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NO. 14786 THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012 / RAMADAN 28, 1433 AH 56 PAGES 150 FILS
After Iftar
His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah at the OIC summit. (AFP)
KUWAIT CITY, Aug 15: Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammed AlAbdullah Al-Sabah announced Wednesday that the Constitutional Court has received a request from the Cabinet to look into the constitutionality of two articles of the Electoral Law the electoral constituencies and the number of votes a citizen can cast. Speaking at a press conference, the minister called the intention shown by the majority bloc to boycott the next
election a personal choice. He said the Cabinets decision to challenge the constitutionality of the constituencies was not to provoke certain groups. He stressed courage and honesty demands countrys interests to be placed on top of the priorities, even above election interests. Sheikh Mohammed Al-Abdullah added challenges to laws do not require getting bogged down in disputes. He wondered why there should be calls for new elections when there is a possibility that the results can be appealed and annulled.
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GRATITUDE is a feeling of thankfulness, appreciation of kindness, satisfaction or whatever you may call it. A study conducted in the New York City recently disclosed adolescents who are grateful are happy and usually do not resort either to drugs or alcohol. Moreover, their behavior is trouble free. The American Society of Psychiatry said during its 20th meeting in Orlando, Florida that a study has proved gratitude plays a monumental role in the mental life of adolescents. Moreover, gratitude in this sensitive age group reflects positively on their lives for 4 years on the level of sufficiency,
happiness, positivism and hope. Personally, I was happy when I saw the results of this study because I discovered people of various age groups in Kuwait children, teenagers and youth and even the elderly lack sufAl-Baghli ficiency, happiness, positivism and hope. We live a luxurious life which many people around us envy, even those who live in the utopias which the philosophers have created.
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Refugees
The increasing numbers of Syrian refugees should be given our immediate attention at the present moment; humanitarian aid should be given out to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian refugees, the Amir stressed. The Amir also emphasized the importance of achieving peace to the Palestinians and how Israel should abide by international laws and resolutions to halt the settlements and to work toward establishing an independent state for the Palestinians. Meanwhile, the Amir addressed Iran in his speech by saying that Iran should answer to all international efforts that aim at reaching a political compromise on its controversial nuclear program; a program that is causing much tension in the region. By responding to international demands, Iran would help bring peace and stability to the region, he further stressed. The Amir also called on Iran to stay neutral and not to interfere with other countries internal affairs. The Amir also shed light, at the conclusion of his speech, to the acts of violence committed against Muslims minorities in Myanmar. As an international community and most importantly as an Islamic one, we should all exert all possible efforts to secure the rights of the Muslims there, he pointed out.
In this aerial image made from a helicopter and released by Saudi Press Agency, shows a night view of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Aug 14. Saudi Arabias King Abdullah hosted an extraordinary session of the Organization of Islamic Conference, a body of 57 member states on Tuesday and Wednesday. (AP)
Opposition
Meanwhile, OIC was poised Wednesday to suspend conflictwracked Syria, despite opposition from Iran, a staunch ally of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. An emergency summit of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) opened late Tuesday with the proposal put forward by a preparatory meeting of foreign ministers, a symbolic attempt to pile pressure on Damascus over its deadly crackdown on a 17-month uprising. A draft final statement obtained by AFP said the summit, in Makkah, Islams holiest city, approves the suspension of Syrias membership. It was expected to be endorsed when the leaders reconvened late Wednesday evening. The move by the OIC, which represents 1.5 million Muslims worldwide, is aimed at further isolating Assads embattled regime but its effect is seen as being largely symbolic. Syria was suspended from the Arab League last year over its clampdown on the uprising that Assad characterised as a plot by Western and rival powers to overthrow his regime. Saudi King Abdullah has presided over the meeting, attended by
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Ramadan Timings
Iftar...................Thursday ................18:28 Imsak ...............Friday .....................03:42
As the violence intensified, UN human rights investigators accused forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.
They said rebels had also committed war crimes, but the violations did not reach the gravity, frequency and scale of those by state forces and the pro-Assad shabbiha militia. The commission found reasonable grounds to believe that government forces and the shabbiha had committed the crimes against humanity of murder and of torture, war crimes and gross violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including unlawful killing, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, sexual violence, indiscriminate attack, pillaging and destruction of property, said the 102-page report by the independent investigators led by Paulo Pinheiro. Residents in the northern border town of Azaz screamed and shouted God is great-
est as they carried bloodied bodies from collapsed concrete buildings, video posted by activists showed. The opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said dozens had been killed. One activist in the town said at least 30 bodies had been found and rescuers were searching for more. Video footage, which could not be verified, showed crowds of residents wrestling with steel bars and pulling away a giant slab of concrete to reveal the dust-covered arm of a child. This is a real catastrophe, said an activist who gave his name only as Anwar. An entire street was destroyed. Assads forces have increasingly used helicopter gunships and warplanes against
the lightly-armed insurgents. In Damascus, a bomb exploded in the car park of a hotel used by UN monitors, but several military buildings are also in the vicinity and it was not clear what the target was. No UN staff were hurt in the blast, which occurred exactly four weeks after a bomb killed four of Assads senior aides. The bomb set a fuel tanker ablaze and black smoke billowed over the city. Ash and dust covered white UN vehicles parked nearby. State media said three people were wounded in the bombing and several rebels were killed or captured in a separate gunbattle with security forces in the western district of Mezze.
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Newswatch
Nasdaq +13.95 pts at closing, Aug 15 FTSE -31.74 pts at closing, Aug 15 Nikkei -4.84 pts at closing, Aug 15 Gold $1,601.75 per oz (London)
NYMEX crude $94.40 per barrel Brent crude $115.95 per barrel 3-month $ LIBOR rate 0.43450%
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The Empire State Building is illuminated in red, white and blue lights in honor of the US Olympic team on Aug 14, in New York. (AFP)
LOCAL
Top: The Ambassador unfurling the national flag; (middle) Indian school children singing patriotic songs, and (above) some of the Indians who attended the celebration.
By Cinatra Fernandes
Arab Times Staff
LOCAL
LOCAL
DIWANIYA
Learn lesson from Syria
KUNA photo
His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received, at his residence in Makkah Tuesday, the President of Yemen Abdo Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The meeting was attended by the official delegation accompanying Sheikh Sabah. His Highness the Amir was in Makkah to participate in the Islamic solidarity summit. (KUNA)
Kuwait Today
Site for checking travel ban
www.kuwaitcourts.gov.kw/mojweb/NGeneral/Main.jsp
Prayer Timings
Fajr ...................................03:51 am Sunrise ...................................05:16 Zohr ........................................11:52 Asr ....................................03:28 pm Maghreb .................................06:28 Isha.........................................07.50
40 38 42 41
SE SE SE SE
Weather
Expected weather for the next 24 hours: By Night: Relatively hot with moderate freshening at times north westerly wind, with speed of 20-40 km/h. By Day: Very hot with moderate to fresh north westerly wind, with speed of 22-42 km/h causing rising dust over open areas.
Kuwait Weather
Station Kuwait City Kuwait Airport Nuwaiseeb Wafra Salmi Abdaly Jalaliyah Failaka Ahmadi Port Umm Al-Maradem Warba-Bubiyan Max Rec 44 45 45 45 43 45 45 45 43 40 46 Min Exp 33 33 32 32 26 29 28 31 35 34 27
Marine Forecast
Station South Dolphin Ahmadi L/V Beacon M28 Beacon N6 Max Min Sea Todays Exp Rec Surf Waves Ht Direction 40 33 - 6ft SE 38 29 - 6ft SE 37 34 32 6ft SE 42 31 - 6ft SE
deaths
Fatmah Muhammad Abdallah Al-Qattan, 67 years old, buried. Condolences: (Men) Daiah, Al-Awadi diwaniya. (Women) Hateen, Block 1, Street 107, House 19, Tel: 99744027, 99722048, 25221974. Sakeena Ahmad Muhammad, 71 years old, widow of Abdallah Talib Al-Awadi, buried. Condolences: (Men) Daiah, Al-Awadi diwaniya. (Women) Surrah, Block 3, Street 4, Block 2, Tel: 22573111, 25339831. Khalid Abdulrahman Yusuf Al-Haddad, 62 years old, buried. Condolences: (Men) Mishrief, Block 6, Street 4, Ave 2, House 3. (Women) Qurtubah, Block 2, Street 3, Ave 4, House 10, Tel: 90072223. Ali Fadil Muhammad Al-Merri, 85 years old, buried. Condolences: (Men) Omariyah, Block 2, 1st Street, House 17. (Women) Dhuhur, Block 3, Street 2, Ave 3, House 7, Tel: 69655555, 99200300. Maleeha Mujbil Jaryu Al-Rashidi, 51 years old, buried. Condolences: Naseem, Jahra, Block 1, Street 15, House 2, Tel: 99779355, 66026019. Aisha Hassan Ibrahim Al-yatama, wife of Hamad Ali Ahmad Al-Hamad, 77 years old, buried. Condolences: (Men) Shamiyah, Block 8, Street 85, House 17, Al-Yatama diwaniya. (Women) Salaam, Block 4, Street 24, House 27, Tel: 99020017, 99024422, 25210160. Abdulrahman Abdallah Essa Al-Erbeed, 78 years old, buried. Condolences: (Men) Bayan, Block 2, Street 1, House 27. (Women) Mishref, Block 5, Street 2, House 4, Tel: 99799719. Dari Fauzi Hamad Aleej Al-Shimmery, 12 years old, buried. Condolences: (Men) Gharnatah, Behind Credit and Savings bank. (Women) Gharnatah, Block 3, Street 10, House 50, Tel: 97603030.
LOCAL
embassy row
By Valiya S. Sajjad
Arab Times Staff
Australia
The Embassy of Australia has announced that it will be closed on Sunday, Aug 19, and Monday, Aug 20, 2012, for Eid Al Fitr. Further it said, Kuwaiti citizens can apply for and receive visit visas in at least 10 working days through www.immi.gov.au. All other processing of visas and immigration matters handled by the Australian Visa Application Centre located in Al Banwan Building, 4B 1st Floor, Al Qibla Area, Ali Al Salem Street, Kuwait City, Kuwait. You may call on Tel: 22971110 or visit www.vfs.ae. The Embassy of Australia does not have a visa or immigration department in Kuwait. All processing of visas and immigration matters are conducted by the Australian Consulate General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.co (VFS), immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (visa office). Tel: +971 43551958 (VFS), +971 45087200 (Visa Office), Fax: +971 43550708 (Visa Office). Notary and passport services are available by appointment at the Australian Embassy only on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Appointments can be made by calling the embassy on 22322422.
processed and delivered before the traveling date. Visa requests have to be submitted at least 2 weeks or 3 months maximum before traveling date. For housemaids and other domestic staff, a temporary work permit is requested and needs at least 3 weeks to be processed and delivered
South Africa
The Embassy of South Africa will be closed from Sunday, Aug 19, 2012 to Tuesday, Aug 21, 2012, on the occasion of Eid-Al-Fitr.
Greece
The Embassy of Greece in Kuwait has announced its new website www.mfa.gr/kuwait where visa applications and other useful information are available. In view of the summer vacation and due to the increasing number of applications for Schengen visas to Greece, the embassy strongly recommends Kuwaiti citizens and foreign residents to apply early, prior to the intended date of travel.
Sri Lanka
The Embassy of Sri Lanka will be closed for public from Aug 19 to Aug 21, 2012, for Eid Al Fitr.
UK
The Embassy of UK will be closed on Sunday, Aug 19, until Tuesday Aug 21, 2012 (inclusive) on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr. The Consular Section will be closed on the same dates.
India
The Indian Embassy has announced it will remain closed on the following days: Aug 20, 2012, Monday (subject to change), for Eid Al-Fitr and Aug 29, 2012, Wednesday, for Onam Festival.
US
The US Embassy in Kuwait has launched a new streamlined visa application, the DS-160, which replaces and combines all previous forms. All nonimmigrant visa applicants will use this new form. With the new form, applicants will have to upload a visa photograph and submit the form via the internet. The applicant will print just one confirmation sheet upon completion of the DS-160. For additional information, please visit the US Embassy website: http://kuwait.usembassy.gov. The site contains a complete list of application requirements, links to the new application and the online appointment system.
Philippines
In observance of Eid Al-Fitr holidays, the Philippines Embassy will be closed from Aug 19-20, 2012. Regular office hours will resume on Wednesday, Aug 22, 2012.
Bangladesh
The Embassy of Bangladesh will remain closed from Aug 19-25, 2012, for Eid Al-Fitr.
Peru
The Embassy of Peru in Kuwait announces that the Embassy of Peru in Qatar will attend to visa requests from Kuwaitis and non-Kuwaitis residing in Kuwait. Applicants can call +97444915944 or fax their request to +97444915940 or email: arestegui.cj@gmail.com for more information.
France
The French Embassy kindly requests visa applicants to submit their application form along with all requested documents to Al-Qabas Assurex Company, allowing enough time for the visa to be
DISPATCHES
LOCAL
KUWAIT CITY, Aug 15: A Filipina Household Service Worker (HSW) who escaped from her employers house in Sabahiya on July 17 due to overwork and lack of sleep ended up being sold to a Bangladeshi pimp and was forced to work in a brothel in Jleeb Al Shuyoukh.
Salma (not her real name), 29, single and a native of Cotabato City in Southern Philippines who arrived in Kuwait on Feb 15, 2011 recounted to the Arab Times on Wednesday the ordeal she went through in the brothel after she was sold by an Indian man to a Bangladeshi pimp in Jleeb AlShuyoukh for KD200.
I escaped from my employer because I cant take the bulk of work anymore. I wake up before 6 am daily and work nonstop at home with no rest at all till 1 am. I cannot even sleep due to fatigue. Then someone has been calling me up on the phone, an Indian guy who later became my friend on the phone who offered to help me find a job outside. I was already confused and desperate at that time because of fatigue so I decided to escape, stated Salma who endured 10 months of overwork with her second employer. She disclosed that she left her first employer after eight months when her employers brother attempted to rape her. Her first employer returned her to the agency and was given to her second employer where she allegedly suffered over fatigue. On the day she escaped, Salmas Indian phone pal who promised to find her a job waited for her outside her employers house, however, when she was already in the car, she changed her mind and asked him to take her to her agency in Fahaheel but to her surprise, she was brought to Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh and sold to the Bangladeshi pimp who allegedly provides ladies to brothels in Jleeb and Hasawi area. I tried to escape and fight back but they were strong and they locked me up in a room. Then the Bangladeshi guy who bought me raped me. I cried for help but he threatened me that he would kill me and slit my throat if I try to escape, Salma narrated in between sobs. Two days after, the Bangladeshi guy then brought her to the brothel which was just near the place that they were staying. I kept on crying as I begged them to let me go but everything fell on deaf ears. I was ushered into a small stinky room with
Philippine Embassy ATNU Head Tanandato listens to Salma as she recounts her ordeal.
only a dirty mattress in it. Then, guys of different nationalities started coming into my room and each one had sexual intercourse with me. Each sexual encounter was so fast that it would only last from two to five minutes. Some of those who pitied me did not touch me but just paid the pimp. I lost count of the men who used me, she sobbed. Salma recounted that she was brought to two different brothels in the area on different days. I was brought every other day to two different brothels. He gets KD 5 for every customer and he gives me KD 1 as commission. I begged him to let me go as I cant do it anymore but he again threatened to kill me if I escape, she stated. Salma cited that she also saw three other Filipinas in the brothel as well as Indonesian ladies but they were not allowed to talk to each other. As the days went by, I felt like being tortured every time men had sex with me but I tried to be strong and find a way on how to escape that place, she stated as tears welled in her eyes. Finally on Aug 10 at around 7:00 am, she was able to escape while the Bangladeshi pimp and his other colleagues were still sleeping soundly. My room wasnt locked so I went to the kitchen quietly and there was a very small window, I tied a towel and a bed sheet and jumped off the first floor. I landed on my feet but went off balance and I fell on my right shoulder and half of my body now is hurting due to the impact of my fall, she stated with her voice shaking, pointing to her right shoulder blade.
She then hailed a taxi and asked the driver to take her to the Philippine Embassy. I want that Bangladeshi pimp and all of his colleagues who are operating the brothels in Jleeb be arrested because they are still out there victimising domestic helpers, cried Salma. Salma during her meeting on Wednesday with Assistance to Nationals Unit Head at the Philippine Embassy, Dalidig Ibrahim Tanandato, asked the Philippine Embassy to rescue the three other Fillipinas who are still in the brothel. With the vital information that she provided us we will meet up with the police authorities tomorrow and convey all the information to them so appropriate action can be done to arrest these people, stated Tanandato. He vowed that the embassy will look into Salmas case and do its best to rescue the three other Filipinas and other ladies in the brothels. Tanandato called on all Filipinos in Kuwait especially Household Service Workers (HSWs) not to go out with any stranger and in case, they have any problem with their employers, they should contact the Philippine Embassy or the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) for assistance. Currently, Salma is temporarily staying at the Filipino Workers Resource Center in Faiha. I just want to recover from this nightmare. I hope this will soon be over. I want to go home to the Philippines and be with my family, she sobbed.
LOCAL
4 expats in police net
KUWAIT CITY, Aug 15: The detention renewal judge has ordered the release of former MP Mohammed Al-Juwaihel on bail.
Al-Juwaihel was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department and interrogated by the Public Prosecutor for allegedly insulting the AlMutair tribe on his Twitter account and put behind bars at the Central Prison pending 10 days of investigation. While in prison Juwaihel, who allegedly suffers from heart ailment, was reported to have gone on hunger and medical strike to protest his detention. Juwaihel has denied the accusations attributed to him. He explained he did not insult the Al-Mutair tribe. He also stressed the source of the Twitter account which was used to insult the tribe had surfaced in Lebanon. He blamed someone of implicating him. Meanwhile, the government is reported to have referred former MP Abdullah Al-Turaiji to Public Prosecution in the case No. 13/2012 for allegedly damaging the national economy through a parliamentary query he submitted to the Minister of Commerce and Industry Anas Al-Saleh and his appeal to the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak to stop tampering with appointments in the Financial Market Authority. It may be recalled on June 18, 2012, Al-Turaiji said in a statement there are administrative violations have been committed in the Financial Markets Authority and corruption was rampant as opposed to the desire of HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah who wants Kuwait to be a financial and economic center. Expressing his astonishment on this lawsuit, AlTuraiji said on his Twitter account We ask them about suspicions of corruption and abuses in the appointment of senior officials who are paid astronomical salaries and they accuse us of damaging the economy. Those who steal our wealth and capabilities of our country are having fun and are roaming around freely. He added, We know there is a plan to eliminate us because of our position that has embarrassed them. We also know the government has a role in this plan. We are referred to the Prosecution because we are doing our supervisory duty.
(Left): firefighters battling the blaze, and (right) after the fire has been put out.
MoI photo
INTERNATIONAL
Tensions with Iran have risen over its disputed nuclear program
Interest
Fueling the interest in THAAD, Cavin said, was a US military push to stitch together an integrated air and missile defense architecture across the region as well as what he called a recognition by GCC states that they need the best capability they can get against the threat set thats there. Mat Joyce, Lockheeds vice president for THAAD, said it was premature to discuss specific potential buyers but as they
Agreement
Its not us sitting down with the GCC. Its not us sitting down with NATO, said begin preparing the Election Law based on Constitutional standards. He hoped there will be a consensus on an alternative to the five constituencies according to the criteria determined by the court if it rules that the five constituencies are unconstitutional. Agencies add: Kuwaits opposition accuses the government of wanting to gerrymander electoral districts so as to prevent another opposition majority in the next parliamentary election. Kuwait has been mired in a political impasse caused by a ruling in June by the Constitutional Court that effectively annulled February elections which gave mainly Islamist lawmakers a majority in parliament and reinstated the previous, more government-friendly, assembly. The opposition have condemned plans to submit the petition as a coup against the constitution and warned that any such ruling could set off mass protests in the country. Kuwait has been gripped by a political crisis centred around the right of the elected parliament to question a government staffed mainly by members of the ruling Al-Sabah family. The Amir has been expected to call new elections, probably in October, after the reinstated parliament elected in 2009 failed to muster a quorum twice in the past two weeks to swear in the new government. Analysts said any elections were likely to be delayed until after the Constitutional Court rules on the governments petition. Kuwait changed its election law in 2006, reducing the number of constituencies to five from 25 as part of efforts to reduce the possibility of buying votes and to cut tribal influence in the polls. Opposition politicians, who won an outright majority in the February election, have criticised the governments move and some warned they would boycott any future election.
notify the US government officially of their interest well be happy to provide that information to you. Cavin and Joyce spoke from Huntsville, Alabama, during a space and missile-defense conference. THAAD is part of a layered missile shield being built to defend the United States and its friends and allies against ballistic missiles of all ranges and in all phases of flight. The system is being optimized against Iran and North Korea. A major US-led effort is under way to protect NATOs European territory against ballistic missiles that could be fired by Iran, for instance, in retaliation for any preemptive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran is suspected by many of secretly developing atomic
arms, although it insists that its program is dedicated entirely to peaceful power generation. Lockheed describes THAAD as the only system with the flexibility to intercept targets both inside and outside the earths atmosphere. Other leading missile-defense contractors include Boeing Co, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman Corp. President Barack Obamas administration notified Congress last month of a possible sale to Kuwait of 60 PATRIOT PAC-3 missiles and associated gear in a deal worth up to $4.2 billion. Such a sale would help deter regional threats, among other things, the Pentagons Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in the notice to lawmakers.
Be grateful
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All our demands as young people adolescents and youth are met by our parents. Yet, unfortunately we are not grateful because we always want more. As grown up people, we earn fat salaries either in the public or private sector companies. Yet, we always need more. We saw the demands for salary raise and increments by employees of the oil sector. This made us voracious for more and more increments to such an extent our greed even depleted the countrys resources. Services such as water and electricity here are almost for free, not to mention fuel. There is no tax because the country takes care of our needs from cradle to grave. We have free land, easy loans for accommodation, marriage, compensations, social and financial assistances, education and medication for free. Add to this to the fact that the state pays for medical treatment overseas to people who may even travel for tourism. There is no difference because the number of those who are treated overseas is larger than the number of those treated in local hospitals. There are no prisoners of opinion. There are no tyrant rulers. The freedom of opinion galore and democracy make us look like living in an oasis surrounded by dry desert. Yet, there is neither appreciation nor gratitude. I do not call for maintaining the current position for the fear of not being able to achieve reforms or controlling corruption which has spread in our society. Yet, I see positivism in our country more than negativism which can be handled easily with less shouts, escalations or perpetual complaints. I have a feeling of sufficiency, happiness and hope to overwhelm us in the days ahead of us. However, this should come through gratitude and appreciation.
Accord
Russia said Wednesday it would not let the West sabotage a political transition accord to end the escalating conflict in Syria that world powers agreed in Geneva at the end of June. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused unnamed Western states of fomenting violence by openly supporting the armed opposition and said Russia expected a formal answer within a matter of days on whether they backed the accord. What was accomplished in Geneva should not be sabotaged, Lavrov told reporters while on a visit to Belarus. We will be trying to get an answer from our (Western) partners within literally the coming days about whether they support what they signed off on in Geneva, said Lavrov. If so, why are they not taking measures to implement it? Lavrov demanded.
Crimes
Syrian President Bashar Assads forces and pro-government shabiha fighters have perpetrated war crimes and crimes against humanity on Syrian civilians, a UN expert panel concluded Wednesday in a report that provides in chilling detail further evidence of a conflict spiraling out of control. The panel appointed by the UNs 47nation Human Rights Council blamed the government and allied militia for the killing of more than 100 civilians in the village of Houla in May, nearly half of them children, and said the murders, unlawful killing, torture, sexual violence and indiscriminate attacks indicate the involvement at the highest levels of the armed and security forces and the government.
A Syrian woman holds her dead baby as she looks over at her dead husbands body (unseen) following an airstrike by regime forces on the town of Azaaz, near the northern restive Syrian city of Aleppo, on Aug 15. (AFP)
Bladder infection
Events
He had also watched several events at the London Olympics in the last fortnight, including the Olympic debut of his granddaughter Zara Phillips, who eventually won a silver medal. Philip was hospitalised with a bladder infection for five nights in June, forcing him to miss the end of the huge diamond jubilee celebrations marking his wifes 60th year on the throne. The infection came after he and the rest of the royal family spent several hours standing on a royal barge in the pouring rain as part of a jubilee pageant on the River Thames in London. On the night he was taken ill, hundreds of thousands of revellers chanted his name to wish him well at a starstudded jubilee concert outside Buckingham Palace. He also spent four days in hospital at Christmastime in December after undergoing a surgical procedure for a blocked coronary artery. Greek-born Philip is the longestserving royal consort in British history,
Act now
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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad whose country has openly criticised the push to suspend Syria. The draft statement says Syria should be suspended over the obstinacy of the Syrian authorities in following the military option to solve the crisis and the failure of a UN-Arab League peace plan brokered by Kofi Annan. It demands that Assads regime immediately end all acts of violence without calling for the president to step down, while defending Syrias unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Tensions have been simmering for months between Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia and Shiite-dominated Iran as Syria has emerged as another arena for the longtime rivalry between the two regional heavyweights. Despite the opposed stands, Irans president avoided mention of the Syrian conflict in a speech on Tuesday night as did Saudi Arabias King Abdullah in his opening speech, indicating an accommodation between the regions superpowers. There has been a clear change in the Iranian position towards Syria, according to a diplomat at the Makkah summit. In another conciliatory move, King Abdullah, whose country hosts the OIC headquarters in its Red Sea city of Jeddah, proposed Tuesday setting up a centre in Riyadh for dialogue between Muslim confessions. Iran is the Syrian regimes biggest regional ally and has pledged its full support for Assad. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Monday criticised the move to suspend Syrias membership of the OIC, saying it would not resolve the conflict and was not in line with the groups charter. But foreign ministers meeting ahead of the summit agreed on the suspension based on consensus with an absolute majority and forwarded the decision to the heads of state for final approval, OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said.
Israel sees
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Vilnai made no mention in the interview of the impact a month of conflict would have on Israels economy should Tel Aviv, Israels commercial centre, be hit by long-range missiles. When asked about the issue at a press conference, Panetta offered reassurances, echoing the White House line that there is still time to negotiate a solution to the nuclear showdown. Ive said this before, Ill say it now I dont believe they made a decision as to whether or not they will they will go in and attack Iran at this time, Panetta told reporters. Obviously, theyre an independent theyre a sovereign country. Theyll ultimately make decisions based on what they think is in their national security interest, he noted. The reality is that we still think there is room to continue to negotiate. Earlier this month, Panetta visited Israel, where his pleas for more time to let diplomacy run its course received a less than warm welcome from Netanyahu and Barak. Speculation in the Israeli press about a possible strike has since multiplied. Meanwhile, German police have arrested four men suspected of delivering valves for a heavy water reactor to Iran, breaking an embargo on such exports to the Islamic Republic imposed over its disputed nuclear programme. Prosecutors said some 90 customs officers arrested the men, a German and three with dual German-Iranian citizenship, at their homes in the northern cities of Hamburg and Oldenburg and the eastern town of Weimar, and searched flats and offices. In 2010 and 2011 the suspects are believed to have helped in the delivery of special valves for the construction of a heavy water reactor in Iran and therefore to have broken the Iran embargo, prosecutors said in a statement on Wednesday. They did not name the plant, but Iran is building a heavy water research reactor near the central town of Arak, a type which Western experts say could produce plutonium for nuclear weapons. Iran, which has said it hopes to bring Arak on line by the end of 2013, says its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and that the reactor will produce isotopes for medical and agricultural use. To avoid export controls, the men are suspected of having described their customer as a firm based in Turkey and Azerbaijan. The deliveries were part of an order worth several million euros (dollars) which Iran was trying to use to secure the necessary valve technology to make a heavy water reactor, said the prosecutors.
Precautionary
Buckingham Palace earlier said it was a precautionary measure. It said he and the queen had been staying at Balmoral.
and has been a constant fixture by the queens side throughout her reign. He is famous for his politicallyincorrect jokes, but behind the scenes is said to be a key source of support for the queen. Born Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark, Philip fled politically unstable Greece with his family when he was just 18 months old. A respected officer in Britains Royal Navy during World War II, he had met Princess Elizabeth in 1939, but the couple did not marry until 1947. He had to give up his titles as prince of Greece and Denmark and join the Church of England in order to marry the future queen. He was placed in command of a ship after the wedding, but his career was cut short by the death of king George VI in 1952, which brought Elizabeth to the throne. He once admitted the curtailment of his career was disappointing, but said that being married to the queen, it seemed to me that my first duty was to serve her in the best way I could. They have four children, including heir to the throne Prince Charles.
Newswatch
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After passing on a first set of documents earlier this year, HSBC has sent the new batch to the US Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission in an effort to reach a settlement over the investigation.
Court gets
Continued from Page 1
Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs Jamal Al-Shihab reiterated the dissolution of the 2009 Assembly will be based on a court ruling. He said the dissolution of the Assembly prior to the court verdict will create a new dilemma due to the constitutional obligations to hold new elections within 60 days. Al-Shihab assured dialogue between the government and the people has not stopped and condemned those who threatened to take the issue to international human rights organizations. He said constitutional experts have preceded the government in finding a flaw in the Election Law. He noted the Information Minister is preparing a detailed program on Kuwait TV to shed light on the Cabinets decision to approach the court. Al-Shihab called on the government and the MPs to take the initiative and
not yet in clinical use, will selectively block the immune-addiction response. The researchers said that opioid drugs such as morphine and heroin bind to immune receptors in the brain known as TLR4 which then act as amplifiers for addiction, ramping up the reward effect of drugs of abuse to a high degree. The new drug automatically shuts this effect down, Hutchinson said. It really reduces the reward level down to the equivalent of food, sex, and hugs, he told AFP. Professor Linda Watkins, from the Center for Neuroscience at the University of Colorado, said the work fundamentally changed understanding about opioids, reward and addiction. Weve suspected for some years that TLR4 may be the key to blocking opioid addiction, but now we have the proof, she said in a statement. The researchers believe the discovery could prove useful if plus-naloxone could become a co-formulated drug with morphine, to allow patients who need pain relief to take the drug without fear of addiction. But it could have a second application. It can be used by itself potentially in addicted people to help their addiction, Hutchinson said. The research team says clinical trials could be underway within 18 months.
Syrian air
Continued from Page 1
Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said the bomb blast proved the criminal and barbaric nature of those who carry out these attacks and their backers in Syria and abroad. UN emergency relief coordinator Valerie Amos, on a mission to seek more access for aid deliveries, was meeting European Union officials in Damascus when the bomb went off. She herself was unable to reach the town of Douma, a trouble spot just north of the capital, due to bombardment. Waiting at checkpoint to get into Duma. Sounds of shelling. Could not
Heroin addiction
Continued from Page 1
to prevent cravings for opioid drugs. The results, to be published Thursday in the Journal of Neuroscience, reveal that laboratory studies showed that the drug known as plus-naloxone, which is
enter, Amos tweeted. The authorities told her she had been turned back for her own safety, her spokesman said later. Groups calling themselves The Descendants of the Prophet Brigade and the al-Habib al-Mustafa Brigade said on a Facebook page they were jointly responsible for the bombing and that the attack had killed 50 soldiers. It was impossible to verify that claim. Last month Assads troops successfully counter-attacked after rebels seized parts of Damascus. They are still trying to dislodge insurgents from Aleppo, Syrias biggest city. A Syrian air strike has wrecked a hospital in a rebel-held area of Aleppo, a doctor there said on Wednesday, an attack that New York-based Human Rights Watch said violated international law. At least two holes gaped in the walls of Al Shifaa Hospital and four floors were heavily damaged by Tuesdays raid. If we had lingered just another five minutes, we would have died, said the surgeon, who gave his name only as Younes. Dust covered hospital beds, incubators were broken and the floor was strewn with rubble. Water from a broken tank had leaked out, mixing with patches of blood. More than 50 were killed across Syria on Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory said, after 160 the day before. Opposition sources say 18,000 people have been killed since the uprising against Assad erupted in March last year. Syrian state media said Amos met Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem to discuss the growing needs of civilians affected by the destruction of private and state property by terrorist armed groups the governments usual term for rebels. The bloodshed has divided regional and world powers, foiling peace efforts and paralysing the UN Security Council on Syria. Muslim heads of state were expected to suspend Syria from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation at a summit in Mecca on Wednesday, over the objections of Iran, Assads closest ally. The 57-member bodys rebuke is most-
ly symbolic, but it shows Syrias isolation in much of the Sunni-majority Islamic world. Syrias own Sunni majority is the dynamo of the revolt against Assad, whose Shiite-rooted Alawite minority is at the core of a ruling system based on the army and security services. Syria has been caught up in a wider sectarian-tinged tussle pitting Shiite Iran against Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-ruled Gulf allies. Turkey has also turned against Assad. Tehran is determined to prop up a proven ally who has provided vital support for its Shiite ally Hezbollah in Lebanon. Ankara and Washington have pledged to step up aid to the Syrian opposition and planning for a post-Assad Syria. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Saturday the United States and Turkey were looking at all ways to help Syrian rebel forces, possibly including a no-fly zone. US officials later emphasised that no such step toward direct military intervention was likely any time soon.
GENEVA: The Swiss government has applied an existing set of trade sanctions against Syria to the national airline, two other business organizations and 25 more people. Spokeswoman Antje Baertschi of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, known as SECO, said Wednesday the action makes Switzerlands sanctions applied to Syria last year consistent with those of the 27-nation European Union. (AP) BAGHDAD: Four bombings and a shooting
killed 10 people and wounded 36 others in Iraq on Wednesday, security and medical officials said. In the deadliest attack, a car bomb exploded at about 7:45 pm (1645 GMT) in a market in Al-Muqdadiyah, 90 kms (55 miles) northeast of Baghdad in Diyala province, and a roadside bomb detonated soon afterwards, killing a total of seven people and wounding 25 others, a police colonel and a doctor said. (AFP)
Blames
Meanwhile, China on Wednesday accused some Western countries of seeking regime change in Syria and blamed their increasing support for rebel forces in the civil war there as hurting the solidarity of the UN Security Council. The remarks in the official Peoples Daily newspaper came as China hosted an envoy of Syrian President Bashar alAssad for talks. No details of the talks were released Wednesday. China and Russia have repeatedly used their veto power at the UN Security Council to block strong Western- and Arab-backed action against Assad. Moscow is a key ally of Assad, and China cites its own stance against military intervention. The Communist Partys Peoples Daily repeated Chinas position that the only solution to the Syrian crisis is a political one and criticized some Western countries open discussion of a no-fly zone as undermining a multilateral approach led by outgoing UN peace envoy Kofi Annan.
NEW YORK: The United States crude oil supplies fell last week, the government said Wednesday. Crude supplies declined by 3.7 million barrels, or 1 percent, to 366.2 million barrels, which is 3.4 percent above year-ago levels, the Energy Departments Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report. (AP) VIENNA: Russian police have arrested two men believed to have been behind the abduction in late July of a prominent Viennese lawyer, Austrian authorities said on Wednesday. The two men are thought to be the same ones who allegedly kidnapped Erich Rebasso from an underground car park in the Austrian capital on July 27. Traces of his blood were later found in a car rented by the two Russian citizens. (AFP)
MIDEAST
Not in good faith
Switzerland and Azerbaijan have arrived. The United States stressed that Americans had ways of sending assistance to Iran for the quake, despite the sanctions. Americans wishing to provide humanitarian assistance to Iranians during this time may donate food and medicine without obtaining an Iranian transactions regulations licence, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Monday. Certain non-commercial personal financial trans-
actions to Iran also remained legal, she said. The National Iranian American Council, an advocacy group for the US-based community, has called on the US government to ensure that quake relief efforts are not obstructed due to the dispute between the US and Iranian governments. The twin quakes on Saturday, measuring 6.4 and 6.3 on the moment magnitude scale, flattened hundreds of hamlets in Irans mountainous northwest, near the city of Tabriz.
Prominent Jordanian political analyst and government critic Labib Kamhawi poses for a portrait in his office in Amman, Jordan, Aug 15. Kamhawi said Wednesday that he may face prosecution and even jail for inciting revolt and defaming Jordans King Abdullah II, but denied any wrongdoing and vowed he will fight back. The affair started when Kamhawi made comments on a TV talk show a few weeks ago that allegedly questioned the kings reform ambitions. (AP)
Revolution
During his campaign and the early days of his presidency, Morsy touted himself as the president of the revolution and spoke tirelessly of democracy. He pledged inclusiveness, tolerance and promised guaranteed freedoms under his rule promises he has done little so far to fulfill. Supporters of the 60-year-old, US-educated engineer say he simply restored his rightful powers that the military grabbed from him. It is too early to say whether Morsy and the Muslim Brotherhood are bent on dominating the state, but there are legitimate concerns given that Morsy now holds executive and legislative authority as well as having an avenue for intervening in constitution writing, said Jeff Martini of the Rand Corporation. Morsys consolidation of his authority comes at a time when his likely opponents are too weak or distracted to challenge him. The pro-democracy youth groups behind the uprising are in disarray. They lost much of the popular appeal they once had among the millions who answered their call to come out and protest during the uprising. Squabbling and demoralized, they may do little more than denounce Morsy just as they did when the military grabbed the presidents power in June. Morsy has counted on the support of the pro-democracy movement in his power struggle with the military. But many of the activists view the Brotherhood as politically opportunistic and obsessed with power, suspecting Morsy is driven by those same ambitions. Courageous presidential decrees have foiled the counter-revolution plots, Brotherhood stalwart Essam el-Erian wrote on his Twitter account of Morsys latest stand against the military. The president performed his sovereign duty and realized the demands of the revolution. Every revolutionary must support the president to prevent any attempt against the revolution.
Tyranny
Are we looking at a president determined to dismantle the machine of tyranny ... or one who is retooling the machine of tyranny to serve his interests, removing the militarys hold on the state so he can lay the foundations for the authority of the Brotherhood? prominent rights activist and best-selling novelist Alaa al-Aswani wrote in an article published Tuesday in an independent daily. He must correct these mistakes and assure us through actions that he is a president of all Egyptians, wrote the secular al-Aswani before warning that Egyptians will never allow Morsy to turn Egypt into a Brotherhood state. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, the countrys top reform leader, issued a similar warning on Monday. After Morsy stripped the military of legislative authority, and in the absence of parliament, he cautioned that the president holds imperial powers. The Supreme Council of the Armed
Palestinian men take cover from tear gas fired by Israelis police at the Qalandia checkpoint, in the occupied West Bank, on Aug 14, during clashes which broke out as Palestinian men tried to enter Jerusalem for a night of prayer at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound to mark Laylat al-Qadr, or Night of Destiny. (AFP)
INTERNATIONAL
Taleban, allies ramp up violence
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said the American personnel at the base reported hearing gunfire from the mosque but that Afghan police were investigating. The latest violence comes after a particularly bloody day for Afghanistan. Suicide bombers launched multiple attacks in remote Nimroz province in southwestern Afghanistan near the Iranian border on Tuesday, killing dozens of people, including shoppers buying sweets for a Muslim holiday. The bombings
left charred and smoldering bits of cookies and dried fruit among the bodies on the ground. A separate market bombing later Tuesday, this one in Kunduz in the north, killed 10 people, including five children. And in the eastern province of Paktika, a car hit a roadside bomb. Four children died in the blast, provincial spokesman Mokhlis Afghan said, bringing Tuesdays death toll to 50 11 police and 39 civilians.
Atris Hussein (left), a Swedish national of Lebanese origin, is escorted by a Thai prison official to the criminal court room in Bangkok, Thailand on Aug 14. Hussein, 48, a suspect with alleged links to Hezbollah militants was arrested in Bangkok in January 2012 on charges of possession of materials commonly used to make bombs. Hussein admitted in January to police that the stored explosive materials were to be shipped to another destination. (AP)
WASHINGTON, Aug 15, (AFP): US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday he was very concerned about the rise in insider attacks on US and NATO troops, and the impact they are having on cooperation with Afghan allies.
A soldier of the 2nd Kandak 1st brigade 203 corp for the Afghan National Army (ANA) sits on top of a military vehicle at their base in Narizah in the Khost Province on Aug 14. Some 130,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan are preparing to withdraw in 2014 and are training and working alongside Afghan soldiers as they take increasing responsibility for the anti-insurgency campaign. (AFP)
No deployment in Bamako
Thousands of people shop at a busy market for the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Jalalabad on Aug 15. Muslims around the world are preparing to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. (AFP)
INTERNATIONAL
Tighter restrictions feared
11
money is changing hands, aggressive marketing techniques, and what protection is available when things go wrong. Keogh said he was concerned people did not realise how serious cosmetic surgery was and often failed to consider potential complications. A Department of Health survey found many people
viewed the cost of surgery as more important than the qualifications of the people doing it, or how they would be looked after. Two thirds of the 1,762 people questioned considered cost as a factor when deciding whether or not to have cosmetic surgery while only half took the qualifications of their practitioner into consideration.
A man walks along High Street in Stratford, east London with a childs bike in his hand on Aug 15. Stratford welcomed the world for the 2012 Olympics, but it remains to be seen whether the biggest show on Earth will bring long-term benefits to residents in the impoverished London district. The Games have revolutionised the landscape in Stratford, creating a park, new flats and Olympic sports venues out of an industrial wasteland. However, transforming the quality of life for many Stratford residents is something that will take decades, rather than months. (AFP)
Pride
One of Britains most revered athletes, Roger Bannister, said the success of the London Games had helped restore a sense of national pride and greater tolerance in multi-racial Britain. The 2012 Olympics were held a year after riots swept through Tottenham in north London, initially sparked by the police shooting of a 29year-old black man, and then spread to other cities across Britain. Bannister, who won fame in 1954 by running the first sub-four-minute mile, said the Olympics and the success of British team had given people a reason to celebrate and come together. The Olympics have elevated national pride and made the modern society of Great Britain much more cohesive and more at ease with itself, Bannister told Reuters in a telephone interview on Sunday as the Games came to a close. This is due to the performance of those who now live in Britain but who were born abroad and have every reason to share that pride. Bannister, 83, who ran for Britain in the 1952 Helsinki Games, hailed the success of double gold medallist Mo Farah, who was born in Somalia and moved to Britain aged eight. After winning the 10,000 metres, Farah, 29, said he knew he had to do something special in London as this was his home. He went on to also win the 5000m before a rapturous crowd. Heptathlete gold medallist Jessica Ennis, whose Jamaican father moved to England when he was 13, was the host nations face of the London Games and cited as another great role model. This will encourage people to take up sport. People can see that Jessica Ennis can do it, that Mo Farah can do, and they will see that they themselves can do it, said Bannister. A survey found 73 percent of Britons had expressed some cynicism about the Games before they began with concerns over costs as a doubledip recession hammers parts of the country.
Members of the media wait outside the main door of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, on Aug 15, where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is staying whilst he awaits a response from the Ecuadorian Government and Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa to his asylum request. (AFP)
Legacy
Crucially theres also got to be a sporting legacy thats why weve protected the 125 million of funding for our elite athletes ahead of Rio 2016. Cameron praised Team GBs athletes for their impressive medal haul, currently standing at 29 gold, 15 silver and 19 bronze medals bettered only by the United States and China with a final chance to add to the list in mens boxing final later Sunday. Thats already the highest ranking in the medals table for more than 100 years, Cameron said.
British Euro Millions winners Adrian (right) and Gillian Bayford attend a press conference after winning 148,665,000 ($235 million) on the EuroMillions, in Hatfield Heath on Aug 14. A British couple who scooped a record 190 million euros in the EuroMillions lottery said Tuesday they would carry on running their music shop and try to give their children a normal upbringing. (AFP)
ISSUES
Loyalties for Assad motivated partly by long-held business interests
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Hardships in camp
Syria
Fast
It is not easy to fast more than 15 hours a day in this desert area during the month-long Ramadan, as average temperatures in the summer soar to 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). You dont know how it feels. The worst thing is dust, and the tents are not good enough to protect us, said the mother of six, covering her mouth with a white mask. The authorities started to transfer some of the countrys 150,000 Syrian refugees to the seven-square-kilometre (two-square-mile) Zaatari camp in July. The UN say the camp, outside the city of Mafraq, can take up to 120,000 people. This is a large prison. We are not animals, and even animals would not accept to live here, this way, said 50-year-old Mohammad, refusing to give his full name. Jordanian anti-riot police were called in on Monday to quell a protest by angry Syrians as they clashed with guards when they tried to leave the facility in protest at poor living conditions. A father of four covered his head with a piece of white cloth but dust invaded his face, including his eyelashes, as he queued up to receive relief items. Theres no electricity, no water, no phones. We are isolated and I cannot check on my sons who are fighting the regime in Syria, lamented the man. Unlike the refugee tents, all offices of the United Nations and aid groups in the camp are linked to a power grid. I do not understand why we dont have electricity in our tents, said Subhieh, 37, adding that UN staff and others had air-conditioned caravans. We cannot breathe here and the food is bad, while we wait for three to four hours to use the bathroom. I miss Syria, wept a mother of five, wearing a traditional black dress that has turned into beige because of the dust. The Jordanian government says thousands of tents in Zaatari will soon be replaced by caravans.
Syrians inspect the scene following an airstrike by regime forces on the town of Azaaz, near the northern restive Syrian city of Aleppo, on Aug 15. (AFP)
SUBCONTINENT
Authorities to confiscate property equivalent in value to fine
13
with a student organisation connected to the Congress, has faced numerous accusations of misusing his office to suppress opposition. After hearing about the verdict, a group of his supporters vandalised two privately-owned cars and two police vehicles and 16 were arrested for disorder, Kathmandu police spokesman Dhiraj Pratap Singh told AFP.
During the 2008 parliamentary elections Khadka ran for office in his home district of Dang in southern Nepal but withdrew after the Maoist party accused him of involvement in the killings of seven members in the run up to the polls. He was never charged with any crime in connection with the deaths.
Birds fly past the Indian national flag on the occasion of the 66th Independence Day at the Red Fort in New Delhi on Aug 15. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh used his Independence Day speech on Aug 15 to promise to improve conditions for foreign investment in the country after a sharp downturn in economic growth. (AFP)
WASHINGTON, Aug 15, (AFP): The US State Department on Tuesday voiced concern about the Pakistan-linked Haqqani network and said it was studying whether to designate the group as terrorists after strong appeals by Congress.
News in Brief
4 small blasts in India:
Four roadside bombs exploded in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur on Wednesday as the country celebrated independence day, police said, adding that no one was injured. Separatist violence has for years dogged remote Manipur, where dozens of militant and tribal groups wage an insurgency against rule from New Delhi. There have been four roadside blasts of moderate to low intensity, three in and around (the state capital) Imphal and one in Thoubal district, A. Singh, a police official in the Imphal control room, told AFP. The blasts took place over two hours this morning, there were no casualties. (AFP) authorities have arrested 600 Australia-bound Sri Lankans, Indians, Pakistanis and Afghans. The latest detentions come as Australias Parliament debates tough new legislation aimed at deterring a flood of asylum seekers making perilous sea journeys to the countrys shores. (AP)
Indian fishermen leave a jail after their release in Karachi on Aug 15. Pakistan on Aug 15 released 55 Indian fishermen, 15 of them teenagers, as a goodwill gesture to mark Independence Day in India. (AFP)
Wild elephants kill 2: Two wild elephants have killed two villagers and injured three in a remote village in southern Bangladesh. Forest Department official Sheikh Abdul Wahab said a man and a woman were killed separately early Wednesday in Uttar Para village. They attacked while villagers were either asleep or were preparing their dawn meal before their daytime Ramadan fast. Wahab said 22-year-old Amena Begum was attacked outside her house and was unable to get inside. The man was killed while on his way to a mosque alone. Villagers said the elephants stayed in the village while ignoring blank gunshots fired by forest officials. Elephants often go into villages searching for food or after being disturbed by illegal loggers. Uttar Para is in a coastal district bordering a forested region of Myanmar. (AP)
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A caisson carries the coffin of Army Staff Sgt Richard Berry of Scottsdale, Ariz, during a burial services at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlingon, Va, Aug 14. According to the Defense Department, Berry died July 22 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an enemy improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 508th Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC. (AP)
Renovation
Jobs widow, Laurene, told investigators the home had been undergoing a major renovation since June and was uninhabitable, and that she was living on a nearby property at the time of the break-in, according to a police report filed in court. McFarlin, who faces an Aug. 20 plea hearing, told investigators he was driving around in Palo Alto and saw the house was being renovated so he decided to burglarize it, according to documents from the Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team (REACT) of the Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office. The multi-agency task force is a unique Silicon Valley-based law enforcement operation that handles high-tech crimes. McFarlin told investigators he had learned from previous breakins to target homes under construction because they were likely to be vacant, the REACT report said. McFarlin also said he stole several computers, including two iMacs and three iPads, as well as a diamond necklace, earrings and other items, according to REACT documents filed in court. Also taken was Jobs wallet with the late tech giants California drivers license and some credit cards, the REACT papers said. The wallet was retrieved in a search of McFarlins storage locker, according to the documents. Of the pieces of jewelry taken from the home, a platinum and aquamarine necklace was valued at $33,000, according to a Tiffany & Co valuation included in the court papers. That item and other jewelry taken from the home totaled over $60,000, the court papers said. A Pennsylvania jewelry broker said McFarlin sold him some jewelry in late July that he claimed to have inherited, according to a police report included in the court papers. McFarlin shipped the items to the broker, the report said. Police tracked down McFarlin with help from Apple investigators, who noticed an iPad stolen from the Jobs house was connected to the companys servers on July 18, the morning after the burglary. The user of the iPad was reinstalling the operating system, the papers said, and by tracing the Internet connection, police found McFarlins home in Alameda, just south of Oakland. He was arrested Aug. 2 and held on $500,000 bail, according to Santa Clara County inmate records.
prospective jurors more deeply about how publicity may have biased them. The court rejected the arguments, concluding that Entwistle received a fair trial that was ably tried and judged. Entwistle was convicted of the 2006 shootings of his wife, Rachel, and their daughter, 9-month-old Lillian. He is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for their murders. (AP)
Michael Mendez, 42, of Paterson, stands with his attorney, John T. Somohano, before Judge GoodenBrown in State Superior Court in Paterson, NJ, Aug 14, on multiple drug charges along with kidnapping and false imprisonment of his girlfriend Nancy Rodriguez (Inset). The girlfriend found behind a padlocked door inside a New Jersey apartment said Mendez, accused of holding her there for years, is a good man who never abused her and that she simply doesnt like to go outside. (AP)
http://spiritualscientific.com, is strewn with commentary about God, love, family and death. Morse told AP in a telephone interview Monday that the charges against him are an overreaction from authorities who were criticized in the wake of a child sex abuse scandal involving another pediatrician. Morse said he is the victim of post-Bradley hysteria, a reference to pediatrician Earl Bradley, who was convicted a year ago and is serving 14 life sentences for sexually abusing scores of his young patients over more than a decade.
