1 Dec

IPT IO N SC R SU B

150 Fils

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

MOHARRAM 17, 1433 AH

No: 15644

Oppn holds ‘largest ever’ boycott march Kuwaitis set to vote in controversial polls

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Thousands march for ‘Nation’s Dignity’ in peaceful demonstration

By B Izzak and Agencies KUWAIT: Kuwaiti voters head to the ballot today to elect a new National Assembly for the second time this year amid boycott calls by the opposition which yesterday staged one of the biggest demonstrations in Kuwait’s history. Organizers estimated that around 250,000 took part in the “Nation’s Dignity” demonstration, but observers said the number could be around 50,000, who almost filled the Arabian Gulf Road between Safir Hotel and Kuwait Towers. The protest lasted two hours and protesters dispersed without incident as dozens of policemen were present to organize the procession and to cut off traffic on the Gulf Road.

Before the start of the march, youth activists released dozens of orange-coloured balloons which flew high near a police helicopter that hovered over the crowds but from a distance. Large numbers of women and children, carrying Kuwaiti flags and orange banners, took part in the 1.5-km march that ended at Kuwait Towers. “We are boycotting for the sake of Kuwait,” chanted young activists as other raised banners reading “Sovereignty Resides in the People” and “Absolute Power Corrupts”.

The Kuwaiti national anthem was played just before the start and protesters did not stop chanting national slogans and singing praises of the country. They also urged voters not to go to the ballots. “The people want the downfall of the decree,” chanted the massive crowds in reference to the Amiri decree that amended the electoral law cutting the number of candidates a voter can choose from a maximum of four to just one.

The opposition has maintained the decree is unconstitutional and will only lead to the election of a pro-government National Assembly by encouraging vote-buying and other corrupt practices.

A number of opposition leaders and former MPs including Ahmad Al-Saadoun, Musallam Al-Barrak, Waleed Al-Tabtabaei, Faisal Al-Mislem, Khaled Al-Tahous, Jamaan Al-Harbash and Falah Al-Sawwagh were present at the demonstration. Barrak was in a vehicle that was in front of the protesters and was using a loudspeaker to shout slogans. The opposition figures completely boycotted the registration of candidates and are

out to ensure that a large number of voters also boycott the polls.

“The message that the Kuwaiti people send ... is that they refuse the changing of the election law by the authorities,” said Saadoun, also a former three-time speaker. “The number of people is a reflection that this decree must be scrapped.”

Harbash said the march was the largest of its kind in Kuwait’s history. “The Kuwaiti people refuse elections and refuse the pro-government parliament.” “The people are not against the ruler, they are against corruption and corrupt people, and people who think about changing the constitution,” Barrak said.

“Today, the Kuwaiti people are sending a message peacefully that we are against the amendment and against the oppressive attitude of the government,” MP from the annulled 2012 Assembly Adel Al-Damkhi said. “The regime should read the message seriously that there is a real rejection of the law,” Damkhi said.

“This (voting rule) change is against our rights,” 28-year-old social worker Abdul Mohsen said. “There is corruption in the government. We want to fight corruption.” Bader Al-Bader, an unemployed 33-year-old, said: “The government does not believe in having the real democracy that most people believe in nowadays. They believe Kuwait is just a big bag of money and an oil rig.” “The Amir changed the voting rules. We believe the change has to come with the parliament. It is the parliament that represents the people,” said protester Hanouf, 40, a marketing specialist who declined to give her second name.

She said current election candidates were mostly new and unqualified with “no clue how to be in parliament or politics”.

About 306 candidates are running for the 50 seats in the Assembly after a last-minute drama over about 30 candidates who were disqualified by the National Election Commission but then reinstated by the administrative court. Around 23 former MPs and 13 female candidates are among the hopefuls. It is the lowest number of former MPs bidding for reelection in any Kuwaiti polls in more than 30 years because all opposition former MPs have boycotted the elections. Voting will take place at 106 main polling stations at schools in various parts of the country with male and female stations separate as per the election law.

KUWAIT: Opposition supporters block the Arabian Gulf Road yesterday during a demonstration against a decision

by HH the Amir to amend the electoral law and to support a boycott of today’s elections. — Photos by Yasser AlZayyat (See Pages 2, 3 & 4)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

LOCAL

Thousands march for ‘Nation’s Dignity’

KUWAIT: Opposition supporters block the Arabian Gulf Road during a demonstration against a decision by HH the Amir to amend the electoral law and to support a boycott of today’s elections. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat, Fouad Al-Shaikh and AP

LOCAL SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Election boycott shifts drama to streets KUWAIT: The drama of Kuwait’s parliamentary elections has nothing to do with the ballot count. It’s what may come afterward that has the country on edge as a broad coalition of conservative Islamists, liberal reformers and others vow to boycott today’s vote. The election snub pushes the strategic Western ally closer toward the kind of standoffs that have unraveled other countries, including nearby Bahrain, during the Arab Spring: opposition groups possibly taking to the streets and the ruling establishment facing critical decisions about how hard to lash back.

The disputes flow from a complicated chain of events over the past six months, including the dissolution of the opposition-led parliament and its replacement by a progovernment legislature, followed by a decree from HH the Amir to amend voting rules that appeared to favor his critics. The opposition coalition then decided it would not participate in the election and deemed the new parliament - certain to be dominated by pro-government lawmakers as illegitimate. The tensions also raise worrisome questions for allies such as the US, which seeks to keep thousands of American soldiers in Kuwait as part of the Pentagon’s military counterweight to Iran.

“The core demands of the opposition are more participation and more partnership in government,” said Shafeeq Ghabra, a political affairs professor at Kuwait University.

Anti-government lawmakers - mostly Islamists and their allies - have made almost a cottage industry of lodging corruption accusations and other charges at officials and even members of the ruling family. In the past year, the foreign minister and Central Bank governor resigned under pressure from the opposition bloc in the 50-seat National Assembly.

Such dissent would be unthinkable in much of the tightly ruled Gulf, including Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates. The decision to boycott the Kuwaiti elections now closes off parliament as a forum for a wide spectrum of opposition voices and could stir more street protests, which touched off serious clashes this month.

“The only thing certain is that we are not going to back down,” said Mohammed Qassem, a leader of the election boycott movement.

That leaves the oil-rich country deeply divided. The showdown, stripped to its essentials, is over whether the final word on the country’s political affairs rests with the people or the ruling dynasty. There is still no clear sense on Kuwait’s direction and whether the political stalemate could flare into unrest. All sides are “working blind” at the moment, said Mary Ann Tetreault, a Gulf affairs expert at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, in an interview with Al Jazeera.

Yesterday, tens of thousands of protesters gathered for the first government-authorized protest rally since a ban on political gatherings earlier this month. Banners proclaimed: “We are boycotting.” Organizers promised a peaceful march and there was no immediate signs of unrest as the march got under way. But it was closely watched for any signs of breakaway groups trying to confront security forces. The apparent strong turnout by youth groups and liberal factions also was important as an indication the unusual boycott coalition is holding together.

Their alliance of convenience with Islamists and conservative tribal leaders is among the most unexpected developments of the political meltdown. For the moment, they are united by the claims that HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah overstepped his authority by changing the Kuwait’s unusual multi-vote system to the standard one-vote-one-person. Previously, Kuwaitis could cast ballots for four candidates. Critics of the change say it gives authorities a greater hand possibly to bribe voters or control candidates.

The presence of Western-oriented Kuwaitis in the protest group poses added challenges to the ruling system, which had generally counted on liberal support in the past. The Amir had been lauded for standing firm against demands for stricter Muslim codes by hardliners, including calls to impose the death sentence on anyone convicted of insulting Islam. Whether the broad-based opposition holds together remains one of the critical wild cards immediately after today’s election.

“The government and the opposition seem to be in a

mood to escalate this further and neither side appears prepared to back down,” said Kristian Coates-Ulrichsen, a research fellow who follows Gulf affairs at the London School of Economics. “Kuwait may be entering the most dangerous and volatile period in its history.” It got to this point through political brinksmanship and a series of gambits - with each one appearing to dig the country deeper into crisis. In February, Islamists and their tribal allies won parliament elections and immediately pushed for greater

clout in policymaking affairs, including more seats in the Cabinet. After a few tense months, the Constitutional Court disbanded the parliament amid claims of flaws in the electoral district map, and reinstated the former governmentfriendly chamber from elections in 2009. That group of lawmakers, however, never managed to convene a session. In September, the country’s highest civilian court rejected the government’s assertions about problems in the electoral map, forcing the Amir to call new elections. — AP

LOCAL

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Kuwait poised for decisive elections KUWAIT: Kuwaiti voters are readying themselves to choose a new parliament for the second time in one year after the Constitutional Court’s dissolution of the former one in June and the introduction of controversial amendments to the electoral law. Some 307 candidates, including 14 women, are vying for the National Assembly’s 50 seats in today’s early general election, the country’s third in three years. The contestants are distributed as follows - 51 in the first constituency, 50 in the second constituency, 60 in third constituency, 66 in the four constituency and 80 in the fifth constituency.

According to official data, the number of eligible voters in the upcoming elections will be 422,569 - male voters are estimated at 196,754 or 46.56 percent while female voters account for 225,815 or 53.43 percent. This is third time women are participating in elections since Kuwait’s democratic experi-

ence starting from 1963. Kuwaiti women got the right to vote and run for general elections in 2005.

The Higher Electoral Commission has estimated the number of polling stations across the nation at 666, distributed to 100 main polling centers.

According to the Electoral Commission, there are 112 polling stations in the first constituency, 78 in the second constituency, 118 in the third constituency, 171 in the fourth constituency and 187 in the fifth constituency. Electoral law states that polls will open at 8 am and close at 8 pm across the country.

The elections are held after recent decree amending the former electoral law to allow voters to cast one ballot instead of four. The 10 candidates with the most votes in each district win seats. The 50-seat house is elected every four years. The Cabinet ministers (including the prime minister) are granted automatic membership in the

Assembly, which increases the number of members in the house from 50 to 66.

They also have the same rights as elected MPs, with the following two exceptions - they do not participate in the work of committees and they cannot vote when an interpellation leads to a no-confidence vote against any Cabinet member.

Currently there are five geographically distributed electoral constituencies in Kuwait. The First Constituency comprises 19 residential areas - from Sharq and Dasma, passing through Salmiya and Rumaithiya and including Bayan, Mishref and Hawally among others. The Second Constituency consists of 13 residential areas - from the main suburban districts of Dahiyat Abdullah Al-Salem, Shamiya and Shuwaikh to the tribal areas of Sulaibikhat and Doha. It also includes Qadsiya, Mansouriya, Faiha and Nuzha. It has the lowest number of voters among the five con-

stituencies.

The Third Constituency, of 15 residential areas, has the fourth largest voter base. Located south of Kuwait Bay or Jawn Al-Kuwait, it includes the residential areas of Abraq Khaitan, Hadiya, Kaifan, Khaldiya, Rawdah, South Khaitan, Surra and Adailiya. The Fourth Constituency consists of 18 large residential areas extending from Farwaniya to Jahra. Other major residential areas include Ardhiya, Sabah Al-Nasser, Firdous, Omariya, Rabiya, Jleeb AlShuyoukh and Andalous. It is the second largest district in terms of the number of voters.

The Fifth Constituency, the largest in terms of the number of voters and residential areas with some 20 residential areas, includes the southern Kuwaiti areas of Abu Halifa, Ahmadi, Fahaheel, Fintas, Mahboula, Mangaf, Qurain, Riqqah, Sabah Al-Salem, Sabahiyah, Wafra and Al-Zour. — KUNA

Amir thanks Queen, wraps up state visit Sheikh Sabah departs UK Sheikh Mohammad

Boycotters biggest losers: Info Minister KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah said yesterday time will prove that the boycotters of the National Assembly elections, who gave up their democratic right, will be the biggest losers. Speaking to Jordan News Agency (PETRA) on the eve of the polls, Sheikh Mohammad said: “The democratic rights are enshrined in Kuwait Constitution 50 years ago but anybody who gives up one of these rights and boycotts the elections will be in the wrong - they have to bear the consequences of their decisions.” “Kuwait is passing through a delicate stage that requires concerted efforts by everybody. The government has made great efforts to set the stage for the electoral process,” he pointed out.

As for Kuwaiti-Jordanian ties, Sheikh Mohammad said his country continues supporting the economy of Jordan through the joint GCC aid which has a remarkable impact on the socio-economic development. “The GCC member states including Kuwait are committed to the shoring up of the Jordanian economy because Jordan’s stability is the key to that of the entire Arab region,” he affirmed. The PETRA delegation, led by Director General Faisal AlShaboul, is part of a larger Jordanian press delegation covering the Kuwaiti legislative polls.

The delegation met Undersecretary of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Information Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem AlSabah who affirmed the need to modernize the Kuwaiti state departments and upgrade their performance.

“However, the political situation in the country in the last years has hindered the march towards modernization,” Sheikh Salman regretted during the meeting. He urged cooperation between the legislative and executive authorities to meet the needs of the society and maintain political stability. Shaboul commended the atmospheres of and the preparations for the elections including the services offered by the Ministry of Information for local and foreign media delegations. — KUNA

KUWAIT: In recognition of the great hospitality and the warm welcome Queen Elizabeth II and the British government accorded HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in his official visit to the United Kingdom, he sent a number of cables of thanks yesterday to British officials. Firstly, the Amir sent a cable of thanks to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in which he expressed his delight at his visit to her country with which Kuwait has enjoyed firm historical ties, wishing her and her nation continued progress and advancement.

The Amir also sent a cable of thanks to British Prime Minister David Cameron, noting the warm welcome he and the official delegation with him received from the premier and members of the British government. Sheikh Sabah made mention of the fruitful results of his visit to Britain, which he said would contribute to boost bilateral relations. A similar cable of thanks echoing similar sentiments was also sent by HH the Amir to John Bercow, Speaker of the British House of Commons.

Sheikh Sabah earlier departed London’s Heathrow Airport after the

LONDON: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah departs the UK after an official five-day state visit. — KUNA official five-day state visit to the United for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Kingdom yesterday. Accompanying Bill Henderson, the Kuwaiti the Amir upon his departure was on Ambassador to the United Kingdom behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, Lord Khaled Al-Duwaisan, heads of Kuwaiti William Peel, the Third Earl Peel, official interests operating in the UK and representative of the Secretary of State embassy staff. — KUNA

Police to face firmly any breach of law

Ghloum Habib Ghloum

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior has set a comprehensive plan to secure and face firmly any breach of law that threatens today’s decisive parliamentary elections, said Hawally Governorate Police Commander and Chief Police Officer of the First Electoral Constituency Brigadier Ghloum Habib Ghloum. In a press statement, Ghloum said that the plan is meant also to protect polling

stations, and facilitate procedures to help voters cast their ballots in a smooth way.

He added that the police forces will deal immediately with any act that mars the electoral process or any violation of law during the process or after announcing the results.

Ghloum vowed that police will do all in power to render the electoral day a great success. —KUNA

LOCAL

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Qat hidden in chili powder

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Kuwait Airport customs officers foiled an attempt to smuggle qat to Kuwait. Some African passengers tried to smuggle the drug hidden in bags of chili powder, thinking that the narcotic would not be detected in the pungent chili. Kuwait Airport customs supervisor Sulaiman Al-Fahad warned regardless how smugglers change their ways of smuggling, customs inspectors will always be waiting for them as they have vast experience in dealing with smugglers.

