October 23, 2010 15 Dhul-qada 1431 Volume 15 Number 4765 Price: QR2

ON SATURDAY
CHALLENGES OF

KEEPING THEM ON THE GO...

8
Amid tensions, Bahrain votes today

10
France on the boil as strikes continue

15
THE ISSUE
When Mowasalat, the state-owned public transport company, launched the rst public buses in Qatar in 2005, many wondered if the experiment was going to work.
ith the majority of the population relying on private vehicles for daily transport, it was not easy to develop a public transport system in the country. The number of privately-owned vehicles continues to rise, with about 100,000 new vehicles registered in the country every year, according to gures released by the Trafc Department some time ago. The public buses, however, proved a success, thanks to the burgeoning expatriate population in the country. Mowasalat currently operates about 260 Karwa buses on 57 routes that together carry 80,000 to 100,000 passengers daily, according to company ofcials. In 2009, a total of 24 million people used the bus service, making it one of the most popular public services in the country. The service is not without problems and shortcomings. Families still shy away from using public buses, perhaps because a public transport culture has not yet developed in the country along with the transport system. Currently, single workers, especially labourers, form the huge majority of bus passengers. It is a fact that the service has become a boon to this segment of the population, which cannot afford the high taxi fares. The Karwa taxis, launched by Mowasalat in 2004 replacing the earlier orangeand-white cabs, have no doubt raised the quality and standard of the taxi service in the country. But with that went up the fares, making the service inaccessible to a major portion of the population. Despite all the claims being made by Mowasalat ofcials, the company has not been able to address the shortage of taxis that is still felt in many parts of Doha city and its outskirts, not to speak of the distant areas. The company insists its current eet of about 2,200 taxis is enough to meet the requirements of the country, with a population of nearly 1.7 million. The surge in the number of illegal cabs over the past few years is a clear pointer to the inadequacy of the ofcial taxi service. A few years ago Mowasalat had announced plans to open the sector to competition and allow private companies to operate taxis. Four companies were selected following public bidding. The company, however, didnt proceed with the plan. Recently, a senior ofcial said the company was ready to reconsider the proposal, but nobody knows when that will happen. If more operators enter the eld, it could address the shortage of taxis to some extent. Whether it would have an impact on the fares depends on what policy Mowasalat will follow in this regard.

US plan for trade targets hits G20 headwinds

20
Wayne Rooneys shock u-turn

27
Secretariat: Story of an extraordinary horse
Pics: Salim Matramkot

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Public transport challenges

The number of buses and taxis in Qatar has failed to keep pace with the steady increase in population
BY RAYNALD C RIVERA DOHA: Though Qatar has been witnessing rapid economic and demographic growth, its public transport sector seems to be lagging behind as mounting challenges beset its progress. Before the state-owned Mowasalat transport company took the helm of the countrys public land transport system six years ago, the streets of Doha were dominated by around 2,000 orange-and-white coloured taxis catering to the countrys then 750,000-strong residents. The Qatar Statistics Authority, in a recent report, said Qatars population has reached 1.7 million and is expected to grow to 2.5 million by 2020. Despite the increase in the number of people in the country the transport company has not been seen as exerting much effort to augment its eet to meet the surge in demand, with the number of taxis at only 2,200. The shortage of taxis is evident in the mushrooming of illegal private taxis that ply around Doha. Hapless passengers are left with almost no choice but to hire these illegal cabs whose drivers demand more than the Karwa fare, especially outside the city, where there are virtually no Karwa taxis available to take passengers to their destinations. While some of the drivers of illegal taxis do the work just for a few hours to earn some extra money, many of them drive full-time as they nd it more lucrative than a regular job, with many customers preferring their services to that provided by Mowasalat. One reason is that many passengers nd it more convenient to call a private taxi than a Karwa one. Booking a Karwa taxi has been tough for many customers as it takes a lot of time to get a call through and many times taxis are not available another proof of the shortage. Even Karwa drivers have devised ways to earn extra cash by manipulating the taxi meter; not using the meter and instead asking for a higher fare; or taking multiple passengers going to different destinations on the same trip. By changing the mode of the meter from that for normal tariff to one for outside Doha or night charge, a taxi driver can trick the passenger into paying double the usual fare. The taxi meter starts at QR4, with QR1.2 charged per kilometre during daytime inside Doha city. The running rate between 9pm and 5am in Doha is QR1.8 per kilometre. The rate outside Doha is QR1.8 per kilometre at all times. Most Karwa taxis recently had sensors installed in the front passenger seat that automatically turn the meter on once a passenger takes the seat; however, some drivers manually switch off the meter after having the passenger agree not to use it in return for a cheaper fare, which is really not so. Karwa drivers justify their devious methods saying the management does not provide them enough compensation to support themselves and their families back in their home countries. On top of all this, taxi users now face an additional burden with the Mowasalat management recently announcing that taxi fares are to be increased because of ination and high maintenance costs. Those who wish to travel without burning a hole in their pocket have the option of riding on any of the hundreds of Mowasalat public buses plying on 57 routes inside and outside Doha. The fares are low compared to the taxis starting from QR3 within Doha limits to QR9 for the farthest destination in the country. A passenger may also buy a twoway ticket for QR5 or a day pass for QR9 that entitles one to any number of bus rides inside the city until 12 midnight. Currently there are 260 Karwa buses that carry 80,000 to 100,000 passengers daily, according to Mowasalat ofcials. Last year, a total of 24 million people used the bus service, making it one of the most popular public and deploys inspectors to conduct random checks of the buses from time to time at bus stops. This problem might become a thing of the past when an electronic ticketing system is implemented next year wherein bus passengers will pay using pre-paid smart cards instead of cash. Compared to Dubai, which crossed the 1.8 million population mark in the rst quarter this year slightly more than Qatars population this country has a long way to go in terms of improving its public land transport system. The most populated among the seven emirates in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai boasts a large government-run transport system. While its bus system has expanded its eet from 500 last year to more than 1,500 this year, with nearly 200 routes on weekdays, it also has a large number of taxis with stateowned Dubai Taxi Corporation running more than 3,000 taxis apart from the 4,000-plus taxis run by privately owned companies such as Cars Taxi, National Taxi, Cititaxi and Metro Taxi. The chairman of the board of directors of Mowasalat, Jassim Saif Al Sulaiti, recently said in an interview that another taxi company was likely to be launched next year. Although this may play an important role in easing the taxi shortage, it may at the same time worsen trafc congestion. Having a second taxi company in the city could also be a boon to the public as competition could result in lower fares and better services. Commuting by taxi here has always been costly despite petrol being cheap; so many people nd using their own car better than using public transport. The much-anticipated Qatar rail network and Doha metro system, which have been conceived based on the success of the Dubai Metro, will be built at an enormous cost but are expected to provide numerous benets including lower trafc congestion and an alternative means of transport for the majority of the population. Dubais driverless metro, launched last year, proved successful in encouraging people to use public transport; it has seen a sharp increase in the number of passengers from an average of 35,000 daily last year to 110,000 this year. But for Qatar there is still a long way to go as the 300-kilometre multi-billion dollar Qatar rail project, which will be constructed in several phases, is expected to be completed only by 2026. Governments around the world have been keen to persuade more people to use public transport instead of private vehicles, as mass transport systems have many advantages, both economic and environmental. Public transportation lessens the number of cars on the road, lowering gas emissions, easing trafc congestion and reducing an individuals carbon footprint. Improving Mowasalats services could be the best way to lure the majority of the population in Qatar to utilise public transport for the good of the country as it takes huge strides in economic development.
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Teeming numbers waiting for buses to their destinations at the Al Ghanim bus terminus.
transport services in the country. The frequency of the bus trips varies from one every 15 minutes to twice a day, though sometimes road works or lack of buses causes delays. The resulting inconvenience to passengers increases manifold during the summer months because many bus stops do not have any shelter and those that do provide little relief from temperatures that can reach 50 degrees Celsius. Mowasalat had announced plans to erect air-conditioned bus shelters, but they have not

SHAIVAL DALAL

seen the light of day until now. There is another problem: the bus drivers also resort to illegal practices such as asking alighting passengers to return their ticket and issuing the used tickets to other passengers. Mowasalat has been keen to curb such practices

While some of the drivers of illegal taxis do the work just for a few hours to earn some extra money, many of them drive full-time as they nd it more lucrative than a regular job, with many customers preferring their services to that provided by Mowasalat.

(Clockwise from left) Karwa taxis waiting for passengers in front of a shopping mall in Doha; a private taxi; and a limousine operated by a private company in Doha. SALIM MATRAMKOT/ABDUL BASIT

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ON SATURDAY

Leaked Iraqi war documents on Al Jazeera

First to reveal startling information
DOHA: Al Jazeera will be the rst international broadcaster to air analytical coverage and programmes that reveal startling new information about the operations of US forces during the Iraq War. The programmes, produced for Al Jazeera English by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, are based on les from Wikileaks who gained access to over 400,000 documents regarding the War in Iraq making it the largest document leak in US history. The secret materials are more than four times larger than Wikileaks Afghanistan les. The documents date from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2009. Al Jazeera English aired the rst programme yesterday at 2100GMT. The programme special will be repeated at 0200GMT today. The second extended onehour special will air at 1400GMT tomorrow. Among the major ndings covered in the programmes include: The US armys cover-up of Iraqi state sanctioned torture although one of the stated aims of the Iraq War was to close down Saddam Husseins torture chambers, the Wikileaks documents show many cases of torture and abuse of Iraqi prisoners by Iraqi police and soldiers. In addition, the documents reveal the US knew about the state sanctioned torture but ordered its troops not to intervene. The killing of hundreds of civilians at US manned

ictQatar, QU hold e-Learning workshop

DOHA: Qatar University (QU) hosted a Just-inTime training workshop conducted by ictQatar, as a part of its initiative on creative e-Learning cultures to empower leadership. The workshop was designed for middle managers. It showcased how the Qatar National e-Learning portal can assist and support them in lling the knowledge gap within their teams as well as enhancing their knowledge in key areas, organisers said. The workshop objective was to introduce participants to the portal and its 2,500 courses and features that are customised for middle managers. Additionally, participants were able to get a better understanding of the managers role within the portal and how it can be used for maximum benet. The workshop included constructive discussion on the training approach and benets for management teams and organisations. QU Vice President and Chief Academic Ofcer Prof Sheikha bint Jabor Al Thani along with 30 QU staff members participated in the workshop which was coordinated by ictQatar Coordinator Noor Al Madfa and conducted by ictQatar Project Manager Yazen Al Safe, and TRAK Learning Solutions specialist Alaeddin Al Najjar The event was organised by QUs Staff Development Section of the Human Resources Department.
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NEW EVIDENCE Killings of hundreds of civilians at US checkpoints US armys cover-up of state-sanctioned torture Despite denials, US kept a death count during the war Malikis alleged association with death squads
checkpoints according to the documents, many Iraqi civilians were killed during the war at checkpoints in contrast to the ofcial US position. The US kept a death count throughout the War despite repeated denials. New information on Blackwater civilian killings the secret US les reveal new cases of Blackwater (a company now known as XE) opening re on civilians. No charges were ever brought. US Army reports about Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki and allegations of his association with death squads. Irans secret involvement in nancing Shia militias the les detail Irans secret war in Iraq and discuss Irans Revolutionary Guard acting as an alleged supplier of arms to Shia insurgents. Visit www.aljazeera.net/english for more details.
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(From left) Shabeb Al Rumaihi, Ibrahim Minawi and Jassim K Emad Dahi during the DTFF training.

800 volunteers complete DTFF training

DOHA: Out of more than 1,300 applicants, over 800 volunteers completed their training and will be on hand to take part in the Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) 2010 from October 26 to 30. DTFF could not happen without the dedication and hard work of its volunteers who work throughout the festival in various capacities. These positions are unpaid but provide priceless experience and opportunities as volunteering is often the rst step in the door for people interested in pursuing or advancing a career in the lm industry. The rewards of being a festival volunteer are many in addition to fostering a sense of community, being a volunteer has benets including receiving vouchers for screenings and panel discussions, getting credentials (a badge) and a fun-lled goodie bag including a DTFF uniform, invitation to the volunteer appreciation party, and a certicate of appreciation. Shabeb Al Rumaihi, a law student at Qatar University and a Guest Relations Volunteer said: "I love being a DTFF volunteer because I am a part of an institution that represents Qatar to international lm industries and represents the world to Qatar." Ibrahim Minawi, a volunteer in the Communications Department said: Some people wonder why Id want to volunteer and work for free, and my response is that because Im helping people each day and that is a valuable reward. For me, its not always about the money; its about helping the community and doing something useful in my life. As the ofcial sponsor of the Volunteer Programme, Virgin Mobile Qatar (a service provided by Qtel) will be hosting the volunteer appreciation party, as well as awarding special prizes to DTFFs top volunteers. Those who missed out on signing up to be a volunteer, but would still like to be involved are welcome to join the DTFF Fan Zone, which will be open daily next to the red carpet at the Katara Opera House. Everyone is invited to cheer on their favourite stars as they arrive on the red carpet and be part of the excitement. DTFF Fan Zone credentials are available at DTFF Lounges at Villaggio and City Center malls.
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7th Filipino basketball league opens in Doha

Vodafone main sponsor; 22 teams vie for honours
BY CHRIS V PAGANIBAN DOHA: The premier Filipino basketball league in Qatar formally opened yesterday at the Al Arabi Sports Club drawing hundreds of basketball fans. Billed as the 7th Pinoy Basketball of Qatar (PIBAQ) Basketball Cup 2010 with Vodafone Qatar as its main sponsor, the tournament is regarded as much bigger and more exciting as 16 teams will take part in Category B and six teams in Category A. Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Crescente Relacion graced the opening ceremony along with a representative from Vodafone Qatar which was marked with an attractive display of different teams donning their colourful uniforms during the parade around clubs hard court. Relacion has reiterated his call to his countrymen to devote more of their time with sports like basketball. The event also saw pretty Filipinas calling the shots to the much coveted Miss PIBAQ 2010 with QDVC bet Nida Vitug crowned for the tilt and two other lasses from One Family-Chowking Qatar as best muse for Category A and Qatar United Travels as best muse for Category B. What makes this tournament a truly come-on to basketball fans are the entry into the league of former basketball stars of the prestigious Philippine Basketball Association who were given another crack to play for different teams. The former PBA stars have lost their fame to the Philippine league but were however given the chance to regain the glory with an offer for a decent work as long as they will play for the teams that hired them back home. Among them are Nino Gelig who used to play for PBAs Talk N Text team, Marvin Ortigera, Radel Mallari and Ruben Mendoza of the Sta Lucia Realtors and Arnold Calo. Participating teams are defending champion ChowkingOne Family, Rumaillah Group, Vodafone Qatar, Ali Caf, Power

The parade of colours at the hardcourt of Al Arabi Sports Club marking the opening of the PIBAQ Basketball Cup 2010 sponsored by Vodafone Qatar, yesterday. CHRIS V PANGANIBAN

Horse Energy Drink and Qatar Kentz. The Category B are composed of AECOM Consultant, PBC Tamween, Qatalum,

KBAS Contracting, Al Khor Community, Pampanga AllStar and Consultants, PISQWestern Union, PSD-Western Union, Hamad Pit-Malu, Qatar

United Travel, One FamilyChowking Doha, Noel Mindanao, Combined Group Company, IMCO Engineering and QDVC LRT.
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Philippine body plans for bigger Independence Day celebration

BY CHRIS V PANGANIBAN The Philippine DOHA: Independence Day Organising Committee 2011 (PINOC 2011) has vowed to offer thousands of their countrymen in Qatar a much bigger and more exciting celebration next year. Newly-elected PINOC 2011 chairman Romeo Ocfemia said they would be holding a series of meetings to draw up better plans and strategies to add more activities and involve more community groups to become part of the celebration. Ocfemia was elected as PINOC 2011 chairman yesterday in a majority votes during the quarterly community meeting held at the Philippine Embassy where more than 100 community leaders attended. He said he will rst call for a meeting of an ad hoc committee who will have a consultation and analysis of the problems and gains encountered by the PINOC last year then later elect among themselves the chairmen of different committees. The PINOC ways and means committee will be activated this early and will be tasked to mobilise all the preparations to ensure that next years Independence Day celebration in June 12 will be successful. We will encourage more groups to join the celebration to make it more grand and exciting, Ocfemia said. Last year, the PINOC 2010 chaired by Frank Jamandre held the celebration at the Doha Sheraton Hotel where various activities including the car show, musical extravaganza, product exhibits and the highlighted gala dinner for a cause. The body generated more than QR100,000 from the dinner and its proceeds went to charitable services to the community.
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Donating blood

Two, three breast cancer cases detected every week in Qatar

DOHA: A high number of breast cancer patients are detected within every week in Qatar, reported Al Sharq newspaper. Two to three breast cancer patients are identied weekly in Qatar, said Dr Sheikh Khalid bin Jabr Al Thani, Chairman, Qatar National Cancer Society. He explained four main facts which inuence Qatar womens lifestyle in getting breast cancer. Lack of exercise, eating unhealthy food, inhaling shisha and age factor inuence women in getting breast cancer, Dr Al Thani said on the sidelines of a press conference to announce the third scientic breast cancer conference schedule to be held at the end of this month. With age the possibility of getting breast cancer is increasing, therefore its important to have routine checkups, Dr Al Thani said. He also said that all sectors are supporting the activities of social institutions, especially activities of the Qatar National Cancer Society. He stressed the necessity for cancer awareness programmes and precautions to be taken, as early detection of the disease is curable. Dr Al Thani thanked Al Khaliji Bank, the sponsors of the third scientic breast cancer conference. Sheikh Hamad bin Faisal Al Thani, chairman of the Al Khaliji Bank said, the bank has taken the responsibility to participate at the conference to support the campaign launched by the National Institution for social programmes. Al Khaliji Bank will participate to support the institution and other organisations for public welfare, he further said. He also said the bank is studying all suggestions to include the clients to participate in supporting the cause and will launch an account to collect donations for Qatar National Cancer Society.
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Volunteers pose for a picture during the annual blood donation campaign organised by Tulu Koota at HMC blood donation unit, yesterday. Tulu Koota Qatar, a socio-cultural organisation from Indias coastal Karnataka State, held its annual blood donation campaign to mark the 11th anniversary. SHAIVAL DALAL

Cancer can be beaten, QU forum told WCMC-Q holds lecture

DOHA: Qatar Universitys Department of Health Sciences of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) held its Cancer Awareness Forum with the theme Cancer can be beaten. This forum is timely to promote awareness, prevention, early diagnosis, and care and treatment of this disease, said Dr Mohamed Ahmedna, CAS Associate Dean for Research. He stated that discussions will focus on the collective efforts in the eld of scientic research to nd crucial solutions to combat the disease. The event was part of a series of events held at the organisation to mark International Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Forum participants were QU faculty and students, representatives from Hamad Medical Corporation, the Supreme Council of Health, Weill Cornell University Qatar, and researchers interested in cancer control and prevention issues. Head of the Department of Health Sciences Dr Tahra El Obeid, said: Todays event is an example of how we can come together and disseminate information and make a difference. She noted that the World Health Organisation reported that cancer is the leading cause of death in the world with over 8 million people affected by the disease in 2008. Further statistics show that by 2030, 21.4 million new cases will be diagnosed, she said. While the statistics are disturbing, great strides have been made in combating the disease, so cancer is no longer a death sentence as previously thought. Research is a vital weapon to ght the disease, Dr El Obeid said. On the forums agenda were presentations by President LXRYM Opto Technology Inc Dr Maan Al Ani on AngstroTechnology: Detection of proteins on cancer cells could play a role in the methods of therapy; QU Assistant Professor of Medical Microbiology Dr Asma Al Thani on High-Risk HPV among women attending Womens Hospital in Qatar; Associate Professor QU College of Pharmacy Dr Lars Hedin on Dont feed the tumour! The importance of healthy diet in cancer prevention; and Radiation Oncologist Al Amal Hospital Dr Mohamed Riyas on Understanding breast cancer. THE PENINSULA

on preventing strokes
DOHA: Eliminating cardiovascular risk factors and regular blood pressure tests will prevent from strokes or brain attacks says a neurology expert. One of the most important ways to prevent stoke is to maintain a normal blood pressure, according to Dr Matthew Fink, professor and interim chair of the Department of Neurology and Neuroscience and chief of the division of stroke and critical care neurology at NewYorkPresbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. High blood pressure is a factor in nearly 70 percent of strokes, says Dr Fink, who talked about ways to prevent stroke and dementia at a programme sponsored by Weill Cornell Medical College Qatar (WCMC-Q) as part of its Medicine and Public Lecture Series. Guarding against high blood pressure requires regular screening tests because it usually doesnt have symptoms. If it is high, then taking steps such as medication, quitting smoking, improved diet, regular exercise and weight reduction can help lower it. Heart disease is another risk factor for stroke, says Dr Fink and it, too, can be modied by quitting smoking, better diet, more exercise, and regular health screenings that check for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Preventive measures to save your brain from stroke is important because stroke leaves about 30 percent of survivors needing help caring for themselves and leaves 18 percent needing to be institutionalised. Multiple strokes can also be a

UK Parliamentary style taught at debate centre

DOHA: QatarDebate Center, an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Science and Education, has started a week long training session for the students and faculty of all the universities in Qatar in the new format of British Parliamentary style. QatarDebate is introducing the British Parliamentary (BP) debate model in its future debate sessions for the university students from this academic year, throwing up a major shift in the approach in the debating mode and skills. The training session was opened on Sunday at the LAS building of Qatar Foundation. This is the World University Debating Championship (WUDC) format. It is an in-depth debate method which tries to fathom out the inner core of a debate topic and conducts a detailed analysis of a topic, said prominent debate trainer, Kate Shuster, Director of the worlds largest debate programme for students the Middle School Public Debate Programme, headquartered at Claremont McKenna College. Giving out the details of the BP style debate she said that it is different from the schools debate model as there are two parts for the debate both for the proposition and the opposition. There are four members in a debate team as against three in the schools debate programme. Another important feature of BP debate is that only 15 minutes are given for preparation and no electronic devices are allowed for the preparation. Regarding the shift to BP format of debating, QatarDebate Center Head of English Programme, Kelley Bieringer said that it was a change for the better. We wanted to introduce BP style of debating primarily for the reason that all the international debates are taking place in this format. As our students take part at the university level of debating it is imperative for them to be acquainted with this format. Moreover this format gives scope for wider and detailed debating than the schools debate format, she said. She also said that separate training sessions have been organised for various universities in Qatar. She also hoped that the students will benet from these workshops and be able to present their ideas more logically and convincingly. I am learning many new things which I will be able to make use of in the coming debating sessions. Moreover, I hope that when I complete the training sessions, I will be able to get into the bottom of a topic and debate on it far more elegantly and efciently, said Almas, one of the students from Qatar University.
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Chief of Stroke and Critical Care Neurology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Dr Matthew Fink during the lecture.
cause of dementia, which in the United States affects about eight percent of people over 65. So the risk for dementia can also be modied by health screenings that check for high cholesterol and high blood pressure, by quitting smoking, a healthy weight and healthy diet and regular exercise. Eliminating cardiovascular risk factors not only helps prevent stoke, but can help reduce the risk of dementia in later life, says Dr Fink. Further, keeping busy mentally and avoiding sedentary lifestyles could reduce the chances of developing dementia.
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OCTOBER 23, 2010

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ON SATURDAY

Salim Matramcot

Out on the beach

A
s temperature subsides, many people now prefer heading towards beaches to enjoy their weekends. Qatar has a number of public beaches where residents can take a splash for free. These beaches however have virtually no facilities such as toilets, parasols and other basic provisions for visitors who wish to unwind by the Qatari waters. Some beaches are left unkempt with old dhows, destroyed and not anymore functional, just left along the shore posing danger for little children. Steps are needed to be taken to clean these beaches up and make facilities available to provide better services to visitors and boost the countrys local tourism industry. THE PENINSULA

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Bernankes strategy
Fed chairmans latest plan to perk up the economy is not without risks.
S America is struggling to dispel frightening images of deation, all eyes are on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke. The reason is the limited choices which Bernanke has before him to perk up the economy, having experimented with many options since the recession began. There is also another danger: this time, his policies or reforms cant afford to fail. The costs of such a failure will be huge. On November 2, when Americans go to the polls, the same day the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve Board convenes in Washington. All indications are that the Fed will embark on a major effort to stimulate the economy. With unemployment still high and ination threatening to become deation, Bernanke seems to believe that the Fed should act, lest the economy slip into permanent, Japan-like stagnation or worse. His determination is laudable but risky. The unorthodox approach he seems to favour could easily have negative side effects. Experts say the Fed has exhausted its usual means of increasing the money supply: lowering the interest rate at which banks may lend one another their reserves held at the Fed. This socalled federal funds rate is now zero. You cant go any lower than that, so the Fed has expanded the money supply further through quantitative easing: buying more than a trillion dollars worth

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of mortgage-backed securities with freshly printed money. Now the Fed is poised for more such quantitative easing in an effort to bring long-term interest rates down further. The case for quantitative easing is straightforward. By bidding up the price, and thus lowering the yield, of Treasuries and other safe debt instruments, the Fed encourages investors to put their money into different, potentially higher-yielding investments such as stocks. This reduces the cost of capital for businesses, which enables them to expand, which creates jobs. Other hoped-for effects include a further slide in home mortgage rates and greater demand for US exports. But experts are worried that this new package is a gamble, as Bernanke acknowledges. We have much less experience in judging the economic effects of this policy instrument, he said on Oct. 15. The risks include, crucially, a surge in commodity prices, which have already taken off in anticipation of the new package. Higher prices for food and petrol would cancel out some of the growth this might achieve. A cheaper dollar might indeed help exports. But its not clear how the Fed will sop up all the extra liquidity its creating once growth resumes. Given the uncertainties, the markets can only wait to see how the new plans unfold. As in politics, the future is unpredictable in economy too.

The other side Pension reforms

CROSS Europe, governments are faced with the twin problems of aging populations and shrinking nances to fund the pensions provided to them. The solution, those governments have decided, is to raise the pension age on the principle that if people live longer, they should work longer. But while in almost all Europe there is a reluctant public acceptance of this change, in France it is being resisted. Strikes by French workers and students opposed to President Nicolas Sarkozys pension reforms have brought the country almost to its knees. Opinion polls show considerable public sympathy for the strikers. This is precisely the sort of battle that Sarkozy relishes. Moreover, it is difcult to see him losing it providing he stays the course. He holds most of the cards in his hand. That is because while Sarkozy may be unpopular, there are other things that the French like even less. They do not like demonstrations, let alone running battles, on their streets. Nor do they like public transport brought to a halt. They especially dislike power cuts or the gas stations running dry. Most important, they have the highest regard for their political institutions. Once their elected representatives have passed a law, they do not like to see it revoked by public protest. That threatens the entire political system. For that reason, although uncomfortable about the pension age being raised, they are unlikely to accept the challenge from the streets once the bill is passed and becomes law. This is not 1968. Moreover, while they would prefer that the issue be resolved some other way, they are aware that it is not going to happen and that France is in no nancial position to avoid the unpleasant medicine that the rest of Europe accepts it is going to have to swallow. That is the unions predicament and Sarkozys master card. It is why he and his party are bound to persevere. Once the law is passed sometime in the next few days, any union-organized opposition to it on the streets, especially if that turns violent, sends the message that the demonstrators and the strikers respect neither the law nor the democratic system. For that reason, the opposition Socialists cannot be seen to do anything other than bide their time and promise that, if elected next time round, they will repeal the law. For Sarkozy there is also a very personal reason for not changing his plans at this point. He and his party know that if he gives in to the demands of the strikers and drops the pension reforms, he will be seen as a broken reed. He will have no chance of winning the next presidential election -only 19 months away. ARAB NEWS

Quote of the day

By disclosing sensitive information, Wikileaks continues to put at risk the lives of our troops, their coalition partners and those Iraqis and Afghans working with us.
Geoff Morrell Pentagon Spokesman

What would Gandhi say?