Arrest
Following Bradleys arrest in December 2009, state officials ordered investigations into how he was allowed to continue practicing medicine for years despite suspicions that he was molesting his patients. Lawmakers passed several new laws toughening requirements for police, health care workers and others to report suspected child abuse. The allegations of waterboarding came after Morse was accused of grabbing his 11-year-old stepdaughter by the ankle in July and, as her 6year-old sister watched, dragging her across a gravel driveway. He was arrested July 13 on misdemeanor endangerment and assault charges and released on bail. When the older girl was interviewed last week, she told investigators that her father disciplined her by holding her face under a running
the appeal of a British man convicted of killing his wife and baby daughter in their rented home, saying in its decision that warrantless searches of the home were justified because those inside might have been in danger. In arguing for a new trial, lawyers for Neil Entwistle said evidence obtained dur-
Miller
Jenkins
Pastor guilty
A pastor from Virginia was convicted Tuesday of helping a woman flee the country three years ago, when she was on the brink of having to turn custody of her young daughter over to the woman who was once her partner in a Vermont civil union. The jury issued its verdict against the Rev Kenneth Miller after several hours of deliberations in the case, which has drawn broad attention because of the legal and religious questions it raised about same-sex unions and child custody, and because the whereabouts of mother and daughter remain unknown. Miller, 46, a Mennonite from Virginia, was charged with aiding in international kidnapping for helping Lisa Miller and her daughter, Isabella, leave the country in September 2009, a month after a judge indicated he would turn custody of the girl over to Janet Jenkins, of Fair Haven, Vermont, if she continued to defy a series of visitation orders. Kenneth and Lisa Miller are not related. Lisa and Isabella, now 10 years old, were last known to be in Nicaragua. As the jury was deliberating, Jenkins filed a lawsuit against both Millers and other people associated with the case, seeking unspecified monetary damages. (AP) niece of Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, known as the godfather of the Mexican drug trade, who is serving a 40-year sentence for the murder of a US drug enforcement agent. Avila is accused of helping build up the Sinaloa cartel in the 1990s with the gangs
faucet at least four times since 2009, a punishment that she said her father called waterboarding. Waterboarding simulates drowning and it has been used in the past by US interrogators on terrorism suspects. Many critics call it torture. State police said the girls mother, Pauline Morse, witnessed some of the waterboarding but did not stop it. She is also out on bail. Melvin and Pauline Morse were both charged with felony child endangerment and conspiracy. All of these things are very absurd, except that Delaware has really had the trauma (of Bradley), Morse told the AP. Morse, 58, ended the interview before he could be asked directly about the waterboarding allegations. Hurley, the attorney for Morse, has raised doubts about the girls claims. He has described the waterboarding description as an attention-getter by authorities, based on an allegation from an 11-year-old who he said had made a false abuse claim against a family member before. I have no doubt but that the Bradley phenomenon has its fingerprints all over the sensationalization of this situation, Hurley said. State officials suspended Morses medical license after his arrest last week. Morse, who was released from custody Friday after posting $14,500 secured bail, claimed he was the first doctor to blow the whistle on Earl Bradley.
ing the warrantless searches of the Hopkinton home while police were looking for the missing family should have been dismissed at trial. They also argued he was denied a fair trial, claiming that saturating and inflammatory media coverage tainted the jury pool and the judge refused to question
Nellie Gray dies: Nellie Gray, the founder and chief organizer of an annual anti-abortion march in Washington and a leader in efforts to overturn the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, has died. She was 88. Gray was found dead Monday morning in her Washington home, where she had lived alone, and her death Gray appeared to be from natural causes, said Gene Ruane, an administrator with the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. Ruane said Tuesday that he found her body when he arrived at her home for a meeting. Ruane said a medical examiner would determine the cause of death. Gray was a lawyer and former federal employee who devoted herself full-time to the anti-abortion movement after the Supreme Courts 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. The first March for Life was held the following year on the anniversary of the ruling. Despite the January date, its consistently one of the largest protests of the year in Washington and leading anti-abortion politicians frequently address the crowd. Gray was the primary organizer of the march throughout its 38-year history. She used the phrase no exceptions, no compromise to sum up her belief that life begins at conception and abortion should be illegal. (AP) Man executed over murders: An
Oklahoma death row inmate who tried to delay his execution by challenging the states lethal injection method was executed Tuesday evening just hours after the US Supreme Court refused to step in. Michael Hooper, convicted for the December 1993 shooting deaths of his former girlfriend and her two young children, received a lethal dose of drugs at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. The 40-year-old was pronounced dead at 6:14 p.m.m Hooper was sentenced to death for killing 23-year-old Cynthia Lynn Jarman and her two children, 5-year-old Tonya and 3-year-old Timmy. Prosecutors alleged that the victims were with Hooper in a pickup truck in a mowed field when he placed a 9mm pistol under Cynthia Jarmans chin and shot her, then shot the children to prevent them from being witnesses. Each of the victims was shot twice in the head, and their bodies were buried in a shallow grave in a field northwest of Oklahoma City. (AP)
Life of pi
US population up
WASHINGTON, Aug 15, (RTRS): Figuring out the number of American residents got as easy as pi on Tuesday as the United States touched a rare mathematical and demographic milestone. The Census Bureau said that the United States reached 314,159,265 residents, or the mathematical ratio pi times 100 million, shortly after 2:29 p.m. EDT (1829 GMT). Pi, or 3.14159265, is the mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circles circumference to its diameter. It often is approximated as 22/7. This is a once in many generations event ... so go out and celebrate this American pi, Census Bureau Chief Demographer Howard Hogan said in a statement.
America
US denies bond for Queenpin: An
alleged smuggler known as Mexicos Queen of the Pacific was ordered jailed without bond on Tuesday pending trial in Miami on cocaine conspiracy charges. Mexico extradited defendant Sandra Avila Beltran to the United States last week. She appeared before US Magistrate Judge Patrick White, who ruled there was a risk of flight and ordered her continued detention. She was not asked to enter a plea and her arraignment was postponed to Sept 14. Avila, 51, is the highest-profile woman linked to Mexicos drug trade. She is the
Jenn Gibbons smiles as she completes a 1,500 mile rowing trip around Lake Michigan to raise money for an organization helping cancer survivors on Aug 14, in Chicago. The trip helped 27-year-old Gibbons raise $113,000 for Recovery on Water (ROW). (AP)
INTERNATIONAL
15
Murky clouds loom over the Bel Air Mall area of Mobile, Alabama, Aug 14. Thunderstorms drenched portions of coastal Alabama. (AP)
Demonstrates
As the Kwiatkowski case demonstrates, medical technicians arent as closely regulated as doctors or nurses, and there is no nationwide database of misconduct or disciplinary actions against them, the way there is for physicians. It seems that what happens in Pittsburgh stays in Pittsburgh, said Barbara Yeninas, a spokeswoman for Springboard Healthcare Staffing and Search, one of at least seven medical staffing agencies that lined up jobs for Kwiatkowski. They get hired and they get fired and they can move on to wherever else they want. As Kwiatkowski made his way from one institution to another, the Pittsburgh incident was not even the only time he was accused of stealing drugs and fired. Kwiatkowski, 33, became a radiology technician in 2003 in his home state of Michigan after completing a training program. He earned a degree two years later from Madonna University in Livonia, where he was a catcher on the baseball team and became one of the small schools all-time leaders in two inglorious categories: passed balls and steals allowed. Former teammate Mario DHerin said Kwiatkowski was regarded as a liar. At one point, he claimed to have cancer. Then he said it was Crohns disease, and it was like the boy who cried wolf nobody really believed him, DHerin said. In court papers, the FBI said he admitted making up several stories about his life, telling people he had played his college ball at the University of Michigan or saying he had a fiancee who died tragically. Investigators could find no evidence he was treated for cancer. Kwiatkowskis parents told investigators their son had problems with alcohol, anger and depression. They also believed he had Crohns disease, a painful bowel condition sometimes treated with fentanyl patches. Through jail officials, Kwiatkowski declined to be interviewed. His court-appointed lawyer would not comment. Nor would his mother in Michigan. Kwiatkowski has pleaded not guilty to stealing drugs and tampering with needles in New Hampshire. He told investigators
Loss
If Kwiatkowski had been a doctor, that loss of his Arizona license would have jeopardized his ability to work anywhere in the US But in this case, he had nothing to worry about. Like many other states, Pennsylvania doesnt require most radiological technicians to be registered and doesnt maintain records of disciplinary actions against them. He soon moved on to other hospitals, including Hays Medical Center in Hays, Kansas, where he worked in the heart catheterization lab and was involved in the care of 460 patients who are now undergoing testing for hepatitis C. Linda Ficken, 70, who went to Hays to get a pacemaker two years ago, was informed last week that she has been diagnosed with hepatitis C. The Kansas health department said two other patients have been diagnosed with a strain of the virus closely related to the one Kwiatkowski carries. Further analysis is planned. I was pissed, Ficken said. And I still am. And also with the people that employed him, because he put me and my family in jeopardy, he put a lot of people in jeopardy and this is just going to continue to mushroom. Somebody fell down on the job someplace. He didnt slip through the cracks on his own. Hospitals and the staffing agencies that routinely help them fill jobs are supposed to share responsibility for verifying that workers have proper licensing and good reputations. But four of the states where Kwiatkowski worked over the full course of his career New Hampshire, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Michigan dont even license radiology workers. The institutions that allowed Kwiatkowski to keep working offered a variety of excuses and explanations as to how he slipped by various background checks and managed to get licensed in other states. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center spokeswoman Gloria Kreps said that when he was accused of stealing fentanyl, officials did not contact police because they did not believe they had enough evidence. We noticed unusual behavior, caught him with a syringe, but did not witness him in the act of committing a crime, she said.
In this photo released by the US Coast Guard, the crew of the Coast Guard cutter Rush escorts the suspected high seas drift net fishing vessel Da Cheng in the North Pacific Ocean, Aug 14. The US Coast Guard has transferred to China a vessel suspected of illegal high seas driftnet fishing that was pursued by a cutter assigned to Alaska. Coast Guard officials say the 177-foot Da Cheng seized 850 miles east of Tokyo last week was turned over Tuesday to the China Fishery Law Enforcement Command. The Hawaii-based Coast Guard cutter Rush escorted the stateless vessel. (AP)
Secrets
Fred Rustmann, a former undercover case officer for the CIA who is a spokesman for the group, insisted its focus on leaks was not a partisan concern. But he said the current administration had been leaking secrets to help this guy get re-elected, at the expense of peoples lives.... We want to see that they dont do this again. Chad Kolton, a former spokesman for the office of Director of National Intelligence during the George W. Bush administration who now represents OPSEC, also said the groups message and make-up are nonpolitical. Youll see throughout the film that concern about protecting the lives of intelligence and Special Forces officers takes precedence over partisanship, he said. Responding to criticism about the president taking credit for the bin Laden raid, an Obama campaign official pointed to an interview with CNN last month in which Admiral Bill McRaven, commander of the raid, said: At the end of the day, make no mistake about it, it was the president of the United States that shouldered the burden for this operation, that made the hard decisions, that was instrumental in the planning process, because I pitched every plan to him. I think Admiral McRaven knows more about the Presidents role in the bin Laden operation than this group, the campaign official said.
Save
The OPSEC group says it is not political and aims to save American lives. Its first public salvo is a 22-minute film that includes criticism of Obama and his administration. The film, to be released on Wednesday, was seen in advance by Reuters. Mr. President, you did not kill Osama bin Laden, America did. The work that the American military has done killed Osama bin Laden. You did not, Ben Smith, identified as a Navy SEAL, says in the film. As a citizen, it is my civic duty to tell the president to stop leaking information to the enemy, Smith continues. It will get Americans killed. An Obama campaign official said: No one in this group is in a position to speak with any authority on these issues and on what impact these leaks might have, and its clear theyve resorted to making things up for purely political reasons. Obama has highlighted his foreign policy record on the campaign trail,
Its deeply unfair because now hundreds of law-abiding Muslim citizens will never know whether the government violated their most basic civil rights, Arulanantham, from the ACLU of Southern California, told Reuters. (RTRS)
Rules
Calling itself OPSEC for short which in spy jargon means operational security the anti-leak group incorporated last June in Delaware, a state that has the most secretive corporate registration rules in the US. It also set itself up as a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)4 of the US Tax Code, allowing it to keep donors identities secret. Spokesmen for the group declined to discuss its sources of financing. Several group representatives say their main motivation for setting up OPSEC was dismay at recent detailed media leaks about sensitive operations. In an interview, Taylor denied OPSEC had any political slant. He described the group as a watchdog organization but added that the current administration has certainly leaked more than others. OPSEC spokesmen said the group has about $1 million at its disposal and
Clayton Myers said. It was one of those things you never felt like you were in control, because things kept changing with the wind. About 70 homes and hundreds of outbuildings had burned, officials said. Im watching my house burn down right now, a tearful Haley Lindelof, 16, told The Seattle Times newspaper. No injuries have been reported, but fire danger is extreme due to wind, heat and dry conditions, incident commander Rex Reed said. Weve had a long prolonged dry period three weeks with no precipitation at all, he said. Across California, thousands of firefighters were contending with dry conditions and strong winds. In the southern part of the state, residents of dozens of homes in sparsely populated inland areas evacuated as wildfires thrived in the desert heat. (AP)
Carney
Smith
America
Mosque spy suit rejected: A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit charging that the FBI violated civil liberties by sending an informant into several California mosques to spy on US Muslims, ruling that allowing the case to proceed could risk disclosure of government secrets. US District Judge Cormac Carney wrote in a 36-page order that he was reluctant to toss out the case before it could be litigated but was forced to weigh national security against individual liberties and an open judicial process. In the decision, Carney compared himself to the fictional Greek hero Odysseus, who while sailing home from the Trojan War faced navigating his ship between a six-headed monster on one side and a dangerous whirlpool on the other. Odysseus opted to pass by the monster and risk a few of his individual sailors, rather than hazard the loss of his entire ship to the sucking whirlpool, he wrote. Similarly, the proper application of the state secrets privilege may unfortunately mean the sacrifice of individual liberties for the sake of national security. But the judge, ruling after a hearing in US District Court in Santa Ana, allowed the case to go forward against five current or former FBI agents who the plaintiffs claim violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The lawsuit, which was filed last year in US District Court in Santa Ana, said the FBI sent a paid undercover informant named Craig Monteilh into Orange County mosques to collect personal information on hundreds, or possibly thousands, of Muslims. According to the suit, Monteilh took hundreds of hours of surreptitious video and audio recordings of religious lectures, classes, cultural events and other meetings in 2006 and 2007 as part of a counterterrorism investigation, known as Operation Flex, that did not produce a single conviction. Plaintiffs attorney Ahilan Arulanantham said the American Civil Liberties Union and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of three Orange County Muslims and were seeking class-action status, intended to appeal the dismissal.
Wildfires destroy 70 homes: The extreme fire conditions across the US West have exploded, with several burning across the region Wednesday and about 70 homes destroyed in Washington state. In recent days, one firefighter died in Idaho after being struck by a falling tree. Another suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation after a blaze along the NevadaOregon border forced her to crawl into an emergency fire shelter. In a rural part of Washington state, three separate fires were sparked in just 90 minutes. Firefighters put out two quickly, but the third left authorities scrambling to evacuate hundreds of residents. Chaotic, Kittitas County Undersheriff
Flames surround a house Aug 14, on a hillside above Bettas Road near Cle Elum, Washington. Wildland firefighters on-site advised that the house survived the fire. The fast-moving wildfire has burned 70 homes across nearly 40 square miles of central Washington grassland, timber and sagebrush. No injuries have been reported but more than 400 people have been forced to flee. (AP)
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Concerns
Tonights results really show that a lot of Republicans are voting for the candidate they think will have the best chance of beating the Democrat and putting aside negative concerns about individual candidates, said University of South Florida political analyst Susan MacManus. Because of population shifts over the past decade, Florida added two congressional seats, but the redrawn districts pitted two incumbent Republicans against each other. Republican John Mica, a 20year veteran, easily beat Sandy Adams, a favorite of the conservative Tea Party movement, in a central Florida district. The Cook Political Report considers seven of the 23 Democraticcontrolled US Senate seats to be toss-ups. Nelsons re-election chances were seen as particularly tough. Three of the 10 Republicanheld seats up for election this year are toss-ups. Its a 50-50 ball game right now, said Cook Political Report analyst Jennifer Duffy. When I look at the map, I find it improbable that any party would have 52 (Senate) seats, with 51 more probable.
US Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign event at the Ross County Court House in Chillicothe, Ohio, Aug 14. (AFP)
Control
A 50-50 tie in the Senate would give control of the chamber to the candidate who wins the presidency Democratic President Barack Obama or his Republican challenger, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. A wild card in the Senate will be if former Maine Governor Angus King, an independent, wins the seat of retiring Republican Olympia Snowe. King has said he will not declare which party he will side with until after the November vote. Wisconsin and Connecticut voters set the stage to fill US Senate seats being vacated by retiring Democrat Herb Kohl and Joseph Lieberman, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats. Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin, a seven-term US representative and avowed liberal, ran unopposed in her partys primary. Former four-term Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson beat businessman and political neophyte Eric Hovde and two other candidates for the Republican nomination. Thompson may benefit in the general election from Romneys choice over the weekend of Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate, analysts said. However, Ryan is a polarizing figure in Washington, where he led his partys push to cut domestic spending, lower taxes and scale back the size of the federal government as chairman of the House of Representatives Budget Committee. The Connecticut contest was won by favorite Linda McMahon, a professional wrestling executive. McMahon is seeking another chance after she lost a Senate race two years ago despite spending $50 million. On the Democratic side, US Representative Christopher Murphy was favored to win the primary and has already been targeted by McMahons campaign ads.
America
Obama outpacing GOP: US President
Barack Obamas campaign team is proving again in 2012 to be more conscious than rival Republicans are of the power of the Internet, particularly Twitter, a study released Wednesday said. With online communications set to be even more important than in 2008, when Obama raised the bar on targeting voters and donors via the Internet, the Pew Research Center said he is dominating the 2012 digital campaign stakes. While Republican White House candidate Mitt Romneys team averaged one tweet per day, Obama averaged 29 tweets 17 on @BarackObama (the Twitter account associated with his presidency) and 12 on @Obama2012 (the account associated with his campaign), during the research study period. Obama holds a distinct advantage over Romney in the way his campaign is using digital technology to communicate directly with voters, said a statement from the Pew Research Centers Project for Excellence in Journalism. (AFP)
WASHINGTON, Aug 15, (AP): President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney accused each other of posing a threat to the well-being of Americas elderly citizens, an issue brought to the fore after Romney chose a running mate who has proposed significantly changing the popular governmentfunded Medicare healthcare program that serves tens of millions of seniors. Romney accused Obama on the campaign trail and in TV advertising of cutting Medicare to pay for Obamacare, as Republicans often refer to the presidents overhaul of the US health care system. The charge drew a blistering response from Obamas campaign, which labeled the ad dishonest and hypocritical. Medicare has always been a touchy political subject in a country where senior citizens are among the groups most likely to vote. Elderly voters will be especially crucial in the November presidential contest, expected to be among the closest in US history. Romneys accusations were a strong counterattack to Democratic charges that he and Republican vicepresidential candidate US Rep Paul Ryan would radically remake Medicare. Ryan, a Wisconsin congressman, provoked an outcry by once proposing privatizing the government-run insurance program for the elderly. He has since backed off the idea in favor of a plan that would give future retirees fixed government payments that could either go toward buying private plans or joining a government-run program modeled on Medicare.
Overcome
The Romney attack suggests he hopes to overcome a generic Republican disadvantage on the issue of Medicare by telling voters that Obama has cut spending for a program that is overwhelmingly popular, and put the money toward one that is controversial. Obama has taken $716 billion out of the Medicare trust fund. Hes raided that trust fund, Romney said at a campaign stop in Ohio, as he neared the end of a multi-state bus trip punctuated by his weekend selection of a running mate. And you know what he did with it? Hes used it to pay for Obamacare, a risky, unproven, federal takeover of healthcare. And If Im president of the
Biden sparks commotion: VicePresident Joe Biden sparked a campaign commotion Tuesday, telling an audience in southern Virginia that included hundreds of black voters that Republican Mitt Romney wanted to put them back in chains by deregulating Wall Street. He later mocked Republican criticism over the remark while conceding he meant to use different words. Campaigning in Danville, Biden said the Republican ticket wanted to unchain Wall Street by getting rid of regulations Obama signed into law two years ago. He added: Theyre going to put yall back in
United States, were putting the $716 billion back, he said. Aides said a commercial containing the same allegation would begin airing immediately in several battleground states. In a rebuttal issued shortly after the Romney TV ad was released, Obama spokeswoman Lis Smith said the presidents healthcare law did not cut a single guaranteed Medicare benefit, and Mitt Romney embraced the very same savings when he promised hed sign Paul Ryans budget. ...The truth is that the Romney-Ryan budget would end Medicare as we know it. In a campaign without summer doldrums, the rival sets of ticket mates campaigned in a half-dozen of the most hotly contested states, in settings as diverse as a coal mine in Ohio (Romney); a wind farm in Iowa (Obama) and a casino in Nevada
(Ryan.) At a speech closing his bus tour, Romney delivered a sweeping indictment of Obamas campaign. Mr. President, take your campaign of division and anger and hate back to Chicago, he said in Chillicothe, Ohio, insisting that Obama had abandoned his 2008 campaigns messages of hope and change. The Obama campaign said Romneys comments seemed unhinged.
Tempest
The tempest over Bidens remark was modest compared to the building struggle over Medicare. Democrats have quickly set out to draw attention to Ryans plans, which contain deep cuts in projected spending in social programs as well as changes to Medicare for future
retirees, and to try and saddle Romney with their political ownership. Polling generally shows that the public places more trust in Democrats ability to handle Medicare than they do Republicans. At the same time, polling shows the public strongly believes the financial security of Medicare must be guaranteed for the long term, and government reports for years have warned of a looming shortfall if something isnt done to change course. Ryan and Romney have both cited a desire to right the programs finances as a motive for their plans. Ryan, interviewed on Fox News Channel, said he and Romney believe Medicare can be a winning issue for Republicans in the fall.
chains. Romney later criticized Biden, saying the remarks were part of a pattern of reckless comments by Obamas campaign and his surrogates that disgrace the office of the presidency. In Chillicothe, Ohio, as he ended his bus tour Tuesday night, Romney called Bidens comment another outrageous
charge and added: The White House sinks a little bit lower. This is what an angry and desperate presidency looks like. (AP)
Obama
Biden
Ryan meets donors: Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan was to meet behind closed doors with donors and fundraisers in Las Vegas at the
Venetian hotel, owned by casino mogul and formidable campaign donor Sheldon Adelson. The Wisconsin congressman was to meet with members of the Nevada finance team on Tuesday evening his first such event as part of Mitt Romneys campaign but members of the media will not be allowed to attend. (RTRS)
INTERNATIONAL
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Volunteers work on the Grand-Place in Brussels, covered by a huge carpet of some 2,000 sq m of flowers in the colours of African fabrics, an ephemeral event every two years. (AFP)
France Amiens residents split over need for more law and order
Publicity
You cant be Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham, said Alfonso Alonso, spokesman for the ruling Peoples Party (PP) in the national Parliament. This man is just searching for publicity at the cost of everyone else. Media coverage of the supermarket stunt has made Sanchez Gordillo a national celebrity. While talking to Reuters he was approached by supporters who shook his hand and thanked him for his stand against the conservative government. His home province of Andalusia is one of the parts of Spain worst hit by its crisis: one worker in three is jobless. On Thursday he begins his trek from Jodar, the town with Andalusias highest unemployment rate, planning to march across the region in blistering summer heat to persuade other local leaders to refuse to comply with government reforms. He plans to tell mayors to skip debt payments, stop layoffs, cease home evictions and ignore central government demands for budget cuts, a message that infuriates Prime Minister Mariano Rajoys government as it tries to convince investors in Spanish bonds that he can fix the battered economy. The EU has demanded Spain shrink one of Europes highest budget deficits to prevent the continents debt crisis from spreading. Rajoy, in power since December, has ordered spending cuts and tax hikes. With poverty rising at one the fastest rates in Europe, protests have gained momentum.
Stoltenberg
Breivik
Europe
Dutch socialists lead in polls: The
Dutch Socialist Party, campaigning for tax hikes for the rich and looser budget deficit targets for Europe, led in a rash of opinion polls a month ahead of a parliamentary election. The hard-left movement was seen winning as many as 37 seats in the 150-seat assembly a result that would leave it the biggest party in parliament but needing an alliance with at least two other groups to take power. The emergence of the Socialists in a country which has long been Germanys leading ally in demanding fiscal discipline in the euro zone could have broader implications as Europe battles to solve the debt crisis in the indebted South. The current coalition government of acting prime minister Mark Rutte has harshly criticised southern countries for their budget laxity. But with the Dutch economy growing only 0.2 percent in the second quarter, consumer confidence low and unemployment creeping up, polls suggest many voters have been attracted by a party which promises to maintain the countrys generous welfare state. (RTRS)
AMIENS, France, Aug 15, (Agencies): A massive police presence restored calm overnight on Wednesday to the French city of Amiens, where arson and gun attacks on police have added law and order to the deep economic problems President Francois Hollande must confront. The Socialist leader pledged to do all in his power to stamp out unrest two straight days of disturbances in which after 17 police were injured, some by shotgun pellets. An extra 100 officers were sent to the Fafet district in northern Amiens late on Tuesday, bringing to 250 the number of police patrolling there versus the usual 30, officials said. The night in the northern district of Amiens was very, very calm. There were incidents in other parts of Amiens and seven cars were burned but this is sadly something that is a regular occurrence in the city, a police spokesman said. Residents have split over the violence, some blaming heavy-handed policing for rioting in which a brand new gym and a nursery school were torched, and drivers were dragged from their cars before the vehicles were set alight. Others said jobless delinquents were responsible for the destruction the Socialists had already designated Fafet as a priority zone for more police due to rising crime. Their demands for better protection from the authorities echoed criticism from the right that Hollandes ruling
another 69 people, mostly teenagers, and wounding dozens of others. An independent commission appointed by Stoltenberg to see what lessons could be learned from the authorities response submitted its report on Monday, primarily
Socialists were soft on law and order, something that would only encourage criminality. Its a small number of youths who roam around all day in scooters doing nothing, but causing trouble for which the local community pays the price, said Amiens resident Mohamed, 70. People live in fear, he added.
Copycat
Although France saw no copycat unrest in its major cities overnight, the Amiens disturbances underscored the challenges facing the left, whose sharp attacks on the domestic security policies of Hollandes conservative predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy, helped them win May and June national elections. Rundown neighbourhoods ring many French cities, often populated by poor whites, blacks and people of North African descent who feel marginalized from mainstream society. Unemployment in Amiens was 17 percent in 2009, the last year for which official figures are available, 7 points above the national average. The Socialist mayor Gilles Demailly said joblessness in Fafet was as high as 45 percent. Hollandes initial response to the flare-up was to send his Interior Minister Manuel Valls to the city along with scores of police reinforcements and promise to reverse cuts made during Sarkozys tenure. But as he tries to haul down the French budget deficit to meet EU targets by the end of his five-year term, funding that pledge and pouring limitcriticising the polices slow and disorganised handling. But it was also highly critical of the government. (AFP)
ed resources into the countrys tough neighbourhoods will be an enormous challenge. The focal point of Amiens riots was a low-rise council estate which has had money pumped into it in recent years. Trees line the main roads, playgrounds are abundant and the local council has opened a swimming pool, community centre and football pitch. Among the three buildings gutted in Tuesdays rioting was a gymnasium residents had demanded for 10 years, and a nursery school where toddlers desks and singed books were still visible among the charred rubble. The violence appears to have been triggered by a police spot check on Sunday on the sidelines of a memorial for a young local man who died in a road accident and some residents blamed heavy-handed policing for the disturbances.
Respect
I want them to respect us and stop stopping us and treating us like dogs, said Fatima Hadji, the dead mans mother said after meeting Minister Valls. Meanwhile, the French city of Amiens on Wednesday began a costly clean-up after two nights of rioting that left France again asking itself what to do about marginalised urban neighbourhoods that have regularly erupted into violence in the past decade. The citys northern quarter was calm overnight, 24 hours after rampaging youths torched cars and public
Catholics marked the Assumption holiday on Wednesday with prayers focused on the family and children that were designed to underline the Churchs opposition to gay marriage. A prayer read out in churches across
buildings, hurled explosives improvised from fireworks and fired buckshot at police. Frances Interior Ministry announced Wednesday that a heavy police presence would be maintained in the neighbourhood for several days to ensure there was no repeat. Around 250 officers were deployed overnight following clashes in which 16 officers were injured, one of them seriously. The reinforcements will remain deployed over the next few days and nights to ensure a complete return to normal, Interior Minister Manuel Valls said in a statement. Valls promised a crackdown on troublemakers would be balanced by attempts to foster a partnership between police and the local community in order to avoid further conflict. Gilles Demailly, the mayor of the city some 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Paris, said the cost of repairing or rebuilding public buildings that were damaged or destroyed could run to six million euros (about $7.4 million). The scale of the damage a sports centre and a primary school suffered extensive fire damage made the Amiens riot the most serious incident of its kind since the Villeneuve suburb of Grenoble exploded two years ago. Frances Socialist government has promised a tough response with Valls warning that no amount of social deprivation could excuse firing at police or burning public buildings.
France expressed the wish that children cease to be the objects of the desires and conflicts of adults in order to fully benefit from the love of a father and mother. The text was produced by the Bishops of France, who are leading opposition to President Francois Hollandes commitment to allow homosexual couples to marry and adopt children. Michael Bouvar, one of the leaders of gay rights group SOS Homophobie, attacked the churchs move. The message sent out by the church is a mask for discrimination and homophobia, he told AFPTV. (AFP)
Holidays agreed
BERLIN, Aug 15, (AP): Authorities in Hamburg have become the first in Germany to officially recognize Islamic holidays so Muslim employees and students can celebrate them at home. The decision forms part of an agreement between the north German city and local Muslim groups. Similar agreements exist with Christian and Jewish communities in the city. Hamburgs mayor, Olaf Scholz, said Tuesday that he hopes the deal will serve as an example for other German cities. Tens of thousands of Muslims live the city of five million people.
Houses are seen in a burned valley in Barranco de Guada on the Canary island of La Gomera, Spain, Aug 14. (AP)
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Russian President Vladimir Putin (center) poses for a picture with the national synchronised swimming team during an awards ceremony for Russias Olympians in Moscows Kremlin on Aug 15. (AFP)
Retribution
The Church has called for divine retribution against the women. The three say the protest was a way to fight President Vladimir Putins tightly controlled political system and draw attention to the strengthening relationship between the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church. Today half of Russians believe the Church, which is led by Patriarch Kirill, has a hand in domestic politics, according to an opinion poll released on Tuesday by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, and 43 percent feel it interferes in foreign affairs. The poll showed three quarters of respondents believe it should stay out of politics. Many were disturbed when Kirill, speaking before the March 4 presidential election, called Putin a miracle of God. When the patriarch supports a political cause, he loses something. He loses his authority as a spiritual leader. He is perceived as being on Putins team, and the case with Pussy Riot shows how close the patriarch is to Putin, said Alexei Malashenko, an expert on religion at the Carnegie Moscow Centre think tank. The Church is at a crossroads ... and believers are divided, he said.
Support
Believers and analysts say the Church may have gained some support for its harsh stance against the protest, especially in the regions outside of Moscow, though the three women insist it was not aimed against the Church. Sitting in a frescoed recess of the Kazan Cathedral, only steps away from the Kremlin on Red Square, Archbishop Igor Fomin said the protest had insulted churchgoers, but he likened their response - on a smaller scale - to the defiance shown by believers during decades of Soviet Communist rule. Christianity is by far the most popular religion in Russia, with some 70 percent of the population saying they are Russian Orthodox Christians, though far fewer regularly attend church. Soon after the Pussy Riot protest on Feb 21, the Orthodox Church organised a day of solidarity in midApril when at least 40,000 worshippers attended a day of prayer led by Kirill, who said the faith was under attack by persecutors. Putin has walked a thin line between promoting Russian Orthodox Christianity and celebrating a secular state of many religions. Despite the Patriarchs promotion of Putin before the election, the Church denies being involved in politics. Although they try to accuse us of advocating for the authorities, were not trying to call on people to vote for the authorities, but for the path, the direction in which we must move, Archpriest Fomin said. Others see the Pussy Riot protest as part of a plot against the country and Putins 12-year rule. I think (the demonstration) was aimed at weakening Russia, whether from within or without. It follows a pattern in which the leadership of several countries is being toppled. Look at Syria, said Yekaterina Vasina, 28, an English and Chinese teacher at Moscow State University.
Blake
Merkel
Europe
US urges fair trial: A senior US
diplomat said Wednesday that he hopes the upcoming trial of a prominent opposition leader in Kazakhstan is conducted fairly and does not set back democratic reforms in the Central Asian nation. Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake said the US will closely follow the fate of Vladimir Kozlov, who has been charged with seeking the overthrow of the government and other crimes. Specifics of the overthrow charge have not been made public. Kozlov is also charged with fomenting last Decembers unrest in the town of Zhanaozen, where 14 people were killed by police firing on striking oil workers. Kozlovs Alga party says the trial, which opens Thursday, is aimed at eliminating opposition to the strongman President Nursultan Nazarbayevs regime. Kazakhstan, a vast former Soviet nation with copious oil and gas reserves, is seen as a reliable partner by the West and cooperates closely on security and energy, but has come under withering criticism from rights groups for its weak democratic credentials. Blake said Kazakhstans authorities need to work on ensuring they address popular grievances to avoid violent unrest. More than 30 people were killed in a string of attacks last year that authorities linked to radical Islamic organizations. (AP)
MOSCOW, Aug 15, (Agencies): The global campaign to free Pussy Riot is gaining speed: Supporters of the punk provocateur band mobilize this week in at least a two dozen cities worldwide to hold simultaneous demonstrations an hour before a Russian court rules on whether its members will be sent to prison. Fridays rallies will ride a wave of support for the three women who have been in jail for more than five months because of an anti-Putin prank in Moscows main cathedral. Calls for them to be freed have come from a long list of celebrities such as Madonna and Bjork. Protests have been held in a number of Western capitals, including Berlin, where last week about 400 people joined Canadian electro-pop performance artist Peaches to support the band. In one of the most extravagant displays, Reykjavik Mayor Jon Gnarr rode through the streets of the Icelandic capital in a Gay Pride parade this weekend dressed like a band member wearing a bright pink dress and matching balaclava while lipsynching to one of Pussy Riots songs. Although the band members and their lawyers are convinced that the verdict depends entirely on the will of President Vladimir Putin, and prosecutors have asked for a three-year sentence, activists hope their pressure will ease punishment or even free the women. Putin has said the women should not be judged too harshly, but he risks appearing weak if they walk free. Amnesty International has declared the women prisoners of conscience and collected tens of thousands of petitions to be sent to the Russian government. So far, though, the human rights group said it has been blocked from delivering them. Two boxes containing 70,000 petitions were taken to the Russian Embassy in Washington on Tuesday, but a Russian diplomat
ing the fighting or torched afterwards by militias, would be torn down. We plan to clear these villages. These ruins, of course, do not look very good, Tibilov said in comments pub-
carried them outside and dumped them on the sidewalk, Amnesty International spokeswoman Sharon Singh said. He did not want them anywhere on Russian soil, she said by telephone on Wednesday. Repeated calls to the embassy went unanswered.
Performance
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich were little known before their brief impromptu performance in Christ the Savior Cathedral in February. Dancing and high-kicking, they shouted the words of a punk prayer asking the Virgin Mary to deliver Russia from Putin, who was set to win a third term in a March presidential election. They were arrested on charges of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years. Since then, they have been vilified by the state media, while winning over hearts at home and abroad. About 20 supporters wearing colorful balaclavas held a brief protest on the steps of the cathedral on Wednesday, each holding up a letter to spell out Blessed are the merciful in Russian. This action was done in support of the girls, said Anna Tashina, 18, who was one of at least two protesters detained by police. We wanted them to know that we are with them, that they havent been forgotten. Madonna also donned a balaclava during a concert in Moscow last week and had Pussy Riot written on her bare back. Yoko Ono sent a personal message to Samutsevich, saying that the power of your every word is now growing in us. A group of leading British musicians, including Pete Townshend of the Who and members of the Pet Shop Boys, published a letter in the Times of London ahead of Putins visit durlished by the website of Rustavi-2 television station. He said that the villages would also be stripped of their Georgian names. These names do not need to be con-
ing the Olympics to urge him to give the Pussy Riot members a fair hearing. On Friday, activists in more than a dozen cities are expected to take to the streets beginning at 2 pm Moscow time (1000 GMT), an hour before the judge is to issue the verdict. The protests are being coordinated by the defense lawyers. Venues vary from the square outside the ornate Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona to the yard outside the Russian Embassy in London. In Paris, the protest will be held on Stravinsky Square and led by 29-yearold Alexey Prokopyev from RussieLiberts, a Paris-based organization formed in December to bring together Russians studying or working in France. Meanwhile, the Russian punk band Pussy Riot said on Tuesday it planned new protest performances against Putin and urged other women to don balaclavas and stage protests, despite a trial at which three band mates could be jailed. Interview They spoke during an interview at which the all-women group donned balaclavas and brightly coloured tights like those worn by their three band mates during the protest on the altar of a Russian Orthodox cathedral that led to their arrest. Three wonderful girls who were an inspiration for this group are in prison right now, one member, going by the name of Button and clad in a thick army green balaclava to guard her identity, said. In related story, respect for human rights in Russia has deteriorated since Vladimir Putins election to the presidency in May, Finnish President Sauli Niinistoe said Wednesday. It is too early to say yet, but the general assessment seems to be that there has been a tightening of the strings in a certain way, and it has happened more quickly than had been
served because the settlements will not exist, he said. Before the 2008 war, which saw Russian troops push deep into Georgia to crush Tbilisis military attempt to regain
expected, Niinistoe said in an interview with Finnish broadsheet Helsingin Sanomat. The president said he was referring to new legislation, including a law on demonstrations. In June, Putin signed a law that dramatically hiked fines for violations of strict public order rules during rallies, after a protest on the eve of his May inauguration ended in violence. Niinistoe declined however to discuss the case of Pussy Riot. Niinistoe, who is due to meet with Lavrov during the visit, said he and Putin had talked about human rights in Saint Petersburg at the end of June. To some extent he explained the legislative initiatives, which he saw mostly as an expansion of democracy, Niinistoe said. He was very goal-oriented in the questions that he thought important. In that respect he is quite clear. Clear communication is possible with him, added the president. In Copenhagen, a European artists association said Wednesday it had called on Russian authorities to free three members of punk group Pussy Riot on trial for an anti-Putin performance in a Moscow cathedral. The Denmark-based European Council of Artists, which claims to have more than 200,000 members from 28 nations, said it had sent a letter Tuesday to Russian President Vladimir Putin and top prosecutors to drop the case. We respectfully urge you to drop any and all charges and immediately and unconditionally release Maria Alekhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Ekaterina Samucevich, the letter posted online states. Freedom of expression is a human right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and no one should be jailed for the peaceful exercise of this right.
control over South Ossetia, the tiny region had a large ethnic Georgian minority. Georgian officials described the plan as a continuation of wartime ethnic cleansing and blamed South Ossetias backer Russia. The destruction of the remaining villages is a continuation of the policy of ethnic cleansing, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergi Kapanadze told Georgian television. (AFP)
Komorowski speaks
We need shield
WARSAW, Aug 15, (AFP): Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski said Wednesday that Poland should set up its own missile shield to defend its territory as part of the wider NATO project. We need our own Polish shield which at the same time would be part of the larger NATO system, Komorowski said in a speech marking national army day. Its a costly but tolerable project for the budget, because of Polands economic growth and the savings it has achieved from disengaging from Afghanistan, he said.
An unidentified supporter of Pussy Riot is detained by Christ the Saviour Cathedral security in Moscow, Aug 15. (AP)
INTERNATIONAL
19
Diplomacy
Peace treaty eyed
In this June 2011 photo, the aerial view shows Uotsuri Island, one of the islands of Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese, in East China Sea. Hong Kong activists trying to reach disputed islands claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan said Aug 15 that they were being tailed by Japanese government ships trying to stop them, as territorial disputes continue to raise tensions among Asian powerhouses. (Inset): In this photo provided by Japan Coast Guard, a Japan Coast Guard patrol boat, (back), sails alongside a Hong Kong fishing boat, (foreground), in the water, 52 kms (32 miles) west of the Uotsuri Island. (AP)
Informed
Fujimura said Tokyo had informed both Seoul and Washington about the meeting. Many in the international community are keen for Pyongyang to return to the six-party talks on denuclearisation that it abandoned in December 2008. The talks, which group the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China, envisage a peace treaty and other benefits if the North scraps its atomic weapons programme. North Koreas launch of a longrange rocket on April 13 heightened regional tensions and sank a deal with the United States reached on Feb 29. Under that agreement, the North had agreed to freeze its uranium enrichment plant and suspend nuclear and missile tests, while the United States promised 240,000 tonnes of food aid. The United States and its allies described the rocket launch as a disguised missile test, while the North said its aim was only to put a satellite into orbit. The rocket failed soon after takeoff.
Principles
In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said that the United States had no problem with Japans talks with North Korea as nations negotiating in the six-party talks shared the same general principles. So, you know, we dont have any issue with dialogue between Japan and North Korea, she said. Tokyo does not have relations with Pyongyang and their last meeting was held in 2008 when Japans foreign ministry says North Korea agreed to reopen investigations into the fate of Japanese nationals abducted by agents to train its spies in Japanese language and customs. The issue ignites strong feelings in Japan, where many feel Pyongyangs 2002 admission on abductions was not the whole story and that more missing Japanese met their fate in North Korea after being kidnapped in the 1970s or 1980s. Its perceived refusal to come clean has derailed efforts to normalise ties between the two countries. Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba said the issue was a top priority.
Nuland Clinton
Asia
US warns against divide, conquer:
The United States on Tuesday warned against any attempt to divide and conquer in the tense South China Sea, and voiced hope that Beijing and Southeast Asian nations would reach an accord this year. Several Southeast Asian nations have accused China of aggravating friction in the South China Sea, but foreign ministers from the 10-nation ASEAN bloc failed at a meeting last month to reach an agreement on the way forward. China, which claims sovereignty over virtually the entire sea, has favored individual talks with each nation over disputes. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland reiterated that the United States preferred a deal that included every country with claims in the South China Sea. An effort to divide and conquer and end up with a competitive situation among the different claimants is not going to get where we need to go, Nuland told reporters, without explicitly naming China. What were most concerned about at the moment is that tensions are going up among the stakeholders. So we want to see a commitment to a deal that meets the needs of all, she said. The United States has been pushing for a code of conduct in the South China Sea that would set up formal channels to resolve friction and prevent miscalculations in the waters through which half of the worlds cargo passes. But ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is divided. The Philippines and Vietnam are strongly critical of China but Cambodia, the host of the July talks of foreign ministers, has close relations with Beijing. Attending the talks in Phnom Penh, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton encouraged China and ASEAN to work together on a code of conduct and for all of them to commit as soon as they can to do that work and ideally to do it this year, Nuland said Tuesday. Nuland was reacting to a commentary by Chinas state-run news agency, Xinhua, which denied charges that Beijing was sowing division in Southeast Asia and hit back hard at some Western countries. What in fact is blocking unity within ASEAN and between its allies is the meddling of some Western countries that are betting on a divided Asia. They loathe to
HONG KONG/TOKYO, Aug 15, (RTRS): China said it would lodge a complaint with Japan after it detained Chinese activists who landed on a disputed island and raised a flag on Wednesday, as tension between Japan and its neighbours escalated on the anniversary of the end of World War Two. The landing by the activists on an island chain in the East China Sea and their detention by Japans coastguard came on a day of regional diplomatic jousting, underscoring how history haunts Japans ties with China and South Korea. Earlier, South Korea prompted an official protest from Japan after comments by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak which some saw as going too far by insulting Japanese Emperor Akihito. And in a move likely to add to the anger of Japans neighbours, two Japanese cabinet ministers paid homage at a controversial Tokyo shrine for the war dead. Memories of Japans wartime occupation of much of China and colonisation of South Korea run deep despite close economic ties in one of the worlds wealthiest regions. Japan arrested five members of a group of activists from China, Hong Kong and Macau who landed on the island, Japans coastguard said. Chinas Xinhua news agency said Japans coastguard later arrested nine activists on their boat.
Detained
Japanese media also said that in all, 14 activists had been detained. Japan protested to Chinas ambassador over the landing and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Tokyo
see Asias incredible economic vitality while their economies are waning, as is their influence in the world, Xinhua said. (AFP)
would deal with the matter strictly in accordance with the law. In response, Chinas Foreign Ministry said it was contacting the Japanese side to lodge representations over five Chinese nationals detention on the Diaoyu Islands, referring to the isles known as Senkaku in Japan. It did not mention the nine detained on their boat. Chinas Xinhua state news agency said Japan had pushed tension to a new high. The tensions are fully due to irresponsible clamouring and attempts by some Japanese politicians and activists to claim the islands, which ... indisputably belong to China, it said. Friction over the uninhabited isles, near potentially rich gas deposits, had already been heating up. Several of the activists, who set out from Hong Kong, jumped into the sea, swam and waded ashore. The group said its boat had been rammed by the coastguard and hit with water cannon. A Japanese official denied that any serious damage had been done to the boat. Media published photographs of the activists planting a Chinese flag on a rocky shore. Weve waited 10 years for this We finally managed to get ashore, the captain of the protest ship was quoted as saying on Hong Kong television. Xinhua said earlier the activists might be sent back to Hong Kong, which could help to keep the feud from escalating. A separate row over rival claims by South Korea and Japan to other rocky islands has also intensified, signalling how the region has failed
who raped her daughter. The letter was reported on the website of state newspaper the Peoples Daily and calls for a more transparent hearing process for so-called re-education through labour, which critics say is often used to punish dissent. Its a kind of privilege for the police and has been constantly abused, signatory Liu Weiguo said of the system. It violates the constitution and human rights.
to resolve differences nearly seven decades after Japans defeat at the end of World War Two. The friction in part reflect scepticism over the sincerity of Japans apologies for wartime and colonial excesses. On Tuesday, South Koreas Lee told a group of teachers that Emperor Akihito should apologise sincerely if he wants to visit South Korea, saying a repeat of his 1990 expression of deepest regrets would not suffice. Japan, noting that it had never broached the idea of a visit by the emperor to South Korea, lodged a protest with Seoul over the remarks. Akihito has spent much of the past two decades trying to heal the wounds of a war waged in his fathers name.
Future
Lee, whose Friday visit to the island claimed by South Korea and Japan frayed ties between the two U.S. allies, called Japan an important partner that we should work with to open the future. But in remarks commemorating Koreas liberation from Japans 1910-1945 rule, he also said the countries tangled history was hampering the common march toward a better tomorrow. He urged Japan to do more to resolve a dispute over compensation for Korean women abducted to serve as sex slaves for wartime Japanese soldiers, known by the euphemism comfort women in Japan and long a source of friction. It was a breach of womens rights committed during wartime as well as a violation of universal
The lawyers said they wanted to take advantage of recent public outrage over Tang Hui, who was sentenced to 18 months hard labour for protesting over the sentences handed to seven men who abducted and raped her 11-year-old daughter. Tang was released last Friday after her lawyer appealed the sentence and authorities have said they will investigate her grievances, but her heavily publicised case
human rights and historic justice. We urge the Japanese government to take responsible measures in this regard, Lee said. Japan says the matter was closed under a 1965 treaty establishing diplomatic ties. In 1993, Tokyo issued a statement in the name of its then-chief cabinet secretary apologising to the women and two years later set up a fund to make payments to the women, but South Korea say those moves were not official and so not enough. Speaking at a ceremony marking the wars end on Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda acknowledged the enormous damage and suffering caused by Japan to other countries, especially in Asia. We deeply reflect upon (that) and express our deepest condolences to the victims and their families, he said, vowing that Japan would never go to war again. Tapping into anti-Japanese sentiment remains a way to seek public support in South Korea and China, which face leadership changes in coming months. And some experts see a new strain of nationalism is surfacing in Japan amid gloom about the future. In a sign of the domestic pressures in Japan, National Public Safety Commission Chairman Jin Matsubara and Transport Minister Yuichiro Hata visited the Yasukuni shrine for war dead, defying Nodas urgings to stay away. Many see the shrine as a symbol of Japans past militarism because 14 Japanese wartime leaders convicted as war criminals by an Allied tribunal are honoured there with Japans war dead.
led to demands that Chinas labour camps be scrapped. Rights lawyer Li Fangping, who came up with the idea of writing the letter, said its publication on the website of the Peoples Daily website suggested some within the Communist party agreed the system needed to be changed. Li said he would like to see it abolished altogether, but that with a handover of power due to begin later this year, reform was a more realistic aim. The National Peoples Congress Chinas parliament had floated reforms as early as 2005 but had not made progress, he said. We will call for more public attention, then some regulations should come out. Its a long process, he told AFP by telephone. Reeducation through labour was introduced in 1957 to punish minor offences, and has since netted a wide range of citizens, from drug offenders to petitioners to members of outlawed religious activities. More than 400,000 people were sent to labour camps in the first 50 years, the staterun China Daily has reported. Sentences of up to four years are issued by administrative rather than judicial panels, and appeals rarely succeed, according to the China-focused rights group Dui Hua. The lawyers in their letter called for a more systematic hearing process, public records of verdicts and the names of those who issued them, private lawyer-client meetings and an age limit of 60 for those liable to the sentence. (AFP)
Labour-camp reform urged: Ten Chinese lawyers have written an open letter urging the government to reform its system of hard labour after a mother was sent to a camp for challenging the sentences of men
Police beat 4
Tibetans protest
BEIJING, Aug 15, (AFP): Hundreds of Tibetans demonstrated in northwest China after police beat four people, an exile group and a US broadcaster said, following a recent string of self-immolations in the region. The London-based Free Tibet said hundreds of people gathered outside police headquarters in Qinghai provinces Tongren county Tuesday after police dragged four ethnic Tibetans from a car, beat them and threatened them with guns. US broadcaster Radio Free Asia quoted witnesses as saying the police appeared to be drunk, and severely beat the four men. Tongren government and security officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
A man enjoys fishing at Enoshima beach in Fujisawa, near Tokyo, Aug 15. (AP)
20
Houses are submerged in floods at City Camp Lagoon in Baguio City, northern Philippines, Aug 15. A second tropical storm in as many weeks battered the northern Philippines on Wednesday as forecasters warned that the still-reeling capital could see more flooding. (Inset): A child plays with floodwater as children are seen in their flooded house in Manila. (AP/AFP)
This Aug 14, photo released by the Malacanang photo bureau shows Philippine President Benigno Aquino III answering questions from reporters during his visit to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration office in suburban Quezon City, north of Manila, Philippines to assure protesting employees that steps were being taken to resume payment of the cash benefits that had been suspended in March. As another storm threatened to cause more flooding, hundreds of Philippines weather agency employees protested over their pay Tuesday and warned that forecasting services could deteriorate. (AP)
Also: PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia: Malaysias highest court cleared the way Wednesday for an Afghan man to be extradited to Australia on charges of people smuggling, as Canberra seeks to stem an influx of boatpeople. A Federal Court panel dismissed an appeal by Afghan businessman Said Mir Bahrami, who is fighting an extradition request by Australia, where he is wanted on 25 counts of illegally bringing in boatpeople. Hell be sent (to Australia) to face the charges there, Bahramis lawyer, Karpal Singh, told reporters after the decision. Its a test case.