Driver kills self A 40-year-old Asian driver committed suicide at his sponsor’s house in South Surra, security sources said. The body was sent to the coroner for inquest proceedings.

JAMM auction in Kuwait sales exceed $570,000 Art lovers come out in force with open wallets KUWAIT: A glamorous international crowd attended JAMM’s third Middle East auction of emerging and established Arab, Iranian and international art in Kuwait at the Contemporary Art Platform which totaled sales more than $570,000, confirming that Kuwait is indeed turning into another global destination for art lovers. Exclusively sponsored by TAG Heuer, one of the most desired brands in the luxury watch industry, the JAMM auction was one of the most memorable evenings in the social art calendar of Kuwait in 2012.

Art enthusiasts came from across the globe, showing the continued international appeal for established Arab, Iranian and international artworks and at the same time supported the new generation of emerging artists and their pieces from across the Middle East. The highlight of the auction conducted by Alexander Gilkes, former global marketing director and auctioneer for Phillips de Pury and

Farideh Lashaiís artwork titled El Amal at $72,000 was the highest selling piece at the JAMM auction.

co-founder of Paddle8 was Iranian artist Farideh Lashai whose artwork titled El Amal that sold for $72,000. The second highest selling lot was by Reza Derakshani, titled Garden Party at $70,000 followed by, Hamza Bounoua whose painting titled “Exits” sold for $23,000.

Sheikha Lulu M Al-Sabah, founder of JAMM, commented after the sale: “I was really happy with the turnout this year.

There was a lot of enthusiasm and the room was electrifying. Alexander did an incredible job and I look forward to collaborating with Alexander and our sponsors TAG Heuer in future.”

“We are very proud to be associated with JAMM. JAMM is helping to promote emerging artists and allow them to get a great visibility that they could hardly get otherwise.

Through this, JAMM is also promoting the whole Middle East, showing to the world that there is a real artistic scene in this region. TAG Heuer has been pioneering Swiss watchmaking for over 150 years, bringing to the industry some of its main innovations. TAG Heuer is today the only brand to master high frequencies with automatic watches able to display the 1/1000th and the 1/5000th of a second.

This avant-garde is at the heart of TAG Heuer in all its aspects. And helping to promote contemporary artists, who are at the avant-garde of their art, is just for us a natural involvement. On a more personal note, we have been also convinced by the personality of Sheikha Lulu AlSabah. She embodies so well the TAG Heuer women: modern, daring, independent, giving back. She has decided to take risks, to create her own company, and to give back to her country by helping promoting it through arts,” commented Luc Decroix, General Manager of TAG Heuer Middle East.

JAMM third auction offered over 60 works by emerging and established Arab, Iranian and international artists including Shiva Ahmadi, Golnaz Fathi, Shahrzad Changalvaee, Derakshani, Simeen Farhat, Rachel Lee Hovnanian, Bert Stern, Andre C Meyerhans, Alfred Tarazi, Fatima Al-Mazrouei, Sueraya Shaheen, Youssef Nabil, Michel Haddi, Bounoua and Damien Aquiles . The Kuwaiti artists represented at the auction included Shurooq Amin, Amira Behbehani, Ghadah Kandari, Fadel Al-Abbar,, Ebrahim Habib, Abed Al-Kadari and Reda Salem.

Property disputes A citizen recently filed a complaint against a landlord accusing him of causing a loss of KD 1,500 in a property deal that fell through. He said he had reached an agreement with the owner to buy a property from him and made a down payment of KD 5,000, besides paying a KD 1,500 commission to the broker. For some reason, the owner annulled the agreement and returned the down payment but refused to compensate him for the commission he had paid. Separately, a citizen accused a construction contractor of swindling him after he paid him KD 10,000 to renovate his house in Rabiya, a task that was not carried out.

Pedophile arrested Detectives in Hawally arrested a 22-year-old Kuwaiti man for sexually assaulting three children, two of them boys, security sources said, adding the victims identified the suspect in a police lineup.

A packet of qat hidden in chili powder is seen.

New dumpsters to replace old ones KUWAIT: As per the new cleaning contracts the Municipality has signed, the cleaning administration has distributed new garbage dumpsters to all six governorates. Deputy public relations director Abdul Mohsen Aba Al-Khail announced the replacement of all bins with the new ones in all Kuwait governorates as per the new contracts. Aba Al-Khail said that the distribution of the new dumpsters shall continue over the coming days and so far 17,340 new containers have been placed in all governorates - 7,000 in Jahra, 5,000 in Ahmadi, 4,000 in the Capital and 1,340 in Farwaniya. Distribution will continue on schedule and any complaints can be made on the hotline 139.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Hackers steal ‘confidential’ nuclear info

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Israel hits back with new settlements after UN vote

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Former India PM Gujral dies at 92

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CAIRO: Tens of thousands of protesters gather in Egypt’s landmark Tahrir square yesterday against a decree by President Mohamed Morsi granting himself broad powers that shield his decisions from judicial review. — AFP

Anti-Morsi protests rock Egypt Islamists hurriedly approve new constitution CAIRO: Thousands of Egyptians protested against President Mohamed Morsi yesterday after an Islamist-led assembly raced through approval of a new constitution in a bid to end a crisis over the Islamist leader’s newly expanded powers. “The people want to bring down the regime,” they chanted in Tahrir Square, echoing the chants that rang out in the same place less than two years ago and brought down Hosni Mubarak.

Morsi said the decree halting court challenges to his decisions, which sparked eight days of protests and violence by Egyptians calling him a new dictator, was “for an exceptional stage” and aimed to speed up the democratic transition. “It will end as soon as the people vote on a constitution,” he told state television while the constituent assembly was still voting on the draft, which the Islamists say reflects Egypt’s new freedoms. “There is no place for dictatorship.”

The opposition cried foul. Liberals, leftists, Christians, more moderate Muslims and others had withdrawn from the assembly, saying their voices were not being heard. Thousands packed Tahrir and hit the streets in Alexandria and cities on the Suez Canal, in the Nile Delta and south of Cairo, responding to opposition calls for a big turnout. The disparate opposition which has struggled to compete with well-organized Islamists has been drawn

together and reinvigorated by the crisis. Tens of thousands had also protested on Tuesday, showing the breadth of public anger.

But Islamists have a potent political machine and the United States has looked on warily at the rising power of a group they once kept at arms length now ruling a nation that has a peace treaty with Israel and is at the heart of the Arab Spring. Protesters said they would push for a ‘no’ vote in a referendum, which could happen as early as mid-December. If approved, it would immediately cancel the president’s decree.

“We fundamentally reject the referendum and constituent assembly because the assembly does not represent all sections of society,” said Sayed El-Erian, 43, a protester in Tahrir and member of a party set up by opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei. “Leave, leave,” some chanted, another anti-Mubarak slogan.

In the Cairo mosque where Morsi said Friday prayers, some opponents chanted against him but backers quickly surrounded him shouting in support, journalists and a security source said. Thousands of Morsi supporters also turned out in Alexandria.

EXHAUSTION The plebiscite on the constitution is a gamble based on the Islamists’ belief they can mobilize voters again after winning all the elections since

Mubarak was overthrown in February 2011. Despite the big numbers opposed to him, Morsi can count on backing from the disciplined Brotherhood and Islamist allies, as well as many Egyptians who are simply exhausted by the turmoil. “He just wants us to move on and not waste time in conflicts,” said 33year-old Cairo shopowner Abdel Nasser Marie. “Give the man a chance and Egypt a break,” he said. But Morsi needs the cooperation of judges to oversee the vote, though many were angered by Morsi’s decree that they said undermined the judiciary. Some judges have gone on strike.

The assembly concluded the vote after a 19-hour session, quicker than many expected, approving all 234 articles covering presidential powers, the status of Islam, the military’s role and rights of citizens. In one historic change, the president was limited to eight years in office after Mubarak served for 30 years. It introduced a degree of civilian oversight over the military - though not enough for critics. An Egyptian official said Morsi was expected to approve the document today and then has 15 days to hold a referendum. “This is a revolutionary constitution,” said Hossam El-Gheriyani, head of the assembly in a live broadcast of the session, asking members to launch a cross-country campaign to “explain to our nation its constitution”. The vote was often interrupt-

ed by bickering between the mostly Islamist members and Gheriyani over the articles. Several articles were amended on the spot before they were voted on and the assembly worked till early morning to finish the job. Critics argue it is an attempt to rush through a draft they say has been hijacked by the Muslim Brotherhood, which backed Morsi for president in a June election, and its Islamist allies. Two people have been killed and hundreds injured in protests since the decree was announced on Nov 22, deepening the divide between the newly empowered Islamists and their critics.

PLACATING OPPONENTS Setting the stage for more tension, the Muslim Brotherhood and its Islamist allies have called for proMorsi rallies on Saturday. But officials from the Brotherhood’s party changed the venue and said they would avoid Tahrir Square. Seeking to placate opponents, Morsi welcomed criticism but said there was no place for violence. “I am very happy that Egypt has real political opposition,” he told state television. He said Egypt needed to attract investors and tourists. The crisis threatens to derail a fragile economic recovery after two years of turmoil. Egypt is waiting for the International Monetary Fund to finalize a $4.8 billion loan to help it out. —Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Hackers steal ‘confidential’ IAEA info VIENNA: Anti-Israel hackers, who the UN nuclear agency this week said had posted data online stolen from one of its servers, claimed in a new statement they had published confidential material obtained from the watchdog.

The statement - in the name of a group with an Iranian-sounding name - was put on a website hours after UN nuclear chief Yukiya Amano said on Thursday he did not believe sensitive nuclear “safeguards” information had been compromised.

The UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), whose mission is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons in the world and which is investigating Iran’s disputed nuclear activities, declined to comment on the latest development on Friday. The hackers published on Sunday scores of email addresses of experts who have been working with the UN agency on a website, and urged the IAEA to investigate Israel’s nuclear activity. On Thursday, Amano said this was “deeply regret-

table” but he voiced confidence that no sensitive information regarding the agency’s nuclear inspections had been stolen. He said the hacking happened several months ago.

The new hacker statement in the name of Parastoo (which in Farsi means swallow, a bird species, and can also be a girl’s name) said that it was now publishing more data online “to prove our ability to gain access to highly sensitive information.” This included “confidential...documents, satellite images, official letters, presentations,” it said in the statement dated Nov. 29, with links to what it said was such information. The authenticity of the material - posted on the same website as Sunday’s statement - could not immediately be verified.

“It isn’t obvious to me upon looking at the satellite imagery that the pictures contain sensitive and confidential IAEA data,” nuclear expert Mark Hibbs, of the Carnegie Endowment think-tank, said. Jeffrey Lewis, of

the US-based James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, suggested the hacked data concerned information related to peaceful uses of nuclear energy, rather than confidential information on IAEA inspections.

“Hacking the IAEA and interfering with efforts to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes doesn’t get us any closer to a world in which Israel signs the NPT (nuclear NonProliferation Treaty),” Lewis said in a blog. The experts whose email addresses were hacked have nothing to do with “safeguards, nuclear weapons or Israel,” he said. “Safeguards” means activities conducted by IAEA inspectors in examining member states’ nuclear activities, including Iran’s, to make sure that no atomic material is diverted for military purposes. Such information is seen as top secret.

ACCESS TO ‘NEW SERVER’ The latest Parastoo statement again called for an IAEA investigation into the nuclear

UN recognition, Gaza conflict, ‘go together’ Hamas breaking out of isolation DOHA: Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said the de facto recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state won by his rival Mahmoud Abbas should be seen alongside Gaza’s latest conflict with Israel as a single, bold strategy that could empower all Palestinians. Meshaal said the short war which claimed 162 Palestinian lives and five Israelis was concluded on terms set by his Islamist movement and ended its isolation, creating a new mood conducive to reconciliation with Abbas’s nationalist Fatah.

In an interview with Reuters in Doha, he compared Israel’s mood of dejection with the jubilation of Palestinians in Gaza and across the Israeli-occupied West Bank led by Abbas, insisting that “for the first time a ceasefire was achieved on conditions set by Hamas, and in the presence of the Americans”. Meshaal strongly backed the diplomatic initiative by Palestinian Authority President Abbas to upgrade Palestinian status at the United Nations to observer state which the General assembly endorsed on Thursday in New York.

Diplomatically, this puts the stateless Palestinians on a par with the Holy See, but politically it would help “unify Palestinian national efforts” as part of the reconciliation process with Abbas’s nationalist Fatah movement, Meshaal said. “I told Abou Mazen (Abbas) we want this move to be part of a national Palestinian strategy” that includes “the (armed) resistance which excelled in Gaza and gave an example of the ability of the Palestinian people to resist and steadfastly confront the occupier”, a confident Meshaal said.

The coming to power of Hamas allies in the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, which played the key role in brokering the recent ceasefire, and “the defeat of the enemy in Gaza” have created a new environment that should allow Palestinians to form a unity government. “I am optimistic”, Meshaal said, “there is a new mood that allows us to achieve reconciliation”. Dressed in a black suit and an open neck shirt, he was speaking at a hotel in Doha, where he has lived since leaving Syria earlier this year.

STRONGER “When we reconcile, unite and end the divisions and have one political marja’eya

WEST BANK: Palestinian schoolgirls hold pictures of President Mahmoud Abbas with Yasser Arafat, flowers and olive branches during a rally supporting the Palestinian UN bid for observer state status, in the West Bank city of Nablus. — AP (the Islamic word for leadership) and one political system, then we will be stronger and better and we can achieve more, and our response to the Israeli aggression in all its forms will be better”, the Hamas politburo leader said. The Fatah controlled PA in the West Bank was expelled from Gaza after Hamas won a bloody civil war in 2007, after emerging as the victors in the 2006 Palestinian general elections.

Meshaal, who survived a Mossad assassination attempt in Amman in 1997 when Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was last in power, has been reenergized politically by the Arab Spring uprisings that have swept the region and installed a string of sympathetic Islamist leaders. When he appeared alongside President Mohamed Mursi of Egypt in Cairo after the ceasefire, his confident and relaxed body language would have confused any casual observer as to which one of them was the leader of Egypt.

Gaza, long subject to an Israeli military and economic blockade, is breaking out of its isolation, with recent high level visits from Qatar, Turkey, Egypt and the Arab League.

“There is a new Arab presence, there is a different kind of support. Gaza did not seem isolated in this war”, he said, as it was in the devastating 2008-09 conflict with Israel.

Meshaal, 56, said he had no intention to continue as Hamas leader despite calls on him “internally and externally” to carry on. The group, whose 1988 charter formally calls for the destruction of Israel, has been holding a leadership ballot for several months to decide who will succeed Meshaal. Hamas ambivalence towards the Palestinian Authority, which it has sometimes derided as an Israeli subsidiary, mirrors its ambiguity on the future shape of a Palestinian state.