BY PRAFUL BIDWAI HEN India was elected last week to the UN security council as one of its ve temporary members for two years, foreign minister SM Krishna was ecstatic. He termed this a big day for Indian diplomacy and a reection of the expectations that the world

Instead of kowtowing to the west, India should use its position on the global stage wisely.

has from us. The Indian media joined the chorus to celebrate this monumental victory, which will give India a chance to showcase its eligibility to become a permanent member of the council. New Delhi has long nurtured this ambition and backed it indefatigably, while throwing in its lot with the other security council aspirants Japan, Germany and Brazil known as the G4. But its ludicrous to exult over an election for which there was no contest; under the Asian rota system, Indias victory became inevitable once Kazakhstan was persuaded to withdraw from the race. And India lobbied furiously for the seat. During the general assembly session in New York, Krishna personally spoke to the foreign ministers of 123 countries. It also helped that Pakistan didnt campaign against India. Indias recent election stands in sharp contrast to 1996, when

it last contested the Asian seat against Japan. The result then was a humiliating 142:40 defeat. Of course, there has since been a sea-change in Indias global status, with its rising prole as a potential economic superpower, and a great regional power, whom nobody wants to displease. India has even extracted a unique deal from the US under which its nuclear weapons are legitimised and the world resumes regular nuclear commerce with it although India has signed no atomic restraint or disarmament treaty. Does the temporary membership bring India any closer to a permanent seat, with or without a veto? Probably not. The G4 association carries its own burden: China is as keen to keep Japan out of the councils permanent membership as Washington is to bring it in. Germanys bid raises more eyebrows than Indias. And

the coffee club comprising Italy, Spain, Mexico, Pakistan and others stify opposes the G4. It would be wiser for India to redirect its energies radically. The country should stop obsessing over a permanent seat and instead work to strengthen the general assembly and make it more vibrant and responsive to the weakest states. What matters much more than position, status or symbols of status is how India uses its rising power. Here, it remains unsure, timid and confused. In place of crafting proactive independent positions on major issues like Iran, Palestine-Israel, Afghanistan, climate change, north-south relations and the great recession, India tails the west a complete U-turn from the days of nonalignment. So preoccupied is India with nurturing its new strategic partnership with the US that it has failed to leverage its own

special advantage in respect, for instance, of Iran, with which it has enjoyed good relations. India not only put in abeyance a lucrative gas pipeline project from Iran via Pakistan, but voted against Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency under coercion from Washington despite its stand that Iran is not in substantive breach of its IAEA and non-proliferation obligations. India should play a mediatory role that prevents Iran from being cornered and allows it to pursue legitimate nuclear activities with IAEA inspections. India had a principled position for Palestinian nationhood for decades. It recently abandoned it to embrace Israel as an ally and major military supplier. But India hasnt used its relations with Israel to encourage less reckless behaviour on its part, or help the Palestinians. India pledged to uphold the G77 developing

countries stand on differentiated north-south responsibility for climate change and for an ambitious, legally-binding agreement with deep enforceable emissions cuts by industrialised countries. But India struck a collusive, ineffectual, obligations-free deal at Copenhagen with the US and the biggest emerging polluters, which spells disaster for the planet. These positions are rooted in the domestic elites pro-western biases and cry out for correction. Indias elite greatly relishes its growing global power. But it doesnt debate its purposes. It does not ask what kind of power India should be and how it can use its inuence to make the world better while promoting Indias enlightened interests as a tribune of the global underprivileged. Thats a tragedy for a nation with the Gandhi-Nehru legacy.
THE GUARDIAN

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OCTOBER 23, 2010

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ON SATURDAY

James Zogby is a man relentlessly tapped to explain what Arabs are thinking, why they are thinking it and how the United States can make better decisions.

Dispelling myths about Arabs

BY MONICA HESSE n the early days after 9/11, employees of the Arab American Institute (AAI) huddled in their modest Washington ofces, afraid to leave the building. Police downstairs guarded the entrance, serving as protection from those who might deliver on the death threats sent to the nonprots founder and president, James Zogby. Raghead, they had said, or Ill slit your throat. This is not the story that Zogby likes to tell. He prefers the one that happened next, the one where, in the middle of the threats and the paranoia, he heard a timid knock. I looked through the door, and I saw the woman from the ofce next door, he says. He didnt know her name. They had never spoken. She was holding a platter of brownies. And she said, `I know you are frightened. I wanted to bring you this. He shakes his head at the memory, which honors his belief that violent actions prompt kind reactions and that progress progresses. He saw the brownies and, he recalls, I wept. Zogby, who is of Lebanese descent, is Catholic but is often assumed to be Muslim because of what he does, and responds to e-mailed bile by offering to pray for the senders. He is the brother of the more famous John, the pollster behind Zogby International, with whom he has collaborated on a new book. He is, at a time of Islamic cultural centers or Ground Zero mosques depending on how you feel about the proposed New York construction a man relentlessly tapped to explain what Arabs are thinking, why they are thinking it and how the United States can make better decisions. He knows all the Arab leaders, whether its (Yasser) Arafat or the king of Jordan or the president of Egypt or the prime minister of Lebanon, says Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, who is also of Lebanese descent and who met Zogby when LaHood was running for Congress in Illinois. In Washington, if you want to know about Arab issues, you call Jim Zogby. And LaHood suggests calling up one of these world leaders. He knows that such dignitaries dont typically gab on the phone, but when they hear youre talking about Jim ...

A few days later, Queen Noor of Jordan rings up. Asked what she thinks Zogbys most important contribution has been to relationship-building between Americans and Arabs, she says, The work that hes undertaken today is more important than it ever was and it will be even more important tomorrow. *** The grand irony of the Middle East: The United States has sent more money, sent more troops, fought more wars, and lost more lives than can be calculated, Zogby says. The investment there is so enormous and yet we just dont understand the culture. At 64, Zogby is a grandfatherly man, gently balding with deep laugh lines and thin-rimmed glasses. His cluttered ofce is decorated with pictures of his wife, Eileen, and their ve grown children. His frustrations over this knowledge gap resulted in the new book, Arab Voices, which is part polling data (using results from Zogby Internationals surveys), part history and part personal recollections. It is dedicated, Zogby says, to narrowing that chasm between perceptions and reality. We dont understand that Arabs really DO like us (Americans) that we dene a whole culture, he says. When someone in Saudi Arabia goes to ... McDonalds, its not because the food is better than the local fare. Its because people want to buy a piece of America and do an American thing. He spoke recently to the board of Starbucks, which has locations from Oman to Bahrain, and cheered them on: You guys are saving lives every day. You are public diplomats! Most Arabs dont spend their days watching anti-American rants on television, he says. They watch movies. The most popular show in the United Arab Emirates during Zogbys research was an animated series based on The Golden Girls. And most Arabs dont hate our freedom the simplistic shortcut by which some explained the 9/11 attacks. In the Zogby polling done after 9/11, the majority of those surveyed in ve Arab countries liked Americas freedom and democracy, as well as our cultural exports and our science and technology. What they hated were US policies or their perceptions of them

toward Arabs. This research contradicted a 2002 Gallup poll that had presented mass antipathy toward Americans. Zogby challenged that tally and chalked the Gallup results up to overly broad questioning. America means different things at different times to different people. Asking whether Arabs hate the country is like asking a woman whose husband is a serial cheater how she feels about men. Shell give you one answer. But if you say, `What do you think about fathers? What about brothers? ... Pull it apart and you get very different answers. (The Gallup poll surveyed nine Muslim countries, only ve of which were Arab. The Zogby polls focus solely on the Arab countries.) The key for the United States, Zogby says, is to gure out how to maximize the positive associations and build on them. Its quite a pioneering book, says activist Ralph Nader, who is of Lebanese descent. Its intent is to break the stereotype of Arab people, to show theres a very large diversity within these ethnic groups. ... Once that window is open, you can see how rich the culture is. Its on my desk right now, says Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., who spoke passionately about the Middle East after a 2009 visit to the Gaza Strip, and who has been a guest on Viewpoint, Zogbys call-in talk show about international issues, which is broadcast on Abu Dhabi television. I wish all members of Congress would pay attention to Zogby, Baird says. Arab Voices is, Zogby says, the book I always wanted to write and couldnt without his brother John. Their Washington ofces are in the same building, same oor, across the hallway from each other, with matching Zogby nameplates. John may be the reason that their surname is a brand name among political junkies, but when he and I travel to the Middle East together, Im cognizant of the fact that Im traveling with royalty, John says. Its `Oh, Dr. Zogby, is there anything we can get you? And who is your little sidekick? Their relationship works because he respects the fact that I know how to poll, and I respect the fact that he knows what hes talking about, John says. Ive had a lot of practice respecting that because frankly, Jim always knew what he was talking about.

The Brothers Zogby were born in Utica, NY. Their father was a Lebanese grocer, their mother a forward-thinking feminist who campaigned for womens suffrage. A schoolteacher by training, Celia demanded that her sons be informed. Their friends used to joke that the newspaper was required reading for entrance into the familys home. Joseph Zogby died when his sons were teenagers and James, three years older, became his brothers counsel on the mysteries that their mother couldnt help with relationships, sports and, John says, where do I t in this world? They grew up in an ethnic neighborhood, but the dominant ethnicity was Irish. So we were the wrong ethnic group, John says. I had a bit of an independent streak, so I relished being on the outside. Jim always relished getting on the inside and being a leader there, and it was he who showed John how to merge their two worlds. After an undergraduate degree in economics, James pursued his doctorate in comparative religions at Temple University. For dissertation research, he and Eileen, whom hed met in college, traveled to Lebanon to interview the displaced inhabitants of Palestinian camps. There, a woman looked at him and said, Now weve told you our story. What are you going to do about it? On the plane ride home, Eileen who is of Irish descent turned to her husband, and they silently stared at each other. One of them said, I dont think our lives are ever going to be the same again. James founded the AmericanArab Anti-Discrimination Committee in 1980, and AAI a few years later. John went on

Throughout his career, James received antiMuslim hate mail from Christians, because the senders didnt know he like 63 percent of Arab Americans is Christian.

to become one of the most recognized names in the polling industry. Jamess oldest son, Joe Zogby a staffer for Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. says his father tried to instill a sense of justice in all of his children; their bedtime stories were books about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Another childhood memory is more chilling. In 1985, the Washington ofces of the Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) which James had recently left were set on re. A few months earlier, a bomb had exploded near the groups Boston ofces. And in the ADCs Santa Ana location, a bomb planted in the building killed the organizations West Coast director, who was also Zogbys good friend. Joe was terried for his father. It was the rst time he realized that there were people who not only opposed his fathers work, but hated him for it. But James told his kids that his parents had immigrated here for the freedoms of religion and speech, and that it was his patriotic duty to keep ghting. There he was, protecting a country where a few intolerant citizens had just killed his former colleague. Throughout his career, there he was, the recipient of anti-Muslim hate mail from Christians, because the senders didnt know he like 63 percent of Arab Americans is Christian. There he was, hearing people say negative things about Judaism because they assumed that he would agree, but were surprised when he didnt. There he was, offering his organizations support to public gures, only to have them respond that it was not needed that an Arab association might damage their reputation. In the early days, James says, he sometimes felt like Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man, witnessing all the nastiness that humanity can spew when it thinks no one else is looking. In 1985, shortly after AAIs founding, James Zogby got an urgent call to come to Michigan. Michael Guido, the Republican candidate for mayor of Dearborn, had mailed out a broadsheet with a question in block letters: What was the Detroit suburb going to do about its Arab Problem? The candidate was smart; though the city had a substantial Arab population, few were registered to vote. Zogby launched a voter-registration campaign

that exponentially increased their numbers by the next election. Guido was elected, but his attitude gradually softened. By 1996, he was addressing his Muslim constituents as My brothers and sisters, and presenting Zogby with a gift of Lebanese worry beads a token key to the city. There are lots of stories like this, of ways that relationships have improved. He counts among his friends Susan Turnbull, the chair of the Maryland Democratic Party and a board member on the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. They collaborated on a Democratic Party resolution regarding divestment from Israel, ultimately urging that divestment NOT occur. Were an unlikely duo, Turnbull says. But weve found over the years that we have much in common. (The Jewish Anti-Defamation League lists AAI among AntiIsrael Protest Groups, but notes only that Zogby is a leading spokesman in the ArabAmerican community, while several other groups on its list are condemned for their violence or extremism. A spokesman from a prominent pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, said that he couldnt be of much assistance in commenting on Zogby or his work.) AAI is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and Zogby wants to pause, step back, gure out whether the groups efforts should be reevaluated or redirected. When I came to Washington 30 years ago, there were four of us (in the country) doing this work, Zogby says. And now on any one day, there are a couple hundred people doing this work. At a recent lecture sponsored by the World Affairs Council, Zogby outlines the arguments of his book and then pauses for questions from the audience. Isnt it true, one businessattired Capitol Hill type asks, that even if moderate Muslims arent engaging in terrorist activities themselves, they are at least tacitly supporting them? Why arent those Muslims doing anything to stop their compatriots? Zogby listens to the question, then wryly smiles. The questioner, he says patiently, has hit on at least three myths and misunderstandings about Arab culture. The education begins anew.
WP-BLOOMBERG

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OCTOBER 23, 2010

Middle East

Bahraini Sala leader Sheikh Jassem Al Saidi arrives to campaign for Khaled Al Shaer (right), who is running for the elections as an independent candidate at Isa city. Centre: A Bahraini Sunni Muslim woman shows the party sign for the candidate. Right: Leftist and Pan Arab supporter, Mounira Fakhro, who is running in the elections gives a speech to her supporters.

Amid tensions, Bahrain votes today

MANAMA: Bahrainis head to the polls today for a parliamentary election amid a crackdown by the Sunni Muslim-led government against the Shia majority. This is the third election for the Gulf island nation under its eightyear-old constitution. All seats in the 40-member parliament are at stake. But the voting comes at a time when the Sunni-led government of HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has conducted a wave of arrests of political activists from the Shia majority. At least 250 Shia activists have been detained in the last two months, and 23 Shias accused of plotting to overthrow the government are scheduled to go on trial next week. Despite the turmoil, a government election ofcial says that 300 or more observers will monitor the elections to make sure they are fair. The United States has a key interest in the election. ProWestern Bahrain hosts the US Navys 5th Fleet, which patrols the Persian Gulf at a time when Western concern over Irans nuclear development program has risen sharply. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful. The US State Department has taken a measured approach towards the unrest in Bahrain. A State Department ofcial said after a visit earlier this month that she had discussed human rights issues with Bahraini leaders. But she said the US does not intend to impose our views on others. The only woman in Bahrains outgoing parliament has already secured her seat, unopposed ahead of todays elections, but the other seven women vying for seats look set to fall victim to sexist traditions. The chances of success are not big, lamented Chahzelane Khamis, who lost election bids in 2002 and 2006 and is among 137 candidates vying for a place in the 40-member house. She said the Gulf kingdoms constituencies should be reduced in number in order to increase the chances of women being elected ... in large constituencies that would be less inuenced by tribal and confessional factors. Parliament should be balanced to represent society well, said candidate Roqaya Amiriya, a US-educated psychologist

The voting comes at a time when the Sunni-led government of HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has conducted a wave of arrests of political activists from the Shia majority.

who said female MPs are better placed to address issues related to women and children. But Tahani Al Mokdad, a teacher at an election rally by the largest Shia group, Wefaq, which is not elding any female cadidates, said society does not trust women. Many people do not want to be represented by a woman, due to traditions, she added. It was only nine years ago that Bahraini women won the right to

vote and run for ofce following a referendum on political reform that turned the Shia-majority archipelago, ruled by a Sunni dynasty, into a constitutional monarchy. But no women got past the post in the 2002 election, the rst since parliament was suspended in 1975. In 2006, Latifa Al Qouhoud was the only woman to enter the legislative chamber after winning he constituencys seat unopposed. She has had the same luck this year. Our society is conservative said Rim Khalifa, a journalist at Al Wasat daily, pointing out that the main Sunni and Shia Islamist groups do not have any female candidates. Certain groups, like the (Sunni Salast) Al Assala, prohibit all political or parliamentary involvement for women, although Bahraini women work not only as taxi drivers but as cabinet ministers, she said. Munira Fakhrou, a woman running with the National Democratic Action Association, an alliance of pan-Arab nationalists and leftists, also said that reducing the number of constituencies would improve womens chances. Although she still

believes that certain candidates might make a breakthrough in this elections, she is looking more to the future for change. The percentage of female students at the universities of the Gulf is higher than that of males, she said, and these young women believe in modernity. Others among the women candidates are banking on a change of opinion among voters disappointed by the outgoing parliament. There is a strong wish for change among voters disappointed by the past eight years of parliamentary experience, said Mariam Al Rowayi, who heads the Union of Bahraini Women. People feel that MPs have focused on issues that provoke sectarianism and ignored the main problems, while they expected them to concentrate on the needs of their daily lives, she said. In 2006, King Hamad named 10 women to the upper chamber, or the 40-member consultative council, to compensate for the absence of women in the parliament. Bahrain said yesterday that Interpol has circulated warrants for the arrest of two Shia opposition leaders who have been living

in London, days before they are due to go on trial in absentia on terror charges. Bahrain Freedom Islamic Movement secretary general Said Al Shihabi and Haq leader Hussein Mashaimaa were among 23 activists from the Gulf states Shia majority community charged on September 4 with terrorism offences and threatening to overthrow the Sunni regime. Interpol has circulated warrants for the arrest of Said Al Shihabi and Hussein Mashaimaa, wanted in the case of the recently dismantled terrorist network, said a statement from police prosecutors carried by the ofcial BNA news agency. The interior ministry secured Interpols agreement to issue Red Notices for the two fugitives, the statement added. London-based human rights watchdog Amnesty International said earlier this month that the arrests of the 21 activists in custody came amid a wider crackdown on Shia opposition activists in the run-up to a tense parliamentary election, which had seen a total of 250 detained. It warned that they all faced the risk of torture.
AGENCIES

Turkish police arrest ve Al Qaeda suspects

ISTANBUL: Turkish police have detained ve men suspected of providing support to al Qaeda militants ghting NATO forces in Afghanistan, a senior security ofcial in Izmir in western Turkey said yesterday. The ve, described as students, were taken to court after being arrested two days earlier in west and southwest Turkey. One is believed to have been designing computer programmes to jam the ight controls of drone aircraft and the others were involved in fundraising for militants, the ofcial said. The arrests come hard on the heels of a security scare last month in Europe. Intelligence sources said at the time that a German Islamist interrogated by US troops in Afghanistan had revealed details of a plot to attack European targets. The number of Turks ghting in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region is believed to be relatively small, though a senior security ofcial in northwest Pakistan said there had been an increase over the past year. We detained ve men from ve different cities Hatay, Istanbul, Kayseri, Antalya and Izmir, said the ofcial, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information. These people belong to an Aegean branch of al Qaeda. The leader is currently in Afghanistan, ghting for Al Qaeda. The leader of the group was named Zekeriya and served time in prison before joining the insurgency against Afghan and US-led forces in Afghanistan, said the ofcial. Like many Muslims from around the globe, Turks rst went to ght in Afghanistan in the late 1980s, when a few joined the mujahideen, holy warriors, then ghting to end the Soviet occupation. A Nato member, with troops serving in non-combat roles in Afghanistan, Turkey has been a venue for Al Qaeda attacks in the past. Graduates of bin Ladens training camps were behind the bomb attacks in 2003 that killed 57 people and wounded hundreds in Istanbul, alerting the government to the need to monitor any rise in the number of Turks going to Pakistan and Afghanistan. But, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogans championing of Islamic causes, like the plight of Palestinians in Gaza, has meant Turkish militants have focused most of their activities abroad, in places like Iraq, Somalia, the Caucasus, and AF-Pak theatre. The Turkish ofcial said the suspect that had been arrested in Izmir was a 23-year-old mathematics student named Abdulkadir Kucuk who was designing programmes to jam unmanned drones. He was also a bombmaker, the ofcial said, and is believed to have been in e-mail contact with Zekeriya. The JihadiMedia website says a man with the name Zekeriya Cifti served a one-year jail sentence in Turkey. The others arrested in Turkey this week were involved in fund raising for the militants, the security ofcial said. We have bills, images, everything to prove theyve been sending money to Afghanistan. Clear evidence, he said. Turkish police often arrest suspected militants and describe them as having links to Qaeda, though details seldom emerge. Around 120 Al Qaeda suspects were rounded up last January in raids mostly carried out in the southeast. Turks have until now played little part in Al Qaedas global network, but security analysts have noted an increase in the number of Turkish language jihadi websites, some of which have posted obituaries for Turkish militants killed in Afghanistan. Some of those websites promote the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), a Central Asian jihadi movement with ties to Al Qaeda. The security ofcial said Zekeriya was a commander in a group led by a fellow Turk called Ebuzer, the nom de guerre of Serdar Erbashi, according to the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation. REUTERS

US urges compromise ahead of new Sudan talks

WASHINGTON/KHARTOUM: North and south Sudan must be ready to compromise next week when they meet in Ethiopia to discuss remaining obstacles to January elections that could see the oil-rich south emerge as an independent country, US ofcials said yesterday. President Barack Obamas special envoy for Sudan, Scott Gration, said the talks Wednesday could be one of the last chances to agree the framework for the vote, which observers fear may open the door to new conict in the region which only emerged from decades of civil war in 2005. Theres no more time to waste, Gration told a news briefing. The parties must be prepared to come to Addis with an attitude of compromise. The entire world is watching and will make judgments based on how the parties approach these talks, on how they act in the next couple of months. Next weeks talks, to be led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, follow nine days of discussions between the two sides this month that failed to resolve key issues, including the status of the disputed border region of Abyei. Under its 2005 comprehensive peace deal, Sudan is due to hold two referendums on Jan. 9 to determine whether the south secedes and whether Abyei joins the north or the south. Relations between the two sides remain strained, however, and the slow pace of preparations has raised concern that the referendums may be delayed - a prospect the south has said is unacceptable and could lead back to war. Fundamental issues including borders, citizenship and division of oil revenues remain to be agreed, and both sides also need to make nal preparations for the referendums such as registering voters, employing poll workers and putting domestic and international monitors in place. Gration reiterated that the United States, which has offered Khartoum a package of incentives if it cooperates on the referendums and to bring peace to the western region of Darfur, would not support any delay to the January votes. Were committed to on-time referenda in both Abyei and southern Sudan, Gration said. It is really up to the parties to take the decisions and take the actions to make this a reality. White House ofcials say Obama is increasingly concerned about Sudan, and receives at least three weekly briengs on the issue from Denis McDonough, a senior ofcial who was yesterday named deputy national security advisor.
REUTERS

Canada denies arrest in Dubai assassination case

VANCOUVER: Canada has made no arrests in connection with the January assassination of a Hamas militant in Dubai, despite the claims of a senior police ofcial there, the federal safety minister said. Vic Toews said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the national police force, told him they had made no arrest in connection with the case, and no other law enforcement agency could have done it without making the news public. We dont have secret prisons in Canada, so if somebody was arrested they would have had to go before a court, Toews told Reuters at an event near Vancouver on the governments plans to toughen the countrys immigration laws.

Two Pakistanis beheaded in Saudi

RIYADH: Two Pakistani men were beheaded by the sword in Saudi Arabia yesterday after being convicted of rape, the interior ministry said. The two were found guilty of storming the house of a foreign family and raping a woman before stealing her gold jewellery, mobile phone and some cash, the ministry said in a statement carried by the SPA state news agency.
AGENCIES

Middle East

OCTOBER 23, 2010

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ON SATURDAY

Ashton reinvites Iran to hold nuclear talks

Talks set for November 15-17
BRUSSELS: The European Unions foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton reissued an invitation to Iran yesterday to hold talks on its nuclear program in Vienna next month, after receiving no formal reply to a previous invitation. In a letter to Irans ambassador to the European Union, Ashton invites Irans chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili to hold talks from November 15-17 in the Austrian capital, with the discussions to cover the nuclear program and any other items pertinent to the discussion. The meeting could start with a dinner on November 15, followed by two days of consultations to enable substantial discussions, reads the letter. Given the proximity of the suggested dates and the diary constraints of the parties involved, I do hope for your early and positive response. Iran has indicated through its media that it welcomes the offer of talks, the rst in more than a year, but has not yet formally replied to the invitation rst announced on October 14. Meanwhile, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi has expressed doubts about the effectiveness of sanctions against Iran and argued that a gentle approach might be more helpful. Iran has been hit with several rounds of international sanctions over its nuclear programme, which the United States and allies believe could be used to produce nuclear weapons. Iran insists the programme is meant purely for peaceful purposes. Yesterday, Berlusconi was quoted as telling Germanys Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily that, although Italy has participated in the sanctions, I fear that sanctions will not bring success. He said sanctions have tended to reinforce regimes in countries such as Cuba, and a gentle and circumspect approach would be more helpful, the newspaper reported. Berlusconi identied Russia and China as countries that could pursue such an approach, and said he had asked Chinas Premier Wen Jiabao to use his inuence in this direction. The two permanent UN Security Council members have been more hesitant than Western nations about taking a hard line against Iran, and Russian engineers have helped Iran build a nuclear power plant. Italy has supported UN sanctions despite its strong commercial ties with Tehran, but also has always tried to reach out to Iran by trying to get it involved in issues such as Afghanistans future. Asked if Iran can be integrated in the international community, Berlusconi replied: We must at least try that it is the only way to get Iran out of its blind alley. Israel is particularly worried about Irans intentions. As Irans arch enemy, the Jewish state fears it will be targeted by Iran and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly made references to Israels destruction.
REUTERS/AP

Abbas, Saudi king discuss stalled peace talks

RIYADH: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas held talks yesterday with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia that focused on the stalled peace process with Israel, the ofcial Saudi news agency SPA reported. They discussed developments in the Palestinian issue and efforts exerted to put the peace process back on the right path, it said. The two leaders also discussed the need for the international community to assume responsibility to achieve a just and comprehensive peace that would guarantee the Palestinian peoples right to establish its independent state on its national soil, with Jerusalem as a capital, it added. Abbas left Riyadh last afternoon, the agency added. A Palestinian diplomat in Riyadh said that Abbas visit comes at a critical stage in the negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The diplomat pointed to Israels refusal to extend a moratorium on Jewish settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem that expired on September 26. On October 9, foreign ministers of the Arab League, in which Saudi Arabia plays a leading role, said they would wait one more month to see if the direct peace talks can be restarted. Since the settlement moratorium ended, Jewish settlers have begun building at least 600 homes, a pace four times faster than before the freeze began last year, the Israeli activist group Peace Now said on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation authorities decided to close all crossings into and out of the Gaza Strip for 48 hours, a Palestinian ofcial said yesterday. AFP

The Palestinian Islamist movements exiled chief Khaled Meshaal (left), welcomes at his ofce in Damascus South African Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe yesterday.