Asia
NZ mulls cyber-bullying crime:
New Zealand said it was considering making cyber-bullying a criminal offence Wednesday, amid concerns that existing laws offer inadequate protection from online harassment. A Law Commission report said adolescents were particularly vulnerable to cyberbullying, which could lead to depression, self-harm and suicide among victims. The reports author, legal academic John Burrows, said existing laws had failed to keep pace with developments in social media and police were dealing with increasing numbers of complaints about online threats and harassment. Communication is different now because it can go viral very quickly and spread to a very wide audience and other people can join in, he told Radio New Zealand. (AFP)
co is neither harmful nor addictive, she said after the ruling. In Indonesia, the government said it would like to follow Australias example. Thats excellent ... this is one way to protect the people, Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi told Reuters. However, an anti-tobacco campaigner said that would be difficult to achieve because of a strong industry lobby in Indonesia. Tulus Abadi, head of the national commission on tobacco control, said there had been little movement from the government on a draft law to include graphic warnings on cigarette packets like those in Australia. Indonesias approximately 65 million smokers consumed about 230 billion cigarettes in 2010. Cigarette packages
there currently carry a written warning about the health dangers of smoking. Graphic images of cancers and gum disease are also shown on packets in Thailand, where official figures showed 13 million adults smoked tobacco in 2011, including 46.6 percent of men. An official at the Thai Ministry of Public Health, who asked not to be identified, said there were no plans to change existing packaging laws. In India, where an estimated 175 million people smoke, there was no immediate official reaction. In June, the countrys most populous state of Uttar Pradesh increased the value-added tax on cigarettes to 50 percent from 17.5 percent. Analysts say other states are likely to follow.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization on Wednesday welcomed the decision by Australias High Court to dismiss a legal challenge against plain cigarette packaging and hoped it would have a domino effect in other countries. The industrys attempt to derail this effective tobacco control measure failed, said the UN health agencys director general Margaret Chan. Chan pointed out that other countries had been watching the outcome of the hearing and were considering similar measures. With so many countries lined up to ride on Australias coattails, what we hope to see is a domino effect for the good of public health, she said.
East Timor is ready to maintain stability on its own without the hundreds of international peacekeepers who have stayed in Asias newest country a decade after it declared formal independence, the United Nations chief said Wednesday. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon started his two-day trip to the small, halfisland nation by meeting with President Taur Matan Ruak, the former army chief and one-time guerrilla fighter who took
office May 20 and replaced Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta. The visit comes after the UN Security Council praised the country of 1.1 million people for holding peaceful presidential elections. (AP)
Zentai
Ruak
I shot ex-wife by accident: A Thai senator who shot his ex-wife at the dinner table with an Uzi 9mm pistol said Tuesday that her death was a tragic accident.
Boonsong Kowawisarat, 56, said the gun went off while he was trying to remove a stuck bullet, fatally injuring 46-year-old Chanakarn Detkard, who was also his secretary. It was my gun. I showed her the gun that I had bought for her. She lived with her mother and our two daughters there are only women in her place so I wanted her to have it as Im worried about them, he told AFP by telephone. (AFP)
INTERNATIONAL
21
Africa
Cooperate to avoid suicide:
Sudan and South Sudan have no choice but to work together in order to avoid suicide, former prime minister Sadiq al-Mahdi said on Tuesday. It is a win-win formula or a lose-lose formula, Mahdi, who leads a major opposition party, Umma, told a gathering organised by the South Sudanese embassy. Sudan and South Sudan fought along their undemarcated frontier in March and April, sparking fears of wider war and leading to a UN Security Council resolution which ordered a ceasefire and the settlement of critical unresolved Al-Mahdi issues. The two sides have no choice but to cooperate, Mahdi said, because what is happening now is suicide. After weeks of fragile talks in the Ethiopian capital, Sudan and South Sudan on Aug 4 reached a breakthrough agreement over fees due by Juba for shipping its oil through the norths pipeline for export. In January the South shut its oil production the impoverished nations prime revenue source after accusing the north of theft. But Khartoum says the oil deal will not be implemented unless security issues are settled first. (AFP)
View of a ceremony recognizing the Amazon as Natural Wonder of the World in Iquitos, Peruvian northeastern jungle. (AFP)
Murder accused denies killing: A man accused of shooting Swedish honeymooner Anni Dewani pleaded not guilty to killing her as his murder trial opened in a South African court on Wednesday. Xolile Mngeni denied charges of murder, kidnapping, robbery and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition at the Cape High Court after being cleared as fit to stand trial last week despite his brain tumour. I confirm the plea as given by my client, said defence lawyer Qalisile Dayimani, who said the state had to prove each and every allegation. Mngeni was named by a co-accused, who pleaded guilty last week to Dewanis murder, as the gunman in the killing of the 28-year-old in November 2010 in a plea bargain that implicated her husband Shrien Dewani. Mziwamadoda Qwabe said Mngeni had fired a single fatal shot from the front passenger seat. He claimed the pair were recruited by the couples driver to carry out the paid hit allegedly on Dewanis orders. (AFP) Protest leads to fatalities:
Thousands of angry South African workers met Tuesday on a rocky cliff within sight of their platinum mine shuttered by violent protests, shouting demands for more pay over the roar of circling police and military helicopters. As authorities pleaded for calm, the men trekked there from the simple hostels and shacks near the Lonmin PLC mine, carrying pipes, clubs and machetes across the barren fields with high-tension electrical wires overhead. As the workers met, the body of a middle-aged man who had been bludgeoned to death was found about 100 meters (yards) away. Police were investigating the crime, but the man appeared to be the 10th person killed at the Lonmin mine in unrest that is gripping South Africas mining industry. (AP)
De la Rua
Correa
Lat/Am
No decision yet on Assange asylum:
Ecuadors President Rafael Correa on Tuesday denied a British media report that his country had granted asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The rumor of asylum for Assange is false. No decision has yet been taken. Awaiting report from the foreign ministry, Correa wrote on Twitter. Assange, 41, took refuge at Ecuadors embassy in London on June 19 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where the Australian national faces police questioning over sexual assault allegations. But he also fears being extradited to the United States to face charges over WikiLeaks publishing of a trove of secret documents, including information relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and countless diplomatic cables. Correas statement came after Britains Guardian newspaper said on its website Tuesday that Ecuador was set to grant Assange asylum, citing an unnamed official in Quito. We see Assanges request as a humanitarian issue, the official told the Guardian. It is clear that when Julian entered the embassy there was already some sort of deal, the official added. Correa later told reporters in the southwestern port city of Guayaquil that the Guardian is a very serious newspaper, but I dont know what source they used. (AFP)
CARACAS, Aug 15, (RTRS): Sitting in front of a mural of Jesus and the Virgin Mary armed with AK-47s, three red-shirted children are clutching assault rifles and copies of Venezuelas constitution. The photo, taken in a poor Caracas neighborhood and posted online earlier this year by the militant left-wing group La Piedrita (The Little Stone), triggered outrage across the South American nation and beyond. For many abroad, it was their first glimpse inside Venezuelas colectivos radical organizations that call themselves the guardians of Hugo Chavezs socialist project and defenders of their local communities. In the eyes of critics, the groups are bandana-clad killers and vigilantes, the shock troops of the presidents self-styled revolution. They have become more high-profile in the last four years, and some have been blamed for attacks on people they are said to perceive as enemies of Chavez. With a presidential election looming on Oct 7, opposition members fear the colectivos will turn to violence if challenger Henrique Capriles defies the polls and wins. Although the president denies it, some of his opponents have long worried Chavez could simply refuse to go should he lose. In rare interviews with Reuters in the 23 de enero (Jan 23) slum, the colectivos heartland near the city center, some of their leaders said they were targets of right-wing propaganda.
Assured
Were the ones least interested in violence or instability, because our triumph (Chavezs re-election) is assured, Juan Contreras, co-founder of the Coordinadora Simon Bolivar group, said at its headquarters, a forremove worker protections in the year 2000, when the International Monetary Fund was making workforce flexibility a requirement for extending loans to Argentina. The law, which enabled companies to fire workers without cause or severance pay, was overturned in 2004. Now prosecutors must prove the payments were ordered by De la Rua, who
mer police base now adorned with revolutionary paintings. We and many other colectivos are armed, but armed with consciousness, with education. This is an election unlike any before in Venezuela, with Chavez ostensibly recovering from cancer and a newly united opposition supporting a single candidate for the first time. Against that tense backdrop, the colectivos very existence underlines the risk of street unrest in a divided society where guns proliferate, impunity reigns, and the murder rate is one of the highest in the world. Despite their unstinting support for Venezuelas colorful leader and his policies, the more radical groups are something of a public relations nightmare for him, often described as even more Chavista than Chavez. Stung by the reaction to the picture of the armed children, two small girls and a boy, La Piedrita said it was taken during a kids theater production about Venezuelan guerrilla leaders of the past, and the guns were fakes. Since then, security forces have stormed the slum and tried to arrest La Piedritas leader. Chavez himself has weighed into the debate, even suggesting that the CIA might be behind some of the recent drama in 23 de enero. Overlooking the ornate Miraflores presidential palace, the hilly area draws its name from Jan 23, 1958, when military dictator Marcos Perez Jimenez fled the country amid widespread rioting and a coup by rebel soldiers. One of the main scenes of the 1989 Caracazo the Caracas riots over price rises when troops fired on demonstrators and killed hundreds
served from 1999 to December 2001, when the IMF refused to extend more loans and the economy collapsed. Deadly riots followed, forcing de la Rua to flee by helicopter from the rooftop of the presidential palace. De la Ruas co-defendants include his liaison to Congress, former parliament secretary Mario Pontaquarto, who con-
the slums monolithic tower blocks, jumbled stacks of modest houses and winding alleys are home to about 100,000 people. Most residents are fiercely proud of their neighborhoods long history of left-wing activism. Today, the slum is something of a laboratory for Chavezs socialist project: Stores sell milk and meat from nationalized producers at steep discounts, residents do volunteer work cleaning up streets, and some youth pioneer groups are modeled on similar ones in communist ally Cuba that fuse leftist ideology with kids activities such as sports and camping. Residents many suspicious of reporters, whom they associate with pro-opposition private media say the Caracas police do not patrol in 23 de enero. Sometimes National Guard troops pass through, they say, but rarely.
Dangerous
In almost one square mile (about two-square-kilometers) of one of most dangerous cities in the Americas, security is almost entirely in the hands of the colectivos. Some set up armed roadblocks after dark, communicating by walkie-talkie, stopping cars and questioning passengers. Though scattered around Venezuela and probably numbering a few thousand members, the dozen or so best-known colectivos are based in 23 de enero. In a report in June, the International Crisis Group think tank warned they could be used by politicians to stoke violence or could take to the streets on their own. The Venezuelan government did not respond to requests for comment on the colectivos role or the oppositions charges. Chavez has a double-digit lead in
fessed a decade ago to delivering the money on the orders of De la Rua himself. Pontaquarto said he picked up the $5 million from Argentinas Intelligence Service, giving $4 million to one senator, Emilio Cantarero, and $1 million to another, Jose Genoud. Cantarero now suffers from Alzheimers disease and Genoud
most polls, but his opponent, 40-yearold state governor Capriles, has been campaigning across the country for months, drawing big crowds. An aide said 23 de enero is the only area he cannot go, out of fear for his safety. Someone shot at one opposition colleague when she visited the slum late last year. People in the barrio told our advance team: Dont even think about it, the Capriles aide said. These are violent groups that are supported by the government, the opposition candidate said of the scandal over the La Piedrita photo. Because of that, they feel cocky, and they put themselves beyond the law with absolute impunity. Capriles may be deeply unpopular with the colectivos, but Contreras from the Coordinadora Simon Bolivar, named after South Americas 19th century independence hero, denied they meant him any harm. He represents the past, the repression and anguish this country lived through, the corruption, Contreras said at the former police base, which has two hulking watchtowers and walls covered in murals of Bolivar, a masked Palestinian fighter, and Argentine revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevera. For us, Chavez represents education, health, dignified homes and jobs, and recreation. Though denounced as a dictator by his foes, Chavez is adored by many of the poor and portrays his rule as a riposte to four decades of capitalism by governments bent on enriching a small elite. From the Coordinadoras veterinarian clinic to its radio station, Internet cafe and left-wing bookshop, the group is staunchly ideological but does not on the surface have the look of a militant group posing a serious threat.
committed suicide, but Pontaquarto said he helped prosecutors compile solid evidence. Im looking for the truth to put an end to all of this, Pontaquarto said as he entered the courtroom Tuesday, adding that hes not afraid to go to prison. (AP)
Attack on bar
Gunmen kill 8
MONTERREY, Mexico, Aug 15, (AP): Gunmen killed eight people in a bar in the northern Mexico city of Monterrey, which has recently seen bloody turf battles between the Gulf Cartel and the Zetas gang. Nuevo Leon state security spokesman Jorge Domene said a ninth person died apparently when he fell trying to flee the attackers across rooftops. The late Monday attack was on the Matehuala Mens Club. Domene said Tuesday that some of the victims were bar employees and the attackers fled the scene.
Killer suspect held: A man suspected in a string of grisly rapes and murders that gave a South African community the moniker village of death has been arrested, a local newspaper said Wednesday. Bulelani Mabhayi, 39, was arrested on Sunday after an elderly woman was founded hacked to death the night before in the Eastern Cape village of Tholeni, the Daily Dispatch reported. He is being charged with a string of unresolved rapes and murders in the village where 19 women have been slain since 2009, police spokesman Jackson Manatha told the paper. (AFP)
Police tape surrounds the perimeter of the Matehuala Mens Club after a shooting inside the night club in Monterrey, Mexico, early Tuesday Aug 12, 2012. (AP)
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A boy follows reactions of a robot at the Ideen Park fair at the fair ground in Essen, western Germany. The fair was organised for children, youths and young adults by the German Steel company ThyssenKrupp AG to arouse their spirit of research and to promote careers in the business of technique and natural sciences. (AFP)
Attention
More attention needs to be paid to the poor on issues such as health, drinking water and literacy, Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of the Sulabh sanitation charity and one of Indias most noted welfare activists, told AFP. Going to space might have some scientific benefits but it alone will not help the condition of Indias poor. In September 2009, Indias Chandrayaan-1 lunar probe discovered water on the moon, boosting the countrys credibility among more experienced space-faring nations. But the space programme suffered a setback in December 2010 when a satellite launch vehicle blew up and fell into the Bay of Bengal after veering from its intended flight path. The United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and China have all sent missions to Mars. The US robot Curiosity is currently on the surface of the Red Planet after landing last week to hunt for soil-based signs of life and send back data for a future human mission. Curiosity is a nuclear-powered vehicle that is designed for a twoyear mission, though scientists hope it will last at least twice that long. NASAs newest rover Curiosity has yet to make its first move on Mars, but scientists said Tuesday they are already mapping out possible driving routes to a Martian mountain. Since landing in Gale Crater near the equator last week, the nuclearpowered rover has been busy getting a head-to-wheel health checkup while parked. It touched down about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from Mount Sharp where signatures of past water have been spotted at the base. Its ultimate goal is to scale the lower slopes in search of the chemical building blocks of life to determine whether the environment was favorable for microbial life. The team is kind of itching to move at this point, said deputy project scientist Ashwin Vasavada of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages the $2.5 billion mission. Scientists have been poring over pictures of the landing site snapped by Curiosity and spacecraft circling overhead. The pebble-strewn terrain where the rover landed appeared easy to traverse but the landscape gets more rugged the closer to Mount Sharp. The team identified half a dozen potential paths through buttes and mesas that are reminiscent of the southwestern United States. Vasavada estimated itll take a year to make the trip to the mountain driving about the length of a football field a day. Along the way, the six-wheel rover will make pit stops to study interesting rocks and scoop up soil. Before Curiosity can explore, it has to go through a laborious check of its tools and systems. As the most complex spacecraft sent to Mars, it landed using a novel routine that involved lowering it to the surface by cables.
Discovery
US tests Waverider craft: The US
military conducted an unmanned test flight on Tuesday of its hypersonic Waverider aircraft, designed to move at six times the speed of sound using technology that bridges the gap between planes and rocketships, a military official said. A B-52 bomber launched the remotely monitored, nearly wingless experimental aircraft, officially known as the X-51A, between 10 am and 11 am (1700 and 1800 GMT), John Haire, a spokesman for the 412th test wing at Edwards Air Force Base in California, said in a statement. Results of the brief test flight will be released on Wednesday, he said. The plan had been to conduct the test flight over the Pacific Ocean after a staging at Edwards, said Deborah VanNierop, a spokeswoman for Boeing Co whose CEO is Jim McNerney, which was involved in constructing the craft, said in a statement. The Waverider is designed to reach speeds of Mach 6 or above, fast enough to zoom from New York to London in less than an hour. But rather than commercial air travel, the military has its eye on a more readily achievable application - using it to develop high-speed cruise missiles. The X-51A was launched off the coast of California near Naval Air Station Point Mugu, which is northwest of Los Angeles, Haire said. It flew north over the Pacific through a range that is designed for test flights. (RTRS)
DETROIT, Aug 15, (RTRS): Its been more than half a century since some of the first concept cars boasting selfdriving features were presented to the world and theyre still not on the roads. But many auto executives say the industry is on the cusp of welcoming vehicles that make the idea of keeping both hands on the wheel an anachronism. General Motors showed off dream cars in the late 1950s like the Firebird II and Cadillac Cyclone with features automakers are now starting to roll out in new models as the technology, based on sensors, lasers, radar systems, GPS, cameras and microchips improves and becomes less costly. While most industry officials dont envision a fully self-driving, or autonomous, vehicle before 2025, features such as adaptive cruise control or traffic jam assist that automatically slow or apply the brakes for a car in certain situations are already being introduced. And much like anti-lock brakes became the norm after initial resistance, these new technologies will prepare drivers for a future where they are needed less. The whole concept of a car being able to drive itself is pretty profound, said Larry Burns, GMs former research and development chief and an adviser for Googles self-driving car project. This is the most transformational play to hit the auto industry in 125 years. The progress has been in the making for decades as GMs Firebird II, introduced in 1956, included a system to work with an electrical wire embedded in the highway to guide the car. Three years later, the rocket-like Cyclone boasted an autopilot system that steered the car and radar in front nose cones that warned of a collision and automatically applied the brakes.
Pace
However, the pace of invention has quickened, with such automakers as GM, Ford Motor Co, Toyota Motor Corp and Volkswagen AG developing technologies to help drivers avoid accidents. Some even envision a future where todays cars are more amusement. In the same way we all used to travel on horses and now horses are entertainment, you could imagine automobiles driven by people becoming more entertainment, said Chris Urmson, the Google programs technical head. In a world where Nevada and Florida have already passed laws
Wildlife vanishing fast: Animals living in patches of rainforest cut off from bigger expanses of jungle by farms, roads or towns are dying off faster than previously thought, according to an academic study published on Tuesday. We uncovered a staggering rate of local extinctions, the British and Brazilian researchers wrote in the online science journal PLOS ONE. They visited 196 fragments of what was once a giant, intact forest in eastern Brazil on the Atlantic coast, now broken up by decades of deforestation to make way for agriculture. Each isolated forest patch, ranging from less than the size of a soccer pitch to more than 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres), had on average only four of 18 types of the mam-
allowing the licensing of self-driving cars, the rush is on to make the job easier for drivers. For many, the ultimate goal is to take the steering wheel totally out of consumers hands and eliminate accidents altogether. Once we have a car that will never crash, why dont we let it drive? said Nady Boules, GMs director of autonomous technology development. However, Boules and executives like him will have to win over a public that includes those who love to drive or simply wouldnt trust their lives to a robot. Others, like long-haul truckers, could resist the technology for fear of job losses. My mental model of trust in technology is a Windows blue screen of death. Thats how much faith I have in PCs and computer systems, said Bryan Reimer, a research scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technologys AgeLab. Reimer, whose group studies human
behavior in relation to transportation safety and has worked with BMW, Ford and Toyota, said people are terrible overseers of highly autonomous systems and a car that helps drivers rather than replaces them would be a better model.
Consumers
J.D. Power and Associates found 37 percent of US consumers it surveyed in March were interested in autonomous driving technology, but only 20 percent definitely or probably would buy it at an estimated price of $3,000. Consulting firm Accenture said last year that almost half of US and British consumers it polled would be comfortable in a self-driving car. Even if the industry eventually wins the hearts and minds of most consumers, it also must establish the infrastructure that supports self-driving cars, including not only the technology but the necessary legal and liability frameworks things that may takes
years to put in place. Bill Windsor, associate vice-president of consumer safety at insurer Nationwide Mutual, pointed out the airline industry has had an autopilot feature for years, but people still man the cockpit. The same will be true for cars. Its going to be a long time before were going to feel comfortable turning over all the day-to-day decisions in driving to a computer, he said. Costs must come down as well. For instance, the laser-based Light Detection and Ranging system used by Google costs $70,000 according to a study released this month by consulting firm KPMG and the Center for Automotive Research (CAR). For that reason, the rollout over the next decade of more semi-autonomous features that assist drivers or take control of cars in only some cases is the path the industry is taking with the idea of preparing consumers for a future with fully driverless cars.
mals the experts surveyed, including howler monkeys and marmosets. White-lipped peccaries, similar to pigs, were completely wiped out and jaguars, lowland tapirs, woolly spider monkeys and giant anteaters were virtually extinct, the British and Brazilian scientists said of their findings. Normal estimates of declining wildlife numbers, based on the size of isolated forest fragments, predicted higher survival
Peres
McNerney
rates, it said. But they had underestimated continuing human pressures such as hunting and fires. This is bad news for conservation, Professor Carlos Peres, of Britains University of East Anglia, told Reuters. Many animals had vanished even in what seemed big areas of forest with intact tree canopy, he said. The rate of species loss in the area studied - the Atlantic Forest region which
covers 250,000 sq km (95,000 sq miles), the size of Britain or the US state of Michigan, was likely to be mirrored in other countries such as Indonesia, Ghana or Madagascar, Peres said. The scientists urged better conservation. In Brazil, animals survived best in five forest remnants that were protected as parks. This paper is a very big positive endorsement of more protected areas, Peres said. (RTRS)
Film
Variety
Features
This film image released by the Toronto International Film Festival shows Kanye West in a scene from the Spike Lee documentary Bad 25. Lees documentary Bad 25 is playing the festival, marking the 25th anniversary of Jacksons 1987 album Bad. The film features footage shot by Jackson himself along with interviews with such stars and music producers as Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow and L.A. Reid. (AP)
See Page 24
rare Mary Pickford short The New York Hat (1912), the Los Angeles premiere of the Academy Film Archives newly restored print of The Mark of Zorro (1920), starring Douglas Fairbanks, and a display of select items from the Academys Mary Pickford collection. Tours begin at 6 pm
Spielberg
Dunst
iTunes Top Movies chart, according to the company. Directed by first-timer Leslye Headland, the comedy boasts an ensemble cast of well-known actors, including Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, Rebel Wilson, James Marsden and Adam Scott.
Drawing comparisons to Bridesmaids and The Hangover, it depicts three best friends hell-bent on having perhaps too good of a time before their best friends wedding, threatening the nuptials in the process. The film was a big hit at Sundance, where RADiUS
bought the rights earlier this year. Adam McKay, Will Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum are producers, through their Gary Sanchez Productions. BCDF Pictures Brice Del Farra, Claude Dal Farra and Lauren Munsch also produced. (RTRS)
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Also, Cooper has been a likable presence in films like The Hangover, but here he finally gets a chance to stretch and show audiences that hes more than just a pretty face. Argo Cast: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman Director: Ben Affleck Release Date: Oct. 12 Risk Factors: The 1979 Iranian hostage crisis is at the center of the film, and while it may be distant history, the Middle East remains a hotbed of political instability. War films like The Hurt Locker and Jarhead have impressed critics, but audiences have shown little interest in seeing dramatized what plays out on the news every night. Why were psyched: With The Town, Affleck proved hes a smart, sensitive director who choreographs killer action sequences (just think about all those car chases through the Boston streets). This true story about a gonzo escape plan that involved CIA agents posing as filmmakers to rescue hostages has all the makings of a whacked out masterpiece in The Three Kings vein. Cloud Atlas Cast: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw Director: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski Release Date: Oct. 26 Risk Factors: Based on the trailer, this story about various lives intersecting across the past, present and future features Hanks and Berry in an awful lot of embarrassing wigs. It is also redolent of The Fountain, another heady film that played with time and space, but collapsed under the weight of its ambitions. Why Were Psyched: The Wachowskis have a talent for blending big ideas with tentpole special effects in films like The Matrix. Cloud Atlas boasts a big canvas, with dazzling special effects and camera work. Its about time these filmmakers made us forget about Speed Racer. Zero Dark Thirty Director: Kathryn Bigelow Cast: Joel Edgerton, Kyle Chandler, Jessica Chastain, Edgar Ramirez Release Date: Dec. 19 Risk Factors: Sony wisely chose to release the film after the presidential election so the studio cant be accused of trying to bolster Barack Obamas chances by recounting the daring story behind the killing of Osama bin Laden. That said, it arrives with an awful lot of controversy and charges from Republican politicians that Bigelow was given access to classified information. Will it be too much of a political hot potato to judge on its own merits? Why were psyched: Bigelow returns to the battlefield after revolutionizing the war film with The Hurt Locker. Can lighting strike twice? The Master Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams Director: Paul Thomas Anderson Release Date: Sept. 14 Risk Factors: A thinly fictionalized portrait of the worlds most secretive and controversial religion. Expect an uproar from Scientologists and an intense debate over Hoffmans portrayal of a charlatan who sounds a lot like L. Ron Hubbard. After annoying us with his faux breakdown and fake documentary Im Not There, Phoenix is on a very shortleash. Why were psyched: The
last time Anderson was behind a camera, he gave us There Will Be Blood, a haunting, magisterial work that ranks among the greatest movies ever made. If the euphoric reaction to early test screenings is any indication, he just might have another masterpiece on his hands. Django Unchained Cast: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio Director: Quentin Tarantino Release Date: Dec. 25 Risk Factors: Well, its a bloody action film set in the antebellum South, so its depiction of slavery could stir up charges of racial insensitivity for a director whose fondness for a certain N word has already made him a target for precisely that kind of criticism. Why were psyched: With Inglourious Basterds, Tarantino proved that in the right hands, even the Nazis can be the subject of brilliant, escapist fare. Django looks like another dazzling trip down the rabbit hole, with cinemas foremost genre mashup maestro as a guide. Likewise, DiCaprio has a showy role that will allow him to flex the comic muscles he deployed so masterfully in Catch Me If You Can. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 Cast: Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart Director: Bill Condon Release Date: Nov. 16 Risk Factors: There was this girl named Kristen who cheated on this guy named Rob, breaking the hearts of millions of Twi-hards in the process. Why were psyched: The final film in one of the biggest franchises in movie history. Enough said. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage Director: Peter Jackson Risk Factors: Now that Jackson is turning a planned two films into three, will there be enough story to justify a trilogy? Also, the directors decision to shoot the film at a sped-up, 48 frames per second to improve the quality of the 3D has been a controversial one. Early footage at CinemaCon was criticized by theater owners and members of the press for looking less like a film and more like a telenovela. Warner Bros.s decision to dial down on the number of theaters that will show the film at a higher frame rate may have ended this particular technological revolution before the first shots were fired. Why were psyched: Its Peter Jackson returning to Middle Earth. Attention must be paid. Les Miserables Cast: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Anne Hathaway Director: Tom Hooper Risk Factors: The Broadway musical was a sensation, but film is not always kind to hit stage shows. For every Chicago, there are scores of Rents and Evitas that fail to capture the magic of the original productions. Moreover, we know Jackman and Hathaway have great sets of pipes, but can Crowe carry a tune? Why were psyched: One of the best-known scores in musical theater history. A story of heroism set against the backdrop of a revolutionary uprising. A stunning array of period costumes and dramatic sets. Some plays just cry out for big screen treatment. And, oh, that cast.
This film image released by Disney shows, Cameron CJ Adams (left), and Odeya Rush in a scene from The Odd Life Of Timothy Green. (AP)
This Aug 13, 2012 photo released by Starpix shows (from left), Robert Pattinson, director David Cronenberg, and Sarah Gadon attending the premiere of Cosmopolis at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. (AP)
Douglas
Stallone
Variety
NEW YORK: The Film Independent
Spirit Awards will take place Feb 23, the final Saturday in February, Film Independent announced on Tuesday. Next years ceremony will be the 28th in the history of the event, which honors the best independent American-made films of the year. Film Independent, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit, on Tuesday began accepting entries, and will accept submissions until Oct 16 before announcing the nominees Nov 27. To be eligible, films must be at least 70 minutes long, cost less than $20 million to make, have been shown at least once a day for a week in a commercial theater in 2012 and have been screened at one of six major film festivals. International films and documentaries are only eligible for those specific categories. Early contenders this year include Benh Zeitlins Beasts of the Southern Wild, Wes Andersons Moonrise Kingdom, Paul Thomas Andersons The Master and David O. Russells Silver Linings Playbook. (RTRS)
in a custody battle. Among previously announced films at Toronto are the opening-night premiere Looper, a sci-fi thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Blunt; Keira Knightleys Leo Tolstoy adaptation Anna Karenina, featuring Jude Law and Aaron Taylor-Johnson; Ben Afflecks Iran hostage rescue saga Argo, co-starring Bryan Cranston and John Goodman; and Robert Redfords
Its tough. Its very tough ... its a horrible situation, Stallone told ABC News in a television interview that aired on Tuesday on the Good Morning America program. The actor, who put interviews and public
fugitive manhunt tale The Company You Keep, co-starring Shia LaBeouf, Susan Sarandon and Terrence Howard. Along with the Venice and Telluride festivals that precede it, Toronto typically is a prime launch spot for many Oscar contenders. Among past Oscar winners that played the Toronto festival were The Kings Speech, The Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire and Crash.
appearances on hold after Sages death a month ago, said support from good friends and family helped him deal with the loss. Time, hopefully, will heal, and you try to get through it, but its just something. Its a reality of life, he said. I think its important to get back and start reliving your life. Otherwise, you can go into a spiral. (RTRS)
LOS ANGELES: Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas earned a standing ovation from a packed Los Angeles theater as he introduced a screening of the 1960 classic Spartacus that included a previously censored scene. When youre 95 years old, you dont look forward. You look backwards, you take inventory, Douglas said late Monday, as he sat on stage to talk about the film that immortalized him as a movie legend. Douglas said that Spartacus a 2.5hour epic about a slave rebellion in the Roman empire challenged censorship during an era when Hollywood actors and screenwriters were blacklisted due to their alleged communist sympathies. Douglas produced and starred in the movie, which won four Oscars. The film was directed by Stanley Kubrick and costarred Laurence Olivier and Tony Curtis. Douglas hired Dalton Trumbo, a blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter, who wrote the script under a penname. Douglas however put Trumbos name in the film credits. (AFP)
Indian Bollywood film actor Shah Rukh Khan poses during the launch of DDB and Videocons new age Leds in Mumbai on Aug 14. (AFP)
NEWS/FEATURES
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Film
All in Sparkle
Music
Fairport festival holds family bash
Transition
It all seemed to be going well, until things fell apart. My label was going through a transition and people were let go. Then I parted ways with my management and then I had some things personally going on, Sparks said, but did not elaborate. It just felt like everything was starting to not work out all at once. I was like, This is it? Five years and thats it? But along came the offer to play the sister named Sparkle whose stellar voice leads her to fame. Sparks said she saw parallels between her own ambition and that of the strong-willed singer who wanted more than anything to perform and wasnt going to let anyone stand in her way. The major difference, Sparks said, is that unlike Houstons role in the film, Sparks own parents have been 100 percent supportive of me from the beginning. I knew that music was what I wanted to do. I knew that I was going to be a singer. I just didnt know when, but I was going to do what it took to get there, Sparks said. Sparks portrays one of thee sisters the other two are played by Carmen Ejogo and Tika Sumpter who form a girl group during the 1960s over the protestations of their mother only to find that fame can tear their family apart.
Palillo
Crow
Variety
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida: Ron
Palillo, the actor best known as the nerdy high school student Arnold Horshack on the 1970s sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, died Tuesday in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He was 63. Palillo suffered an apparent heart attack at his home about 4 am, said Karen Poindexter, a close friend of the actor. He was pronounced dead at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. Palillo was inextricably linked with the character he played from 1975 to 1979 on Kotter, the hit ABC sitcom, in which title character Gabe Kotter returns to his Brooklyn alma mater to teach a group of loveable wiseguys known as the Sweathogs. Horshack was the nasally teen who yelped, Oooh, ooh, and shot his hand skyward whenever Kotter posed a question. The show was a ratings success and pop cultural phenomenon, injecting smart-Alec phrases such as Up your nose with a rubber hose into the mainstream and propelling co-star John Travolta to stardom. But the series only lasted as long as a high school education and its end, for Palillo, brought difficulty. He said he felt exiled throughout the 1980s, unable to find parts, sinking into depression, and rarely venturing from his apartment. When offers did come, he felt typecast as Horshack. (AP)
Climb
The rise to music stardom is a climb that Houston, a huge pop star of the 1980s and 1990s with hits like How Will I Know, knew all too well, and by the time she made her acting debut, in 1992s The Bodyguard, she was a huge star. Houston drowned in a hotel bathtub last February at age 48. Houston provided Sparks a shoulder on which to lean and a voice of experience when making the film. The biggest thing I took from Whitney was youre never too big to sit down with somebody. Youre never too big to say hello or to smile at someone, Sparks said. She would sit and talk like we had known each other for years. For that example to come from a superstar, somebody I idolized, was just amazing. Playing a character like Sparkle, who is young and naive at the films beginning before blossoming into a young woman by the end, is a journey that resonates with Sparks who said she, too, feels like she is at the same stage a new beginning. I feel like Im blossoming into a woman and coming in to my own, she said. On Aug 1, Sparks and her boyfriend, singer Jason Derulo, 22, celebrated their one year anniversary together. Sparks said during the filming of Sparkle turned more serious after both suffered setbacks. Derulo narrowly escaped paralysis when he broke his neck while rehearsing an acrobatic move while training for a tour. A few weeks later, Houston died and Sparks lost a new friend. Both of us realized how much we really cared for each other, she said. Your priorities get in line when stuff like that happens. The feelings grew really, really deep.
CROPREDY, England, Aug 15, (RTRS): What better way for the founding fathers of British folk-rock to celebrate 45 years as a band than with an intimate gathering of 20,000 friends and family? Fairport Conventions annual festival, held in the Oxfordshire village of Cropredy over three days last week, has been a fixture for fans of Britains unique brand of electric folk music since their final outdoor concert there in 1979. By tradition, the current five-strong line-up is supplemented at Cropredy by guest appearances from the bands numerous former members, who continue to exert a strong influence on the folk scene. But anniversary years are special. In a year with a 5 or a 0 on the end we tend to try to reflect on previous incarnations of the band without slavishly trying to become younger versions of ourselves, said Simon Nicol, a founding member of Fairport and festival co-organiser. On stage for Saturday nights 3-1/2hour closing set were some of the most feted musicians in folk-rock, including demon fiddler Dave Swarbrick and virtuoso guitarist Richard Thompson. But playing alongside them was the new generation including children of some of the Fairport legends, who are forging careers of their own showing the folk music tradition of constant reinterpretation is alive and well.
Founders
Kami Thompson joined her father on stage, singing Come all Ye, the opening track of Fairports landmark 1969 Liege and Lief album, while Blair Dunlop, son of another of the bands founders, Ashley Hutchings, appeared alongside his dad. Singer Kristina Donohue and her father, guitarist Jerry Donohue, were both among the string of guests. One of the best things about the festival is when we bring our sons
Despite the plethora of social networking, blogs and endorsements, 54 percent of the 3,000 Americans surveyed for the report said they are more likely to buy music on the recommendation of a friend than the endorsement of a music chat room or blog. (RTRS)
and daughters on, Hutchings told the crowd as he brought on Blair for a guest spot with Hutchings seniors band, Morris On, who play thumping electric versions of the songs that accompany the ancient reels of Morris dancing. The set also included a display of the high-kicking steps of Morris, in which dancers wear bells on their legs and often wave handkerchiefs or clatter together wooden sticks. And its nice to see you are bringing your offspring too, Hutchings added. Liege and Lief, with its mixture of ancient folk songs and Fairport originals played with the guitars and drums of a rock band literally electrified the British folk music scene. It was controversial among traditionalists but helped unleash a wave of bands, from Steeleye Span and
Twisted
The family tree of musicians with a link to Fairport is as twisted as an old bramble and still bearing fruit. Welsh band Calan, who sing much of their material in Welsh, appeared on Wednesday. Their latest CD was produced by former Fairport guitarist Maartin Allcock. I dont feel responsible for having enabled this, Nicol said. But I think we did open the door ... a lot of music has come through that door. The current Fairport line-up has been together longer than any other in the bands 45 years but Nicol says they have no problem integrating former members. Its that family thing ... you cant get out of your family, you cant divorce
which he accused the pair of stealing $7.5 million from him, videotaping and following him without permission and leaving him homeless. A forensic psychiatrist who interviewed Sparks recently called him imminently dangerous and said his psychosis is directed intently at Crow. Superior Court Judge James Hahn
them. There is a continuity between us. You may lack the energy and optimism of youth but you develop coping strategies. You become more tolerant, patient and, hopefully, more understanding of each other, he said. The relationship with the fans is close. The track list of Fairports latest album By Popular Request was chosen in a poll of the 23,000 fans with whom the band is in email contact. Many in the crowd were of similar ages to the surviving Fairport founders, who are all in their 60s at least, but they too appear to be passing the baton to a new generation.
Bands
Adam Webb, celebrating his 23rd birthday on Saturday, was taken to this festival exactly five years previously by his father, who introduced him to his own favourite folk bands.
ordered Sparks to stay 300 yards (300 meters) away from Crow and Weinstein and make no attempt to contact them. Hahn, the former Los Angeles mayor who was appointed as a judge in 2008, presided over the hour-long hearing, patiently instructing Sparks to ask questions and allow him to describe at length his reasons for feeling persecuted. (AP)
SANTA MONICA, California: A judge granted Sheryl Crow a three-year restraining order against a man who acknowledged he threatened to shoot the singer-songwriter and film executive Harvey Weinstein. Philip Gordon Sparks, 45, agreed to stay away from the Grammy winner and Weinstein after an hour-long hearing in
Elvis Week
Garth Brooks performs with children onstage at the Teachers Rock concert at the Nokia Theatre on Aug 14 in Los Angeles. (AP)
26
travel
thursday, august 16, 2012 airport inquiry tel: 161
www.kuwait-airport.com.kw
ee Liebman and her family took a $6,000 vacation this year that didnt cost them a dime, thanks to a relatives last wishes. Whether its trying to make sure that their children stay in touch despite geographical distances, or wanting them to become acquainted with family roots in another country, some people are deciding that travel should be a part of their legacy. Despite the economy, this is the first generation of people passing away with substantial wealth, said Avi Kestenbaum, a trust and estate specialist with the New York-based law firm Meltzer Lippe Goldstein & Breistone. He estimated hes set up 10 travel-related trusts in the past 15 years, while other clients have given instructions verbally or in a non-legal written wish list.
Encourages
The trend has even prompted a travel agency and a law firm to partner together this summer to start offering onestop-shopping for trust creation and travel planning.
You could give them money and they could go and buy a new car with it, or you could give them this and they can use it to create memories, said Jim Bendt, president of Travel Beyond of Minneapolis, who advises there may also be tax advantages to setting up a trust that encourages travel. Margaret Cronin, a partner with the law firm, Leonard, Street and Deinard, also of Minneapolis, said these trusts might provide other benefits as well. If you give a child a big inheritance outright, its exposed to their creditors, to their divorces, she said. A trust is absolutely something that people should consider. Some who bequeath money for travel want their offspring to connect with their heritage, culture or religion. They might go so far as to require the beneficiary to study or take courses in a particular country. Other trusts encourage travel with a philanthropic twist; for instance, the inheritance would need to be used for volunteer work in Africa. Kestenbaum said one client he had specified Greece as a destination, while another identified a particular town in Italy. The creator (of the trust) has to be a
Kestenbaum cautioned. In Liebmans case, her in-laws realized that with two daughters living in Israel and one son in the United States, the cost of plane tickets might prevent his children and grandchildren from visiting one another. At a family dinner in 2000, her father-in-law, an academic in his 60s, announced that once a year, he and his wife would pay up to $800 per passenger should one family be inclined to visit another, and it will hold true even in the event that one of us passes away, Liebman recalled. Four years later, he died unexpectedly.
Celebrations
So far, the money has been used by his children for five family celebrations, three in Israel and two in the United States. The amount has been modified over the years to keep up with the rising cost of air travel. Liebmans mother-inlaw, who dispenses the money, keeps it informal and doesnt ask for receipts, and she has covered the cost of a hotel when it was directly related to a family visit. Most recently, Liebman, her husband, and their three children flew from the
This July 25, 2012 photo supplied by Travel Beyond shows Margaret Cronin, a partner with the law firm Leonard, Street and Deinard, and Jim Bendt, president of Travel Beyond, inside Travel Beyonds Minneapolis offices. (AP)
little bit mindful or careful not to make it too rigid or too broad either,
East Coast to Israel for a wedding and received a check to cover their flights. Because it was free that was a big incentive to do it, said Liebman, who works in the health care industry. Sure, we could have come up with $6,000 somehow, but we wouldnt have. None of us is wealthy. Kestenbaum said parents and grandparents still want to provide for basic needs, but beyond that, he believes those with extra means are becoming increasingly philosophical in their estate planning. They are thinking about how to influence the behaviour of their descendants in a positive way, he said, noting that often, family members dont know what has been set up in the will or trust until after their relatives death. For Liebman, the money from her late father-in-law has had a very positive effect. In the past dozen years, the family has expanded through weddings and babies, and the interaction and shared experiences at the family gettogethers means, there has been a new level of connection made. It was really money well spent, she said. (AP)
BERLIN: Berlin looks set to postpone the opening of its long-delayed new airport for a third time, shareholders in the project told Reuters on Tuesday, dealing another blow to a flagship project that has embarrassed the German capital. Nearly a quarter of a century after the Berlin Wall came down and 13 years after the government moved back to Berlin as the unified capital, Germany is still struggling to open an international airport to replace two from its Cold War past. Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, which will also be known as Willy Brandt Airport after West Germanys Cold War chancellor, has already been put back twice to March 17, 2013 from an original deadline in October 2011. The March opening date is very unlikely to be kept, a source with one of the companys three shareholders said, asking to remain anonymous. A representative of a second shareholder, also speaking on condition of anonymity, also said there was likely to be another delay. Berlins Tagesspiegel local newspaper and industry figures have speculated that another delay was in the offing, although the sources said the projects supervisory board was unlikely officially to declare a new date at a meeting on Thursday. (RTRS)
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ike any true celebrity, Uggie, the Jack Russell terrier from The Artist and Water for Elephants, puts in his time on the treadmill. At 10, Uggie doesnt do a heavy workout, just a light trot and walking, said owner-trainer Omar Von Muller of Los Angeles. But Von Muller bought Uggie a DogPacer for those times when he cant go out because of weather, work or paparazzi. Its important to keep him in shape, Von Muller said. If they dont get their exercise, they get old too fast, just like people. Some 3 million dogs across the US were using treadmills in 2010, according to a survey of pet owners by the American Pet Products Association. The group asked about treadmills for the first time in its 2011/2012 survey because the machines were selling so briskly, APPA President Bob Vetere said.
Benefits
It may look like the dog is going nowhere. But pet owners with fat, old or misbehaving dogs say they measure the benefits of canine treadmills in pounds,
years and sleep. Heather Chau borrowed a DogPacer when her rescue dog Heidi arrived weighing 115 pounds. Heidi is now down to 80 pounds, and Chau, a Las Vegas bookkeeper, was so impressed, she returned the donated DogPacer and bought her own. Now all four of her dogs use the treadmill. Chau explains that she cant walk four dogs at a time, and summer in Las Vegas heats up early and winds down late. I want to make sure the rest of their lives are the healthiest we can make them. If the treadmill promotes a longer life, then its easy to do it each day. Whatever they have been through is in the past. Whatever we can do now to help them lead a healthier, better life is worth it, Chau said. Treadmills come in a range of sizes and prices. At LA Dog Works in Los Angeles, owner Andrew Rosenthal has a DogPacer, one of the newest and least expensive on the market at $499, that his Alsatian German shepherd Josh likes to use. Rosenthals 24-hour dog care centre, which includes boarding, grooming, training, daycare, hydrotherapy, massage therapy and a retail store, also uses a
In this Aug 8, 2012 photo, Chryses, a Belgian Malinois, walks the Jog-A-Dog treadmill as part of a demonstration in the enrichment center at LA Dog Works in Los Angeles. (AP)
$3,000 Jog A Dog and a $40,000 underwater treadmill. The most visible difference between a human treadmill and a canine treadmill is
the size, because a dogs stride is longer and his body shorter than a humans, said David Ezra, the owner of Las Vegasbased DogPacer. DogPacer plans to
release a treadmill for toy dogs in September and the price will be smaller too, Ezra said. The Pooch Hotel in Los Angeles, owned by Petco Animal Supplies Inc., offers a treadmill to help keep pets in shape. About half the dog population has some kind of weight problem, so it was a no-brainer, said Jason Michal, who runs the hotels as Petcos vice-president of pet services and hospitality. For home use, Pennsylvania-based GoPet has canine treadmills and a treadwheel, which looks like a giant hamster wheel, for small to large breeds, ranging from $475 to $1,225. Dog trainer April Suhr of Las Vegas believes shelters across the country could make animals more adoptable if the animals used treadmills just two or three days a week. Its easy for a dog in a shelter to go cage crazy, she said. They pace. They dont focus. They bark. They wont eat. They wont make eye contact. The answer is exercise, she said. Its why the gym is so good for us when we are stressed out. It puts our endorphins to good use. Suhr, who volunteers at Adopt a Rescue Pet and has her own business, 4
Pawz On The Floor, also works part-time in a pet superstore. She brought a rescue dog, Max, to the store every week to use the machine.
Figures
Not only did he calm down, but he was using the treadmill one day when a woman came in, saw him, fell in love with him and adopted him, she said. Suhr has one at her home for her three pets and her foster dogs. Suhr figures she would have to run miles and miles and spend hours and hours to get all her dogs as much exercise as they get on the treadmill in minutes. Marie Czarnecki, 73, of Las Vegas is having her left knee replaced in a few weeks and will be out of commission for a few months. She ordered a DogPacer the first day she saw one at her trainers office. Her shelties, Dee Dee, 6, and Sundance, 3, have been using it for several months. She calls it the best thing in her garage besides her car. Now I take them out with a leash, they get on, I set it and they go twice a day for 10 minutes, she said. They run over a mile a day and they do like it. (AP)
Home
Sanitation
The United Nations estimates disease caused by unsafe sanitation results in about half the hospitalizations in the developing world. About 1.5 million children die each year from diarrheal disease. Scientists believe most of these deaths could be prevented with proper sanitation, along with safe drinking water and improved hygiene. The foundation expects to field test its first prototypes within the next three years. Most of the prototypes on display this week in the open courtyard of the foundations Seattle headquarters turn solid waste into energy. This is both a practical and pragmatic solution to the solid waste puzzle, said Carl Hensman, program officer for the foundations water, sanitation and hygiene team. Many recycle waste into other usable substances such as animal feed, water for irrigation, or even just energy and water to run their own systems. Some, like the winning project from Caltech, use chemistry and engineering to completely transform the waste. Clement Cid, a Caltech grad student from Trouillas, France, said it has been intellectually rewarding to work with scientists from a variety of specialties. You can come up with great ideas, he said, adding that the toilet fair offered more opportunities for idea sharing.
