting in Stockholm.The 27-year-old said on

Tuesday he had been nursingover the past month a series ofinjuries linked to an initialgroin problem, and that he wasmonitoring his fitness “day byday”.American Tyson Gay is now

the only star sprintercompeting at the LondonGrand Prix, a two-day meetingthat begins here at CrystalPalace on Friday. World andOlympic 100m champion UsainBolt had already said he wouldnot be competing in theEnglish capital, before hisannouncement on Tuesday thathis season was over owing to aback injury.—AFP

SYDNEY: India’s hopes of one dayhosting the Olympic Games will sufferunless it overcomes organisationalproblems affecting the New DelhiCommonwealth Games, AustralianOlympic chief John Coates saidyesterday.The October 3-14 event involving

71 nations is already the costliestCommonwealth Games in history, withan infrastructure and organisingbudget of two billion dollars, whichunofficial estimates say will be at leasttripled.An Indian anti-corruption body has

also reported that it had found a host of

problems in construction work for theGames, including the use of poor-quality materials and dubiouscontracts.The soaring costs and highly

publicised delays have led to severecriticism of the organisers, and Coates-a member of the International OlympicCommittee executive board-said thefallout would damage India’s reputationfor hosting major sports events.“In the Olympic world we would

certainly prefer that venues are allfinished one year before, that you’reable to have test events,” theAustralian Olympic Committee

president told reporters.“We did have some similar

experiences with Athens (Olympics in2004) and I’m sure the Games willhappen, but certainly I wouldn’t like tobe involved in something withconstruction happening so close to theevent. “In many ways you’re in thehands of organising committees, you’rein the hands of governments, you getto a stage where you have to trustthem, you have to back them.“There’s no potential to take the

Games away; it had to happen inAthens, it has to happen in Delhi andI’m sure it will,” Coates said.—AFP

Games problems could harm India’s Olympic hopes

BEIJING: China’s golden Olympicfigure skating pair Shen Xue and ZhaoHongbo fell in love on the ice. Nextmonth, they will throw a long-delayedwedding party on ice, with several of thesport’s biggest stars.Shen and Zhao capped a 18-year

storybook partnership with China’s firstOlympic figure skating title inVancouver in February. They thenannounced their retirement from thesport, and said they wanted to start a

family. Though they have been officiallyhusband and wife since 2007, when theywon a third world title, they neverthrew a wedding celebration. That partywill take place along with a galaperformance in a Beijing gymnasium onSeptember 4.“Artistry on Ice” will feature

Russia’s Olympic champions YevgenyPlushenko and Alexei Yagudin, three-time US men’s champion Johnny Weirand two-time Japanese women’s world

champion Mao Asada.“Xue and I have always wanted to

marry on the ice. It’s her dream, andnow we have an opportunity,” Zhao wasquoted as saying in the Global Timesyesterday.“I hope we can give something back

to the skating community now that weare retired,” he said. For every ticketsold, 10 yuan (1.50 dollars) will bedonated to skating trainingprogrammes.—AFP

Golden pair to host wedding party on ice

Friday, August 13, 2010Page 62 SPORTS

HARTFORD: Ten years afterfinishing fourth at the SydneyOlympics, the US women’sgymnastics team on Wednesdayreceived the third-place prizes thatwere stripped from China because amember of that team was found to beunderage.The new bronze medalists are

Amy Chow, Jamie Dantzscher,Dominique Dawes, Kristin Maloney,Elise Ray and Tasha Schwikert.“To me, it feels very separate,”

Ray said after Wednesday’s ceremony.“Everything we went through inSydney is still very fresh. Today feelslike a different time. The twoemotions couldn’t be more opposite.” Indeed, all said they were happy to

be recognized for their efforts in 2000.But this was a team mired withinjuries and controversy — and morethan happy to take an unflinching lookback on a night that was designated as

a celebration.“We were definitely the guinea

pigs of the new system they weretrying,” Dantzscher said. “Wheneveryou’re the guinea pig, it’s not easy.”Problems on this team resulted from adecision, nine months before thegames, to bring Bela Karolyi (who wasabsent from the ceremony) back intothe fold after disappointing results inthe years leading up to 2000. The move was the first step in a