Under Meshaal’s leadership, the Islamists have evolved in an uneasy balance between maximalism and pragmatism - refusing to renounce pre-1948 “Palestine”, but willing to accept de facto a state on the lands Israel captured in the 1967 Six Day War - the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. “As for the Palestinian state we believe it (should be) on all our Palestinian land,” but there was a wish to unify the Palestinian and Arab positions on a common program. —Reuters

activities of Israel, widely believed to be the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed state. That is a demand often voiced by Iran and Arab states. The IAEA has not said who might be behind the hacking. There has been an increase in suspected Iranian cyber attacks this year, coinciding with a deepening standoff with the West over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Iranian officials have tended to deny involvement. But they say they have continued to come under cyber assault themselves, with systems at Iran’s own oil facilities, communications and infrastructure firms suffering problems last month. The IAEA earlier this week said the server which had been hacked had been closed down. Parastoo’s latest statement said the information now posted online was “extracted from one of IAEA’s new servers that we have access to.” Israel and the United States accuse Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability. Tehran denies this. — Reuters

Israel hits back with new settlements after UN vote JERUSALEM: Israel revealed plans yesterday to build 3,000 settler homes in east Jerusalem and the West Bank in response to the Palestinians’ historic success in being recognized as a nonmember state at the United Nations. During the landmark Thursday vote in New York, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly backed a resolution recognizing Palestine within the 1967 borders as a non-member observer state. It was a major diplomatic coup for the Palestinians but a stinging slap in the face for Israel, which had lobbied hard to prevent it, arguing that it would cripple peace hopes.

Reports of the decision to build the 3,000 housing units in response to the UN vote emerged yesterday afternoon, with an official source confirming it to AFP. “It’s true,” he said, without specifying exactly where. Media reports said some of the construction would be in a highly contentious area of the West Bank known as E1, a corridor that runs between the easternmost edge of annexed Jerusalem and the Maaleh Adumim settlement. Palestinians bitterly oppose the E1 project, as it effectively cuts the occupied West Bank in two north to south and makes the creation of a viable Palestinian state highly problematic. The Palestinians want annexed east Jerusalem as capital of their promised, future state and vigorously oppose expansion plans for Maaleh Adumim, which lies five kilometers from the city’s eastern edge.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the UN vote as “a meaningless decision that will not change anything on the ground,” and said peace could only be found in “direct negotiations... and not in one-sided UN decisions.” But he also warned that by going to the UN, the Palestinians had “violated” previous agreements with Israel, such as the 1993 Oslo Accords, and that his country would “act accordingly.” A report on the Ynet news website said the decision to connect Maaleh Adumim with Jerusalem had been taken by Netanyahu’s inner circle, the Forum of Nine, on Thursday.

Earlier yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom had mooted the idea of building in E1 as a response to the UN move, which he said was a violation of agreements the Palestinians had signed with Israel, such as the Oslo Accords.

“The violation of these agreements... means Israel can also take unilateral initiatives such as applying Israeli sovereignty in the territories or connecting Maaleh Adumim and Jerusalem,” he told public radio. Linking the settlement and the city is an idea long espoused by hardliners within Netanyahu’s ruling rightwing Likud party but strongly opposed by Washington.

Israel has long feared that if the Palestinians won the rank of a UN non-member state, they could pursue the Jewish state for war crimes at the International Criminal Court in The Hague-particularly over its settlement building. Two days before the UN vote, Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour warned that if Israel continued “to illegally build settlements-which is a war crime from the point of view of the ICC and the Rome statute-then we will consult with all of our friends, including the Europeans, to (ask) them what should we do next to bring Israel into compliance” with UN resolutions. —AFP

INTERNATIONAL

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Old party returns to govern changed Mexico MEXICO CITY: The political party that ruled Mexico for seven straight decades is back, assuring Mexicans there’s no chance of a return to what some called “the perfect dictatorship” that was marked by a mixture of populist handouts, rigged votes and occasional bloodshed.

The Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, reclaims the presidency Saturday after 12 years out of power, and President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto calls it a crowning moment of an effort to reform and modernize the party that ruled without interruption from 1929 to 2000. He promises an agenda of free enterprise, efficiency and accountability. He’s pushing for reforms that could bring major new private investment in Mexico’s crucial but creaking state-owned oil industry, changes that have been blocked for decades by nationalist suspicion of foreign meddling in the oil business.

PRI leaders acknowledge the party is returning to power in a Mexico radically different from what it was in the party’s heyday. The nation has an open, market-oriented economy, a freer, more aggressive press, an opposition that can communicate at the speed of the Internet and a population that knows the PRI can be kicked out of power. “The skeptics say that the PRI will return to the past, as if such a thing were possible,” PRI leader Pedro Joaquin Coldwell told a party gathering earlier this month. “It’s not, because this is a different country.” Yet critics already see hints of a yearning for the old days of an imperial presidency in some of the measures the PRI is pushing through Congress.

A bill proposed by Pena Nieto would gather the police and security apparatus under the control of the Interior Department, an office long used by the PRI to co-opt or pressure opponents, rig elections and strong-arm the media. PRI leaders say the measure would unify a fractured security apparatus and produce a more coordinated strategy in Mexico’s fight against drug cartels. Political analyst Raymundo Riva Palacio says a return to the old ways is unlikely, noting there are now independent electoral authorities, judges and rights groups to help keep authorities in line. “I don’t think they’ll try to restore the old regime, like we saw in the 1970s,” he said.

But Alejandro Sanchez, the assistant leader of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party, warns of an attempt “to return to the authoritarian regime of the 1970s, when torture, contempt for opponents and impunity were the norm.” The PRI no longer holds a majority in Congress, so it will probably have to negotiate more. PRI members in Congress, who include several autocratic labor leaders, this month successfully maneuvered to block a measure that would have required secret ballots in union elections and approval by union members of proposed contracts.

The PRI also supported a bill that would give federal and state auditors more authority to block spending by state governors, who currently face little fiscal oversight. That may help curb the unchecked power governors have acquired since the PRI lost power, but some critics see the measure as a bid to return to the days when presidents controlled the states from Mexico City. Another PRI proposal would restore the president’s ability to hire and fire hundreds of mid-level government officials at will, removing the posts from civil service protections. Sen. Javier Corral of the National Action Party, which has held the presidency for 12 years, said the PRI “wants to bring back the old custom that has done so much damage in

Mexico, of treating power as booty, and giving out these jobs according to the party’s criteria.”

The PRI was widely seen as an able if autocratic party from 1929 to the mid-1960s, with strong economic growth and government hand-out programs balancing the corruption and lack of truly free elections. But repeated harsh crackdowns on unions, students and other protesters inspired opposition movements in the 1960s and 1970s, and economic mismanagement and graft fed rampant inflation and led to recurring economic crises that repeatedly slammed the middle class in the regime’s final quarter-century in power. “We have learned from the mistakes we made,” Coldwell, the PRI’s leader, told a local radio station. “The people have given us a chance, and we have to be very conscious of the fact that if we don’t do well, they won’t give us a third chance.”

In fact, the PRI had already begun changing in the 1980s. Stung by public outrage over some of the economic messes it had made, the party oversaw the privatization of inefficient state-owned industries that were once vast reservoirs of patronage jobs. It gradually allowed electoral reforms that finally gave opponents a chance to win elections. During its time in power, the conservative National Action Party tried to lend a more informal air to the presidency. The office also became weaker in the face of the rising independence of the Supreme Court as well as state governors, many from opposition parties who owed no allegiance to the president. Opposition also increased in Congress.

Ruben Aguilar, who was a spokesman for then President Vicente Fox, the National Action candidate who defeated the PRI in 2000, said he’s willing to give the PRI “the benefit of the doubt,” in part because the party is known for pragmatism. It never had much ideology beyond keeping itself in power, and returning to old abuses could be suicidal. “If they tried to return to the old ways, it would be very clumsy, very shortsighted,” Aguilar said. Some things are clearly gone forever, such as the PRI’s role as “daddy government,” handing out state-built housing and jobs at state-owned enterprises.

The government firms have been privatized and the oil-fattened government budgets have shrunk.

Instead, Pena Nieto aims to fulfill his main promise, to create more job and boost economic growth, by going even further in developing the private sector. He also pledges to preserve the main achievement of the two National Action Party presidents: responsible government finances and macro economic stability.

The PRI was never a classic, bloodthirsty dictatorship. It often bought off enemies and pardoned when it could. When students at the national university pelted President Luis Echeverria with rocks in 1975, blaming him for ordering the shooting of student protesters seven years before, Echeverria simply left the campus. While Echeverria imprisoned leftist rebels or allowed them to vanish in the maw of the security system, his successor pardoned those who remained jailed, giving rise to a generation of opposition politicians.

Many Mexicans retain a cynical fondness for the old party’s populism, as reflected in one old saying that translates roughly: “They stole, but at least they let others get what they dropped.”

Some expect a comeback of the PRI political style that combined a devotion to high-flown rhetoric, strict obedience among party members and an unquestioned respect for the authority of the president. —AP

YouTube leak angers Kosovo Tapes feature Kosovo PM and top officials PRISTINA: Kosovo’s government has condemned the leak of tapped phone calls recorded

by European Union crime investigators and featuring voices identified as that of the prime minister and several senior officials. EULEX, which oversees law and order in Kosovo and handles cases of organized crime and war crimes, said the audio tapes were part of a continuing case and had been handed over to defense lawyers and Pristina district court.

EULEX did not specify the nature of the case or who was involved. But political sources said they were aware of a corruption inquiry involving senior political figures. An international security source said: “The recordings are part of a corruption investigation into the ministry of transport.” The audio files appeared on YouTube on Thursday, in what the EU’s police and justice mission in Kosovo (EULEX) said was “a serious breach of confidence”. “It is unfortunate that some parties have improperly released this material into the public domain,” the mission said in a statement late on Thursday.

Kosovo’s government, led by Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, denounced the leak as “scandalous” and the phone-tapping as illegal. “These

actions represent a direct effort on the part of both domestic and international mechanisms to blackmail and sabotage leaders of the Kosovo institutions and the normal functioning of our state,” the government said in a statement. A voice identified on the YouTube post as Thaci’s is heard twice in the five audio files, all of which appear to feature Adem Grabovci, head of the parliamentary caucus of Thaci’s Democratic Party of Kosovo.

Kosovo continues to struggle with deep-rooted organized crime and corruption almost five years since it declared independence from Serbia with the backing of the West. The phonetapping affair emerged a week after the Supreme Court, chaired by an EULEX judge, ordered the retrial of Fatmir Limaj, a close ally of Thaci, for war crimes, over the objections of the government. Limaj was acquitted of war crimes in May after the chief prosecution witness killed himself and his written testimony was ruled inadmissible. The Supreme Court overturned that decision. The charges against Limaj have to do with a detention camp run by ethnic Albanian guerrillas in Kosovo during the 1998-99 war with Serbian security forces.— Reuters

NEW YORK: New York City Police Officer Larry DePrimo presents a barefoot homeless man in New York’s Time Square with boots. — AP

NYPD officer’s kindness sparks online sensation NEW YORK: A tourist’s snapshot of a New York City police officer giving new boots to a barefoot homeless man in Times Square has created an online sensation. Jennifer Foster, of Arizona, was visiting New York with her boyfriend on Nov 14, when she came across the shoeless man asking for change in Times Square. As she was about to approach him, she said the officer - identified as Larry DePrimo - came up to the man with a pair of all-weather boots and thermal socks on the frigid night. She recorded his generosity on her cellphone. DePrimo, speaking to reporters on Thursday, remembered the night clearly, that even with two pairs of socks on, his feet were freezing. The homeless man “didn’t even have a pair of socks on and I could only imagine how cold that pavement was,” the 25-year-old said, clutching a box

containing cufflinks given to him by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

Foster’s photo was posted Tuesday night to the NYPD’s official Facebook page and became an instant hit. More than 420,000 users “liked” it as of Thursday evening, and more than 140,000 shared it. Thousands of people commented, including one person who praised him as “An officer AND a Gentleman.” The photo shows the officer kneeling beside the man with the boots at his feet. A shoe store is seen in the background. “I have these size 12 boots for you, they are all-weather.

Let’s put them on and take care of you,” Foster quoted DePrimo as saying to the man.

She wrote: “The officer squatted down on the ground and proceeded to put socks and the new boots on this man. The officer expected NOTHING in return and did not know I was watching.” —AP

INTERNATIONAL

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

FBI notifies Canada about spy in their midst HALIFAX: Canadian police were tipped off by the FBI alerted them of a possible security breach began investigating a Canadian navy intelligence officer who later pleaded guilty to espionage, documents made public Thursday say. Redacted versions of three search warrants were released Thursday after the prosecution consented to their release. The warrants were used to obtain evidence against Sub-Lt Jeffrey Paul Delisle, who pleaded guilty last month to passing classified information to Russia.

Delisle worked at a naval intelligence center in Halifax, Nova Scotia and had access to secret data from NATO countries. One document said police opened an investigation into Delisle’s activities after it received a letter in late 2011 from FBI assistant director Frank Figliuzzi alerting them of a possible security breach involving a Canadian military officer. That letter was sent Dec 2, 2011, about six weeks before Delisle was arrested. The portions of the documents that were

released do not elaborate on how or when the FBI became aware of the security breach.

But they do indicate that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police heavily relied on information from Anthony Buckmeier, a Russian counter-espionage specialist who began working for the FBI in 1987. “Given his vast experience in Russian counter-espionage, I believe the information supported by the opinion of Anthony M. Buckmeier is credible,” says a warrant filed by the RCMP. The documents say the RCMP set up phone taps from Montreal as they pursued their investigation into Delisle’s activities. Delisle was arrested Jan. 13.

The documents also say Delisle received a total of 23 money transfers from July 6, 2007, to Aug 1, 2011 from Moscow and Ireland. During his bail hearing in March, the provincial court in Halifax heard that Delisle walked into the Russian embassy in Ottawa and offered to sell them information. Over the course of nearly five years, Delisle accepted money transfers from Russia in

exchange for his services, the court was told. There was a publication ban on evidence and arguments presented at the proceedings in the spring, but his guilty plea means there will not be a jury trial now. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan 10.

Delisle would search for Russian references on his work computer, transfer it to a USB key and take it to his home nearby before pasting it into an email program that he shared with his Russian handler, the prosecution has said. But at some point, the RCMP hacked into the email account Delisle shared with his Russian handler, the court heard. Delisle continued sending sensitive information through the account, unaware that police were receiving it. Delisle, who joined the navy as a reservist in 1996, became a member of the regular forces in 2001 and was promoted to an officer rank in 2008. He had access to systems with information shared by the Five Eyes community that includes Canada, the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. — AP

Most West Europeans favor ‘assisted suicide’ Results highlight wide gulf between opinion and law

NEW YORK: This combo photo shows former International Monetary Fund chief leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn (left) and Nafissatou Diallo in New York. — AP

Strauss-Kahn settles with accuser for $6m PARIS: Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the disgraced former IMF chief, has agreed to pay $6 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a Manhattan maid who accused him of sexual assault, reports said yesterday. France’s Le Monde newspaper reports in its Saturday edition that the former frontrunner for the French presidency has told friends that he has agreed to pay hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo that amount in order to end an 18-month legal saga.

The Le Monde article followed a report in the New York Times that 63-year-old Strauss-Kahn and Diallo had “quietly reached an agreement to settle.”According to Le Monde, Strauss-Kahn will raise the money by borrowing $3 million from a bank and the rest from his estranged wife, Anne Sinclair, a former newsreader who inherited a fortune from her art dealer father. Judge Douglas McKeon, who is presiding over the civil case said “there may be a court session as early as next week,” but declined to comment on the reports of a settlement.