A photo shows a Koala bear family decal from the Toronto-based LittleLion Studio. (AP)
An African animal Art camel vintage illustrative style rendered warm sepia print from Restoration Hardware Baby & child. (AP) From left: A whale decal; a Papier Mache head in black and white of a zebra and a floral giraffe family decal from Toronto based LittleLion Studio. (AP)
Process
Other projects on display were not so high-tech, including one from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine that sends black soldier fly larvae inside latrines and even home toilets to process waste, resulting in high quality, environmentally friendly animal feed at a cost of a penny a day. The fly larvae project is already being field tested in Cape Town, South Africa, and the inventors are working on a kit to sell to entrepreneurs. They have had inquiries from Haiti, Sudan, Kenya and Ghana about adopting the approach.
ids are often enthralled with the wild kingdom, so its fun to do their rooms with animal-themed decor. And you can think beyond the standard, kitty-cat wall border or dino bedding; some of todays designs have a sophistication that will please style-minded parents, too. So to quote Maurice Sendak, Let the wild rumpus begin! Dwell Studio: This bastion of chic kids decor offers deer, triceratops, unicorn and zebra papier-mache wall art that could easily inhabit any room in the house. Owl and unicorn shower curtains are rendered in Dwells signature muted-color palette. Here too
are French textile designer Paule Marrots high style, textural giclee bird paintings on linen. (www.dwellstudio.com, papier-mache $76; shower curtains, $66; Paule Marrot wall art, $2,200) Ferm Living: Folk-arty silhouettes are the story at this Scandinavian design house. There are friendly tiger, owl and octopus poly-filled cushions and mobiles, a sweet group of bird-shaped cushions, and a snake in fun, stripy organic hues. An unlikely yet whimsical Animal Tower decal stacks a rooster on a giraffe on a dog on a horse on an elephant wall art sure to inspire some fantastical storytelling. (www.fermlivingshop.com, cushions, $34.25 and up; mobiles,
$45.75; Animal Tower, $110) RoomMates: Silhouette decals including monkeys, pelicans, turtles and more come packaged together ready to affix in whatever creative narrative strikes your fancy. There are realistic dinosaurs as well, packaged in multiples. (www.roommatesdecor.com, animal decals, $71.49; dinos, $14.49) Little Lion Studio: Based in Montreal, Leonardo Cortes creates quiet, whimsical-sleepscape wall decals. A family of koalas snoozes in eucalyptus branches; a big yet benign whale takes a little sailboat for a ride. A watchful mommy giraffe can be positioned over the crib, with baby giraffe on the other side. Cortes simple and charming style is reminiscent
of that of Babars creator, Laurent de Brunhoff. (www.leolittlelion.etsy.com, whale, $45.02; koalas, $81.54 and up; giraffes, $97.03) Restoration Hardware: Vintage illustrations of rhinos, camels and lions will have children dreaming of exploring Africa. (www.rhbabyandchild.com, artwork, $439) Rug Company: London-based designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby choose to depict animals the way they behave in the wild, so their Fishes rug features a school of swimmy friends, while a slithering serpent makes his way across the Snake rug. (www.therugcompany.com, $5,508 each) Mimi Lou: In a past life, Miriam Derville was an advertising exec
for high-end fragrances. But when she started drawing versions of her childrens stuffed animals on their bedroom walls, people took notice, and Mimi Lou was born. Shes created a charming collection of wall stickers featuring elephants, mice, penguins, bears and a menagerie of creatures with French flair. (www.mimilou-shop.fr, $52 and up) KidsonRoof: The Dutch design studio created by Romy Boesveldt and Ilya Yashkin link modern design with nature in a series of recycled cardboard totems of birds and other wild animals. They can be easily assembled into table sculptures. (www.kidsonroof.com, starting at around $20) (AP)
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In this publicity photo provided by Clarkson Potter, the cover of Ten Dollar Dinners by author Melissa dArabian is shown. (AP)
Keeping a home kitchen in the black is a matter of considering five financial concepts, she says. Procurement In the business world, procurement is about obtaining goods. In the home kitchen, that means groceries. Most
Food
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Drinking problem?: You are no longer alone! Confidential helpline 99641389. Narcotics Anonymous: NA can help with addiction problems. Totally confidential: 94087800 English/Arabic. Cancer online support group: If you are Cancer patient or family member fighting with this deadly disease, come join our online support group. Best way of dealing with this disease is providing support and share our experience with each other. There are lot of things which even doctors cant tell so be member of this website and start sharing your experiences which may help others. October is recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). The primary purpose is to promote self examination and screening mammography as the most effective way to save lives by detecting breast cancer at early stage. For more information visit: http://fightingwithcancer.webs.com/
Latest
IEI notice: The Institution of Engineers (IEI) requests the representatives of all Indian Engineering Associations, Engineering Forums and Engineering College Alumnus in Kuwait to kindly contact The Institute of Engineers (India), Kuwait Chapter, through e-mail mentioning their name/phone no./e-mail ID/position holding etc, to: ieikuwait@hotmail.com or contact engr Joseph Panicker on 99413279 or engr S. Kannan on 97889157 or engr I. Ilangovan on 99401956. The members of the above associations, forums and alumnus are also kindly to inform their concerned office-bearers to contact IEI, Kuwait Chapter or directly send their contact information to IEI, Kuwait Chapter immediately to represent the issue of concern.
Aug 19
In this image taken on July 30, 2012, Grilled Tuna Steaks with Mango Herb Salsa are shown in Concord, NH. (AP)
Preparation simple
ummer makes us long for the grill. But by the end of the season, even our favorite burgers and dogs can feel a bit tired. So to keep your grilling interesting, we came up with a speedy grilled tuna dish that packs tons of big, bold flavors. For our recipe, we used tuna steaks, which are thick, meaty pieces cut from the fish in the opposite direction than a fillet. You also could use salmon steaks, which often include the bone (which helps the flesh hold together on the grill). Swordfish also would work in this recipe. We kept the prep simple with just a light coating of oil and a bit of salt and pepper. We wanted to let the flavor of the tuna shine. But to ensure we also could taste the fresh flavors of summer, we top the tuna with a cross between a fruit salsa and an herby chimichurri. It goes together in about 2 minutes with the help of a food processor.
Philippine Embassy closure: In observance of Eid El-Fitr holidays, the embassy will be closed from Aug 19 to 21, 2012. Regular office hours will resume on Wednesday, Aug 22, 2012. Slovakian Embassy closure: The Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Kuwait would like to inform the public that on the occasion of the Holiday of Eid Al Fater Al Mubarak the Visa Section of the embassy will be closed on Sunday, Aug 19, Monday, Aug 20, and Tuesday, Aug 21, 2012, respectively. The embassy will resume its normal duties on Wednesday, Aug 22, 2012, the business hours of the Visa Section is on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:0013:00 hrs. Pakistan Embassy closure: On the occasion of Eid-ul-fitr, the Embassy of Islamic Republic of Pakistan will remain closed from Aug 19-21, 2012. The embassy will resume its services on Aug 22, 2012. Sri Lanka Embassy closure: The
Embassy of Sri Lanka will be closed for public from Aug 19 to Aug 21, 2012 in lieu of Ramadan festival.
Zest and juice of 1 lemon 2 mangos, peeled, pitted and diced Salt and ground black pepper Four 6-ounce tuna steaks Heat the grill to high.
In a food processor, combine the parsley, oregano, mint, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the red wine vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, and the lemon zest and juice. Process until well chopped, scraping down the bowl
In this image taken on Nov 9, 2011, the Indian spice blend garam masala, sometimes written garham masala, adds warmth, but no real heat, to these delicious smashed and roasted garam masala potatoes as shown in Concord, NH. (AP)
Australian Embassy closurre: On the occasion of Eid-Al-Fitr, the Australian Embassy wishes to advise that it will be closed on the following days, in addition to the normal weekend closures. Aug 19, Sunday and Aug 20, Monday. The Embassy will reopen on Tuesday, Aug 21, 2012.
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as needed. Add the mango and pulse once or twice to combine and lightly chop. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.
Rub the tuna steaks on all sides with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, then season them with salt and pepper. Grill the steaks for 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Serve topped with the salsa. (AP)
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What to have?
James A. Judge II, a member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council and executive director of Lake EMS, Inc. in Mount Dora, Fla., recommends putting emergency supplies into a plastic storage bin and slipping it under your bed. That way, he said, youll always know where to look. He also suggests putting emergency supplies in an old suitcase with wheels. If you have to evacuate, you have your kit on wheels, he said. Think about your basic needs when
What to do
Turn off and unplug appliances, computers, televisions and other electrical equipment so they wont be damaged by any power surges that might occur while power is being restored. Avoid opening the refrigerator or freezer. Generally, food in the refrigerator will stay cold enough for four hours,
In this July 1, 2012 file photo, a utility worker clears a downed tree from power lines in Springfield, Va. (AP)
medication in your emergency kit; you may need it if youre evacuated. Dont forget a first aid kit, as well.
Personal papers: In case of evacuation or damage to your property, its helpful to have copies of important
Gardening
In this photo taken on Oct 28, 2009, kale or wild cabbage is shown at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx borough of New York. (AP)
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Latest
South African Embassy closure:
On the occasion of Eid-Al-Fitr, the South African Embassy will be closed from Sunday, Aug 19, 2012 to Tuesday, Aug 21, 2012. The Embassy will resume its normal working hours on Wednesday, Aug 22, 2012, from Sunday to Thursday. Please note that the working hours will be from 8:00 to 16:00 and the Consular Section operation hours will from 8:30 to 12:30.
id- to late summer is prime time for gardeners a last chance to grow a second batch of fresh vegetables before the plant-killing frosts arrive. Add a few protective enclosures, such as cold frames, overhead sheets and hoops, and the harvest can be extended until Thanksgiving and beyond. The goal is to have fully grown, ready-to-pick plants that basically store themselves in the garden throughout the fall, so you can pick them as you need them over a long, sustained garden season, said Renee Shepherd, founder of Renees Garden
Seeds in Felton, Calif. You can plant many of the coolweather crops from seed if you time it properly, she said. That means choosing fast-maturing varieties that can develop ahead of the average date for the first hard frost.
Weather
Row covers for plant protection can always help extend the season when cold weather comes early, but if you plan and plant at the proper time, your fall harvests still will be abundant, Shepherd said. Think ahead though, because many neighborhood nurseries close or have picked-over inventories after the rush for spring supplies has ended.
Aug 29, 2012 Wednesday Onam. Aug 24
Some of the specialty garden centers and nurseries bring in extra plants for the fall, but you may have to purchase from another source and that takes some planning, said David Hillock, an extension consumer horticulturist with Oklahoma State University. Before planting a second crop, turn the soil and refresh it. Fertilize to restore nutrients lost to the spring varieties. And be sure to water. The ground is hot in August, and new plants must get plenty of water, especially while getting started. Anything you can do to help conserve soil moisture should be done, said Rosie Lerner, a consumer hortitogether on Friday, Aug 31, 2012 at 03:00 pm at Indian Community School, Khaitan. The program has been scheduled with an event of giving away Kala KuwaitSambasivan Award to the well known Socio-cultural activist Dr M.N. Karassery and Baburaj-Kishor Kumar Hits (Ganamela) leading by famous playback singer K.G. Markose along with Kuwaiti singer Mubarak Al-Rashid and other leading singers from Kuwait Mohammed Rafi and Ms Neelima. Also, have variety of cultural activities and traditional dances by other distinctive artists to entertain the Indian expatriates. To attribute the occasion, we have also scheduled to release a Multi Color Souvenir. Kala Kuwait-Sambasivan Award was instituted in memory of eminent Katha Prasangam artist late V. Sambasivan. The award comprises Rs 25,000 and citation. Dr M. N. Karassery was selected for the prize in view of his outstanding contribution to Malayalam Literature. According to Samkutty Thomas, President Kala Kuwait and Jaison Joseph,
culturist with Purdue University Cooperative Extension. Organic mulches cool the soil and decrease the need for moisture, a big plus when starting over in the summertime. There may be some overlap between spring and fall gardens. Some beans and tomatoes might remain, perhaps things that will ripen in cooler weather, Hillock said. But the typical fall garden crops tend to be more frost-tolerant.
Frost
Tender plants that usually stop growing or die after being nipped by frost include celery, eggplant, lima beans, cucumbers and summer squash. Second-season crops capable of
General Secretary, Kala Kuwait, for the successful conduct of the program, a Reception Committee has been formed and is headed by Mukesh V. P. as Chairman and K. Sadik as General Convener. Sept 7
shrugging off several fall frosts especially if covered by inexpensive plastic tents and warmed with light bulbs include broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, kale, spinach and turnips. Here in Oklahoma, we have people harvesting tomatoes well into December if they have them covered, Hillock said. And dont forget herbs. Thyme is the hardiest, along with sage, parsley and oregano. There are other advantages to gardening in autumn: Fewer pests and insects are around, Hillock said. Temperatures are cooler with the fall rains. Disease isnt as frequent as it is with the springtime plants, but you do have to keep an eye out. (AP)
testants have more than 100 days to achieve their goals as the results will be announced at the Tulu Parba Competitions on 21st September, 2012. For more queries, you can contact Jaya Karkal 66958848, Geetha Suvarna 66526160, Vanitha Dsa 94996459, Sushma Bangera 96672929, Wilson Dsouza 97875789, Ramesh Bhandary 97880936 Dec 1
Qibla area, opposite Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City. For any further enquiries about visa procedures and appointments, please contact the Visa Application Centre: website: www.vfs-uk-kw.com; e-mail: info@vfsuk-kw.com; tel: 22971170. For information on the British Embassy services, visit the British Embassy website: www.ukinkuwait.fco.gov.uk
IBL registration: Indian Bowling League (IBL) Season 3 Will commence on Sept 7, 2012 @ 3pm Cozmo Salmiya. First Come first serve basis. Kindly Pay entrance fee and reserve your spot. For details kindly email uly334@gmail.com few spots available hurry and register.
Sept 21
Indian Embassy closure: The Embassy of India will remain closed on the following days during the month of August 2012: Aug 20, 2012 Monday Idul Fitr (Subject to change).
TKK Biggest Loser Contest: A contest that is an ideal way to encourage healthy eating habits and daily exercises TKK Biggest Loser Contest 2012. The contest is open to all Tulu Koota members above 18 years of age and will be separate for men and women. The con-
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ual was the first case that came to his mind when asked to recount some memorable legal experiences.
client one day walked stealthily into his office, and after making sure that there was no one around, asked if he would be able to inherit his fathers wealth if he changed his gender. Amar Faisal was first taken a back. He thought he had heard him wrong. But the man repeated his query, and I didnt know what to say. Faisal is a lawyer working under Attorney Abu Hafsa, and has been in Kuwait for nearly a decade now. The experience with the potential transsex-
Expertise
When Faisal probed further, the man said he was planning to change his sex and wanted to be clear about all the legal issues he would face if he adopted a new gender. Faisal was more interested in the reasons behind his decision, because he was a goodlooking man who was not undesirable for a woman. But the man wouldnt volunteer any more information than that he felt like a woman inside. Of course, Faisal couldnt be of
much help to him, as this was not his area of expertise. Yet, it gave Faisal new insights into the changing values of the society. Faisal tried to advice him against it highlighting the biological complications and the other social stigmas he would have to face. Not even the liberal Western countries have fully come to accept transsexuals without prejudices. Life would never be easy. The man didnt seem too impressed with Faisals advice and left. It takes all kinds, Faisal notes in retrospection. Faisal enjoys working in Kuwait. It is not like working in a foreign
country, he feels, because most of his clients are compatriots from different walks of life. Through his profession, Faisal gets to see many sides of life, and has been able to fully appreciate the realities of expatriate life.
Ignorance
I am able to help many people who end up on the wrong side of the law because of ignorance or because they get defrauded by someone. Faisal is confident that with due legal assistance a lot of people in the jails can be set free. Faisals law firm also serves many corporate clients, and from his col-
leagues he has come to understand much about the legal aspects of doing business in Kuwait. Faisal hails from Pune, and has practiced in India for a couple of years before migrating to Kuwait. Talking about Kuwait, Faisal said its a wonderful country, blessed in all respects. The leadership here really cares for the people, and they do so much not just for the citizens but also expatriates.
Education
Its sad that a few lapses are pointed out to undermine the entire country by some people. That is not fair. We
should learn to reckon the plusses, and be grateful for that. Faisal feels there is much ignorance among the expatriates about law. This is because a large percentage of the Indian expatriates are labors, and only have very basic education. It is this ignorance that some unscrupulous employers exploit, making their employees sign blank documents. By signing a blank document, one is in fact pledging ones life at the mercy of the employer. Faisal has on many occasions gone to court to save clients facing false charges by their employers who dont want to give release to their employees.
Photo courtesy of Failaka Island: The Ikaros of the Arabian Gulf book by Jehan Sayid Rajab
All along the sandy shores of al-Zor boats were found ready to be launched and oars ready to be used. Much of the local fishing is done around the island and near its shores. Oars were used to move from one part to another especially in the stretch of water that separates Failaka from the island of Meschan that can be seen on the distant horizon.
ast week we started talking about the woes of sinus problems, particularly during the dusty days that Kuwait is so famous for. Last week we went over how to use an essential oil steam for clearing out your sinuses. Steaming is really a great way to clear everything out, sanitize everything, and keep the sinuses (all of them, and we all have sinuses all through our faces, and foreheads) open and happy. This week we are continuing on that subject. There are many ways to help make sure that your sinuses stay clear, clean, and wonderful. No one likes to have a stuffy nose and having a sinus inflammation or infection is the pits. But, its really easy to make sure that you dont have to suffer at all. This is going to sound extremely simple, but one of the easiest ways to clean out your sinuses is to wash them with water. There are several ways you can do this, but the one that you will have no excuse at all if you never do it is when you are in the shower. While you are showering, just take up some water in your hand and kind of sniff it up into your nose.
as they can be. The way you use a net pot is by using slightly warm water mixed with a spoonful of any kind of salt (but preferably as unprocessed as possible, if its available). You lean sideways over the sink and, starting with the upper nostril, stick the spout almost up into your nostril and pour the water in. What happens is that the water comes right out the other side. I know this probably sounds absolutely horrifying. I know it was to me. But, it works like a charm. And, when you think about it, its not much different than just washing your nose with water, or salt water, which I do all the time. But, it does take a little getting used to, certainly. The great thing about this treatment is that it works so fast that it is uncanny. If you regularly suffer from sinus issues, a neti pot is what you need to get right away. You will probably never have to suffer ever again.
Sprays
One word on using nose sprays. While it may seem easy and fast to use nose sprays to clear out your sinuses, take it from me, you dont want to start. The problem with using most nose sprays is that they are so risky to use. The last time I used a nose spray was 4 years ago when I had to travel on a very long trip, and I was already quite ill. I couldnt bear the thought of being on a plane for so many hours (around 15) and not being able to breathe. After using it for only 3 days, I could no longer smell or taste anything. Since this often happens when you have a cold or sinus infection, in my case, I got better, but I couldnt smell or taste a thing. That was the beginning of a long fight. I couldnt smell or taste anything at all for about two years! Imagine not being able to taste your food. After doing reflexology for more than a year, almost exactly two years after my nightmare began, I finally started to get my sense of smell back. The problem was that most things didnt smell the way they were supposed to smell. I kept on doing reflexology until the point where I started being able to smell and taste things (for the most part) almost normally again. I can very happily say, that, after all these years, I am about 99% cured. But, you might not be so lucky. Its much, much better to stay away from nose sprays, rather than suffer in silence.
ave you thought about how well you communicate with other people? How your body language and what you are saying are perceived by others? Communication is not just words coming out of our mouth, it is everything about us relying a message, our whole presentation. Communication can be defined as an exchange of feelings, ideas and information whether by speaking, writing, signals and behaviors. It is at the core of how people relate to one another. In recent decades, communication has become an art. A growing field of specialists and public speakers tell us how best to talk to others in any given situation, whether it be work, social functions, with significant others, etc. Being a good communicator can allow us to win people over to our cause, resolve a conflict, make someone feel better about themselves and much more. In fact, studies have shown good communication skills are linked with more success in relationships, work and life satisfaction in general. Yet, even if you dont think you have a natural ability to communicate well, you can still develop your communication skills by paying attention to and following simple strategies. It just takes practice! 3 types of communication & the importance of body language There are 3 types of communication: verbal, non verbal and informal. Verbal communication is one way for people to communicate face-to-face. Some of the key components of verbal communication are sound, words, speaking, and language. Non-verbal communication include body language such as facial expressions, gestures, posture, eye gaze. Informal communication include online chatting, texting, emails, letters and the like.
Effectiveness
One study at UCLA indicated that up to 93 % of communication effectiveness is determined by nonverbal cues (38 % by voice quality, 55 % body movements). This means that what we do with our body language has more significance to the message then what we actually say. If you are trying to mask your reaction to something or hide your feelings, pay close attention to the non verbal signals your are portraying. Even the tiniest facial expression can give your true thoughts and feelings away. You can become more proficient in reading and displaying body language by following some tips by Robert Phipps, author of The Official Guide to Body Language. Tips for understanding nonverbal communication While listening to a person you nod
your head to indicate that you understand and is in agreement with the speaker. You look away or yawn to indicate that you are bored or would prefer if the speaker stops talking. You frown or raise your eyebrows to indicate to the speaker that you either dont believe them or that you dont understand. Eye Contact: Eye contact is one of the most important aspects of dealing with others. Maintaining good eye contact shows respect and interest in what they have to say. We tend to keep eye contact around 60-70% of the time, (however, there are wide cultural differences). By doing this you wont make the other people feel self conscious. Any more eye contact than this and you can be too intense, any less and you give off a signal that you lacking interest in them or their conversation. Head: When you want to feel confident and self assured keep your head level both horizontally and vertically. You can also use this straight head position when you want to be authoritative and want what youre saying to be taken seriously. Conversely, when you want to be friendly and in the listening, receptive mode, tilt your head just a little to one side or other. You can shift the tilt from left to right at different points in the conversation. Arms: Arms give away the clues as to how open and receptive we are to everyone we meet and interact with, so keep your arms out to the side of your body or behind your back. This shows you are not scared to take on whatever comes your way. In general terms the more outgoing you are as a person, the more you tend to use your arms with big movements. The quieter you are the less you move your arms away from your body. So, try to strike a natural balance and keep your arm movements midway. When you want to come across in the Erheem best possible light, crossing the arms is a no-no in front of others, because it shows defensiveness. Hand gestures: Hand gestures are so numerous so this is just a very brief guide. Palms slightly up and outward is seen as open and friendly. Palm down gestures are generally seen as dominant and possibly aggressive, especially when there is no movement or bending between the wrist and the forearm. This palm up, palm down is very important when it comes to handshaking and, where appropriate, we suggest you always offer a handshake upright and vertical, which should convey equality.
Posture: A slumped posture indicates that you have low spirits, are fatigued or that you feel inferior. Whereas, an erect posture shows high spirits and confidence. If you lean forward it implies that you are open and interested. Leaning away shows disinterest or that you are defensive. Maintaining a rigid posture is interpreted by many to mean that you are defensive, while a relaxed posture translates to openness. Improving your skill in interpreting nonverbal communication will add to your ability to share meaning with another person. Again, the nonverbal may reveal more than the persons spoken words. Learn to practice these non verbal communication.
uation. This lets them get them on-board much easier. Treat the person with respect: If you are going to treat the person with disrespect, its not going to be surprising if he/she treats you the same way as well. As the golden rule says, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Focus on action: Sometimes, you may be put into hot soup by a difficult person, such as not receiving a piece of work they promised or being wrongly held responsible for something. Whatever it is, acknowledge that the situation has already occurred and focus on the actionable steps you can take to forward yourself in the situation.
Water
Try not to be afraid to get it up too high, because that will most likely be impossible. The more you get in, the better it is, but dont go crazy with it. Just sniff up a handful of water and then blow it out again. You can repeat this several times. You pretty much cant wash your nose too much, so continue doing this throughout the day. (Muslims do this whenever they wash for prayer). An alternative method is to do the same thing with salt water. You can use almost any kind of salt, including regular table salt. But there are several very nice kinds of organic or more natural types of salt. Sea salt is great, as well as Himalayan pink salt. There are practically as many types of salt as there are mountains or seas. Each one is a little different. Some seem to be slightly better than others, as far as how well they actually help the sinuses. But using any kind of salt is definitely going to be better than not using any at all. There is another interesting way to use salt water to take care of your sinuses. Maybe some of you saw the Oprah episode where Dr Oz taught her how to use a neti pot. Basically, a net pot is a (usually ceramic, sometimes plastic) contraption that looks just like a ceramic Aladdins lamp. But, if you rub it, no genies are going to come out and grant you three wishes. But, what it will do is help you keep your sinuses as healthy
Assertive communication
The ideal style of communication is neither passive (submissive, enabling others to direct you while ignoring your own needs) nor aggressive (dominate, getting your own by being in control way and denying others consideration) but assertive. Assertive people are honest about what they think and feel, they choose what they want to do and what they dont want to do and dont feel guilty about saying no!. Assertive communication involves: Start sentences with I. This helps you to own your feelings and thoughts. For example I feel/think... Try to present your ideas in short, simple sentences. If you want something ask for it but be prepared to be turned down. Be direct in your requests and insist others are as well. Dealing with conflict and Constructive Criticism There are professionals in society that are experts in conflict resolution. They are trained extensively to deescalate dangerous situations and deal with difficult people. Whether it is in the work place, or in a personal disagreement, you also can learn how best to deal with difficult people through better communication (Chua): Be calm: Someone who is calm is seen as being in control, centered and more respectable. When the person you are dealing with sees that you are calm despite whatever he/she is doing, you will start getting their attention. Understand the persons intentions: Try to identify the persons trigger: What is making him/her act in this manner? What is stopping him/her from cooperating with you? How can you help to meet his/her needs and resolve the situation? Let the person know where you are coming from: Letting them in on the reason behind your actions and the full background of what is happening will enable them to empathize with your sit-
Criticize
When it is time for you to have a talk and sort out issues with one another, do not criticize the other person as a whole, instead use Constructive criticism or feedback, which is not motivated by a desire to hurt but to communicate and get your needs met. Use the following tips in delivering criticism more constructively: Choose the time and place, - away from the situation, when the other person is in a relaxed mood, dont wait until next time it happens Start and end with a compliment. Find something good to say about the person, this will help him or her take in your advice. Describe the behavior clearly and your feelings, - I feel sad when you ignore me. Dont blame or label them Ask for a specific change - please turn your music down after 9pm Be realistic in describing consequences, avoid empty threats n Ask them how they feel about it. Get their input on the problem and what you said. Constructive criticism is a communication skill best learnt by practice. The field of communication is vast and thus it is near impossible to rely everything you need to know about how to become a better communicator. The aim of this article was to suggest useful strategies and give you a brief glimpse of good communication, the most important factor in successful relationships. Resha Erheim, MEd is a bilingual counselor at Fawzia Sultan Rehabilitation Institute. She conducts counseling in both Arabic and English. As a certified Canadian counselor, she works with both adults and children. Please contact her with any questions or concerns at 2572-0338 or r.erheim@fsrikuwait.org. *All correspondence is kept private and confidential.
Email me: miaponzo@yahoo.com Dont forget to visit: www.kuwaitliving.com Read my health articles at: www.squidoo.com/lenmasters/miaponzo
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Candidates not appeared at Summer 2012 Exam: Aug 21 Sept 21, 2012. Candidates appeared at Summer 2012 Exam: Sept 21 Oct 19, 2012. Candidates intend to appear for the Winter 2012 examination must apply directly to Kolkata by filling the prescribed application form along with requisite amount of demand draft in favour of The Institution of Engineers (India), payable at Kolkata. The details of the examination is available at the website www.ieindia.org
Art
Art & craft summer workshop: If
you want to spend your leisure time in useful creative activities like improving your hand in drawing / painting and crafts? If you want to develop your hobbies in water coloring and oil painting? If you are interested in learning glass painting, metal painting, clay pots coloring & decoration, greeting cards and many more items? If you are interested to learn the above step by step and from a lady architect, please Tel 25732787 / 99557876.
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the grapevine
It is very inspiring to see a woman battling it out in a mans world. And not long ago, this writer happened to see one such sight in Kuwait. She was a chef from Turkey who had come to Kuwait for a food promotion. Yes, it is difficult, she admitted, But if you love the job then nothing is a problem. Behind her soft exterior was a hard-boiled self, full of determination and ambitions. She did her graduations in French and Tourism and Hotel Management. But soon she found out that her forte is not the smileywily world of public relations, but the rough-and-tumble of five-star kitchens. I love kitchens so much that I can sleep there, she says. Though she is not shown extra considerations for belonging to the fair sex, she is not discriminated either. She is thankful to her colleagues and bosses for that. I am
treated as an equal. If you wonder what gives her the spunk to swim against currents, then a peek into her lineage will throw up the answer. In fact she is only following the footsteps of the great matriarchs in her family: Her mother and grandmother were cooks. Her grandmother had been a successful cook even in those conservative times in Turkey. Talk of women in a mans world, that would have been like a rabbit in a lions den!
Ideally, showbiz and politics should not mix but in this particular expat community, there seems to be a very thin line that borders showbiz and politics encompassing public service. Theres nothing more juicy and colourful than talking about the personal affairs of public figures especially on matters of the
heart. Members of this expat community have been wagging their tongues and waiting anxiously for things to unfold in the lovelife of this public official who is known for wooing statuesque lovely young girls in their 20s, half of his age who can easily pass as his daughter. After all, in love, age does not matter and love conquers all shapes and sizes. Diminutive yet oozing with appeal and charisma matched with his position, young girls are smitten easily with his honey tongue. In life, who doesnt need an elixir anyway? This Don Quixote or much of an Adonis invited the young ladies that he has been going out with to an event recently. He wittingly managed to get them all together under one roof. Oblivious of the probing eyes, he freely went around and entertained each of the young
ladies who in turn thought that they are the apple of his eyes. These young ladies didnt know that they have been dating the same guy. Call it guts or maybe plain confidence! Or maybe, love is blind. Who among these ladies can win his heart? May the best girl of his whim win in this dangerous game.
As the Indian expatriate community in Kuwait celebrates its independence from the colonial British rule, one member of the community wondered aloud if it was unpatriotic for people from smaller states that were never under British subjugation to pass over the celebration. Is it secessionist to not want a piece of the pie of the assimilation of Greater India, the forging of this faux national identity from the loins of vacuous rhetoric carried on the
waves of All India Radio and Doordarshan? As necessary as the idea of a common bond is to national unity, does it excuse the imposition of a shared history across the motherland? With this an endemic problem in the nation comes to light minorities are always expected to sway under the might of the majority, be it in language, sport or even history.
After the excitement of 2012 London Olympics what next? Everybody in Kuwait knows what the next big attraction is. It is Eid AlFitr which according to Kuwaiti meteorologist and historian Adel AlSaadoun falls on Sunday, August 19. After the fasting month of Ramadan, people tend to loosen up a bit, and plans are already afoot on what to do and what not to.
People working for the government sector can draw up the best plans for they will be enjoying the maximum number of holidays while the private sector employees will have to abide by what their employers decide. Those expats who have long holidays and who dont have their families with them, plan to travel to where their families are and make best use of their holidays. But those expats who have just two days symbolic holidays cannot do much. But anywhere there is not much to do in Kuwait as one expat said he has two days off for Eid and doesnt know what to do. Perhaps, he said, this is the best time to clean up the mess lying around in the house, dust up the cobwebs and kill the cockroaches that have mushroomed in the kitchen!
Tongues Wag
Fun, frolics galore for young, old and family
f you are among the few left behind in the country while most in your peer group have flown out to make the most of the upcoming Eid Al Fitr holidays, do not dismay, merriment may still be on the cards. Between beaches, parks and other purlieus, there are many local fun spots that need a revisit and this is as good a time as any to do so.
water games. Khairan Resort: Khairan Resort has many chalets, a number of restaurants to pack on the pounds, swimming pools, arenas for sport, an amusement hall with arcade games, billiard tables, bowling lanes, etc, available to its guests. For more information on services and reservations, call 23951122 or visit www.khiranresort.com. Green Island: Green Island is famed to be the first artificial island in the Gulf region. With an artificial lake, a Roman amphitheatre, restaurants and cafes and many activities for kids, the Green Island is sure to provide an enjoyable experience. The Island opens at 8 am and closes at 11 pm. For more information, call 22526153. Magic Planet: Those looking for indoor family entertainment must stop by Magic Planet at the Avenues that features several international awardwinning rides and games for all ages. The opening timings during Eid are 10 am to 12 pm. Live Theatre: If the summer has made you surly, head to the Live Theatre inside Discovery Mall to tickle your funny bone. On the second day of Eid, ALGAS Events presents That Comedy Show Stand-up comedy series in Kuwait: with a group of 3 local comedians Mohammed Aqua, Bashar Aljazzaf & Big Bad Angel. Tickets for the show cost between KD 15-20 per person and KD 150 for VIP tables and are available for purchase at their head office located in ALGAS Tower, 13th floor, Ahmad Al-Jaber Street, Sharq.
buffets with gourmet choices followed by mouth-watering selection of Arabic sweets and the tempting crepe corner. Children can also enjoy the spirit and joy of Eid with exciting activities such as face painting, thrilling magic shows, to mention just few of the various surprises awaiting them. Lunch is priced at KD 15 net per person. For bookings or more information please call 22253100. Radisson Blu: Eid Al Fitr lunch and dinner buffet will be served in the Rangoli Restaurant, open from 12 noon to 3.30 pm for lunch and from 6.30 pm to 11.00 pm for dinner. Both meals will have an assortment of International and Arabic salads, main courses and desserts. A live pasta station will also feature for lunch with shawarma, pasta, mixed grill and sushi stations for dinner. Children below 12 years of age, receive a special discount. Sheraton: The Italian Riccardo, Lebanese Le Tarbouche, Indian Bukhara and Iranian Shahrayar restaurants will open daily for lunch and dinner. International buffet at Al Hambra and Asseef at Four Points opens daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The English Tea Lounge at Sheraton, one of the best places for morning & afternoon tea will opens daily from 10:00 am until 12:00 midnight while its outlet at the Avenues Mall will be open from 9:00 am until midnight.
Embassies
Australian Embassy: The Australian Embassy will remain closed on Sunday, Aug 19 to and Monday, Aug 20, in addition to the weekend closures. The Embassy will reopen on Tuesday, Aug 21. Bangladesh Embassy: The Embassy of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh in Kuwait will remain closed from Aug 19 to Aug 25. Indian Embassy: The Embassy of India has announced that it will remain closed on Aug 20 (subject to change). South African Embassy: The South African Embassy will be closed from Aug 19 to Tuesday, Aug 21. The Embassy will resume its normal working hours of 8:00 to 16:00 and the Consular Section from 8:40 to 12:30 on Wednesday, Aug 22. Sri Lankan Embassy: The Embassy of Sri Lanka will remain closed from Sunday, Aug 19 to Tuesday, Aug 21. UK Embassy: The British Embassy will be closed on Sunday, Aug 19 until Tuesday, Aug 21. The Consular Section and the Visa Application Center will be closed on the same dates.
contact us on 25231015/6 or 97198222 or visit our website www.tiescenter.net
Dining
Marriott: During Eid, JW Marriotts La Brasserie will serve an upgraded buffet at KD 15 for an all inclusive lunch buffet and KD 14 for an all inclusive dinner buffet. Courtyard by Marriott will serve a KD 11.5 all inclusive upgraded buffet at the Atrium Restaurant. Other restaurants will be open for business as usual with regular timings as well. All prices are per person. Mvenpick Hotel & Resort at Al Bidaa: A colourful celebration awaits you at the Mvenpick Resort at Bidaa with amazing Eid Al Fitr offers. You can enjoy a city break at the Mvenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bidaa during Eid and take advantage of the special rooms offer starting from KD 69. This special offer is per room per night both single and double occupancy. While at the hotel you can relax in a cozy room, feast upon an inclusive delicious buffet breakfast and unwind by the pool. Tantalise your taste buds with diverse sumptuous buffets ranging from the colourful freshly caught seafood buffet, the delicious cuts prepared at our live cooking station and the rich assortment of international
new football supporters website for British expats living and working in Kuwait has been set up by an Everton supporter, Trevor Powell. The Kuwait Brits Football Supporters Association (KBFSA) site aims to provide contact information for supporters of each others whereabouts and also in the future hopes to organise social events such as quizzes and even five-a-side matches on a home international teams basis. We need expats to register their support and hence we can then start to cast around for a suitable meeting venue. The site can be accessed at www.kbfsa.co.uk.
A roller-coaster ride at one of the parks in Kuwait will be other exciting prizes as well. Teams desirous of enrolling in this tournament may kindly contact the below mentioned persons: Nicholas Fernandes (Nikus) - 97594881, Francis Rodrigues (Apollo) - 99109129, or the undersigned on Tel No. 67783234. every Friday at the Hawally Disabled Club and enjoy the best playing venue. For more details call: 66686954, 66714286, 60670660, 66473994, 66578035, 65931290, 66293790, or visit PABAK Facebook or email at rodcerezo@yahoo.com 24730137-99285459; Mangaf: 23723002 ext 124/123.
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Art
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Platforms private collection will be displayed for public viewing. The exhibition Blue, Gray & Orange will feature more than 30 artworks on canvas, paper and prins by renowned and emerging artists from the Middle East such as: Assadour, Bahram Hajou, Dia AlAzzawi, Halim Karim, Hussein Madi, Jafar Islah, Katya Taraboulsi, Paul Guiragossian, Shawki Youssef, Thuraya Al-Baqsami and many more. Exhibition dates: August 1 30, 2012. Opening hours during Ramadan: Sunday-Thursday: 10am to 4:30 pm. After Iftar: Tuesday-Thursday: 8:30 to 11:00 pm. After Ramadan the timings will change to Sunday-Thursday from 10am to 8:30 pm. www.capkuwait.com
General
Ugandans register with UIK: Are you
a Ugandan living and working in Kuwait? Would you like to get in touch with other Ugandans in Kuwait both socially and professionally? Then please get in touch with us. We would like to invite you to register with the Ugandans in Kuwait (UIK) association, an informal organization of Ugandans living and working in Kuwait. The purpose of this exercise is to get together as Ugandans and to consider taking the first steps to establishing a more formal organisation. This association is voluntary. It is designed to create a forum for Ugandans in Kuwait to foster a sense of community, to communicate more effectively with each other and to encourage Ugandans out here to work together. We are also planning a celebration to mark 50 years of Ugandans Independence this year. If you have any questions regarding this association or if you are interested in registering, then please send us an email at ugandansinkuwait@gmail.com. We hope to hear from you soon.
IBL commences registration: Indian Bowling League (IBL) Kuwait. Team registration begins for season 2. Kindly email uly334@gmail.com for registration forms or contact 99503348 after 6 pm only. PABAK registration: The PABAK 29th Basketball Conference opened on the 1st week of August 2012 at the Hawally Disabled Club. Categories are: Pro-Leaguers, NonLeaguers Veterans and Inter-Company. For the Pro-Leaguers, additional players from the open category are allowed to participate even if their names appear on the Facebook; for the Non-Leaguers, those who are new players or current players in PABAK with an average of 58 or and under are allowed to play. Registration is now open in the gym
Courses
Free Arabic course: Islam
Presentation Committee (IPC) and all its branches are opening free Arabic language course for ladies accessible in beginners and advanced levels. Islamic and Quran courses are also presented in different languages. Registration is on! Call the nearest IPC branch: Rawdah: 2251225797290278; Jahra: 24558830-97533948; Salmiya: 25733263-97533263; Khaitan:
Sports
Kwt-Brits football supporters: A
TIES Center French Classes: For the sake of the welfare of our kids, and in cooperation with the management of the TIES Center, the TIES French Speaking Club (TIES FSC) is pleased to announce the Summer Course Schedule for Kids. We offer the following courses, scheduled as described in the table below: 1) FK1 (French for Kids, Level 1), 2) QMRPK1 (Quraan Memorization and Recitation Practice for Kids), 3) MAK1 (Martial Arts for Kids (Basics)). For more information please
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civil ID info
1889988
234; Norway 47; Oman 968; Pakistan 92; Philippines 63; Poland 48; Portugal 351; Qatar 974; Russia 7; Saudi Arabia 966; Singapore 65; Somalia 252; South Africa 27; Spain 34; Sri Lanka 94; Sudan 249; Sweden 46; Switzerland 41; Syria 963; Turkey 90; United Arab Emirates 971; United Kingdom 44; United States 1; Venezuela 58; Yemen 967; Zambia 260.
36; India 91; Indonesia 62; Iran 98; Iraq 964; Ireland 353; Italy 390; Japan 81; Jordan 962; Kazakhstan 7; Kenya 254; Korea 82; Kuwait 965; Lebanon 961; Libya 218; Luxembourg 352; Malaysia 60; Malta 356; Mauritius 230; Mexico 52; Morocco 212; Nepal 977; Netherlands 31; New Zealand 64; Nigeria
home decor
indoor gardening
beauty tips
taste buds
vase fillers
Supplies: Foam balls Colorful pulses Hot glue Instructions: Place the pulses on a plate, apply glue to the foam and roll it on the plate. Let it sit for sometime, then shake off the excess. Set aside to dry completely.
oeoniella polystachys
This orchid is found in Madagascar, Seychelles and Comoros. A well grown plant will produce multiple spikes of very fragrant flowers. The flowers are small with lateral sepal. Night fragrant which is surprisingly strong for one small flower. Spicy-floral type scent. Site: Needs good drainage and ventilation. It is best grown in pots or baskets with high humidity and moderate shade. Temperature: Warm temperature. Water: Ample year round water.
egg rice
Ingredients:1 cup raw rice; 1 egg; 1 onion (minced); 1 green chilli (minced); 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste; 1 pinch of-turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala; salt to taste; 1 tsp coriander leaves (minced); 2-3 curry leaves. Method: Boil the rice using 1 - 3/4 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Saute the onion and green chilli in 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute. Now add turmeric chilli powder, garam-masala and salt and mix well. Add rice and mix well. Lightly beat the egg and pour over the rice mixture and keep stirring often till the rice is dry. Garnish with the coriander leaves and curry leaves.
Challenger
DIRECTIONS:
Fill each square with a number, one through nine. Horizontal squares should add to totals on right. Vertical squares should add to totals on bottom. Diagonal squares through center should add to total in upper and lower right. Yesterdays solution THERE MAY BE MORE THAN ONE SOLUTION. Todays Challenge Time 9 Minutes 32 Seconds Your Working Time __ Minutes __ Seconds
whats on today
THURSDAY
OVBS commences: Kuwait St. Gregorios Indian Orthodox MahaEdavaka is organizing the Orthodox Vacation Bible School (OVBS) 2012 at NECK (National Evangelical Church Kuwait) premises from Aug 2 to Aug 16. Preparations are already underway on the theme We are all one in Christ Galatians 3:28. The highlight every year is the new OVBS Songs which delights the students of all age groups from Pre Kindergarten to the 12th class Seniors. Twenty member OVBS Band is in full swing preparation to make the August event a memorable one. OVBS on-line registration commenced on www.iocq8.org Students are requested to register online and shall contact Mr Jacob Mobile 99619017 for transportation. CSI Tamil Worship: The worship service of St Johns Tamil CSI Church Kuwait is conducted by an ordained Presbyter on all Saturdays from 7 pm to 9 pm at the South Tent of the NECK Campus. Holy Communion is served on 1st and 3rd week of every month. Sunday School on all Saturday, Bible study on all Thursdays and Choir practice on all Fridays. Womens Fellowship and Christian Endeavour Fellowship are held once in a month regularly. For further details please contact Rev D. Justin Devadhason on phone 25637879, 66162954. Dar Al Funoon Exhibition: Dar Al Funoon cordially invites you to Letters in Motion, through the Holy Month of Ramadan. The exhibition will feature works by Ali Hassan, Ali Omar Ermes, Fareed Abdal, Reza Derakhshani, Hamza Bounoua, Rima Farah, Jamal Abdul Rahim. Exhibition Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 10 am 1 pm and 4 8 pm and Friday and Saturday by appointment. Getting To The Gallery: Al-Watiah, Behbehani Compound, House No. 28. For further information call +965 2243 3138 or visit www.daralfunoon-kw.com & news.daralfunoon-kw. First AG Church Meetings: First Assembly of God Church Kuwait Worship Meetings on all Fridays from 9:30 am 12:15 pm and Fasting Prayer on all Thursdays from 7 pm - 9:15 pm at NECK Compound (Hall of Hope, Ground Floor, Front of Baptism Pool) Kuwait City. Cottage meetings on all Mondays from 7.30 pm - 9 pm at scheduled places. Fasting prayer on third Wednesday, Thursday & Friday of every month. Sunday School on all Fridays from 7.30 am - 9 am at Abbasiya Parsonage (Abbasiya Supermarket bldg). Ladies prayer meeting on Wednesdays from 5 pm - 7 pm at scheduled places. C.A Youth Meeting on last Thursday of every month from 7 pm - 9 pm. Transportation provided to all parts of Kuwait. For more information contact Pastor V.D Thomas (97251639/24312630), Bro Abraham George (99384503/24768495). www.firstagkuwait.com. E-mail: firstagkwt@gmail.com. KTCC activities: Worship service every Wednesday 7:00-9:00 pm at North Tent, NECK. Childrens Bible School every Wednesday 7 to 9 pm at Activity Building, NECK. Overnight prayer every 1st Thursday from 10 pm 4:00 am at Diwaniya, NECK. Communion Service every 3rd Wednesday. The Following meeting are held at our KTCC Prayer House: 1) Children Bible School Teachers Prayer 1st Saturday 7 to 9 pm. 2) Childrens Prayer 2nd Friday 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. 3) Bible Study every 2nd and 4th Sunday at 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. 4) ISOM Batch 1 Class Tuesdays 7 to 9 pm and Batch 2 Class Fridays 4 to 6 pm.
emergency number
112
Items for the Whats On page can be sent directly to the Arab Times, P.O. Box 2270, 13023, Safat or faxed to 24818267 or e-mail to arabtimes@arabtimesonline.com. All items on this page are published as a courtesy to the public. These announcements can include birthday greetings, weddings, social functions or any other non-commercial events. Photographs of all events are welcome.
For more information please contact us on 25231015/6, 97226690 or visit our website on www.tiescenter.net Holy Quran classes: Emanway Foundation Musk is offering classes to teach English-speaking ladies (and girls ages 5 and up) to read the Holy Quran in Arabic. The method is al-Qaedah Noorania, a traditional program which has been used for many years around the world. (Note: Al-Qaedah simply means base; this can be likened to a basic phonics program.) No Arabic knowledge is required. Every Friday from 4:00 to 5:15 pm, beginning Oct 4. Al-Salam Area (south Surra), Block 2, Street 201, House 30. Classes are free, but seats are limited, so register now by calling 66274724. KCK worship: Karnataka Congregation in Kuwait (KCK) minister to the Christian community arriving in Kuwait from the state of Karnataka, India. Join us in worshipping the Lord 6 pm Every Friday Hall of Hope (Upper Room near the Baptism Tank) NECK Church Compound, Kuwait City English Service. 4 pm Every Friday (except the last Friday of the month) Annexe Hall, NECK-Kannada service. 10 am Every Friday (except the last Friday of the month) Fahaheel English/Kannada Service. Contact: Pastor Shalom 25616845 or 99929529. Tagalog Khutba for Filipinos: The Ministry of Awqaf, Islam Presentation Committee, & Kuwait Philippine Cultural Center (KPC Center) invites all Filipino Muslim & Muslima to hear Khutba (Sermon) in Tagalog every Friday at Marzouq Al-Badr Mosque, Abu Bakr AlSiddeeq St (at the back of Ambassador Supermarket and SM Supermarket, near Salhiya Police Station & Kuwait Airways Bldg) in Kuwait City. There will be a community gathering and lunch after Friday prayers at KPC Center in Farwaniya. For further information, please call KPC Center, Tel 4712574. El Shaddai weekly fellowship: The El Shaddai DWXI-PPFI Kuwait Chapter invites all the Filipino in our weekly fellowship. Every Monday, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm St Joseph Hall (Basement), Holy Family Cathedral, Kuwait City. Every Friday (except 1st Friday), 12:30 pm to 4 pm, Sacred Heart Hall, Holy Family Cathedral, Kuwait City. For more information please call any of the following nos: 66758948, 66523946, 99615956, 99495832, 66078953 and 67067956. BBBC weekly services: Bible Believers Baptist Church (BBBC) in Mangaf invites you to visit us for our weekly services in English. Friday morning Bible teaching starts at 10:30 am. The Sermon and Childrens Church begins at noon. On Monday evening we hold our prayer meeting and Bible study at 7 pm. For more details, please call 66220416 or email faithful.stewards@gmail.com
Conceptis Sudoku
The grid must be so completed that every row, column and 3x3 box has every digit from 1 to 9 inclusive.
5) Choir Practice Mondays 6 to 8 pm. 6) Mens Fellowship 4th Friday 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. 7) Womens Prayer (Abbasiya) 3rd Sunday 6:30 to 8:30 pm and (Salmiya) 4th Tuesday 6:30 to 8:30 pm. 8) Fasting Prayer every 3rd Friday from 12:00 Noon 3:30 pm. 9) Cottage Prayers every 2nd and 4th Week. 10) Baptism Service every 4th Friday. Welcome to all Tamil known people to participate in our regular activities to worship the Lord in our own mother tongue and be blessed! For details or for any prayer needs contact Tel No: 66920350 / 99432849.
Quadrangle, Salmiya.
KALA Badminton Tournament: The sports wing of KALA-Kuwait has announced Shuttle Badminton Tounament (Doubles), scheduled to be conducted on Aug 17, 2012 at Fahaheel Sports Club. The tournament will start at 7.00 am with the partcipation of 27 teams representing different units of KALA-Kuwait. The price destribution for the winners shall be conducted in the concluding ceremony of the tournament. For further details Johnson George (Sports Secretary) of KALA Kuwait shall be contacted in his cell 66522381 Powervision prayer fellowship: Every Friday from 7-9 pm at Balansiya Bakery baseball hall (Grace Fellowship Hall) in Abbassiya. Holy Spirit filled praise and worship by Powervision Choir. Pastor V.D. Thomas (pastor first assembly of God Church Kuwait) shall preach today from the powerful sharper than double edged sword word of God. Kindly do attend with family, friends, relatives and neighbours and be blessed to hear your master and creators voice in Heaven in these end times! All are welcome. For more details contact Aby - 66242608, Shaji - 66829473, Raju - 97342294. TIES Friday sermon: TIES Center cordially invites you to Jumaa sermon every Friday at Al-Sanad Mosque (behind Islamic Institute) address Qurtuba, Block 2, Street 6 (behind Islamic Institute).
FRIDAY
Ramadan Sports Mania 2012: Don Bosco Oratory-Kuwait will present the following sports events as part of Ramadan Sports Mania 2012: 4-a-side Rink Football tournament. Contact Philip 66047730. 7-a-side Box Cricket tournament for Men & Ladies. Call Vicky 97137928. 7-a-side Throw Ball tournament for Ladies. For more info, contact Ronny 97326549. Table Tennis and Carrom Tournaments. Ring Jayan 66369418 for details. This year the organizers have planned a lot of surprises for both the audience and for those who are participating in the above six (6) events to be held at IEAS
33
Couch slouch
Lopez signs with CAA
her music and other ventures, her publicist said in a statement. Lopez, who recently parted ways with American Idol, will be represented by Kevin Huvane, Hylda Queally and Jenna Adler.
Jennifer Lopez has signed with Creative Artists Agency. The singer and actress left her longtime agent at UTA and joined CAA Monday. Lopez made the decision as she decided to focus more time on film projects,
HBO has ordered a pilot from Big Love creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer based on the British medical comedy Getting On. The British series premiered on BBC Four in 2009. It follows employees at a backwater hospital as they cope with red tape and political correctness while treating elderly patients. The HBO show will realign Olsen and Scheffer with the network that aired Big Love for five seasons.
the satellite providers latest dispute over fees, Sinclair Broadcast Group stations in 45 cities could go dark at midnight. Thats when the retransmission agreement allowing Dish to carry Sinclair expires. Dish had a similar dispute with Hoak Media stations in June that prevented Dish customers from watching those channels until an agreement was reached. Dish is also locked in a dispute that is keeping it from offering AMC Networks. Dish says Sinclair is asking for an excessive increase in the fees Dish pays to air its stations, which include ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC channels, as well as CW and MyNetwork affiliates. The fees would be passed on to the public, Dish said.
deflect questions about his recent issues with Kristen Stewart during an appearance Monday on The Daily Show. But Jon Stewart was there with two pints of ice cream goodness to try to pick up the pieces. The last time I had a bad break-up, Ben & Jerrys got me through some of the tougher times, Stewart told Pattinson. Were just a couple of gals talking... tell me everything, he coaxed.