renaissance of US gymnastics thathas produced the last two all-aroundOlympic champions — CarlyPatterson and Nastia Liukin — and atotal of 50 international medals overthe past 10 years. But at the time,Karolyi’s presence was divisive. TheUS women had a terrible qualifyinground that year — barely making it tothe finals, where they hit all 20 of theirroutines, but still finished fourth.It was a bittersweet ending to a

difficult Olympic experience. “Italmost felt like ‘Survivor,’ a little bit,”Schwikert said. “It was just, ‘We’ll justrun you down, wait ‘til we find the lastman standing and we’ll see what theteam is.”‘ Their half-hour interview session

before receiving the medals featured anumber of similar observations. Itcame off like a therapy session ofsorts, and it was a bit surprising thatsome of the feelings remain so raw. “It’s hard for us. Honestly, the

experience was not great,”Dantzscher said. “It makes us soundlike we’re being negative, but it’s justthe truth.” It may have been worst forDantzscher, Ray and Maloney — noneof whom were on another Olympicteam. Chow and Dawes had been on the

1996 gold-medal team and Schwikertwent back as an alternate in 2004,after Martha Karolyi had taken over

for her husband and many of the kinkshad been smoothed out in America’ssemi-centralized training program.“They were true pioneers,” USA

Gymnastics president Steve Pennysaid. “They worked hard. We’re proudto recognize them, make them smileand put a bronze medal around theirnecks.” The medals wereredistributed after the InternationalOlympic Committee took therecommendation of gymnastics’governing body, which nullified theresults of Dong Fangxiao afterdetermining she was only 14 at the2000 Games. Gymnasts must turn 16during the Olympic year to be eligible.Age falsification has long been an

issue in gymnastics, though it drewunprecedented attention in 2008when media reports and Internetrecords suggested some girls onChina’s gold-medal team in Beijingmight have been underage.

That led to an investigation, whichresulted in no changes in the 2008results but did raise questions aboutChina’s 2000 team.The IOC made its decision in April,

and the medals were given to theAmericans on opening night of USChampionships — presented by AnitaDeFrantz, an American IOC member.The medals actually had to be

recast because the originals had theChinese girls’ names on them. Butthey are the same design. And USAGymnastics officials went so far as toget pictures from the medalsceremony in 2000 so they couldpresent them with the same flowersthat were handed out in Sydney. “Iwant you to close your eyes, thinkback to the games, think about whereyou were and put yourself on thatmedals podium,” DeFrantz said.A nicenotion, even if none of these womenreally want to go back there. —AP

10 years later, US gymnasts get their medals

TORONTO: Top seed RafaelNadal battled out a marathontiebreaker on Wednesday toreach the Toronto Mastersthird round, downing StanislasWawrinka 7-6 (14/12), 6-3.The first-set decider tied

the record of the longest everplayed by the Spaniard, whowent the same distance in2009 but lost 14-12 to RichardGasquet.The unseeded Wawrinka

had five set point chances ofhis own which he could notconvert. Nadal took the firstset on his fourth chance. “I’m pretty happy with how

I played,” said Nadal. “I wasworried about this match, Iknew it would be dangerousagainst Stan.“I played well, I had a bit of

everything - difficult momentsin the tiebreaker and also somegood play. It’s important to winthe first match back just for theconfidence.”Nadal is playing in his first

ATP event since winning asecond Wimbledon title andthen watching Spain win theFIFA World Cup in SouthAfrica. He also had physicaltherapy on his knee, a constantcause of worry in his career.Nadal will line up late

yesterday against SouthAfrican qualifier KevinAnderson, who knocked outAmerican Sam Querrey 7-6(7/4), 4-6, 6-4.Second-seeded Novak

Djokovic struggled to close outhis opening win in searing heatwhile title holder Andy Murrayplayed it cool as he rallied for avictory over Xavier Malisse. Djokovic required multiple

match points to downFrenchman Julien Benneteau7-5, 7-5. Murray broke Malissetwice to end the first set andeasily powered through to A 7-5, 6-2 victory. Murray slowly seized

control, firing seven aces andbreaking his 30-year-oldopponent. For Djokovic,however, it was a struggle tothe end. The Serb admittedthat his longstandingdiscomfort in hot weatheragain came into play.