Diallo’s legal team would not comment but Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers dismissed Le Monde’s report as a fantasy. A statement read: “Neither Dominique Strauss-Kahn nor his advocates intend to comment on the case under way in the United States. But they vigorously deny the imaginary and mistaken report carried by Le Monde.”

Strauss-Kahn suffered a stunning fall from grace following his arrest last year on the basis of Diallo’s allegation that he had leapt on her in his

room at New York’s Sofitel hotel and forced her to perform oral sex. He said there had been a sexual encounter but that it was consensual.

Prosecutors eventually threw out the charges after deciding that discrepancies in the maid’s testimony meant the case would not stand up.

By then Strauss-Kahn’s career was in tatters, his marriage was on the rocks and he was facing a string of other sex-related investigations in France as well as the civil case.

Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers repeatedly said they would not agree to a pay-off deal while Diallo’s legal team played up claims she wanted her day in court to confront her alleged abuser. StraussKahn will learn on December 19 if he is to face further investigation into pimping charges arising from allegations that he and associates arranged sex parties with prostitutes in the northern French city of Lille. His lawyers have filed a request for the charges to be dismissed.

French prosecutors last month dropped an investigation into Strauss-Kahn’s alleged participation in a gang rape after the woman involved said she had consented and was not pressing charges. After his return to France, Strauss-Kahn was accused by 32-year-old author Tristane Banon of trying to rape her in 2002. French investigating magistrates questioned Strauss-Kahn and his accuser and concluded that while there appeared to be evidence of a sexual assault, the alleged attack had occurred too long ago to be prosecuted.- AFP

PARIS: Large majorities of west Europeans favor the legalization of assisted suicide, now allowed only in four countries on the continent, according to a new survey. In almost all the 12 countries polled, three-quarters or more of those responding to questions posed by the Swiss Medical Lawyers Association (SMLA) said people should be able to decide when and how they die. Two-thirds to three-quarters of them said they could imagine opting for assisted suicide themselves if they suffered from an incurable illness, serious disability or uncontrollable pain.

“In practically all European countries, many signs indicate that the prevailing legal system no longer reflects the will of large parts of the population on this issue,” the SMLA said. The results of its poll “should allow politicians to take democratic principles into account when considering legislation on these issues,” it added in its introduction to the study. Assisted suicide is now allowed only in Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Switzerland. The German government has proposed legalizing it as long as no profit is involved while France is debating whether to allow it.

GERMANS MOST OPEN, GREEKS LEAST WILLING In both Germany and France, the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches oppose legalizing euthanasia and argue for better palliative care to ease pain for dying patients. The study was conducted by the Swiss pollster Isopublic in Austria, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

It did not survey the four European countries that allow assisted suicide, or countries in Eastern Europe. Germans were most open to letting people decide when and how they die, with 87 percent

supporting the idea, and results slowly descended to Denmark’s 71 percent in 11th place.

Greece was the only exception to this strong support, with only 52 percent backing the idea of allowing assisted suicide. Spaniards were the most willing to consider asking for help to die, with 78 percent support, followed closely by Germans (77 percent) and the French (75 percent). In Britain, 71 percent said they might seek assisted suicide while Greece was again the most reluctant with 56 percent saying they might do so. More than threequarters of those polled in all countries said only doctors or trained practitioners should perform assisted suicides. A majority of all respondents said doctors should not lose their licenses if they help a patient die. Results ranged from 84 percent in Britain to 58 percent in Greece.

GERMANS OPPOSE GOVERNMENT BILL About 30 percent of those polled thought dying patients might occasionally be pressured by relatives or doctors into accepting assisted suicide if it is legalized. Roughly another 30 percent thought this would almost never happen. In Germany, where the government’s bill is now being debated in parliament, 76 percent said the proposed law was wrong to ban assisted suicide if the doctor is paid for the service. The bill would not punish those helping patients commit suicide, for example by accompanying them to Switzerland where assisted suicide has been legal since 1942. A rise in dying foreigners - particularly from Germany, France and Britain - ending their lives there has prompted calls for tighter laws, but Zurich voters rejected in 2010 a proposed ban on what opponents called “suicide tourism”. In the United States, assisted suicide is allowed in Oregon, Washington and Montana.—Reuters

Former president Bush hospitalized HOUSTON: Former President George HW Bush was in a Houston hospital Thursday for continuing treatment of a lingering cough. Bush, 88, has been in and out of the hospital recently for complications resulting from bronchitis, Methodist Hospital said in a brief statement.

The hospital and Bush’s spokesman in Houston, Jim McGrath, described Bush as in stable condition and said they expected the former president to be released by the weekend. He’s been under hospital care for nearly a week. “If you asked him today, he would tell you he feels

good enough to get out this afternoon,” McGrath said Thursday. “But the doctors have a different view. He’s 88, and they’re being extra careful, and understandably so.”

The former president’s illness was described as not life-threatening. “This was never a serious or life-threatening situation,” said Dr. Amy Mynderse, an internal medicine specialist in charge of Bush’s care. “We simply wanted to prevent the progression of the disease into pneumonia, which is possible in any patient at this age.” —AP

INTERNATIONAL

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Liao slams Chinese politicians’ ‘dirty wealth’ GUADALAJARA: Chinese dissident writer Liao Yiwu has accused China’s political elite of accumulating “dirty wealth”, saying it had turned his country into “one of the biggest landfills in the world.” “There is wealth in China that only belongs to the powerful political class, that is the truth,” Liao told a news conference at the International Book Fair of Guadalajara in western Mexico. “It is a dirty wealth, that is why I think that China has become one of the biggest landfills in the world,” said the author, also known as Lao Wei. While China has experienced “many changes” and established trade ties with the West, the country’s economic development “has

not affected” the whole population.

Liao gave the example of the sale of new apartments in a building in his native Sichuan province. “An ordinary and normal person would have to have worked 100 years to be able to buy just the bathroom of one of these apartments,” he said. Liao, who was escorted by municipal security guards, said the Chinese government had asked the fair’s organizers to withdraw his invitation. The author spent four years in jail after writing the poem “Massacre” about the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. He has lived in Germany since 2010 after successfully defying a travel ban by walking to Vietnam.

In Guadalajara, Liao deepened his criticism of Chinese Nobel Prize-winning author Mo Yan, whom he has accused of being a “state poet” close to the communist regime. He said that he discussed Mo with Romania’s Nobel literature prize laureate Herta Muller recently, and they concluded that the Nobel jury had committed “one of the biggest mistakes” of the award’s history. “In reality, he is a senior Chinese politician. Giving him this prize was a disaster,” Liao said. Mo Yan has been on the defensive against activists who accuse him of being a communist stooge, amid an outpouring of praise from the government in Beijing. He has also defended Communist Party

US, China armies hold exercise to build trust Washington-Beijing distrust runs high

CHENGDU: The US and Chinese militaries yesterday wrapped up a modest disasterrelief exercise hailed as a tentative trustbuilding step amid growing suspicions between the Asia-Pacific region’s largest armed forces. While not a full-fledged operation, the two-day exercise at People’s Liberation Army barracks outside the city of Chengdu consisted of US and Chinese officers sitting around a table facing a flat-panel video screen and discussing how they would respond to an earthquake in a fictional third country.

Though this was the eighth meeting to discuss disaster relief, it was the first time both sides discussed a joint response to a simulated disaster. The leading officers called that a step forward in building familiarity and trust. US Major General Stephen Lyons said the exercise began the groundwork for the day when the two militaries will operate side-by-side in an actual humanitarian operation. “I think it’s very conceivable. If there is a country out there, and there inevitably there will be, that will have a natural disaster, and they call for international help, if US forces and Chinese forces respond, then indeed we’ll find ourselves working together in the field,” Lyons said in comments to reporters.

While Washington and Beijing have talked about boosting military cooperation for more than a decade, distrust runs high and disagreements over Taiwan, North Korea and China’s assertive claims to disputed territories in the East and South China seas remain potential flashpoints.

China’s robust military buildup and Washington’s decision to redeploy more weaponry and troops to the Asia Pacific region have added to the tensions. The modest scope of the table-top simulation underscores the underlying hesitation and distrust on both sides, particularly in Beijing, which tends to view military exchanges as a form of diplomatic leverage to be severed at times of tension. “It’s worth pursuing, but expectations should be modest,” said Denny Roy, an expert on the Chinese military at the University of

CHENGDU: Major General Stephen R Lyons (left) of the US Army and Major Tang Fen of China’s Peopleís Liberation Army (PLA) shake hands at the end of a twoday military exercise in Chengdu yesterday. — AFP Hawaii’s East-West Center. This year’s exchange comes as China has been flexing its military muscle and raising regional tensions. Last week China staged the first successful landing of planes on its newly commissioned aircraft carrier, a sign of its rapid progress toward deploying the ultimate symbol of naval power and a potent tool for projecting military force far from its shores. China’s Defense Ministry reiterated Thursday that the aircraft carrier was in line with the country’s defense needs and was “not aimed at threatening others and not targeted against any country.” Hardware aside, China has been ratcheting up tensions by engaging in more aggressive tactics in recent months and thereby unnerving neighbors and the US. Chinese coastal patrol and fisheries ships have pushed the Philippines away from a disputed South China Sea shoal and harassed Japanese coast guard vessels near contested East China Sea islands. US naval and aerial reconnaissance close to China’s shores has at times been challenged by Chinese ships and planes, risking clashes.

This week, southern Hainan province, which administers or claims to administer the South China Sea islands China holds or wants to, approved laws giving the police force the right to search vessels that intrude in Chinese waters. The move raised concerns about whether China would seek to block normal maritime traffic through the South China Sea, waters vital to world trade.

Aware of the potential for conflict between the militaries, both sides have in recent years tried to find ways to cooperate. Their armed forces have conducted joint anti-piracy drills in the Gulf of Aden.

US Navy Secretary Ray Mabus in Beijing this week renewed an invitation for China to take part in large US-led multinational naval exercises next year, though China has not said if it would participate. Exercises on humanitarian and disaster relief operations are relatively safe ways to build trust because they “avoid politically sensitive areas,” said retired Rear Admiral Mike McDevitt, a senior fellow with the Center for Naval Analysis. — AP

founder Mao Zedong, who wrote that Chinese art must serve the party. Liao’s visit to Mexico came one month after he collected the German Book Trade Peace Prize, Germany’s second highest award. Liao is also the author of “The Corpse Walker,” which records the lives of working-class Chinese, including a grave robber and a delusional peasant who believes he is an emperor. His works are banned in China.

“Journalists are interested in news, the new events. In reality, I’m more interested in the past, for the things and people of the past,” he said in Guadalajara, adding that one of his favorite subjects is “the people abandoned by society.” — AFP

Weapons stolen from Australian navy vessel SYDNEY: An intruder robbed an Australian navy vessel of a cache of weapons yesterday after overpowering military personnel on guard, the defense department said, in an unprecedented security breach. The Australian Department of Defense said the infiltrator “overwhelmed a duty member onboard a patrol boat” which was moored at HMAS Coonawarra, a naval base in the northern city of Darwin. “The intruder overpowered the duty member, accessed the vessel’s armory and removed a number of weapons,” it said in a statement, without specifying what arms were taken. “The person then departed the vessel with the weapons.”

Reports said firearms usually found on an Armidale-class patrol boat could include machine guns, assault rifles, shotguns and 9mm pistols, as well as ammunition. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said a single intruder armed with a gun tied up a crewman in the attack, which took place at the Larrakeyah Naval Base, which was later placed in lock-down. “Police received a report just before 1:00 am that a Defense member had been assaulted and a cache of weapons had been stolen from a navy patrol boat moored at the base,” Northern Territory police Commander Richard Bryson said. “Police have locked down the base with all vehicles exiting being searched.”

Navy chief Vice Admiral Ray Griggs ordered an investigation into security on all naval ships and bases in the wake of the incident, which was also being probed by the Australian Federal Police.

“It’s certainly a breach of security and it’s a very concerning one for me,” Griggs told Fairfax radio, adding that it was the first breach of its type on an Australian navy vessel. He said the assaulted crew member had his life threatened but was recovering well. About 600 naval personnel are based in the Darwin region, many working at sea in border protection.

Tropical Darwin is a key defense hub for Australia, with rotating United States Marines based in barracks outside the city since April this year as Washington looks to deepen its presence in Asia. — AFP

INTERNATIONAL

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Tokyo suffers ‘diplomatic defeat’ in island rows TOKYO: Shinzo Abe, the front runner to become Japan’s next prime minister yesterday lashed out at the government for what he called a “diplomatic defeat” in territorial rows with its neighbors. The hawkish Abe, 58, blamed a flare-up in a longstanding spat with Beijing over an East China Sea island chain on Tokyo’s weakkneed diplomacy, along with separate territorial rows with South Korea and Russia. Abe said Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and his two predecessors worsened the fight with

China over Tokyo-controlled islands known as the Senkakus in Japan, also claimed by Beijing which calls them the Diaoyus.

“Because of the diplomatic defeat, China is challenging (ownership of the) Senkakus,” Abe said in a televised debate ahead of a December 16 general election that is widely expected to see Noda defeated. “In diplomacy, it is important to strongly express our determination.” Tokyo nationalized some of the Senkakus in mid-September, sparking a wave of

sometimes violent anti-Japanese demonstrations across China and a consumer boycott of Japan-branded exports. Tokyo also has long-standing territorial spats with Russia over islands to Japan’s north and with Seoul over a small archipelago between the two countries.

During the debate yesterday, Abe defended Japanese leaders’ visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine that honors 2.5 million war dead, including some leading war criminals from World War II. The visits fre-

China eases alarm over South China Sea plans Asia’s biggest potential military trouble spot JAKARTA: Southeast Asia’s top diplomat warned yesterday of great anxiety over China’s plan to board and search ships that illegally enter what it considers its territory in the disputed South China Sea and said it could lead to naval clashes and undermine confidence in East Asia’s economy. Beijing, however, moved to ease international alarm over the issue and said it attaches “great importance” to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, a day after state media said police in its southern island province of Hainan will carry out the new plan.

“All countries have freedom of navigation in the South China Sea in accordance with international law,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily news briefing. New rules to come into effect on Jan. 1 will allow police in the southern Chinese province of Hainan to board and seize control of foreign ships which “illegally enter” Chinese waters, the official China Daily reported on Thursday.

The report, which was also carried by other state media, further ratchets up tensions over Southeast Asia’s biggest potential military flashpoint, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes where several countries claim sovereignty. The United States, which has been refocusing its military attention on Asia, says it has a national interest in freedom of navigation in the area. A summit of Asian nations this month was overshadowed by disagreements between China and US ally the Philippines over the dispute, and tensions were fanned again

by China’s move to issue new passports containing a map of its maritime claims.

Surin Pitsuwan, secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), told Reuters in a telephone interview that the Chinese plan was an escalation of tensions and a “very serious turn of events.”

“It certainly has increased a level of concern and a level of great anxiety among all parties, particularly parties that would need the access, the passage and the freedom to go through,” said Surin, who spoke from Thailand.