Israel quizzes army ofcer over Gaza raid that killed 22

JERUSALEM: Israels military police have questioned a senior army ofcer for approving an air raid that killed 22 members of the same family during the 2008-2009 Gaza war, press reports said yesterday. Colonel Ilan Malka, who was head of the Givati brigade during the war, was on Thursday questioned under caution for authorising a missile strike on a building in Gaza Citys Zeitoun neighbourhood, the Haaretz daily said. The raid, which took place early on January 5, killed 22 members of the Samuni family, at least 10 of them minors, in an incident described by the UN as one of the gravest of the deadly operation which had begun 10 days earlier. Security sources quoted by the newspaper said military police investigators had interviewed air force ofcers who said they had warned Malka there could be civilians in the area. But Malka told them he was not aware of any warning, Haaretz said. The Israeli military declined to conrm the report, saying only: The case is currently under military police investigation. Givati units had been operating in the neighbourhood for several days before the air raid, and witnesses said it was clear the building was populated with civilians. At the time, the military said it was an operational error and that it had intended to attack a weapons storage facility next door. The military investigation was launched several weeks ago by the militarys Judge Advocate General, Ynet news website said, in a move opposed by outgoing southern command head Yoav Galant, Israels next chief of staff. About 1,400 Palestinians were killed during the 22-day onslaught launched by Israel on December 27, 2008, which was aimed at halting rocket attacks from the Islamist Hamas-ruled enclave. Thirteen Israelis were also killed.
AFP

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OCTOBER 23, 2010

International
Two ofcers face trial for youths death in Paris suburb
PARIS: Two police ofcers will stand trial over the deaths of two youths in a Paris suburb, the spark for weeks of rioting that drew worldwide attention in 2005, a lawyer involved in the case said yesterday. Magistrates investigating the deaths referred the case to a criminal court for the ofcers to face charges of failing to assist a person in danger, Jean-Pierre Mignard, a lawyer for the families of the victims, said. The two youths, Zyed Benna and Bouna Traore, died from being electrocuted when they climbed into an electricity substation as they tried to escape police chasing them in the Paris of suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois in October 2005. Their deaths sparked violent riots and clashes between youths and police which spread to cities across France. Lawyers for the dead youths said the police ofcers had reason to suspect the two had entered the installation and did not call the emergency services. A prosecutor in September had called for the case to be dismissed, causing anger and disappointment in Clichy-sous-Bois, which like many of Frances run-down urban districts suffers from tension between locals and police.
AFP

France on the boil as strikes continue

Senate prepares to vote for pension reforms amid agitation by workers and students
PARIS: French police broke up pickets besieging oil reneries and fuel depots yesterday, as President Nicolas Sarkozys government hardened its stance and the Senate prepared to vote on pension reform. Government representatives served an order on workers at the main renery serving the Paris region, threatening them with jail unless they lift blockades that have threatened to paralyse transport and go back to work. Unions reacted with fury, alleging that Sarkozy was threatening their right to strike, and strikers vowed to step up the protests against moves to increase the pension age from 60 to 62 with at least two more nationwide stoppages. Police used tear gas to disperse 200 demonstrators trying to block a fuel depot near the southern city of Toulouse, and moved in in force to restore control of the Grandpuits renery in Melun outside the capital. Strikers said three protesters were injured as the police went in, although at Grandpuits they did so without helmets or batons. Unions said a state ofcial had issued them with a requisition ordering them back to work. The leader of the powerful CGT union, Bernard Thibault, condemned this judicially illegal and politically insane action and accused the government of preventing the right to strike as all necessary efforts to return the situation to normal, which will take several more days, it said. Frances half-term school holidays were due to start after lessons yesterday. Fuel distribution rms warned that their plans to resupply lling stations would take longer than planned, but the government insisted that as yet it has no plans to introduce petrol rationing. Meanwhile, turmoil continued around the country, as students staged another day of protests, workers stepped up fuel depot pickets and unions called two more days of mass strikes and street rallies for next week and the week after. Hundreds of riot squad ofcers stood by in Lyon to try to prevent a repeat of Thursdays violence that saw security forces re water cannon and ght running battles with rampaging youths in the east-central city. The protests have become the biggest battle of the right-wing presidents mandate and he has staked his credibility on a reform he says is essential to reduce Frances public decit. The bill has been moving through parliament and Labour Minister Eric Woerth said it would be approved in a Senate vote in the coming hours, clearing the last major hurdle, which means it could become law as early as next week. AFP

Some 800 striking rail workers gather at Bordeauxs Saint-Jean station yesterday to protest against the governments bid to hike the retirement age from 60 to 62.
guaranteed by the constitution. Left-wing opposition parties also reacted with fury to the escalation, and the CGT representative in the renery industry went as far as to compare the operation to the tactics of Frances World War II fascist puppet regime. The government insisted it had simply acted to secure access to the fuel depot inside the renery for emergency services and to protect freedom of movement, and Prime Minister Francois Fillons ofce promised more action. At a time when many French people wish to travel for the November 1 holiday weekend, it is in everyones interest to make

Berlusconi vows to end Naples trash crisis soon

NAPLES, ITALY: Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi pledged a swift end to the Naples garbage crisis yesterday as images in the media of piles of rubbish and angry protests put his struggling government under pressure. At least 20 police ofcers were injured on Thursday and there was further violence overnight as the chronic problem of waste disposal in Italys third largest city ared into violence for another night. Hundreds of tonnes of garbage lie uncollected in the streets after a dispute erupted over a new dump near the town of Terzigno, near Naples, where the existing facility is full and where residents complain about the stench and toxic waste. Berlusconi promised to spend 14m to upgrade the dump at Terzigno and he said there was no threat to public health from the site which has been at the centre of the crisis. We expect that within 10 days the situation in Terzigno can return to normal, he told a news conference in Rome after an emergency meeting with ministers, the regional governor and the head of the Civil Protection Agency. The latest outbreak is an embarrassment for Berlusconi, who has often cited clearing Naples streets shortly after he came to power in 2008 as one of his governments main achievements. Naples is no good. We are drowning in garbage again. They have to open the new dump but they need to do it far from the houses, because rubbish spreads disease, an 80-year-old woman, who gave her name as Assunta, said. Not all the protests have been violent, but overnight police faced around 2,000 demonstrators who threw stones, marbles and recrackers and used trees to block the dump near Terzigno, located in a national park at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. This feels like Beirut, said Michele Amoruso, a tax lawyer who was protesting against setting up a new dump in the park, where the picturesque views contrasted with the rubbish strewn about. REUTERS

German government split over EU stability pact enforcement

BERLIN: The German government tried to paper over cracks within the ruling coalition yesterday about a Franco-German agreement to jettison demands for automatic enforcement of European Union budget rules. Chancellor Angela Merkel said she and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, head of her Free Democrat coalition partner, agreed that changing the EU treaty is an important goal. But she did not address his criticism about looser enforcement of the stability pact. Earlier, her spokeswoman Sabine Heimbach said Merkel and Westerwelle have the same line on reforms of the EUs stability pact, even though Westerwelle has publicly called for sanctions to punish high decits. In a surprise deal struck in the French town of Deauville, Germany secured a commitment from France to support the idea of reforming the EUs fundamental treaty in exchange for backing a bid by Paris to change the way EU budget rules are enforced. Merkel has been accused of selling out to French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Westerwelles FDP argue German taxpayers who helped bail out Greece were promised automatic sanctions on future debt sinners. Instead, it will take a political decision by a qualied majority of euro zone governments to start disciplinary action against any state with an excessive decit or debt level, and a majority of countries can still block any nancial sanction. The chancellor and the foreign minister have the same line that progress on the package and not focusing on one issue can be the breakthrough for the talks in the EU, Heimbach told a government news conference. She and Westerwelles spokesman acknowledged the FDP leader had spoken out at a cabinet meeting against the FrancoGerman deal to drop demands for automatic enforcement of budget rules. Westerwelle said in a speech late on Thursday that tighter rules for the stability pact were needed. Its crucial that sanctions are not subjected to politics, he said. Merkel said: We agreed with the French president to seek treaty changes, and the Union and FDP agree this is an important goal. EU leaders will see the results next week of work led by European Council leader Herman Van Rompuy on budget rules.
REUTERS

Seven killed as temple collapses in Taiwan

ILAN: At least seven people died when a temple collapsed in Taiwan yesterday as torrential rains unleashed by Typhoon Megi triggered landslides that also left dozens missing and hundreds stranded. Megi, the strongest storm to hit the northwest Pacic in two decades, has already killed at least 36 people in the Philippines and was expected to make landfall late yesterday or early today in Fujian province in southeast China. Along Chinas densely populated southeastern coastline, authorities have evacuated more than 160,000 people from lowlying areas, while dozens of ights have been cancelled and thousands of shing boats recalled to port. In Taiwan, rescuers recovered seven bodies buried under the debris of Bai Yun Temple in Suao, a coastal town in the northeast Ilan county, the National Fire Agency said in a statement posted on its website. Two nuns are believed to be among the dead. More than 20 people, including Chinese tourists, remained unaccounted for after their buses were trapped along a badly damaged highway in Ilan as the torrential rains hit, rescuers said. About 400 people in a long line of cars were stranded when the mudslides blocked the road but 70 were later airlifted to safety and the rest were expected to leave by foot or bus after rescuers cleared part of the highway. The threat of Megi still exists today and we urge all to be on guard against torrential rains, Taiwans Interior Minister Jiang Yi-huah said in a statement. AFP

Rescue workers evacuate people on Taiwans Highway No 9 after it was damaged by landslides caused by Typhoon Megi yesterday.

Policy debate found wanting in Ivory Coast poll campaign

ABIDJAN: With Ivory Coasts election due in under two weeks, candidates are frantically touring the country to pick up votes with patriotism, personalities and history taking up much more space than policies. Yet the old spectre of tribalism that often haunts African politics also seems pretty muted despite years of bitter north-south divisions following the civil war of 2002-3. President Laurent Gbagbo, his main challengers Henri Konan Bedie and Alassane Ouattara face each other in a close race. There are also 11 other minor candidates. Opinion polls put Gbagbo as front runner, Bedie second and Ouattara third, although some diplomats doubt their accuracy. Campaign rallies have shown few policy differences. Its clearly not an election being fought on policy, said Standard Banks Samir Gadio. Look at the governments record on corruption and mismanagement: its not been an issue. Gbagbo has made cocoa a priority, with promises to double production in the worlds top grower and process it all domestically appealing to the quarter of a million cocoa farmers whose industry is declining. Yet his campaign has been most strongly pinned on promises to liberate Ivory Coast from the shackles of former colonial master, France, which he accuses of backing the opposition. Your choice is between submission or dignity, servility or independence for your country, he told a rally last month. That strikes a chord with the many Ivorians who resent the French for the colonial days and perceived interference since. Gbagbo is seen as a liberator by his supporters. Not that any of this bluster signals a concrete foreign policy: Gbagbos relationship with France has thawed since they fell out over French peacekeeping operations in 2004. He received Claude Gueant, French President Nicolas Sarkozys chief of staff, this month and last month reopened a French school his supporters demolished six years ago. For former President Henri Konan Bedie, meanwhile, it is all about history. He governed the from 1993 until a coup in 1999, succeeding post-independence President Felix HouphouetBoignys golden age of agriculture-led growth that saw construction of skyscrapers and highways, an envy of neighbouring countries. REUTERS

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UKs N-submarine runs aground Iraq weapons inspector

Defence ministry says no environmental damage from new submarine stuck on rocks
LONDON: Britains newest nuclear submarine ran aground off a Scottish island yesterday, in an embarrassing blunder just days after the government announced sweeping cuts to the Royal Navy. The defence ministry said there was no environmental damage after the rudder of HMS Astute billed as the countrys most powerful hunter-killer submarine got stuck on rocks near the Isle of Skye. Tugboats were waiting until the next low tide to try to free the 3.5-billion-pound sub, which only entered service in August, the ministry said. The submarine is stable in calm waters. Normal safety procedures are being undertaken. There is no risk to the public or to those on board, Defence Secretary Liam Fox said. Television footage showed the stranded vessel emitting clouds of steam and lying half submerged in a stretch of shallow water against a backdrop of dark green hills several hours after the incident. Two tugs were waiting nearby. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said it was not a nuclear incident. Whilst conducting a personnel transfer HMS Astute grounded her rudder in the vicinity of the Isle of Skye. She was initially unable to free herself and we are waiting for the next high tide, the spokesman said. No part of the Astutes nuclear propulsion system is damaged or in danger of being damaged. We can conrm there are no injuries to personnel and there is no environmental damage. Britains Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it was sending a tug to the scene of the incident to be on standby, but added that the defence ministry was in charge of the salvage operation. The submarine is on the rocks off the Isle of Skye. Apparently,

killed himself, says Britain

LONDON: The British government released secret autopsy records yesterday conrming that Iraq weapons inspector David Kelly died by slashing his own wrist, after doubts were raised over the cause of his death. The justice ministry said it was publishing the documents, initially classied for 70 years following an ofcial inquiry into Kellys death, in the interests of maintaining public condence in the inquiry. A group of medical experts earlier this year called for a full inquiry into Kellys death in 2003, arguing that the suicide verdict was unsafe. The incident has also spawned a host of conspiracy theories. In the post-mortem report, unveiled publicly for the rst time, pathologist Nicholas Hunt wrote that wounds to Kellys left wrist that severed an artery were typical of self-inicted injury. The fact that Kelly had taken an overdose of painkillers and had undiagnosed coronary artery disease had likely brought about his death more certainly and more rapidly than would have otherwise been the case, he said. Kelly was found dead in woods near his home in Oxfordshire, southern England, after he was exposed as the source for a BBC story that alleged prime minister Tony Blairs government sexed up intelligence on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. The then lord chancellor Charles Falconer, the governments chief law ofcer, suspended an inquest into the death before an inquiry began, and the inquest was never resumed. The 2004 inquiry, carried out by Lord Brian Hutton, also concluded that the principal cause of death was the wounds to Kellys wrists, but Hutton requested that the medical papers should remain classied for 70 years. I am publishing these reports in the interests of maintaining public condence in the inquiry into how Doctor Kelly came by his death, Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke said in a statement. While I rmly believe that the publication of these documents is in the public interest, I am mindful that the contents may be distressing. I hope that the privacy of Doctor Kellys family will be respected at this difcult time. The autopsy report released yesterday said there was no evidence that Kelly had been subjected to any kind of assault and no sign that his body had been dragged or otherwise transported to the location at which his body was found.
AFP

Crew work on the deck of the Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarine HMS Astute near the Skye bridge off the Isle of Skye, northwest Scotland, yesterday.
you can see it from Skye bridge, said agency spokesman Mark Clark. Local residents and campaigners expressed worries. Its a concern. Anything with the word nuclear in it is obviously a worry, said witness Rachel Browett, who runs a visitor centre on the island. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) said the incident highlights the dangers of the large number of nuclear submarine movements around Britains shores. The accident comes just days after the government announced sweeping cuts to Britains armed forces including the scrapping of the Royal Navys agship aircraft carrier, the Ark Royal. The BBC reported that one of the tugs the one sent by the coastguard was also set to be taken out of service in 2011 under the sweeping austerity measures announced on Wednesday by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition. Astute was named and launched by Prince Charles wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, in 2007 and was commissioned into the navy less than two months ago after intensive sea trials. Weighing 7,800 tonnes and almost 100 metres long, it is equipped with special noise reduction technology enabling it to operate covertly and remain undetected in almost all circumstances, the ministry said. It is armed with Spearsh torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles and its nuclear reactor is supposed to mean that it will not need refuelling once in its 25-year lifespan. AFP

London councils to share local services to cut expenditure

LONDON: Three London councils unveiled plans to share local services that could save up to 100m a year, one of several schemes cash-strapped local authorities are considering after a government spending review. In the age of austerity we need to seriously examine new ways of working, the Conservative leaders of Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster councils said in a joint statement announcing the plans yesterday. The proposal to share services such as child protection and care for adults with disabilities is the rst of its kind, as local authorities look for ways to save money after the government announced their budgets would be slashed by more than a quarter in its decitbusting drive. More than 400 local authorities in England and Wales spend about 130bn a year delivering services from schools and libraries to child care and rubbish collection. With local budgets shrinking and council taxes frozen, communities secretary Eric Pickles said councils should look for more innovative ways of cutting costs, including getting rid of duplicate positions. Every council does not need its own team of lawyers or press ofcers, Pickles wrote in the Financial Times yesterday. The days of throwing money at problems are over, and this government will have little truck with laziness or complacency. But efciency savings will not be enough to save jobs, and Hammersmith and Fulham leader Stephen Greenhalgh told the BBC there would be signicant reductions in staff. REUTERS

Republicans blast public radio for sacking analyst

WASHINGTON: Top US Republicans, including three possible White House contenders in 2012, pushed yesterday to strip US public radio of taxpayer money for ring a news analyst over comments seen as anti-Muslim. At a time when our country is dangerously in debt and looking for areas of federal spending to cut, I think weve found a good candidate for defunding, said former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Palins comments, in a statement on her Facebook page, came after National Public Radio (NPR) red long-time senior analyst Juan Williams for saying on Monday that he is uneasy when he sees Muslim passengers aboard an airplane. When I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves rst and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous, he told Fox News. NPR, which relies mostly on private money, said in a statement that Williams remarks were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR. The controversy came with barely a week and a half to go until November 2 elections in which Republicans were expected to make big gains and possibly seize control of one or both houses of the US Congress. Republicans have repeatedly accused President Barack Obama of not being tough enough on Islamist extremists and denounced his defence of plans to build a mosque near the New York site of the September 11, 2001 terrorist strikes. Palin said NPR had red Williams for merely speaking frankly about the very real threat this country faces from radical Islam and was stiing an honest debate about an issue as important as terrorism. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, like Palin a possible 2012 Republican presidential hopeful, accused NPR of censorship and of being a purveyor of politically correct pabulum and protector of views that AFP lean left.

Obama rallies women voters on West Coast

SEATTLE: President Barack Obama aimed his economic message at women on Thursday as he campaigned on the West Coast for female candidates crucial to his Democrats chances of keeping control of the US Senate. Obama will try to bolster Senators Patty Murray of Washington and Barbara Boxer of California with rallies and fundraisers over the next two days, part of a four-day trip that is his longest campaign swing as president. Standing in the backyard of a Seattle familys home, Obama said women now constituted half the US workforce and were responsible for more than half the income of middle-class families. How well women do will help determine how well our families are doing as a whole, Obama told about 30 people before taking a series of friendly questions. Polls have shown an erosion in the slight leads held by Murray and Boxer to razor-thin margins, with less than two weeks left before the November 2 congressional elections. Victories by Republicans in Washington and California could increase Democrats chances of losing their Senate majority. They are already widely forecast to lose their dominance in the House of Representatives. Despite his poor approval ratings, Obama gave himself an upbeat assessment on one campaign stop after a woman called him the best president on earth. Well, I wont say that, Obama replied, but weve got a pretty good president. Obama is seeking to energise core Democratic voters. In addition to the backyard event, he has been holding big rallies reminiscent of his 2008 presidential campaign. We need you red up! Obama told an enthusiastic crowd at a packed arena at the University of Washington that followed the backyard session.
REUTERS

A woman pulls US President Barack Obama into the crowd as he works the rope line during a rally for US Senator Patty Murray, D-WA, at the University of Washington in Seattle.

ON SATURDAY

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S. Asia / Philippines

Rogue rebels behind Manila bus blast: Govt

Attack to sabotage peace talks
MANILA: Philippine security forces said a splinter group of Islamist separatists with ties to South East Asias most prominent militant group was behind a bus attack on southern Mindanao island that killed 10 people. They said Thursdays bomb blast was aimed at sabotaging peace negotiations between Manila and the countrys largest Muslim separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Attacks by the rogue faction killing two ofcials and wounding a soldier in an ambush also on Thursday have added to concerns about the peace process, as talks with the new government to end the four-decade insurgency are yet to restart. The government of President Benigno Aquino, in ofce since late June, said it had wanted to resume talks with the MILF after the fasting month of Ramadan in September. Philippine army intelligence ofcials said they thought an Islamist extremist group linked to the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) militant network was behind Thursdays attacks to create tension and delay any resumption of negotiations in Malaysia. These rogue rebels, trained under Indonesian militants from Jemaah Islamiah to assemble crude bombs, are hoping to polarise the situation there, one senior army intelligence ofcial, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. They are exploiting the uncertainty in the south due to delays in the peace talks, because most of the younger MILF eld commanders are getting restless and impatient. Founded in the early 1990s, the goal of JI is the creation of an Islamic super-state spanning Indonesia, Malaysia, the southern Philippines, southern Thailand, Singapore and Brunei. The group has been weakened by crackdowns in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia that have seen leaders arrested or killed. Security ofcials say there are about 50 members in the southern Philippines, with Mindanao used as a training base and sanctuary. Felicisimo Khu, police chief for western Mindanao, said the bomb used in the bus bombing an 81 mm mortar triggered by a mobile phone resembled devices used by Muslim rebels in similar bus attacks in 2008. Its a signature bomb of rogue MILF rebels, Khu told reporters, saying investigators were still looking at all possible angles for the attack. Terrorism is likely the motive. There was speculation Thursdays bus attack was an extortion attempt by criminal gangs which operate in the area, but the bus company said it had received no demands. Mohagher Iqbal, MILFs chief negotiator, said his group was not involved and was awaiting word for the resumption of talks. The two sides have been in stop-start talks since 1997 to end more than 40 years of conict that has killed 120,000 people, displaced 2 million and stunted growth in southern areas believed to be rich in deposits of oil, gas and minerals. REUTERS

Relief for typhoon victims

Philippine policemen load relief goods into a US marine CH-46E helicopter at Cuaayan airport, Isabela province, north of Manila, yesterday to be transported to affected areas devastated by Typhoon Megi. The death toll in the Philippines from Typhoon Megi, which roared across the country earlier this week, rose to 36, the government and Red Cross reported. The typhoon slammed into the northeastern side of the main island of Luzon on October 18, ripping roofs off houses, toppling power lines and nearly destroying some coastal villages.

Knife-wielding man kills three in Philippine school

ZAMBOANGA: An ex-convict burst into a school in the southern Philippines and stabbed three people to death before being killed himself yesterday, a police ofcial said. The knife-wielding man killed a teacher, a 12-year-old schoolgirl and an elderly man and wounded at least six other people in a school just outside the southern city of Zamboanga, said Senior Superintendent Edwin de Ocampo. The suspect reportedly went inside the classroom, then stabbed the teacher in the chest, then stabbed two other teachers and two students, de Ocampo, the city police director, told reporters. He then tried to enter other classrooms, stabbing more people along the way, de Ocampo said. The female teacher and one of her students were killed, along with the girls grandfather who was visiting at the time. Two other teachers and four more students were also wounded in the attack, de Ocampo added. As the terried students took refuge in a bathroom local residents rushed to the scene and battered the attacker to death with large stones, de Ocampo said. We rushed to the school after receiving the report. We still dont know what triggered his attack on the children, said district ofcial Pinpin Pareja. The attacker had been working as a caretaker for ghting cocks but she had no idea why he would attack the school, she said. The classroom was still in disarray with blood on the oor and blackboard, desks overturned and books scattered, reporters on the scene said. The body of the dead knifeman lay nearby, surrounded by bloody rocks. Records showed that the man had previously been jailed for 27 years for rape and was released in 2008, de Ocampo said. AFP

Morning prayers

US convicts man for trying to sell arms to LTTE

WASHINGTON: A Singapore man who tried to sell arms to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been convicted by a court in the US. A Baltimore federal court jury convicted Balraj Naidu, 48, for attempting to sell the weapons to the Tamil Tigers. Four co-conspirators pleaded guilty in the case, said the Sri Lankan embassy here. Naidu was charged in a conspiracy to provide material support to the LTTE, which in 1997 was designated by the US as a terrorist organisation. According to evidence presented at the trial, Naidu and four others arranged to buy about 28 tonnes of US-made weapons and ammunition from an undercover business in Maryland. The Justice Department said that LTTE representatives made a $250,000 down payment on the $900,000 weapons deal with the bogus company in the summer of 2006. Naidu faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The co-conspirators Thirunavukarasu Varatharasa, 40, of Sri Lanka; Haji Subandi, 73, and retired Indonesian Marine Corps General Erick Wotulo, 62, both Indonesians; and Haniffa Bin Osman, 59, of Singapore all pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 57 months, 37 months, 30 months and 37 months in prison respectively. Naidus partners were arrested in September 2006 after inspecting the weapons that were delivered to Guam and making another payment of $450,000 to the undercover business, the Justice Department said. IANS

Strong cyclone strikes western Myanmar

YANGON: A severe cyclone pounded western Myanmar on Friday, threatening to unleash ooding and landslides, authorities in the military-ruled country said. A weather warning broadcast on state television described Cyclone Giri as a very strong storm and urged people living in affected coastal areas in Rakhine state to move to safety. The storm was packing winds of about 177km per hour at its centre, with gusts of up to 193kp/h, said the alert, issued by Myanmars department of meteorology. Sea levels could rise by 3.7 metres (12 feet), it said. A Myanmar ofcial said there were no reports of casualties, but communication with the worsthit region was difcult. Trees were reportedly toppled and power was cut to some areas, according to the ofcial, who did not want to be named. Myanmar is frequently hit by tropical storms and in 2008 was battered by Cyclone Nargis, which left 138,000 people dead or missing, mostly in the southwest delta region. A Red Cross ofcial in Yangon said the authorities in Rakhine State had prepared disaster relief camps since Thursday in preparation for the storm, adding, We are hoping the worst situation will be avoided. A resident in Kyaukphyu town in Rakhine State said the cyclone was bringing rain and rising water levels. Were staying inside the house. So far we havent heard of any casualties, she said. The storm was expected to churn northeastwards towards the Chin, Magway and Mandalay areas, state television said, warning of a risk of landslides. Neighbouring Bangladesh advised its shing boats and trawlers to remain in shelter and

A Buddhist spins prayer wheels during his morning prayers at Swyambhu temple in Kathmandu, yesterday.

Bangla population is 164.4m: UN

DHAKA: Bangladeshs population is now 164.4 million, up from 156 million a decade back, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has said. The boom should be a matter of concern as it threatens food security, warned Food and Disaster Management Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque who unveiled the report State of World Population 2010. The UNFPA report also predicted that the population of the country would be 222.5 million by 2050. Ganesh Chandra Sarkar, director of the family planning directorate, however, claimed that the population is around 144 million. In the fourth Population and Housing Census 2001, the population of Bangladesh was stated to be at 124.3 million, The Daily Star quoted Sarkar as saying. Bangladeshs ofcial website puts the population at 156 million as of 2001. A decennial census is to be conducted next March. According to the UNFPA report 2010, 28 percent people of the country live in urban areas where the population growth is 3.2 per thousand. The fertility rate in the country is 2.25 percent with 72 of every 1,000 females aged between 15 and 19 years old giving birth to their rst child. IANS

An ethnic Karen refugee holds her child in a heavy downpour in Mae La refugee camp, outside Mae Sot district, near the Thai-Myanmar border, in Tak province, northwest Thailand.
warned of the risk of ooding in low-lying areas. Indias meteorological department described Giri as a very severe cyclone. The US Navys Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii said Giri was expected to rapidly weaken as it moves across the rugged terrain of western Myanmar. Cyclone Nargis in 2008 unleashed winds of 240 kilometres an hour and storm surges up to four metres high, sweeping away thousands of homes, ooding rice elds with salt water and ravaging schools and hospitals. Myanmars military government faced international criticism for its response to the disaster. It was accused of blocking emergency aid and initially refusing to grant access to humanitarian workers and supplies. AFP

India

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Tax authorities slap Vodafone with `112bn ne

NEW DELHI: India slapped a `112bn ($2.53bn) tax bill on British cell phone giant Vodafone yesterday over its 2007 purchase of an Indian mobile company and demanded payment within 30 days. The formal demand is the latest development in Vodafones bitter row with Indian tax authorities over its $11.1bn purchase of a 67-percent stake in Hong Kongbased Hutchison Whampoa Ltds Indian mobile unit. Indian tax ofcials have call the long-running dispute a test case. It is being closely watched by international investors with experts saying the case could have implications for big-ticket purchases of Indian rms by other foreign companies. The income tax department yesterday issued an order raising a tax demand of `112.17bn ($2.53bn) on Vodafone International Holdings BV, owned by Vodafone Group Plc, the tax ofce said in a statement. The bill follows a lower court ruling last month ordering Vodafone to pay taxes on the acquisition. Indias Supreme Court is slated to set a date for a hearing on the companys appeal next Monday. The tax demand brought a stinging response from Vodafone, which accused tax authorities of attempting to interpret Indian law as it has never been interpreted for the past 50 years. This interpretation also goes against internationally recognised tax norms, a Vodafone spokesman said. Vodafone strongly disagrees with the tax calculation and believes it is not liable for any tax on this transaction involving the transfer of a company outside of India, the spokesman said. Vodafone maintains Indian law did not require it to deduct tax because the deal took place in the Cayman Islands and both buyer and seller were foreign. Further, Vodafone was the acquirer and not the vendor and

Kashmir bilateral issue, says US

WASHINGTON: Making its stance clear on the Kashmir issue, the US yesterday said the matter should be resolved through bilateral talks between India and Pakistan. It rejected Pakistans request to intervene in the dispute. We recognise the importance of Kashmir to both India and Pakistan. We absolutely want to see tensions eased and ultimately a resolution to the situation in Kashmir, State Department spokesman P J Crowley told reporters at the Foreign Press Center here. That we believe needs to come through additional dialogue between Pakistan and India. We have not been asked by both countries to play a particular role. This is the reason why, for a number of reasons we continue to encourage further dialogue between India and Pakistan, Crowley said in response to a question. His comments came a day after Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is currently in Washington leading a delegation for US-Pakistan security and strategic dialogue, sought US intervention in resolving the Kashmir issue. Crowley described both India and Pakistan as US allies and said his country will continue to encourage both countries in their efforts to achieve piece and stability in the region. Pakistan yesterday again urged US President Barack Obama to intervene in the Kashmir dispute during his November visit to India. President Obama has always understood the importance of a Kashmir solution, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said at the start of the nal day of the latest Washington-Islamabad strategic talks here. His coming visit to the region is the time to begin to redeem the pledge, he said minutes after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced a $2bn package of military aid to Pakistan to get tough with terrorists. Meanwhile, the Foreign Policy magazines blog The Cable reported that the get tough with terrorists message was delivered personally by US President Barack Obama to the visiting Pakistani delegation during a meeting with National Security Advisor in-waiting Tom Donilon.
IANS

Tax authorities yesterday asked global mobile rm Vodafone to pay over `112.17bn ($2.53bn) as tax in the 2007 purchase of Hutchinson Whampoas mobile business.
has made no gain on the transaction, the spokesman noted. Earlier this week, Vodafone chief executive Vittorio Colao said the outcome of the dispute could be a key factor in determining the companys future investments in India. The tax issue will be incredibly important for us to determine how (investor) friendly India is. Colao also said it was very important to have an outcome here that establishes a principle for the future. This is a concern for our investors and for other international investors. The latest development comes as Indian authorities scrutinise tax aspects of other international deals. SABMiller, the worlds second-biggest brewer, has a tax case pending over its 120-billiondollar acquisition in 2006 of the Indian arm of Fosters from the Australian drinks group. This (tax) law has been in place since the 1960s, it has never been interpreted like this -- thats why the Vodafone case is seen as a test case, a tax analyst at an international consultancy said. Vodafone has faced a rough ride since it entered India, the worlds fastest-growing mobile market, with cut-throat competition forcing down call rates and hitting the companys earnings. AFP

Kashmiris search through the rubble of a damaged house after a gunbattle between suspected militants and troops in Maloora, on the outskirts of Srinagar, yesterday. Three militants were killed in a gunbattle during a suicide mission to attack Indian military bases, a rebel group said.