Nadal wins marathon tiebreak

“It was a big struggle, I wasnot feeling the best, But it issomething I overcame. “I waslucky to come back when Ineeded to,” said the playerwhose occasional fragility hasplagued him for the past fewseasons. “When I needed tohit winners, I went for itinstead of waiting for him tomake errors.“That was a positive that

came out of this. The heat wasat least 30 Celsius and thecourt absorbs it and makesthings even hotter. I was closeto the edge today.”Djokovic, winner of the

2007 Canadian title, smashed aracket in the second set beforefinally improving to 4-1 in hiscareer series againstBenneteau.He was playing for the first

time since leading his countryinto the Davis Cup semi-finals

last month. Three Frenchmanwon through, two throughupsets.Jeremy Chardy put out

Spanish ninth seed FernandoVerdasco 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 while Michael Llodra did thesame to another Iberian,number 14 Nicolas Almagro 7-6 (7/5), 6-2. The 15th seedGael Monfils beat DutchmanThiemo de Bakker 7-5, 6-3 toset up a match with Murray. Russia’s world number six

Nikolay Davydenko beat ItalianFabio Fognini 7-5, 6-1 butUkranian Alexandr Dolgopolovupset 12th seed RussianMikhail Youzhny 1-6, 7-6 (7/4),7-5. Last week’s Washingtonwinner David Nalbandiancontinued his comebacksuccess from hip surgery andother injuries, putting outSpain’s Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-0.—AFP

OHIO: Kim Clijsters, from Belgium, hits a forehand against DinaraSafina, from Russia, during a match at the Cincinnati Open tennistournament. —AP

MASON: Russia’s Elena Dementieva lost 6-1 6-3 to compatriot AnastasiaPavlyuchenkova in the second round of therain-hit Cincinnati Open on Wednesday, butMaria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters bothadvanced to the third round.Fourth seed Clijsters comfortably

defeated another former world number one,Dinara Safina of Russia, 7-5 6-2 in a matchthat was delayed by almost two hours byheavy showers. But it was the early exit ofthird seed Dementieva that was the majorsurprise of the second round.“I was not feeling well and I think I was

affected by the weather,” she told reportersafter her loss. “I think that was probably theworst match of mine for a long, long time.“I was just not into the game. I couldn’t

really focus, my concentration was notthere and I was just not feeling well,” sheadded, citing the humid conditions in the

days before Wednesday’s rain.Pavlyuchenkova will meet 13th seed

Shahar Peer of Israel, who defeated Spanishqualifier Nuria Llagostera Vives 6-3 6-2.“I had nothing to lose against Elena and I

just wanted to enjoy things and put on agood performance,” said the 19-year-old,who won her second WTA event in Istanbullast week.Three-times Grand Slam winner

Sharapova looked in impressive form as shecrushed Germany’s Andrea Petkovic 6-3 6-1. Wimbledon runner-up and 2006Cincinnati champion Vera Zvonarevasurvived multiple rain delays and a 5-2deficit but fought back to win the third setand defeat fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko7-5 2-6 7-6(2). Zvonareva will face FlaviaPennetta, who defeated Romanian qualifierMonica Niculescu 6-0 6-1 earlier in theday.—Reuters

Dementieva falters,Clijsters moves on

TORONTO: Rafael Nadal, of Spain, hits aforehand to Stanislas Wawrinka, ofSwitzerland, in Rogers Cup ATP tennistournament action in Toronto.—AP

Friday, August 13, 2010 page 63sports

Blackpool add twist to EPL opening dayLONDON: Blackpool’s ground isbeing hastily upgraded, as is theirsquad, but the return of the seasideclub to the English elite for the firsttime since 1971 adds a juicy orangetwist to Saturday’s Premier Leaguekickoff.

Relegation favourites they maybe, but Ian Holloway’s side will hogsome of the limelight on Saturday astheir season begins with a trip toWigan Athletic-a match that wasswitched to an away fixture whiletheir Bloomfield Road stadium isenlarged.

Blackpool began last seasontipped for the drop into the third tierbut instead ended the campaign bybeating Cardiff City in theChampionship playoff final atWembley-a victory worth anestimated 90 million pounds even ifthey, as most pundits predict, gostraight back down.

Not that they have been splashingthe cash in the offseason a situationthat left Holloway frustrated until hefinally got clearance to sign fiveplayers on Wednesday.

Striker Marlon Harewood,previously with West Ham Unitedand Aston Villa, will offer a physicalpresence while defender CraigCathcart, signed from ManchesterUnited, and midfielders LudovicSylvestre, Malaury Martin and ElliotGrandin will add some depth.