Surin, using unusually strong language,

MAKATI: Protesters shout slogans as they display mock Chinese passports during a rally outside the Chinese Consulate at the financial district of Makati city, east of Manila, Philippines to denounce recent move by China to print a 9-dash line map of China on the new e-passport that includes the disputed islands and shoal in the South China Sea. — AP said the plan could lead to a major inci- Studies in Singapore. “The Chinese dent that would affect confidence in have painted themselves into a corner East Asia, a major engine of global eco- with the South China Sea issue by raising it to a fundamental issue of national nomic growth. sovereignty on par with Tibet or Taiwan that makes compromise difficult,” COMPETING CLAIMS Hong, the Chinese spokesman, Bitzinger said. declined to elaborate on the new rules FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION and what might constitute illegal entry.

President Benigno Aquino of the “All countries have freedom of navigation in the South China Sea in accor- Philippines said he had asked the coundance with international law,” he said. try’s foreign minister to verify the China claims virtually the entire South reported plan and that, if confirmed, China Sea. ASEAN members the Manila would lodge a diplomatic note Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and or formal protest. China’s move would Malaysia claim various parts, and so be difficult to implement because it runs counter to the United Nations does Taiwan.

The territorial wrangle is a particular Convention on the Law of the Sea, challenge to Southeast Asia, exposing Aquino said. He also said China had how deeply its nations have been made repeated statements that it polarized by China’s rapidly expanding would not block freedom of navigation economic and political influence in the in the area. “We might accelerate and region. Tensions over the sea have sim- bring it before the appropriate internamered for decades but now it is difficult tional tribunal to finally settle the matfor ASEAN members to unite because ter or at least start the process of setthey have competing claims, said tling it legally and concretely,” he told Richard Bitzinger, senior fellow at the S reporters on the central Philippine Rajaratnam School of International island of Cebu. —Reuters

quently rankle officials in China and the Korean peninsula who say Tokyo has not made amends for its wartime aggression. “Leaders of any country pay tribute to the spirits of those who lost their lives for the sake of their countries, so people in other countries have no right to complain,” Abe said. Abe, who is a former prime minister, did not visit the shrine during his 2006-2007 term under pressure from China. “I felt a heartbreaking grief that I could not visit while I was in office,” he told the debate. — AFP

Blind lawyer’s nephew jailed BEIJING: The nephew of blind Chinese lawyer Chen Guangcheng was jailed for more than three years yesterday for attacking officials who descended on his village after the dissident fled to the US embassy, his father said.

Chen Guangchen, who was imprisoned after exposing abuses under China’s “one child” population control policy, caused a diplomatic row when he escaped house arrest in his village in Shandong province and reached the US mission in Beijing.

As he was freed to leave for the United States, government officials and police descended on his village home, prompting his nephew Chen Kegui to attack them with a kitchen knife, wounding three people. “He was sentenced to three years and three months, this is extremely unfair.

There is no principle in Chinese law, I feel there is no hope,” Chen Guangfu, Chen Kegui’s father said by phone from outside the courthouse.

“From what I understand, Chen Kegui will not appeal the sentence. They refused to allow me in to observe the trial, so there are a lot of details that I still don’t know about.” Chen Kegui appeared thin but in good health at the trial, his father said, adding that another relative was allowed to observe the proceedings and sent news of the verdict to the family. Court officials were not immediately available to confirm the verdict and sentence, which came after a three and a half hour trial. He had been charged with the crime of intentional injury.

The family has maintained that authorities barged into their home in the middle of the night unannounced and uninvited, and refused to identify themselves when the attack took place. One of China’s best-known activists, Chen Guangcheng won plaudits for investigating rights abuses including forced sterilizations and late-term abortions under China’s “one-child” family planning policy.

After being released from a four-year jail term in September 2010, Chen was put under house arrest in Shandong but fled from under the noses of plain-clothes police on April 22. He took refuge at the US embassy in Beijing less than a week before US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was due to visit China for high-level talks.

Chinese and American diplomats scrambled to find a solution to defuse the row. After initially agreeing to stay in China, Chen decided he wanted to leave for the US and Beijing eventually agreed to allow him to apply to study abroad. Chen Kegui has been in police custody since April 26, with local officials refusing visits, dismissing lawyers hired by the family and appointing government attorneys.

The court-appointed lawyers informed the family of Friday’s trial only hours before it started, making it impossible for the lawyers they had hired to reach the courthouse in time for the trial, Chen Guangfu said. “The lawyers are a part of the same gang (the government), they were useless, I don’t know any details of their defense for him (Chen Kegui),” he added.

Jerome Cohen, an expert on Chinese law at New York University School of Law who has helped and worked with Chen Guangcheng, said in an email: “The ‘trial’ has obviously been arranged to eliminate the possibility that any of the lawyers retained by the family or the witnesses whom they would like to summon can attend. — AFP

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

INTERNATIONAL

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Hackers target Indian minister in free-speech fight NEW DELHI: Hackers attacked and defaced the website of India’s IT minister yesterday amid a growing campaign against a law governing online comments which has been condemned by free-speech advocates. An amendment to India’s Information Technology Act in 2009, which was championed by minister Kapil Sibal, makes it illegal to make “grossly offensive” comments online, a measure seen by critics as a draconian limit on free speech.

Two girls were arrested earlier this month by police in the commercial

capital Mumbai over comments on Facebook which questioned the shutdown of the city for the funeral of local hardline politician Bal Thackeray. The personal website of Sibal, who has promised to review some sections of the law, was out of order yesterday and the hackers, thought to be from the Anonymous India collective, also defaced the site.

The “About” section of the website described Sibal as “Born with a below60 IQ he thought he could mess with the Internet and let the elite of his party suppress freedom of speech,” India’s

Computer World magazine reported.

The Twitter account of Anonymous India (@opindia_revenge) announced that Sibal’s site had been “trolled” by hackers who had posted comments and edited photos. India’s Supreme Court has accepted a petition to examine the legality of section 66A of the IT Act which makes sending information of “grossly offensive or menacing character” punishable with up to three years in jail.

Yesterday, India’s top court directed the state government in Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is the capital, to

Former India PM Gujral dies at 92 Gujral engineered a thaw in ties with Pakistan NEW DELHI: Former Indian prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral, who engineered a thaw in the icy relationship with arch rival Pakistan, died yesterday aged 92, officials and colleagues announced.

Gujral, who served as prime minister in a coalition government from April 1997 to March 1998, passed away yesterday afternoon at Gurgaon’s Medanta Medicity hospital, near Delhi, where he was admitted 11 days ago with a lung infection. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described him as “a man of peace, an idealist who lived by his principles and an intellectual with the human touch” in a tribute on his official Twitter account. Gujral was born on December 4, 1919 in the city of Jhelum, Punjab (now part of Pakistan) into a family of Congress party workers.

He began his career in politics as a student leader and member of the underground Communist Party of India.

He was arrested in 1942 and jailed for his involvement in the anti-colonial Quit India movement. Gujral joined the ruling Congress party after India won independence and rose through the ranks to become minister of information and broadcasting under prime minister Indira Gandhi from 1969-71 and 197275. The soft-spoken Gujral ran foul of the Congress leadership when he refused to censor radio bulletins during the state of emergency imposed by Gandhi in 1975.

He then spent five years working as India’s ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1976 to 1980. Gujral left the Congress party in the 1980s and joined the socialist Janata Dal, serving twice as India’s foreign minister before being appointed prime minister in a coalition government in 1997. He resigned from the post in 1998 after the Congress party withdrew its support for the government, forcing mid-term elections. He effectively retired from politics the following year. The urbane politician was best known for the so-called Gujral Doctrine, an approach to foreign policy based on peaceful accommodation, arguing that India should treat its neighbors with generosity.

As premier, he attempted to improve

LAHORE: In this file photo, former Indian Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral waves during his visit to the Lahore High Court in Pakistan. Gujral, who transformed India’s icy relationship with neighboring Pakistan during his time in government, died yesterday, aged 92. — AFP India’s strained ties with Pakistan, saying it was time for both nations to leave the past behind and forge a new relationship. Former colleague V Narayanasamy, a minister in the prime minister’s office, told NDTV news channel, “he was a very learned person. I was lucky to have worked with him... and will always

remember him”. Gujral is survived by two sons, Naresh and Vishal. His elder son Naresh is a member of the Punjabbased Shiromani Akali Dal party and was elected to the upper house of parliament in 2007. Gujral’s brother Satish ranks among India’s most prominent artists and architects. — AFP

explain the circumstances under which police arrested the two girls over their Facebook comments.

The government has since issued guidelines on enforcing the law, but a long-standing campaign against it has gathered pace and the Supreme Court may also strike it down as unconstitutional. The arrest of an anti-government cartoonist on a sedition charge in October also raised concerns about the limits on freedom of speech in the world’s biggest democracy. Calls by AFP to Sibal’s office were not answered. — AFP

In Bangladesh, echoes of 1911 NY Triangle fire NEW YORK: Terrified women leaping to their deaths. Locked exits trapping workers. Piles of clothing blocking stairwells to safety. The fire that raced through a garment factory in Bangladesh last week and killed 112 workers bore eerie echoes of another blaze more than a century ago: the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire in New York City. While the March 25, 1911, Triangle fire that killed 146 workers spurred the organized labor movement and led to workplace safety improvements, experts question whether the same will happen in Bangladesh.

“Profit and efficiency and competition always trump safety and health,” said James Gross, a labor relations professor at Cornell University. “There’s all this hoopla, and then not a lot happens after.” In Bangladesh, officials blamed the high death toll in part on the lack of an emergency exit in the eight-story building that housed Tazreen Fashions Ltd, a factory that made clothing for such US retailers as Wal-Mart, Sears and Disney. Likewise, Triangle survivors testified that as the fire raced through the top three floors of a 10-story building, a crucial door that would have helped many escape was locked.

Most of the workers at the Tazreen factory were women from the poorest region of the South Asian country. Young, poor immigrant women, mainly Jews and Italians, dominated the workforce at Triangle.

Stacks of yarn and clothes blocked part of the stairway in Bangladesh, and dozens of fire extinguishers in the building appeared unused. At Triangle, the stairway was blocked by crates of blouses and other goods, and water buckets were inadequate to cope with the fire.

“All around me the others were screaming and hollering,” Triangle worker Celia Saltz Pollack recalled later as part of a project to interview survivors. “The door was locked and I pushed over to the door of the elevator. When the elevator stopped on our floor, I was swept into it by the pushing crowd.” A state commission convened in response to the Triangle fire drafted 20 laws aimed at improving workplace safety, including requirements for fire drills, occupancy limits in buildings and clearly posted exit signs. “I’m heartsick. It’s tragic,” said Suzanne Pred Bass, the great-niece of Katie Weiner, who survived the Triangle fire, and of Rose Weiner, who did not. “It’s not just reminiscent; it is the same event replayed again.”

Bass said what breaks her heart is the fact that she hasn’t seen the same degree of public outrage that followed the Triangle fire. “I think we need, in this country, to have a boycott of Bangladesh clothing until their factories are safe,” she said. “Until their unions are protected.” But unions are scarce in developing nations like Bangladesh, where workers have few protections, said Ethan Snow, a spokesman for Unite Here, a union that represents garment and textile workers in the US. “The reason why these major companies have moved to these countries is because there are no unions,” Snow said.

“And because there is no democratic process on the shop floor for workers.”

The fire has drawn attention to a problem that labor groups, retailers and governments have known for years: Bangladesh’s fast-growing garment industry, second only to China’s in exports, is rife with dangerous workplaces. More than 300 workers there have died in fires since 2006. The country annually earns about $20 billion from exports of garment products, mainly to the US and Europe. — AP

17

Republicans reject ‘ridiculous’ Obama fiscal cliff proposal

19

India’s quarterly growth slows to 5.3%

Business

20

Japan OKs $10.7bn stimulus, aiming to boost growth

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Bulb maker Osram to cut 4,700 jobs

16

ATHENS: A man walks past a kiosk selling towels printed in the form of high-denomination euro banknotes in central Athens, yesterday. The German Parliament yesterday gave its overwhelming backing to a deal aimed at trimming Greece’s debt load and keeping the country financially afloat. The agreement paves the way for Greece to receive 44 billion euro (US $57 billion) in critical rescue loans, without which the country would face bankruptcy and a possible exit from the euro. — AP

ECB, IMF press euro-zone to reform Euro-zone joblessness hits record, other data also weak PARIS: The euro-zone’s crisis is far from over and its members must consolidate their budgets and forge a banking union to put the bloc on a more stable economic footing, the leaders of the IMF and European Central Bank said yesterday.

Underlining the bloc’s woes, data showed both German retail sales and French consumer spending falling faster than expected as well as stubborn Spanish inflation that will likely lift the cost of state pension rises for an already hardpressed budget.

Euro zone wide numbers showed another 173,000 people joining record jobless queues in October, while a dive in consumer price inflation offered only limited relief to households struggling with the recession.

Speaking in Paris, where the government is trying to dispel concerns raised by the IMF that

France could be left behind as Italy and Spain reform at a faster pace, ECB President Mario Draghi said the euro zone’s three-year-old crisis was likely to stretch deep into next year.

“We have not yet emerged from the crisis,” Draghi told Europe 1 radio. “The recovery for most of the euro-zone will certainly begin in the second half of 2013.” “It’s true that budgetary consolidation entails a short-term contraction of economic activity, but this budgetary consolidation is inevitable,” Draghi said, speaking through a translator. ECB policymakers hold their regular monthly policy meeting next week and are widely expected to leave interest rates on hold at a record low of 0.75 percent. Economists are divided on whether the central bank will cut next year.

Draghi has stressed the ECB is ready to help tackle the crisis by buying potentially unlimited

amounts of sovereign debt under its new bondbuy plan but until Spain applies for aid, a prerequisite for the ECB to intervene, it cannot use the tool. Resisting fresh ECB action, Bundesbank chief Jens Weidmann said on Thursday central bankers had done more than enough to fight the crisis and it was now up to governments to act by reforming their economies and making the banking sector solid. Draghi, in Paris for a conference with top financial officials, said euro-zone governments should push ahead quickly with implementing a banking union which must apply to all banks to avoid fragmenting the sector.

His position puts the ECB, which would take on the role of pan-European banking sector, at odds with Germany. Berlin has said that unified banking supervision under the aegis of the ECB should apply only to the bloc’s largest banks.

Joerg Asmussen, one of the ECB’s key negotiators for a closer integration of the euro zone and a former deputy German finance minister, said late on Thursday a new European banking supervisory body would not be ready to operate fully before 2014. But International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde pressed for swift implementation of a banking union that would have powers to supervise all banks in the euro-zone.

“Banking union seems to us to be the first priority,” Lagarde said during the meeting with top financial officials in Paris, adding that closer budgetary consolidation should be the next priority. The economic situation in the euro zone remained fragile and governments should maintain a “reasonable” pace of budgetary consolidation to avoid crimping growth, she added. — Reuters

business

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Lufthansa could stay in long-haul race with Turkish Airlines link FRANKFURT: Closer ties with Turkish Airlines could keep Lufthansa in the race for long-haul flights to Asia and stem the flow of business to Gulf carriers. A combination of the German airline, Europe’s biggest by revenues, and the world’s fastest growing carrier would create a group with about 600 aircraft, more than the three big Gulf carriers’ combined fleet of 500 planes.

Westbound traffic is in decline, making eastward growth crucial.

Turkish Airlines’ Istanbul hub straddles Europe and Asia and is hours closer to Europe than Gulf airports.