2012. Reality programming veterans Jonathan Murray and David McKillop have been elected as the inaugural Governors for the new Reality Programming Peer Group. Murray will serve a term ending in December of 2013 while McKillops term will conclude in December of 2012.
Six-time Emmy winner Lily Tomlin has been elected as a Governor of the Television Academys Performers Peer Group, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday. Tomlin will serve out the term of Performer Peer Group Governor Kathryn Joosten, who passed away in June. The term will end in December of
Breaking an agonizing silence, Charlie Sheen has returned to Twitter after a month-long absence. But dont look for any proclamations regarding tiger blood, last March, when he first signed onto the social media service. Sheen blew the dust off his Twitter account Tuesday to promote his father Martin Sheens guest appearance on Thursdays episode of Charlies FX sitcom Anger Management.
tv highlights
Disney Channel
06:00 Fish Hooks 06:15 Timon And Pumbaa 06:40 So Random 07:05 Wizards Of Waverly Place 07:30 Good Luck Charlie 07:55 Shake It Up 08:20 Phineas And Ferb 08:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:10 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 09:25 Handy Manny 09:35 The Hive 09:45 Mouk 10:00 Jonas Los Angeles 10:25 So Random 10:50 Hannah Montana Forever 11:15 Fish Hooks 11:40 Jake & Blake 12:05 Sonny With A Chance 12:30 Wizards Of Waverly Place 12:55 Phineas And Ferb 13:05 Phineas And Ferb 13:20 Timon And Pumbaa 13:45 Suite Life On Deck 14:10 Suite Life On Deck 14:35 Suite Life On Deck 15:00 Suite Life On Deck 15:25 Suite Life On Deck 15:50 Phineas And Ferb 16:10 Cars Toons 16:15 Jessie 16:40 A.N.T. Farm 17:00 Johnny Tsunami 18:30 Jessie 18:55 A.N.T. Farm 19:20 Good Luck Charlie 19:45 Good Luck Charlie 20:10 So Random 20:35 Cars Toons 20:50 Suite Life On Deck 21:15 Jonas Los Angeles 21:40 Shake It Up 22:05 Good Luck Charlie 22:30 Good Luck Charlie 22:55 Wizards Of Waverly Place 23:20 Wizards Of Waverly Place 23:45 Kim Possible 00:10 Fairly Odd Parents 00:35 Fairly Odd Parents 01:00 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 01:25 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 01:50 Replacements 02:15 Replacements 02:40 Emperor's New School 03:05 Emperor's New School 03:30 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 03:55 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 04:20 Replacements 04:45 Replacements 05:10 Fairly Odd Parents 05:35 Fairly Odd Parents 06:00 Fish Hooks
tv today
Rules 15:35 Powerpuff Girls 16:25 The Amazing World Of Gumball 16:40 Johnny Test 17:00 Level Up 17:30 Regular Show 17:55 Green Lantern: The Animated Series 18:20 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 18:45 Young Justice 19:10 Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge 19:35 Adventure Time 20:00 Ben 10 20:25 Ben 10 20:50 Ben 10 21:15 Grim Adventures Of... 22:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 22:50 Ben 10 23:15 Ben 10 23:40 Chowder 00:30 Bakugan: New Vestroia 00:55 Bakugan: New Vestroia 01:20 Powerpuff Girls 02:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 03:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 03:25 Ben 10 03:50 Adventure Time 04:15 Powerpuff Girls 04:40 Generator Rex 05:05 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 05:30 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 05:55 Angelo Rules 06:00 The Marvelous Misadventures...
Forensics 04:30 The Haunted 05:20 Crime Scene Psychics 06:10 Disappeared
Animal Planet
06:10 Rescue Vet 06:35 RSPCA: Have You Got What It Takes? 07:00 Karina: Wild On Safari 07:25 Crocodile Hunter 08:15 Dick 'n' Dom Go Wild 08:40 Breed All About It 09:10 Natural Born Hunters 09:35 The Really Wild Show 10:05 Wildest Africa 11:00 Wildlife SOS 11:25 Orangutan Island 11:55 Animal Cops Houston 12:50 Escape To Chimp Eden 13:15 Escape To Chimp Eden 13:45 Animal Precinct 14:40 Wildest Africa 15:30 Karina: Wild On Safari 16:00 Dick 'n' Dom Go Wild 16:30 Pandamonium 17:25 Britain's Worst Pet 17:50 Britain's Worst Pet 18:20 Dogs 101 19:15 Wildlife SOS 19:40 Orangutan Island 20:10 Monkey Life 20:35 Snake Crusader With Bruce George 21:05 Wildest Africa 22:00 Whale Wars 22:55 Venom Hunter With Donald Schultz 23:50 Animal Cops Houston 00:45 I'm Alive 01:40 Untamed & Uncut 02:35 Whale Wars 03:30 Venom Hunter With Donald Schultz 04:25 Wildest Africa 05:20 Monkey Life 05:45 Snake Crusader With Bruce George 06:10 Escape To Chimp Eden
Back To Basics 01:20 Barefoot Contessa Back To Basics 01:45 Cooking For Real 02:10 Cooking For Real 02:35 Hungry Girl 03:00 Hungry Girl 03:25 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 03:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:15 Meat & Potatoes 04:40 Unwrapped 05:05 Unique Eats 05:30 Chopped 06:10 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics
BBC Lifestyle
06:10 MasterChef 06:35 Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 07:00 MasterChef Australia 07:45 MasterChef Australia 08:35 What Not To Wear 09:25 What Not To Wear 10:20 Bargain Hunt 11:05 Antiques Roadshow 11:55 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 12:40 10 Years Younger 13:30 Masterchef: The Professionals 14:25 Masterchef: The Professionals 14:55 Bargain Hunt 15:40 Antiques Roadshow 16:30 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:10 Come Dine With Me 18:00 Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers 18:25 The Hairy Bikers Ride Again 18:50 Rick Stein's French Odyssey 19:20 James Martin's Champagne 19:45 Come Dine With Me 20:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 21:20 Antiques Roadshow 22:15 Bargain Hunt 23:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 23:45 Holmes On Homes 00:35 Come Dine With Me 01:25 Masterchef: The Professionals 02:20 Masterchef: The Professionals 02:50 Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 03:15 Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 03:40 Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 04:05 MasterChef 04:35 Living In The Sun 05:20 Living In The Sun 06:05 MasterChef
21:25 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:40 Special Agent Oso 21:55 Little Einsteins 22:20 Timmy Time 22:30 Jungle Junction 22:45 Handy Manny 22:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 23:20 Special Agent Oso 23:35 Special Agent Oso 23:50 Lazytown 00:15 Little Einsteins 00:40 Jungle Junction 00:55 Jungle Junction 01:10 Little Einsteins 01:30 Special Agent Oso 01:45 Special Agent Oso 02:00 Lazytown 02:25 Little Einsteins 02:50 Jungle Junction 03:05 Jungle Junction 03:20 Little Einsteins 03:40 Special Agent Oso 03:55 Special Agent Oso 04:10 Lazytown 04:35 Little Einsteins 05:00 Jungle Junction 05:15 Jungle Junction 05:30 Little Einsteins 05:50 Special Agent Oso 05:59 Special Agent Oso 06:15 Jungle Junction
Discovery Science
06:05 Perfect Disaster 07:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 07:50 Head Rush 07:53 Weird Connections 08:20 Sci-Fi Science 08:50 Sport Science 09:40 Scrapheap Challenge 10:30 Sport Science 11:20 Sport Science 12:10 Sport Science 13:00 Sport Science 13:50 Sport Science 14:45 Sport Science 15:35 The Gadget Show 16:00 Head Rush 16:03 Weird Connections 16:30 Sci-Fi Science 17:00 Perfect Disaster 17:50 Sport Science 18:40 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 19:30 Sci-Fi Science 19:55 Sci-Fi Science 20:20 Bang Goes The Theory 20:45 Bang Goes The Theory 21:10 The Gadget Show 21:35 The Gadget Show 22:00 Prank Science 22:25 Prank Science 22:50 Bang Goes The Theory 23:15 Bang Goes The Theory 23:40 Sport Science 00:35 Mighty Ships 01:25 Perfect Disaster 02:15 Prank Science 02:40 Prank Science 03:05 The Gadget Show 03:35 Scrapheap Challenge 04:25 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 05:15 Mighty Ships 06:05 Perfect Disaster
Disney XD
06:00 Kid vs Kat 06:20 Pokemon: Black And White 06:45 Rated A For Awesome 07:10 Kickin It 07:35 Phineas And Ferb 08:00 Phineas And Ferb 08:10 Phineas And Ferb 08:25 Pair Of Kings 08:50 Kick Buttowski 09:15 Zeke & Luther 09:40 I'm In The Band 10:05 Phineas And Ferb 10:30 Kid vs Kat 10:55 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 11:20 Aaron Stone 11:45 Rekkit Rabbit 12:10 American Dragon 12:35 Kick Buttowski 13:00 Phineas And Ferb 13:25 I'm In The Band 13:45 Kid vs Kat 14:10 Pair Of Kings 14:35 Zeke & Luther 15:00 Fort Boyard - Ultimate Challenge 15:25 Rekkit Rabbit 15:50 Rated A For Awesome 16:15 Kickin It 16:40 Pair Of Kings 17:05 Zeke & Luther 17:30 Mr. Young 18:00 Phineas And Ferb 18:10 Phineas And Ferb 18:25 Phineas And Ferb 18:35 Phineas And Ferb 18:50 Phineas And Ferb 19:00 Phineas And Ferb 19:15 Phineas And Ferb 19:40 Phineas And Ferb 19:50 Phineas And Ferb 20:05 Zeke & Luther 20:30 Zeke & Luther 20:55 Mr. Young 21:20 Aaron Stone 21:45 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 22:10 Phineas And Ferb 22:35 Kid vs Kat 23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am KSA 06:00 Kid vs Kat
E! Entertainment
06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Khloe And Lamar 09:45 Khloe And Lamar 10:15 40 (More) Crimes Of Fashion 12:05 E! News 13:05 Mrs. Eastwood And Company 13:35 Mrs. Eastwood And Company 14:05 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:00 Style Star 15:30 E!es 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Ice Loves Coco 17:25 Ice Loves Coco 17:55 E! News 18:55 E!es 19:55 Giuliana & Bill 20:55 Mrs. Eastwood And Company 21:25 Fashion Police 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 00:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 00:55 Style Star 01:25 THS 02:20 THS 03:15 Behind The Scenes 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 E!es 06:00 THS
OSN Comedy
06:00 Friends 06:30 Samantha Who? 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:30 2 Broke Girls 09:00 Weird Science 09:30 Parks And Recreation 10:00 Parks And Recreation 10:30 Samantha Who? 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Friends 12:30 Friends 13:00 Weird Science 13:30 Samantha Who? 14:00 Community 14:30 Parks And Recreation 15:00 Parks And Recreation 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Friends 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Bent 18:30 Community 19:00 Don't Trust The B In Apartment 23 19:30 How I Met Your Mother 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 Tyler Perry's House Of Payne 23:00 Seinfeld 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Friends 02:00 Friends 02:30 Seinfeld 03:00 Bent 03:30 Community 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Weird Science 06:00 Friends
General
Discovery HD Showcase
06:10 Cafe Racer 06:35 Cafe Racer 07:00 Motor City Motors 07:50 Twist The Throttle 08:35 Ultimate Survival 09:25 How It's Made 09:50 American Chopper 10:35 Mythbusters 11:25 Cafe Racer 11:50 Cafe Racer 12:10 Motor City Motors 13:00 Twist The Throttle 13:50 Ultimate Survival 14:35 Fantastic Festivals Of The World 15:25 Da Vinci's Machines 16:15 Deadliest Catch 17:00 Into The Unknown With Josh Bernstein 17:50 Treasure Quest 18:40 Ultimate Survival 19:30 Fantastic Festivals Of The World 20:20 Cafe Racer 20:45 Cafe Racer 21:10 Da Vinci's Machines 22:00 Into The Unknown With Josh Bernstein 22:50 Treasure Quest 23:40 Deadliest Catch 00:30 American Chopper 01:15 Ultimate Survival 02:05 Fantastic Festivals Of The World 02:50 Into The Unknown With Josh Bernstein 03:40 Mythbusters 04:30 Sunrise Earth International 05:25 Da Vinci's Machines 06:10 Cafe Racer
Boomerang
06:00 The Garfield Show 06:15 Tom & Jerry Kids 06:30 Bananas In Pyjamas 06:55 Baby Looney Tunes 07:20 Gerald McBoing Boing 07:45 Ha Ha Hairies 08:00 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 08:25 The Garfield Show 08:50 Johnny Bravo 09:15 Dexter's Laboratory 09:40 Pink Panther And Pals 10:05 The Scooby Doo Show 10:30 Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo 10:55 Dastardly And Muttley 11:15 The Flintstones 11:40 Wacky Races 12:00 Jelly Jamm 12:15 Baby Looney Tunes 12:40 Ha Ha Hairies 12:55 Gerald McBoing Boing 13:20 Bananas In Pyjamas 13:35 Puppy In My Pocket 14:00 Looney Tunes 14:50 Scooby Doo Where Are You! 15:15 Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo 15:40 Dastardly And Muttley 16:00 Tom & Jerry 16:15 Tom & Jerry 16:40 Pink Panther And Pals 17:05 Pink Panther And Pals 17:30 The Garfield Show 17:55 The Garfield Show 18:10 Johnny Bravo 18:35 Dexter's Laboratory 19:00 Jelly Jamm 19:15 Baby Looney Tunes 19:40 Ha Ha Hairies 19:55 Gerald McBoing Boing 20:20 Bananas In Pyjamas 20:35 Dexter's Laboratory 21:00 Johnny Bravo 21:25 Pink Panther And Pals 21:50 Tom & Jerry 22:15 The Garfield Show 22:40 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 23:05 Popeye 23:20 The Jetsons 23:45 Duck Dodgers 00:10 Puppy In My Pocket 00:35 Tom & Jerry Kids 01:00 Scooby Doo Where Are You! 01:25 The Flintstones 01:50 Pink Panther And Pals 02:15 Looney Tunes 02:40 Popeye Classics 03:00 Dexter's Laboratory 03:25 Tom & Jerry 03:50 Looney Tunes 04:15 The Scooby Doo Show 04:40 Johnny Bravo 05:00 The Flintstones 05:25 The Jetsons 05:50 Wacky Races 06:00 The Garfield Show
Disney Junior
06:15 Jungle Junction 06:30 Jungle Junction 06:45 Handy Manny 07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Lazytown 07:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 08:10 The Hive 08:20 Handy Manny 08:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 08:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 09:05 The Hive 09:15 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 09:20 Mouk 09:35 Mouk 09:45 The Hive 10:00 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 10:05 Engine Nine, Feelin Fine! 10:15 Animated Stories 10:20 Lazytown 10:45 Art Attack 11:10 Imagination Movers 11:35 Lazytown 12:00 The Hive 12:10 Handy Manny 12:25 Jungle Junction 12:40 Imagination Movers 13:05 The Hive 13:15 Special Agent Oso 13:30 Lazytown 13:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 14:20 The Hive 14:30 Handy Manny 14:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 15:00 Mouk 15:15 The Hive 15:25 Handy Manny 15:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 15:55 Imagination Movers 16:20 Lazytown 16:45 Art Attack 17:10 Handy Manny 17:25 Handy Manny 17:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 17:55 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 18:10 Little Einsteins 18:35 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 19:00 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 19:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 19:25 101 Dalmatians 19:40 Mouk 19:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 20:05 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 20:20 The Hive 20:30 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 20:35 A Poem Is... 20:40 Animated Stories 20:45 Mouk 21:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
OSN First
05:00 Good Morning America 07:00 The Practice 08:00 Emmerdale 08:30 Coronation Street 09:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 10:00 Desperate Housewives 11:00 The View 12:00 Alphas 13:00 Bunheads 14:00 Live Good Morning America 16:00 The Practice 17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 18:00 Emmerdale 19:00 Parenthood 20:00 One Tree Hill 21:00 One Tree Hill 22:00 Scandal 23:00 Desperate Housewives 00:00 One Tree Hill 01:00 One Tree Hill 02:00 Scandal 03:00 Parenthood 04:00 Desperate Housewives 05:00 Good Morning America
Food Network
06:10 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 06:35 Extra Virgin 07:00 Food Network Challenge 07:50 Unique Sweets 08:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 08:40 Paula's Best Dishes 09:05 Cooking For Real 09:30 Hungry Girl 09:55 Food (Ography) 10:45 Unwrapped 11:10 Unique Eats 11:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 12:00 Chopped 12:50 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 13:15 Cooking For Real 13:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 14:05 Hungry Girl 14:30 Unique Sweets 14:55 Paula's Best Dishes 15:20 Unwrapped 15:45 Iron Chef America 16:35 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 17:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 17:50 Unique Eats 18:15 Food (Ography) 19:05 Unique Sweets 19:30 Food Network Challenge 20:20 Iron Chef America 21:10 Barefoot Contessa Back To Basics 21:35 Barefoot Contessa Back To Basics 22:00 Cooking For Real 22:25 Cooking For Real 22:50 Hungry Girl 23:15 Hungry Girl 23:40 Meat & Potatoes 00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Unwrapped 00:55 Barefoot Contessa -
Discovery Channel
06:05 American Loggers 07:00 American Chopper 07:50 Mythbusters 08:45 Ultimate Survival 09:40 Border Security 10:05 Dirty Money 10:30 How Do They Do It? 10:55 How It's Made 11:25 American Guns 12:20 Surviving The Cut 13:15 One Man Army 14:10 Border Security 14:35 Dirty Money 15:05 Ultimate Survival 16:00 American Chopper 16:55 Fifth Gear 17:20 American Loggers 18:15 Mythbusters 19:10 How Do They Do It? 19:40 How It's Made 20:05 Border Security 20:35 Dirty Money 21:00 The Gadget Show 21:30 American Guns 22:25 First Week In 23:20 Surviving Disaster 00:15 The World's Strangest UFO Stories 01:10 I Escaped: Real Prison Breaks 01:35 American Guns 02:30 First Week In 03:25 Surviving Disaster 04:20 The World's Strangest UFO Stories 05:15 How Do They Do It? 05:40 How It's Made
Investigation Discovery
06:10 Disappeared 07:00 Forensic Detectives 07:50 FBI Case Files 08:40 Mystery ER 09:30 Real Emergency Calls 09:55 Who On Earth Did I Marry? 10:20 On The Case With Paula Zahn 11:10 Disappeared 12:00 Street Patrol 12:25 Street Patrol 12:50 FBI Case Files 13:40 Mystery ER 14:30 Real Emergency Calls 14:55 Who On Earth Did I Marry? 15:20 On The Case With Paula Zahn 16:10 Disappeared 17:00 Forensic Detectives 17:50 Undercover 18:40 Real Emergency Calls 19:05 Mystery ER 19:55 Who On Earth Did I Marry? 20:20 On The Case With Paula Zahn 21:10 Disappeared 22:00 Nightmare Next Door 22:50 Nightmare Next Door 23:40 Dr G: Medical Examiner 00:30 The Haunted 01:20 Crime Scene Psychics 02:05 Nightmare Next Door 02:55 Nightmare Next Door 03:45 Extreme
Cartoon Network
06:00 The Marvelous Misadventures... 06:25 Casper's Scare School 07:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 07:15 Adventure Time 07:40 Johnny Test 08:05 Grim Adventures Of... 08:55 Courage The Cowardly Dog 09:45 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:10 Redakai: Conquer The Kairu 10:35 Powerpuff Girls 11:25 Chowder 12:15 Ed, Edd n Eddy 13:05 Ben 10 13:30 SymBionic Titan 13:55 Foster's Home For... 14:20 Foster's Home For... 14:45 Angelo
Sports
Extreme Sports
05:55 Pro Bull Riders 2010 07:00 Ride Guide Snow 2009 07:25 Ride Guide Snow 2009 07:55 X Games 17 2011 08:50 XTraordinary 09:15 X-Traordinary 09:45
Summer Dew Tour 2011 10:40 Fantasy Factory 11:05 Fantasy Factory 11:35 Pro Bull Riders 2010 12:30 Cowboy U 12:55 Cowboy U 13:25 Born To Run 14:20 World Combat League 15:15 Fantasy Factory 15:40 Fantasy Factory 16:10 X Games 17
2011 17:05 X-Traordinary 17:30 XTraordinary 18:00 Cowboy U 18:25 Cowboy U 18:55 Pro Bull Riders 2010 19:50 Born To Run 20:45 World Combat League 21:40 Ed's Up 22:05 Ed's Up 22:35 TNA: Greatest Matches 23:30 M1
Challenge 00:25 Aiya TV 00:50 Aiya TV 01:20 Pro Bull Riders 2010 02:15 World Combat League 03:10 TNA: Greatest Matches 04:05 Ed's Up 04:30 Ed's Up 05:00 M1 Challenge 05:55 Pro Bull Riders 2010
OSN Sport 2
7:00 Trans World Sport 08:00 Super Rugby Highlights 09:00 Darts World Match Play 11:00 NRL Premiership 13:00 Trans World Sport 14:00 Challenge Series Golf
Highlights 14:30 PGA European Tour Weekly 15:00 The PGA Championship 19:30 Super Rugby Highlights 20:30 Trans World Sport 21:30 Live Premier League Snooker 01:00 Olympic Men's Boxing 04:00 Olympic Men's Boxing 07:00 WWE NXT
OSN News
06:00 NBC Nightly News 06:35 ABC Nightline 07:00 ABC World News W/ Diane Sawyer 07:30 Live NBC Nightly News 08:00 MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 09:00 MSNBC The Last Word W/ Lawrence O'Donnell 10:00 ABC World News Now 10:30 Live ABC World News Now 11:00 NBC Early Today 11:30 ABC America This Morning 12:00 ABC America This Morning 12:30 Live ABC America This Morning 13:00 Live ABC America This Morning 13:30 MSNBC First Look 14:00 Live NBC Today Show 17:57 Live MSNBC Hardball W/ Chris Matthews 18:38 Live MSNBC The Ed Show 19:19 Live MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 20:00 MSNBC Andrea Mitchell Reports 21:00 MSNBC Newsnation 22:00 Live MSNBC The Cycle
News
23:00 MSNBC Martin Bashir 00:00 MSNBC Hardball W/ Chris Matthews 01:00 MSNBC Politicsnation 02:00 Live NBC Nightly News 02:30 ABC World News W/ Diane Sawyer 03:00 MSNBC The Ed Show 04:00 MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 05:00 MSNBC The Last Word W/ Lawrence O'Donnell 06:00 NBC Nightly News
CNN International
06:00 The Situation Room 07:00 World Sport 07:30 Talk Asia 08:00 World Report 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Sport 10:30 I Report For CNN 11:00 World Business Today 12:00 Amanpour 12:30 Aiming For Gold 13:00 World One 14:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 15:00 News Stream 16:00 World Business Today 17:00
International Desk 18:00 Global Exchange 18:45 CNN Marketplace Middle East 19:00 World Sport 19:30 Aiming For Gold 20:00 International Desk 21:00 Quest Means Business 21:45 CNN Marketplace Europe 22:00 Amanpour 22:30 CNN Newscenter 23:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson 00:00 Amanpour 00:30 World Sport 01:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 02:00 World Report 03:00 Anderson Cooper 360 04:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 05:00 Quest Means Business 05:45 CNN Marketplace Europe 06:00 The Situation Room
12:00 News 12:30 People & Power 13:00 NEWSHOUR 14:00 News 14:30 Inside Story 15:00 Witness 16:00 NEWSHOUR 17:00 News 17:30 The Stream 18:00 NEWSHOUR 19:00 News 19:30 Witness 20:00 News 20:30 Inside Story 21:00 NEWSHOUR 22:00 News 22:30 The Stream 23:00 Al Jazeera Correspondent 00:00 NEWSHOUR 01:00 News 01:30 101 East 02:00 NEWSHOUR 03:00 News 03:30 Inside Story 04:00 Witness 05:00 NEWSHOUR 06:00 News
Al Jazeera English
06:00 News 06:30 Fault Lines 07:00 News 07:30 The Stream 08:00 News 08:30 News 09:00 Empire 10:00 News 10:30 Inside Story 11:00 News 11:30 The Stream
BBC World
05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Hardtalk 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 World Business Report 07:45 BBC World News 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World
Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 BBC World News 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 BBC World News 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Hardtalk 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 BBC World News 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 BBC World News 14:00 GMT With George Alagiah 14:30 GMT With George Alagiah 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 16:30 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 19:30 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30
BBC Focus On Africa 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 21:30 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World Business Report 22:45 Sport Today 23:00 Business Edition With Tanya Beckett 23:30 Hardtalk 00:00 BBC World News America 00:30 BBC World News America 01:00 Newsday 01:30 Asia Business Report 01:45 Sport Today 02:00 Newsday 02:30 Asia Business Report 02:45 Sport Today 03:00 Newsday 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 BBC World News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 BBC World News 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 BBC World News
Movies
06:00 Love Hurts 08:00 What's The Worst That Could Happen? 10:00 Roommates 12:00 Spud 14:00 Feed The Fish 16:00 Roommates 18:00 Elevator Girl 20:00 How Do You Know 22:15 Tank Girl 00:00 Reach The Rock 02:00 Elevator Girl 04:00 Roommates 06:00 Spud
Recruit 20:00 Jonah Hex 22:00 Quarantine 2: Terminal 00:00 Bats 02:00 Jonah Hex 04:00 Quarantine 2: Terminal 06:00 The Recruit
OSN Movies HD
05:00 A Soldier's Love Story 07:00 Battle For Terra 09:00 Gulliver's Travels 11:00 Love The Beast 13:00 Hop 15:00 Letters To Juliet 17:00 Gulliver's Travels 19:00 Jumping The Broom 21:00 Restless 23:00 Unknown 01:00 Henry's Crime 03:00 Love The Beast 05:00 Hop
Rango 22:00 Rainbow Valley Heroes 00:00 Paws 02:00 Marco Antonio 04:00 Rango 06:00 From The Crib
Hood 21:00 Restless 22:45 Broken Embraces 01:00 Restless 03:00 Uncorked 05:00 Not Since You
OSN Premiere
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HEALTH
Health Experts see multiple threats
34
A combo of file handout images released by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing on April 29, 2010, shows both sides of a new generic cigarette packaging with health warnings taking up 85 per cent of the pack and a minimal border. Global tobacco giants on Aug 15, lost a court challenge to Australias plain packaging laws for cigarettes in a closely watched case health advocates said would have worldwide impact. (AFP)
Improvement
Even pessimists like Olshansky do not believe that all or even most baby boomers will die at younger ages than their forbears. But he sees a future in which the rate of improvement slows overall and some groups boomers who are from lower socio-economic strata and are black or Latino see actual declines. Rich people live significantly longer than poor people do, says John Bailey Jones, an associate professor of economics at the University of Albany, State University of New York. In the United States, the wealthy live nearly five years longer on average than do the most destitute, according to Denneys research. NIHs Suzman sees a very uneven picture when it comes to US mortality: Its a combination of public health, lifestyle and medical treatments, and there are still very large gaps. Furthermore, people facing economic stress seem to die younger than those who are comfortable, and job loss worries could push more boomers into that low-income, highstress group with higher death rates than their well-to-do peers, suggests Rice Universitys Denney. Many people in developed countries overseas outlive Americans. Overall those in Japan, Singapore, Canada and even beleaguered Italy and Spain live longer than those in the United States, which ranked 50th in latest CIA World Factbook. Even with that gap, its important to note that other countries fund their retirement plans differently and face unique distributions of age and wealth. In April, the Social Security board of trustees predicted that the funds that finance the retirement, disability and survivors programs will be exhausted in 2035. At that point, benefits would need to be cut or new funds found. Over the next 75 years, the shortfall in the Old Age, Survivors and Disability (OASDI) fund would amount to 2.67 percent of US payroll. This projection has triggered much political infighting over whether the United States should be cutting Social Security benefits or raising taxes to pay for them. But those calculations are based on the expectation that the constant improvements in mortality (fewer deaths at every age) would continue unabated. The trustees project mortality declining by roughly 0.77 percent a year for every year going forward as far as the eye can see. Were simply projecting that improvements will occur at roughly the same... (rate) as in the past, Stephen Goss, chief actuary for the Social Security Administration, told Reuters. The agencys math relies on this assumption: the average 65-year-old in 2020 can be expected to live 19.4 more years if a man and 21.3 more years if a woman. By 2030, when the last baby boomer turns 66, the average 65-year-old woman could expect to live to 87.9 and the average 65year-old man would live to 86.
Lifespans
To be sure, the trajectory of American lifespans is stirring great debate among epidemiologists, actuaries and other experts. Most say mortality will continue to decline and people will live longer. But some experts believe that trend will slow. If you look at the health status of the baby boom versus the generation that just preceded them, they are in worse shape, says Olshansky. There is a whole suite of problems we are now seeing in the baby boom generation that we didnt see in their parents when they were that age, Olshansky said, citing greater frailty, increased risk for cardiovascular disease and declining cognitive function. Baby boomers, now between 48 and 67 years old, have already shown a greater propensity to suicide than previous generations, according to a data analysis from researchers at Rutgers University and Emory University. Male boomers had abnormally high suicide rates in their teen and early 20s, peaking for many boomers at 26 suicides per 100,000 lives at an age when the rate among next older generations were below 20 suicides per 100,000 lives, data showed. Patterns were similar for women, though their rates are lower, Emory epidemiologist Ellen Idler said. Even more disturbing to Idler is the fact that suicide rates for baby boomers rose significantly when they were in their 40s, a time when those rates typically plateau or head down. Its a troubling scenario all around. And suicide is not insignificant: Idler says it causes roughly as many deaths in any given year as breast cancer. In 2009, there were 11.8 suicide deaths and 12.5 breast cancer deaths per 100,000 lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Syrian rebels carry a wounded comrade into a secret field hospital in AlBab in the northern province of Aleppo after he was shot in the shoulder by an army sniper and the bullet pierced his right lung. There is a lack of space at the Aleppo field hospital due to increasing rebel casualties, so fitted with equipment to drain his lungs, he was sent to the nearby town of Al-Bab for treatment. (AFP)
Health
Resident in ops safe: When a surgeon-in-training, or resident, takes part in an operation, the patients risk of serious complications appears to be no greater than normal, according to a recently published US study. Looking at data about more than 60,000 surgeries conducted in the United States between 2005 and 2007, researchers whose findings appeared in the Annals of Surgery said that when a resident was involved, just under 6 percent of patients had a major complication such as severe bleeding or a serious infection. The rate was the same for surgeries in which no residents participated. This shows that resident participation is safe, said Ravi Kiran, the lead researcher on the new study and a colorectal surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Residents are medical school graduates receiving training in a speciality. Some studies have raised the possibility that having a resident on board increases patients risk of complications. The study did find that the odds of minor complications, mainly skin infection at the surgery site, were slightly higher when residents took part, though Kiran said the differences were very small and not likely to be clinically significant. When residents were involved in the surgery, 3 percent of patients had a superficial infection at the surgery site, versus 2.2 percent of patients who had surgery with no resident on hand. It was not fully clear why such infections were more common when residents took part, but on average those procedures took a little longer 122 minutes, versus 97 minutes when no residents were involved. Other studies have found that longer surgery times tend to carry a higher risk of superficial infection, so that might help to explain the higher risk seen with operations involving residents, Kiran said. (RTRS) Ebola outbreak under control: A recent outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus is under control but has not yet been fully eradicated, a Ugandan health official. Two suspicious cases were admitted to a hospital close to the scene of the outbreak over the weekend, bringing to nine the total number of people currently in isolation, the official said. We can now comfortably say that it is under control, but cannot say that we are absolutely finished with it, Paul Kagwa, assistant commissioner at the Ugandan health ministry, told AFP. The last confirmed case was on Aug 4. Ugandas health
Shortage
When he heard there was a shortage of doctors to treat the victims of Syrias bloody 17-month-old revolt, Abu Shamel left his peaceful home in Manchester, England, with two colleagues. They headed to the frontlines of battle in his former homeland. Like all medics who support the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, he works in secret, avoiding state hospitals. Doctors dont refer civilians or fighters to public hospitals and civilians dont dare go there themselves. If you show up with a shrapnel or bullet wound, it means you are coming from Salaheddine or nearby neighbourhoods, and that means you are a terrorist, Abu Shamal says. We are all terrorists, he laughs darkly. As mortar bombs explode nearby, Abu Shamel sits with six rebels wearing camouflage fatigues and holding assault rifles. He teaches them first-aid basics and then hands out packs of tourniquets and bandages. We prepared dozens of these bags to give away and funded them completely using donations we collected from colleagues and friends in Manchester, he says. When he arrived, Abu Shamel was shocked by the number of civilians hit in the crossfire. He saw many children wounded in the stomach, head and chest by shrapnel or hurt when their homes collapsed on top of them after army shelling. I am a surgeon and my profession is to deal with blood daily. But in this place, I wept from what I saw, he says. Doctors have abandoned wellequipped, sterile hospitals for tiny, makeshift field clinics spread around each neighbourhood. There are dozens of field hospitals hidden in Aleppo, especially in the hardesthit area of Salaheddine, where army shelling has reduced much of the neigh-
Cancer
Then theres cancer. The post-war baby boom generation does have higher rates of cancer at younger ages than the previous generation, the National Cancer Institute reported. In 2009, people 45 to 59 years old saw roughly 570 cases of cancer per 100,000 people. Thats up 7 percent from the 533 cases per 100,000 who were in that same age range in 1985. Some of that increase may be due to better detection, which along with new treatments has resulted in fewer cancer deaths for boomers than for their parents generation. Yet epidemiologists also see baby boomer women falling prey to lung, skin and other cancers. Boomer women are about the heaviest smoking cohort in US history and they are suffering big time, says Samuel Preston, a professor of sociology and demography at the University of Pennsylvania. Like many of his colleagues, Preston believes that a declining rate of smoking will eventually extend womens life expectancy; however, he isnt projecting that until todays young women turn 40 in 2020. And what about obesity? Its still not completely clear. By 2040, obesity will reduce life expectancy by 0.733 percent for men, and 0.677 percent for women, according to Preston. Those are trends that he believes will be offset by other gains as people stop smoking. Richard Suzman, director of
Security
What if the trustees are wrong? If mortality rates stopped improving, and remained constant over the next 75 years, that would cut the OASDI actuarial deficit by about 0.45 percent of payroll, about one sixth of the projected shortfall over the next 75 years, a Social Security spokesperson told Reuters. That wont completely save the trust fund from shortfalls, but it would help. Medicare is trickier to assess, Goss and other experts say. The net effect (of slower longevity improvements) might not be large, agrees Ronald Lee, director of University of California, Berkeleys Center for the Demography and Economics of Aging. There will be fewer elderly people to provide health care for... (but) those elderly people who are alive will be less healthy and have higher healthcare needs. Some insurance companies selling annuities firms like Metlife Inc, Prudential Financial Inc, New York Life Insurance Co and TIAA CREF could also benefit.
bourhood to rubble. The locations are all secret after the army bombarded some hospitals, including the al-Shrea hospital that was shelled three times and finally destroyed. Most doctors asked not to be identified for fear of retribution from the authorities. Going to a state hospital is no longer an option for many people. The army controls the main hospitals, which activists believe are filled with Syrian security personnel. I saw wounded fighters arrive at one of these public hospitals and get beaten and arrested before being treated, one doctor said. Outside one field hospital, a battered ambulance is parked. The left side is charred and riddled with bullet holes. Someone stuck a bomb on the bottom of the ambulance while we were bringing patients into the hospital, said the driver, Abu Ahmed. Luckily it exploded when no one was inside. There are few surgeons among the medics helping the opposition. Given the basic resources available, they aim only to keep critically wounded patients alive
long enough to have them smuggled out to neighbouring Turkey for treatment. In one clinic with an overpowering smell of disinfectant, a doctor in green medical scrubs treats a nine-year-old girl shot in the waist. Lying on her side, the little girls feet jerk a little as the doctor cleans the wound and bandages her up. A nurse shows the extracted bullet, small and golden. In a musty basement elsewhere, Abu Shamel sits in a clinic where at least 15 wounded people are treated daily. The building has had no electricity for days. There is no x-ray machine, just a few shelves with medical supplies and an oxygen tank. Alcohol swipes make do for sterilising wounds, he says. Surgical tools are sterilised with flames. We are forced to work in a place like this where we are exposed either to shells or artillery or tanks. We have to be among the civilians to treat them, he says. Why is the government trying to target these people? Is it because they are poor or because they embraced the resistance?
minister is Christine Ondoa. Sixteen people have died since the latest outbreak started in early July in Ugandas western Kibale district, some 200 kilometres (120 miles) from Kampala, and around 50 kilometres from the border with Democratic Republic of Congo. Ugandas president is Yoweri Museveni. A total of 165 people living in the community remain under observation, while 243 people who were thought to have come into
Museveni
Ondoa
contact with the virus have turned out negative, Kagwa said. The total incubation period for Ebola is around 21 days, meaning that it would take roughly two more weeks before the outbreak can be declared over, Kagwa said. The rare haemorrhagic disease, named after a small river in DR Congo, killed 37 people in western Uganda in 2007 and at least 170 in the north of the country in 2000. (AFP)
HEALTH
Men more likely to commit suicide, women tend to seek help
35
Market Movements
SOUTH KOREA PHILIPPINES INDIA - KRX 100 - All Shares - Sensex Points +56.33 +2.40 +94.75 Closing pts 4,247.00 3,488.98 17,728.20
15-08-2012
AUSTRALIA JAPAN GERMANY FRANCE EUROPE HONG KONG All Ordinaries Nikkei 225 DAX CAC 40 Euro Stoxx 50 Hang Seng Points -10.37 -4.84 -27.59 -1.07 -1.90 -239.39 Closing pts 4,307.04 8,925.04 6,946.80 3,449.20 2,430.39 20,052.29
Business
are not careful, someone who claims to be a scholar could give wrong advice. ASAS members will be able to earn points towards their accreditation by enrolling in training courses offered by regulatory bodies, private providers or ASAS itself. The body plans to build its membership of scholars on a voluntary basis in the first two years, and then propose that membership becomes compulsory for all scholars in Malaysia from 2015 onwards. Although its initial focus will be Malaysia, it aims eventually to have an international footprint that could encompass all sharia scholars. We need to lead by example first, said Hasan, adding that it would be difficult to persuade other countries to join without proof that the system worked. ASAS will offer a venue for discussion and be proactive in shaping the role of scholars in the industry, Hasan added. Malaysias securities commission is also considering the possibility of developing an accreditation programme for Islamic scholars, but this is only at the exploratory stage and could take no less than three years, a source involved in the discussions told Reuters. If ASASs accreditation scheme spreads globally, it could help to create more uniformity and consistency among sharia boards rulings and in standard-setting for the industry. Currently, standards set by industry bodies such as the Bahrain-based Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions are enforced in some countries in full or in part, while others use them as a reference. Regulations come in many different ways; some are lenient and some are structured, said Hasan, who among other posts sits on the sharia boards of the Malaysian central bank and of Dar Al Istithmar, the firm which advised Goldman Sachs on its controversial plan, which has still not gone ahead, to issue a $2 billion sukuk.
Asset
It is the classic asset to liability mismatch that plagues many companies in the region. Several Kuwaiti investment firms have faced debt problems, including Investment Dar, co-owner of luxury car marker Aston Martin, International Investment Group and International Leasing and Investment Co. Global Investment House is currently in the midst of its second restructuring in three years, having said in September that it needed to renegotiate a $1.7bn debt plan agreed in 2009. The Kharafi Group, which owns NIG, is one of the biggest family conglomerates in Kuwait with interests in real estate, retail and financial services. It is thought to control, through various entities, around a quarter of telecom operator Zain. In a statement to the London Stock Exchange where the sukuk is listed, NIG said it will repay 30% of the $475mn total on the August 16 due date but requested an extension on the remainder of the sukuk up to 2016. Under the revised structure, which sukukholders have until August 9 to agree to, NIG will repay 25% of the principal amount at the end of each of the four years; akin to an amortising structure, rather than a bullet repayment in which the borrowed sum is paid back at the end of the term. The profit rate will also be amended from a floating rate of three-month Libor plus 105 basis points to a fixed rate of 450 basis points much higher than the 151.59 bps paid out at the last coupon payment in May. Creditors who agree to the restructuring by August 6 will receive a variable early consent fee. Citigroup is acting as solicitation agent, along with local firm Watani Investment Co. Reading between the lines, they wouldnt have come to market with this offer if they hadnt already surveyed their key lenders and felt that they had a good chance of getting a majority of them to consent, said Alanani. The 30% initial payment and the early consent fees will be financed by a 100mn dinar ($354.4mn) three-year Shariah-compliant loan that will be arranged before the sukuk is originally due to mature, the statement said. The facility, being arranged by Warba Bank, was rated as credit positive by Moodys in May as it would help to address short-term liquidity issues, including the sukuk repayment. NIG had around 85mn dinars of cash on its balance sheet at the end of March, according to Moodys.
during inspection rounds. The sources said the CBK will also penalize banks and exchange companies which have got poor ratings. The sources pointed out some of them have violated all the instructions issued by the bank while others have violated the money laundering laws in addition to not updating full information of the customers.
Total assets 543,389,859 548,652,485 Total current liabilities 103,691,920 93,030,052 Total liabilities 426,054,052 409,627,160 Total shareholders equity 99,771,073 118,665,123 The total revenue from transactions with related parties is worth KD 20,817. Total expenses from transactions with parties amounts to KD 55,747. Al-Deera Holding Comapny (AlDeera) reported that the Board of Directors met on Aug 15, 2012 and approved the interim financial statements for the H1 period ending June 30, 2012. For the three months ending June 30, 2012, the company announced a loss of KD 2,784,956 as compared to a loss of KD 1,129,565 for the same period ending 2011. Particulars June 30, June 30, (6 months ending) 2012 2011 Profit (KD) (4,785,860) (3,297,534) Earnings per share (fils) (6.44) (4.46) Total current assets 12,630,501 17,312,952 Total assets 116,954,673 142,163,297 Total current liabilities 39,926,920 37,939,746 Total liabilities 62,558,746 60,545,651 Total shareholders equity 51,882,425 79,814,391 The total revenue from transactions with related parties is worth KD 426,201. Total expenses from transactions with parties amounts to KD 220,601. Board of Directors of Al-Mal Investment Company (Al-Mal) met on Aug 15, 2012 and approved the interim financial statements for the first half period ending June 30, 2012. The company reported a loss of KD 1,908,047 for the three months ending June 30, 2012 as compared to a loss of KD 4,855,381 incurred during the same period ending 2011. Particulars June 30, June 30, (6 months ending) 2012 2011 Profit (KD) (2,058,353) (8,919,361) Earnings per share (fils) (3.90) (16.88) Total current assets 90,985,744 45,637,870 Total assets 140,682,209 171,111,363 Total current liabilities 61,467,177 45,594,271 Total liabilities 82.665861 85,950,830 Total shareholders equity 43,870,899 68,465,201 Al-Safat Tech Holding Company (SAFTEC) obtained the approval of the Board of Directors on its interim financial statements for the H1 period ending June 30, 2012, dated Aug 15, 2012. Saftec reported a loss of KD 80,746 for the three months ending June 30, 2012 as compared to a loss of KD 418,250 incurred during the same period ending 2011. Particulars June 30, June 30, (6 months ending) 2012 2011 Profit (KD) 1,095,021 (1,157,486)
The sources pointed out, the CBK has recently intensified control over banks and money exchange companies, especially after it was disclosed some of them had exceeded the standards to achieve higher financial gains. The source revealed that the financial penalties range between 50 and 70 thousand dinars, according to the gravity of the violation.
Earnings per share (fils) 2.73 (2.89) Total current assets 33,228,046 32,662,816 Total assets 62,753,510 61,800,365 Total current liabilities 16,737,568 18,192,463 Total liabilities 26,420,268 20,775,914 Total shareholders equity 35,788,443 40,326,493 Total expenses from transactions with parties amounts to KD 16,285 Kuwait Real Estate Holding Company (KREH) reported that the Board of Directors met on Aug 15, 2012 and approved the interim financial statements for the H1 period ending June 30, 2012. For the three months ending June 30, 2012, KREH incurred a loss of KD 2,098,176 as compared to a loss of KD 907,105 for the same period ending 2011. Particulars June 30, June 30, (6 months ending) 2012 2011 Profit (KD) (2,755,883) (1,294,823) Earnings per share (fils) (20.3) (4.2) Total current assets 4,450,394 9,221,133 Total assets 43,026,273 56,695,978 Total current liabilities 20,033,502 27,563,727 Total liabilities 30,601,627 32,356,188 Total shareholders equity 12,403,097 24,316,258 The total revenue from transactions with related parties is worth KD 63,570 Total expenses from transactions with parties amounts to KD 746 Capital Market Authority approved the interim financial statements of Kuwait Investment Company (KIC) for the first half period ending June 30, 2012. KIC reported a profit of KD 50,146 for the three months ending June 30, 2012 as compared to a loss of KD 514,051 during the same period ending 2011. Particulars June 30, June 30, (6 months ending) 2012 2011 Profit (KD) 2,322,569 3,192,257 Earnings per share (fils) 4.23 5.81 Total current assets 114,739,892 108,582,073 Total assets 238,725,773 239,435,638 Total current liabilities 111,784,173 122,787,570 Total liabilities 115,472,932 125,887,359 Total shareholders equity 103,729,865 103,727,453 The total revenue from transactions with related parties is worth KD 1,563,778 Total expenses from transactions with parties amounts to KD 295,400 Al Arabi Group Holding Company (AGHC) reported that the Board of Directors met on Aug 15, 2012 and approved the interim financial statements for the H1 period ending June 30, 2012. For the three months ending June 30, 2012, the company announced a loss of KD 98,041as compared to a profit of KD 86,893 for the same period ending 2011. Continued on Page 37
Stable
The stable outlook on the rating reflects Moodys assumption that NIG will continue to term out some of its debt while having adequate cash coverage of interest and debt amortisation commitments. In spite of recent significant bank debt term out and the sukuk refinancing with longer term debt, NIGs capital structure continues to include a non-negligible portion of short term debt which could expose the company to a deterioration in liquidity if these bank lines are not rolled over or termed out. A rating downgrade could result from an increased risk of default, which could be triggered by deteriorating liquidity or impaired refinancing ability as a result of short-term lines not being renewed. Positive pressure on the ratings could arise if (1) NIGs market-valuebased leverage returns to levels of below 50% (from the current 52%) on a sustainable basis; and (2) the company continuously strengthens its cash coverage metric such that it trends solidly above 1.0x. Positive rating pressure would also be dependent on the company continuing to term out some of its debt while being able to adequately cover its interest and debt amortisation commitments. The principal methodology used in rating National Industries Group Holding S.A.K. was the Global Investment Holding Companies Industry rating methodology, published in October 2007. Please see the Credit Policy page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology. National Industries Group Holding S.A.K., based in Kuwait City, is a publicly listed investment holding company and one of the largest publicly traded companies in Kuwait. Its business consists of strategic and financial stakes in companies across Kuwait, the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) and Europe, focusing primarily on the building materials, specialist engineering, petrochemi-
BUSINESS
Kuwait Energy starts commercial production in Abu Sennan, Egypt
Kuwait Energy (the Company), one of the fastest growing independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in the Middle East, and its main partner in Egypt, the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation, announce that they have begun production of oil and gas condensate in four wells within the Abu Sennan concession. The announcement follows successful exploration activities over the last eight months. The Abu Sennan concession is located in the Western Desert in Egypt. Commercial production commenced with a total production flow rate of 2,200 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) across the four wells. ZZ-4 well is presently producing at 267 barrels of oil per day (bopd), Al Ahmadi-1 well at 420 bopd, Al Jahraa-1X well at 500 bopd and El Salmiya-1 well at 1,000 barrels of condensate per day. Production flow was successful at the level of the Bahriya formation, the Abu Roash G, Abu Roash E, and Abu Roash C formations. Kuwait Energy is the operator of the concession and holds a 50% working interest. The remaining working interest is held by Beach Petroleum (Egypt) Pty Ltd which holds a 22% working interest, and Dover Investments Limited with a 28% working interest. The Company had announced the discoveries of ZZ-4 and Al Ahmadi-1 wells in August 2011, the discovery of Al Jahraa1X well in February 2012 and El Salmiya1 well in March 2012. Sara Akbar, Chief Executive Officer of Kuwait Energy, said: This is a great milestone for Kuwait Energy in Egypt as it represents first production from the Abu Sennan concession and is a result of the four discoveries achieved over the last year. The Abu Sennan concession has yielded discoveries resulting in three development leases being granted within the concession yielding finds to date, and we look forward to starting our development activities for these leases.
37
Deliverable
An industry source told Reuters earlier that Platts and Iraqs SOMO were holding discussions to add Basra Light as a deliverable crude for the Dubai benchmark. Platts is still working on introducing Qatar Marine as a deliverable crude for Dubai, in addition to Oman and Abu Dhabis Upper Zakum, Montepeque said, declining to say when this will take place. The company is also reviewing its assessment of Indonesias Minas as regional markers in the Asia-Pacific are phased out in favour of dated Brent. Minas is starting to look like an outlier while everything else is dated Brent, Montepeque said. We will need to review to see whether it keeps as an outlier or we bring it in into the general fabric. The company will study different measures such as deliveries of alternative grades for Minas and increasing the cargo size to 200,000 barrels from 25,000 barrels, Montepeque said. It could also measure the crudes worth in terms of the oil products it yields or as a direct-burning grade based on liquefied natural gas and fuel oil prices, he added. Vietnam could price all its crude on dated Brent instead of Minas by early 2013, joining oil producers Malaysia, Australia and Papua New Guinea in dropping volatile regional price markers.
Declines
Including Basra Light may improve liquidity for the Dubai crude as output of the benchmark grade declines, making the marker more reflective of fundamentals. It will also increase trading in Basrah Light as participants seek to take positions in a grade that could become part of the benchmark. But the difference in the quality of Basra Light exported from different terminals is a key issue that needs to be resolved before the assessment can start. Technically there are two strands, one that is 32-33 degrees in API and one that is 30, Jorge Montepeque, Platts global director of market reporting, told Reuters. The API (American Petroleum Institute) gravity is an arbitrary measurement of the relative density of petroleum liquids. Oil is usually more expensive if it is light, or has a high API gravity. Iraqs State Oil Marketing Organisation (SOMO) has indicated that it will comingle the grades and have one common grade by December, Montepeque said.