“I’ve been running up blind alleysbut we have a structure and we wantto stick to that. I’m not falling intoother people’s traps,” Holloway,whose quips will enliven theforthcoming season, said onWednesday.

“I can sell sand to an Arab andfridges to Eskimos if I believe in it.But it’s not easy because thedifference between where we are andthe rest of this crazy world isastounding.”

While Holloway gathers little-known cast-offs, Manchester Cityneed no encouragement when itcomes to opening the chequebook forthe game’s big names.

The new financial muscle men ofEnglish soccer have lavished another80 million pounds during the closeseason as they bid to tilt the balanceof power.

So long in the shadow ofManchester United, City, now fuelledby seemingly limitless funds fromtheir billionaire Abu Dhabi owners,came agonisingly close to breakinginto the top four last season and aftersigning Yaya Toure from Barcelonaand David Silva from Valencia andwith more on the way they are beingwidely tipped as genuine titlecontenders.

Manager Roberto Mancini tookover halfway through last seasonfrom Mark Hughes and the Italian

will know that he will have to hit theground running in his first full seasonin charge, beginning at TottenhamHotspur on Saturday.

Tottenham, like City, have to goback to the 1960s for their last leaguetitle, but after pipping City to fourthspot last season courtesy of a 1-0 winat Eastlands, will also be in the framefor what promises to be a wide opentitle race.

Mancini’s biggest challenge willbe picking his strongest team out ofthe embarrassment of riches at hisdisposal and wily Tottenham managerHarry Redknapp may just view theopening day as the perfect time toplay the league’s big spenders.

“I would have liked another twoweeks training with them, but ofcourse that has not been an option,”

Mancini, who still hopes to signAston Villa’s James Milner, said thisweek.

“But I’m excited, it’s going to be abig year for us. I would have liked tohave another 20 days together withthe squad, because we want thewhole squad to the same level, so forthat reason it’s so important that westart the season well.”

City’s spending power standsalone in a new climate of budget cutsand tightening purse strings which,added to the new 25-player squadrule, could usher in a less frivolousculture.

Chelsea, for one, appear to havebecome almost frugal these dayscompared to owner RomanAbramovich’s early years in charge.

The champions, who begin at

home to promoted West BromwichAlbion on Saturday, have so far signedonly Yossi Benayoun from Liverpoolwhile Carlo Ancelotti’s squad hasbeen shorn of midfielders Joe Cole,Michael Ballack and Deco anddefender Ricardo Carvalho, whoagreed a move to Real Madrid onWednesday.

While West Brom, managed byformer Chelsea favourite Roberto diMatteo, should be brushed aside,Ancelotti will be keen to top up hissquad before the transfer windowcloses.

“It was not a good pre-season,”Ancelotti said of a disappointing runof friendly defeats and Sunday’s 3-1Community Shield defeat byManchester United. United, runners-up last season, open againstpromoted Newcastle United onMonday.

The new air of confidence atLiverpool in the wake of RoyHodgson’s replacement of RafaBenitez, the signing of Cole fromChelsea and Spain striker FernandoTorres’ loyalty pledge will be put tothe test with the visit of Arsenal onSunday.

Aston Villa, who were rocked onMonday by the resignation ofmanager Martin O’Neill, host WestHam United on Saturday whileEverton begin at BlackburnRovers .—Reuters

United sign BebeLONDON: Manchester United completed their third signing of the off-season after securing a deal for striker Bebe from Portuguese clubVitoria de Guimaraes. United’s website said the 20-year-old had agreedpersonal terms and would undergo a medical later this week.

Manager Alex Ferguson has been keen to bolster his striking optionsand Bebe joins along with Mexico’s Javier Hernandez, who scored inUnited’s 3-1 defeat of Chelsea in the Community Shield at Wembley onSunday. The 6ft-3in Bebe is rated as one of the top young talents inPortugal and will join compatriot Nani at Old Trafford. United begintheir Premier League campaign against promoted Newcastle United onMonday.—Reuters

England say farewell to BeckhamLONDON: Fans barely noticedwhen Wes Brown and PaulRobinson turned their back onEngland this week but whenFabio Capello closed the door onDavid Beckham on Wednesday ittruly was the end of an era.