While Lufthansa has not confirmed any plans for strategic negotiations, Turkish Airlines Chairman Hamdi Topcu told broadcaster NTV this month that talks on tie-up expansion with Lufthansa would begin in December. “Lufthansa is really constrained now in terms of looking for strategic partners. It’s running out of options. Turkish Airlines is still the best option at the moment, and probably

its last,” Cheuvreux analyst Peter Oppitzhauser told Reuters.

Lufthansa, whose passenger business is forecast to post an operating loss this year, is slashing costs and cutting jobs to cope with high fuel prices and stiff competition.

Middle Eastern carriers are building alliances and investing in new routes and new aircraft to divert a thriving traffic flow between Europe and Asia to their hubs and lure passengers with lower prices as well as better food and inflight service. Airlines will add 19 percent capacity on routes between Europe and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the first quarter of 2013, partly so passengers can switch planes there, according to UBS which forecasts 12 percent growth on direct Europe-China services. Capacity between Europe and the United States is expected to shrink. European airlines, meanwhile, are cutting costs and shelving growth plans, hit by high fuel costs and weak markets.

Lufthansa said Gulf airlines are aggressively expanding, by offering more seats to Europe and taking stakes in other carriers. “It is a question of time before Europe’s connections to other regions will be conducted only via the Gulf states,” it said on its website.

Lufthansa, the only major European airline that does not have a Gulf partner, says the three big Gulf carriers enjoy competitive advantages through public subsidies and preferential fuel prices not available to US and European firms.

The Gulf carriers say this is not the case. Emirates, the biggest Gulf carrier in terms of fleet and number of routes, agreed in September to form an alliance with Qantas, with the Australian carrier replacing Singapore with Dubai as its hub for European flights from 2013.

Qatar Airways, the state-owned carrier vying with Etihad as the second biggest in Middle East, said in October it would join the oneworld

alliance, which includes British Airways, while Air France-KLM, Etihad and Lufthansa’s German rival Air Berlin agreed on flight code sharing.

“While nothing is decided or formally announced, a combination of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines would make the Qatar-oneworld deal and the Etihad-Air France-KLM-Air Berlin code share agreement look relatively like child’s play,” market research group Centre for Aviation (CAPA) said.

Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines together could offer more flights and invest in newer and more fuel efficient aircraft, as well as have pricing power over their rivals. “Obviously there won’t be an equity tie-up in the near future but (the Turkish state) will have to think of something because (Turkish Airlines) will be privatised,” analyst Alper Paksoy of BNP joint venture unit TEB Investment said. Turkey’s government appointed a banking consortium to advise it on the airline privatisation last year. — Reuters

World stocks edge up as US budget talks continue

REGENSBURG: Picture taken on April 4, 2008 shows the lettering of German light bulb maker Osram in front of the company’s grounds in Regensburg, southern Germany. Osram, which is soon to be spun off by its parent, engineering giant Siemens, said yesterday it is planning to cut costs by 1.0 billion euros ($1.3 billion) by 2015. — AFP

Bulb maker Osram to cut 4,700 jobs Smaller plants face closure FRANKFURT: German light bulb maker Osram, which is soon to be spun off by its parent, engineering giant Siemens, said yesterday it is planning to cut costs by 1.0 billion euros ($1.3 billion) by 2015.

As part of the cost-cutting programme, the group will sell factories, which will reduce the 39,000-strong workforce by about 4,700 jobs, Osram said in a statement.

Due to fundamental changes in the lighting sector, Osram had already announced in January 2012 that it would adjust its capacities and its workforce “both nationally and internationally by the end of fiscal 2014,” the statement said.

As part of those measures, some 1,900 jobs have already been axed worldwide this year, including 300 in

Germany. Plants producing products at the end of their product life cycle or smaller plants with lower sales would face closure, the company explained.

Osram is grappling with a shift in the industry from traditional light bulbs to light-emitting diodes (LED), a technology where Asian rivals have built up capacity and driven down prices. Osram said it was building up capacities “in future-oriented business areas” and created 200 jobs here in Germany alone last year.

It plans to invest “a low three-digit million euro figure over the coming years in its LED assembly plant in the Chinese province of Jiangsu,” Osram said. “In the final completion stage, 1,700 employees will manufacture products for key segments of the Chinese market and entire Asian

region. The region will already account for around half of the global general lighting market in five years’ time,” the statement said.

Osram quoted a study on the lighting sector by McKinsey which estimated the total market to grow by roughly 5.0 percent per year between 2011 and 2016 and the market volume for LED is expected to rise to 37 billion euros by 2016 from nine billion euros last year. Over the same period, the market volume of traditional products would decrease by 15 percent, McKinsey estimated. On Wednesday, parent company Siemens said it would spin off 80.5 percent of its lighting unit Osram with a view to proceeding with the long-planned stock market listing of the subsidiary later. — AFP

BANGKOK: World stock markets eked out only marginal gains yesterday as an immediate agreement among US leaders to resolve a critical budget deadlock appeared unlikely. Britain’s FTSE 100 was marginally higher at 5,871.62 Germany’s DAX rose 0.1 percent to 7,411.37. France’s CAC40 gained 0.1 percent to 3,572.42.

Wall Street appeared headed toward a flat open, with Dow Jones industrial futures rising less than 0.1 percent to 13,025. S&P 500 futures were nearly unchanged at 1,415.80.

Asian stock markets were boosted earlier by signs of improvement in the world’s No. 1 economy. The US Commerce Department raised its estimate of third-quarter growth to an annual rate of 2.7 percent - much better than the 2 percent rate estimated a month ago.

Additionally, the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dropped by 23,000 to 393,000 last week, the Labor Department said. The figures were in line with expectations. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.5 percent to 22,030.39 and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.6 percent to 4,506. South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.1 percent to 1,932.90. Benchmarks in Taiwan, Singapore, mainland China and New Zealand also rose. Indonesia fell.

The US government figures come on top of recent China manufacturing data that shows its economic recovery is gaining momentum and renewed confidence in Europe’s ability to tackle a debt crisis in Greece.

Lorraine Tan, director at Standard & Poor’s equity research in Singapore, said stocks have been on the upswing thanks to big-picture data pointing toward a less risky global economic environment for next year.

“Asian markets are relatively attractive. Equity markets in general are relatively attractive. I think some money is coming back on expectations that growth is going to be not as bad as anticipated despite the fiscal cliff,” she said.

“The outlook is still for very sluggish growth into next year,” Tan said. “But the perception is that the risk of a deeper slowdown has come off a bit.” Meanwhile, the release of an 880.3 billion yen ($10.7 billion) stimulus package by the Japanese government helped boost the Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo. The benchmark rose 0.5 percent to close at 9,446.01.

Investors also have been tracking the talks between the White House and Congress over the “fiscal cliff,” a reference to sharp government spending cuts and tax increases scheduled to start Jan. 1 unless a deal is reached to cut the budget deficit. Economists have been warning that failure to resolve the issue will hurt the US economy, the world’s largest. Analysts said the focus of attention will likely remain on the U.S. in coming weeks, especially now that countries that use the euro and the International Monetary Fund have agreed to carry on funding nearly bankrupt Greece. — AP

business

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Shoppers’ habits not changed by garment plant fire NEW YORK: Before purchasing a shirt, shoppers will run their hands over the fabric, look at the price tag and wonder how it will hold up in the washing machine. Some might even ask if it makes them look fat.

The one detail, however, that is rarely considered: What are the conditions like for the workers making the shirt? A horrific fire that raced through a Bangladesh garment factory Saturday, killing 112 people, has put the spotlight - at least temporarily - back on those workers and their sometimes treacherous work environment. The factory, owned by Tazreen Fashions Ltd., made clothing for several retailers around the globe including Wal-Mart, Sears and The Walt Disney Co. All three compa-

nies have distanced themselves from responsibility for the incident, saying they didn’t know that their subcontractors were using the factory.

Holiday shoppers have also maintained their distance from the tragedy.

“Truthfully, I hadn’t even thought about it,” said Megan Miller of Philadelphia as she walked out of the Disney Store in Times Square.

“I had Christmas on my mind and getting my kids something from New York.” Shoppers from Cincinnati to Paris to Singapore all said the same thing: They were aware of the fatal factory fire, but they weren’t thinking about it while browsing stores in the days since.

Brand name, fit and - above all - prices were on their minds.

“Either our pockets get lighter or we have to live with more blood on our hands,” said Amy Hong, a college student who was at a store in Singapore. “I try not to think about it.”

Experts who survey shoppers say the out of sight, out of mind attitude is nothing new. “When you talk to them about their biggest concerns, where something is made, or the abuses in some country, almost never show up,” said C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group, which interviews 10,000 to 15,000 consumers a week, mostly on behalf of retailers.

“The numbers are so small, I quit asking the question.”

Convenience is much more important to shoppers. Take Tammy Johnson

who was at a Walmart in Bloomington, Minn. this week. She lives nearby and appreciates that the store has a large grocery section in addition to clothing and other goods.

“It’s easier and it’s cheaper,” she said of her decision to shop there. “I hate that, but it is true.” Even those who want to make socially responsible purchases a priority have little information available to work with.

There’s no widespread system in place to say where all the materials in a shirt come from let alone whether it was made in a sweatshop or not. A label saying “Made in USA of imported fabrics” doesn’t provide as much information to shoppers as they might think. — AP

Republicans reject ‘ridiculous’ Obama fiscal cliff proposal Calls for $1.6 trillion in tax hikes

ROSSLYN: Rose Wang, owner of Binary Group, works in her office in Rosslyn, Vrginia Small businesses with 50 workers or more will be required to provide health insurance Jan. 1, 2014. Wang, who has about 70 employees, will instead have to decide whether she’ll cover them, or pay a penalty for not providing insurance. — AP

UPS modifies TNT Express bid to get EU approval THE HAGUE: US delivery giant United Parcel Service (UPS) said yesterday it had amended its multi-billion-euro bid for Dutch firm TNT Express to meet EU conditions and close the deal by next year. It added however that the revised bid “does not change the terms and conditions of the offer by UPS for TNT Express.” A statement said: “UPS and TNT announce that in line with Dutch disclosure requirements, remedies have been submitted to obtain competition clearance from the European Commission for the acquisition.”

It added: “The proposed remedies aim to address the EC’s concerns regarding the competitive effects of the intended merger on the international express small package market in Europe.” In June, UPS launched a 5.16-billion-euro ($6.71 billion) takeover bid for TNT Express, but European Commission competition authorities announced a month later they would investigate how the deal could affect the European market. At the time, the EC said it was worried that the proposed merger would reduce the number of socalled integrators from four to three and lead to a highly concentrated market for domestic and international express delivery services. UPS and TNT Express are major players in the sector for delivery of small packages and are two of four firms with a comprehensive air and road delivery network on the continent. Others present in Europe are DHL, owned

by Deutsche Post, and FedEx, a US-based company.

The deal is expected to put UPS ahead of its two competitors as it would strengthen its position in Europe and globally. UPS and TNT Express said on Friday that the proposed adjustments “comprised the sale of business activities and assets in combination with granting access to air capabilities” but declined to give further details. “UPS and TNT Express continue to be fully committed to the merger and are working closely with the EC to gain competitive clearance allowing the completion of the transaction in early 2013,” it said. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Republicans rejected as “ridiculous” a White House plan to raise $1.6 trillion in new taxes over the next decade, as crunch talks on the US deficit took a turn for the worse. A congressional Republican aide familiar with the White House proposal-presented by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in talks with House Speaker John Boehner-said the offer was a rehash of President Barack Obama’s budget request.

“The White House keeps saying it wants a ‘balanced approach’ but this offer is completely unbalanced and unrealistic,” the aide said, as talks stalled on how to avert looming tax hikes and automatic federal spending cuts. “It calls for $1.6 trillion in tax hikes-all of that upfrontin exchange for only $400 billion in spending cuts that come later,” he added. Boehner himself made no comment on the specifics, but told reporters he was “disappointed” with the offer.

“Going over the fiscal cliff is serious business,” said Boehner. “I’m here seriously trying to resolve it. And I would hope the White House would get serious as well,” he said, adding that “no substantive progress has been made” since negotiations began more than two weeks ago. The $1.6 trillion is nearly double what would be raised if tax breaks for the wealthiest two percent of Americans were to expire, which means the White House is seeking hundreds of billions of dollars in additional revenues over the next 10 years.

It is also double the amount the White House hoped to raise in tax revenue through a “grand bargain” that fell through in July of 2011, when Democrats and Republicans clashed over raising the US debt ceiling. The White House and the Republicans must reach an agreement by the end of the year that lowers the ballooning US deficit by $1.2 trillion over 10 years, as mandated in a poison pill deal agreed last year.

If they don’t, tax cuts in place since the presidency of George W Bush will expire and $500 billion in across-the-board

spending cuts would kick in-a double whammy that could knock the US economy back into recession.

The White House estimates most American households would be hit with $2,200 in additional taxes. “While $1.6 trillion is the White House’s public position, it is ridiculous to offer that amount two weeks after negotiations began-and less than a month before we must have a solution,” the Republican aide said. There is broad agreement that Bush-era tax cuts should remain for everyone making less than $250,000 per year, but while Obama’s Democrats want the cuts to expire for the wealthiest two percent, Republicans are opposed.

Republicans have also demanded action on reform of entitlement programs such as Social Security, the national pension program for the elderly. The White House proposal also features new stimulus spending and a permanent end to congressional control over federal borrowing limits-the issue at the heart of last year’s spending fight.

Boehner complained of a lack of progress, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who met separately with Geithner, shot back that Democrats have seen no “serious offer” from Republicans, who are divided over whether to agree quickly on keeping rates low for middleincome families.

Democrats pushed through legislation in the Senate that would let the top tax rate rise from 35 percent to 39.6 percent while keeping middle-class rates unchanged, and have urged the Republican-controlled House to pass the bill. Boehner has refused to bring it to the floor, despite some calls for the bill from within his party.

Congressman Tom Cole made waves when he broke ranks recently to urge fellow Republicans to extend the middleclass tax cuts now, and thrash out a deal on top earners next year. Both sides have spoken of their desire for a long-term agreement that would tackle the chronic national deficits and debt, but they were still far apart on Thursday. — AFP

NEW YORK: In this Nov 15, 2012 file photo, traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Uncertainty over whether US leaders can resolve a critical budget deadlock and figures showing the eurozone’s unemployment rate at a record high capped any gains to be made in the markets yesterday. — AP

BUSINESS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

IIF says Greek debt buyback must be ‘voluntary’ NEW YORK: A powerful international bank lobby warned Thursday that the outcome of Greece’s looming debt buyback program remains uncertain and warned that it must be “purely voluntary.” The Institute of International Finance’s Market Monitoring Group welcomed a third EU-IMF aid program agreed on November 27 as important to cutting Greece’s debt and helping it avoid default.

But the IIF body that “uncertainty remains” surrounding the plan, especially regarding Athens’s planned buyback of debt, a linchpin of the deal that will reduce its interest burden and free up new funds from its lenders.

“A voluntary debt buyback is assumed by the Euro Area to be instrumental to reducing Greece’s debt-toGDP ratio, allowing program disbursement,” it said in a statement following

New York meetings. “However, it is critical that any buyback be conducted on a purely voluntary basis.” The IIF, which led the talks between privatesector creditors and Greece which resulted in banks taking a deep writeoff earlier this year, made clear its members did not want to be forced into taking more losses on the Greek bonds they hold. It hailed important parts of Tuesday’s deal, including the reduction in bilateral lending rates, the extension of maturity on rescue loans, and the turning over of European Central Bank and eurozone central banks’ profits on their Greek bonds to the Greek government.