Settlement
I think Standard Chartered wanted to settle because the share price had become destabilised, said one of the banks 30 biggest investors. Prior to that, I think they believed they had good legal grounds to resist a settlement of, say, under $200 million on the basis of the history of these cases. New Yorks Financial Services Superintendent Benjamin Lawsky had described Standard Chartered as a rogue institution for breaking US sanctions by concealing information about funds linked to Iran. The affair had taken on a political dimension, with British members of parliament suggesting that the lack of coordination between Lawsky and other regulators showed bias against London. Britains Finance Minister George Osborne made a series of phone calls to his US counterpart last week expressing concern at the way details of the case came out. John Mann, a member of parliaments finance committee, said there was a political onslaught in the US against British banks. Sands initially repudiated Lawskys accusations in strong terms. His decision to give the green light to a hefty settlement just days later has been viewed as a climbdown, but he maintains the support of investors and is likely to survive. I dont think Peter Sandss reputation has been damaged much by the affair. The fact that his robust defence doesnt quite gel with the size of the fine would be the only real concern, said one of the banks biggest 40 shareholders. Simon Morris, a lawyer at CMC Cameron McKenna, questioned why the bank had paid such a hefty fine following its strong rebuttal of the allegations. Sands said last week that only a tiny proportion of the banks Iran-related deals worth less than $14 million were questionable under US sanctions rules. Last week there was a flat denial of wrongdoing, so this would make $340 million an immense penalty for the 0.1 percent of transactions that supposedly slipped through the net, he said. But if you assume some underlying truth in the allegations, then it is a middling settlement - still a hefty price to pay for a continuing licence to run a branch in New York. The 50-year-old former McKinsey consultant has run the Asia-focused bank for the past six years and his success in the role had even made him a possible candidate for the job of governor of the Bank of England. Earlier this month, Standard Chartered reported a strong first half performance setting it up for a 10th straight year of record profits. Mondays settlement offered some relief to shareholders, but investors were quick to point out that Standard Chartered still had some way to go before closing the most regrettable chapter in its history. Dont forget about the other half of the fine they havent settled with the DoJ/OFAC yet, one of the banks biggest 30 investors told Reuters, referring to the US Department of Justice and the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control. He estimated a second financial hit of around the same size.
In this Aug 7, 2012 file photo, a man walks past the headquarters of Standard Chartered Bank in London. (AP)
Global incurs
Continued from Page 36
Particulars June 30, June 30, (6 months ending) 2012 2011 Profit (KD) 289,695 265,908 Earnings per share (fils) 2.20 2.02 Total current assets 53,148,153 50,307,841 Total assets 67,553,305 63,242,111 Total current liabilities 41,468,576 39,823,287 Total liabilities 45,718,057 43,214,026 Total shareholders equity 21,460,481 19,904,878 Total expenses from transactions with parties amounts to KD 163,123 Board of Directors of Gulf Petroleum Investment Company (GPI) met on Aug 15, 2012 and approved the interim financial statements for the first half period ending June 30, 2012. GPI reported a profit of KD 888,817 for the three months ending June 30, 2012 as compared to a profit of KD 1,120,401 earned during the same period ending 2011. Particulars June 30, June 30, (6 months ending) 2012 2011 Profit (KD) 1,066,477 1,749,393 Earnings per share (fils) 4.64 7.62 Total current assets 7,625,295 8,932,426 Total assets 48,908,552 52,767,253 Total current liabilities 13,213,819 17,274,982 Total liabilities 24,036,545 29,173,791 Total shareholders equity 24,310,466 23,013,194 Hits Telecom Holding Company (HITS Telecom) obtained the approval of the Board of Directors on its interim financial statements for the H1 period ending June 30, 2012, dated Aug 15, 2012. Hits Telecom reported a loss of KD 528,584 for the three months ending June 30, 2012 as compared to a loss of KD 105,205 incurred during the same period ending 2011. Particulars June 30, June 30, (6 months ending) 2012 2011 Profit (KD) (473,788) 42,343
Earnings per share (fils) (0.697) 0.062 Total current assets 19,106,511 31,782,805 Total assets 143,858,295 142,533,865 Total current liabilities 43,367,292 42,335,155 Total liabilities 55,170,253 51,624,254 Total shareholders equity 96,356,700 95,818,523 Total expenses from transactions with parties amounts to KD 68,360 Securities Group Company (SGC) obtained the approval of the Capital Market Authority on its interim financial statements for the three months period ending June 30, 2012, dated Aug 13, 2012. Particulars June 30, June 30, (6 months ending) 2012 2011 Profit (KD) (1,885,037) (291,652) Earnings per share (fils) (7.39) (1.14) Total current assets 55,833,881 60,419,444 Total assets 115,493,990 127,160,055 Total current liabilities 58,465,615 69,079,138 Total liabilities 58,822,459 69,346,823 Total shareholders equity 56,671,531 57,813,223 The total revenue from transactions with related parties is worth KD 9,034 Total expenses from transactions with parties amounts to KD 234,062 Kuwait Stock Exchange announced that the Board of Directors of Livestock Transport and Trading Company met on Aug 14, 2012, and adopted the interim financial statements for the periods ending June 30, 2012, according to the following: For the three months ending June 30, 2012, the company reported a loss of KD 1,970,117 as compared to a loss of KD 3,798,389 for the same period ending 2011. Particulars June 30, June 30, (6 months ending) 2012 2011 Profit (KD) (574,837) (5,221,463) Earnings per share (fils) (2.75) (24.83) Total current assets 37,737,051 33,290,139 Total assets 49,526,586 46,747,635 Total current liabilities 6,697,589 3,058,546 Total liabilities 8,461,084 4,785,706 Total shareholders equity 41,065,502 41,961,929 Total expenses from transactions with parties amounts to KD 21,933
demand is rising rapidly. The UAE, and other top oil exporters in the region, have been seeking alternative energy resources to meet soaring electricity demand on the back of a growing population and industrialization that threatens to absorb precious oil and gas reserves. The contracted fuel will enable the plant,
located west of the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, to generate up to 450 million megawatts over the first 15 years, ENEC said. The company added it expects to return to the market at various times to take advantage of favorable market conditions and to strengthen its security of supply position.
BUSINESS
EADS told of questionable payments
European aerospace giant EADS was told five years ago about suspect payments and costly gifts made by a British subsidiary facing a criminal investigation, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. The alleged revelation comes after Britains Serious Fraud Office last week said it had launched a criminal probe into the activities of the British unit in Saudi Arabia. According to the FT, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) was informed in 2007 about costly gifts given to Saudi Arabian royalty and military, as well as suspect payments made to Cayman Island bank accounts. The newspaper, citing email correspondence, said Mike Paterson, financial controller of EADS division GPT Special Project Management, had alerted his bosses about the activities. (AFP)
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remain the largest oil and natural gas producer in the Gulf. No one should confuse our effort to sell these older, non-strategic assets, which we announced months ago, with our ongoing commitment to the Gulf of Mexico, said spokesman Brett Clanton.
He said BP still plans to invest at least $4 billion per year over the next decade in the Gulf. The company has six rigs in the Gulf now and plans to have eight by the end of the year, an all-time high. Shares of BP rose 18 cents to $42.27 in
afternoon trading. London-based BP hopes to sell $38 billion worth of assets by the end of 2013 to help pay the costs of cleaning up the Gulf oil spill. On Monday, BP announced it agreed to sell a refinery in Carson, California, and
pipelines and Arco-branded gasoline stations to Tesoro Corp for $2.5 billion. BP also said it was selling two gas-processing plants in Texas. Those sales had been expected for a long time. The Tesoro deal brought BPs asset sales to $26.5 billion since the April 2010 Gulf oil spill.
Pushed
Investors pushed Resolutions shares up 4.2 percent by 1055 GMT the second best performer in a flat FTSE 100 reflecting hopes the board reorganisation will salvage the insurers premium listing, reserved for companies that meet the highest corporate governance standards. Losing that status would have forced investment funds that track the British equity market to sell their shares in the group. The clarification of future direction is welcome and should remove a cloud from the share price, one of the companys ten biggest shareholders told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. The stock is still down 6 percent in the year to date, lagging an 18 percent increase in the Stoxx 600 European insurance index. The odds of a turnaround are stacked against them with a portfolio of weak companies with poor track records, and against a backdrop of rapidly changing regulation, Oriel Securities analyst Marcus Barnard wrote in a note. We cant see any sort of shortterm catalyst to make us want to buy the shares. Cowdery said his advisory business, Resolution Operations, was still looking at other potential consolidation projects outside the British life insurance sector, but declined to give details.
Balfour Beatty, Britains largest construction company, said it could not forecast when there would be a pick-up in its home market where its own order book was down 3 percent, outperforming a 10 percent fall across the industry. Balfour Beatty also said on Wednesday its focus in recent months on winning contracts in industries such as transport and mining, particularly in emerging markets, meant it should meet its own full-year expectations. The company, which operates in more than 80 countries and built the Aquatics Centre for the London Olympics, posted a 12 percent rise in underlying first-half pretax profit, lifted by a one-time gain from the sale of infrastructure investment assets. We do not anticipate any significant further reduction (in Britain) ... But in terms of recovery of volumes, it is difficult to see, in the very short term, where recovery is coming from, deputy chief executive Andrew McNaughton said. The business is on track for where we expect it to be this year, McNaughton told Reuters, adding that while the 52 million ($82 million) gain from the asset sales provided boost, overall trading was in line. The global construction sector has struggled to recover from the financial crisis, weighed down by government spending cuts and recession, particularly in Britain and the United States. Investec analyst Andrew Gibb said that without the asset sales, profit on a comparable basis was down 17 percent. There is nothing in this statement which compels us to alter our negative stance. Cash again is extremely weak and risks remain ahead, particularly in the UK, he said in a note. Balfour Beatty shares were up 2.1 percent at 200.6 pence at 0920 GMT, valuing the company at 2.0 billion. Its order book at the end of June was 15.0 billion, helped by 5 billion of new orders in the first half, and compared with 15.2 billion a year earlier. US construction markets appeared to have reached a stable state, Balfour Beatty said, with meaningful recovery still 12-18 months away. Underlying first-half pretax profit rose 12 percent to 154 million on revenue up 6 percent to 5.5 billion.
Inflation
Amid rising inflation and negative gross domestic product (GDP) output in Britain, Shaw said he felt the MPC will give the green light for another 50 billion of QE, most likely when the current programme expires in November. The MPC had already voted in July to increase the QE asset-purchasing programme by an extra 50 billion over four months to November bringing the total to 375 billion since it began the stimulus project in 2009. The committee maintained the status quo in August as it also sought to gauge the impact of the governments 80-billion Funding for Lending (FLS) scheme that is also aimed at lifting retail bank lending. Under QE, the Bank of England creates new cash to purchase assets such as government and corporate bonds with the aim of boosting lending and stimulating economic activity. The committee discussed whether it was appropriate to expand or continue with the programme of asset purchases it had agreed at its previous meeting, the minutes read. For some members the decision was nevertheless more finely balanced, since a good case could be made at this meeting for more asset purchases. The Bank of England last week slashed its forecast for British growth this year to close to zero percent, saying the greatest threat to recovery came from the eurozone crisis. Britain is not a member of the eurozone but the bloc is its major trade partner. The country meanwhile escaped a deep downturn in late 2009 but fell back into recession at the end of 2011. Latest official data showed GDP slumped 0.7 percent between April and June from the first three months of this year. Annual inflation in Britain meanwhile rose unexpectedly last month to 2.6 percent above the BoEs 2.0-percent target. Inflation was... likely to remain close to the target in the coming months, the banks minutes said. The minutes of Augusts MPC meeting support our view that more policy stimulus is likely before long, said Vicky Redwood, an analyst at Capital Economics research group. Admittedly the vote to leave policy unchanged this month was unanimous, but this was always likely given the asset purchases currently underway wont be completed until November, she added.
A Virgin train (bottom) passes two parked Virgin trains as it arrives at Euston station in London, on Aug 15. (AP)
Success
The tycoon continued: The service is a British success story and one to put up against rail companies around the world. Scottish-based FirstGroup, which employs 124,000 staff, currently operates train and bus services across Britain and North America. Its rail routes in Britain include First Capital Connect, First Great Western and First ScotRail. We are delighted to be selected by government to operate this unique railway which connects communities across the country and plays a vital role in the UKs economic growth, added FirstGroup chief executive Tim OToole. Britains coalition government added that the new operator would deliver significant benefits for the travelling
BUSINESS
foreign holdings rise
Foreign demand for US Treasury securities rose to a record level in June, as China, the largest buyer of Treasury debt, increased its holdings. The Treasury Department says total foreign holdings rose 0.7 percent in June to a record $5.29 trillion. It marked the sixth straight monthly gain. Demand for US debt is rising in part because investors are worried about Europes debt crisis and its impact on the global economy. US government debt is considered one of the worlds safest investments. China increased its holdings by $300 million, or 0.03 percent, to $1.16 trillion. (AP)
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Jan Larimer, RNC CoChairwoman (left), Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn (back row), take a ride with Scott Latimer, MD, Humanas Market President in Central Florida at the Tampa Freewheelin Announcement Event on Aug 14, in Tampa, Fla. Humana is providing 20 Freewheelin pedal buses as a means of a healthy transportation for the RNC and DNC. (AP)
hedge against inflation. Spot gold fell 4 percent in the second quarter, as prices largely traded in a $150 range following a 7-percent gain in the first quarter. After failing to breach resistance at $1,680 an ounce in early April, bullion prices fell toward $1,525 an ounce sever-
al times in May but held each time. The metal has since pared some losses to end the second quarter near $1,600. Disappointment over a lack of more stimulus by the US Federal Reserve and other central banks has weighed heavily on gold, a traditional inflation hedge. Overall
physical bullion holdings used to back shares of the SPDR Gold Trust slipped 7 tonnes, or less than 1 percent, to about 1,280 tonnes by the end of the second quarter, following an 8 % inflow in the first. Billionaire financier George Soros increased his position in SPDR Gold to
$137 million in the second quarter from $52 million previously. Last year, Soros, who had called gold the ultimate bubble, largely dumped his stake in the ETF before the metal ran up to a record peak of $1,920.30 per ounce in September.
Rebounded
This measure has rebounded from a record low of 0.6 percent in October 2010 and the Fed aims for inflation of 2 percent. A second report showed industrial production increased 0.6 percent in July after a 0.1 percent gain in June. Output was boosted by solid gains in utilities production and mining. Manufacturing was also up last month. However, a third report from the New York Federal Reserve showed factory activity in New York state contracted in August for the first time since October 2011. Given the weakness in many forward looking manufacturing indicators such as the new orders survey and the build up of inventories relative to sales, we expect further slowing, said Bricklin Dwyer, an economist at BNP Paribas in New York. US stocks were little changed at open, while Treasury debt prices trended weaker. The dollar rose against a basket of currencies. Officials at the Fed meet on Sept. 1213. Fed Chairman Ben Bernankes speech at the central banks high-profile gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in late August could offer clues on the nearterm course of monetary policy. Meanwhile, US homebuilders grew more confident in the housing recovery in August, as many reported that prospects for sales are the best theyve been since the home bubble burst five years ago. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Wednesday rose two points this month to 37, up from 35 in July. Thats the highest reading since March 2007. The index, which is based on responses from 478 builders, has been trending higher since October and only dipped once since January suggesting a turnaround in housing is solidifying after years of stagnation. Any reading below 50 indicates negative sentiment about the housing market. The index hasnt reached that level since April 2006, the peak of the housing boom. Homebuilders have mostly enjoyed improved sales trends this year, aided by low mortgage rates and a decline in the inventory of unsold homes. The pace of foreclosures slowed sharply last year, and banks appear to be holding back from flooding the market with foreclosed properties.
Also: OTTAWA: Chinese foreign investment in Canada has boomed over the last decade but trade lags, according to a study by both governments that was realased on Wednesday and outlined room for much growth. The joint study to evaluate the potential for deeper trade ties was undertaken following a June 2010 meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Chinese President Hu Jintao in Canada. Concluding that growth opportunities appear to be strong, it sets the stage for discussions on a possible free trade pact sought by Beijing. Investment in Canada from China increased 36-fold in 10 years, reaching 10.7 billion US dollars at the end of 2011, while Canadian investment in China topped $8.3 billion, according to government figures. Notwithstanding these impressive gains, bilateral trade and investment represent a surprisingly small proportion of each countrys total international activity, the study said. There is room for much growth. China is currently Canadas second-largest trading partner while Canada ranks 13th among Chinas trading partners. The study outlined tariff and regulatory challenges, as well as few areas of their economies that are complementary. In many, the two nations actually compete for thirdmarket sales but the study suggests they could partner up. Chinese domestic demand for clean technologies could give a boost to small Canadian firms and even help these sell to third markets. Similarly, opportunities exist for Canada and China to collaborate on building transportation infrastructure networks in China and elsewhere. And Canadas engineered textiles could be incorporated into Chinas value chains, while Canadian branded and technical apparel might appeal to Chinas increasingly discerning customers.
Deal
Environmentalists, farmers, auto workers and others have also rallied against the deal. Harper is the second-longest serving leader of the G8 countries, after Merkel. The chancellor was last in Canada to attend the June 2010 G8 Muskoka and G20 Toronto summits. According to one of her senior aides, Merkel and Harper speak on the phone regularly and have a close, trusting relationship. However Canada and Germany are split on how to tackle the European debt crisis. Their respective positions are not as close as they could be, said Georg Juergens, deputy ambassador at the German embassy in Ottawa. But most agree that Merkel is unlikely to sway Harper during this trip. Frederic Merand, a politics professor at the University of Montreal, affirmed that while Germany and Canada may look alike in that their economies rely largely on trade and their respective banks weathered the financial crisis better than most, they are far apart on ways to solve Europes debt woes. While Germany has been relied upon to backstop struggling eurozone nations, Canada and the United States were the only G8 nations to not contribute to a bailout fund through the International Monetary Fund. Merand also noted that Ottawa was the most vocally opposed. Germany may wish Ottawa to do more. But Merkel herself is also facing internal dissent and mounting pressure to take a harder line against
Shoppers walk out of the Nordstrom department store on Aug 14, in Los Angeles, California. (AFP)
Losses
The investors later suffered substantial losses after the mortgagebacked complex products defaulted. In selling these risky products to municipalities and non-profits, the SEC said Wells Fargo relied almost exclusively on the credit-ratings of these products and did not properly review the private placement documentation to better understand the risks. Credit-rating agencies such as Standard & Poors and Moodys have since been blamed by critics for helping to fuel the 2007-2009 financial crisis by giving overly rosy ratings to complex products tied to subprime
BUSINESS
A man walks past containers at Lisbon port during a dock workers strike on Aug 14. Portuguese dock workers went on strike against new labor laws that the Portuguese government wants to apply in the sector. The government has been enacting austerity economic measures linked to a euro 78 billion ($96 billion) bailout in 2011. (AP)
Windjet
The future of distressed Italian airline Windjet looked bleak on Tuesday after a director of national flag carrier Alitalia said there was no chance of finding a way to keep it operating. Alitalia managing director Andrea Ragnetti told media there was no longer any chance of dialogue with Windjet representatives ahead of a meeting hosted by Italian Economic Development Minister Corrado Passera in Rome. (AFP)
Netflix service
Netflix is looking to broaden its presence in Europe, announcing Wednesday that it will offer streaming TV shows and movies in Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland by the end of the year. The company had given hints of its plans previously, saying last month that it would expand into another market outside the US, but didnt give specifics. (AP)
Losses
To counter job losses and lower tax revenue, Aulnay officials hope to attract new manufacturers to Peugeots 420-acre industrial site, situated between two major highways and close to a commuter rail link to Paris. Peugeot has not disclosed the value of the land, though council officials estimate it at some 400 million euros. Some officials, including the mayor, have accused Peugeot of holding out on a sale of the property despite interest from several buyers. Sale talks were advancing with several parties including ADP, the firm that owns Paris airports, until they broke off abruptly in 2011, said former Aulnay City Hall adviser Damien Baldy. The possibility that the land could become a major rail hub in the capitals planned Great Paris network may have pushed Peugeot to hold out for more. Basically, they seemed to think that they could hold on to the terrain to wait until the (Great Paris) station was completed, and then try to reap a big speculative gain, said Baldy. Peugeot, which declined to comment when asked about that claim, has promised to seek new investors for its site. So far, though, the only concrete proposal is for two maintenance centres for the Great Paris network, which are likely to bring far fewer jobs just dozens, estimate some observers than the thousands the car plant provides. Segura, a mayor keen to preserve Aulnays working class heritage and a left-wing hold on City Hall says that unless appropriate new tenants can be found he might expropriate the land by invoking a law that applies in cases of economic emergency. Ouadah, a rival of Segura, dismisses that threat as posturing. Youd need to invoke some sort of public necessity, like building a hospital, which is not needed here. With so much at stake, arguments over the best use for Aulnay could drag on for years. Frances last auto plant shutdown offers a depressing precedent.
Decision
They want to close under-used factories and cut staff. Peugeot is leading the way, with a restructuring plan that includes axeing 8,000 jobs by 2014. The firm has lost 200 million euros ($246 million) a month in the past year and has no other choice, Peugeot executives say. Were indebted and unable to earn as much money as were spending, said Frederic Saint-Geours, in charge of brands at Peugeot. Thats why we had to take this decision. But in Europe, announcing changes and enacting them are very different things. French voters have a history of resisting job losses and carmakers face huge obstacles to restructuring. President Francois Hollande has branded Peugeots plans unacceptable. Aulnays unions are bristling for a fight and its Socialist mayor has ordered Peugeot to find a new industrial employer for the site, threatening to expropriate the factory grounds if it fails. The plant a rare place of worker pride in a region suffering from high unemployment and crime employs 3,300 full-time workers and uses 7,500 sub-contractors around the region. Local officials say a closure could bring social disaster. If you grew up around here, its impossible not to know somebody who works or has worked at the plant, be it a mother, a father, a brother or a cousin, said Billel Ouadah, an Aulnay native, local centrist politician and work-site inspector. Many of those people will end up with no job and no economic prospects if the plant closes down. And as things stand, we have no clear idea what will come after Peugeot to help them get back on their feet once its gone. Compared with carmakers restructuring in the United States, Peugeots plan is relatively modest and its deal for workers generous. The firm says all workers will be offered new jobs of some sort. Half will be transferred to its factory in Poissy, another Paris suburb. The rest will be kept on-site if Peugeot can lure a new industrial employer to Aulnay, or transferred to other factories. Those who choose to leave will receive 1,000 euros for every year they have worked at Peugeot, and help towards job-training. Restructuring in Chicago and Detroit was a totally different issue, said Karl Ostler, a director at FTI Consulting specialising in industrial restructuring. Labour laws in Europe, especially France, are far stricter and unions are far stronger. However, Peugeots offer doesnt impress many in Seine-Saint-Denis, the area in which Aulnay lies, where unemployment hit 12.2 percent in the first quarter of 2012. In high-rise housing projects like the Estate of the 3,000 named because it was originally built to house 3,000 worker families from Aulnay a shutdown would mean closing off the main source of jobs for low-skilled young workers, in a town where high-school dropout rates are twice the national average. Closing Aulnay would be a double tragedy, said Francois Asensi, a Socialist member of parliament for Seine-Saint-Denis and mayor of nearby town Tremblay-en-France. There is PSAs huge economic weight, of course. But there is also a social disaster because it would remove one of the last real sources of stability in the com-
Suffer
Samaras is already preparing public opinion for yet more suffering. Were all having a difficult time. There will be more hardship, he said on Monday from his southern Greek home region of Messinia, where he spends the Assumption holiday. EU officials told Reuters last month that Athens was way off its bailout targets, was unlikely to be able to pay what it owes and further debt restructuring is likely to be necessary if it was not to be abandoned. In a bid to offer suffering Greeks some hope, Samaras will use his talks next week to raise a long-standing proposal that the measures be spread over four instead of two years, to soften their impact on a Greek economy enduring its longest and deepest recession since World War Two. No formal request will be made but the proposal will be broached as part of exploratory talks, the official said. The matter of extension is already being debated in Greece and abroad. Its official submission is a different matter. Berlin insists that Athens honour its pledges but was open to discussion, Seibert said. Asked about Greece seeking a twoyear austerity extension, he said: The chancellor will of course first listen to what Mr Samaras has to say about the situation in Greece and about the implementation of its programme. For her, as for the rest of the German government, the agreed memorandum of understanding which sets out what the Greeks must achieve and which remains valid for us, forms the basis for working together with or helping Greece. A two-year extension to narrow the budget deficit below 3 percent of GDP in 2016 instead of 2014 was a key plank of Samarass campaign for the June 17 election that brought him to power as head of a fragile three-party coalition. But Samaras and his finance minister, Yannis Stournaras, put the demand on the back burner after meeting EU/IMF inspectors in Athens last month, realising that no concessions would be considered until the lenders were convinced of their commitment to austerity a big task given repeatedly missed targets and broken promises over the past two years. They must deliver the 11.5 billion euros before the inspectors return in early September to decide whether to release the next loan tranche and draft a key report that will determine whether the country will be supported or abandoned. For all governments, not just the German government, the troika report will be the basis on which we decide how to proceed, Siebert said.
Closed
Two decades ago, Renault closed a plant in the Paris suburb of BoulogneBillancourt. Today, half the site has been converted to residential and commercial use. Work to convert the other half finally started last December, though the company has yet to sell the choicest parcel of all a 27-acre (11hectare) island where Renault cars were once assembled. If we end up with a dead site (in Aulnay), that would be the worst outcome of all, Ouadah said. But its going to be difficult to get everyone to agree. The government is trying to keep its distance from the dispute. In parliament, industry minister Arnaud Montebourg has criticised Peugeots planned layoffs, saying France has a real problem with its strategy, but the government has not sought to block the shutdown. Though the government has raised political pressure on Peugeot to save jobs by drawing a new employer to Aulnay, so far it is essentially letting Peugeot go ahead with its plans. Union officials are preparing for a fight and many workers at the Aulnay plant say they have already rejected Peugeots promise to find them new jobs. Trust in management, never strong in the first place, was undermined, they say, when Peugeots CEO, Varin, denied for a year that there were plans for any shutdown despite a leaked internal memo that detailed the scheme. Moving to another location is out of the question, many workers say. Led by the CGT, unions are preparing for a series of protests from early September and hope to draw workers from another Peugeot plant facing job cuts, Rennes in northern France. Workers have already won a temporary reprieve after an independent auditor was appointed to investigate whether Peugeots reasons for closing Aulnay were in good faith. The move could delay plans to start winding down the plant in late 2012 by two to three months. In the unlikely event the probe finds Peugeot was not facing economic difficulties, but seeking to increase profits, the carmaker could end up in court and be forced to revise or scrap its restructuring plan altogether.
Tourists take pictures next to the ruins of the 5th century BC Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, south of Athens on Aug 14. (AP)
Focus
As we continue our transition, we are applying a strong focus on cash conservation while simultaneously reducing our operating costs and making our operating model stronger and more agile, Ihamuotila said. It was S&Ps second Nokia downgrade since April. Moodys has downgraded Nokia three times since April and Fitch dropped Nokia to junk status four months ago. Nokia was the worlds leading mobile phone maker for more than a
BUSINESS
Malaysian economy grows 5.4%
Malaysias economy grew a faster than expected 5.4 percent in the second quarter as robust domestic demand helped offset the impact of the global economic woes, the government said Wednesday. Solid foreign demand for key Malaysian export commodities such as oil, natural gas, and palm oil also contributed to the pick-up in pace for Southeast Asias thirdlargest economy, which grew a revised 4.9 percent in the first quarter. For the Malaysian economy, the strong support provided by domestic demand, underpinned by activities in both the private and public sectors, have ensured higher growth amidst the challenging global environment, Bank Negara, the central bank, said in a statement. (AFP)
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A model wears diamond earrings during a private viewing organised by the singapore Diamond Exchange on Aug 15. The Singapore Diamond Exchange offers a platform for investors to acquire diamond portfolios at wholesale prices as a hedge against market volatility. (AFP)
will have wider and deeper global implications, said Maplecroft analyst Helen Hodge. The test for emerging and develop-
ing economies is to build a stronger capacity to meet the challenge of hazard-prone environments. Failure to do so will risk their ambitious economic
growth when the inevitable natural hazards strike. According to the reinsurance giant Munich Re, 2011 was the costliest year
ever for natural disasters, inflicting economic losses of $380 billion. The March 11 2011 earthquake and tsunami accounted for 55 percent of the total.
Improve
Chinese retailers and manufacturers in some industries such as shipbuilding say sales are down by as much as 50 percent from a year ago. The newspaper China Times said this week 46 shipyards might face bankruptcy if orders fail to improve. Most of my friends think the economy will be better in the second half of this year, but I am afraid it could be next year, said Zou Jiahong, the boss of Sichuan Chuanwei Zhiguang Food Co., a food processor with 100 employees in the western province of Sichuan. Beijings response is complicated by political wrangling ahead of a once-a-decade handover of power to younger Communist Party leaders that begins in October. It lasts through early next year, when a new premier and other top government officials will be installed. We do not expect the outgoing government to jump to remedy slow domestic demand with fiscal stimulus, said Carl Weinberg of HighFrequency Economics in a report this week. If needed, this task will be left to incoming leaders. Shen, the musical instrument manufacturer, said that instead of rising as usual during the April-toSeptember tourist season, monthly sales are down 20 percent. I heard from guides there are not many tourists this year, she said. Business online is even worse. I sold 300 to 400 instruments every month last year during the busy season, but it is down to just dozens lately. Chinese leaders have avoided giving a forecast for the timing of a rebound. Premier Wen Jiabao, due to step down in March after a decade as Chinas top economic official, warned last month the economy still faced relatively large pressure to slow further. There is no rush, said Weinberg. With growth at 7.6 percent, Beijing can be patient.
Outlook
Ratings agency Moodys last week scaled down its growth outlook for Asias third largest economy to 5.5 percent in the fiscal year ending March 2013. The Congress-led government elected in 2009 has struggled to push legislation through parliament due to constant protests by opposition parties and even its coalition partners. Singh blamed the lack of political consensus for the failure to create rapid economic growth and said that the problem was damaging stability in India. If we do not increase the pace of the countrys economic growth (and) take steps to encourage new investment in the economy... then it most certainly affects our national security, he said. Among moves that have spooked foreign firms was the announcement followed by the sudden withdrawal of reforms allowing retail giants such as Wal-Mart into India, as well as a retrospective tax bill for Vodafone. The premiers speech, marking the end of British rule in 1947, also included a vow to provide electricity to all households within five years and proposals for a new law to end the repulsive practice of manual removal of human waste. The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dismissed the speech as lacklustre and uninspiring. Police said no one was injured when four roadside bombs exploded in the northeastern state of Manipur, which has seen decades of separatist violence. Singh said stagnation in European economies was also hurting India, which exports to the euro zone. Last year, lack of support from coalition partners and members of his own party forced Singh to suspend a flagship policy allowing foreign supermarkets to open in India. Other policies such as cutting fuel subsidies are also held up. India is struggling with a slump in foreign investment and industrial output, gaping fiscal and current account deficits, high inflation and weakness in the rupee currency. These problems have been made worse by a drought. Several research organisations including Moodys Analytics have recently cut their outlook for Indian growth to around 5.5 percent, which would be the countrys lowest rate in a decade. Despite his concerns, Singh said Indias current economic downturn would be short-lived.
Rebound
Forecasters initially expected Chinas falling growth rate to rebound as early as the first quarter of this year. That has been pushed back repeatedly amid a drumbeat of bad news from debt-plagued Europe and a sluggish US recovery. July export growth fell to just 1 percent from the previous months 11.3 percent. Consumer spending and factory output also weakened. Now analysts expect a recovery late this year but say it will be too weak to drive global demand without support from Europe and the United States. Last month, the International Monetary Fund cut its forecast for Chinas growth this year from 8.2 percent to a still-robust 8 percent and warned a hard landing, or abrupt slowdown and a surge in job losses, still was possible. China still is one of the strongest economies, with growth of 7.6 percent in the three months ending in June. But the abrupt decline from double-digit rates of previous years hurts companies that depend on high growth to drive demand for new factories, apartments and other goods. The slowdown is due largely to government efforts in 2010-11 to use lending and investment curbs to cool overheating and inflation. Communist leaders reversed course in late 2011 and promised more bank lending and help to struggling exporters after global demand plunged. Beijing has cut interest rates twice since early June, approved multibillion-dollar investments by state com-
A silk clothing vendor reads newspaper while waiting for customers at a summer consumer fair in Beijing on Aug 15. Facing a collapse in export growth and weak consumer spending, Beijing is avoiding an aggressive stimulus and sticking to a gradual strategy of small interest rate cuts and modest spending. (AP)
Also: BEIJING: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has said the country will be able to meet economic targets this year, including growth of at least 7.5 percent, the official Xinhua news agency reported Wednesday. Speaking during a recent tour of the eastern province of Zhejiang, Wen said China was still facing economic pain despite some changes for the better from July, the report said. The foundation of the economy is still not solid. Economic difficulties might still continue for a period of time, Wen was quoted as saying. Chinas economy grew 7.6 percent in the second quarter of this year, its slowest pace in more than three years. China last week released economic data for July including trade, industrial output and retail sales figures which pointed to continued weakness in the domestic economy and raised hopes for monetary easing.
BUSINESS
NBK subsidiary posts 20% H1 profit growth
Al Watany Bank of Egypt (AWB), the subsidiary of National Bank of Kuwait Group (NBK) in Egypt, reported net profits of EGP 161.4 million for the first half of 2012 compared with EGP 135 million for the same period in 2011, an increase of 20% year-onyear. As of end of June 2012, AWBs total assets reached EGP 17.4 billion, up 5.5% year-onyear. ROA increased to 1.86% compared with 1.70% at the end of June 2011, and ROE increased to 20.1% from 17.36%. Yasser Hassan, AWB Managing Director, said that AWB has once again proved its ability to post strong profits despite the unfavorable and challenging local and regional situation. AWBs resilient performance for the first half of 2012 reflects the banks strength and solid financial position. AWB has been one of the fastest growing banks in Egypt over the past few years and is moving forward with its strategy to strengthen its position in the Egyptian market, added Hassan.
42
CIB Q2 net up
Egypts Commercial International Bank reported an 18 percent increase in second-quarter net income on Tuesday, above the expectations of analysts who say the countrys lenders are benefiting from soaring yields on government debt. Net profit at the countrys biggest privately owned bank by assets was 523 million Egyptian pounds ($86.17 million), above the 443 million it reported for the same period a year earlier. (RTRS)
EFG Hermes
Egyptian investment bank EFG Hermes posted a net profit of 27 million Egyptian pounds ($4.4 million) for the second quarter, a two-thirds decline from a year earlier when it was lifted by a dividend from a real estate investment. The bank, which is planning a tie-up with Qatars QInvest to give it more capital to expand, earned 80 million pounds in the second quarter of 2011 when results included exceptional dividend income of 28 million pounds from SODIC. (RTRS)
investment funds
Funds Fund Manager Valution Valued date Currency Net Asset Prev NAV Prev NAV Dated Value (NAV) Funds Fund Manager Valution Valued date Currency Net Asset Prev NAV Prev NAV Dated Value (NAV) Global GCC Real Estate Fund II Global Quarterly Global Opportunistic Fund Global Quarterly Sept 30, 2009 USD 106.060 107.180 Global Opportunistic Fund II Global Quarterly Sept 30, 2009 USD 110.920 110.390 June 30, 2009 Private Equity Fund Global Quarterly Sept 30, 2009 KD 0.829 0.859 June 30, 2009 Global Buyout Fund Global Monthly Sept 30, 2009 USD 564.740 603.390 June 30, 2009 Country Fund Palestine Dedicated Fund Global Monthly Dec 31, 2011 USD 86.740 91.810 Sept 30, 2011 Global Egypt Fund Global Monthly Jan 31, 2012 USD 38.740 38.110 Dec 31, 2011 Sectoral Funds EPADI Fund Global Weekly July 17, 2012 USD 100.700 100.590 July 10, 2012 Islamic Funds Global GCC Islamic Fund Global Weekly July 31, 2012 USD 81.520 80.390 July 24, 2012 Al-Durra Islamic Fund Global Monthly Aug 2, 2012 KD 1.043 1.049 July 26, 2012 Global Islamic Fund of Funds Global Weekly Aug 31, 2011 USD 76.860 78.260 Feb 28, 2011 Global Islamic Fund Global Monthly June 28, 2012 KD 1.271 1.286 March 31, 2012 Private Equity Funds
KAMCO
Bond & High Yield Fund KAMCO Quarterly July 31, 2012 KD 1.054 1.054 June 30, 2012 KAMCO Investment Fund KAMCO Monthly July 31, 2012 KD 0.874 0.874 June 30, 2012 Kuwait Private Equity Opportunities Fund KAMCO Quarterly July 31, 2012 KD 0.682 0.682 June 30, 2012 Kuwait Education Fund KAMCO Quarterly July 31, 2012 KD 1.322 1.322 June 30, 2012
Al Madar Finance
Shuwaikh Real Estate Fund Al Madar Quarterly March 31, 2012 KD 1.514 1.465 Dec 31, 2012 US index Fund Al Madar Monthly July 20, 2012 USD 1.561 1.539 July 13, 2012
Gulf Bank
Al Bashaer GCC Equity Fund Kwt. Fin. & Inv. Co. & Gulf Fin. House Monthly July 31, 2012 USD 6.939 6.870 June 30, 2012 Coast Fund Coast Investment Co. Monthly July 31, 2012 KD 0.591 0.611 June 30, 2012 Sanaya Dow Jones Kuwait Index Fund Industrial & Financial Investment Co. Monthly July 31, 2012 KD 0.570 0.580 June 30, 2012 Markaz Capital Preservation Programs 1 Monthly July 31, 2012 KD 0.951 0.953 May 31, 2012 Markaz Capital Preservation Programs 2 Monthly July 31, 2012 KD 0.992 0.995 May 31, 2012
Commercial Bank
Tijari Islamic Fund Commercial Bank of Kuwait Tw. Monthly Aug 9, 2012 KD 0.317 0.320 Aug 2, 2012 Tijari Indian Fund Commercial Bank of Kuwait Weekly Aug 13, 2012 KD 0.838 0.838 Aug 6, 2012
Al Ahli Bank
Al Ahli Kuwaiti Fund Al Ahli Bank Monthly June 27, 2012 KD 0.872 0.882 May 30, 2012 Al Ahli Gulf Fund Al Ahli Bank Monthly July 30, 2012 KD 0.759 0.756 June 25, 2012
Al Aman Investment
Al Aman Islamic Fund Al Aman Investment Monthly July 31, 2012 KD 0.413 0.427 June 30, 2012
Boubyan Bank
Boubyan KD Money Market Fund Boubyan Bank Weekly Aug 14, 2012 KD 1.016 1.016 Aug 7, 2012 Boubyan Sukuk Fund Boubyan Bank Daily Dec 25, 2011 USD 770.110 1,001.180 May 11, 2011
Burgan Bank
Burgan Financial Fund Burgan Bank Daily Aug 14, 2012 KD 1.007 1.007 Aug 13, 2012 Burgan Equity Fund Burgan Bank Weekly July 22, 2012 KD 1.729 1.680 June 24, 2012
Bayan Investment Co
Eammar and Estethmar Fund Bayan Investment Co Monthly July 31, 2012 KD 0.375 0.382 June 30, 2012 Al Themar Securities Fund Bayan Investment Co Weekly July 31, 2012 KD 0.427 0.427 May 31, 2012
Bank Al-Bilad
Al Seef Fund Bank Al-Bilad Daily July 26, 2012 KD 0.490 0.490 July 19, 2012
GulfInvest International
Securities Group
Al Anoud Investment Fund Securities Group Weekly Dec 8, 2011 KD 1.055 1.052 Dec 1, 2011 Group Islamic Fund Securities Group Weekly Nov 3, 2011 KD 0.927 0.927 Oct 31, 2011
BankMuscat
BankMuscat MSCI Kuwait Fund BankMuscat Daily July 30, 2012 USD 0.422 0.425 July 29, 2012
Amar Finance & Leasing Co. Al-Dhow Investment Co. Al-Fouz Investment Co. Securities House Co.
Amar Real Estate Fund Amar Finance & Leasing Company June 30, 2012 KD 0.902 0.935 June 30, 2012 Waed Real Estate Fund Al-Dhow Real Estate Company July 31, 2012 KD 0.913 0.913 June 30, 2012 Al-Fouz Real Estate Fund Al-Fouz Investment Company Annual June 30, 2011 KD 0.997
Diyar Real Estate Investment Fund Securities House Company Monthly July 31, 2012 KD 0.960 1.025 May 31, 2012 Awaed Real Estate Fund Aayan Leasing & Investment Co. Quarterly July 31, 2012 KD 0.680 0.681 June 30, 2012 Makaseb Estate Fund Aayan Leasing & Investment Co. Quarterly July 31, 2012 KD 0.727 0.727 June 30, 2012 Direct investment Fund Industrial and Financial Investment Co. (IFIC) March 31, 2012 KD 1.402
BUSINESS
Name: Kuwait Sharia
Compatible Indices
Index name Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Composite Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Kuwait Only Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Active Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Banking Sector Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Investment Sector Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Insurance Sector Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Real Estate Sector Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Industrial Sector Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Services Sector Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Food Sector Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Islamic Sector Kuwait Sharia Compatible Index - Non Kuwaiti Sector Kuwait Stock Exchange Index - Price S&P 500 DJ Islamic Index. Bloomberg ticker AMIC AMIC AMIC AMIC AMIC AMIC AMIC AMIC AMIC AMIC AMIC AMIC KWSEIDX SPX DJIM Todays value as of August 15, 2012 August 15, 2012 August 15, 2012 August 15, 2012 August 15, 2012 August 15, 2012 August 15, 2012 August 15, 2012 August 15, 2012 August 15, 2012 August 15, 2012 August 15, 2012 August 15, 2012 August 14, 2012 August 14, 2012 Todays closing Prev closing value value 178.83 178.27 176.60 176.07 62.55 62.15 304.87 305.95 69.95 69.62 19.02 18.52 48.19 47.80 131.64 131.44 247.31 245.39 209.49 209.49 136.96 137.22 220.14 218.90 5,713.28 5,700.51 1,403.93 1,404.11 2,234.58 2,231.66 % change 0.31% 0.31% 0.65% -0.35% 0.47% 2.71% 0.82% 0.15% 0.79% 0.00% -0.19% 0.56% 0.22% -0.01% 0.13% 1-week change 0.80% 0.79% -0.31% 0.12% -1.15% -11.62% 0.70% -0.20% 2.09% -2.54% 0.34% 1.23% 0.04% 0.70% 0.99% 3-month change -4.52% -4.06% -22.33% -1.09% -6.99% -46.61% -7.43% -13.21% -3.14% -4.58% -4.83% -16.69% -11.13% 5.97% 5.99% YTD change -4.67% -5.70% 1.19% -5.59% 58.74% -45.44% 14.23% -10.64% -7.62% -11.47% -1.94% 49.37% -1.74% 11.64% 8.00% 12-month change -6.52% -7.56% 4.74% -7.50% 65.78% -22.12% 19.68% -12.43% -10.51% -10.99% -3.84% 50.57% -2.28% 16.56% 6.10% 24-month change -11.36% -11.76% -18.27% -2.47% 39.62% -40.29% 10.22% -24.76% -16.43% -15.40% -6.80% -0.27% -14.20% 30.08% 19.71%
43 Deyaar Q2 profit
Property developer Deyaar on Wednesday reported a marginal increase in quarterly net profit as it slashed costs to offset a sharp drop in revenues following Dubais property market collapse. Deyaar, the emirates second largest developer by market value, made a net profit of 18.6 million dirhams ($5 million) for the quarter, compared with 18.1 million dirhams made during the same period in 2011, it said in a statement on the Dubai bourse.(RTRS)
dinar
The exchange rate of the US dollar against the Kuwaiti dinar rose to KD 0.282, the euro stood at KD 0.348, said the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) on W e d n e s d a y . Meanwhile, the exchange rate of the Sterling pound was at KD 0.442. (KUNA)
Website: www.almadar-fi.com
KUWAIT CITY, Aug 15: Kuwait stocks covered more ground Wednesday, extending the gains to the third straight session.
The index rose 12.71 points in choppy trade helped by buying in heavyweights and some of the mid-caps even investors remained positive cautious. KSE, after slipping 1.19 percent in the whole of July, was dampened by bearish sentiment in the first week following the political crisis .
The KSX 15 climbed 3.18 points to 956.29 points whereas the weighted index was up 0.96 pts. The volume rose above the 100 million mark for the 2nd time during the month helped mostly by speculative trading. 111.89 million shares changed hands up 12.95 percent from Tuesday. Sector-wise, technology outshone the peers with 2.18 percent jump whereas oil and gas slipped 0.27 percent, the biggest loser of the day. Volume-wise, financial sector notched the highest market share of 32.45 percent and real estate stood close behind with 31.72 percent. Gulf Glass Manufacturing Co soared 50 fils to KD 0.710 while Kuwait Portland Cement Co gained 20 fils to settle at KD 0.880. Automated Systems Co climbed 25 fils to KD 0.465. The company has earned KD 3,705,298 in
the January-June period while earnings per share stood at 92.54 fils. Bourse heavyweight Zain added 10 fils extending the gains from Tuesday and closed at KD 0.690 whereas Agility held the ground unchanged at KD 0.405. The logistics major has posted KD 7.82 million in the April- June quarter as against KD 7.83 million in the year-ago period. The market opened weak and slipped below the red in early trading. The index move flat and clawed back thereafter as buying picked up in select counters and crested at 5713.29 points past the mid-session. It slumped again briefly in the final minutes before rebounding to close with modest gains.
0.451 million. Kuwait International Bank was unchanged at KD 0.246 and Kuwait Finance House too did not budge from its previous close of KD 0.690. The Capital Intelligence earlier in July had affirmed KFHs Foreign Currency Long and Short term ratings at A+ and A1 respectively, while its Financial Strength Rating is placed at BBB+. National Investment Co eased 2 fils to KD 0.104 and International Financial Advisors was steady at 37 fils. KIPCO too stagnated at KD 0.365 whereas Securities Group climbed 6 fils to KD 0.130.
Fell
Al Maal Investment Co fell 1 fils after trading 1.5 million shares and Bayan Investment inched 0.5 fils lower. KAMCO was not traded during the session. The company has suffered a net loss of KD 2.902.183 and loss per share of 12.14 fils in H1 as against net profit of KD 443.838 and EPS of 1.86 fils in the same period last year. Kuwait Food Co ( Americana) was flat at KD 1.300 while Jazeera Airways pulled 10 fils lower. The carriers Q2 net profit jumped 23.5 percent to KD 2.6 million while operating profit surged 49.2 percent year-on-year to KD 4.2 million. In the first half net earnings climbed 21.6 percent to KD 3.8 million. The bourse has been upbeat so far during the week and has gained 13.92 points in last four sessions. It has slipped 7.09 points from start of the month and is trading 1.35 percent lower year-to-date.
Rallied
Top gainer of the day, Manafae Investment Co rallied 9.09 percent to 60 fils while Marakez climbed 7.8 percent to stand next. Credit Rating and Collection Co (Tahssilat) slid 13.24 percent, the steepest decliner of the day, while Abyaar Real Estate Development Co topped the volume with 17.8 million shares. Mirroring the days gain, the market spread was skewed towards the winners. 45 stocks advanced whereas 31 closed lower. Of the 113 counters active on Wednesday, 37 closed flat. 2080 deals worth KD 20.21 million were transacted a 50.85 percent surge in value from the previous session. Among other notable gainers, National Industries Group rose 2 fils on back of 2.9 million shares. NIG said earPhoto by Anwar Daifallah
Seen in the photo, investors at KSE trading floor on Wednesday. The main index ended higher during the session.
lier in the week that it will repay its $475 million Islamic bond, or sukuk, maturing on August 16. Kuwait Foundry Co was up 5 fils at KD 0.265 and Aref Energy Holding Co followed suit. RISCO edged 2 fils higher to KD 0.198 while Gulf Cables rallied 40 fils. The company has posted net profit of KD 9,837,065 and earnings per share of 47 fils in the first half as against KD 32,419,728 earnings and 154 fils EPS in the same period last year. In the banking sector, National Bank of Kuwait rose 10 fils on back of 13.393
million shares to end at KD 1.000. The stock has added 10 fils from start of the month and has retreated 120 fils year-todate. Burgan Bank was not traded during the session whereas Boubyan Bank pulled 10 fils lower. Gulf Bank closed flat at KD 0.400 whereas Commercial Bank of Kuwait and Al Ahli Bank were not traded during the session. CBK has posted a 5.4-percent drop in Q2 earnings to KD 1.22 million owing to heavy provisioning once again wiped out earnings growth. In the first half, the net profit clocked KD
KSE, with 213 listed companies, is the second largest bourse in the region. In the bourse related news, Manafae Investment has slumped KD 301,243 into red in first six months of 2012 while the loss per share chalked 1.60 fils. This compares with net loss of KD 651,870 and loss per share of 3.48 fils in 2011 H1. IFA Hotels and Resorts Co. has incurred a net loss of KD 1,805,454 and loss per share of 4.19 fils as compared to KD 5,170,290 earning and 11.99 fils EPS in the same period last year. Alsalam Group Holding announced has earned KD 238,729 in the first six months of the year while earnings per share chalked 1.03 fils. This compares with net loss of KD 21,578 and loss per share of 0.09 fils in the same period last year. Kuwait National Cinema has registered net profit of KD 3.30 million and earnings per share of 33.11 fils in the first six months of 2012 as against KD 3,453,847 earning and 34.56 fils EPS in the same period last year. National Petroleum Services Co has posted a 43.3 percent drop in earnings to KD 907,000 during the H1. In the second-quarter, the profit dropped 41.2 percent year-over-year to KD 514,2 000 . United Industries Company (UIC), a unit of Kuwait Projects Company Group has incurred a second quarter loss of KD 134,116 . Companys net profit for the first half surged KD 2.51 million while earnings per share stood at 5.21 fils per share.