Capello’s announcementbefore Wednesday’s 2-1 victoryover Hungary that the 35-year-old was “probably a bit too old”brought a low-key end to theinternational career of a playerwho right up until the day of thematch was making it clear thathe would never walk away.

“I’ve always said I won’tretire from playing for mycountry,” Beckham said in LosAngeles on Wednesday, 14 yearsafter winning the first of his 115caps. “If I never get picked againor whether I get picked again forone more game or 10 moregames I’ll be available.”

In an era when PremierLeague also-rans feel the needto say “no thanks” Beckhamremains a glorious, shiningexample of why pulling on theshirt of one’s national teamshould remain the ultimatehonour in the game.

For all his travails, for all hismyriad off-pitch distractions andhis unprecedented celebritylifestyle, the bottom line is thathe just loves the game.

From his well-documenteddays as a London youngster whorealised his dream of playing forManchester United through hisremarkable career at OldTrafford, Real Madrid, LAGalaxy and AC Milan, Beckhamhas never given anything but hisall. Behind it all was England,

where Beckham experiencedthe highest of highs and lowestof lows.

A generation of fans - thosewho last season roared to therafters when he warmed up fromthe Wembley bench - will barelyremember the 1998 World Cupwhen, after he was sent off forkicking Diego Simeone duringthe last-16 defeat by Argentina,his effigy was hung from lamp-posts and he was booedthroughout the country.

He kept his dignity, keptdoing what he did best -

delivering crosses like nobodyelse in the game could andpeppering the net withsuperlative free kicks andgradually won the fans over.

He was back in credit on theback of his inspired display in the2002 World Cup qualifier againstGreece at Old Trafford when hislast-gasp free kick earned thedraw that sent England to thefinals.

His stock continued to riseafter he converted a penalty tobeat Argentina in the groupstage but it was black mark time

again soon after when,protecting an injury, he leapt outof a tackle against Brazil andseconds later England werepicking the ball out of their neten route to another quarter-finalexit. His skied penalty in thequarter-final shootout defeat byPortugal in Euro 2004 wasanother painful moment, as werehis touchline tears two yearslater when England lost to thesame opposition at the samestage in the World Cup inGermany.

The next day Beckham

relinquished the captaincy andhis international career seemedover when new manager SteveMcClaren left him out of his firstsquad, only to eventually recallhim. Capello, who had his ownfallout with Beckham when incharge of Real Madrid beforerelenting, recognised his valueon the pitch and around thesquad and the older he got, themore popular he got.

Although increasinglyperipheral to England’s plans,Beckham never complained,never went to the media staking

a claim for a place, but took hisplace amongst the substitutes.

Yet when his name wasannounced by the PA it earnedby far the loudest cheers. Whenhe joined the fray young fanswere delirious, his appearancemaking their day.

Injury ended his hopes ofplaying in this year’s World Cupbut when Capello asked him toaccompany the team in anadvisory role he jumped at thechance, saying he would carrythe kit bag if he felt it would helptheir prospects. —Reuters

LONDON: This is a Saturday, Oct. 6, 2001 file photo of England’s captain David Beckham (left) as he is congratulated byteammate Emile Heskey after scoring their second goal against Greece during their 2002 World Cup qualifying match at OldTrafford. —AP

MILAN: France’scompletely new team lost 2-1 to Norway in a friendly onWednesday with the ghostsof World Cup controversyand failure also hanging overEngland despite StevenGerrard’s brace in a 2-1 winover Hungary.

France beaten in

Norway friendly

David Silva spared theblushes of world championsSpain with a late equaliser ina 1-1 draw in Mexico in afriendly almost no one in LaLiga wanted just before theseason, a common themeacross the night with playerskeen not to pick up injuries.South Africa runners-up

the Netherlands were held 1-1 in their Euro 2012qualifying warm-up inUkraine but most of theirWorld Cup squad were restedwhile third-placed Germanyalso put out a second-stringside in a 2-2 draw inDenmark.Exactly a month after the

staging the World Cup final,South Africa beat Ghana 1-0in a friendly at Soccer City tosecure a winning start fornew coach Pitso Mosimane.Argentina are still without

a permanent coach afterDiego Maradona’s dramaticdeparture but they stillmanaged to win 1-0 in Ireland,whose own boss GiovanniTrapattoni missed the gamebecause of surgery.Hungary took the lead at