But the debt buyback is a cornerstone of the agreement reached by the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Central Bank, which pledged

the release over the next four months of 43.7 billion euros ($56.7 billion) in new rescue aid to Greece.

IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said Thursday that the Fund’s support of the new program is contingent on the success of the buyback program.

Athens said it expected to launch the buyback next week and complete it by December 13, though if the operation fails, Athens said it had an alternative plan. But the IIF raised doubts over whether the buyback would achieve its goals, and said the focus should be on restoring growth to the depressed Greek economy.

“At present, the outcome of the buyback-and the final decision on the next disbursement-remains uncertain,” the IIF said. “In any event it is increasingly clear that meaningful progress towards debt sustainability can only be

achieved with a return to economic growth.” The group criticized the lenders’ policy approach toward Greece and the weak economies of the eurozone. “The emphasis on aggressive short-term fiscal contraction in the Euro Area does not fully address the fundamental challenge.”

In Greece’s case, the group argued for more emphasis on privatization and tax reform, an acceleration of eurozone investment funds, and more concessions by official creditors like interest rate cuts, including from the International Monetary Fund. Such movers are “urgently needed to restore economic growth.” Ratings firm Moody’s echoed the IIF’s worry Thursday, saying it was uncertain whether there would be sufficient private-sector participation “to contribute to a meaningful debt reduction.” — AFP

Ships divert as port strike blocks US trade gateway LOS ANGELES: Container ships have begun diverting to other ports in California and Mexico as a strike continues to disrupt docking facilities in Los Angeles, a key gateway for trade with Asia, an official said.

As a trade group urged President Barack Obama to intervene, Port of Los Angeles head Geraldine Knatz also warned that the three-day-old strike could damage the US economy and harm the reputation of the key shipping hub.

“This dispute has impacted not only our port workforce but all stakeholders who ship goods through our complex and potentially the hundreds of thousands of jobs that are directly and indirectly related to port operations,” she said.

“In today’s shipping environment, we can’t afford to lose cargo or our competitive advantage,” she added Thursday, saying ships were diverting notably to Oakland, up the coast near San Francisco, and to Mexico to the south. The action by clerical staff started at a terminal in the port of Los Angeles on Tuesday but spread to six other terminals and the nearby port of Long Beach on Wednesday. No progress was reported in negotiations Thursday.

The two ports deal in $1 billion of cargo per day on average, a huge proportion of it shipments to and from Pacific nations. The striking workers claim that the Harbor Employers Association wants to outsource jobs, but employers’ spokesman Stephen Berry said the strike was over “demands that we hire people they don’t need.” He added that clerks get eleven weeks holiday per year and have an absenteeism rate of 29 percent. Meanwhile, the National Retail Federation (NRF) called for the White House to help unblock the negotiations.

“A prolonged strike at the nation’s largest ports would have a devastating impact on the US economy,” NRF head Matthew Shay wrote in a letter to Obama.

“We call upon you to use all means necessary to get the two sides back to the negotiating table.” The port in Los Angeles and the one in neighboring Long Beach constitute the seventh busiest commercial harbor in the world, handling more than 40 percent of ocean-shipped US imports from Asia. — AFP

LISBON: Dockworkers hold a sign outside the Portuguese parliament in Lisbon, during a protest by several European dockworkers’ unions. In the parliament lawmakers were debating a new law that the workers’ claim will lead to the loss of jobs. — AP

HAYANGE-FLORANGE: In this photo taken Aug, 6, 2012, a general view of the Arcelor Mittal Factory in Hayange-Florange, eastern France is seen. Industrial Recovery Minister Arnaud Montebourg drew praise on the political left after accusing the company of lying to the government amid its plan to shutter a blast furnace in the northeast town of Florange. —AP

ArcelorMittal, France target steelworks deal Foreign investors seen unnerved by Montebourg rhetoric PARIS: The French government and steelmaker ArcelorMittal are aiming to clinch a deal to save jobs and avoid a temporary nationalisation of its Florange steelworks, government sources said yesterday as a midnight deadline neared.

ArcelorMittal says the site’s two furnaces are not viable but Socialist President Francois Hollande wants them kept open and has threatened a controversial state takeover for the site in northeastern France if no private buyer is found.

The two furnaces together employ 600 workers with the entire site providing work for 2,700. Sources close to Hollande said talks could stretch beyond the deadline set for an accord by ArcelorMittal, but no comment was available from the company.

“My aim is to find a long-term solution in terms of both jobs and activities for the Florange site,” Hollande told reporters on a trip just outside Paris late on Thursday, declining to give details of how a compromise could emerge.

A deal this weekend could bring concessions from both parties, including promises from ArcelorMittal to offer new jobs to all workers affected by a shutdown of the furnaces and large new investments in France, Les Echos business daily reported.

The compromise could save face for Hollande’s government, which is struggling to stem a glut of industrial layoffs and has faced criticism this week from business leaders over its threat to nationalise Florange.

Alternatively the state could carry out plans to acquire the whole site with a private co-investor and seek to revamp the idled furnaces using European Union credits to produce environmentally friendly steel, Les Echos added.

Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg, who shocked foreign investors this week by saying Arcelor’s Indian CEO Lakshmi Mittal was not welcome in France, has said an unnamed industrialist was ready to inject 400 million euros into the site.

Edouard Martin, head of the CFDT trade union’s Florange chapter, said he hoped a new owner would come forward. “In the long term, I don’t think having Mittal in charge is an ideal scenario,” he told LCI television in front of French parliament, where metal workers are protesting.

French officials have defended a temporary nationalisation of Florange, saying it is a special case because ArcelorMittal has broken its promises to keep the furnaces running.

But ArcelorMittal denies breaking commitments. Sources close to the group say Arcelor planned in 2003 before its 2006 takeover by Mittal - to wind down inland blast furnaces in Europe, including the two in Florange, by 2010. They argue that overcapacity in Europe’s steel market, with demand 28 percent below peak 2007 levels, has made Florange’s furnaces unviable and that a buyer would have to absorb deep losses to take them on, even with the rest of the site. — Reuters

BUSINESS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Duke Energy CEO to leave in NC merger settlement RALEIGH: Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers will step down as head of the largest US electric utility by the end of 2013 as part of a settlement with the North Carolina utilities regulator that ends an investigation into the company’s takeover of in-state rival Progress Energy.

The North Carolina Utilities Commission and Duke Energy said Thursday the deal concludes the regulator’s probe into whether the company misled the commission ahead of the merger approval. The commission had the power to reverse or alter its approval.

Hours after the merger was completed July 2, Duke Energy’s board ousted Progress Energy CEO Bill Johnson, who was supposed to take over the combined company. It had promised to keep him in place throughout the 18month process of merging the two Fortune 500 energy

companies headquartered in North Carolina. The deal created the nation’s largest electric company.

The state regulator and Attorney General Roy Cooper launched investigations that demanded several internal Duke documents and communications. The commission hired a former federal prosecutor to probe whether Duke Energy executives and board members were telling regulators that Johnson would head the combined company while secretly arranging to dump him. A Cooper spokeswoman said the attorney general’s investigation will continue. Johnson was hired earlier this month as chief executive of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public utility. “This settlement agreement is an important step forward for the company because it resolves one of our key near-term

priorities: bringing closure” to the commission’s review, Rogers said in a statement. His retirement will take effect by Dec. 31, 2013.

Duke Energy now has 7.1 million residential and business customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Florida. It did not name a replacement CEO immediately. Duke Energy also required the regulator’s approval to raise electricity rates for its 1.9 million North Carolina customers, a request the Charlottebased company plans to file as early as February.

Rogers became president and CEO of Duke Energy after its 2006 merger with Cincinnati, Ohio-based Cinergy, which he had headed for 11 years. Rogers had planned to retire as Duke’s CEO at the end of this year before the shakeup with Johnson.—AP

India’s quarterly growth slows to 5.3% Sensex stock index up 11.15%

LAHORE: A labourer dyes bangles at his shop in Lahore yesterday. The International Monetary Fund urged Pakistan to reduce its large budget deficit to bolster the struggling economy’s resiliency. — AFP

Commodities rise on budget talks NEW YORK: Most commodity prices rose as back-and-forth negotiations continued over the US budget. Gold, industrial metals, oil and soybeans ended higher on the day. Natural gas, wheat and corn fell. Investors hope the Obama administration and Congress can agree on a new budget by the end of the year, preventing automatic cuts to government spending and steep tax increases from going into effect.

Commodity prices have been uneven this week as investors have made trades based on the day’s headlines about how the talks are progressing. Economists believe the lack of a budget agreement could push the US back into a recession, which would cut demand for commodities such as industrial metals, oil and other energy products.

“This is a continuing seesaw of investor sentiment going into the final weeks of these fiscal cliff negotiations. Today, you have people feeling better again about the fiscal cliff and the economy going forward,” Kingsview Financial analyst Matt Zeman said.

“Now, again, how long this will last, who knows?”

Commodities also benefited from positive news about the US economy. The Commerce Department said the economy grew at a faster rate than initially thought during the second quarter.

Separately, the National Association of Realtors said an index measuring pending contracts to buy homes jumped last month.

Steady job gains and record-low mortgage rates have made home buying more attractive for Americans.

Gold for February delivery rose $10.70 to end at $1,729.50 per ounce. In March contracts, silver rose 66.1 cents, or 2 percent, to $34.431 per ounce, copper gained 6.8 cents to $3.6055 per pound and palladium ended up $12.25 at $687.45 per ounce.

January platinum gained $7.80 to $1,619.50 an ounce.

Other commodities were mostly higher. Benchmark oil rose $1.58, or 1.8 percent, to finish at $88.07 per barrel. Heating oil gained 3.26 cents to $3.0406 per gallon and wholesale gasoline rose 5.31 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $2.787 per gallon.

Natural gas fell sharply after the Energy Department said natural gas supplies rose last week. The inventory level is 5.2 percent above the five-year average. Natural gas fell 15.3 cents, or 4 percent, to end at $3.648 per 1,000 cubic feet. — AP

NEW DELHI: India’s economic growth eased to 5.3 percent in the July-September quarter, extending a slowdown since the start of the year, data showed yesterday, but analysts said a “modest recovery” was looming. While the growth rate for the quarter to September was in line with most market expectations, it was weaker than the 5.5 percent growth in the April-to-June quarter and well down from 6.7 percent expansion a year ago.

But analysts saw a silver lining in falling global oil prices, growing domestic demand as incomes rise and a recent burst of reforms by the government opening up sectors such as retail and aviation to more foreign investment.

“The conditions for a modest economic recovery are now in place,” said Credit Suisse Robert Prior-Wandesforde, citing expectations of easing interest rates and the government’s recent reform blitz to liberalise the economy. The once-booming Indian economy has slowed sharply this year due to high interest rates, Europe’s debt crisis and sluggish investment caused by domestic and overseas concerns about policy-making and corruption. Manufacturing performed badly during the last quarter, growing by a scant 0.8 percent from a year earlier. Services such as hotels and transport grew 5.5 percent while finance and property activities jumped by 9.4 percent. C. Rangarajan, head of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s economic advisory council, expressed confidence that growth “in the second half (of the fiscal year) should be better”.

“The overall growth rate for the economy could be between 5.5 and 6.0 percent for the full year,” to March 2013, he told CNBC TV18 news. Goldman Sachs economist Tushar Poddar also saw “an improving outlook” and this week upgraded Indian shares in expectation of a pick-up in growth and easing inflation that would

give the central bank more room to cut rates. While HSBC economist Leif Eskesen agreed that a pick-up was in sight, he added “we are most likely talking about a ‘bathtub shaped’ recovery...” with growth flattening out before rising again. India’s benchmark 30share Sensex stock index has risen 11.15 percent from September to November, led by optimism over reforms and overseas fund inflows. Yesterday, it climbed almost 1.0 percent to 19,321.55 points-its highest since April 2011. India’s growth numbers come as economists say the slowdown in neighbouring China may also be bottoming out.

China reported last month third-quarter growth of 7.4 percent, its weakest performance since the global financial crisis, but other data suggested recovery may around the corner.

However, despite the optimism about India’s recovery prospects, some analysts sounded a note of caution. Jyoti Narasimhan, economist at IHS Global Insight research group, said India’s reform needs may be “greater than its political system’s capacity to deliver at the moment”, referring to political turmoil that has gripped parliament. “Policy implementation uncertainty remains a key risk,” she said.

The government is also unable to stimulate the economy with public spending and is under pressure to cut a widening budget deficit and avert a downgrade of its sovereign debt to “junk” status by global credit ratings agencies. While 5.3 percent growth would be the envy of much of the world, it’s not enough for India, which needs close to double-digit expansion as it seeks to reduce crushing poverty. “For us, eight percent growth is not an aspiration but a necessity. India cannot afford to grow below eight percent,” Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said last weekend. — AFP

NEW DELHI: Global Brand Manager Land Rover, Scott Dickens (left), Director Studio Design Phil Simmons (center) and VicePresident Jaguar and Land Rover India, Rohit Suripose with the newly unveiled Range Rover car in New Delhi yesterday. India has been one of the world’s fastest-growing car markets in recent years. — AFP

BUSINESS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

India’s Bharti Infratel plans $845 million IPO NEW DELHI: Bharti Infratel, the telecom tower arm of India’s leading mobile phone company Bharti Airtel, announced plans yesterday to raise up to $845 million in what would be the country’s biggest initial public offer in two years. The initial public offer (IPO) would serve as an important gauge of foreign and domestic investors’ appetite for new stock issues, and will mark the Bharti group’s return to the capital market after a gap of a decade.

The offer will run from December 10 to 14, the company said. Bharti Infratel

has over 34,000 transmission towers across 18 states covering 11 telecom circles and also holds a 42 percent stake in Indus Towers — the world’s biggest tower firm — which has around 110,000 towers.

The offering will be the biggest public issue since state-run Coal India raised $3.4 billion in an IPO in late 2010.

Since then, India’s IPO market has virtually dried up as India’s economy has slowed with more than 50 firms pulling their proposed initial offers since early 2011. But in recent months India’s

benchmark 30-share Sensex stock index has surged, led by optimism over a blitz of government economic reforms and overseas fund inflows. The Sensex has risen 11.15 percent from September to November.

Bharti Infratel would retain a little over three-quarters of the issue proceeds while a quarter will be distributed among private equity firms including Temasek, The Investment Corp of Dubai and Goldman Sachs, according to documents. After the IPO, Bharti Airtel’s stake in Bharti Infratel

would fall to 79 percent from a current 86 percent while private equity firms will own 10.58 percent, down from 14 percent earlier.

Telecom transmission tower companies earn their money by leasing space to mobile phone firms. Bharti Infratel is expected to use the proceeds to expand its number of towers and upgrade existing ones. Since the filing of the initial prospectus in midNovember, Bharti Airtel’s shares have gained more than 20 percent on the Bombay Stock Exchange. — AFP

Asian markets rise, yen weakens on Japan stimulus Wall Street’s main indexes finish positive

BEIJING: World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim (2nd right) answers a question during a press conference in Beijing yesterday. The World Bank is to launch a joint study with Beijing on urbanisation in China, one of the great human migrations of modern times, it said yester-

Japan OKs $10.7bn stimulus, aiming to boost growth TOKYO: Japan unleashed yet another barrage of stimulus at its stagnant economy yesterday as debate over how to revive growth heated up ahead of a general election widely expected to deal a severe blow to the ruling Democratic Party.