BUSINESS
US Womens Gymnastics Olympic Gold Medal team, (left to right), Kyla Ross, Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Jordan Wieber pose on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange just before ringing the closing bell on Aug 14. (AFP)
Facebooks early investors and a handful of directors will become eligible on Thursday to sell stock they own in the social networking company. It marks the beginning of a time-honored process for public companies, one that will give many Facebook employees the same right to sell their shares this fall. Its conceivable none of them will sell. But if they do, up to 1.91 billion more shares could flood the stock market over the next several months more than four times the 421 million shares that have been trading since Facebooks initial public offering in May. So-called lock-up periods, which prevent
the
global economy caught up to Deere & Co in its fiscal third quarter, as its net income rose 11 percent but fell well short of Wall Streets expectations. Deere cut its revenue prediction for the year, and investors reacted swiftly. Shares dropped more than 7 percent. Delays in production lines also hurt the worlds largest producer of agricultural equipment. Ongoing drought in the Midwest had a minimal impact, executives said in a conference call with analysts. The Moline, Illinois, company, said Wednesday that it earned $788 million, or $1.98 per share for the quarter ended July 31, compared with $712.3 million, or $1.69 per share for the same period last year. Analysts expected $2.31 per share in the most recent quarter, according to FactSet. Revenue rose 15 percent to $9.59 billion, missing analysts average prediction of $9.61 billion. (AP)
bottomline Equities boosted by stimulus hopes; dollar hits one-month high vs yen
itability after racking up debts to expand. Despite that, net debt barely changed in the first half, standing at 812 million euros at end-June. Loans from Abu Dhabi-based carrier Etihad Airways, which last year bought a 29 percent stake, accounted for about 163 million euros of the debt. (RTRS)
Oil
Brent crude oil futures extended gains on Wednesday to above $116 a barrel, the highest in more than 3 months, as a sharp drawdown in US crude stockpiles combined with expected lower North Sea oil output to paint a tighter supply picture on both sides of the Atlantic. Fears of supply disruptions as Middle East tensions festered, as well as hopes for further stimulus from major central banks to support the weakening global economy, added lift to oil futures. US crude oil inventories dropped 3.7 million barrels last week, the third straight week of drawdowns, data from the US Energy Information Administration showed. The drawdown was far bigger than the forecast for a 1.7 million barrel decline in a Reuters poll of analysts. A steep drop in US gasoline stocks due to a series of refinery outages lifted gasoline futures to their highest intraday level since May, gaining nearly 3 percent to lead the petroleum complex. While the crude stock draw was larger than expected, more importantly we see the large dip in gasoline stocks ready to push us higher into the second half of summer, said Carl Larry, president of Oil Outlooks in New York. In London, September Brent crude was up $2.55, or 2.24 percent, at $116.58 barrel by 2 pm EDT (1800 GMT). It reached a session high of $116.72, the loftiest for front-month Brent since May 3. US September crude oil was up $1.08, or 1.2 percent, at $94.51, having hit a session peak of $94.90 which marked the highest since May 15. US gasoline stocks fell 2.4 million barrels last week, greater than the 1.5million-barrel drop predicted. The fourweek average demand for refined products in the United States rose to 19.3 million barrels per day, the highest since early September 2011, the EIA data showed. US September gasoline rose to a session high $3.0890 a gallon, the highest intraday price since May 3. Brent crude oils premium to US crude climbed to $22.07, heading for its highest close since October, squeezed by maintenance in North Sea production on which the benchmarks price is calculated. The pace of trading picked up, raising Brents total trading volume to more than 8 percent above its 30-day average and US crude dealings rose 11 percent above its 30-day average, Reuters data showed.
SAN FRANCISCO: Add Angies List to the list of Internet companies now trading below their IPO price. Angies Lists stock broke the barrier Tuesday as investors fretted about a potential wave of selling by major shareholders of the online business review service. The worries stemmed from the expiration of a ban that had prevented the owners of 25.2 million shares from selling their stock until Tuesday. The restrictions on about 44 percent of Angies Lists outstanding stock helped boost the companys stock by limiting the number of shares trading on the market. Stripped of that protection, shares of Angies List Inc shed $2.12 to close Tuesday at $11.17. That left the shares below their initial public offering price of $13. Tuesdays 16 percent drop marks the biggest one-day decline in Angies Lists shares since the companys stock market debut nine months ago. It also represents Angies Lists lowest closing price so far. (AP) NEW YORK: Private equity firm Carlyle Group LP agreed to take over photo agency Getty Images Inc from Hellman & Friedman LLC in a $3.3 billion deal, betting on growing demand for online images as the media industry shifts away from print. As websites from companies like Facebook Inc and Groupon Inc commission as many images as magazines and television outlets do, Carlyle sees an opportunity to boost the business further globally and through new products. We will harness Carlyles financial resources and global network to help take Getty Images to the next stage of product innovation and global growth, Carlyle Managing Director Eliot Merrill said on Wednesday. (RTRS) FRANKFURT: Air Berlin is to sell eight planes to improve its deteriorating finances and help cut debt by 300 million euros ($370 million) by the yearend, it said on Wednesday. Cutting debt is our clear aim for 2012, Germanys second-biggest airline after Lufthansa said, adding that it expected to improve its performance in 2012 with 230 million euros in savings from a cost-cutting programme. It also still aims to return to an operating profit in 2013, Chief Executive Hartmut Mehdorn confirmed. Air Berlin, which has not posted a full-year operating profit since 2007, has already cut seats, unprofitable routes and postponed plane orders to reduce costs and shrink its way back to prof-
Europe
Europes main stock markets dropped Wednesday after losses in Asia but Standard Chartered shares rebounded after the bank agreed a hefty fine over claims it helped Iranian firms bypass US sanctions. Markets failed to get much of a midday bounce from mixed US data. In afternoon trading the benchmark FTSE 100 index of leading companies fell 0.40 percent to 5,841.52 points while Frankfurts DAX 30 dropped 0.40 percent to 6,946.80 points. In Paris the CAC 40 bucked the trend to add 0.30 percent to 3,460.70 points. Milan was up 0.85 percent and Madrid climbed 0.67 percent. Shares in Standard Chartered bucked the trend however, jumping 4.93 percent to 1,437.5 pence. The banks share price had plunged on August 7, closing down almost 17 percent to 1,223.57 pence, after New York state regulators accused it of hiding transactions with Iranian banks. It rebounded strongly in the following days. Standard Chartered said late Tuesday that it had agreed to pay a fine of $340 million to the state regulator following allegations that it hid 60,000 transactions with proscribed Iranian clients worth $250 billion over ten years.
Asia
Asian markets fell Wednesday despite better-than-expected US and European data, while Standard Chartered bank rebounded after settling claims it helped Iranian firms dodge US sanctions. With many traders away for summer breaks volume was light and movement limited, while Wall Street offered little guidance with a mixed finish. Hong Kong fell 1.18 percent, or 239.39 points, to 20,052.29, Tokyo was off 0.05 percent, or 4.84 points, to 8,925.04, and Sydney lost 0.26 percent, or 11 points, to 4,281.2. Shanghai lost 1.10 percent, or 23.58 points, to 2,118.95. Seoul was closed for a public holiday. In other markets: Taipei fell 0.15 percent, or 11.51 points, to 7,467.74. Smartphone maker HTC slid 4.13 percent to Tw$243.5 while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co was 0.24 percent lower at Tw$83.0. Wellington rose 0.62 percent, or 22.30 points, to 3,631.19. Contact Energy gained 0.4 percent to end at NZ$4.90, while Telecom Corp surged 3.3 percent to NZ$2.835 and Fletcher Building was steady on NZ$6.53. Manila was flat, edging down 0.01 percent, or 0.72 points, to 5,266.66. Top-traded Ayala Corp. fell 1.85 percent to 425 pesos and Metropolitan Bank added 0.90 percent to 94.85 pesos. Singapore closed 0.83 percent, or 25.73 points, lower at 3,062.11. Singapore Telecom was down 0.60 percent to Sg$3.34 and casino operator Genting Singapore rose 2.34 percent to Sg$1.31. Kuala Lumpur stocks gained 0.05 percent, or 0.88 points, to 1,653.78. PPB Group lost 4.6 percent to 14.10 ringgit, AirAsia shed 1.6 percent to 3.60 and Maxis gained 0.7 percent to 6.87.
AMSTERDAM: Dutch telecom operator KPN called off the sale of its Belgian mobile business, which it had hoped would raise up to 1.8 billion euros ($2.1 billion), saying on Wednesday that the offers it received were too low. The failure of the auction, which had drawn five non-binding bids from private equity groups, a Belgian cable operator and a media group, means KPN faces tough choices on how to reduce its debt and find money needed for network investment in its home market. KPN ruled out a rights issue and any further cuts in its dividend following a sharp reduction last month, a company spokesman told Reuters. Its shares were down 1.4 percent at 1045 GMT. (RTRS)
SYDNEY: Australias biggest banking group, the Commonwealth Bank, on Wednesday posted a record full-year net profit despite subdued revenue growth with customers cautious about global instability. The countrys top home lender said profit for the 12 months ending June 30 rose 11 percent to A$7.09 billion ($7.43 billion), from A$6.39 billion the year before. Cash profit which strips out oneoff costs was A$7.11 billion, up four percent. Revenue rose two percent to A$47.2 billion. This is a good result given the uncertain environment in which we are operating, said chief executive Ian Narev, with the companys share price rising 0.92 percent to A$56.05 in a falling market. As expected, revenue growth was subdued reflecting ongoing caution from both our retail and corporate customers. This translated into lower credit growth and greater pressure on market sensitive businesses. (AFP)
UK
Britains top share index fell on Wednesday in sluggish volumes as weakness in index heavyweights such as miners, tobaccos and Vodafone outstripped gains in financials. Londons benchmark index closed down 31.74 points or 0.5 percent at 5,833.04, erasing the previous sessions gains and fluctuating in a tight range between 5,800 and 5,900 in volumes just 66 percent of their 90-day average. The FTSE 100 has flattened out with the summer rally waning as investors
US
US stocks traded in a narrow range Wednesday after mixed data showed a slight rebound in industrial production and home building in July but a downturn in New York manufacturing. At 11:00 am (1500 GMT) the bluechip Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 4.96 points (0.04 percent) to 13,167.18.
Sterling pound
Cash .437600 .447600 .447000 .439000 .454000 .436020 .449920 .439390 .448460 .434500 .443530 .436280 .448100 .467000 Draft .436600 .445600 .444220 .443975 .441032 .439000 .439931 .446766 .440890 .445460 .436000 .440530 .440810 .445030 .475000 Transfer .436600 .445600 .444220 .443975 .441032 .439000 .439931 .446766 .440890 .445460 .436000 .440530 .440810 .445030 .475000 Cash .344500 .353500 .351000 .345000 .362000 .343057 .354602 .345420 .353780 .339010 .347320 .343250 .353030
Euro
Draft .344500 .352000 .350600 .348970 .347126 .349716 .346134 .352116 .346920 .350780 .340510 .344320 .346810 .350610 .406000 Transfer .344500 .352000 .350600 .348970 .347126 .349716 .346134 .352116 .346920 .350780 .340510 .344320 .346810 .350610
Japanese yen
Cash .353000 .371000 .003650 Draft .003605 .004580 .003568 .003594 .003561 .003626 .035627 .036098 .003588 .003636 .035605 .036082 .003200 Transfer .003605 .004580 .003568 .003594 .003561 .003626 .035627 .036098 .003588 .003636 .035605 .036082 .003200
Swiss franc
Cash .284500 .294000 .292500 .287000 296000 .284670 .294670 .279180 .289100 Draft .285500 .292500 .291600 .290575 .288993 .291149 .287782 .293408 .288670 .292170 .283180 .286600 .288480 .292150 Transfer .285500 .292500 .291600 .290575 .288993 .291149 .287782 .293408 .288670 .292170 .297119 .299506 .288480 .292150
Canadian dollar
Cash .279400 .287900 .290000 .281000 .292000 .277897 .282890 Draft .277400 .286400 .285850 .288830 .283463 .285578 .282039 .287493 .283030 .286440 .286988 .277020 .282980 .286530 Transfer .277400 .286400 .285850 .288830 .283463 .285578 .282039 .287493 .283030 .286440 .286988 .277020 .282980 .286530 .267000
Swedish kroner
Cash .383000 .433000 Draft .041982 .042296 .041936 .042700 .041870 .042310 .041155 .041482 .041810 .042650 Transfer .041982 .042296 .041936 .042700 .041870 .042310 .041155 .041482 .041810 .042650
Saudi riyal
Cash .074780 .075470 .076000 .072000 .078000 .074175 .076235 .073980 .076670 .073684 .075774 .074070 .076170 .076800 Draft .074830 .075470 .754570 .075325 .075073 .075634 .074906 .073701 .074980 .075670 .075640 .072340 .074840 .075640 .076800 Transfer .074830 .075470 .754570 .075325 .075073 .075634 .074906 .073701 .074980 .075670 .074280 .075640 .074840 .075640 .076800
UAE dirham
Cash .076610 .077060 .077000 .076406 .077174 .075788 .077899 .076410 .077170 .075223 .077374 .076352 .077119 .078600 Draft .075510 .076960 .077050 .076920 .076658 .077230 .076494 .077312 .076570 .077250 .077237 .074510 .076350 .077260 .078390 Transfer .075510 .076960 .077050 .076920 .076658 .077230 .076494 .077312 .076570 .077250 .075832 .077237 .076350 .077260 .078390
Bahraini dinar
Cash .743680 .751680 .749000 .074440 .075188 .737824 .758304 .744400 .751880 Draft .743180 .751680 .075156 .748180 .074684 .075242 .745103 .752989 .746060 .752820 .740873 .750398 .744590 .752960 Transfer .743180 .751680 .075156 .748180 .074684 .075242 .745103 .752989 .746060 .752820 .740873 .750398 .744590 .752960 Transfer .393010 .400510 .399560 .398365 .000000 .040106 .401345 .394853 .398939 .395570 .402170 .401670 .415000
Omani riyal
Cash .728510 .734190 .729754 .737089 .722430 .742712 .729750 .737090 .735741 .752000 Draft .723010 .734010 .073496 .731324 .736781 .729558 .747506 .730560 .737070 .734440 .722120 .728980 .737340 .748000 Transfer .723010 .734010 .073496 .731324 .736781 .729558 .747506 .730560 .737070 .734440 .719020 .728980 .737340 .759930
Danish kroner
BEC Muzaini Dollarco Commercial Bank Gulf Bank NBK Burgan Bank ABK Oman Buy Sell Sell Sell Buy Sell Buy Sell Buy Sell Buy Sell Buy Sell Buy Sell Cash .429000 .479000 Draft .046637 .046985 .046490 .047305 .046560 .047030 .046462 .046997 .046450 .047420 Draft Transfer .046637 .046985 .046490 .047305 .046560 .047030 .046462 .046997 .046450 .047420
Indian rupee
Cash .004880 .005320 .005250 .004000 .006500 Draft .005010 .005070 .005087 .005081 .005135 .005144 .005094 .005093 .005034 .005119 Transfer .005010 .005070 .005087 .005081 .005135 .005144 .005094 .005093 .005034 .005119
Pakistani rupee
Cash .002800 .003080 .003150 Draft .002960 .002993 .002994 .003002 .003016 .003030 .003233 .003053 .003175 Transfer .002960 .002993 .002994 .003002 .003016 .003030 .003233 .003053 .003175
Bangladesh taka
Cash .003070 .003720 .003650 .004250 Cash Draft .003411 .003451 .003452 .003454 .003492 .003505 .004017 .004170 Draft Transfer .003411 .003451 .003452 .003454 .003492 .003505 .004017 .004170 Transfer
Philippine peso
Cash .006700 .006980 .007000 .006000 Draft .006283 .006740 .006692 .006702 .006772 .006850 .006449 .006976 .006467 Transfer .006283 .006740 .006692 .006702 .006772 .006850 .006449 .006976 .006467
Australian dollar
Cash .289300 .300800 .294000 .303000 .237000 Cash .000161 .000161 Draft .287300 .299300 .294692 .296891 .294384 .299895 .294480 .297950 .284712 .286988 .294610 .297590 .237000 Draft Transfer .287300 .299300 .294692 .296891 .294384 .299895 .294480 .297950 .300480 .284712 .294610 .297590 .299940 Transfer
Singapore dollar
Cash .223950 .228450 Draft .222950 .228450 .227190 .225412 .227094 .224910 .228789 .225120 .227350 .216673 .218433 .225150 .227660 Transfer .222950 .228450 .227190 .225412 .227094 .224910 .228789 .225120 .227350 .222630 .216673 .225150 .227660
Jordanian dinar
Cash .393040 .400540 .400000 .386000 .406000 .415000 Transfer .393010 .400510 .399560 .398365 .000000 .040106 .401345 .394853 .398939 .395570 .402170 .401670 .415000
Egyptian pound
Cash .043770 .046870 .048200 .049000 .043000 .051000 .056000 Draft .044532 .046552 .046568 .046498 .046879 .047830 .049026 .047060 Transfer .044532 .046552 .046568 .046498 .046879 .047830 .049026 .047060 Transfer .220900 .230900 .226462 .231356 .226040 .229450
Cyprus Pound
BEC Muzaini Gulf Bank ABK Buy Sell Sell Buy Sell Buy Sell Cash .542100 .555100 Transfer
Yemeni riyal
Cash Draft Transfer .128000 .136000 .001320 .001320 Sterling .4456000 .4540000 .4467660 .4450300
Thai baht
Cash Draft Transfer .085800 .085800 .085800 .092800 .091800 .091800 .089780 .089780 Euro .3620000 .3521160 .3506100
Korean won
Syrian pound
Cash Draft Transfer .004200 .004200 .004200 .004400 .004400 .004400 .004936 .004936 Gold ounce 468.000
Iranian tuman
Lebanese pound
Cash Draft Transfer .000179 .000183 .000183 .000191 .000190 .000190 .189800 .189800 Gold gm 18k 11.000
Malaysian ringgit
Cash Draft Transfer .087290 .086290 .086290 .093290 .093290 .093290 100 gm 999 10 gm 999 153.000
Indonesian rupiah
Cash Draft Transfer .026000 .025000 .025000 .032000 .031000 .031000 .000030 .000030
travellers cheques
BEC Commercial Bank Gulf Bank Al-Ahli Bank
local gold
BEC Muzaini Exchange
Business Plus
Ugliness goes well beyond unemployment
Specialists Thomas Bishop (left), and Michael Pistillo work at their post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Aug 15. Stocks are edging higher on Wall Street following more signs that the US economic recovery is advancing, albeit at a slow pace. (AP)
By Paul Wiseman
AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON, Aug 15, (AP): The recession that ended three years ago this summer has been followed by the feeblest economic recovery since the Great Depression. Since World War II, 10 US recessions have been followed by a recovery that lasted at least three years. An Associated Press analysis shows that by just about any measure, the one that began in June 2009 is the weakest. The ugliness goes well beyond unemployment, which at 8.3 percent is the highest this long after a recession ended. Economic growth has never been weaker in a postwar recovery. Consumer spending has never been so slack. Only once has job growth been slower. More than in any other post-World War II recovery, people who have jobs are hurting, too: Their paychecks have fallen behind inflation. Many economists say the agonizing recovery from the Great Recession, which began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009, is the predictable consequence of a housing bust and a grave financial crisis. Credit, the fuel that powers economies, evaporated after Lehman Brothers collapsed in September 2008. And a 30 percent drop in housing prices erased trillions in home equity and brought construction to a near-standstill. So any recovery was destined to be a
A housing collapse is very different from a stock market bubble and crash. It affects so many people. It only corrects very slowly
slog. A housing collapse is very different from a stock market bubble and crash, says Nobel Prize-winning economist Peter Diamond of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It affects so many people. It only corrects very slowly. The US economy has other problems, too. Europes troubles have undermined consumer and business confidence on both sides of the Atlantic. And the deeply divided US political system has delivered growth-chilling uncertainty. The AP compared nine economic recoveries since the end of World War II that lasted at least three years. A 10th recovery that ran from 1945 to 1948 was not included because the statistics from that period arent comprehensive, although the available data show that hiring was robust. There were two short-lived recoveries 24 months and 12 months after the recessions of 1957-58 and 1980. Here is a closer look at how the comeback from the Great Recession stacks up with the others: Feeble growth Americas gross domestic product the broadest measure of economic output grew 6.8 percent from the AprilJune quarter of 2009 through the same quarter this year, the slowest in the first three years of a postwar recovery. GDP grew an average of 15.5 percent in the first three years of the eight other comebacks analyzed. The engines that usually drive recoveries arent firing this time.
Investment in housing, which grew an average of nearly 34 percent this far into previous postwar recoveries, is up just 8 percent since the April-June quarter of 2009. Thats because the overbuilding of the mid-2000s left a glut of houses. Prices fell and remain depressed. The housing market has yet to return to anything close to full health even as mortgage rates have plunged to record lows. Government spending and investment at the federal, state and local levels was 4.5 percent lower in the second quarter than three years earlier. Three years into previous postwar recoveries, government spending had risen an average 12.5 percent. In the first three years after the 1981-82 recession, during President Ronald Reagans first term, the economy got a jolt from a 15 percent increase in government spending and investment. This time, state and local governments have been slashing spending and jobs. And since passing President Barack Obamas $862 billion stimulus package in 2009, a divided Congress has been reluctant to try to help the economy with federal spending programs. Trying to contain the $11.1 trillion federal debt has been a higher priority. Since June 2009, governments at all levels have slashed 642,000 jobs, the only time government employment has fallen in the three years after a recession. This long after the 1973-74 recession, by contrast, governments had added more
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 15, (RTRS): As consumer Internet shares plummet, venture capital firms find themselves fending off increasingly uneasy investors who are urging them to cash out after millions and in some cases, billions of dollars evaporate from holdings. Rapid declines in once-hot names ranging from Facebook and Groupon to Pandora and Zynga are putting some strain on VCs relationships with their own investors, who do not often pick up the phone and weigh in with their opinions. Now, the calls they do get tend to focus on that group of highprofile companies, investors and VCs say. On Tuesday, many again got walloped. Daily-deals site Groupon lost a quarter of its value after posting dismal results, bringing its total loss in market value since November to more than 70
Jens Hutzschenreuter, managing director and head of the Central European department of the online shopping deals giant Groupon is pictured on Aug 14, at the companys office in Berlin, Germany. Groupon posted on Aug 13 a sound quarterly profit but saw its stock tumble nearly 20 percent due to a disappointing forecast for the months ahead. (AFP)
percent, or $9 billion. Social network Facebook shed 6 percent and is now about half its value at debut.
At a companys initial public offering and then again about six months afterward, venture backers are free to sell or distribute shares to their own investors, known as limited partners. But many hold on for months or sometimes years, leaving millions on the table when compared to the companies rich prices at IPO. We dont pay you to hold on to a public stock, said Chris Douvos, managing director of fund-of-funds service Venture Investment Associates and a former manager at Princeton Universitys endowment. The situation reminds him and others of the 2000 bursting of the dotcom bubble, when limited partners paper profits in companies that were long on buzz and short on business models dissipated at a rapid clip memories that could encourage limited partners to do some lobbying.
For endowments that spend based on the value of their portfolios, youve spent paper profits, which have now disappeared, Douvos said. Still, the impact is usually just a fraction of a percent of the endowment. Venture capital funds invest in stages over many years, so its difficult to estimate changes in the value of their holdings. Many likely made big profits on the dotcoms given the low prices they invested in initially, but the recent selloffs are compressing those returns. As of Tuesdays close, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers has seen its investment in gaming-company Zynga dwindle by $450 million since its IPO. Accel Partners, which won acclaim for being among the first to back Facebook, has nonetheless lost more than $2 billion on paper in three months. Greylock Partners still holds 9.6 mil-
lion shares in music-service Pandora; NEA holds 87.5 million shares in Groupon; Kleiner retains all its 65.2 million shares in Zynga; and Accel owns 152.3 million Facebook shares, filings show. Greylock, NEA and Kleiner declined to comment on specific holdings. Accel didnt respond to a request for comment. The situation underscores the delicate relationship between venture capitalists and the investors or limited partners they rely on. While the latter put in the hundreds of millions of dollars that make the funds possible, venture capitalists make the calls on what to buy, which companies to nurture, and when to exit. Now, with many high-profile consumer Internet companies well off their debut levels, many venture funds are holding stock worth as much as twothirds less than at the IPO.
LEISURE
N E W Y O R K T I M E S
CROSSWORD
46
Horoscope
By Jacqueline Bigar
Happy birthday for Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012: This year you grow and evolve to a new level. Events will come forth that allow you to understand more emotionally and learn more intellectually. Your efforts to network and become more socially integrated seem to come through to others. If you are single, you meet people with ease. A friendship could be instrumental in making a romance happen. You could meet Mr. or Ms. Right through a friend. You could be quite excited about this person. If you are attached, be more sensitive to your sweetie. Remember, a relationship is made of two people who both need attention. Another LEO can match you. He or she makes quite a competitor. The Stars Show the Kind of Day Youll Have: 5Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-Average; 2-So-so; 1-Difficult
Yang Guang (Sunshine), a giant male panda, chews on bamboo on his ninth birthday, his first on Scottish soil, at Edinburgh Zoo on Aug 14 in Edinburgh. Yang Guang is one of the two giant pandas which arrived at the zoo on Dec 4, 2011 and will spend 10 years on loan in the Scottish capital, a deal agreed after years of high-level political and diplomatic negotiations with China. (AFP)
contract b r i d g e
By Steve Becker
Aquarius your(Jan 20 -action as18): ***** - knee-jerk Feb being offOthers might see
the-wall. You could be taken aback by their reactions, since you know there is logic behind them. Let your creativity emerge. As a result, solutions will be found. Tonight: Let a love affair come back into your life.
Pisces doing a job 19 - Mar 20): ****resist - (Feb a certain way. You will You seem set on
approaching it in any other manner. Recognize that others could distance themselves because of your attitude. Stay centered and do your thing. A family member still surprises you! Tonight: Head home.
Aries - (Mardiscover just19): **** The unex21 - Apr pected occurs. You how much someone
cares, as this person spontaneously decides to express his or her affection. The end result will be that you are beaming from ear to ear. Your attitude is contagious. Tonight: Be authentic.
Taurus - (Apr 20 - May 20): *** Much goes on at home. Please note the many thoughts that
Shermans Lagoon By J. P. Toomey
race through your head. Be sure to do some comparison shopping before purchasing a big item. You have the tendency, and are in just the right mood, to go way overboard. Tonight: Order in.
Gemini -the(May words- Juneright time. A 21 20): ***** You tend to say right at the
meeting with a group of friends proves to be a very exciting experience, as someone seems to be bouncing off the walls. Know that regardless of what happens, you will land on your feet if you stay open. Tonight: All smiles.
Cancer to go off and buy this22): **** You - (June 21 - July and that. You might decide
could have a great time, but the results could be problematic. Someone you look up to could be difficult right now, as he or she is so unpredictable. Tonight: Make your favorite meal.
Leo - (July 23 - Aug 22): **** You might hear news that results in hurt feelings. The person
delivering this news does not intend the message to have that outcome. In fact, he or she is trying to demonstrate his or her caring and support. A meeting proves to be unusually supportive. Tonight: Friends are full of fun and energy.
Virgo - (Augof23 - SeptThe elementYoutiming 22): *** might want to share more yourself. of
Saturday: Once upon a time.
dear abby
Education cant stop at classroom door
By Abigail Van Buren
plays a role, and most likely, it is not clear when the best time is. A partner or friend surprises you with his or her actions. Go with the flow, and know that everything could change quickly. Tonight: Not to be found.
Libra what you want23 -a friendship. Ask for - (Sept from Oct 22): **** Emphasize
the support you want in a meeting. Clearly, others have difficulty anticipating what you want. Learn to express yourself more often and assume you have a receptive audience. Tonight: Where the action is.
Dear Abby: Wouldnt it make sense if grade school teachers set aside time, weekly or monthly, to go over some very generic information that kids need to learn? Im talking about things like how important it is to have pets neutered and why, how to manage money, and show them what the average dad earns and what it costs to run a household and support a family. It might help kids to grow up understanding that money isnt free and get them past the gimmes. There are so many topics that ought to be introduced to youngsters at an early age how to groom themselves properly, be exposed to a variety of music genres, teach them how grandparents can use help even from small children. They could be taught to be aware of their surroundings, to realize that foul language isnt an attribute and why its important to be pleasant. Abigail Van Buren There are so many topics. Ten minutes a week on different topics would suffice. Why not? Chaplin, Conn, reader Dear reader: Why not? Because teachers are so overwhelmed trying to get their students to learn enough basic curriculum to pass the state mandated tests that they dont have time! Reading your letter I couldnt help but wonder whose children you are describing. All of the topics you mentioned are things children should learn from their parents. Where are those parents? AWOL? Dear Abby: I have just started back into the dating scene after my divorce and being single for five years. I had a vasectomy when I was married, and Im wondering at what point I should tell prospective dates this information. Snipped in Ontario, Canada Dear snipped: Raise the subject as soon as a woman mentions the idea of wanting children. It should certainly be
discussed before you have sex. P.S. Because vasectomies have been known to fail, and wont prevent someone from picking up an STD, you should always make sure you and your partner are protected by using a condom. Dear Abby: Several years ago we bought a used sofa at a garage sale. It is now falling apart. A friend of mine in the hotel business offered me an almost new sofa bed from a room that was being redecorated. It matches the colors in our game room perfectly. My wife said, You cant bring hotel furniture into the house. Yuck! My logic is this: Why cant our kids sleep on a hotel bed in our house if our other houseguests are using the kids rooms? We would use our clean sheets, and they sleep on the sofa beds in the hotels we stay in. My wife will sleep in a hotel bed that 100 percent of the guests sleep in, but she doesnt want a bug-free sofa bed that about 5 percent of hotel guests have used in our home for occasional use. Am I cheap, or am I married to a clean freak? Whos been sleeping in my bed? Dear whos been sleeping: Not knowing you better, I cant say whether or not youre cheap. But your wife should know that many people buy used hotel furniture, and selling it is big business. The sofa bed could be cleaned and sanitized and the mattress replaced. (Inquire about it at any furniture store that sells sofa beds.) But dont push your wife into taking it or the person who winds up sleeping on it could be you. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. (Source: Universal Uclick)
Scorpio and(Oct 23 -sell yourself *** Take a - refuse to Nov 21): short. You stand quickly,
know what you want and in which direction you would like to head. In order to accomplish more of what you want, you will need to take the lead. Tonight: A must appearance.
Sagittariusobvious when22 - Deca loved - (Nov relating to 21): **** Look past the
one or a child. What did he or she not say? This person does not intend to be secretive, but it is just the way he or she is. Try not to define this behavior; instead, be open and authentic. Tonight: Let music be a dominant theme.
odds n ends
CHESHIRE, Connecticut: A Connecticut utility has reimbursed a woman almost $10,500 after acknowledging it billed her for 25 years for the electricity used to power streetlights near her home. Grace Edwards tells the Hartford Courant she discovered the billing error after a prospective buyer for the house in Cheshire asked for a history of utility charges. Connecticut Light & Power says a developer who previously owned the home had agreed to pay for the lights. (AP)
SINGAPORE:
A 76-year-old Singaporean man who lived alone was found dead in his flat which was piled to the ceiling with rubbish he had collected from bins over the past decade, a report said Wednesday. An emergency services team took nearly an hour Monday to dismantle the apartments heavily locked front door after neighbours complained of a stench and as long to find the remains after going through the junk, the Straits Times said. Police confirmed Wednesday that they found the body of a man in his 70s in a public housing flat and were investigating it as an unnatural death. (AFP)
VIENNA:
Numbers
5888
Five thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight Khamsat alaaf wa thaman maah wa thamani wa thamanoon
An African elephant in Vienna Zoo has been impregnated using frozen sperm from a male living in the wild, in what the Zoo said Monday was a world first. Pregnancy has been achieved before elsewhere using frozen sperm in two cases, once with an African elephant and once with an Asian one, but both times the males were in captivity and the foetuses died, a zoo spokeswoman told AFP. If this calf is born it will be the first time worldwide that this works with frozen sperm, she said. (AFP)
SPORTS
47
Detroits Miguel Cabrera hits an RBI single to score Omar Infante against the Minnesota Twins during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Aug 14, in Minneapolis. Cabrera became the first player to reach 100 RBIs this season on the hit. The Tigers won 8-4. (AP)
MLB Scoreboard
WASHINGTON, Aug 15, (Agencies): Results and standings from the MLB games on Tuesday. Baltimore 7 Boston 1 NY Yankees 3 Texas 0 LA Dodgers 11 Pittsburgh 0 Chicago W. Sox 3 Toronto 2 Atlanta 6 San Diego 0 Philadelphia 1 Miami 0 Cincinnati 3 NY Mets 0 Houston 10 Chicago Cubs 1 Kansas City 5 Oakland 0 Detroit 8 Minnesota 4 St Louis 8 Arizona 2 Colorado 8 Milwaukee 6 LA Angels 9 Cleveland 6 Seattle 3 Tampa Bay 2 San Francisco 6 Washington 1 Standings American League Eastern Division W L NY Yankees 69 47 Tampa Bay 63 53 Baltimore 63 53 Boston 57 60 Toronto 55 61 Central Division W L Chicago W. Sox 63 52 Detroit 62 55 Cleveland 54 63 Kansas City 50 65 Minnesota 50 66 Western Division W L Texas 67 48 Oakland 61 54 LA Angels 61 56 Seattle 54 64 National League Eastern Division W L 72 45 67 49 55 61 54 62 52 65 Central Division W L 70 46 64 52 63 53 52 63 45 70 39 79 Western Division W L 64 53 64 53 58 58 52 66 43 71 MLB Linescores PCT .595 .543 .543 .487 .474 PCT .548 .530 .462 .435 .431 PCT .583 .530 .521 .458 GB 6 6 12-1/2 14 GB 2 10 13 13-1/2 GB 6 7 14-1/2 Brantly. W_K.Kendrick 5-9. L_Jo.Johnson 7-9. Sv_Papelbon (26). HRs_Philadelphia, Rollins (14). New York 000 000 000-0 6 0 Cincinnati 000 000 003-3 11 1 C.Young, R.Ramirez (6), Parnell (7), Rauch (8), Acosta (9), Edgin (9) and Thole; Latos, Marshall (8), Arredondo (9) and Hanigan. W_Arredondo 5-2. L_Acosta 1-3. HRs_Cincinnati, Bruce (23). Houston 103 005 100-10 14 0 Chicago 000 000 100-1 6 1 Harrell, R.Cruz (9) and C.Snyder; Volstad, L.Castillo (6), Bowden (6), Al.Cabrera (9) and W.Castillo. W_Harrell 10-8. L_Volstad 0-9. HRs_Houston, Wallace (5), F.Martinez (1), S.Moore (6). Arizona 000 000 200-2 7 2 St Louis 000 201 23x-8 9 0 I.Kennedy, Ziegler (7), Shaw (8) and M.Montero; J.Kelly, Mujica (7), Boggs (8), Salas (9) and Y.Molina, T.Cruz. W_J.Kelly 3-5. L_I.Kennedy 10-10. HRs_Arizona, M.Montero (14). St. Louis, Holliday (23), Jay (4). Milwaukee 001 010 103-6 13 0 Colorado 401 012 00x-8 15 2 Wolf, Veras (6), Axford (7), M.Parra (8) and M.Maldonado; Chatwood, Roenicke (7), Mat.Reynolds (8), Belisle (8), Brothers (9), R.Betancourt (9) and W.Rosario. W_Chatwood 3-2. L_Wolf 3-9. Sv_R.Betancourt (21). HRs_Milwaukee, M.Maldonado (7). Colorado, W.Rosario (19), E.Young (3). Washington 000 000 100-1 5 1 San Francisco 010 001 04x-6 13 1 Zimmermann, Mic.Gonzalez (6), Mattheus (7), Storen (8), S.Burnett (8) and Flores; Bumgarner and Posey. W_Bumgarner 13-7. L_Zimmermann 9-7. MLB Leaders American League BATTING: Trout, Los Angeles, .341; MiCabrera, Detroit, .326; Jeter, New York, .320; Mauer, Minnesota, .318; Revere, Minnesota, .317; Konerko, Chicago, .316; Ortiz, Boston, .316. RUNS: Trout, Los Angeles, 91; Kinsler, Texas, 82; Granderson, New York, 79; MiCabrera, Detroit, 76; AJackson, Detroit, 75; Cano, New York, 74; AdJones, Baltimore, 73. RBI: MiCabrera, Detroit, 101; Hamilton, Texas, 99; Willingham, Minnesota, 88; Fielder, Detroit, 84; Pujols, Los Angeles, 82; Encarnacion, Toronto, 80; AdGonzalez, Boston, 80. HITS: Jeter, New York, 156; MiCabrera, Detroit, 151; Cano, New York, 141; AdGonzalez, Boston, 138; AGordon, Kansas City, 136; AdJones, Baltimore, 136; Rios, Chicago, 135. DOUBLES: AGordon, Kansas City, 38; AdGonzalez, Boston, 36; Choo, Cleveland, 35; Brantley, Cleveland, 34; Cano, New York, 32; Kinsler, Texas, 32; Pujols, Los Angeles, 32. TRIPLES: AJackson, Detroit, 8; JWeeks, Oakland, 8; Andrus, Texas, 6; Rios, Chicago, 6; ISuzuki, New York, 6; 7 tied at 5. HOME RUNS: ADunn, Chicago, 33; Hamilton, Texas, 32; Encarnacion, Toronto, 30; Granderson, New York, 30; Willingham, Minnesota, 30; MiCabrera, Detroit, 29; Trumbo, Los Angeles, 29. STOLEN BASES: Trout, Los Angeles, 37; RDavis, Toronto, 35; Revere, Minnesota, 28; Crisp, Oakland, 25; Kipnis, Cleveland, 23; JDyson, Kansas City, 22; DeJennings, Tampa Bay, 22; BUpton, Tampa Bay, 22. PITCHING: Weaver, Los Angeles, 15-2; Price, Tampa Bay, 15-4; Sale, Chicago, 14-3; MHarrison, Texas, 13-7; Vargas, Seattle, 13-8; Sabathia, New York, 12-3; Verlander, Detroit, 12-7; Darvish, Texas, 12-8. STRIKEOUTS: Verlander, Detroit, 174; Scherzer, Detroit, 168; Darvish, Texas, 162; FHernandez, Seattle, 162; Shields, Tampa Bay, 153; Price, Tampa Bay, 151; Peavy, Chicago, 144. SAVES: Rodney, Tampa Bay, 37; JiJohnson, Baltimore, 34; CPerez, Cleveland, 32; RSoriano, New York, 28; Nathan, Texas, 23; Aceves, Boston, 23; Broxton, Kansas City, 23. National League BATTING: McCutchen, Pittsburgh, .359; MeCabrera, San Francisco, .346; Votto, Cincinnati, .342; Posey, San Francisco, .331; DWright, New York, .323; CGonzalez, Colorado, .321; Holliday, St. Louis, .315. RUNS: MeCabrera, San Francisco, 84; Bourn, Atlanta, 81; McCutchen, Pittsburgh, 81; JUpton, Arizona, 77; CGonzalez, Colorado, 75; Holliday, St. Louis, 75; Braun, Milwaukee, 73. RBI: Beltran, St. Louis, 83; Holliday, St. Louis, 81; CGonzalez, Colorado, 78; Braun, Milwaukee, 77; Kubel, Arizona, 77; LaRoche, Washington, 77; FFreeman, Atlanta, 76; Posey, San Francisco, 76. HITS: MeCabrera, San Francisco, 159; McCutchen, Pittsburgh, 151; Bourn, Atlanta, 142; Holliday, St. Louis, 136; CGonzalez, Colorado, 134; DWright, New York, 134; Prado, Atlanta, 133; Reyes, Miami, 133. DOUBLES: ArRamirez, Milwaukee, 39; Votto, Cincinnati, 36; DWright, New York, 35; Goldschmidt, Arizona, 34; DanMurphy, New York, 33; Alonso, San Diego, 31; Cuddyer, Colorado, 30; Prado, Atlanta, 30. TRIPLES: Fowler, Colorado, 11; MeCabrera, San Francisco, 10; Bourn, Atlanta, 9; SCastro, Chicago, 8; Reyes, Miami, 8; Colvin, Colorado, 7; DeJesus, Chicago, 7; Pagan, San Francisco, 7. HOME RUNS: Braun, Milwaukee, 29; Beltran, St. Louis, 28; Kubel, Arizona, 25; Bruce, Cincinnati, 23; Holliday, St. Louis, 23; LaRoche, Washington, 23; McCutchen, Pittsburgh, 23. STOLEN BASES: Bourn, Atlanta, 31; Bonifacio, Miami, 30; DGordon, Los Angeles, 30; Pierre, Philadelphia, 28; Reyes, Miami, 28; Stubbs, Cincinnati, 27; Victorino, Los Angeles, 27. PITCHING: Dickey, New York, 15-3; GGonzalez, Washington, 15-6; Cueto, Cincinnati, 15-6; AJBurnett, Pittsburgh, 14-4; Lynn, St. Louis, 13-5; Strasburg, Washington, 13-5; Hamels, Philadelphia, 13-6; Bumgarner, San Francisco, 13-7. STRIKEOUTS: Dickey, New York, 166; Strasburg, Washington, 166; Hamels, Philadelphia, 158; GGonzalez, Washington, 158; Kershaw, Los Angeles, 157; Bumgarner, San Francisco, 150; MCain, San Francisco, 148. SAVES: Hanrahan, Pittsburgh, 33; Kimbrel, Atlanta, 31; Chapman, Cincinnati, 28; Motte, St. Louis, 26; Papelbon, Philadelphia, 26; Jansen, Los Angeles, 24; SCasilla, San Francisco, 24; Clippard, Washington, 24.
BASEBALL
Kuroda pitched a shutout as the Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 3-0 in Tuesdays meeting of American League divisional leaders. (11-8) pitched a two-hitter and the New York Yankees got consecutive homers from Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira in a victory over the Rangers. Kuroda (11-8) held Texas hitless until an infield single leading off the seventh. He walked only two and struck out five in his second shutout of the season and fourth of his career. The Yankees too were held in check until the seventh, when consecutive homers from Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira broke the game open. Texas All-Star Matt Harrison (13-7) took the loss. Orioles 7, Red Sox 1 In Baltimore, Mark Reynolds homered twice and drove in four runs to power Baltimore past Boston. Reynolds hit a solo shot in the fifth and a three-run drive in the sixth, while Omar Quintanilla also went deep for the Orioles, who moved 10 games over .500 for the first time since June. Baltimore starter Wei-Yin Chen (117) gave up one run and one walk in sixplus innings. Red Sox starter Josh Beckett (5-10) surrendered six runs in 5 1-3 innings. He is 1-6 in his past 12 starts. Boston stranded 12 and went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. White Sox 3, Blue Jays 2 In Toronto, Jose Quintana snapped a five-start winless streak to steer Chicago to a rare win at Toronto. Quintana (5-2) allowed two runs in 6 2-3 innings, helping the White Sox win at Rogers Centre for only the fourth time in six years. Blue Jays starter Henderson Alvarez (7-10) allowed two earned runs in seven innings. Angels 9, Indians 6 In Anaheim, Zack Greinke won for the first time in four starts since being acquired by Los Angeles, delivering a victory over Cleveland. Greinke (1-1) allowed eight hits in seven innings, struck out five and walked only one. Albert Pujols homered and drove in four runs for the Angels. Indians starter Ubaldo Jimenez (912) gave up eight runs through four innings, matching a career-worst for earned runs allowed. Tigers 8, Twins 4 In Minneapolis, Miguel Cabrera became the first player to reach 100 RBIs this season with a run-scoring single as Detroit downed Minnesota. With the game locked 4-4 in the sixth inning, Andy Dirks hit a solo home run off Brian Duensing (2-8) to put the
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Josh Beckett delivers against the Baltimore Orioles during the second inning of a baseball game in Baltimore. (Inset): New York Yankees Hiroki Kuroda pitches during the first inning of the base ball game against the Texas Rangers on Aug 14, at Yankee Stadium in New York. (AP)
PCT .615 .578 .474 .466 .444 PCT .603 .552 .543 .452 .391 .331 PCT .547 .547 .500 .441 .377
American League Texas 000 000 000-0 2 1 New York 000 000 30x-3 8 0 M.Harrison, Ogando (7), Scheppers (8) and L.Martinez; Kuroda and R.Martin. W_Kuroda 11-8. L_M.Harrison 13-7. HRs_New York, Swisher (16), Teixeira (23). Boston 000 100 000-1 11 0 Baltimore 001 015 00x-7 7 0 Beckett, Melancon (6), A.Bailey (8) and Lavarnway; W.Chen, ODay (7), J.Romero (8), Lindstrom (9) and Wieters. W_W.Chen 11-7. L_Beckett 5-10. HRs_Baltimore, Quintanilla (3), Mar.Reynolds 2 (11). Chicago 000 030 000-3 7 0 Toronto 101 000 000-2 10 2 Quintana, Myers (7), Thornton (8), A.Reed (8) and Pierzynski; H.Alvarez, Loup (8), Jenkins (9) and Mathis. W_Quintana 5-2. L_H.Alvarez 7-10. Sv_A.Reed (21). Oakland 000 000 000-0 3 1 Kansas City 000 050 00x-5 6 0 J.Parker, Norberto (5), Blevins (7), Scribner (8) and Kottaras; Guthrie, Collins (8), G.Holland (9) and S.Perez. W_Guthrie 2-3. L_J.Parker 7-7. Detroit 220 001 102-8 13 2 Minnesota 004 000 000-4 6 2 Fister, Valverde (9) and Laird; Duensing, Fien (7), Al.Burnett (8), Perdomo (9) and Doumit. W_Fister 7-7. L_Duensing 2-8. HRs_Detroit, Dirks (5). Minnesota, Willingham (30). Cleveland 000 200 220-6 11 0 Los Angeles 400 401 00x-9 13 0 Jimenez, Seddon (5), Herrmann (7) and C.Santana; Greinke, Hawkins (8), Jepsen (8), Frieri (9) and Iannetta. W_Greinke 1-1. L_Jimenez 9-12. Sv_Frieri (14). HRs_Cleveland, Brantley (5), Kotchman (11). Los Angeles, Aybar (6), Pujols (26). Tampa Bay 200 000 000-2 9 1 Seattle 010 000 002-3 8 0 M.Moore, Jo.Peralta (8), Rodney (9) and J.Molina; Millwood, Luetge (8), Pryor (8) and Olivo. W_Pryor 2-0. L_Rodney 2-2. National League Los Angeles 001 302 005-11 13 1 Pittsburgh 000 000 000-0 5 2 Billingsley, Sh.Tolleson (9) and A.Ellis; Correia, Locke (7), Qualls (9), Resop (9) and Barajas. W_Billingsley 99. L_Correia 9-7. San Diego 000 000 000-0 5 0 Atlanta 100 011 30x-6 10 0 Richard, Boxberger (7), Layne (8) and Jo.Baker; T.Hudson, Venters (7), Avilan (8), Kimbrel (9) and McCann. W_T.Hudson 12-4. L_Richard 9-12. HRs_Atlanta, Uggla (14), Prado (6). Philadelphia 100 000 000-1 4 1 Miami 000 000 000-0 5 2 K.Kendrick, Lindblom (8), Papelbon (9) and Schneider; Jo.Johnson, M.Dunn (9), Cishek (9) and
Alexi Amarista #5 of the San Diego Padres hits against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on Aug 14, in Atlanta, Georgia. (AFP)
SPORTS
I am proud of accusations, and I welcome them
48
SOCCER
power of FIFA to diminish and insult Asias name by attacking me directly following the annulment of my previous FIFA ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, bin Hammam wrote. When contacted by The Associated
Press, bin Hammams U.S.-based lawyer Eugene Gulland confirmed Tuesday that the letter written on AFC letterhead was authentic. Bin Hammams letter cites the names of five people from Bangladesh, Nepal and Kyrgyzstan whom he says he helped, including two who have since died of cancer, one who had open-heart surgery, another for tuition fees for a FIFA program, and the family of a 16-year-old from Nepal who died while playing football. Let me declare that as a human being with the personal means to help and coming from a culture and society where this is seen as a duty, I am proud of these
accusations, and I welcome them, bin Hammam wrote. The audit accuses bin Hammam of receiving millions of dollars from individuals linked to AFC contracts and spending tens of thousands on items such as a honeymoon, dental work, haircuts and cash payments for his family. Payments are alleged to have been made to Asian, African and Caribbean football officials, including $250,000 to Jack Warner, the former longtime head of Caribbean football. Tens of thousands of dollars were given to federation presidents and their relatives, the audit claimed, adding that
most of it went into their personal bank accounts and none of it was for footballrelated expenses. According to the audit, Gaurav Thapa, whose father heads the Nepalese federation, received $100,000 while Filipino football official Jose Mari Martinez was given $60,000 and had $11,226 in hospital expenses paid. Another $50,000 went to East Timorese football official Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, the audit found. The audit also said that a Bangladesh football federation spokesman received $25,000 for tuition expenses and that its general secretary was given $20,000 to cover the cost of cancer treatment.
Last-chance saloon
SOCCER
Their Catalan rivals finished nine points adrift last season and the team will have a brand new look as Tito Vilanova replaces Pep Guardiola as coach after four glittering years at the Camp Nou. The only addition so far to their squad is the return of full-back Jordi Alba from Valencia for a fee of 14 million euros. The return of David Villa after eight months out with a broken tibia will be like a new signing for a Barca side that relied heavily on Lionel Messis 50 league goals in his absence. Valencia start the new term with former defender Mauricio Pellegrino taking over as coach from Unai Emery, who has left the club to take over at Spartak Moscow after a trio of third-place finishes in four years. New signings include former Real Madrid central midfielder Fernando Gago and Mexican winger Andres Guardado from Deportivo La Coruna. Centre-forward Roberto Soldado will again lead the line after finishing last season as the top Spanish-born player with 17 goals. Malaga fans have abruptly stopped celebrating their clubs first ever qualification for the Champions League after a fourth place finish. Star players Santi Cazorla and Salomon Rondon have left for Arsenal and Rubin Kazan respectively amid the withdrawal of financial support from the clubs Arab owners. Atletico Madrid have again been busy in the transfer market as Diego Simeone attempts to stamp his style on a side he much improved on his return to the club as coach in January. The Argentine wasted little time in signing Cristian Rodriguez from Oporto, Cata Diaz from Getafe and ex-Newcastle midfielder Emre from Fenerbahce while bringing back Raul Garcia after a successful season on-loan at Osasuna. After leading the club to its second Europa League title in three years, Simeone may have done his best bit of business in convincing Colombian striker Gustavo Falcao that his future remains at the Vicente Calderon after he notched 24 goals in his debut season. Levante go into their first ever season of European football with hopes of mounting another spectacular campaign after coming sixth last term. Meanwhile, Sevilla have signed almost a whole new defence in Dutch centre-half Hedwiges Maduro from Valencia, Brazilian left-back Cicinho from Palmeiras, Alberto Botia from Gijon and Spanish international goalkeeper Diego Lopez from Villarreal. After appearances in the Europa League and Spanish Cup finals, Athletic Bilbao are expected by many to improve on last seasons 10th place. However, the Basques have not enjoyed a stable pre-season. They first had to convince Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa to remain in his post and also overcome the news they may be forced to sell star striker Fernando Llorente after he rejected a contract extension.