Geelani will be punished if sedition charges proved: Chidambaram

NEW DELHI: After strong criticism by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Home Minister P Chidambaram yesterday said the government would take action against Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani over his speech at a seminar here if it was found he had violated laws against preaching sedition. Chidambaram said the proceedings of Thursdays seminar had been videographed and the footage was being checked to see if there was any violation of law in Geelanis speech at a seminar Azaadi - The only way, organised by sympathisers of Kashmiri separatists. If it is established prima facie that the laws have been violated, Delhi Police will take action in accordance with the law, the home minister said in a statement. The statement comes after BJP leader Arun Jaitley criticised the government for not taking action against Geelani when he and others at the seminar were making speeches that amounted to sedition. But the home minister said he strongly rejected Jaitleys charge that the government was looking the other way when unacceptable views were being raised in the name of freedom of speech. What happened in Delhi on Thursday when a group of separatists got together to hold a seminar to promote sedition under the nose of the government has stunned the nation. In a democracy, the right to secede cannot be accepted in the garb of right to free speech, Jaitley said. He said the right to free speech could not be used to target the country. There are two responsibilities and obligations of the state - to prevent such events and to punish the offenders. The government exercised the option of looking the other way which is not available to it, Jaitley said. Besides Geelani, sympathisers of Maoists, Sikh separatists and Naga rebel groups came together and advocated secession of Jammu and Kashmir from India. Another BJP leader, M Venkaiah Naidu, said what happened in New Delhi was shocking. And such a thing was allowed... Allowing separatists to hold a meeting and to make seditious remarks... No government can accept it. How did the government allow this ... The government should explain, Naidu told IANS reporters.

India, US differ over Headley 26/11 info

NEW DELHI: India yesterday reiterated that it did not get any specic information from the US over the 26/11 attacks even as Washington maintained that it has shared all the information with New Delhi. Before 26/11, we did not have anything more than general and non-specic information, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters here. Whenever the US gets specic information about a terrorist attack against any of our friends we immediately act to share that information with the country that is affected, US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Robert Blake, who is here to rm up the agenda for US President Barack Obamas November visit, told reporters here. And that is certainly the case with India where we have a deep interest in ensuring that there is not another attack such as the terrible one that occurred in Mumbai, he said. If there is anything that has improved dramatically, it is the counter terrorism cooperation, and even before the Mumbai attacks we were doing a lot of exchanges of information about specic threats against India, he stressed. I would want to reassure that whenever we have any specic info on any terrorist attack, wherever it is, especially against friends like India, we share that information on a real time basis, right away to make our friends have that info. Thats especially true of India, he said in a separate interview with NDTV.
IANS

Congress hopes Muslims will turn the tide in Bihar

NEW DELHI: Desperate to erase the shame of having won only nine seats in 2005, the Congress hopes its fortunes in Bihar will improve this time because it has elded more Muslim candidates and also tried to expand the partys social base. Congress leaders said Muslim candidates were contesting in about 50 of 243 seats in the assembly elections that began on Thursday. Candidates from upper castes form the largest chunk of nominees, about 85. Candidates from Other Backward Classes (OBC) number over 60 while around 40 seats are contested by Dalits. The leaders said the Congress attempt at social engineering, however, did not entirely succeed as there was a reluctance to try new combinations and allow new faces. We put our foot down on several seats but did not press too hard for changes at many other places so as not to upset the state leadership, a Congress leader said on the condition of anonymity. If we had pressed harder, the onus of getting the candidates elected would have been on us, said the leader, explaining the Congress dynamics in Bihar, where the party has become an also ran in recent decades. He said several members of the screening committee favoured giving more seats to OBCs and MBCs (Most Backward Castes) who form a sizable proportion of Bihars electorate. Though estimates vary, a senior leader said the Congress was condent of winning at least 35 seats - a four-fold increase from 2005. A better nish would depend on how minorities and upper castes vote. The tally could be much more if there is a swing. It will be an achievement if the party emerges as a kingmaker, he said. The Congress is contesting all 243 seats on its own. Congress spokesman Mohan Prakash said there was a realisation among many that Bihars pride and development had suffered after the party got weaker in the state. There is a pro-Congress current. The new generation is hungry for development and it has a huge attraction for the Congress, Mohan Prakash said. The party, whose most prominent youthful face nationally is Congress president Sonia Gandhis son and MP Rahul, has elded 37 women candidates and some 45 youths below the age of 35. Congress leaders admitted that the partys prospects will be affected if there was a religious polarisation among voters following the judicial verdict over the Ayodhya land row. The Congress preparations also suffered due to inghting in the state unit. The party changed its state unit chief and general secretary in charge of Bihar in June following widespread complaints.
IANS

Revamp defence doctrine to combat terror: Manmohan

NEW DELHI: Prime minister Manmohan Singh yesterday called for an upgrade of the countrys defence doctrine, warning of the growing threat posed by militant groups with access to the latest technology. Non-state actors are becoming increasingly fused and employing the best technologies to target open and democratic societies like ours, Manmohan Singh told a seminar on the Role of Force in Strategic Affairs. We have to therefore modernise our defence doctrines to respond to new and non-traditional threats to our security, he said. Singhs comments came after global consultancy rm KPMG earlier this week said New Delhi was expected to spend $116bn between now and 2016 on military acquisitions. Terrorist groups enjoy patronage and sanctuaries and do not lack in resources, Singh warned, stressing the need to maintain a logistical advantage over any groups planning to stage attacks on Indian soil or assets. We will ensure that our capabilities to combat terrorism remain a step ahead of those of the terrorists (and) they should be left in no doubt about our ability and resolve to defeat them, Singh said. Media reports citing unnamed Western intelligence sources had said Al Qaeda and Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba had planned to attack New Delhi during the October 3-14 Commonwealth AFP Games.

Military exercise

An Indian Air Force Dassault Mirage 2000 takes off from Air Force Station Kalaikunda in West Bengal, during the Ex Indradhanush military exercise. The Indian Air Force and the British Royal Air Force are taking part in the exercise which runs till November 3.

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Pakistan / Afghanistan

Taliban leaders deny peace talks with govt

Groups across Afghanistan vow to keep ghting; NATO says insurgents on the back foot
KABUL: Mid-level Taliban insurgency commanders do not believe their leaders have begun tentative peace talks with the Afghan government, with many vowing yesterday not to give up the ght after nearly 10 years of war. Nato and Afghan ofcials have conrmed preliminary contacts between President Hamid Karzais government and the Taliban, although doubt surrounds when those contacts were made, who they were made with and what, if any, progress was made. Karzai is pushing a negotiated settlement to the conict and has launched a High Peace Council which has said it is prepared to offer concessions to bring insurgents to the table, although Kabul and Washington are adamant they must renounce violence. But insurgency commanders from across Afghanistan indicated they were not involved in the initial contacts. No one has come so far and sat with the government and there is no hope that the Taliban will come and negotiate with the government, said Abdullah Nasrat, the Taliban commander for Girishk district in southern Helmand province, one of the Talibans traditional strongholds. Girishk is in the strategically important Helmand River valley, along which mainly US and British forces launched a series of offensives last year. We basically hear the reports of talks through the press and do not believe in them, Nasrat said by telephone. As long as foreign forces are in Afghanistan, there will be no talks. Our morale is high. Violence across Afghanistan is at its worst since the Taliban were ousted by US-backed Afghan forces in late 2001. Record civilian and military casualties and the possibility of peace talks will Salahuddin Ayoubi, a senior commander for the Haqqani networks Sirajuddin Haqqani, accused US General David Petraeus, the commander of the almost 150,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, of trying to drive a wedge through the insurgency. These (reports) are part of a drama of General Petraeus, who from one side has stepped up the military operations and from other side wants to confuse the minds of the mujahideen by talking about talks, Ayoubi said. There has been no let up in our activities and we have not been told by our leaders to reduce or halt our operations for any reason, he said. Similar sentiments were expressed across the country. Karzai has no authority for making peace and cannot do anything without the order of the foreigners. I do not believe in the reports of the talks, said Feda Mohammad, a Taliban commander in northwest Badghis province. Commanders for Hezb-i-Islami, run by veteran ghter Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, and the Haqqani network in southeastern Khost and Paktia provinces near the Pakistan border also said they would continue ghting. In Kunduz province, some criminal gangs, including about 60 members of one group, had surrendered in recent weeks, encouraged by government reconciliation efforts and in fear of increased military operations by Natoled forces. The High Peace Council said on Thursday it would be willing to make concessions to bring insurgents to the negotiating table and also called for Saudi Arabias help in future talks. Saudi Arabia sponsored secret, but inconclusive talks last year. REUTERS

A US Marine mans a lookout post at a base in Kunjak in southern Afghanistans Helmand province yesterday.

weigh heavily on US President Barack Obama when he conducts a strategy review of the Afghan war in December. It will also be a central part of discussions at a Nato summit in Lisbon next month. Providing an upbeat assesment of recent offensives, Nato Secretary-General

Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters in Berlin that insurgents in Afghanistan were on the back foot. The insurgency is under pressure, under pressure like never before in Afghanistan. Our aim for this year was to regain momentum, Rasmussen said. Now we have it.

The New York Times newspaper on Wednesday quoted an unidentied Afghan source as saying Taliban leaders from the Quetta shura the leadership of the Afghan Taliban who are based in Pakistan and one member of the Al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network had taken part in extensive talks.

Musharraf gave nod for US drone surveillance, says Gilani

ISLAMABAD: Pakistans prime minister revealed yesterday for the rst time that former military ruler Pervez Musharraf gave approval for US drones to make surveillance ights over the country. The previous government gave them permission for surveillance and reconnaissance ights by US drone aircraft but not to launch missile attacks, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told diplomatic correspondents. The United States does not ofcially conrm the drone attacks, but the campaign is unpopular among the Pakistan public who see military action on Pakistani soil as a breach of national sovereignty. Gilani said we will nd out when asked about reports that US drones use Shamsi base in southwestern province Balochistan, but denied that drones were taking off from a military base in southern province Sindh. We have not provided them space (to y). This is wrong and I have contradicted that drones were using Shahbaz base (in Sindh) for this purpose. Gilanis Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) emerged as the biggest party from general elections in February 2008 and formed its government months before Musharraf stepped down as President over fears of parliamentary impeachment. A covert US drone campaign has dramatically increased the frequency of drone strikes in the tribal belt in response to intelligence claims of a Mumbai-style terror plot to launch commando attacks on European cities. Ofcials in Washington say drone strikes are highly effective in the war against Al Qaeda and its Islamist allies, killing a number of high-value targets, including Pakistans Taliban founding father Baitullah Mehsud. But in Pakistan, anger over the attacks has fuelled reprisals from militant groups who have targeted Nato supply convoys destined for Afghanistan. We have repeatedly said the drone attacks are counter productive, Gilani told the group of local and foreign reporters. We want to have drone technology and also if they have any actionable intelligence, we want them to share it with us. Speaking in London, where he is living in self-imposed exile, Musharraf condemned the surge in US drone strikes late last month. Within Pakistan there is sensitivity of the people of Pakistan. We have got forces to deal with any situation and if action needs to be taken the West should realise that they should equip the Pakistan army or air force, he said. Mary Ellen OConnell, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame in the United States, this week became the latest legal expert to warn that the drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and other countries violate international law and should be halted. The use of drones is causing really serious anger in Pakistan. I really seriously question the necessity for what we are doing, she told London think-tank Chatham House. Although he did not specify bombing raids by unmanned aircraft, CIA chief Leon Panetta has been quoted as telling US media that the agencys expanding operations in Pakistan have taken a serious toll on Al Qaeda.
AFP

On the alert

One killed, two hurt in hospital gun attack

ISLAMABAD: A brazen gun attack at the leading hospital in Pakistans capital Islamabad left one person dead and two others wounded yesterday, an ofcial said. Ofcials said the incident was a private feud and unrelated to Taliban and Al Qaeda-linked violence that plagues the northwest and which has been blamed for high-prole attacks in recent years on western targets in Islamabad. The shots were red outside the gate of the emergency ward at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), which is in the centre of Islamabad. One person has died, city administrator Amir Ahmed Ali said. One group red at the other when they were off-loading two injured persons at the hospitals emergency gate.... One attacker has also been arrested while the others have been identied, he said. Doctor Waseem Khawaja, spokesman for PIMS, had said that three people were wounded when a gunman opened re with a pistol on his rivals at AFP the hospital.

Pakistani paramilitary soldiers stand guard on a street in Karachi yesterday. Pakistan will recruit 3,000 extra policemen in a bid to stem repeated outbreaks of violence in its largest city Karachi, the countrys interior minister said.

Three killed by roadside bomb

KABUL: A roadside bomb killed a district governor and two of his aides in Afghanistans eastern Nangarhar province yesterday in the latest attack targeting a local government ofcial, the Afghan Interior Ministry said. Violence is at its worst level since the Taliban were toppled in 2001 by US-led troops and later began their campaign to bring down the government of President Hamid Karzai and drive out thousands of foreign troops deployed in Afghanistan. The bomb exploded as a car carrying the head of Dor Baba district and four others passed through a remote area bordering neighbouring Pakistans restive tribal belt, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. Two policemen were wounded in the attack, it said. REUTERS

US to give $2bn military assistance to Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The United States announced $2bn in military aid for Pakistan yesterday as the two countries sought to dispel doubts about Islamabads commitment to uprooting Islamist insurgents from safe havens on its soil. The United States has no stronger partner when it comes to counterterrorism efforts against the extremists who threaten us both than Pakistan, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said. The ve-year military aid package, which must be approved by Congress, would complement $7.5bn in civilian assistance already cleared by US lawmakers. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi rejected naysayers who argue that Islamabads heart is not in the ght against the insurgents. Prophets of doom are back in business, painting doomsday scenarios about our alliance, he said. They are dead wrong. Announcement of the military assistance, for the years 2012 to 2016, came at the formal opening of the third round of the US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, a series of talks to expand relations beyond the ght against Islamist insurgents. Clinton said 13 working groups focusing on issues from water to energy had agreed on plans to immunise 90 percent of Pakistani schoolchildren, improve electricity supplies and help farming families get back on their feet after devastating oods in August. But looming over the talks is the nine-year-old war in Afghanistan and the ght against Al Qaeda and other Islamist extremist groups along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The Obama administration has pointedly pressed Pakistan for more aggressive action against safe havens in North Waziristan, saying in a recent report to Congress that Pakistani forces had avoided direct contact with Al Qaeda and related militants, in part for political reasons. Stepped up attacks in the region by US drone aircraft have aggravated public opinion in Pakistan and relations deteriorated after a cross-border helicopter incursion killed two Pakistani border guards. The incident prompted Pakistan to close a border crossing near the Khyber Pass to Nato supply convoys for 10 days until apologies were made by US and Nato ofcials. US Defence Secretary Robert Gates apologised again for the incident when he met Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Kayani earlier this week. But US ofcials continue to press Pakistan for more action and express growing concerns about the possibility of an attack on US soil plotted by Pakistanbased groups, similar to the failed bombing in New Yorks Times Square this year. REUTERS

US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates (left) with Pakistani Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani in Washington, DC, yesterday.

Business
Vodafone Rayyan Bank

OCTOBER 23, 2010

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15
Barwa Gulf Holding

ON SATURDAY

Industries Qatar

Nakilat

Qatar Islamic Bank

Comm. Bank of Qatar

Int. Islamic Bank

531,671

7.85

873,954 15.80

185,843

108.80

423,740 18.60 268,324 76.10 925,176 31.80 263,602 13.90 527,064 83.00 127,624 45.20

US plan for trade targets hits G20 headwinds

US struggles to win support for proposal to set limits on external imbalance; no comments from China
GYEONGJU, South Korea: The United States struggled yesterday to win backing for a proposal to set limits on external imbalances as a way of pressing countries with surpluses such as China to let their exchange rates rise. In a letter to fellow nance ministers of the Group of 20 leading economies, US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said countries should implement policies to reduce their current account imbalances below a specied share of national output. Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Geithner, backed by host South Korea, proposed limiting surpluses and decits on the current account the broadest measure of trade in goods and services to four percent of gross domestic product. But the plan met with a cool reception on the rst day of a twoday meeting meant to smooth the path for a G20 summit in Seoul on November 11-12. Big exporting countries that habitually run chunky trade surpluses led the opposition. A G20 source said China was against any limits on imbalances, German Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle warned of a throwback to planned economy thinking, and Russian Deputy Finance Minister Dmitry Pankin said a draft communique to be issued on Saturday would steer clear of numerical targets. The communique is very politically correct. Theres nothing sharp in it, Pankin said. In the long term the focus should be on the exchange rates reecting market conditions. Excessive state interference in currencies should be avoided. Noda also voiced scepticism. We doubt whether rigid numerical targets should be set. But when checking the progress in rectifying imbalances, that might be an idea, he told reporters. The criticism underscored the difculties facing the G20 as it strives to put the world economy on a more stable footing and defuse currency tensions that economists fear could trigger trade wars. While the G20 won praise for coordination of stimulus packages during the global nancial crisis, its unity has been tested by low growth in rich countries and attempts by some emerging market economies to preserve export competitiveness by holding down their exchange rates. Saudi Arabia, Germany and Russia are the G20 members with the biggest current account surpluses, but China is the chief culprit in Washingtons eyes and the unspoken target of Geithners letter because of massive currency market intervention to keep a lid on the yuan. Beijing has amassed $2.65 trillion in ofcial currency reserves as a consequence, and prompted the US House of Representatives to pass a bill threatening retaliation unless China lets its currency off the leash to reduce its huge trade surplus with the United States. G20 countries, Geithner said, should commit to refrain from exchange rate policies designed to achieve competitive advantage by either weakening their currency or preventing the appreciation of an undervalued currency. Chinese ofcials made no public comment, but a G20 source said Beijing was opposed to any

Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors attend the rst session of the G-20 Financial Ministers and Central Governors meeting, in Gyeongju, South Korea, yesterday.
communique that explicitly bound countries to limits on current account balances or any other form of rules on currency policy. The source, with direct knowledge of the talks, said the group of rich and emerging economies was split not only on the question of currencies but also on how to give poorer countries more voting power at the International Monetary Fund. Positions are still very much divided. Its a rift down the middle on both issues, the source said, predicting bland language in the closing communique to paper over the cracks. Not everyone rejected the US gambit out of hand.
REUTERS

Oil rises above $81 on weak dollar, German data

LONDON: Oil prices rose above $81 a barrel yesterday as positive German data and a dip in the dollar index stoked buying for commodities ahead of a G20 nance ministers decision on currencies. The G20 meeting in South Korea looked unlikely to reach a deal on a US-led initiative for a commitment from emerging countries to allow their currencies to rise. The US dollar index was volatile early yesterday and then turned negative in a move that pushed the US crude benchmark up over $1 in intra-day trade as investors rushed to buy alternatives to cash. By 1335 GMT, US crude futures were up 88 cents at $81.44 a barrel, nearly reversing Thursdays drop of more than two percent. ICE Brent rose $1.07 to $82.92 a barrel. The developing currency war and the devaluation war is the single most important factor for the oil market besides maybe the rate of Chinese economic growth, said Eugen Weinberg, commodities analyst at Commerzbank adding, the negative correlation is sustainable in the longer term. The dollar index has fallen around seven percent from September highs and stoked buying interest among both buyers holding other currencies and investors looking for a commodities hedge. Failure to reach a deal on currencies in South Korea could weigh further on the dollar, analysts said. Positive German data showing business sentiment was strongest in 3-1/2 years in October also lifted oil prices yesterday. Todays Ifo underlines that the German good-news-show is continuing and is more than just a rebound or a pure statistical effect. The broadening of the recovery will continue, said Carsten Brzeski, ING Financial Markets. Renery outages in France were supportive for the oil complex on Friday with unions signalling their determination to keep ghting even if President Nicolas Sarkozys unpopular pension reform becomes law on Friday. A batch of US data on Thursday pointed to slow-growth in the worlds top oil consumer, reinforcing views the Federal Reserve will ease monetary policy further next month in an attempt to jumpstart the economy. New claims for jobless benets dropped last week but remained at levels suggesting little improvement in the distressed labour market. Other reports showed only a modest rise in a gauge of future US economic activity and a small gain in factory activity in the countrys Mid-Atlantic region. The general consensus is that more QE (quantitative easing) will be approved, which, in turn, is expected to reduce unemployment and boost demand, said Tamas Varga at oil broker PVM.
REUTERS

WTO rejects Chinese claims in US duties case

GENEVA: World Trade Organisation panel largely rejected Chinese claims yesterday in a dispute with the United States over extra duties on Chinese goods which Washington argued were priced at below cost and subsidised. US Trade Representative Ron Kirk welcomed the ruling as a win for American businesses and workers affected by unfairly traded imports. The case involved treatment of goods from a country that is not a market economy, where the state sets or inuences prices. The ruling backed the right of an importer to set duties on goods from such economies to compensate for unfair pricing and for subsidies something that a US court had struck down. The two-year-old dispute turned on duties imposed by the United States on imports of Chinese steel pipes, off-road tyres and woven sacks. The panel did back some Chinese complaints and called on the United States to bring its measures in line with WTO rules where they breached them. China had challenged the way the United States calculated the duties and the fact that it suffered a double penalty of anti-dumping (AD) duties for unfairly priced goods and countervailing duties (CVD) for subsidised products. We are pleased that the panel recognised that the concurrent application of AD and CVD duties on subsidised Chinese goods to level the playing eld for US companies and workers is fully consistent with our WTO obligations, Kirk said in a statement.
REUTERS

Nespresso display

BSkyB prots surge amid takeover battle

LONDON: BSkyB, the pay-TV giant being courted by Rupert Murdochs News Corp, yesterday reported a surge in quarterly net prots as the British group edged closer to its target of 10 million customers. BSkyB said prot after tax jumped to 228m ($359m) in the three months to September 30 the groups rst quarter compared with performance a year earlier. The company, which in June rejected a full takeover offer from its largest shareholder News Corp worth 7.8bn, saw a 39-percent jump in the number of customers who subsribed to BSkyBs TV, phone and Internet services. BSkyB goes from strength to strength as it reported a solid set of rst quarter numbers, said ETX Capital trader Manoj Ladwa. The broadcaster is also reaping the benets of a strategy shift as it increasingly cross-sells to its expanding customer base. Both are factors that are likely to see News Corp either raise its offer quite signicantly or walk away. BSkyB said it added 96,000 customers in its rst quarter, taking its total number of subscribers to 9.95 million. Todays results show that our consistent strategy is delivering an excellent performance in a challenging environment, chief executive Jeremy Darroch said in the groups earnings statement. These results are underpinned by continued investment in content and innovation, which is bringing more value to customers and growing returns for shareholders, he added.
AFP

A Nespresso display at Nestls 9-month sales press conference in New York yesterday. For the rst time the press conference was held outside of Switzerland in the US, Nestls biggest market.

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OCTOBER 23, 2010

Business

Japan eyes US-led free trade agreement

Government expected to unveil stance on free trade pacts during Asia-Pacic leaders summit
TOKYO: Japans economics minister said yesterday that Tokyo should join a US-led Asia-Pacic free trade initiative to keep its rms from eeing abroad, despite a backlash in the ruling party against the proposed deal. Japanese rms are pressing the government to forge more trade pacts and catch up with regional rivals such as South Korea. Economists agree such deals are vital to keep more manufacturers from moving overseas, taking jobs with them. The government is expected to unveil its stance on free trade deals, including the US-led Trans-Pacic Partnership (TPP), ahead of an Asia-Pacic leaders summit next month in Yokohama, near Tokyo, which US President Barack Obama will attend. Many lawmakers in Prime Minister Naoto Kans Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), however, are worried about the fallout from such trade deals on longprotected and politically powerful farmers. Japan needs to show its intention to join the TPP early ... But some ruling party members are opposed, as there has not been enough debate within the party, Economics Minister Banri Kaieda told a news conference. As the yen remains strong, Japanese manufacturers have to produce high value-added products (to stay competitive) ... But their products wont sell in Asian markets if high tariffs are levied, Kaieda said. Joining TPP would thus be unavoidable in order to keep manufacturing products in Japan. The yens surge to 15-yearhighs has eroded an export-led recovery and is pushing rms to rethink production plans. The Cabinet Ofce estimates that joining TPP would push up Japans real GDP growth rate by about half a percentage point annually after taking into account the adverse impact on the agricultural sector, Asahi newspaper reported. The United States and seven other countries launched talks on a proposed TPP agreement earlier this year and Washington is trying to bring Malaysia on board too. US free trade advocates see the initiative as a way to ensure the United States isnt locked out of regional arrangements. Japans biggest business lobby wants Kan to offer to take part in TPP at the November 13-14 AsiaPacic Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, where the forums leaders will discuss a proposed Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacic covering all 21 members. If we miss this chance, Japan will lag far behind other countries in developing an international business environment, business lobby Keidanren said this week, urging Kan to declare his intention to join the TPP talks at the APEC summit. A free trade deal inked between South Korea and the European Union this month in particular has given corporate Japan the jitters, while rival China is also considered ahead in the race. The trade pact talk is prompting a backlash, however, among ruling Democratic Party lawmakers reluctant to upset farmers, whose political clout is amplied by an electoral system that gives rural votes more weight than those in urban areas. I hope the government will only consider the idea and stop there, former farm minister Masahiko Yamada told reporters after more than 100 lawmakers gathered on Thursday to oppose joining the trade initiative, which also includes Australia, Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Many of the lawmakers at the meeting are supporters of Kans rival, DPJ heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa, who last month lost a leadership race to Kan. Ozawa now faces indictment over a funding scandal but he remains a force in the party. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku, the No.2 in Kans cabinet, acknowledged the conicting pressures. We must preserve what needs to be preserved from the perspective of food security and national land conservation, he told a news conference, stressing changes were needed to attract young people to a sector whose population is ageing fast.
REUTERS

European shares edge lower

LONDON: European shares drifted lower yesterday from six-month highs the previous day as investors took prots ahead of the conclusion of a G20 meeting, with many experts sceptical whether a binding agreement would be reached. At 1129 GMT, the FTSEurorst 300 index of top European shares was down 0.2 percent at 1,091.42 points after gaining the previous two sessions. The index is up 4.4 percent this year. Miners retreated as investors took prots from their rise in the past two sessions. The STOXX Europe basic resources index fell 0.6 percent, while BHP Billiton, Anglo American, Antofagasta Xstrata and ENRC slipped 0.5 to 1.5 percent. Technology shares gained ground, with mobile network equipment maker Ericsson surging 5.6 percent after saying a dose of high-margin network upgrades boosted third-quarter prot by 14 percent. ASML Holding, Aixtron, United Internet and Micro Focus gained 0.5 to 7.5 percent. In the near term, the equity market is dominated by newsow regarding company earnings -2010 earnings estimates are well supported, Greetfeld said. However, one should view this in the medium-term context. The declining trend of leading indicators point to deterioration in 2011 earnings trends. The implication is that in the medium term the STOXX Europe 50 index will broadly move sideways. The Euro STOXX 50, the euro zones blue-chip index, was down 0.1 percent at 2,878.85 points. Philippe Delabarre, technical analyst at Trading Central said the intraday dynamic on the Euro STOXX 50 was bullish for several reasons. First of all, a bullish continuation conguration (broadening formation) was conrmed yesterday. Second, the contract is supported by two ascending trendlines. Finally, the 50-day simple moving average is ascending, he said. His targets for the index were at 2,880 and 2,915 points, with a stop-loss at 2,825 points. Nestle AG was down 0.2 percent, in line with the broader market trend. The worlds biggest food group reported core sales growth this year is ahead of market forecasts, thanks to strong demand in emerging markets, price rises and a thriving Nespresso coffee business.
REUTERS

Traders are pictured at their desks in front of the DAX board at the Frankfurt stock exchange yesterday.