Wembley when Phil Jagielka’sdeflection was wronglyadjudged to have crossed theline, in contrast to FrankLampard’s effort in the 4-1World Cup last 16 defeat toGermany which was ruled outdespite being a goal.FIFA President Sepp

Blatter said earlier in the daythat the possible use ofgoalline technology would beon the agenda at theInternational FootballAssociation Board meeting inOctober and the Hungary goalonly adds more weight to callsfor change.England coach Fabio

Capello also opted for a minorrevolution with AdamJohnson and Theo Walcott,left out of the World Cupsquad, starting alongsideWayne Rooney in a new frontthree which becamefashionable with teams inSouth Africa. It only workedin patches in the first halfthough and the boos whichrang out at halftime were onlyavoided at the final whistle bytwo contrasting pieces ofbrilliance by captain Gerrardon 69 and 73 minutes tooverturn the 62nd minute

opener.Capello brought on 18-

year-old debutant JackWilshere late on as he edgestowards a more youthful sidefor September’s opening Euro2012 qualifier against

Bulgaria, meaning theinternational career of 35-year-old David Beckhamlooks over.Ahead of the game, Capello

told ITV Sport the injured LosAngeles Galaxy midfielder

was “probably a bit too old” toplay for England again.“Thank you, David,” addedCapello, who used England’smost capped outfield player aspart of his backroom staff atthe World Cup. New France

coach Laurent Blanc has beenbusy with his own rebuildingjob, picking a totally differentsquad for his first game incharge in Oslo following thedebacle which engulfed LesBleus during the World Cup.

Forward Nicolas Anelkawas sent home from SouthAfrica and the squad went onstrike before their humiliatinggroup stage exit, but thingsgot little better onWednesday.Erik Huseklepp’s two

second-half goals cancelledout Hatem Ben Arfa’s 47thminute opener and left Blancwith lots of thinking to dobefore their first Euro 2012Group D qualifier at home toBelarus on Sept. 3.Estonia kicked off the

whole Euro qualifyingcampaign on Wednesday byscoring twice in added timefor a 2-1 home win over theFaroe Islands in Group C.Italy, the 2006 world

champions also in Group C,suffered more pain followingtheir first round exit inSouth Africa when they lost1-0 to Ivory Coast in aLondon friendly on Tuesdaywhen a bright young Brazilside defeated United States2-0. —Reuters

www.kuwaittimes.net

LONDON: England’s Phil Jagielka (right) tackles Hungary’s Zoltan Liptak during their international soccer friendly at WembleyStadium. —AP

England, Argentina on top, Spain draw

SINGAPORE: Asian FootballConfederation president Mohamed BinHammam has thrown his support behindthe use of goal-line technology and extraassistant referees.The Qatari, seen as a potential

successor to FIFA chief Sepp Blatter,suggested it was an almost inevitabledevelopment. “There must be sometechnology introduced to define whetherthe ball went in or not. That must happen,”Bin Hammam, a FIFA executive committeemember, told AFP.“We must take into consideration today

that with hundreds of cameras in a stadiumtelecasting the match, they can detect eachand every action. “So people are alwaysgoing to be negative about refereemistakes.

“It’s unfortunate for referees but maybewith introducing two extra referees in amatch, it can improve the decision andjudgement of referees. “Goal-linetechnology and two extra referees canresolve a lot of the issues.”The controversial issue of goal-line

technology will be discussed at a meeting ofthe International Football AssociationBoard in October, according to Blatter.FIFA have previously rebuffed all

demands to use video technology toresolve contentious refereeing decisions,despite it being successfully implementedin other sports such as tennis, cricket andrugby union. Their rationale has been thatit would disrupt the free-flowing movementof the game.But the issue was forced back onto the

agenda after England’s Frank Lampard hada goal against Germany disallowed at theWorld Cup in South Africa, despite replaysshowing the ball was well over the line.England suffered another debatable

decision in a 2-1 friendly win over Hungaryon Wednesday when the linesman ruledthat Phil Jagielka had conceded an owngoal. Replays suggested the ball wascleared off the line. Support for the use oftwo extra assistant referees is alsogrowing.The system was used in the Europa

League last season and will this year betrialled in the Champions League, as wellas a handful of other competitions aroundthe world. Referees will be assisted by twolinesmen and two further officials in eachpenalty area. —AFP

Bin Hammam backs goal-line technology, extra refs