Russias Igor Denisov (right), battles for a ball with Ivory Coasts Emmanuel Eboue during their friendly soccer match in Moscow, Russia, Aug 15. (AP)
SOCCER
Shikabala and Mido and his departure was no surprise. Vieira, 59, has worked across the Middle East for several decades and his greatest achievement was leading outsiders Iraq to the Asian Cup title five years ago. Zamalek will be missing midfielders Ahmed Hassan (suspended) and Nour Al Sayed (injured) for a game to be handled by Mauritanian officials after Mazembe objected to Tunisians controlling a game involving another North African country. Mazembe prepared for the match in Zambia after refusing to release five stars from that country Francis Kasonde, Stoppila Sunzu, Hichani Himonde, Rainford Kalaba, Given Singuluma for a midweek friendly in South Korea. Defending champions Esperance take a five-point advantage over fellow Tunisians Etoile Sahel to Mediterranean resort Sousse for the big Group A showdown while ASO Chlef of Algeria host Sunshine Stars of Nigeria. While Esperance hope to extend an unbeaten run in the competition to 20 matches spanning two seasons, Etoile and Sunshine have four points each and appear set to battle for second place.
SOCCER
remained utterly positive in the belief I could one day resume my playing career and play for Bolton Wanderers once again, Muamba said. As part of my on-going recovery, last week I travelled to Belgium to seek further medical advice from a leading cardiologist. But the news I received was obviously not what I had hoped it would be and it means I am now announcing my retirement from professional football. Football has been my life since I was a teenage boy and it has given me so many opportunities. Above all else, I love the game and count myself very lucky to have been able to play at the highest level. Bolton chairman Phil Gartside added: To have Fabrice here and with us is truly amazing and we are all very thankful for
Photo taken on May 5, 2012 shows Bolton Wanderers player Fabrice Muamba (left) with his girlfriend Shauna Magunda (right) before the FA Cup final football match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in London. Muamba has retired from playing professionals football on health grounds, the English second-tier club said on their website Thursday. The 24-year-old collapsed during a match away to Tottenham Hotspur in March and his heart then stopped beating for 78 minutes. (AFP)
SPORTS
City kick off against Southampton
49
SOCCER
from their female counterparts now playing the game at a high standard. Blatter told reporters at Wembley: Absolutely, we can learn a lot. There is even a difference between womens and mens football. In womens football simulation practically doesnt exist. They are not lying down and saying they are injured. They stand up. We can learn inside our sport and also outside our sport. You can learn something every day. Once the Olympic glow has faded, however, all the fans will probably learn over the next few weeks is what they knew already. That is that the title will go to either Manchester City or Manchester United, that Chelsea and Arsenal will finish in the top four and that promoted Reading, Southampton and West Ham United will all fight against an immediate return to the Championship. City, who clinched their first title for 44 years last May with Sergio Agueros last-minute winner in their final match against Queens Park Rangers, warmed up for the new season with a 3-2 win over FA Cup winners in the Community Shield at Villa Park on Sunday. They have made only one major signing so far, buying England interna-
Chelsea's Frank Lampard (right), vies with Manchester City's Dutch player Nigel de Jong (center), and Chelsea's Belgium player Eden Hazard (left) during the FA Community Shield football match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Villa Park in Birmingham, on Aug12. (AFP)
Swansea vs Barnsley Yeovil vs West Brom Coventry vs Birmingham West Ham vs Crewe Doncaster vs Hull Carlisle vs Ipswich Reading vs Peterborough Sheffield Wednesday vs Fulham Leicester vs Burton Burnley vs Plymouth QPR vs Walsall Stevenage vs Southampton Nottingham Forest vs Wigan
Stoke vs Swindon Aston Villa vs Tranmere Crawley vs Bolton Gillingham vs Middlesbrough Northampton vs Wolves Everton vs Leyton Orient MK Dons vs Blackburn Leeds vs Oxford Sunderland vs Morecambe Norwich vs Scunthorpe Ties to be played week commencing Aug 27.
tional midfielder Jack Rodwell, 21, from Everton on Monday for 12 million pounds ($18.82 million). Shinji Kagawa, 23, moved from German champions Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of 17 mil-
lion pounds to boost Uniteds bid to take the title back from City which begins at Everton on Monday. Arsenal, who finished third last season, have had a busy summer with French forward Oliver Giroud from
Montpellier, German striker Lukas Podolski from Cologne and Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla from Malaga all moving to north London. Wenger hinted that Podolski would make his debut on Saturday against
Sunderland, although he is not fully match fit, when Arsenal set out on their campaign to end a seven-year trophy drought. Chelsea, who won two trophies last season, will be without longterm talisman Didier Drogba after he
left for Shanghai Shenhua in China, but have been busy spending 64 million pounds on new players, including exciting Brazilian playmaker Oscar, Belgium striker Eden Hazard and Germany winger Marko Marin.
SPORTS
McIlroy could turn out to be like Miller
50
GOLF
They both tied for 40th at the Masters. McIlroy has seven top-five finishes in those events, along with three missed cuts. This is not about where they were at a similar stage in their careers. Woods is incomparable in that regard. McIlroy has won twice in his first 16 majors as a pro.
Woods won five majors in that span, including the career Grand Slam at age 24. Its about where they are now. So dominant was McIlroy at Kiawah Island, where he had rounds of 67-66 on the weekend to win the PGA Championship by eight shots, that its easy to get caught up in all things Rory. He is only 23, younger by some four months than when Woods won his second major, and he is doing things only thought possible by Woods. A record score at the US Open last summer at Congressional. A record margin of victory at the PGA Championship on Sunday at Kiawah Island. McIlroy has won two majors by a combined 16 shots. To put that in perspective, only five majors have been won by eight shots or
more in the last 35 years three by Woods, two by McIlroy. But lets see how this plays out. McIlroy could turn out to be like Johnny Miller, a comet on the golf horizon in the 1970s when he fired at flags and slaughtered the competition. Miller won two majors, with a 63 on the last day at Oakmont and a 66 in the final round at Royal Birkdale. Perhaps McIlroy will be like Tom Watson, who was 10 years younger than Nicklaus. Nicklaus already had the record for most majors when Watson won his first one, although Watson kept him from winning more. He beat Nicklaus twice in 1977, in the Masters and in the Duel in the Sun at Turnberry. He beat him again in 1981 at Augusta National and kept him
from a record five US Open titles in 1982 at Pebble Beach when Watson chipped in for birdie on the 17th hole. McIlroy is 13 years younger than Woods. They have never gone head-tohead on Sunday in a major. Ultimately, that will be the measure. Along the way, however, McIlroy is stashing away large bits of confidence that few others could when Woods was at his peak. There is no reason for McIlroy to be intimidated. His name on the leaderboard means just as much. He is a favorite in any color shirt. Nick Faldo once explained why Woods had such a huge advantage in the majors. Faldo thought after the 1997 Masters that Augusta National would be the only place Woods could win a major because the golf course suited him and because it
was the only major where the media was kept outside the ropes. Only later did he realize that Woods was the only one who could handle the commotion inside the ropes in the final round. Other guys will step into that arena one week and go back out, Faldo said in a 2007 interview. Hes there all the time. And good luck coming into his world. McIlroy now has been atop the leaderboard 10 out of the last 40 rounds in the majors. He has more experience than most his age, good and bad. What he took away from blowing a four-shot lead in the 2011 Masters was to set a target score. He set his target at 12-under par at Kiawah Island, played the final round without a bogey and did one better than that by finishing at 13-under 275.
SPORTS
Saints owner Benson meets with Goodell in NY
51
FOOTBALL
In Metairie, New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson met Tuesday with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in New York to discuss matters concerning both the team and the league. The meeting came amid a backdrop of lawsuits filed by current and former Saints players whove challenged the findings of the NFLs bounty investigation. Benson also has hired the firm of former FBI director Louis Freeh to investigate the accuracy of the leagues bounty probe. It also came on a day after Louisiana state police announced investigators had found no evidence to back allegations made in an April news report that Superdome wiring was rigged so general manager Mickey Loomis could eavesdrop on opposing coaches radio communications between the 2002 and 2004 seasons. While the NFL and the Saints provided very few details about the meeting, Saints
ICE HOCKEY
Fehr said the players proposal keeps the NHLs salary cap in place with minor exceptions that would not increase the overall percentage of revenues that go to players. There are a number of people who wondered if the way to solve any problems would be to eliminate the salary cap and let each club pay based on its own resources and control its own budget with enhanced revenue sharing, Fehr said. The owners are not interested in that approach and our desire is to try and make an agreement.
In this file photo, Cleveland Browns Owen Spencer (17) is stiff-armed by Detroit Lions running back Stephfon Green (43) during the second half of an NFL preseason football game in Detroit, Aug 10. The Browns won 19-17. (AP)
spokesman Greg Bensel described it as productive and added that Benson looks forward to having many more discussions with the commissioner on specific Saintsrelated issues as well as league-wide issues. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league generally does not discuss meetings with owners, adding that the commissioner meets with owners all the time to discuss wide-ranging matters. Goodell has used the NFLs findings as
the basis for season-long suspensions of Saints head coach Sean Payton and defensive captain Jonathan Vilma, as well as a half-season suspension for general manager Mickey Loomis, a six-game suspension for assistant head coach Joe Vitt and a four-game suspension for defensive end Will Smith. Two former Saints who are still active also were suspended: Green Bay defensive end Anthony Hargrove was docked eight games and Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita three games.
RUGBY
Not compete (for) the result (to win) but compete very well... compete to challenge the result at the end of the game, International Rugby Board (IRB) president Bernard Lapasset told Reuters during the Olympic Games when asked of his expectations of the Pumass performances. That is important that they can deliver the best rugby possible for the Argentina team. Argentina have been lobbying since 2005 for more regular test matches against top tier nations after they surprised Clive Woodwards British and Lions in a 25-25 draw in Cardiff. Their third-place finish at the 2007 World Cup forced the IRBs hand with the southern hemisphere teams agreeing to expand the TriNations on the proviso the Pumas fielded a full strength side and worked to develop a domestic professional competition. Its a fantastic achievement for the quality of the players in Argentina, for the quality of the work delivered by the Argentina rugby union, Lapasset added. We support(ed) Argentina to do the job, we secured the
The Argentinian national rugby team, Los Pumas, trains in Cape Town on Aug 14, prior to their Rugby Championship match against South Africa next Saturday. Argentina will play for the first time in the Rugby Championship, which finishes on Oct 6, creating a new problem in the world rugby schedule since 18 of the 26 players also play in European clubs, 14 of them in France. In France, the Top 14 tournament starts on Aug 17, interfering with the first historical match of Los Pumas in the Rugby Championship on Aug 18. (AFP)
process with a new format of the constitution in the Argentina Rugby Union to be professional, to be more involved in the quality of the work delivered. Now its done and we shall see the result of the work on the field. Simple plan There will be very little mystery surrounding South Africa when they meet the Pumas as coach Heyneke Meyer has been very open about the style of play he wants the Springboks to execute. Big, strong ball-carrying forwards will be expected to gain ascendancy in matches before a tactical kicking game is adopted to pin their opponents in their own territory. Meyer will hope that the series victory over England in June provides the catalyst for a successful tilt at the Rugby Championship title but question marks remain about the make-up of his team, espe-
cially the form shown by flyhalf Morne Steyn. Steyn, at his best, is a deadly-accurate goalkicker and a master tactician, but he was someway short of his best against England while his Super Rugby form was also patchy. Springbok captain Jean de Villiers has defended Steyn saying that the pivot showed what he was capable of in the tests against England. I dont agree that Morne was out of form against England at all. I thought his general play was very good, De Villiers said. What let him down was his kicking at goal. He wasnt as good as he usually is in that department and people have very high expectations of him. So that brought people down on his back and it counted against him. But I thought his decisionmaking was excellent and quite a few of the tries we scored were down to him.
BOWLING
Avila showed their full potential as a title contender by sweeping the 3game series match via impressive 1087-912, 1065-974 and 1030-950 game scores. With the victory, Cozmo 1 snatched its third weekly high series award. Bowling for LEAF in this match were Blanca Mercado, Raine Ualat, Cris Carungay, Rey Ualat, Joe Presenta and Rocky Castil. Another team on the rise after a slow start in the early rounds of the competition is the All Star Strikers whose tenacious showing over the weekend lifted them up to seventh place in the team standings. Up against the upset conscious Nusantara keglers who posted two consecutive victory
SPORTS
52
Sarah stuns the Range, dominates Ladies Practical and Precision categories
KUWAIT CITY, Aug 15: The Filipino Action Shooting Team (FAST) 4th Ramadan Competition came to a close Tuesday evening at the Mayadeen Shooting Complex, in Sabhan, with nine champions being produced in different categories.
While most of the winners are used to seeing their names on the leaders board, the shooter who surprised everyone was Sarah Butler who took the top spot in the Ladies section of the Practical and Precision categories.
The champions in the annual competition were as follows:
Practical
Professional: Waleed Al Mutawah FAST/Non-FAST: Butch Alinea Ladies: Sarah Butler
Precision
Professional: Abdulaziz Al Munaya FAST/Non-FAST: Mohammed Al Sadoon Ladies: Sarah Butler
Photos by Mahmoud Jadeed
Winners pose with their trophies after the FAST 4th Ramadan Shooting competition.
Rifle
Professional: Ali Al Kandari FAST/Non-FAST: Hamad Al Mansoor Ladies: Amora Bien The competition, sponsored by SM Development Corporation, was organized with the support of Gen. Ahmed Al Saleem, General Manager of the Mayadeen Shooting Range in Subhan with a lot of help coming from all the Range Officers and the Filipino Action Shooting Team( FAST) led by El Presidente Manny Cornelio and Vice President Chito Lamigo along with their dedicated office bearers. A simple but impressive ceremony was held at the Mayadeen Shooting Range Tuesday evening to honor all the winners. The event was hosted by FAST Vice President Chito Lamigo who thanked all the participants, Roger Sabino from SMDC for sponsoring the event, FAST officials and the Range Officers for another successful competi-
SHOOTING
tion. Gen. Ahmed Al Saleem graced the occasion and paid tribute to El Presidente Manny Cornelio who left the country recently.He also thanked everyone for coming in every Tuesday for the fun shoots. The awards were presented to the winners by FAST Advisers Butch Alinea and Danny San Juan along with FAST Tournament Director Lambert Bernardo and FAST Secretary Cesar Isidro.
Ladies
Sarah Butler who has been a member of FAST for just over 6 months proved that the efforts she put in at the range every Tuesday by joining the fun shoots had borne fruit when she walked away with trophies in the Ladies section of the Practical and Precision categories. Amora Bien, who failed to come to the range on many Tuesdays due to a busy schedule at work, was another name which dominated the proceedings as she has made certain of taking part in all the major competition. In this tournament her name was among the leaders all the categories 1st runner-up Practical, 2nd runner-up Precision and Champion in the Rifle event. Bien was joined by her good friend Lang Lang Basmayor, who also made an effort to compete despite her busy schedule at the hospital where she works as a nurse. She finished 2nd runner-up in Practical, 1st runner-up in Precision and 2nd runner-up in the Rifle event. Meanwhile, Catherine Arbes for whom it was the first time to join FAST competitions proved that she has a keen eye for the targets when she walked home as 1st runner-up in the Rifle evening while another novice Sheryl Roda bagged the 3rd runner-up spot in the same category.
Mens FAST/Non-FAST
Three veteran gunmen took home the championship titles- -FAST Adviser Butch Alinea Practical, Mohammed Al Sadoon Precision and Hamad Al Mansoor Rifle. Meanwhile, Ronil Garcia who joined FAST only a few months ago and has never failed to come to the range every week proved that practice makes perfect when he finished 1st runner-up in Practical, 3rd runner-up in Precision and 1st runner-up in Rifle. Richard Swan, who has only been a member for a year and cant compete regularly in the fun shoots due to his work schedule, stamped his mark on all the events and proved that he is worthy of being in the Three Musketeers. Swan finished 3rd runner-up in Practical, 1st runner-up in Precision and
2nd runner-up in Rifle. Another veteran gunman Sunny Andrade collected two awards 2nd runner-up in Practical and 2nd runnerup Precision. Andrade was also given a special award for his valued support to the organization. FAST Vice-President Chito Lamigo also presented special awards, for their valuable contribution to the organization, to FAST member Aniceto Manangan, FAST Secretary Cesar Isidro and FAST Press Officer Lucy Cortezano. Despite the fact that Hiroaki Izumi got the chance of shooting only once before he took off on holidays he was all smiles when he collected the 3rd runnerup award in Rifle.
Professional
The young Waleed Al Mutawah, who earned 10 consecutive titles in fun
shoots the early part of this year which resulted in him being pushed into the Pro section, proved that he truly belonged to the same class when he bagged the crown in the Practical event. Ali Al Kandari, who has earned numerous awards in various competitions, collected prizes in all the events by finishing 1st runner-up in Practical, 2nd runner-up in Precision and Champion in the Rifle category. Abdulaziz Al Munaya, who is also one of the premium shooters, did well in all the events as he was 2nd runner-up in Practical, Champion in Precision and 2nd runner-up Rifle. Omar Al Ansari walked home with two titles when he finished 3rd runnerup in Practical and 1st runner-up in Rifle. On the other hand, Jarrah Al Adwani
Practical
Veteran gunman and FAST Adviser Butch Alinea achieved a 2.8913 hit factor based on 16 Alpha and 4 Charlie in 31.82 seconds to top the category. Ronil Garcias first time in a FAST Major Competition saw made him walk home in 2nd place with a 2.7868 hit factor with 17 Alpha and 3 Charlie in 33.73 seconds. Sunny Andrade was in 3rd place with 19 Alpha and 1 Charlie in 36.80 seconds that handed him with a 2.6630 hit factor. Richard Swan was the only one who has had a perfect shoot with 20 Alpha as he made used of his time wisely 39.78 seconds that put him in 4th place with a 2.5138 hit factor. Mohammed Al Sadoon finished 5th with a 2.5098 hit factor when he hit 18
Alpha and 2 Charlie in 38.25 seconds. Meanwhile, FAST Adviser Danny San Juan had the same hits as Al Sadoon 18 Alpha and 2 Charlie but he slipped and completed the run in 38.57 seconds that kept him 6th with a 2.4890 hit factor. Hiroaki Izumi could have landed on the leaders board if he had the chance to compete for two more weeks but he went on holidays after taking part in only one shoot which saw him do very well with a 2.4851 hit factor when his bullets landed in 18 Alpha and 2 Charlie in 38.63 seconds. FAST Secretary Cesar Isidro put his bullets in 18 Alpha and 1 Charlie while he had 1 miss in 46 seconds that saw him walk home with a 1.8043 hit factor. Waleed Hussain finished with a 1.3482 hit factor based on 18 Alpha and 2 misses in 51.92 seconds. Mohammed Al Shatti put together 17 Alpha, 2 Charlie and 1 miss in 60.53 seconds for a total of a 1.3382 hit factor while Aniceto Manangan achieved a 1.3253 hit factor composed of 16 Alpha, 2 Charlie and 2 misses in 49.53 seconds. Erwin Eseo didnt do too badly as he had a 1.1144 hit factor with 15 Alpha, 3 Charlie and 2 misses in 57.43 seconds while Malik Javed had 12 hits in Alpha, 2 Bravo, 2 Charlie and 4 misses in 50.83 seconds that handed him a 0.6295 hit factor. FAST Tournament Director Lambert Bernardo could have been in a better position if his reshoots had been registered but the rules allowed only shoot to be considered and that was the first one when his gun jammed. He completed his run in 54.03 seconds and fell short on 4 targets while the rest of his bullets landed in 12 Alpha, 2 Bravo and 2 Charlie that put him 2nd from the bottom of the table with a 0.5923 hit factor. Jojo Arciaga, who has long been missed in the arena, made sure that he took part in the event although he landed at the bottom of the standings with a 0.0395 hit factor in 50.58 seconds when he hit 11 Alpha, 2 Charlie, 1 Delta and 6 misses. Waleed Al Mutawah, the young yet one of the brilliant gunslingers in the arena once again showed some real class in the Professional Category when he put together the best time of 28.03 seconds and hit 19 Alpha and 1 Charlie that handed him the crown with a 3.4963 hit factor. Ali Al Kandari who showed remarkable accuracy gathered a 3.4037 hit factor when he put 20 bullets in Alpha with a time of 29.38 seconds that kept him close on Al Mutawahs trail in 2nd place. Abdulaziz Al Munaya was perfect with in 20 Alpha although he consumed a bit more time 33.56 seconds that made him walk home in 3rd place with a 2.9797 hit factor. Omar Al Ansari had 19 Alpha and 1 Charlie in 36.08 seconds for a 2.7162 hit factor.Jarrah Al Adwani achieved exactly the same number of hits as Al Ansari 19 Alpha and 1 Charlie he finished in 36.26 seconds that handed him a 2.7027 hit factor. Abdulrahman Al Qattan put together a perfect shoot with 20 Alpha but 2 procedural errors cost him and he finished with a 1.6967 hit factor when he completed the run in 47.15 seconds. Meanwhile Hamad Al Enezi failed to get any score. There were only 3 ladies who bravely tackled the course and their efforts paid off with Sarah Butler walking home with the crown with a 0.7241 hit factor after her bullets landed in 17 Alpha and 1 Charlie with 2 misses in 93.91 seconds. Amora Bien, who has been missed in the arena for ages, made sure to participate and showed that she had not misplaced her grip and achieved 2nd place with a 0.3464 hit factor based on 12 Alpha, 4 Charlie, 1 Delta and 3 misses. Lang Lang Basmayor landed in 3rd place with a 0.0680 hit factor composed of 8 Alpha, 5 Charlie, 2 Delta and 5 misses in 103.01 seconds. On the other hand, FAST officials would like to invite everyone on Tuesday evenings to the Weekly Fun Shooting Competitions at the Mayadeen Shooting Range in Subhan. For details contact FAST Vice-President Chito Lamigo 9958-2781. Special thanks to FAST Tournament Directors Chris Veitch and Raja Sulaiman for providing the results.
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1 1 4 B C 1 4 5 1 D 1 2 3
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SPORTS
Hewitt, Blake among event wild cards
53
TENNIS
look forward to his return to New York next year. Play in the two-week tournament begins at Flushing Meadows on Aug. 27. Nadals absence immediately leaves a trio of heavy favorites at the last Grand Slam event of the year:
defending champion Djokovic; fivetime US Open winner and currently top-ranked Roger Federer; and 2008 US Open runner-up Andy Murray, who won the gold medal in singles at the London Games by beating Federer in the final. Nadals withdrawal also raises questions about his future. He owns 11 Grand Slam titles, including seven on the red clay of the French Open, but his hard-charging, hard-hitting style of play takes a toll on his body, particularly his knees. In 2009, he missed Wimbledon because of aching knees, becoming only the second mens champion in 35 years to decline to defend his title at the All England Club.
TENNIS
(6), 6-4 victory over Spains Anabel Medina Garrigues, a match that took 2 hours, 37 minutes. I thought, I can still regroup and close that gap just a little bit, Stosur said. If you can do that, then you never know what can happen. I got on a roll and managed to squeeze it out. No. 5 Angelique Kerber beat Timea Babos of Hungary 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. Fifteenth-seeded Nadia Petrova retired with dizziness while trailing fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova 7-6 (8), 3-1. Tenth-seeded Mardy Fish beat Spains Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 6-3. No. 11 seed Gilles Simon withdrew before the start of his match against Marcos Baghdatis with a sore shoulder. Tommy Haas beat David Nalbandian 6-7 (0), 7-6 (4), 63 in 3 hours, 22 minutes, equaling the longest nonOlympic match this season on the ATP tour. Roddick, who has played through a sore shoulder this summer, developed a new concern as he lost to a player who was in the draw as an injury replacement. He got treatment for his back during the second set of his 7-6 (4), 6-3 loss to Frances Jeremy Chardy, who replaced injured No. 9 seed John Isner. Roddick had won all three of his career matches against Chardy. Roddick said his back started bothering him a few days ago and he aggravated it Tuesday. I felt fine early on, and then I had one lunge forehand and ... you know, we have all had it, he said. The back kind of goes out or spasms a little bit. It got progressively worse. Roddick won the Atlanta Open in July despite a sore right shoulder. He lost to Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-1 in the second round at the Olympics, a match that lasted only 54 minutes, but arrived for the tournament in suburban Cincinnati feeling good about his health and his game. After the third game of the second set, he had a trainer come over to help him stretch his back and shoulders. He managed only one break point during the 1-hour, 33-minute match. Roddick left the court quickly with his head down. Roddick said his shoulder felt fine. Hes not sure if his back will force him to curtail his preparation for the US Open, which starts Aug. 27. We will know more in two, three days than we do now, Roddick said. So its tough for me to say what side of the fence Im sitting on. I dont know where Im going to be in two or three days. Williams is trying to get in position to make a deep run at the US Open, from which she had to withdraw last year because of an immune system disease that causes fatigue and sore joints. She beat 12thseeded Maria Kirilenko of Russia 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2 in a match that lasted 2 hours, 23 minutes, serving 11 aces. Along with the Olympic gold medal, its been a good few weeks for Williams, who is learning how to manage the symptoms of her disease. Im doing a lot better than this time last year, she said. So much better than a couple months ago as well. I also am
Serena Williams reacts in her first match against Eleni Daniilidou, from Greece, at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament, Aug 14, in Mason, Ohio. Williams won 6-3, 6-4. (AP)
Women
2nd rd Angelique Kerber (GER x5) bt Timea Babos (HUN) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 Serena Williams (USA x2) bt Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) 6-3, 6-4 Johanna Larsson (SWE) bt Marion Bartoli (FRA x8) 6-4, 6-2 Samantha Stosur (AUS x3) bt Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4 1st rd Sloane Stephens (USA) bt Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 6-4, 61 Anna Tatishvili (GEO) bt Klara Zakopalova (CZE) 7-6 (7/5), 75 Venus Williams (USA) bt Maria Kirilenko (RUS x12) 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) bt Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 6-3, 7-5 Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) bt Tamira Paszek (AUT) 6-1, 2-1 retired Sesil Karatantcheva (KAZ) bt Kiki Bertens (NED) 6-2, 6-1 Elena Makarova (RUS) bt Nadia Petrova (RUS x15) 7-6 (10/8), 3-1, retired Sorona Cirstea (ROM) bt Yvonne Wickmayer (BEL) 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 6-3 Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) bt Zheng Jie (CHN) 2-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 Roberta Vinci (ITA) bt Madison Keys (USA) 6-3, 6-3 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) bt Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 6-4, 6-0 Yaraslava Shvedova (KAZ) bt Lucie Safarova (CZE x16) 6-3, 6-4 Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) bt Christina Mchale (USA) 3-6, 63, 3-0, retired
Johanna Larsson, of Sweden, returns a shot to Marion Bartoli, of France, in their first match at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament, Aug 14, in Mason, Ohio. Larsson won 6-4, 6-2. (AP)
Men
2nd rd Bernard Tomic (AUS) bt Brian Baker (USA) 6-4, 6-3 Tomas Berdych (CZE x5) bt Yu Yen-hsun (TPE) 6-3, 6-4 1st rd Alex Bogomolov (RUS) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 6-4, 6-3 Kei Nishikori (JPN x14) bt Marcel Granollers (ESP) 6-1, 6-2 Tommy Haas (GER) bt David Nalbandian (ARG) 6-7 (0/7), 76 (7/4), 6-3 Jeremy Chardy (FRA) bt Andy Roddick (USA x16) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 Mardy Fish (USA x10) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 6-2, 6-3 Carlos Berlocq (ARG) bt Santiago Giraldo (COL) 7-5, 6-3 Sam Querrey (USA) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 Radek Stepanek (CZE) bt Albert Ramos (ESP) 6-2, 6-2 Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) bt Alejandro Falla (COL) 6-4, 6-3 Milos Raonic (CAN) bt Richard Gasquet (FRA) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
CRICKET
Bairstow struggled with the short ball against the West Indies a fact sure to have been noted by Steyn and fellow fast bowler Morne Morkel, even if the Yorkshireman arrives at Lords on the back of 139 for the England Lions against Australia A. Fast-medium bowler Tim Bresnan did his best to stick up for county colleague Bairstow by suggesting England could be an improved side without Pietersen. It may be an even better side, its one of those things where a talented player is being replaced by another talented player, Bresnan said. So why should we miss a certain individual because hes unavailable for selection? But even those closest to Bairstow might struggle to believe that at least for the time being. There were reports late Tuesday that Pietersen and the England hierarchy were close to resolving their differ-
ences ahead of Saturdays squad announcement for the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka next month but any peace deal will come too late for the third Test. Ive always got on with Kevin, said England captain Andrew Strauss. Thats why this has all been a bit of a surprise to me. Its about mutual respect and trust, and that is a core issue that is central to resolving this. Meanwhile South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis said England would be a weaker side without Pietersen. Hes a world-class player ... England losing him is a big loss for them. Any time hes not in your side it does make a big difference. However, Kallis added: Crickets not a one-man sport. There are 11 guys who can take a Test match away from us. The match will see Strauss make his 100th Test appearance and lead his country in Tests for the 50th time. Strauss who eight years ago marked his debut with a century against New Zealand at Lords, his Middlesex home ground, would dearly love to match the achievement of Proteas skipper Graeme Smith, who marked his 100th Test with a century at the Oval to help put the tourists 1-0 up. This match is also set to witness Smith, like Strauss a left-handed open-
er, break Australia great Allan Borders record of 93 Tests as a captain. The 31-year-old Smith has been captain in all but eight of his Tests and
likes Lords almost as much as Strauss, having made a superb 259 at the home of cricket in 2003. Smiths two previous tours of England have featured the resignation of the then England captain (Nasser Hussain in 2003 and Michael Vaughan in 2008) and Strauss could go the same way if England lose at Lords. England are set to recall off-spinner Graeme Swann after opting for an allseam attack at Headingley. Lords officials have said the outfield will resemble a patchwork quilt after thr ground hosted the Olympic archery tournament, but have insisted it will be fit for play.
Teams
England (from): Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, James Taylor, Jonathan Bairstow, Matt Prior (wkt), Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Graham Onions. South Africa (probable): Graeme Smith (capt), Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (wkt), Jacques Rudolph, JP Duminy, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir Umpires: Simon Taufel (AUS) and Kumar Dharmasena (SRI) TV umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS) Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)
Englands captain Andrew Strauss (left), and Tim Bresnan (right) race, watched by Jonathan Trott during a cricket training session at Lords Cricket Ground, in London, Aug 14. England will play South Africa in a Test match at Lords starting on Thursday. (AP)
SPORTS
Gaza Paralympians confident
54
In this file photo, Team Belarus performs in the group all-around final of the rythmic gymnastics event of the London Olympic Games on Aug 12, at Wembley arena in London. Team Russia won gold, while Team Belarus took silver and Team Italy got bronze. (AFP)
PARALYMPICS
They will pass landmarks including London Zoo, Lords Cricket Ground and Abbey Road in northwest London made famous by The Beatles. Olympics minister Jeremy Hunt said Britain was hoping to stage the best ever Paralympic Games after a successful Olympics. The UK is the birthplace of the Paralympic movement and Londons Games will show the world how just amazing and inspiring elite Paralympic sport can be, he said. Organisers have sold more than 2.1 million tickets for the London 2012 Paralympics, beating the previous record set at the 2008 edition in Beijing. Wheelchair-bound Khamis Zaqout from Gaza, who lost the use of his legs while working on a building site in Israel two decades ago, is Palestines best hope for a Paralympic medal in London this month. Zaqout will compete in the shot put, discus and javelin at the Aug. 29Sept. 9 Games. Partially-sighted long-jumper Mohammed Fannouna, a bronze winner in Athens, will be Palestines second representative. We have crawled to the Paralympics. I have achieved an Asian record with the simple means that we have, said Zaqout. The pair were good enough to vie for medals, said Ala Shataly, a Palestinian Paralympic Committee member, whereas the Palestinians usually had only a symbolic presence in able-bodied sports. The team had nothing to celebrate at the London Olympics, which ended on Sunday and where a judoka, two swimmers and two runners competed. We have always been competitive at the Paralympics where we strive for achievements and we have reached a stage where we cannot go backwards, Shataly said. Zaqout is definitely going to win a medal, he said, adding that Fannouna, who won two golds and three bronze medals in the Arab Games in Doha last year, was also capable of a podium finish. Palestine have won three Paralympic medals: Hussam Azzam took a bronze in Sydney and a silver in Athens in the shot put and
mote their sport and the Americans, who finished with three golds, were the loudest in discussing the need to educate people in the huge advertising space that the Olympics provide. They had a big audience at the Royal Artillery Barracks in south-east London: almost every day the stands were full and shooting was the only Olympic sport to suffer from overcrowding . Whether those people are inspired to go to gun clubs or shooting events in the future is another matter. South Korea took three golds and two silvers in London to finish top of the shooting standings after the 15 events involving 390 athletes from a record 108 countries. The best Games ever, International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) President Olegario Vazquez Rana said in a statement. Great facilities, great results, and an exceptional response of the public. I have received positive feedback from shooters, coaches and IOC (International Olympic Committee) authorities. This is the story of a success.
We cannot be complacent
prepare for the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. We cannot be complacent. You have to work harder, he told the O Globo newspaper. The city of 6.5 million is notorious for its huge traffic jams, poor infrastructure and slum violence, but authorities insist Rio will deliver.
OLYMPICS
I am confident and optimistic that you will organize good games. But clearly you all need to understand that this requires hard work, a lot of planning and making sure no time is lost, Rogge said. Brazil insists everything will be ready for the first summer Olympics to be held in South America. Some of the venues will be used for the 2014 World Cup, but the Olympic Village and other event sites have yet to be built. little time for those who still tend to focus more on their looks than their skills. I think that our society puts a lot onto women, how they look and what they wear or how they dress, and I think that being a strong female competitor is the best thing we can do to fight that, said US judoka Kayla Harrison. It doesnt matter what you look like when youve just won the gold medal you just won the gold medal. Harrison defeated Briton Gemma Gibbons for her judo gold, both finalists having found an empowering outlet in sport after turmoil in their personal lives. Gibbons, 25, lost her mother to leukemia in 2004 while 22-year-old Harrison was the victim of sexual assault as a teenager. To be able to say Im a strong, confident young woman and Im an Olympic champion feels great, Harrison said. I hope we have a million little girls inspired by that.
Hong Kong chief executive C.Y. Leung (center right), poses with bronze medalist Sarah Lee Wai-Sze (center left), during a ceremony celebrating the return of the Hong Kong delegation to the London 2012 Olympic games in Hong Kong on Aug 15. Hong Kong won their first ever Olympic medal in a cycling event at the London 2012 Olympics and only their third overall. Hong Kong athletes previously winning one gold from windsurfing in 1996 and one Olympic silver medal from table tennis. (AFP)
Fannouna captured the long-jump bronze in Athens. Qualifying distance Zaqout attained the qualifying distance for London in Doha where he won his category in the shot put with 10.77 metres, soon after setting an Asian record of 11.34. Father-of-nine Zaqout, 47, was injured when he fell while working on a building site in Israel. He said his disability had made him determined to strive for sporting success. I am physically and mentally ready for this battle and to represent Palestine on the international stage, he said. Zaqout trains in a park in Gaza City, one of very few green areas in the cramped coastal enclave on the eastern Mediterranean that has borders with Israel and Egypt.
OLYMPICS
But the International Olympic Committees avowed commitment to gender equality took an unequivocal step forward as womens events were added in boxing for the first time. I think the womens performances were magnificent, Wu Ching-Kuo, head of amateur boxings global governing body said in urging the expansion of the womens tournament beyond the three categories contested in London. We have to have more, and we have four years to achieve that. Three of the five biggest delegations, the United States, China and Russia, brought more women athletes than men,
Demps signs up with league: Jeff Demps, a silver medalist for the United States at the London Olympics as part of the mens 4x100 metres relay team, has signed up to play in the National Football League (NFL), the leagues website report-
WRESTLING
Some of those women might come from Islamic countries that do well in the mens competition, but have not put women forward for religious reasons. Raphael Martinetti, president of the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, said it would consider changes to allow Muslim women to wear a different wrestling garment or a head covering to comply with Islamic law.
Ugandan Olympics marathon golf winner Stephen Kiprotich holds a flag on arrival to Entebbe International Airport on Aug 15. The gold medalist was welcomed at the airport after winning Ugandas first Olympic gold in 40 years. (AFP)
SPORTS
N Zealand produced some of the most elegant displays
55
ROWING
Part of the inspiration for the young duo, they said, was the story of the popular Katherine Grainger, who finally took an Olympic gold at the fourth time of trying in emotional scenes with her partner Anna Watkins.
In total the British squad took four gold medals, two silvers and three bronzes at the Games - nine medals from 14 events - with both silvers just a fraction of a second away from being gold. The only other country to come close to Britains dominance was New Zealand which won three golds and two bronze medals in some of the most elegant displays of rowing - from the single scull of Mahe Drysdale to the mens pair of Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, who cruised unchallenged to the title.
With the loss in the mens four, Australia had to settle for three silvers and two bronze medals, victims of their earlier success under an international rowing system that has now been copied around the world. I never thought my sport would have so much money that there would be so much professionalism like we have now, said Matt Smith, executive director of the international rowing body FISA. And a few teams of the Kiwis, the Aussies and the British have managed to take full advantage of this. You see that in the results.
Olympic soccer star Carli Lyod wears her gold medals, one from Beijing in 2008 and the other from London last week, as she visits soccer practice at Universal Soccer Academy Aug 14, in Lumberton, New Jersey. The Delran, NJ native and Rutgers grad scored both US goals to lead the womens team to Olympic gold in a 2-1 victory against Japan in London. She also scored the winning goal against Brazil in Beijing four years ago. (AP)
YACHTING
Early concerns about the 10 gold medals being decided in a final race after a series of 10 proved unfounded and the format rewarded spectators with some thrilling racing. Highlights included the Swedish duo of Fredrik Loof and Max Salminen snatching victory from Britains reigning champions Iain Percy and Andrew Bart Simpson in the Star class with a superb final sail. The Nothe medal course, close to the shore to provide a perfect spectacle for the paying public, presented one of the trickiest stretches of water even the most experienced Olympic sailors had navigated, with at times flukey winds making for some unexpected results. The U.S. failed to win a single medal for the first time since 1936 as the squad continued the process of changing the way it trains to replicate the British model. The spoils were shared among 15 nations with Cyprus celebrating its first Olympic medal in any sport for Pavlos Kontides, who won silver in the Laser single-handed class behind a dominant Tom Slingsby of Australia. Australias three golds and a silver relegated Britain to third with one gold and four silvers behind Spain, whose women take home two golds in the windsurfing and the match racing. The Netherlands won a gold in mens windsurfing and the other golds were won by Sweden in the Star, China in the womens Laser Radial and New Zealand in the womens two-handed 470. Several Olympic veterans will not be making the voyage to Rio de Janeiro and some of the boats were raced for the last time in an Olympic championship. The Star, designed in 1910, and the largest and heaviest of the classes is being decommissioned, unless bronze medallists Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada of Brazil can persuade the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) to grant the keelboat a reprieve. Another change at the Brazilian Olympic sailing venue of Guanabara Bay in 2016 will be the introduction of kitesurfing, which takes over from windsurfing. The decision has been challenged by the windsurfing class association, but gold medallist Dorian Van Rijsselberge of the Netherlands and silver medallist Nick Dempsey of Britain have already said they are switching to kiteboarding. Mixed doubles will also feature, closing the gender gap, with the inclusion of the multi-hull two person Nacra 17 class. While on-board cameras made for some great action TV footage, they were not universally popular among the sailors, with some complaining they got in the way. Despite this, there have been calls for more technology to help umpires and juries, with some suggesting the use of video for starts and finishes in 2016. Ainslie The sport is advancing probably faster than the umpires and technology involved, Ian Ainslie, chief coach of the Dutch team, told Reuters. You see them having to make a call on a split second incident which could change the nature of the result totally.
Croatia muscle in
In this file photo, Russias Anton Ponkrashov and Argentinas Pablo Prigioni go after a loose ball during the mens bronze medal basketball game at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Aug 12, in London. (AP)
WATER POLO
The last 20 years I played matches where everybody expected always to win, and expected me to win and play well, so this part, I say enough, I dont want it. It was too much, said Tamas Kasas. The Hungarians struggled to explain why they failed to shine liked they used to. Its very hard to say. We could talk for the whole night about this, Gergely Kiss said. He shrugged his shoulders, Hungarian aspirations of a record four golds in a row were shattered, but look at what they had achieved. Four Olympic Games played and three gold medals, I think it would be in everybodys dreams. Instead, it was Croatia who stole the show, not by doing anything amazing, but by executing a defence so strong that team after team failed to breach it. The Croatians were crowned Olympic champions after a slick disposal of Italy, giving the mens game a new title-holder, two days after the US women won gold, in what was their first time at the top of the podium. The American womens victory ended 12 years of near misses and enabled Heather Petri and Brenda Villa, the closest thing the womens game has to Hungarys veteran Olympians, to end their careers on a high. In the mens tournament, the intensely physical and aggressive style of water polo played by Croatia and the other former Yugoslavian countries of Serbia and Montenegro prevailed in London, with silver medallists Italy being the only non-Balkan country to make it to the last four.
ers purposely making horses legs tender so they jump more carefully. The International Federation of Equestrian Sports (FEI) said there was no sign of wrongdoing in Fosters case but stood by its decision. Team captain Lamaze was furious at the disqualification and said it is time to take a hard look at the rules. Final doping test results were not yet in but if they prove clean, it would validate tougher anti-doping measures taken by the FEI in the wake of a raft of doping cases at the 2008 Games.
Horse power
Saudi Arabia, with royal team member Prince Abdullah, rode to a surprise lead in the first round of team jumping
and stayed strong in the second for a bronze. Kamal Bahamdan finished just out of the medals in the individual. The Saudis were riding proven horses bought up in a two-year spree by a group called Saudi Equestrian, whose patron is King Abduallah and whose sole goal was a strong London showing. Chef dequipe Rogier van Iersel, a former international judge from the Netherlands, said the teams performance trumped expectations and was as much down to riding as to acquired horse power. Anyone knows that the horses we have are not cheap horses. Nevertheless, this is not a guarantee for success, he told Reuters.
EQUESTRIAN
Things didnt go much better for the United States, team Olympic jumping champions in 2004 and 2008. Beezie Madden, 2008 individual jumping bronze medallist, came to London with a shot at gold but was eliminated in the first qualifier when her horse stopped twice at a fence. The team as a whole finished out of the medals in all disciplines for the first time since 1956. Theyll be back. They have fantastic riders. They have great young riders coming up, said British equestrian team head Will Connell. And the Canadians ...I think anyone writing the North Americans off would be doing it far too quickly. A devastated Foster was disqualified under rules partly designed to prevent rid-
Rio de Janeiros Governor Sergio Cabral (center left), applauds as he walks along side the honor guard carrying the Olympic flag in the Complexo de Alemao slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug 15. Rio de Janeiro in 2016 will become the first South American city to host the Games. (AP)
You have to have the skill, the energy, the talent, the will to work, the will to train and then if you have a good horse, you might be successful. Connell said that what Britain lacks in equine buying power, it makes up for with talent at training young horses. Britain went into the Games with all the ingredients for success horses and riders at their peak and a Games on home turf with a wildly partisan crowd. It emerged with the nations highest equestrian Olympic medal tally ever. Beyond the eventing silver, Britain won its first team jumping gold in 60 years and team gold in dressage the nations first Olympic medal of any hue in a sport traditionally dominated by Germany and the Netherlands. Charlotte Dujardin also took individual dressage gold on record-breaking horse Valegro while Laura Bechtolsheimer won bronze on Mistral Hojris, known as Alf. Connell said Carl Hester, a British team member as well as Dujardins coach and mentor, deserves enormous credit. You should never get away from Carl Hesters achievements at these Games in that he not only won a gold medal himself, he produced a rider and horse as coach to win a gold medal, he said. Hester finished fifth individually. Britain wont waste time basking in glory, though. Owners, riders and officials will meet shortly to plot a course to Rio. The likes of Valegro, Mistral Hojris, (Hesters) Uthopia, (jumper Nick Skeltons mount) Big Star these horses are oncein-a-lifetime horses, Connell told Reuters. With Valegro and Uthopia to be sold and Mistral Hojris too old to make Rio, Britain will need to comb the next generation for talent human and equine for the 2016 medal hunt.
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header. But just when it appeared as if the match was petering out to a draw, Defoe finished off a counter-attack led by fellow substitute James Milner before sending a 20-yard shot arrowing into Salvatore Sirigus top-left corner. The victory may not make up for the pain of Junes Euro 2012 quarter-final defeat on penalties to the same opponents, but it was their first win against the Azzurri since a 2-0 friendly triumph in Nantes, France, in June 1997. Just 52 days had passed since these nations met in Kiev, but the circumstances were entirely different here. England and Italy took to the field with experimental sides, the focus firmly on the upcoming World Cup qualifying campaign. Brazil 3, Sweden 0 In Stockholm, two goals from substitute Alexandre Pato helped Brazil to a 3-0 win over Sweden in the final international game at Stockholms Rasunda Stadium. After losing the Olympic final to Mexico last Saturday, Brazil returned to the stadium where a 17-year-old Pele had inspired them to their first World Cup in 1958 and were dominant against the Swedes. We needed to give a strong answer and I think we did that, Brazil coach Mano Menezes told a news conference. We created a lot of chances and scored three goals. It was a fair result. Pele, watching from the stands, was welcomed back to Stockholm with open arms but Santos forward Neymar was given a harder time of it as the Swedes sought to get to grips with his incisive dribbling and passing. The 20-year-old had already had a goal disallowed for offside by the time he drifted in and launched a deft cross for fellow forward Leandro Damiao to head home to open the scoring. France 0, Uruguay 0 In Le Havre, France, the curse of the goalless draw struck again for France and Uruguay, as Didier Deschamps first game at the French helm ended in a 0-0 stalemate in Le Havre. It was the fourth consecutive match between the countries to finish goalless, although France twice struck the frame of the goal in their first match since Laurent Blanc left his post after their quarter-final exit at Euro 2012. Deschamps awarded debuts to Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Christophe Jallet and Etienne Capoue, as he sought to use his first and final opportunity to experiment before Frances opening 2014 World Cup qualifier in Finland on September 7. Uruguay, meanwhile, are now unbeaten in 18 matches, and although the South American champions offered little in attack, they showcased all the ruggedness that has helped them rise to a FIFA ranking of fourth in the world. For his first game in charge, Deschamps handed a start to Montpellier centre-back Yanga-Mbiwa, while Lille midfielder Rio Mavuba made his first France appearance for nearly five and a half years. Belgium 4, Dutch 2 In Brussels, Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal started his second spell in charge with a painful 4-2 defeat by neighbours Belgium in a friendly international. Van Gaal chose Klaas Jan Huntelaar as his first-choice striker and kept Robin van Persie on the bench, while right back Ricardo van Rhijn was the only new name from the team that lost all three group stage matches at Euro 2012. Despite a poor first half performance in ball possession we created six chances, Van Gaal told SBS6-TV. Second half we started well with a well-executed building game. The personal foul (of Nigel de Jong) was crucial as we were in control and not only conceded the equaliser but also allowed Belgium back in the match. With a 4-3-3 starting formation and one holding midfielder in Nigel de Jong, the Dutch made a stuttering start and fell behind after 20 minutes when Kevin Mirallas set up Belgium striker Christian Benteke to open the scoring.
Englands Phil Jagielka (left), fights for the ball with Italys Mattia Destro (right), during an international friendly Test match between the national soccer teams of Italy and England at the Stade de Suisse Stadium, in Bern, Switzerland, Aug 15. (AP)
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City, as well as Italian giants Juventus, but it is United manager Alex Ferguson who has won the race for the strikers coveted signature. It is not expected either a medical or indeed personal terms will
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And on Wednesday, Chainrai and his company Portpin pulled out from taking over at the south coast club. He told Sky Sports News in a statement: Portpin Ltd regrets to announce that it is withdrawing its bid for Portsmouth Football Club. Unfortunately, our efforts to save the club once more from extinction have hit a wall of rejection and lacking co-operation from the administrator and other interested parties. He added: As history has recorded, we sold the club over a year ago after saving it from liquidation and unfortunately found ourselves again fighting to try and save the club from another liquidation. Chainrai was angered by the Football Leagues decision to deduct the Fratton Park club 10 points before the forthcoming season after a similar deduction contributed to their relegation from the second-tier Championship last season.
1-1 in Australia in June in their first three games in the final round of Asian 2014 World Cup qualifiers. Russia 1, Ivory Coast 1 In Moscow, Fabio Capello was
denied a victory in his first game as Russia coach when a second-half equaliser by midfielder Max Gradel earned Ivory Coast a 1-1 draw in a friendly. Russia playmaker Alan
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Kagawa. Its really disappointing. Well put it right for the World Cup qualifiers. Honda praised Venezuela, who finished fourth at last years Copa America. Theyre a tough side, said a bare-chested Honda. They put us under a lot of pressure and didnt let us play our game. We will have to increase our work rate. Japan meet the United Arab Emirates early next month in their final tune-up for a World Cup qualifier against Iraq on Sept. 11. They overpowered Oman 3-0 and Jordan 6-0 at home before being held
Japans midfielder Yasuhito Endo (right), celebrates his goal with teammate Shinji Okazaki against Venezuela at an international friendly football match in Sapporo, Japans northern island of Hokkaido on Aug 15. (AFP)
Dzagoyev put the hosts ahead with a nicely-taken freekick from the edge of the box 10 minutes into the second half. Italian Capello, who replaced Dutchman Dick Advocaat as Russia boss last month, gave defender Georgy Shchennikov and midfielder Viktor Faizulin their national team debuts while leaving under-fire captain Andrei Arshavin on the sidelines in the first half. Capellos strategy paid off as the home team dominated before Dzagoyev, Euro 2012 joint top scorer with three goals, gave the Russians a deserved lead on 55 minutes. The Ivorians, missing six players through injury, were content to play safe in the first half. They also missed Arsenal striker Gervinho and West Ham United defender Guy Demel because they did not get permission from their English clubs to travel to Russia. The visitors increased the tempo after falling behind and midfielder Abdul Razack wasted a good chance midway through the second half when he struck the post from close range after a nice feed by Didier Drogba.
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