UAE nance minister seeks 5pc budget cut, says report

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates nance ministry has proposed a ve percent cut in the states budget for the next three years to a total Dh126.3m ($34.4bn), a local paper said. Arabic daily Al Ittihad said it obtained a September letter to UAE ofcials from Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, the minister of state for nance, proposing the reduced budget for the period from 2011 to 2013 as a measure to prevent running a decit. On Thursday, the countrys legislature, the Federal National Council (FNC), rejected the proposed budget, Al Ittihad said. Its secretary general cited the FNCs right to reject the proposal under the constitution. The FNC has the constitutional right to reject laws, and in the UAE, the federal budget is drafted as a law. In the past however, the government has passed laws without FNC approval during periods when the legislature is not in session. The president, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, would also be able veto the FNC decision. The Gulf Arab state had previously planned a 2011-13 budget of Dh132bn.
REUTES

Declining prot

SK Energy to restart naphtha cracker unit

SINGAPORE: South Koreas top rener SK Energy Co Ltd is restarting the smaller of its two naphtha crackers to cash in on recent strong petrochemical margins after a two-year shutdown due to poor prots, traders said yesterday. SK Energy is restarting the 200,000 tonne-per-year (tpy) unit sometime in November, after it was shut down in 2008. If you were to ask me, SK Energy is not restarting the smaller unit soon enough, said an industry source. They should have restarted earlier as overall petrochemical margins were quite good last month but slipped a bit currently. The source pegged overall petrochemical margins for contracted supplies at around $350.00 a tonne last month, and about $200.00-$300.00 a tonne currently. SK Energy also operates a 660,000-tpy naphtha cracker, which was closed for routine maintenance around October 4, and is due to resume operations in early November. SKs total cracking capacity is much smaller than South Koreas top ethylene maker YNCC, which runs a 1.86 million-tpy cracking complex, but it operates the countrys biggest oil rening complex with a 1.12 million-bpd capacity. SK Energy decided on the longterm shutdown of the smaller cracker in October 2008 after the petrochemical industry was hammered by the global nancial crisis and margins sank into the red. The market soon recovered, but the rener kept the unit shut indenitely due to its small capacity. Healthy petrochemical margins have supported demand for naphtha feedstock. Cracks, the premiums/losses obtained from rening Brent crude into naphtha, were at their highest in more than ve months on Thursday at $149.00 a tonne premium. SK Energy shares jumped almost 5 percent on Friday, outperforming the main indexs 1.2 percent rise. But traders cautioned that the robust petrochemical margins might not last. Ta i w a n s Fo r m o s a Petrochemical Corp, East Asias biggest privately run petrochemical maker, has restarted its 700,000-tpy cracker last Friday after an extended shutdown since early July due to a re, and this had started to weigh on the ethylene market.
REUTERS

Azim Premji, Chairman of Wipro Ltd, attends the quarterly results announcement at the Wipro campus in Bangalore yesterday. Indias No. 3 outsourcing rm Wipro missed quarterly prot estimates as higher wages cut margins, underperforming rivals and sending its shares down more than ve percent.

Business

OCTOBER 23, 2010

www.pen.com.qa

17

ON SATURDAY

AIA IPO set to be 2nd largest IPO this year

Share sale could top $20bn
HONG KONG: The Asian unit of troubled US insurer AIG looked set yesterday to record the worlds second-largest initial public offering this year, in a monster share sale that could still top $20bn. AIA said that it had raised $17.8bn after pricing its shares at HK$19.68 ($2.53) ahead of the insurers debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange next week. Frenzied investor demand has already made the IPO Hong Kongs largest ever share sale while the total amount raised could rise if other options are exercised. Agricultural Bank of China in July raised a total of $22.1bn from its IPO, exceeding the previous world record set by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, which raised $21.9bnin 2006. However, Agbanks IPO was split with it raising $12bn in Hong Kong and the rest in Shanghai. Shares in AIAs highly-anticipated offering were priced at almost 16 times forecast earnings this year, Dow Jones Newswires cited an unnamed source as saying. The IPO is a critical turning point for AIA and we are delighted that it has been so positively received by investors around the world, Mark Tucker, AIAs chief executive, said in a statement yesterday. On Sunday, AIA said it would initially offer 5.86 billion shares at between 18.38 and 19.68 Hong Kong dollars, adding that it could issue additional shares if it exercised a so-called greenshoe option. That may bring the total raised to around $20.5bn and leave AIG with a stake of just 32.9 percent in the rm. AIG, which is on the hook to repay US taxpayers after a government bailout in 2008, won approval last month for the sale. The US insurer was forced to look at publicly oating AIA in Hong Kong after the collapse in June of a proposed $35.5bn sale to the British insurer Prudential. AIAs reach across 15 Asian countries and its healthy balance sheet explained the strong investor demand, said Francis Lun, general manager of Hong Kongs Fulbright Securities. The rm booked a net prot of $1.75bn in 2009. The listing should do well because of the strong investor demand (for AIA shares), Lun told AFP, adding that AIA is a good company and insurance is always a very strong cash ow business. But Patricia Cheng, an analyst at Hong Kong-based brokerage CLSA, questioned AIAs growth potential despite the rms wellknown brand, noting that it was losing market share in some countries. Investors are in Asia for growth. Todays AIA unfortunately doesnt measure up too well, she wrote in a report this month. (AIAs) inuence has been declining across the board. Its already lost the top positions in China (among foreign operations), Hong Kong and Singapore. Major investors in the AIA sale include the Kuwait Investment Authority, the oil-rich Gulf emirates sovereign wealth fund, and a number of Hong Kong tycoons. Chinese sovereign-wealth fund China Investment Corp is also among the buyers, according to reports. AIA traces its roots in Asia back more than 90 years and was the largest foreign life insurer in China in 2009 based on life insurance premiums.
AFP

Australia approves A$30bn coal gas projects

SYDNEY: Australia yesterday approved two multi-billion dollar coal gas projects with strict environmental conditions, clearing the way for exports of millions of tonnes of clean-burning energy to Asian countries. Environment Minister Tony Burke imposed more than 300 conditions to protect ecological treasures such as the Great Barrier Reef as he gave the go-ahead to BG Group and the Gladstone Liqueed Natural Gas (GLNG) joint venture. After rigorous assessments that included public consultation and the advice of experts, I consider that these projects can go ahead without unacceptable impacts on matters protected under national environment law, Burke said. BG is developing Curtis LNG and GLNG is a joint venture between Australias Santos, Malaysias Petronas and Frances Total, in projects worth about A$30bn (about $29bn). The companies are set to make nal investment decisions by the end of the year on the plants and export terminals at Gladstone on Australias east coast, in the lower reaches of the Great Barrier Reef. The companies are using pioneering technology to cool gas taken from underground coal seams into liquid and ship it abroad, mainly to Asia, adding a new dimension to Australias burgeoning liqueed natural gas sector. Australia, dubbed a potential Middle East of gas, also has several separate projects in its west and north that will chill natural gas deposits into liquid for shipping. The announcement boosts expectations for rival coal seam gas joint ventures between Origin Energy and ConocoPhillips, and Royal Dutch Shell and PetroChina, which are yet to apply for environmental approval. Santos said GLNG will provide 5,000 jobs during construction and 1,000 when the plant is functional, with initial output of 7.2 million tonnes a year.
AFP

People queue up at an AIA ofce in Singapores main business district. AIA, the Asian life insurance arm of American International Group Inc, raised $17.9bn by pricing its Hong Kong IPO at the top of an indicated range, sources said, due to heavy demand for one of Asias best known industry brands.

Gazprom may take part in TAPI gas pipeline

T U R K M E N B A S H I , Turkmenistan: Russias gas monopoly Gazprom could take part in a project to build gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan and India via Afghanistan, Russias energy tsar Igor Sechin said yesterday. Turkmenistan, holder of the worlds fourth-largest natural gas reserves, is keen to revive plans to build the TAPI (TurkmenistanAfghanistan-Pakistan-India) pipeline. The project has been stalled by war in Afghanistan. The long-delayed project would also further efforts by Turkmenistan, Central Asias largest gas producer, to diversify its export routes and lessen dependence on its traditional partner Russia. Gazprom, the main buyer of Turkmen natural gas until Turkmenistan launched a Chinabound pipeline last December, could play a role, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin said. The issue of Gazproms participation in the TAPI gas pipeline was discussed during this visit, Sechin told reporters during Russian President Dmitry Medvedevs visit to Turkmenistan. Gazprom may participate in this project in any capacitybuilder, designer, participant, etc, Sechin said. Pakistan and India have expressed an interest in buying up to 70 billion cubic metres annually. A senior Afghan ofcial said last month that Afghanistan would secure the planned pipeline through the Taliban heartland by burying its sections underground and paying local communities to guard it.
REUTERS

Canada province urges govt to block BHPs Potash bid

R E G I N A , The SASKATCHEWAN: Canadian province home to Potash Corp said it opposed BHPs $39bn bid to buy the fertilizer supplier, setting the stage for a politically charged nal decision by the federal government. Saskatchewan said on Thursday it would urge Ottawa to block BHP Billitons attempt to take over Potash because a successful bid by the AngloAustralian miner could hurt jobs and revenues in the province. Potash is one of Canadas largest resource rms. Demand for its namesake product is set to surge in coming years as China, India and other countries work to feed growing populations. In the interests of jobs for Saskatchewan families, in the interest of the quality of life that we prize that is funded by revenues to the government ... we must say no to this hostile takeover, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said in a speech in the provincial capital Regina. Under the Investment Canada Act, the federal government can only allow a takeover by a foreign company if it decides the deal would bring a net benet to Canada. Its our governments belief that the people of Saskatchewan deserve nothing less than a potash industry unequivocally managed, operated and marketed for the benet of Canada and Saskatchewan, said Wall, considered a political ally of the ruling federal Conservatives. There was little impact on BHPs shares in Sydney from the widely expected decision. The stock was up 0.5 percent at A$41.42 at 0137 GMT yesterday, outperforming Rio Tinto which lost 0.1 percent but was in line with the broader market. There is an expectation that something will be worked out, and BHP will probably have to pay up a little bit, said Ric Ronge, a portfolio manager at Pengana Capital. On the ipside of that, the fundamentals of the potash market appear to be improving as they are negotiating this deal. Saskatchewan estimates it will lose about C$3bn ($2.9bn) in revenues over the next 10 years if the deal goes through because of the way royalty payments are structured. If Ottawa allows a takeover to proceed, Wall said, Saskatchewan would make tax changes applicable to BHP that could generate an extra C$3bn for the province, compensating it for revenue it might otherwise lose.
REUTERS

Turkmen-Russia ties

VW posts 9-month prot of 4.8bn

FRANKFURT: Volkswagen, the biggest European carmaker, reported yesterday a strong operating prot of 4.8bn ($6.7bn) for the rst nine months of 2010 and said its full-year gure would show gains as well. The nine-month gure was more than three times higher than the 1.5bn posted in the same period of 2009. Sales rose to 92.5bn, a gain of 19.9 percent, a statement said, before adding that the group did not expect growth to be as strong in the fourth quarter of the year. VW said full-year sales and operating prot were nonetheless expected to mark signicant gains owing to strong demand, especially in China. But the fourth quarter would see more muted growth, a situation that VW executives have already mentioned. Pre-tax prot for the nine-month period leapt to 5.44bn, a huge gain from the 2009 gure of 1.07bn. Pre-tax prot was boosted by 863 million euros in contributions from investments that included joint ventures in the robust Chinese auto market and options linked to the takeover of the luxury sports car maker Porsche, VW said. Volkswagen and its nine other brands delivered 5.4 million vehicles in the period from January through September, an annualised gain of 12.9 percent. That gave the German group a market share of 11.6 percent, a slight gain on the year, it said. After suffering from a slump in global sales amid the economic downturn last year, VW was well positioned to rebound owing to its strong presence worldwide.
AFP

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (right) shakes hands with his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov yesterday in the city of Turkmenbashi on the Caspian Sea coast. Medvedev is to discuss energy cooperation during his visit to the Central Asian state.

ON SATURDAY

18

www.pen.com.qa

OCTOBER 23, 2010

Classieds
SERVICES

Accounting Softwares
ARTECH
Peachtree, Quickbook, simply accounting. Accpac Products, Services & Training. Tel: 44375654 GSM: 55305906 E-mail: artech@Ar-technology.net Web: ar-technology.net

Cleaning and Maintenance

DOHA PEST CONTROL & CLEANING CO. W.L.L.
For General Cleaning, Carpet Shampooing, Water Tank Cleaning, Scrubbing & Polishing. Supply of Cleaners & Ofce Boys. Tel: 44360901/02/22 Fax:44360838 Email: dohapest@qatar.net.qa GSM: 55695540/55747395 Web: www.dohapest.com

Immigration Services
Software
WE GET THE JOB DONE
Specialised in Governmental work, Work Visa, Family Visa, Resident Permits and many more. Email: info@deltaqatar.com Tel: 44675502, Fax: 4467-5503 Website: deltaqatar.com

IT Solution

Software Lab Qatar

Labs Tel: +974 44622703, 44622705 GSM: 66836037

P.O. Box : 31400, Doha, Qatar

Advertising Overseas Newspaper

GEM ADVERTISING & PUBLICATIONS
(Overseas Newspaper Advertisements) Tel: 44442001 GSM: 55783303

E-mail: gopinath@softlabqatar.com Website: www.softlabqatar.com

AL FURSAN CLEANING SERVICES CO. W.L.L.

Villa Cleaning, Sofa, Carpets, Tiles, Floors, Marble Polishing, Swimming Pool, Water Tanks & Insects Proof. Tel: 44878914 Mobile: 33293482/55637816 Fax: 44864152

Interior and Exterior Finishes

ELNUK QATAR
European Desingers: Commercial, Ofces, Shops, Villas, etc. GSM: 33161105 E-mail: elnukdesign@gmail.com

HR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
(DEVELOPED SPECIFICALLY FOR QATAR) Document Management System Inventory Management System Plant Management System

Expertise and capability to develop any kind of Software to suit your specic business needs!!! NOVARTEZ INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.
Inventory and HR Management System (Developed for companies across Qatar & Gulf). Customised solutions to suit your business needs. Tel: 44652579 GSM: 33216521 E-mail: novartez@yahoo.com

TARIQ GROUP INTERNATIONAL (TGI) CLEANING SERVICES

Arts and Crafts

ORIENTAL CARPET CO. & ARTS & CRAFTS
C Ring Road, Behind Al Fardan Motorcycle Tel: 44479794/44131850/44478379

You will get the best Job in Town, at rates you can afford. Your satisfaction is always guaranteed in Salwa Road, next to Jarir Bookstore. Fax: 44364185 Tel: 44428454/44212462 GSM: 55523704/55837120/66080836 E-mail: info@tgi.com.qa Website: www.tgi.com.qa

Insulation
SARVIKA & CO. QATAR W.L.L.
P O Box: 45725 Tel: 44514689/90/91 Fax: 44514688 E-mail: sarvika@srimaleshqatar.com

Cement Prouducts Adventure in Qatar

QATAR INTERNATIONAL ADVENTURES
Tel: 44553954, 44677406 GSM: 55864568/55527225 E-mail: info@qia-qatar.com - Website: www.qia-qatar.com

IBC COMPUTER
Computer Maintenance. Replacing all parts of Laptops, such as LCDs, Keyboards, etc. Installing & Troubleshooting Wireless Modem, Router & Operating Systems. Call: 33122331/66652836

GROUP 1 Blocks - Interlocks - Kerbstone - Readymix Tel: 44501010 Fax: 44515252

Jewellery
CANARA JEWELLERY

Massage
THAI LADY MASSAGE & BEAUTY SALON
For Ladies. Thai Massage, Oil Massage, Steam Bath Home Visit. Villa No.4, Al Kinana St., Al Sadd Road. Tel: 44350143

Attestation
ASIA TRANSLATION & SERVICES CENTER
Attestation from India in 10 working days for QR.500. Contact: Mr. Suyan Tel: 44364555/44440943 GSM: 55403720/66192881

Company & Partnership

HARPER ASSOCIATES
A choice for Business Set-Up, Sponsor, Company Formation, Commercial Licence, Immigration, PRO Service. Tel: +974 77480502 Fax: +974-44673525 E-mail: info@harperassociates.eu

Al Mansoura, Bin Dirham Street. Tel: 44422071, 44357283 E-mail: canarajewellery@yahoo.com canarajewllery@gmail.com - www.4422071.com

MARHABA JEWELLERY WLL Old Ghanem, Gold Souk. Tel: 44318055 GSM: 66583450 E-mail: marhabadoha@gmail.com

KOTTAKKAL AYURVEDIC MASSAGE CENTRE

Third Building, After Lulu Center, Opposite Hamad Hospital. Tel.: 44360061 GSM: 33453697

Blinds
AL SHARK EXHIBITION
Vertical-Venitian Blinds Bin Mehmoud. Tel./Fax: 44422906

Dental
AL MASA DENTAL COMPLEX
DR. Saeed Mohammed Abdelkhalek, MS, Prosthodontics. Opposite Villagio. Tel: 44513289 Fax: 44693086

Job Site Movers

www.qatarjobcenter.com
Over 7,500 jobs available in Qatar. Job Seekers: Register & Upload CV - Free of Charge. Employers: Register & Upload Jobs Today. Call: 33161105 to place your Ad.

MOON FREIGHT SERVICES

Ofce, Personal or Warehouse Shifting & Packing. Customs Clearing and Transportation. Tel: 44439449/44439459 info@moonfreightservices.com

AL JAWHAR CURTAINS & FURNITURE

Vertical-Venitian Blinds - Salwa Road, Qatar Decoration R/A. Tel: 44689897

AL MASA DENTAL COMPLEX

DR. Sami Khalil Elmorsi Elsharoud, MS, Restorative Dentisty & Endodontics. Opposite Villagio. Tel: 44513289 Fax: 44693086

Blasting and Painting

M. PALLONJI QATAR
P.O. BOX: 23933. E-mail: mpallonji@qatar.net.qa Tel: 44606822 Fax: 44606977 GSM:55879234

Medical Services
QUICK MOVERS
Ofce & Villa Shifting. Mobile: 55477030 - E-mail: quickmovers@gmail.com

AL MASA DENTAL COMPLEX

DR. Mohammed Naveed Yawar GB, General Scope Dentist (Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences). Opposite Villagio. Tel: 44513289 Fax: 44693086

PARAGON SHIPPING & LOGISTIC W.L.L.

For International/Local Relocation. Mobile: 55803404 Doha - Qatar.

Bicycles & Water Sports

SKATE SHACK
Al Ain # 3, Salwa Road, Doha (near the large Qatari Flags) www.skate-shack.com GSM: 55324431 Tel: 44692532

Enterprise Telephony and Security Solutions

Mobile Phones & Enhancements

Bus Hire
GULF GHAZAL RENT A CAR
We have available 15, 24, 30 & 66 seats buses for rent. With or Without driver for all your transport solution - Corporation, School and functions inside Qatar. Tel: 44273619 Fax: 44273618 GSM: 55212784/55708306 E-mail: rentacar@gulfghazal.com Web: www.gulfghazal.com

Computer Training Centre

FAMILY COMPUTER CENTRE
Al Rayyan Complex, Rayyan Road. Tel: 44435361/44370779 Fax: 44449130

+
Education Money Exchange
QATAR-UAE EXCHANGE
Service is our Currency. Al Sadd Street. Tel: 44445558 City Center. Tel: 44115959 Clock Roundabout (Near Gold Souq). Tel: 44368222

Curtains
AL SHARK EXHIBITION
Bin Mehmoud Tel./Fax: 44422906

AL JAWHAR CURTAINS & FURNITURE

Salwa Road, Qatar Decoration Roundabout. Tel: 44689897

DR. AJU ABRAHAM, MBBS MRCPsych (UK), CCST (UK), Dip. CBT (UK) Consultant Psychiatrist, Tel: 44365051 - www.drajusclinic.com DR. B.RIAZ AHAMED - BDS, MDS
(Periodontics) Specialist Periodontics Al Rafa Industrial Area Branch. Tel: 44604448/9 Fax: 44500175

Metal Repairs
APOLLO ENTERPRISES
Belzona Polymerics Tel: 44426664 GSM: 55830870/ 55524897 - E-mail: apollo@qatar.net.qa

INTERDECOR
Specialist in Curtains, Sofas, Furnishing Fabrics, All kinds of Blinds & Interior Works. Tel: 44505882 GSM: 55131957

Furniture
APOLLO FURNITURE
Salwa Road. Tel: 44689522 (3 Lines) GSM: 55506803/ 55503062 - www.apollo-qatar.net

Pest Control & Cleaning

DOHA PEST CONTROL & CLEANING CO. W.L.L. For Pest Control & Cleaning Services - Fax: 44360838.
Email: dohapest@qatar.net.qa GSM: 55513862/55814832/ 55514709 Tel:44360901/902/922 Web: www.dohapest.com

DR. ANTONY. GEORGE JOSEPH - MBBS, MD

(General Medicine) Al Rafa Industrial Area Branch. Tel:44604448/9 Fax: 44500175

Carpet
KASHMIR HANDICRAFT EMPORIUM
Handmade Cartpets, Handicrafts & Furniture. Al Mirgab Street, Al Naser. Tel: 44432761 GSM: 55553407

ORIENTAL CARPET CO. & FURNITURE

Limited - Selected - Low Prices. C Ring Road, Behind Al Fardan Motorcycle. Tel: 44479794, 44131850, 44478379

QATAR PEST CONTROL COMPANY W.L.L. DR. FUAD USMAN - MBBS, MD

(Skin & VD) Specialist Dermatologist Al Rafa Industrial Area Branch. Tel: 44604448/9 Fax: 44500175 Email: qatarpest@qatar.net.qa web: www.qatarpest.com GSM: 55517254/ 55517232 Tel: 44355737/44368737 Fax: 44368727

ORIENTAL CARPET CO. 25 YEARS IN DOHA

C Ring Road, Behind Al Fardan Motorcycle Tel: 44479794/44131850/44478379

OFFICE 1 www.ofce1qatar.com
Ofce Furniture, Ofce Equipment & Supplies. Salwa Road - Tel: 4465 9244 - 4465 9445

HAZCOM PEST CONTROL - ON/OFFSHORE DR. HANI SWEID CLINIC - PEDIATRIC CONSULTANT
M.B.B.S./MD (Pediatrics) - All India Institute of Medical Sciences (A.I.I.M.S), New Delhi. Abu Hamour Street, Opposite to Al Jazeera Academy. Tel: 44216565 Hazardous Material Handling TRAINING Tel.: 55549682

Cleaning and Maintenance

AL MUTWASSIT CLEANING & PEST CONTROL
Kharaba Street, Behind White Mosque, Tel: 44367555 Fax: 44367999 GSM: 55875920/55860432

Free Advertising
WWW.JNFQATAR.COM
Companies & Individuals, simply Register & Advertise in Qatars Upcoming online Business Directory. For more information call: 33199884/77802436/44911712

E-mail: craig_coomber@excite.com PALACE CLEANING & PEST CONTROL SERVICES

We help you to get of all pests and desease in your home or ofce. Tel: 44644813 GSM: 55513324 Fax: 44642472 E-mail: palacecleaning@gmail.com

AL SAFA POLYCLINIC
Tel: 44322448/44428701/44426948 Fax: 44360572 E-mail: sales@alsafahospital.com Timings: 7 am to 11pm. Friday: 3pm to 11pm. Al Kinana Street, Al Nasr.

CAPITAL CLEANING COMPANY W.L.L.

Complete General Cleaning Services for Old and New Villas Tel: 44582257/44582546 Fax: 44582529 Mobile: 33189899/ 55565328 E-mail: capitalcleaningwll@gmail.com

Glass Coating Martial Arts

APOLLO ENTERPRISES - GLASS COATING
Crystal Bond Glass Coating Against The Suns Harmful Rays, Heat Resistance. Salwa Road. Tel: 44426664 GSM: 55865139/55871914 E-mail: mlibor@belzona.org

Pesticides & Pest Control

TRADE CHEM LTD. AIKIDO YOSHINKAN
MI-YAMA RYU JUJUTSO - Adults/Children Tel: 44854600 E-mail: dohaaikido@gmail.com Website: www.dohaaikido.com P O Box: 21748 Tel: +974 44278006 Fax: +974 44278007 E-mail: sales@tradechem.org

DELTA SERVICES COMPANY

Good cleaning starts with good people. For all your Residential & Commercial needs. Tel: 44550520 Fax: 44675503 GSM: 55566939 E-mail: dsc@deltaqatar.com

Invest in Qatar
FOR BUSINESS SET-UP, LOCAL SPONSORS
Trade Licences, P.R.O. & Real Estate Services. E-mail: bizqatar@yahoo.com - GSM: 55745147/55201189

Portable / Chemical Toilets

BEAM CONSTRUCTION
Near Al Saliya Sports Stadium. Tel: 44901760 Fax: 44901566 GSM: 55427509 E-mail: pcs_qatar@yahoo.com

QATAR CLEANING COMPANY W.L.L.

Male/Female: Housekeepers, Catering-Wedding Service Staff Hourly/Daily/Weekly/Monthly - Rates Apply. Tel: 44662695 Ext.21 GSM: 55816421

Manpower Supply
SARVIKA & CO. QATAR W.L.L.
P O Box: 45725 Tel: 44514689/90/91 Fax: 44514688 E-mail: sarvika@srimaleshqatar com

Classieds
Services Party Items & Balloon Decoration
PARTY KINGDOM
Near Jaidah Flyover, In the Gulf Commercial Centre, Across from the Internet Cafe. Tel: 44353501 Fax: 44693924

OCTOBER 23, 2010

www.pen.com.qa

19
REQUIRED

ON SATURDAY

To Let APOLLO REAL ESTATE

Dohas leading Real Estate Agency can offer you a wide selection of available properties. Apartment to compounds and ofce space. Give us your requirements and let us nd you a place that ts. With over 30 years experience in Doha, we know the market.

Situations Vacant REQUIRED

Qatars rst Real Estate Company under British Management

Call: Ofce: 44689522, Maureen 55864352, Sal 33190644 Abubakar 55850815, Peter 55506803, Dexter 55872145

Female Staff
to work in a Beauty Salon with experience in all beauty speciality. Please contact:

Part-time Maid
for an Indian family.
Please contact:

PARTY MANIA
Al Muntaza, Near Al Meera. Tel: 44418810 Fax: 44418426 GSM: 55556306 E-mail: partymania_q@hotmail.com/gm@ partymaniaqatar.com. PO Box 39191 - www.partymania.com

www.apolloproperties.com.qa

FOR RENT
For Sale
NEW HOUSEHOLD ITEMS FOR SALE. Brand new original seal packed Apple iPad 32GB, Wifi enabled with one year international warranty. Price QR.2,800. Please contact GSM: 55097913

GSM: 55303292

GSM: 55897451

Printing Services
AL FAKHIRA PRINT & SUPPLY W.L.L.
Best Price Print Business Card, Free Door to Door Design & Delivery. GSM: 66510546/55684777, E-mail: qaprint@hotmail.com

Tariq Group International (TGI) Real Estate

Offers best rate daily, weekly, monthly and yearly contract. Fully furnished 1 bedroom, 2 bedrooms, and 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living/dining room, kitchen and shaded parking in Al Sadd, Al Nasr, Al Muntaza, Fareej Abdelaziz and Bin Omran area. We also have ofce space in Muntaza area near Andalus Petrol Station.

REQUIRED

Contact us at:

Private Tutorial Classes for CFA Material.

Please contact:

Painting & Coating

SARVIKA & CO. QATAR W.L.L.
P O Box: 45725 Tel: 44514689/90/91 Fax: 44514688 E-mail: sarvika@srimaleshqatar.com

44428454, 44212462, 55523704, 55837120, 66080836 Fax: 44364185

E-mail: info@tgi.com.qa Website: www.tgi.com.qa

Services Real Estate

ADAM REAL ESTATE COMPANY
Al Kuwari Blgd., 8th Floor, Al Sadd, Near Sebstain Rest. Tel: 44366932 Fax: 44366931 GSM: 55500789 / 55803731

GSM: 55062222

For Sale OFFICE FOR SALE

Pen.Mag
Tel: 44557857 Fax: 44557870
Situations Wanted SRI LANKAN LAW GRADUATE
Sri Lankan Law Graduate, with short-hand speed of 90 WPM and typing of 50 WPM with NOC, is looking for a job. Please contact: GSM: 55781692 rahim@tadmur.com or rmohamed69@yahoo.com
MANAGER or Assistant Manager available. B.Com (IT) with 7 years experience is looking for a suitable placement. Looking for good position & salary package. Transferable visa with NOC. Please contact GSM: 66586836 E-mail: safdar_farhan@yahoo.com SRI LANKAN NATIONAL, is looking for a part-time job (from 4pm to 10pm) in the field of Accounting, Secretarial, Data Entry. NOC available. Please contact GSM: 77442576 E-mail: uwais999@gmail.com MBA MARKETING AND HR, 26 years old Indian, with 4 years experience in sales and marketing, is looking for right career opportunity. Please contact GSM: 30224607 E-mail: knnishanthster@gmail.com YOUNG INDIAN, Computer Graduate in MCA with MCSE and CCNA, with 4 years experience (including Qatar), very fluent in English, is looking for a job as IT Administrator or any other suitable post. Please contact GSM: 77890951 E-mail: hvrmtl@yahoo.com MBA FINANCE AND MARKETING, 26 years old, young Indian, with 4 years of experience in accounts and administration, is looking for a right opening. Please contact GSM: 30216076 E-mail: aneeshjohn84@gmail. com INDIAN MALE, with 13 years GCC experience as Civil Foreman, with good communication skills in English, Arabic and Hindi, is looking for a suitable job. Please contact GSM: 30107264

Rent A Car
AVIS RENT A CAR
Main Ofce at Daihatsu Showroom Complex on C Ring Road. Tel: 44667744 / 44622180 Fax: 44657626

APOLLO ENTERPRISES
Salwa Rd. Tel: 44689522 (3 Lines) GSM: 55506803/55503062/ 33190644 - www.apolloproperties.com.qa

AL MUFTAH RENT A CAR WLL

Main Ofce, D Ring Road -Tel: 44328100, 44634444, Fax: 44414339, Branches: C Ring Road -Tel: 44442003, Musherib Tel: 44326840, Ras Lafffan: Tel.: 44748840 E Mail: rac@qatar.net.qa Website: www.rentacardoha.com

Big Ofce on Salwa Road, near to Vegetable Market. Rent QR.5,500.

Please contact: 66960144

MIRAGE INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY

Tel: 44444431 Fax: 44310408 Salwa Road, (Jarir Bookstore Complex) www.mirageproperty.com Email: info@mirageproperty.com.

BUDGET RENT A CAR

The Best Car Rental Service in Qatar. Opp. Centre 44310411 Airport - Tel: 44622678 - City Centre - Tel: 44933874

A-ONE REAL ESTATE

Mr. Abid Moosavi: 55354985. Tel: 44410851/ 44425769 Fax: 44322016 Muntaza P.O. Box: 22810 E-mail: aone_realestate@yahoo.com

Pen.Mag
Tel: 44557857 Fax: 44557870
Vehicles For Sale
TOYOTA COROLLA. Model 2005. 1.3cc. Dark Blue colour. Done 161,000 kms. One year valid road permit. Fully automatic. CD Rom, Wireless Key. Special edition. Excellent condition. Fixed price QR.24,000. Please contact GSM: 55284150 TOYOTA COROLLA XLI. Model 2007. 1.8cc. White colour. Done 117,000 kms. Road permit till 20.05.2011. Fully automatic. Strong A/C and engine. Good condition. Fixed price QR.33,000. Serious buyers only, please contact GSM: 55857198

EUROPCAR
You rent A lot more than a car. Opp. Al Sharq Bldg.,D-Ring Road. Tel: 44660677 Fax: 44662677 Airport: 44621188

BASE RENT A CAR

Cars that ts your Needs & Budget, We Deliver & Pickup. Call for a quote 24 Hours @ 55206569

TARIQ GROUP INTERNATIONAL (TGI) REAL ESTATE

Offers F/F Flats in prime location. Salwa Road, Next to Jarir Bookstore. Tel: 44428454/44212462 GSM: 55523704/55837120 Fax: 44364185 E-mail: info@tgi.com.qa Website: www.tgi.com.qa

AL SULAIMAN RENT A CAR

Main Ofce D Ring Road. Tel: 44911711/44911710 Fax: 44911699. E-mail: info@alsulaimancar.com Musherib: 44355477/44440702/44315616 Fax: 44355466. Al Wakra: 44646775/44649153 Fax: 44646773 Al Khor: 44796677/44725378 Fax: 44796633

Refactory & Fire Proofing

SARVIKA & CO. QATAR W.L.L.
P O Box: 45725 - Tel: 44514689/90/91 Fax: 44514688 E-mail: sarvika@srimaleshqatar.com

OASiS RENT A CAR

YOU RENT MORE THAN A CAR WITH OASiS. Tel: 44130011 GSM:55808763/55157587 Fax: 44130033 Rental@OasisCars.Com - OasisCars.com

Schools
DOHA MONTESSORI & BRITISH SCHOOL
info@doha-montessori.com, www.doha-montessori.com Tel: 4450 22 57 / 4450 22 59, Fax: 4450 22 35

NICE RENT A CAR

Solution for Transport & Leasing all types of vehicle & Heavy Equiment. Tel: 44413392 GSM: 55514223 Fax: 44317896 Website: niceqatar.com E-mail: niceqatar@qatar.net.qa/ rasheed@niceqatar.com

Notice
MR. SIRI GADHA RAJA GOUD INDIAN NATIONAL, PASSPORT NO. A9046617 QATAR ID NO. 25635605374
The above said person is leaving Qatar for good. Anybody having any claim against him should contact us on the following numbers within 3 days from the date of this advertisement. We will not be responsible for any claim whatsoever after the above said date.

Scaffolding
APOLLO ENTERPRISES SCAFFOLDING DIVISION
Contract/Hire/Sale - Salwa Road. Tel: 44426664 GSM: 55521089 www.apollo-qatar.net

THE OWNERS RENT A CAR + LIMOUSINE SERVICE

24 Hrs Service! Tel: 44515515 GSM: 55149555 Fax: 44515155 Contact Mr. Anjum Malik E-mail: anjum@ownersqtr.com

GULF GHAZAL RENT A CAR CO. WLL

Car Rental, Bus Hire, Cheiffer Service Al Nasier Street, In Front Family Food Centre, Upstair of Al Jabier Optics. Tel: 44273619/55212784/55708306/ 55492705 Fax: 44273618 Rentacar@gulfghazal.com

SARVIKA & CO. QATAR W.L.L.

P O Box: 45725 - Tel: 44514689/90/91 Fax: 44514688 E-mail: sarvika@srimaleshqatar.com

Travels
TRANSCONTINENTAL TRAVELS & CARGO
Al Khaleej Street, Hotel Gulf Paradise Building. Travel: 44366691/44372139 Fax: 44372145/44363292 E-mail: transconti@qatar.net.qa Cargo: Tel: 44366629/44366649 Fax: 44366619 E-mail: hirang@transcontinentalcargo.com.qa

FORCECO TRADING & CONTRACTING W.L.L. 44446541/66718260/66804598 MR. ABDULRAHIMAN TATTAKANDY INDIAN NATIONAL, PASSPORT NO. A9946364 QATAR ID NO. 26235602595
The above said person is no more working with us. Anybody having any claim against him should contact us on the following numbers within one week from the date of this advertisement. We will not be responsible for any claim whatsoever after the above said date.

Wanted WANTED

JABRCO RENT A CAR

Special Offer Price for Company Establishments/Specially for Monthly Basis. Tel. (O): 44663933 GSM: 77600777 E-mail: jabrco.companies@hotmail.com

J&F QATAR W.L.L.

Low Budget Car Rentals. Lease-to-Own. Special Long Term & Corporate Packages. Tel.: 44370672 Fax: 44317825 GSM: 55854356/77802436/55593522

Translation & Typing

TRANSCO TRADING & SERVICES GROUP
Building 18, Shop No.30, Barwa Village, Wakrah Tel: 44633020, Fax: 44633047 GSM: 55903772 E-mail: transcogroup@gmail.com

with approved licence from The Civil Defence.

Please contact: 44365859/66189648

STORE
Announcements

ADONIS RENT A CAR

Fleet of Modern Cars. Tel: 44320820 Fax: 44324057 GSM: 55625086 E-mail: adonisqatar@hotmail.com

FORCECO TRADING & CONTRACTING W.L.L. 44446541/66718260/66804598 MR. RAHIM MADAVANI THIKKUMI INDIAN NATIONAL, PASSPORT NO. F8285800 QATAR ID NO. 27835623719
The above said person is no more working with us. Anybody having any claim against him should contact us on the following numbers within one week from the date of this advertisement. We will not be responsible for any claim whatsoever after the above said date.

GO RENT A CAR
Competitive Rates for Car Rental & Leasing. Doha Jadeed. Tel: 44325500 Fax: 44375753 E-mail: info@gorac.com.qa

Tours in Qatar
QATAR INTERNATIONAL TOURS Tel: 44551141, 44552242 Fax: 44653461 GSM: 55010137 E-mail: info@qittour.com - Website: www.qittour.com

AL DAR CAR RENTAL

24 Hours. Bin Omran, Ahmed Bin Ali St., PO Box 24816 Tel: 44877789, GSM: 55599972/55732070, Fax: 44866637 aldar-car-rental@hotmail.com

BUYING
We buy all kinds of used household items. Ofce Furniture, Electric and electronics items.. Fridge, A/Cs, Freezer, TV & Computers.

Water Tank Cleaning

AL MUTWASSIT CLEANING & PEST CONTROL Kharaba st, Behind white Mosque. Fax: 443679 99 GSM. 55875920/55860432

MAINTENANCE SERVICES
Maintenance Services available for Cleaning and repair of Air Conditions (Windows/ Split Unit), Refrigerators, Deep Freezers, and Washing Machines. Replacing of unserviceable unit with serviceable one.

REGENCY FLEETS (A Regency Group Co.)

Special Corporate leasing and Rental rates. Price includes Comprehensive Insurance, Maintenance, Replacement Vehicle etc. Driven by Values. E-mail: info@regencyeets.com Tel: 44433822/44554046 Fax: 44554047

Weighing Machine
GULF GHAZAL TRADING & EST. Available all types of small and medium types of Weighing Scale, Weigh Bridge, Calibration Services & Calibration Certicate also. Tel: 44273619 Fax: 44273618 GSM: 55310321 Email: scale@gulfghazal.com

FORCECO TRADING & CONTRACTING W.L.L. 44446541/66718260/66804598 MR. MOYYIL NAWAS INDIAN NATIONAL, PASSPORT NO. H5496792 QATAR ID NO. 28935604346
The above said person is no more working with us. Anybody having any claim against him should contact us on the following numbers within one week from the date of this advertisement. We will not be responsible for any claim whatsoever after the above said date.

TARIQ GROUP INTERNATIONAL (TGI) RENT-A-CAR

Lower rates Car Rentals in Salwa Road, Next to Jarir Bookstore. Tel: 44428454/44212462 Fax: 44364185 E-mail: info@tgi.com.qa Website: www.tgi.com.qa

GSM: 55505773

Call: 55558154

SERVICES AVAILABLE
COLLECTION OF SEWAGE WATER WITH 5,000 GALLONS TANKER FROM DIFFERENT LOCATION AT PRICE OF 250 TO 450 QATARI RIYAL PER TRIP AND CLEANING OF SEPTIC TANK

Real Estate
AL MUFTAH SERVICES & RENT A CAR WLL
C Ring Road Main Ofce Tel: 44328100/44442003, Fax: 44414339 - Musherib Branch Ofce: Tel: 44326840/ 44426649, Fax: 44312899 E Mail: rac@qatar.net.qa Website: www.racqatar.com

Yoga Training
YOGA TRAINING FOR LADIES
Stretching, Flexibility & Slimming. Home Visit. GSM: 66038133

FORCECO TRADING & CONTRACTING W.L.L. 44446541/66718260/66804598

Please contact: 33197511/66446117

ON SATURDAY

20

www.pen.com.qa

OCTOBER 23, 2010

Sport
Phillies stay alive with 4-2 win over Giants
SAN FRANCISCO: The Philadelphia Phillies kept their World Series dreams alive with a gritty 4-2 win over the San Francisco Giants yesterday to send the National League Championship Series back to the East Coast. Facing a 3-1 series decit, the Phillies turned to Roy Halladay for Game Five and the big righthander delivered, allowing two runs on six hits over six scrappy innings to send the series back to Philadelphia for Game Six today. We did exactly what we had to do, we won the game, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told reporters. Going back home we have (Roy) Oswalt going the rst game and (Cole) Hamels the second. I gure if we get back home and the way we play, I gure we denitely kind of changed things around a little bit. Game Five failed to deliver the expected classic pitching duel, as Halladay, nursing a mild groin strain faced Giants ace Tim Lincecum. The Phillies, however, managed to score three runs off Lincecum in a wild third inning -- where they were helped by a hit batter, a foul ball bunt that was ruled fair and a costly elding error by rst baseman Aubrey Huff, to seal the game. Halladay struggled early yesterday, issuing a leadoff walk to Andres Torres followed by a line drive base hit to Freddy Sanchez. Buster Posey then hit into a elders choice to score Torres. Philadelphia, however, hit back with their three-run burst in the third with Raul Ibanez lining a single to right before he was moved to second when Lincecum hit Carlos Ruiz. Halladay then lay down a bunt that was ruled fair but replays showed was foul, advancing the runners for Shane Victorino, who hit a line drive that Huff fumbled, allowing Ibanez and Ruiz to score. Placido Polanco then singled to drive in Victorino and give the Phillies a 3-1 lead. The Giants pulled one back in fourth on a Cody Ross RBI double but Halladay and the Phillies bullpen would not allow another run. Jayson Werth providing some breathing room with a solo home run to open the ninth with Brad Lidge coming on to get the nal three outs and the save.

Rooneys shock u-turn

Unexpected new deal to keep the England striker at Old Trafford for the next ve seasons
LONDON: Wayne Rooney performed a shock u-turn yesterday by signing a new ve-year contract with Manchester United just days after appearing to be on his way out of Old Trafford. Rooney had rocked United on Wednesday by revealing that he wanted to leave the Premier League club because they no longer had enough ambition to compete for major honours. However United reopened talks with Rooneys agent and announced yesterday that the player had made an astonishing u-turn and opted to commit his long-term future to the club. A statement on the clubs website said: Wayne Rooney has agreed a new ve-year contract to stay at Manchester United until at least June 2015. The agreement follows intensive discussions between the Club and the players representatives and means that by the end of his contract Wayne will have been a Manchester United player for 11 years. Rooney, who was reportedly demanding wages of around 150,000 ($235,664) a week after tax in the original contract negotiations, insisted he agreed the new deal because Sir Alex Ferguson had convinced him United remain committed to succeeding on the pitch. I am delighted to sign another deal at United, he said. In the last couple of days, I have talked to the manager and the owners and they have convinced me this is where I belong. I said on Wednesday the manager is a genius and it is his belief and support that have convinced me to stay. Im signing a new deal in the absolute belief that the management, coaching staff, board and owners are totally committed to making sure United maintains its proud winning history - which is the reason I joined the club in the rst place. United manager Ferguson had already revealed earlier in the week that contract talks with Rooney had broken down

Striker out for three weeks

LONDON: Wayne Rooney has been ruled out for three weeks with an ankle injury on the day he nally ended speculation over his future at Manchester United. The England international wont be back in a United shirt for a while as he recovers after being stretchered out of training on Tuesday following a tackle by Paul Scholes. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson conrmed to radio station Key103 that Rooney will be out of action until the middle of next month. Wayne will be out for three weeks, he said. Rooney has already sat out matches against Valencia and Sunderland prior to the international break as a result of the injury. He could now miss the rst derby of the season against Manchester City on November 10, as well as three other Premier League games against Stoke, Tottenham and Wolves and a Champions League tie against Bursaspor. REUTERS in August and it seemed certain the former Everton star would be sold. Fergusons comments about Rooneys failure to show respect for United seemed to signal a breakdown in their relationship, especially as it came after a war of words between the two over the United managers decision to rest his star for three matches due to an ankle injury. But Ferguson said yesterday he was delighted with Rooneys decision. Its been a difcult week, but the intensity of the coverage is what we expect at Manchester United. I said to the boy that the door is always open and Im delighted Wayne has agreed to stay. Sometimes, when youre in a

club, it can be hard to realise just how big it is and it takes something like the events of the last few days to make you understand. I think Wayne now understands what a great club Manchester United is, Ferguson said. Rooney had been increasingly linked with a move to arch local rivals Manchester City, prompting an angry reaction from fans. One group protested at his house on Thursday and had to be moved on by police. Rooneys decision to stay is sure to be greeted with relief by most United fans, but several of the clubs players, including Patrice Evra, had already expressed frustration at the situation. Rooneys form in recent months had been well below-par as well and it remains to be seen if he will be welcomed back in the dressing room. However, Ferguson, who is condent Rooney can go on to become one of Uniteds all-time greats, claimed the player had apologised to him and his team-mates. Wayne has apologised to me and the players, Ferguson told Key103. He will also do so with the supporters. Im pleased he has accepted the challenge to guide the younger players and establish himself as one of Uniteds great players. Despite the criticism of his attitude this week, Rooney was adamant he had no intention of leaving once Ferguson made it clear that he hadnt given up on keeping him. Once it all came out, it looked as though there was nowhere to go, Rooney told MUTV. But the manager made it quite clear the door was still open for me to sign. The club still wanted me to sign. I spoke to my agent and said lets go in and sit down and try to resolve it to get the deal done. We went in, spoke with the manager, (United owners) the Glazers and (chief executive) David Gill. I am really pleased we managed to sort it out. REUTERS

Manchester Uniteds Wayne Rooney participates in a team training session at the clubs Carrington training complex, in Manchester, north-west England in this October 19, 2010, le photo. Rooney signed a ve-year deal with United in a move that has ended specualtion that the English striker was leaving Old Trafford.

United set to take on Stoke in EPL clash

LONDON: Manchester United midelder Darren Fletcher has warned his sides Premier League rivals that they wont be distracted by Wayne Rooneys absence at Old Trafford in the next three weeks. Rooney rocked United this week when he revealed he would not extend his stay at the club beyond the end of his current contract, which expires at the end of next season. However, Rooney - who ended speculation about his future - was yesterday ruled out for three weeks with an ankle injury. Losing a player of Rooneys talent would be seen as a massive blow to Uniteds hopes of remaining a competitive force in the Premier League. But Scotland international Fletcher is condent his team-mates will use tomorrows match at Stoke to show they can rise to the challenge of replacing their talismanic striker. High-prole players have left in the past but the club itself just keeps going, Fletcher said. If anything, it should galvanise the squad because we all need to come together. I am condent we can win trophies. We have a lot of exciting, young players who are getting better every day. Crucially, we also have a core of experience that has been through testing situations before and won plenty of things for Manchester United. Even the Rooney saga wont keep Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson out of the spotlight if his struggling side fail to beat Blackburn at Aneld. Hodgsons team, who have already suffered dispiriting defeats against Northampton, Blackpool and local rivals Everton, will kick-off tomorrow glued to the bottom of the table if West Ham take a point from their xture against Newcastle today. It is an unpalatable prospect for a club more used to winning domestic and European honours and will only add to the pressure on the increasingly beleaguered Hodgson. But Reds defender Jamie Carragher insists it is the players - and not their boss - who must take responsibility for Liverpools plight. The manager is the boss and we should be trying to impress him, not the other way around, he said. It is a little rocky patch we are going through at the moment but as long as the players, manager and supporters all stick together it wont be a problem. Arguably the most intriguing clash of the weekend comes at Eastlands, where Manchester City will keep the pressure on leaders Chelsea by beating an Arsenal team desperate to show they deserve to be considered as genuine title contenders. City have made an impressive start to the season and are just two points behind Chelsea, but third-placed Arsenal would leapfrog Roberto Mancinis side with a win tomorrow. Arsenal manager Arsenal Wenger has received a welcome injury boost ahead of the clash after French right-back Bacary Sagna was cleared to play following a thigh injury. Sagnas return was well-timed as Wenger will be without Thomas Vermaelen for longer than expected after the defender was ruled out for another three weeks. I see a real opportunity to have great achievements this season - we have the spirit, talent, hunger and desire, Wenger said. I do not say there are no weaknesses - we are conscious of that - but we work very hard. Chelsea can increase the pressure on their title rivals if they defeat Wolves at Stamford Bridge today. Carlo Ancelottis side will be clear favourites but Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is determined to take the game to the Blues. Weve got a chance - its 11 versus 11, McCarthy said. Nobody gives us a chance so why dont we just turn up and have a go at them? They can be pretty awesome when they get going, so weve got to go there and be ready for it, which we will be, he said. REUTERS v Werder Bremen (1330) Eintracht Frankfurt v Schalke 04 (1330) Hanover 96 v Cologne (1330) Freiburg v Kaiserslautern (1330) Tomorrow: Borussia Dortmund v Hoffenheim (1330) Bayer Leverkusen v Mainz (1530) VfB Stuttgart v FC St.Pauli (1530)

Semenya nds it hard to get sponsors: Coach

PRETORIA: Caster Semenya is nding it hard to get sponsors despite being a world champion, her coach said yesterday. It is tough for Caster, Michael Seme said. If you look overseas you will see other world champions featuring in a lot of advertising campaigns and you see their faces up on billboards but that doesnt happen for Caster. Semenya, who underwent gender verication tests after winning 800 metres gold at the world championships in August 2009, did not have as much nancial backing as she would have liked, Seme said. Caster does receive help from Nike while the Department of Sports and Recreation and the University of Pretoria help out with her education but there isnt spare money, Seme said in a telephone interview. For instance, if she requires special equipment she cant just go out and get it. Reports in South Africa about Semenyas nancial situation have sparked a campaign by a group of fans to raise 1m rand ($143,600) for the runner by December. People love her, Thobeka Magcai, spokesperson for the campaign said. She has been through such a lot at such a young age and we just want to show our support for her and say that we want to see you back on the world stage, winning medals. Semenya, who is studying towards a sports science degree at the University of Pretoria, pulled out of the recent Commonwealth Games in Delhi because of a back injury. REUTERS

EPL
English Premier League xtures (1400GMT unless stated): Today: Birmingham v Blackpool Chelsea v Wolves Sunderland v Aston Villa Tottenham v Everton (1145GMT) West Brom v Fulham West Ham v Newcastle (1630GMT) Wigan v Bolton Tomorrow: Liverpool v Blackburn Man City v Arsenal (1500GMT) Stoke v Man Utd (1230GMT) Hamilton v St Johnstone Hearts v St Mirren Kilmarnock v Inverness CT Motherwell v Dundee United Tomorrow: Celtic v Rangers (1145)

Football xtures this week

Playing on Monday: Real Sociedad v Deportivo Coruna (1900)

Ligue 1
Ligue 1 xtures (times GMT). Today: Monaco v Valenciennes (1700) AS Nancy v FC Lorient (1700) Girondins Bordeaux v Stade Brest (1700) Racing Lens v Nice (1700) Stade Rennes v Montpellier HSC (1700) St Etienne v Caen (1700) Sochaux v Toulouse (1900) Tomorrow: AC Arles-Avignon v Olympique Lyon (1500) Paris St Germain v Auxerre (1500) Lille v O Marseille (1900)

La Liga
La Liga xtures (times GMT). Today: Real Zaragoza v Barcelona (1600) Real Madrid v Racing Santander (1800) Valencia v Real Mallorca (2000) Tomorrow: Getafe v Sporting Gijon (1500) Osasuna v Malaga (1500) Espanyol v Levante (1500) Almeria v Hercules CF (1500) Sevilla v Athletic Bilbao (1700) Villarreal v Atletico Madrid (1900)

Today: Fiorentina v Bari (1845) Tomorrow: Parma v AS Roma (1030) Bologna v Juventus (1300) Chievo Verona v Cesena (1300) Genoa v Catania (1300) Lazio v Cagliari (1300) Lecce v Brescia (1300) Udinese v Palermo (1300) Inter Milan v Sampdoria (1845) Playing on Monday: Napoli v AC Milan (1845)

Dutch Cship
Dutch championship xtures (times GMT). Today: Graafschap Doetinchem v Heracles Almelo (1645) NEC Nijmegen v Groningen (1745) Heerenveen v VVV-Venlo (1845) Tomorrow: Excelsior v Ajax Amsterdam (1030) AZ Alkmaar v Willem II Tilburg (1230) Twente Enschede v ADO Den Haag (1230) PSV Eindhoven v Feyenoord (1230) Vitesse Arnhem v Utrecht (1430)

SPL
Scottish Premier League xtures (1400 GMT unless otherwise stated) Today: Aberdeen v Hibernain (1100)

Bundesliga
Bundesliga xtures (times GMT). Today: Nuremberg v VfL Wolfsburg (1330) Borussia Moenchengladbach

Serie A
Serie A xtures (times GMT).

Sport

OCTOBER 23, 2010

www.pen.com.qa

21

ON SATURDAY

Captain lifts Sri Lanka

Skipper slams century in Sri Lankas big one-day win; I like the way we batted: Sangakkara
BRISBANE: Skipper Kumar Sangakkara hammered 110 off 95 balls as Sri Lanka blazed to a score of 301 on their way to a 112-run win over Queensland in their opening Australian tour match yesterday. The Sri Lankans, building up to their three-match one-day international series with Australia next month, were spearheaded by Sangakkara and Chamara Silva (75) at the Gabba. The tourists then dismissed Queensland for 189 off 36.1 overs with paceman Dilhara Fernando taking 4-41 off 6.1 overs and fellow fast bowler Dammika Prasad snaring 3-43 off eight overs. Sangakkara was heartened by the way his team started on one of Australias bounciest wickets but said they had plenty of important work ahead of them with a onedayer and T20 against New South Wales before taking on Australia. We still have a lot of improvement (left) but I like the way we batted especially getting through the start in the rst 12 overs on a wicket that was slightly soft and had a bit in it, he said. We consolidated well and put on a good total and in our rst 15 overs we bowled we managed to make some inroads. Sangakkara was pleased to kick off his tour in good form. It was nice to get runs on the board rst up... it was very satisfying, he said. Sri Lanka rested star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, pace spearhead Lasith Malinga, former skipper Mahela Jayawardene and senior batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan in their tour opener. Queenslands under-strength bowling attack were on top early with the tourists struggling with the extra bounce of the Brisbane wicket at 30 for two in the eighth over. But Sangakkara, who shrugged off a hamstring strain to play, single-handedly turned around the Sri Lankan innings. The wicketkeeper-batsman set a solid platform by dominating an 87-run stand with Chamara Kapugedera (35) before a century partnership with Chamara Silva. Sangakkara, who hit 10 boundaries and ve sixes, brought up his century with his fourth six off leg-spinner Cameron Boyce, and then repeated the dose over deep mid-wicket two balls later. Ben Laughlin (3-54) removed Sangakkara in the 41st over with

Mateld named captain for Springbok tour

JOHANNESBURG: Veteran lock Victor Mateld was yesterday named skipper of the Sprinbok squad to tour the British Isles next month. Embattled South Africa coach Peter de Villiers also conrmed that anker Juan Smith would be the tour vice-captain. With John Smit being injured and unavailable for such a challenging and important tour we obviously needed Victors leadership qualities, said De Villiers. He has lled the role in the past with distinction and has led the Vodacom Bulls and Blue Bulls to a string of titles and has been Springbok vice-captain for a number of years. Were aware of his workload this season and well manage him accordingly. De Villiers is under pressure after a disastrous Tri-Nations tournament yielded just one win from six outings against the New Zealand All Blacks and Australian Wallabies. The world champions face Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England on consecutive Saturdays from November 6.

Ticket sales show Samoa has X-factor: Peter

APIA: Strong sales for Samoas rugby union Test against England at Twickenham next month showed the resurgent team still retained its X-factor, Samoan Rugby Union head Peter Schuster said yesterday. The Rugby Football Union this week conrmed tickets sales for the match had already reached 50,000, a month out from the November 20 kick off -- the equivalent of more than a quarter of the Pacic nations 180,000 population. Samoa opped at the 2007 World Cup in France, recording only one win over the United States, and suffered a 101-14 drubbing at the hands of the All Blacks in 2008. But Samoan rugby has enjoyed a revival this year, with the 15-a-side team winning the Pacic Nations Cup and the sevens team clinching the World Series crown for the rst time. Schuster said international rugby fans remembered Samoas glory days, when the team made the World Cup quarter-nals in 1991 and 1995 and pushed England in the 2003 tournament. REUTERS

Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan (right) listens to coach Gary Kirsten during a training session at the Jawaharlal Nehru Cricket Ground in Margao, Goa, yesterday. India play the nal One-Day International cricket match against Australia in Goa tomorrow. India lead the three-match 1-0. RIGHT: Australias bowler Mitchell Starc prepares to bowl as bowling coach Troy Cooley watches during a training session at the Jawaharlal Nehru Cricket Ground yesterday.
a slow full-toss which the lefthander chipped to mid-wicket. But the Sri Lankan lower order carried on in similar fashion, belting 49 runs from the last ve overs, including a six by Thisara Perera off the last ball. In Queenslands innings only number six Craig Philipson put up any resistance with 69 off 62 balls including 11 fours. Sri Lanka have another one-dayer against NSW in Sydney tomorrow followed by a Twenty20 game against NSW on Wednesday. The T20 match will be followed by a three-game one-day international series against Australia with matches in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane next month. Sri Lanka also play Australia in a one-off T20 international in Perth on October 31. with captain Daniel Vettori and coach Mark Greatbatch after the 4-0 whitewash, Bangladeshs rst series win against a major cricketing nation. But Moller said the board decided against immediate action because next months Indian tour was imminent. The players, especially the batsmen, need to step up and perform and prove what the team is capable of, he said. Instead, the NZC announced the formation of a committee to review the structure of the game in New Zealand. The committee will include Moller, former internationals Stephen Boock and Rob Hart, judge John Hansen, and three as-yet unnamed former players. The remit of that committee will run from the grass roots of the game right through to the elite level, including the Black Caps, Moller said. New Zealand media have described the series loss as an alltime low for the countrys cricket team and expressed fears it will face similar maulings during an upcoming Indian tour and at next years World Cup. The Black Caps will play three Tests and ve one-day internationals against the in-form Indians. The squad will be named tomorrow. AGENCIES

New Zealand told to step up after Bangladesh op

WELLINGTON: New Zealand cricket chiefs yesterday ordered the Black Caps to step up in an upcoming Indian tour after a humiliating one-day series loss to Bangladesh. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chairman Chris Moller said his board had robust discussions

Rangers edge Maple Leafs

TORONTO: The New York Rangers scored two goals in 61 seconds as they handed the Toronto Maple Leafs a rst loss in regulation this season with a 2-1 victory yesterday. Ruslan Fedotenko opened the scoring by tapping in a loose puck behind Maple Leafs goalie Jonas Gustavsson late in the rst period, before Artem Anisimov extended the advantage barely a minute later with a shot from the top of the crease. Colby Armstrong pounced on a rebound halfway through the third period to draw the Leafs to within one but the home side were unable to nd an eaqualiser in the nal nine minutes. We werent ready to do the things we needed to do and our defense was kind of stationary, Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson told reporters. We didnt push the puck ahead and our forwards started to get ahead of the play. In general, they scored two ugly goals and we didnt do anything until it was too late. Martin Biron made his rst start in goal for the Rangers in place of Henrik Lundqvist and turned aside 24 shots for his rst win. He received a lot of support from his team-mates who blocked 30 shots on goal. The neutral zone play is where we really improved. Thats the way we have to play, Rangers head coach John Tortorella said. The penalty kill was great, we blocked shots, I thought everybody contributed in that part of the game. Birons best stop came moments after Armstrong had made it 2-1, stopping Kris Versteeg on a breakaway to preserve the lead and secure the win. The Maple Leafs started the evening as one of two teams (Nashville the other) unbeaten in regulation play this season, having opened the season with four straight wins before losing to the New York Islanders in overtime on Monday. REUTERS

Al Anabi drag racing team is set for battle at Ennis circuit

TEXAS: Qatars Drag Racing Team, under the leadership of HE Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani (pictured left), President of Qatar Racing Club, will compete in the 10th and nal round of American Drag Racing League (ADRL) in Ennis Circuit in Texas today. The teams qualication to the nal stage was made possible following their dazzling performance and victories in the Pro Extreme, EXTREMIE 10.5 and Pro Natrus events during the previous rounds. Last month, the Al Anabi Drag Racing Team of Sheikh Khalid claimed the title of Pro Extreme event in the eighth round of ADRL (pictured above). Todd Tutterow occupied the rst place in the nal race of the eighth round clocking a time of 3.852 seconds. Sheikh Khalid will also be seen during races in the QRCs annual events at Qatar Racing Club in December. The QRC is the most technically advanced and outtted drag racing facility in the country. THE PENINSULA

NHL Results
Buffalo Columbus Chicago Los Angeles 4 3 2 4 Atlanta Anaheim Vancouver Carolina 1 1 1 3

ON SATURDAY

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OCTOBER 23, 2010

Sport
Azarenka eases into Kremlin Cup last four
MOSCOW: Second seed Victoria Azarenka reached the Kremlin Cup semi-nals with a 6-1, 6-3 thrashing of home hope Alisa Kleybanova yesteray. The powerful Belarussian, known for her loud grunting on the court, dispatched the seventhseeded Russian in less than 100 minutes to set up a Saturday clash with Spanish number eight seed Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, who eliminated Slovakias Dominika Cibulkova 6-2, 6-3. The world number 10 had already secured her place in next weeks season-ending WTA championships in Doha when American Serena Williams pulled out with a foot injury.

Al Arabi held to a draw

The Qatar Stars League (QSL) leaders lose points in 1-1 draw against Qatar Sports Club
DOHA: Al late equaliser from Qatar Sports Clubs Lasina Diyabi saw Al Arabi lose valuable points in their seventh round clash in the Qatar Stars League (QSL) yesterday. Diyabis snap-header off a freekick in the 89th minute saw visitors Al Arabi lose the one-goal advantage they had over the hosts playing at Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium. Earlier, luck favoured Al Arabi when Qatar SCs Mohammed Al Rubai scored an own goal in the 23rd minute. Salman Isas shot from inside Qatar SCs box hit the shoulder of Al Rubai before the ball went into the open net. Before yesterdays match, Al Arabi were leading the QSL points table but a draw means they trail newcomers Lekhwiya by a single point. Lekhwiya have 16 points from seven matches whereas Al Arabi are in second spot with 15. In third place are Al Sadd, who also have 15 points but have lost two games this season. In the second match of the day, Al Sailiyah beat Al Khor 3-2. Al Sailiyah opened the scoring through Dagano Moumoune who scored off a penalty in the 32nd minute. The celebration for Al Sailiyah had barely died down when Al Khor produced a stunning equaliser through Salem Shaker two minutes later. Shaker produced a snap-header off a corner. The deection went into the right top corner of the goal. In the second half, Al Sailiyah grabbed the lead through Fawzi Ayesh, who charged into Al Khors box before calmly slotting the ball above the goal-keeper for his sides second strike in the match. Mohammed Yasser helped Al Khor draw level with a powerful strike from 40 meters in the 65th minute. However, four minutes later, Moumoune scored Al Sailiyahs third goal from close range. The seventh-round action in QSL continues today with hosts Al Rayyan playing Umm Salal. Al Rayyan, who have 11 points from six matches, can pick up three points against an opponent in ninth spot with only ve points. In the second match today, Al Khuraitiyat take on Al Gharafa. Yesterdays results: 5:30pm: Qatar SC 1 (Lasina Diyabi 89) drew with Al Arabi 1 (Mohammed Salem Al Rubai of Qatar SC, 23, own goal) at Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium 7:30pm Al Sailiyah 3 (Dagao Moumoune 32, penalty, and 69 Fawzi Ayesh 56) beat Al Khor 2 (Salem Shaker 34, Mohammed Yasser 65) at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium Todays xtures: 5:30pm: Al Rayyan vs Umm Salal at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium 7:30pm: Al Khuraitiyat vs Al Gharafa at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium THE PENINSULA

Ljubicic ghts back into Stockholm semis

STOCKHOLM: Fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic made a great escape from a potential fellow Croatian spoiler, earning a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 comeback win into the semi-nals of the Stockholm Open day over qualier Ivan Dodig. The 31-year-old Ljubicic, who lifted the rst Masters 1000 title of the season last March at Indian Wells, will play the winner from the Swiss pair of world number two Roger Federer and fth seed Stanislas Wawrinka. Federer, who played his 900th career match Thursday as he beat Taylor Dent at the Kungligahallen, is looking for another season of 50 wins. He can achieve that by defeating his good friend and Olympic gold medal doubles partner Wawrinka.

Tennis results
Yousef Safri of Qatar Sports Club and Abdelaziz Hatim of Al Arabi vie for the ball during their Qatar Stars League (QSL) clash clash at Qatar Sports Club Stadium yesterday. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. RIGHT: Action from Al Sailiyas game against Al Khor at Al Rayyan Stadium yesterday. Al Sailiyah won the match 3-2. PICTURES: SHAIVAL DALAL/ABDUL BASIT
MOSCOW: Results from the fth day of the joint WTA and ATP $2m event here yesterday (x denotes seeding): Mens quarter-nals Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) Viktor Troicki (SRB) bt Horacio Zeballos (ARG) Pablo Cuevas (URU) bt Radek Stepanek (CZE x5) Women Vera Dushevina (RUS) bt Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) Maria Kirilenko (RUS x6) bt Zarina Diyas (KAZ) Victoria Azarenka (BLR x2) bt Alisa Kleybanova (RUS x7) Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP x8) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) 6-1, 6-2 6-1, 6-3 6-2, 6-4 6-2, 6-1 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)

Rayyans Schalke star

LEFT: Marcelo Bordon addresing the media during Al Rayyan teams press conference held at the Al Sadd Sports Club. Bordon is playing for Al Rayyan for one season following his move from Bundesliga club Schalke 04. He will be seen in action during Al Rayyans match against Umm Salal at Al Rayyan Stadium today. RIGHT: Daniel Goumou of Al Rayyan sports a ashy pair of Nike shoes during a press conference held at the Al Sadd Sports Club. Goumou is expected to take the eld in the game against Umm Salal today. PICTURES: QASSIM RAHMATULLAH

Goumous ashy shoes

6-2, 6-3

Luxembourg Championship
Womens quarter-nals Angelique Kerber (Germany) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) Anne Keothavong (Britain) beat Iveta Benesova (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-2

6-7(3) 6-2 6-4

Ice hockey games at Villaggio

A group photograph of ice hockey players seen with Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) ofcials at Villaggio in Doha yesterday. Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrehman Al Thani, Secretary General of QOC, and Khalil Al Jaber, of QOC, were present during the games played yesterday. Mohammad Eisa Al Fadala, supervisor of Qatar national ice hockey team, said that the event is being held for the rst time with participation of four teams which include Qatari, Canadian and English players. The ice hockey games are being organised to nalise Qatars national team that will compete in the Asian Winter Games in Kazakhstan. PICTURES: ABDUL BASIT

TV / Radio Guide

OCTOBER 23, 2010

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ON SATURDAY

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Mythbusters How Its Made How Do They Do It? Dirty Jobs Fifth Gear Chop Shop. London Garage Overhaulin Street Customs How Its Made Science Of The Movies Stephen Hawkings Universe Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman X-Machines Battle Machine Bros Mega Builders Man Made Marvels Asia Extreme Engineering How Its Made Destroyed In Seconds Destroyed In Seconds Swamp Loggers Ultimate Survival Dual Survival Deadliest Catch Surviving Disaster Miami Swat Behind Bars True CSI Worst-Case Scenario Worst-Case Scenario Wreckreation Nation How Its Made How Stuff Works

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Untamed And Uncut Wildlife SOS Rspca. Have You Got What It Takes? The Crocodile Hunter Diaries08.40 Dogs/Cats/ Pets 101 Animal Battlegrounds Dogs 101 Monkey Life Rspca. Have You Got What It Takes? Miami Animal Police E-Vets. The Interns Animal Cops Houston Wildlife SOS Rspca. Have You Got What It Takes? New Breed Vets With Steve Irwin Weird Creatures With Nick Baker Maxs Big Tracks Austin Stevens Adventures Incredible Journeys With Steve Leonard Dogs 101 Into The Pride Maneaters Animal Cops Phoenix Sharkman Untamed And Uncut Saba And The Rhinos Secret Untamed And Uncut Human Prey

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Tweenies Teletubbies Me Too Balamory Tweenies Teletubbies Me Too Balamory Tweenies Fimbles Me Too Balamory Tweenies Tellytales Fimbles Me Too Balamory Green Green Grass Strictly Come Dancing Eastenders Robin Hood The Weakest Link Strictly Come Dancing Robin Hood Holby City Holby City Robin Hood Strictly Come Dancing Jack Dee Manchild The Keith Barret Show Eastenders Holby City Holby City Tellytales Tweenies

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Daily Cooks Challenge Daily Cooks Challenge 10 Years Younger 10 Years Younger Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is What Not To Wear Living In The Sun Fantasy Homes By The Sea The Home Show Cash In The Attic Fantasy Homes In The City Cash In The Attic USA Cash In The Attic USA Cash In The Attic Cash In The Attic Cash In The Attic Cash In The Attic Come Dine With Me Come Dine With Me Come Dine With Me Come Dine With Me Come Dine With Me Indian Food Made Easy Rhodes Across China Coastal Kitchen Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 Living In The Sun Living In The Sun Fantasy Homes By The Sea The Home Show

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Bondi Rescue -S2-07 Madventures -10 Lonely Planet- Roads Less Travelled -China 7 Food Lovers Guide To The Planet -Daily Bread 3 Departures -MongoliaMeals And Wheels Long Way Down -Into Kenya 6 The Ride - Alaska To Patagonia -The Great Escape 1 Pressure Cook -Hawaii S2-03 Food Lovers Guide To The Planet -Daily Bread 3 Departures -MongoliaMeals And Wheels Long Way Down -Into Kenya 6 The Ride - Alaska To Patagonia -The Great Escape 1 Pressure Cook -Hawaii S2-03 Food Lovers Guide To The Planet -Daily Bread 3 Departures -MongoliaMeals And Wheels Long Way Down -Into Kenya 6 The Ride - Alaska To Patagonia -The Great Escape 1 The Ride - Alaska To Patagonia -Midbike

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Heroes Look alike Look alike Hawthorne Lie To Me Martha Stewart Look alike Look alike Lie To Me The View Heroes Emmerdale Coronation Street CSI Treme Mercy The View Downsize Me Lie To Me The View Heroes Emmerdale Coronation Street CSI Treme Mercy The View Downsize Me Heroes Heroes Emmerdale Coronation Street Mercy

05.35 06.00 06.25 06.50 07.15 07.40 08.30 9.25 9.55 10.25 10.55 11.25 11.55 12.20 12.45 13.10 13.35 14.00 15.00 16.00 17.00 18.00 19.00 20.00 20.55 21.50 22.40 23.10 00.05 00.55 01.45 02.35 03.25 04.25

According To Jim According To Jim According To Jim According To Jim According To Jim Canadas Next Top Model Canadas Next Top Model Loop Loop Loop Loop Loop How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother [V] Tunes [V] Tunes [V] Tunes [V] Tunes [V] Tunes 90210 Reaper Kyle XY Stylista [V] Plug Americas Next Top Model Desperate Housewives Stylista F1 2010 Ugly Betty Backtracks [V] Tunes

05.40 06.10 07.00 08.00 09.00 09.55 10.50 11.45 12.40 13.35 14.30 15.25 15.55 16.50 17.15 17.45 18.40 19.30 20.20 21.10 22.00 22.50 23.40 22.00 22.50 23.40 00.30 01.20 02.10 03.00 03.50 04.45

Weird Connections The Colony Thunder Races Scrapheap Challenge Ten Ways Brainiac Ultimate Power Builders Ultimate Power Builders Ultimate Power Builders Ultimate Power Builders Speed Junkie Sci-Fi Science Ten Ways The Gadget Show The Gadget Show The Future Of... Nextworld How The Universe Works Space Pioneer Joao Magueijos Big Bang Mythbusters Mythbusters The Future Of... Mythbusters Mythbusters The Future Of... Nextworld Joao Magueijos Big Bang How The Universe Works Space Pioneer The Future Of... Whats That About?

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NFL Game Day World Sport 2010 The Golf Channel - TBA Golf Central International Champions Tour Administaff Small Business Classic Rd. 1 The Woodlands, TX NHL Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues Golf Central International Seamaster World Sport 2010 European Tour Castello Masters Costa Azahar Rd. 3 Castellon, Spain College Football Saturday Preview NFL Game Day Big 12 Football ACC. TBA at TBA MLB. National League Championship Series Game 6, Teams TBA (if necessary) time/date tentative OR Big 12

07.40 09.20 09.45 10.10 10.35 10.40 10.45 11.30 11.35 12.00 12.25 12.50 13.15 16.05 16.30 16.50 17.15 17.25 17.50 18.10 18.35 19.00 20.20 20.45 21.10 21.35 22.00 23.20 23.45 00.10 00.30 01.00

EUROPEAN TOUR CASTELLO MASTERS AT 15.30

Max and Ruby New Adventures of Madeline Heathcliff Dennis The Menace The Beach Crew Boo and Me Birdz Ace Lightning The Fairly OddParents Sabrina Sonic Underground Sonic Underground The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns... Tales from the Cryptkeeper Tales from the Cryptkeeper Beverly Hills Teen Club The Beach Crew S Club 7 In LA The Hardy Boys Nancy Drew Inspector Gadget Sabrina Friends Forever Fat Dog Mendoza Sabrina S Club 7 In Miami Beverly Hills Teen Club Sabrina Friends Forever Sonic Underground Nancy Drew The Hardy Boys Inspector Gadget Rescue Heroes Marathon

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Ancient Discoveries 3 Dinosaur Secrets Tunnellers Ax Men 2 Mega Disasters Investigating History Rome. Rise And Fall Of An Empire Ancient Discoveries 3 Dinosaur Secrets Tunnellers Ax Men 2 Mega Disasters Investigating History Rome. Rise And Fall Of An Empire Ancient Discoveries 3 Dinosaur Secrets Tunnellers Ax Men 2 Mega Disasters A Global Warning Tsunami 2004. Waves Of Death Cities Of The Underworld Ax Men Modern Marvels Investigating History A Global Warning Tsunami 2004. Waves Of Death Cities Of The Underworld Ax Men

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Desperate Housewives GMA Live RPT The Deep End The Unit The Ellen de Generes Show Ghost Whisperer Dollhouse The Closer Good Morning America Live Kathy Griffin The Deep End The Unit Glee Royal Pains Smallville The Closer The Pacific The Ellen de Generes Show GMA Live RPT Kathy Griffin The Closer Dollhouse

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Ucl Magazine English Total Italian Football The Global Game Europa League Karpaty Lviv V Sevilla Europa League Atletico Madrid V Rosenborg Moto Gpaustralia The Global Game Total Italian Football Transworld Sport Omni Sport Ucl Magazine English Magazine Uefa Champions League Manchester United V Bursapor The Global Game Scottish League Aberdeen V Hibernian Uefa Champions League Inter V Tottenham Real Nba Magazine Spanish League Zaragoza V BarcelonaReal Madrid V Racing Valencia V Mallorca Scottish League Aberdeen V Hibernian Npower League Notts Forest Vipswich Npower League Doncaster V Sheffield United Ucl Magazine English

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Livresse Du PouvoirPG15 Lovely Still-PG The Last Mimzy-PG Broken Lines-PG15 Farrahs Story-PG Mes Stars Et Moi-PG15 Meet Joe Black-PG15 Nights In RodanthePG15 Forever Strong-PG Foxfire-18 Midnight Express-18 Forever Strong-PG Nights In RodanthePG15

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Straight Out Of Brooklyn Coca Cola Kid Paper Lion The Black Stallion Return Of A Man Called Horse Cornbread, Earl And Me Garbo Talks The 70s Late For Dinner Maxie Impromptu The Music Lovers Chains Of Gold Chattahoochee L.A. Bounty

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The Secret Life Of BeesPG15 Management-PG15 Shadows In The SunPG15 Ice Age 3. Dawn Of The Dinosaurs-FAM The Secret Life Of BeesPG15 The Duchess-PG15 Forgetting Sarah Marshall-18 Rocknrolla-18 The Limits Of Control-18 Carnera. The Walking Mountain-PG

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL E A S

SUPER MOVIES AT 21.00

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Tom And Jerry Popeye Classics Scooby Doo Where Are You! Tom And Jerry Kids A Pup Named ScoobyDoo Yogis Treasure Hunt Droopy And Dripple Looney Tunes Johnny Bravo Dexters Laboratory Tom And Jerry Top Cat Wacky Races Dastardly And Muttley The Scooby Doo Show Scooby Goes Hollywood The Jetsons Looney Tunes Tom And Jerry The Scooby Doo Show Hong Kong Phooey Top Cat The Garfield Show The Scooby Doo Show Wacky Races Dastardly And Muttley Top Cat Popeye King Arthurs Disasters Droopy. Master Detective Looney Tunes The Flintstones The Jetsons Pink Panther And Pals Tom And Jerry Popeye Classics Scooby Doo Where Are You!

06.10 08.15 08.40 09.05 09.30 10.30 10.55 11.20 11.45 12.10 12.35 13.00 13.25 14.15 14.40 15.05 15.35 16.00 19.00 19.25 20.05 20.45 21.10 21.35 22.00 22.25 22.50 23.15 23.40 00.05 00.30 00.55 01.20 01.45 02.10

Eliot Kid Ben 10. Alien Force Bakugan. New Vestroia Batman. The Brave And The Bold Chop Socky 60 The Secret Saturdays Best ED Eliot Kid Fantastic Four. Worlds Greatest Heroes Megas Xlr Samurai Jack Ben 10 Codename. Kids Next Door The Life And Times Of Juniper Lee George Of The Jungle Ed, Edd N Eddy Chop Socky Chooks Bakugan. New Vestroia Best ED Fosters Home For Imaginary Friends The Powerpuff Girls Ben 10. Alien Force Ed, Edd N Eddy Robotboy Camp Lazlo Samurai Jack Megas Xlr Out Of Jimmys Head Chowder Cow And Chicken Cramp Twins George Of The Jungle Adrenalini Brothers Eliot Kid Ed, Edd N Eddy

05.00 06.15 06.35 07.00 07.50 08.15 08.35 09.00 09.45 11.00 11.25 11.50 12.15 12.40 13.00 13.30 15.00 15.25 15.50 16.15 16.40 17.00 17.25 17.50 18.15 18.35 19.00 19.25 20.30 20.55 21.20 23.35 00.00 00.50 01.40 02.05 02.30

Hannah Montana Fairly Odd Parents Replacements Stitch Phineas And Ferb Replacements A Kind Of Magic Special Agent Oso Handy Manny Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Jonas Hannah Montana Good Luck Charlie Sonny With A Chance Stitch! The Movie (Cema) Hannah Montana Jonas Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic Replacements Phineas And Ferb Fairly Odd Parents Replacements Sonny With A Chance Hannah Montana Jonas Hannah Montana Good Luck Charlie Hannah Montana Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Sonny With A Chance Jonas Hannah Montana

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Star Trek-PG Appaloosa-PG15 A Previous EngagementPG15 Transformers . Revenge Of The Fallen-PG15 Keith-PG15 Appaloosa-PG15 Hellboy II. The Golden Army-PG15 My Sassy Girl-PG15 Body Of Lies-18 The Guitar-18 Killshot-18 A Previous EngagementPG15

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The Screening Room Two Weeks In Another Town The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn Crazy In Love Mogambo Mandela On The Town Penelope Grand Prix Zebrahead The Killer Elite The Yellow Rolls-Royce The Screening Room Zebrahead

6.30 7.00 7.30 8.00 8.30 11.00 11.30 12.00 12.30 13.00 16.00 16.30 18.30 19.00 19.30 20.00 20.30 23.00 23.30 0.00 0.30 1.00 1.30 2.00

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Khana Khazana Kismat Ke Sitare Aapki Antara Khana Khazana Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Grand Finale(2008) Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Grand Finale(2008) Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar Shanivaar Express @ 2 PM - Nayak- RGV Ki Aag Khana Khazana Sanjog se bani Sangini Kahiye Janab Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar Pavitra Rishta Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar(Rerun) Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar(Rerun) Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar(Rerun) Preet Se Bandhi Yeh Dori Ram Milaayi Jodi Mera Naam Karegi Roshan Sanjog se baniSangini Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar (Rerun) Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing

5.00 BBC News 5.06 The World Today 5.30 BBC News Summary 5.32 Politics UK 6.00 BBC News 6.06 The World Today 6.30 BBC News Summary 6.32 World Football 7.00 BBC News 7.06 World Brieng 7.20 Sports Roundup 7.30 BBC News Summary 7.32 Global Business 8.00 BBC News 8.06 The World Today 8.30 BBC News Summary 8.32 The World Today 9.00 BBC News 9.06 The World Today 9.30 BBC News Summary 9.32 World Football 10.00 BBC News 10.06 The World Today 10.30 BBC News Summary 10.32 The World Today 11.00 BBC News 11.06 The Strand 11.30 BBC News Summary 11.32 The Strand 12.00 BBC News 12.06 The Mysteries Of The Brain 12.30 BBC News Summary 12.32 World Football 13.00 BBC News 13.06 World Brieng 13.30 BBC News Summary 13.32 Letter From... 13.41 Over To You 14.00 BBC News 14.06 World Brieng 14.20 Sports Roundup 14.30 15.32 Newshour 15.56 Sports News 16.00 BBC News 16.06 A History Of The World In 100 Objects 17.00 BBC News 17.06 Sportsworld 18.00 BBC News 18.06 Sportsworld 19.00 BBC News 19.06 Sportsworld 20.00 BBC News 20.06 World Brieng 20.30 BBC News Summary 21.32 Health Check 22.00 BBC News 22.06 World Book Club 23.00 BBC News 23.06 Newshour 23.30 BBC News Summary 23.32 Newshour

BBC WORLD SERVICE

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Mindsport
CINEMA LISTINGS

HYPER
Yesterdays answer
GULF CINEMA MALL
1 1 2 3 1

Crook (Hindi) 2.30, 5.30, 8.30 & 11.30pm Shikkar (Malayalam) 2.30, 5.30, 8.30 & 11.30pm Takers (Action) 2.00pm Enthiran (Tamil) 4.00, 7.00 & 10.00pm Stone (Thriller) 2.00, 5.00, 7.00, 9.00 & 11.00pm Noor Ayni (Arabic/Romance) 2.30, 5.00, 7.15, 9.30 & 11.30pm Noor Ayni (Arabic/Romance) 2.30, 4.45, 7.00, 9.15 & 11.30pm The Crazies (Horror) 2.30pm

ROYAL PLAZA

What Ever Works (Comedy) 4.45, 9.30 & 11.30pm UNA Casa Con Vista Almar (Venezuela Festival Film) 7.00pm

Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Gahoole (Animation) 2.30 & 5.00pm The Hole (3D/Thriller) 7.00, 9.00 & 11.00pm Going The Distance (Comedy) 2.30 & 4.30pm

How to play Hyper Sudoku: A Hyper Sudoku Puzzle is solved by filling the numbers from 1 to 9 into the blank cells. A Hyper Sudoku has unlike Sudoku 13 regions (four regions overlap with the nine standard regions). In all regions the numbers from 1 to 9 can appear only once. Otherwise, a Hyper Sudoku is solved like a normal Sudoku.

Eat, Pray, Love (Drama) 6.30pm The Crazies (Horror) 9.00 & 11.00pm

LANDMARK

Alpha & Omega (Kids) 2.15, 4.00, 5.45 & 7.30pm 2 Resident Evil 3 (Action) 7.30pm The Hole (3D/Thriller) 11.15pm 3 1 & 6 Noor Ayni (Arabic/Romance) 2.30, 4.30, 7.00, 9.15 & 11.15pm Noor Ayni (Comedy) 10.30, 11.45am, 12.45, 2.00, 3.00, 4.15, 5.15, 6.30, 7.30, 8.45, 9.45, 11.00pm & 12.00midnight Resident Evil 3 (Action/3D) 11.00am, 3.15, 7.30 & 11.45pm The Hole (Thriller) (3D 1.15, 5.30 & 9.45pm Stone (Thriller) 12.30, 2.45, 5.00, 7.15, 9.30 & 11.45pm The Crazies (Action) 12.15, 2.30, 4.45, 7.00, 9.15 & 11.30pm Takers (Action) 12.00noon, 2.15, 4.30, 6.45, 9.00 & 11.15pm Eat, Pray, Love (Drama) 12.00noon, 2.45, 5.30, 8.15 & 11.00pm Whatever Works (Comedy) 11.45am, 1.45, 3.45, 5.45, 7.45, 9.45 & 11.45pm Devil (Horror) 12.00noon, 2.00, 4.00, 6.00, 8.00, 10.00pm & 12.00midnight

Yesterdays answer
2 3 & 4 5

CITY CENTER GRAND CINEMA

7 8 9 10

How to play Kakuro: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers. However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number. Within each collection of cells - called a run - any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once.

Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Gahoole 11 (Animation) 11.15am, 1.15, 3.15, 5.15, 7.15, 9.15 & 11.15pm 12 13 Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (Comedy) 10.30am, 1.00, 3.30, 6.00, 8.30 & 11.00pm Alpha And Omega (3D/Animation) 11.30am, 1.30, 3.30, 5.30, 7.30, 9.30 & 11.30pm

14 Shikar (Malayalam) 11.30am, 2.30, 5.30, 8.30 & 11.30pm

C R O S S W O R D
1 14 17 20 23 26 31 33 35 44 46 49 54 57 60 55 58 61 50 47 51 52 36 37 38 45 48 53 56 59 62 39 34 40 41 42 43 27 28 29 32 2 3 4 5 15 18 21 24 30 25 19 22 6 7 8 9 16 10 11 12 13

Baby Blues

By Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

M A R C O S E L A I N E G A I T A M R Y E D E R N I A T C L L A P N O P I M I ZZ E C A L I ZZ L A P P F E U A R S S C K H I S I M N E I T D L E A D J L B O E R I I N E D N G S T E L R W S A T O F U ZZ E P I R E E D E A R G E O M E T R Y L T C O L E M O T E I B S O U R U ZZ I O G R E F T R E I E
ZZ

ZZ M A T A ZZ

C J O A S
ZZ T

Q U B A S W

A R T W U A R R O

G S R A I N ZZ Y L O Y S

Hagar The Horrible

By Chris Browne

56 Skip 57 Work ___ (Beyonc song) 58 Enthusiasm 59 Rend 60 Lower pair of black squares in this grid, typographically 61 Greek god who figures in an annual holiday 62 River to the North Sea

19 25 27 28 29 30 32 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 45 47 50 51 52 55

ACROSS 1 Surrounded by 5 Work with singing Egyptians 9 Lower septet of black squares in this grid, typographically 14 Late Show host, colloquially 15 Crossed, say 16 Clear, as a windshield 17 Three scruples 18 Higher septet of black squares in this grid, typographically 20 Bone on the pinkie side 21 Be mousy? 22 Actor Wheaton 23 McCarthy associate Roy 24 Fancy duds 25 Hat worn in Casablanca 26 Octet of black squares in the middle of this grid, typographically

30 31 32 33 34 35 39 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 53 54

Intrinsically React to something striking? Salon solutions Green lights Groan trigger Much-read book of 150 poems Containers on desks Units of chains x furlongs Nonet of black squares in this grid, typographically Miss, south of the border: Abbr. Bearded beast Hothouse plant Word before and after yes Bouquets Stun, in a way Higher pair of black squares in this grid, typographically

DOWN
1 Brings together, as two parts of the body 2 Shakespeare in Love role 3 Arthur Sullivan opera 4 Calls for 5 Fundamentals 6 Modern locale of ancient Ur 7 Delegates 8 Versailles valedictions 9 Wounded Knees locale: Abbr. 10 Lithe swimmer 11 Watching people 12 Sun block? 13 Nervous ___

Duty Toy Story 3 character Electron-swathed nuclei Competitor of Bloomies First periods in H.S., often Pilfer Musical scales, e.g. It may be split at a restaurant New Jersey city, river or county Classic pencil brand It has drawers at school Michele of Glee More well-fed, say Expressive of 61-Across, e.g. They often hang around delis Wearing Outdoor summer pest, slangily Siesta, say [This is frustrating!] ___ girl! Got it, jocularly Math items represented using { and } Math item represented using + or

Zits

By Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Feature

OCTOBER 23, 2010

www.pen.com.qa

25

ON SATURDAY

Social networking: How much is enough?

At some big or small level, its nagging all of the people who are mired enough in social networking to bother following the latest developments. Now, in an onslaught of sites designed to aid connection, communication and crosspromotion, individual stopping points must be declared.
BY MONICA HESSE ou must tumbl (tumble?), or h av e n t you heard? You must tumbl (tumblify?) because the microblogging site Tumblr.com is growing fast its estimated 3.3 million daily visitors up 50 percent from April, according to Quantcast. com. You must tumbl (Seriously, what is the verb here?) because the early adopting tech people tell you to use Tumblr. Theres a new must-have social networking address, chirped a recent news article, and blogs offer guidance on the most essential tumblogs. While you are pondering this site founded in 2007 but spruced up this year and the communication possibilities it offers, you might feel ... The academic in me feels like, `Oh, this will be interesting, says Zeynep Tufekci, a professor of sociology at University of Maryland Baltimore County who studies social networks. The user in me goes, `Oh nooo, another one! Theres so much social networking she has not yet accomplished. I really wanted to dive more into the music communities, like Last. fm and Fetch ... but thats going to be a huge investment, she says. Meanwhile, Ive been avoiding the location-based ones because theyre a whole other ball of wax. Its nagging me. At some big or small level, its nagging all of the people who are mired enough in social networking to bother following the latest developments. This isnt everyone despite the fact that institutions from your local radio station to your dry cleaner beg you to follow them on Twitter, there are whole swaths of people who just dont give a ying friend request. But consider this: At one point in their centuries-old history, the Amish were not the technological relics they are today. Everyone else was churning and buggying right along with them. At some point, electricity was invented and the Amish had to reject it. Cars were invented and they took a pass. Were good with the buggy, they said. Motor on without us. Now, in an onslaught of sites designed to aid connection, communication and cross-promotion, individual stopping points must be declared. When will you go 21stcentury Amish? I do Twitter; I do Facebook; I do Lawyer Connection via Ning, says Gwynne Monahan, a legal consultant. I did MySpace when it was popular; now she uses it to nd new music. She will not, however, do Foursquare, the network centered on virtually checking into real-life locations. Thats her boundary. She doesnt have the time, and plus, theres just no reason for people to know where I am. On odd occasions, she wonders whether shes drawn the boundary too soon. She was visiting New York and a group of friends met up at a concert. Everyone whipped out their phones and started checking into Foursquare to announce their exact locations. It was easier, she admits, for some people in the group to have the application. Rather than the endless phone calls (No, by the mens room!), everyone immediately knew when others had arrived by their check-ins, and then everyone herded inside. Still, the thought of plugging into yet another tool ... The basic notion that people reach a technological saturation point applies to a lot of people, says Lee Rainie, the director of the Pew Research Centers Internet and American Life Project, which studies the Webs impact on society. They literally say, enough is enough ... and my mind is going to blow up and I cant take it anymore. (Privacy concerns, like Mondays announcement that Facebooks most popular applications transmit personal data to marketing companies, can exacerbate already uneasy relationships with social networks.) One problem, Rainie says, is that so many of the so-called revolutionary applications are actually riffs on a similar theme. Foursquare looks a lot like Gowalla; Tumblr could be the cousin of Posterous. Its exhausting to move onto whats new if it sort of looks like whats old. The people who still refuse to Facebook the most ubiquitous of them all, with upwards of 500 million members and a Quantcast-estimated 135 million daily visitors use this rationale: They already joined Friendster in 2004. Is that not enough? (Its worth noting that you must be a member of Facebook in order to use it, while individual Tumblr blogs can be perused by those who do not have accounts with the site.) Will we one day be able to measure age by a persons social networks, the way one does with trees and their bark rings? Here we have a specimen who speaks MySpace, Facebook and Gowalla, but apparently stopped before Formspring. Everyones on Foursquare, and everyones on this and everyones on that, says Xianhang Zhang, a researcher with social design rm Bumblebee Labs, which studies innovation and social mores. A lot of time they dont even know why, he condes. They just feel like they should be. Hes hearing a lot about Quora. com now, a Wikipedia-like network based on user-generated questions and answers. Quora and Hunch.com which recommends sites based on what you already like might be the next destinations the tech-savvy feel compelled to add to their personal browsing itineraries. Part of the drive to get there rst is the prestige aspect and part of it is practicality. For

Malaysians are the most sociable on the internet spending an average of nine hours per week on social networking with 233 online friends, according to a global study of online behaviour

people who enjoy being followed, friended or otherwise Internet famous, its easier to do so in a newer, smaller pond. At this point moving into Twitter which has 160 million users and an estimated 55 million daily visitors now; co-founder Evan Williams recently announced he expected it to hit 1 billion users is like squeezing into an already dense neighbourhood, but Tumblr is still a relatively bare plain with lots of land for homesteaders. Not only can you discover the hot new thing, but you can be the hot new thing when you get there. But Im not looking for the next hot thing, says Scott Rosenberg, the co-founder of Salon.com who now blogs about technology and culture at Wordyard.com. I do not use

Foursquare. Im a grown-up with a family. I may be missing out on some deep understanding of how geospatial awareness shapes our understanding of the world, but thats a risk hes willing to take. Hell stick with Twitter and his personal blog, thanks, and feel bad for the poor guys who are trying to sort it out. For them, Its a challenge. Where do I put my chips? Tumblr or Posterous? Is Tumblr still going to be a big thing in the next few years? Its an issue of time. Its an issue of your own personal resources, and how often you want to repost the same information rst as a status update, then as a tweet, then as a tumbl (tumblette?). Its also an issue of nding which online community feels like home. Each place has its own

cultural norms, says Tufekci, the Baltimore professor. Just as you would do one thing in a bar and one in thing in a church, the expectations for customisable Tumblr, in which users are precious snowakes, are profoundly different from the expectations for the standardised Twitter. Do you want fast or slow? Individuality or hive mind? Anonymity or reciprocal relationships? On each new site, youre once again that awkward shy kid in the corner, and you dont know whats up. Its exactly like being a Navy brat. And, she says, You cant hang out everywhere. The author of this piece Facebooks, tweets and contributes to The Post Style Tumblr page at WashingtonPostStyle.tumblr.com.
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MXit captivates young cell users W

hile South Africas teachers were on strike in September, volunteers used South Africas largest social network to help students prepare for exams. Which means they did not turn to Facebook or Twitter, but to MXit the brainchild of Namibian-born software developer Herman Heunus. Rather than using computers, MXit connects members through cell phones, allowing them to exchange instant messages practically for free. They can also message in groups, called chat zones, that function seamlessly across other platforms like MSN messenger and Google Talk. I think users just immediately saw a cost benet to using MXit, said MXit spokesman Juan du Toit. People saw that this is an easy application to get on a low-end phone... it made sense for them to use MXit compared to something more complex like Facebook or Twitter. For South Africans like 19-year-old Michillay Brown, the service almost renders ordinary text messaging obsolete. Thats why there are so many people on MXit, I think its like one cent a message or something, Brown said. They obviously want

Average online friends Malaysia Brazil Norway Poland Indonesia, Greece Portugal Turkey Argentina, Israel Singapore Thailand, U.S.
0 50 100 Picture: Getty Images

233 231 217 201 196 189 184 183 178

Source: TNS Digital Life

198

150 200 GRAPHIC NEWS

to chat with their friends for free, quickly. Since its inception in 2003, MXit Lifestyles Ltd says it has expanded to include almost 27 million subscribers, most of them South African, and is adding 40,000 more every day. In comparison, less than three million South Africans use Facebook, which is why during the teachers strike, tutors chose MXit as a platform to answer questions from students and to provide study materials for download. The system sidesteps a major obstacle hampering the spread of social media in developing countries: Internet access. In much of Africa, weak infrastructure limits access to electricity, phone lines and the Internet, making surng the Web often an expensive luxury. But cell phone technology has already entrenched itself across the continent, with 376 million subscribers across the region. Wallace Chigona, a technology professor at the University of Cape Town, believes cellular is an ideal platform for social media in Africa. For the majority of middleincome families, a cell phone is the only computer they have, and the low cost allows families to acquire

them for their children, Chigona said. Even cell phones that would technically struggle to support Internet connectivity would support MXit. The company hopes the same logic will apply in other developing countries, and hoping to grow in places like Indonesia, where it claims almost 2.5 million users. Not everyone with a cell phone can use MXit. The application is powered by data services like 3G or GPRS, which require mobile Internet access to work. MXit has its detractors, many of whom are concerned parents. They worry that teens are vulnerable online, recalling concerns that erupted over early versions of Facebook and Myspace elsewhere in the world. There is fear of the unknown, and as parents we lack understanding of what is going on on

MXit and our natural reaction is to stop it, Chigona said. The media is partly to blame... most of the reports published about MXit were all these horror stories. One such horror story occurred in July when a South African man drugged and raped a 15-year-old girl he met in a chat zone. In response, the company installed additional safety features enabling parents to better monitor their childs activity on MXit. But Chigona believes demand for innovations like MXit could hasten the spread of mobile broadband in emerging markets. The product became part of the youth identity, he said. There was huge peer pressure for the youth to get on board, and in fact, a good number of them acquired cell phones so that they can have MXit.
AFP

ON SATURDAY

26

www.pen.com.qa

OCTOBER 23, 2010

Books

BY JOE QUEENAN n my favourite instalment from Peanuts, the famous comic strip that debuted in US newspapers on October 2, 1950, the character Snoopy receives a rejection letter from a New York publishing house to which he has been submitting his work. The letter says that it has been quite some time since the publishing house has received any submissions from the ambitious dog, who, in one of many alter-egos, has now fancied himself a canny wordsmith. The nal panel, which I used to carry around in my wallet, until it nally disintegrated, shows Snoopy reading the words, This suits our current needs. Any young writer submitting unsolicited manuscripts to publishing houses in the 1960s or 70s would have felt a chill run down his spine as he read the words, This suits our current needs. No matter what you submitted, and no matter what publishing house, within a few weeks you would receive a cold, impersonal note reading: Thank you for your submission. Unfortunately, your work does not suit our current needs. Charles M Schulz, whose work would earn him hundreds of millions of dollars over his half-century career, had never lost touch with the aspiring cartoonist whose early work had been rejected, manhandled, or ignored. It was this human quality, this compassion for the young and the powerless, that made Peanuts what it was. Schulz had the common touch. Peanuts, which grew out of earlier work Schulz had done in a column called Lil Folks, debuted around the time the US became embroiled in the Korean war. It was a time of genuine political hysteria, with Americans terried that the communists in the Soviet Union and China would overrun the world, and, if this failed, unleash a nuclear holocaust as a kind of consolation prize. Peanuts, so endearing, so harmless, so good-natured, was a daily antidote to this atmosphere of fear and loathing, in the same way that the arrival of the Beatles in the US a few months after John F Kennedys assassination helped to bring young people back to life. Throughout the Red Scare of the 50s, the desegregation wars in the deep south, the Kennedy assassinations, the murder of Martin Luther King, the war in Vietnam, the hostage crisis in Iran and well, you get the idea Peanuts was always there as a touchstone and a balm. Unlike so many other venerated objects in US pop culture, it was sweet without being stupid, reassuring without being infantile. In the dark era in which it began, it served much the same function as I Love Lucy. The difference was it had brains. The comic strip ran for almost 50 years, the last original panel being published on February 13, 2000, the day after its creator died. The strip ran in many countries and was translated into many languages, even though fans in foreign countries might not have fully grasped its decidedly American sensibility. The premise, after all, is a bit of an inside joke: the central character in Peanuts is the hapless, downbeat Charlie Brown. Americans do not ordinarily take much of a shine to hapless losers. But they took a shine to Charlie Brown. It is generally agreed that Schulzs heyday was in the 60s and 70s, that toward the end the strip became a bit too saccharine and predictable. That said, it had a nice run before it became little more than a merchandising vehicle, the marketing arm of a much larger empire. The strip rst saw the light of day one month before I was born. So it was always there, and seemed like it had always been there.

Why everyone love Peanuts

the viewer. There was usually not much more than the characters expressions, perhaps a doghouse or a playing eld. This graphic approach didnt change much over the years; it was not broke, so there was no reason to x it. People often enjoy something without knowing why. This is why those audio guides you nd in art galleries are so stupid: no one can explain to you why Bellinis are beautiful, and no amount of curatorial gas-bagging can make you like Renoir unless you are already the type of person who is predisposed to like Renoir. It probably never occurred to most people who liked Peanuts that its graphic ingenuity and deceptive elegance was a large part of its appeal. But it was. Before Peanuts, the most famous comic strips were arty. Peanuts was not arty. EVERYTHING IN PEANUTS FLEW IN THE FACE OF ACADEMIC PRETENTIOUSNESS Eventually, it became fashionable to nd more in Peanuts than was really there. American academics are always offering courses in such things as the philosophical subtexts implicit in The Simpsons, or what Mad Men says about the American psyche because academics can never leave well enough alone. I nd this sort of stuff rst-class bilge, an inability to accept a popular art form on its own terms. No amount of blather can turn U2 into Bach, and the fact that Charles Schulz produced a larger body of work than Rimbaud doesnt put him in Rimbauds weight class. Everything about Peanuts ew in the face of such pretentiousness; it was a comic strip that never took itself seriously. It was a lighthearted little set of four panels you could look forward to every day, no matter where you were, if only to follow the exploits of a silly dog who imagined himself a dog-ghting aviator in the rst world war. Nobody ever knew where the idea for Snoopy and the Red Baron came from. Nobody knows why Peppermint Patty had so much trouble cracking the mystery of Snoopys identity. Nobody knows why the hapless Charlie Brown was so hapless. It did not matter. The ideas came from somewhere. And when they got here, they were more than welcome to pull up a chair and stay a while. Fifty years, in fact. The Complete Peanuts 1963-64 and The Complete Peanuts 1965-66 are published by Canongate, both at 15. The Peanuts Collection by Nat Gertler is published by New Holland at 30.

It was simply drawn, its main character was a hapless loser, and it featured a dog convinced that it was a rst world war ying ace. For 50 years, the comic strip Peanuts held America in thrall.
the characters in the strip, so it immediately made you nostalgic for childhood. Not necessarily for your childhood, but for the childhood Lucy and Charlie and Linus were having. The name Peanuts is derived from the term peanut gallery, which describes the cheap seats in a theatre. The name was assigned to the strip by the syndicate that began to run it in 1950; Schulz himself hated it. Yet in retrospect, it seems altogether perfect in the same way that The Great Gatsby is a far better book title than F Scott Fitzgeralds original suggestions: Trimalchio in West Egg, The HighBouncing Lover, On the Road to West Egg, The Gold-Hatted Gatsby. Unlike many of the famous comic strips that preceded it Tarzan, The Phantom, Brenda Starr, Mark Trail Peanuts did not belong to any one character. Though the perpetually downbeat Charlie Brown was the emotional centre of the strips universe, few identied with him. He was very much like the essential loser friend that so many of us have, the harmless, hapless but ultimately lovable one who never gets anything right. His haplessness was an inspiration to us all; no matter how bad things got in our daily lives, they would get much worse for Charlie Brown. But never worse in a horrible way. Just . . . worse. The other characters were all foils to Charlie Brown. Peppermint Patty, the tomboy par excellence, was the one who was game for anything. Snoopy was the quirky canine who was off in his own world. Linus was the quintessential weird younger brother, who never quite tted in. Of all the characters, Lucy, the feisty little girl who liked to mix it up with the boys, was the closest to reality. I grew up with girls who seemed to have patterned their personality around Lucy, never giving an inch, always willing to give you an earful. But I never met anyone who shaped his personality after Charlie Brown. You didnt have to like all the characters in Peanuts to enjoy the strip. I never quite got Marcie or Franklin, mid-60s additions who seemed to serve an ancillary function. Woodstock, the lovable little bird who became Snoopys protege, annoyed me. Linuss Beethoven xation I found tiring. But Lucy, Chuck, Peppermint Patty and Snoopy were ne. From the very beginning, Peanuts had an elegiac quality. It made Americans pine for an earlier, more innocent time that had never actually existed. In this sense, Peanuts occupied a place in the American consciousness that was a bit like that occupied by Sir Walter Scotts novels in Victorian times, evoking a time and place where life was simpler and easier to understand, and therefore entirely illusory. Though Schulz would sometimes make satirical allusions to events of the day, the adult world never really intruded. Physically, he did not allow adults to enter the strip. Nor did he allow senseless cruelty. Pratfalls, yes, but not cruelty. The world of Peanuts was hermetically sealed, in the way that children at play have always wanted their cosmos hermetically sealed. Peanuts did not look like the comic strips that had preceded it. Many of these were incredibly busy and complicated, and sometimes grotesque. They were stylish and beautiful, but inaccessible; the artist did not invite his audience in. Peanuts, by contrast was deceptively simple in design and very accommodating to

THE LOSER FRIEND THAT SO MANY OF US HAVE It was like the sky: pleasant, visually appealing, reliable. Peanuts had a Picture of Dorian Gray quality; you kept getting older and more decrepit and more cynical, but it didnt. By the time you started reading it, you were already older than

Top 10 bestsellers of the week

Source: Amazon.com

The Lost Hero Rick Riordan

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth Jeff Kinney

Life Keith Richards

Autobiography of Earth: A Visitors The Girl Kicked the Mark Twain Guide to the Human Hornets Nest Harriet E. Smith Race Jon Stewart Stieg Larsson

The Finkler Question Howard Jacobson

The girl with the Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larsson

At Home: A Short History of Private Life Bill Bryson

The Confession John Grisham

9 10

Movies

OCTOBER 23, 2010

www.pen.com.qa

27

ON SATURDAY

Story of an extraordinary horse

BY ANDREW BEYER

he makers of the movie Secretariat hope to attract millions of viewers who werent yet alive when the great horse was racing in 1972 and 1973. Those members of the audience may wonder how much of the narrative is fact and how much is Hollywood gloss. Just about every turf writer who has reviewed Secretariat has pointed out historical inaccuracies and signicant omissions in the lm. Having followed Secretariats career as a journalist, I found some of the omissions distracting (particularly the expurgation of his Kentucky Derby-winning stablemate Riva Ridge). But the lmmakers had to take some liberties in order to make this movie. Secretariats real-life story didnt have a triumph-of-the-underdog theme that is a staple of sports movies. Nor were the people surrounding him especially colourful or lovable. Disney mined William Nacks meticulously reported biography of Secretariat to nd the femaleempowerment theme that could make this lm a hit. It built the narrative around Penny Chenery Tweedy, who abandoned her life as a Denver housewife to take over the faltering operation of the Meadow Stable from her ailing father. There are plenty of sentimental embellishments, but the story is true, and actress Diane Lane makes it a compelling

one. Moreover, Secretariat depicts the racing world more credibly than most movies and shows the racing action vividly. Purists should forgive the inaccuracies and relish the fact that Secretariats story has nally come to the screen, giving a younger generation the chance to appreciate the horses feats. Disney didnt have to embellish Secretariats achievements. In fact, the lm almost understates them. Many of us who watched him in 1972 and 1973 thought that we were probably seeing the best racehorse who ever lived, and the ensuing years have reinforced that conviction. Secretariat came of age in the decade that the American thoroughbred was at its peak, a period that also produced Seattle Slew, Afrmed, Alydar, Rufan, Forego and Spectacular Bid. Experts can endlessly debate the relative merits of such horses, but Secretariat did things that even other great ones didnt do. If you watch videos of races without knowing who the horses are, there may be little to distinguish a high-class race from a cheap one. A lm of Afrmed going to the lead and ghting off Alydars challenge doesnt look much different from a $5,000 claimer doing the same thing. But Secretariats athleticism was unmistakable. I saw him for the rst time in the summer of 1972 at Saratoga, and still remember vividly his rst stakes race, the Sanford, when he faced the pro-tem leader of the nations 2-year-olds, Lindas Chief. As the

ve-horse eld turned into the stretch, Secretariat was blocked by a wall of three horses in front of him; Lindas Chief, on the outside, had clear sailing. When a slight bit of daylight appeared in front of him, Secretariat bulled through the opening in a manner that journalist Charles Hatton likened to a fox scattering a barnyard of chickens. He immediately unleashed an explosive run and ew past the favoured Lindas Chief to win by three lengths. I wrote in the Washington Star that we might have seen the 1973 Kentucky Derby winner. Never have I watched a lightly raced 2-yearold stamp himself so denitively as a potential great. Ten days after the Sanford, Secretariat made a dazzling move in the Hopeful Stakes, circling the eld and going from last place to rst place around the turn. The next year, in the Preakness, he made an even more amazing last-to-rst run. He did it on the rst turn at Pimlico - what would ordinarily be a suicidal move - and blew past his arch rival Sham to take command of the race. After watching that grainy lm recently on YouTube, I am still astonished by it. I have never seen a horse make a winning move like that one in the subsequent 37 years. In the early 1970s I had begun to embrace the philosophy that horses are best dened by how fast they run, and I had begun to calculate the speed gures that, two decades later, would be incorporated into every thoroughbreds record in the

Daily Racing Form. At each stage of his career, Secretariats winning times and speed gures provided objective evidence that he was an extraordinary runner. His greatest performance, of course, was the Belmont Stakes, where he dueled with Sham at a seemingly suicidal pace for three-quarters of a mile and proceeded to draw away to a 31-length victory. The prevailing track record, Gallant Mans 2:26 3/5, was considered almost unassailable; only one other winner in the Belmonts history had run faster than 2:28. When Secretariat crossed the nish line in 2:24 at, he had raced into a new dimension. Years later, when my speedgure methods had matured, I revisited the data from the day of the 1973 Belmont and tried to produce a gure that would relate to my presentday numbers. I calculated that Secretariat had earned a 139, a gure that no horse after him has ever approached. (The best Beyer Speed Figure in the last two decades was Ghostzappers 128 in 2004.) If the movie Secretariat had been a work of ction, audiences might have scoffed at a climax that shows the equine hero winning by an almost unimaginable margin and running faster than any member of his species has ever run. Those of us who saw the event at Belmont Park could barely believe it, either.
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This much I know: Morgan Freeman

The actor on wearing an earring, being a good sailor, and dreaming big
You walk down the street and people yell your name. Thats how you know youre famous. Thats what I live for, and I still like it. I just dont like having no privacy. Dreams come true, and without a dream, theres no life. So what you want to instil in your kids (and Im a great grandfather now) is to dream and dream big. Make plans for yourself, and then aim yourself in that direction. Because what you want is what youre gonna get. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That was my parents central message. It worked for me. Im not looking to do a comedy after a drama or an action movie after a love story thats not the way I choose roles. Whatever good comes along is what I do. I would like to succeed as a producer. The challenge you face even when you have a track record, even when you are Steven Spielberg is that every new thing that you set out to do has to ride on its own merits. The rest is meaningless. I always wanted an earring. It has to do with my attachment to the sea. When I was around 35 I was separated from my wife and she said, Im going to pierce your ear. Im an avid sailor, a dyed-inthe-wool blue-water man. You know why sailors used to wear a gold earring? Its enough money to bury you in a foreign country. There are two or three tricks to being a good sailor. One is courage. You have to be willing to face the sea. And the rest is just knowledge you can learn a lot by listening to other sailors about how to survive almost unsurvivable situations. Ive been in dangerous storms. There comes a moment when you think you may not get through, and in that moment theres a peacefulness that settles over you and youre no longer afraid. Thats also the moment when you have to say, Im going to face this demon. Im going to stand up and Im going to do what I have to do. Not just by lying down and letting the sea wash over me, but by ghting it. After youve been in mortal danger, you dont look at the world differently you look at yourself differently. The world is just the world its the same, nothings changed. But you have a different idea of yourself. You think, I did it. I survived it. Im easily tickled. Charlie Chaplin. Jackie Gleason. Peter Sellers Sellers was a very, very funny man. And I remember the rst time I saw Richard Pryor on

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Johnny Carsons show. He wasnt the Richard Pryor we all know and loved; he hadnt found his voice yet, but once he found it, he was hilarious. That man could make me laugh until I wept. Waking up every day, thats as far as I go with thinking about getting older. Its foolish to think youre gonna live for ever, but I do think Im going to live until I die. Everything Ive ever done for love has been crazy. I got married twice. I love a lot, you know? Love friends, love kids, love women. It means being loved, too. Retirement is not part of my lexicon.
THE GUARDIAN

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No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Film Name Devils Tomb Buttery Effect 3 Mee- Shee Driving Lessons Double Identity Backwoods Agora Star Cast Taryn Manning, Hebry Rollins Chris Carmack, Rachel Miner Bruce Greenwood, Daniel Magder Laura Linney, Julie Walters Val Kilmer, Izabella Miko Gary Oldman,Paddy Considine Rachel Weisz, Max Minghella Genre Action Suspense Adv./Fantasy Comedy/Drama Suspense Suspense Adv./Drama

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French & Spanish Dvds Releases

1 2 3 4 5 6 Kilometer 31 Coco Avant Chanel Fauteuiles D Orcheste Modern Love Der Baader Meinhof Komplex Quatre Etoiles Adria Collado, Raui Mendez Audrey Tautou,Benoit Poelvoorde Cicile De France,Claude Brasseur Alexandra Lamy,Stephane Rouseau Martina Gedeck,Moritz Bleibtreu Jose Garcia,Isabelle Carre Horror Drama/Romance Romance Romance Action Romance/Comedy COURTESY Akshay Kumar,Trisha Krishnan Imran Khan, Sonam Kapoor Ajay Devgan, Emraan Hashmi Aisha Kapoor, Arjun Burman Hrithik Roshan, Barbara Mori Vivek Oberai Romance/Comedy Romance/Comedy Suspense Romance/Comedy Romance/Suspense Action

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Hindi Dvds Releases

1 2 3 4 5 6 Khatta Meetha I Hate Luv Story Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Aisha Kites Prince

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