Fresh data for October showed an uptick in industrial output from the month before, the first increase in four months, but little else in the way of encouragement. The opposition Liberal Democratic Party, which is pushing for more aggressive action to spur growth, is widely expected to make major gains in a Dec. 16 general election.

The latest stimulus package approved by the Japanese Cabinet, totaling 880.3 billion yen ($10.7 billion), is earmarked mainly for spending on social programs, employment creation and support for small and medium-size enterprises. It is expected to add 0.2 percent to Japan’s economic growth rate and to help create about 80,000 jobs, the Cabinet said.

The total size is not enough to really boost GDP, especially for early next year,” said Junko Nishioka, an economist at RBS Japan Securities. “It is not enough to change the mood of business activity.” The economy shrank an annualized 3.5 percent in July-September, and many economists say they expect a further contraction in the current quarter, which would land Japan in its fifth recession in 15 years.

LDP leader Shinzo Abe contends much stronger action is needed to help pull the economy out of the doldrums and has urged that the central bank move more aggressively to end deflation, which has hindered growth for much of the past two decades.

Abe and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda were due to face off later yesterday in a policy debate. Even if Noda’s party does lose its parliamentary majority in the election, the LDP would likely have to forge a coalition in order to take power.

Both parties have pushed the Bank of Japan for stronger action to boost growth, with Abe urging that the central bank be held responsible for meeting an inflation target of at least 2 percent. Such calls worry many in Japan who fear the LDP might undermine the central bank’s autonomy and further erode the country’s already weakening fiscal health. —AP

HONG KONG: Asian markets mostly climbed yesterday after data showed the US economy grew more than first expected in the third quarter while traders remain upbeat a deal will be made on averting the fiscal cliff.

The yen eased further against the dollar and euro after the Japanese government announced a huge spending spree to kickstart the economy just weeks before a general election. Tokyo closed 0.48 percent, or 45.13 points, higher at 9,446.01, Sydney ended up 0.63 percent, or 28.3 points, at 4,506.0 but Seoul finished 0.10 percent, or 1.95 points, lower at 1,932.90, reversing early day gains.

Hong Kong closed 0.49 percent higher adding 107.50 points to 22,030.39, while Shanghai was up 0.85 percent, or 16.63 points, at 1,980.12. The US Commerce Department said Thursday the economy grew 2.7 percent in the three months to September, faster than the 2.0 percent first estimated, reflecting in part increases in government spending and private inventory investment.

However, growth in consumer spending, which accounts for 70 percent of output, was revised down to 1.4 percent, just slightly above the second-quarter pace.

Also, jobless claims fell back to 393,000 in the most recent week, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The figures provide a general view that the country is gradually getting back on its feet, which will have a positive knock-on effect for the global economy. Lawmakers in Washington are locked in tough talks on averting the fiscal cliff of tax hikes and spending cuts to come into effect on January 1, which could tip the economy back into recession. But while Republican House Speaker John Boehner has rejected as “ridiculous” President Barack Obama’s first proposal to cut the country’s deficit, investors are broadly confident a deal will be achieved by the end of the year.

Wall Street’s main indexes finished in positive territory for a second straight day.

The Dow was up 0.28 percent, the S&P 500 gained 0.43 percent and the Nasdaq added 0.68 percent. On currency markets traders sold the yen further after reports said the cabinet of Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda approved a $10.7 billion stimulus ahead of December 16 polls that his ruling party is expected to lose.

The yen has taken a hit this month after

BEIJING: A man rides an electric bike along a street in the central business district in Beijing yesterday. Standard & Poor’s affirmed China’s sovereign credit rating, another sign that the world’s second largest economy is rebounding as Beijing prepares to usher in new leaders. — AFP Shinzo Abe, the leader of the opposition and the man expected to become prime minister after the vote, said he would push a more aggressive monetary easing policy.

In the afternoon the dollar rose to 82.58 yen from 82.10 yen in late Thursday New York trade, while the euro bought 107.46 yen, compared with 106.58 yen. It was also at $1.3012, from $1.2978. The dollar is up 3.5 percent against the yen in November, while the euro has risen 3.3 percent. Also providing a little support to Tokyo shares was news of a surprise rise in Japan’s factory output for October.

Production grew 1.8 percent from the previous month, the first rise in four months and beating an average market forecast of a 2.2 percent drop.

On oil markets New York’s main contract, West Texas Intermediate for January delivery, was down 21 cents to $87.86 a barrel in the morning, and Brent North Sea crude for January dropped 10 cents to $110.66. Gold was at $1,728.37 at 1040 GMT compared with $1,724.60 late Thursday.

In other markets: Taipei rose 1.02 percent, or 76.62 points, to 7,580.17. HTC was up 2.7 percent at Tw$266.0 while TSMC gained 2.28 percent to Tw$98.7. Wellington rose 0.83 percent, or 33.32 points, to 4,050.09

Fletcher Building up 1.41 percent at NZ$7.92, Chorus rising 1.8 percent to NZ$3.40 and Telecom Corp down 1.70 percent at NZ$2.31.

Kuala Lumpur was up 0.22 percent, or 3.51 points, at 1,610.83. IHH Healthcare added 3.3 percent to 3.48 ringgit while Axiata Group rose 0.2 percent to 5.92 ringgit.

Jakarta ended down 0.99 percent, or 42.95 points, at 4,276.14. Mobile phone provider Indosat dropped 11.9 percent to 5,550 rupiah and palm oil producer Astra Agro Lestari fell 3.23 percent to 18,000 rupiah.

Bangkok rose 1.10 percent, or 14.47 points, to 1,324.04. Coal producer Banpu lost 0.75 percent to 395.00 baht while energy giant PTT gained 0.63 percent to 320.00 baht.

Singapore closed 0.80 percent, or 24.05 points, higher at 3,069.95. Farm commodities supplier Olam, which has come under attack from US research firm Muddy Waters, was up 0.96 percent to Sg$1.575 after falling sharply over the past two weeks.

Mumbai rose 0.88 percent, or 168.99 points, to 19,339.90 points. Private steel producer Jindal Steel rose 5.39 percent to 402 rupees while state-run oil explorer ONGC rose 4.44 percent to 264.9 rupees. Manila was closed for a public holiday. — AFP

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

India’s giggling guru says laugh yourself to good health Page 25

Korean pop rides ‘Gangnam Style’ into US music scene Page 24

A model stumbles as she showcases a creation by French designer Julien Fournie yesterday in Singapore during the French Couture 2012 Singapore fashion show.

(See Page 29) — AP

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

T

he Girls Aloud singer is a huge fan of the ‘We Found Love’ hitmaker because she is a “minx”, while her bandmate Nadine Coyle loves “boyish-looking” girls and the Victoria’s Secret Angels.

Sarah said: “I would have to go for Rihanna. I like a bit of a minx.”

Nadine added: “I have such high standards. I like a boyish-looking girl.

I like short cropped hair. “Not so much Pink, she’s not boyish enough for me. “If I did have to pick it would have to be one of those Victoria’s Secret girls.” But potential suitors for the girl band - which also includes Cheryl Cole, Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts - should beware as Nadine insists the ‘Something New’ hitmakers are all “feisty” and nobody should “mess” with them. She said: “We are all feisty. None of us are wallflowers. “Nobody should mess with Girls Aloud. There are men and women who’ve tried and failed.” Sarah who had a drunken holiday bust-up with ex-boyfriend Theo De Vries on New Year’s Day - explained: “Once someone kicks off it can all kick off.” The 31-year-old singer - who went to rehab to be treated for depression and alcohol and sleeping pill addictions in 2011 after splitting from fiancÈ Tom Crane - slammed fellow celebrities for making ridiculous demands on their tour riders, but joked she makes plenty of diva requests herself. She added to the Daily Star newspaper: “As long as I get my red M&Ms I am fine. “We also need lots of fluffy puppies and cats to play with and candles so we can stick them all around the dressing room.”

T

T

he ‘Mercy’ rapper desperately wants to propose to the ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ star but feels like he has to wait until her divorce from Kris Humphries, her husband of 72 days, comes through. A source told HollywoodLife.com: “The only thing he wants to give Kim for Christmas he cant ... he wants her to be free from this dude. It’s been going on way too long and he hates this. Really son, you don’t understand how much he despises him. He hates this dude with a passion.” Kanye is hopeful Kris will back down and accept a divorce rather than pushing for an annulment on the grounds of “fraud” and when Kim is officially a free woman, friends believe he will immediately pop the question. The insider added: “He is crazy when it comes to this and rightfully so. He gave her the world already, so now he’s got to get her the entire planet.”

Kim is even reportedly already planning her nuptials and wants a huge English event to rival that of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. A source said: “Kim would love to wed at Westminster Abbey like William and Catherine, but that won’t be possible. Instead she’s been looking at castles near London. She wants the most spectacular wedding and she’s talking about having guests like Jay-Z and Beyonce, Eva Longoria, Lindsay Lohan, Rihanna and Katy Perry arrive in horse drawn carriages - just like the royal wedding.”

he country singer - who has battled drink and drug addiction in the past - admits the moment he crossed paths with the Oscar-winning actress at a party in 2005 completely turned his life around because it gave him a sense of purpose. The ‘American Idol’ judge said: “I wouldn’t say it was a life-changing moment because it was more than that. It was when my life started. That’s the only way I can describe it. Meeting Nic was that profound for me. “Before then I didn’t really know what I was doing.

Now I know exactly what I’m doing and it all makes sense. “I feel very, very fortunate that I’ve met somebody like Nic and we share the same kind of ideology.” After the couple wed in 2006, Keith, 45, checked into rehab to receive treatment for alcohol abuse and he admits it was Nicole’s support that got him through and finally made him kick his habit. He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “We know every part of our relationship because we’ve built it. Just the two of us. It’s beautiful. Nicole listened to her heart and did what she felt was the right thing to do. “To see that kind of love in action is very moving and deeply inspiring, and just makes me want to be a better man.” The couple now live in Nashville, Tennessee, with their daughters Sunday Rose, four, and two-year-old Faith.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Niall Horan

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he Irish singer has been given a camera and can’t wait to record some day-to-day footage of himself and bandmates Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, to give their fans a behind the scenes look at their lives. Liam told MTV News: “Niall’s got a camera, so he’s going to film some of the film.” Niall added: “They’ve given me a camera for the movie, so we’re going to be going around [filming].” “We’ve always had a camera with us. Like when we were touring America in the summer, we had like a camera with us every day and we were just kind of documenting stuff. ‘Cause if it ever did come to a movie, then we’d have stuff ready for it.” The movie will be directed by ‘Super Size Me’s Morgan Spurlock and Niall believes he is the perfect person to work on the movie for the ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ hitmakers. He said: “Morgan works well because...he did a lot of documentary movies.

That’s more so what we want our movie to be. It’s going to be a concert movie, but with a documentary side than concert side so we wanted to get our personalities across because the fans know us, but we want them to know us deeper.”

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he ‘Playing for Keeps’ actress used to cut the heads off her Barbie Dolls and when she was younger and her parents would let her put them on their festive tree, a tradition she still keeps up. She said: “My Barbie Dolls didn’t really stick around very long. I ended up mutilating them by pulling their heads off, cutting off all their hair, dyeing them with markers and sticking them on the Christmas tree lights.

They’d light up like these demonic heads. My parents were very open! “Back then I don’t think people reported that kind of stuff. Now I would definitely be in trouble. I still have the heads.

They still go on [my Christmas tree] every year at home.” The 30-year-old - who married Justin Timberlake last month - admits she was quite a tomboy while growing up and wanted to be Indiana Jones. She told talk show host Conan O’Brien: “I played any kind of sport - soccer, football. Whatever it was, I was playing with boys, hanging out. “Indiana Jones was my idol. I wanted to be him. I wanted to be an archaeologist because of him. My dad had to explain to me that being an archaeologist means you’re sitting in a pile of dirt digging. It’s not swinging on ropes with a cool whip and a sidekick!”

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he 41-year-old singer and her husband, Martin Isaacs have been accused of defaulting on a huge loan from Manhattan’s Signature Bank, according to a complaint filed New York State Supreme Court. The financial institution is seeking the full loan amount, which was taken out in October 2011 and due to be paid back by July 2012, along with $58,000 in interest. The ‘Family Affair’ singer’s production company, Mary Jane Productions Inc, was also named in the lawsuit. This is the latest financial woe for

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he socialite arrived in the Indian state with her boyfriend, River Viiperi, in the early hours and has been very impressed by the idyllic landscape. In a series of twitter posts, she wrote: “#YES! After a very long journey, we’ve finally arrived in Goa! Can’t wait to get to the hotel to shower and sleep. So exhausted! “So happy! In Paradise with @RiverViiperi in a beautiful villa on the water. So peaceful here, such a magical feeling. Feel so blessed. “Loving Goa with @RiverViiperi. How beautiful is it

Mary after her charity, The Mary J Blige and Steve Stoute Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now Inc, was accused earlier this year of mishandling funds and failing to pay back a loan. Speaking about the allegations, Mary said: “The lives of young women are at stake. I feel what they feel. I don’t want them to suffer. I promised them something and I’m gonna deliver.

Period. “As soon as I was informed of the issues at FFAWN, I immediately called my advisors and lawyers to get to the bottom of

here? #India #MagicalParadise (sic)” She also tweeted a picture of her and 21-year-old model Viiperi on a lawn next to a hammock. It seems River was in a romantic mood after touching down too, as he tweeted: “#LovingLife with the most beautiful girl in the world. (sic)” Paris, 31, and River’s trip to India has been a long one, as they flew from the US to Dubai - a 16 hour flight - then on to Mumbai, India’s largest city, before finally getting a connecting flight to Goa. Paris is in the state as she is DJing at the India Resort Fashion Week.

what was happening. As Founder and CEO of FFAWN, I am ultimately responsible for anything that goes wrong. The problem is that I didn’t have the right people in the right places doing the right things. This should have never been allowed to happen, but it did and now we are fixing it. The good news is that we have been in touch with the MJB Center in Yonkers and the scholarship program, and both are in good shape.”

— Bangshowbiz

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

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Charlotte Muhammad holds up two $100 dollar bills she got from Secret Santa, at St Joseph’s Social Service Center in Elizabeth, NJ, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. — AP

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wealthy Missouri man posing as “Secret Santa” stunned New Yorkers on Thursday, handing $100 bills to many in Staten Island who had lost everything to Superstorm Sandy. The Kansas City businessman is giving away $100,000 this holiday season, and spent the day in New Jersey and New York giving away thousands. But he says money is not the issue. “The money is not the point at all,” said the anonymous benefactor as he walked up to surprised Staten Island residents and thrust crisp bills into their hands. “It’s about the random acts of kindness. I’m just setting an example, and if 10 percent of the people who see me emulate what I’m doing, anybody can be a Secret Santa!”

A police motorcade with sirens took him across the borough, passing a church ripped from its foundations and homes surrounded by debris. At a nearby disaster center run by volunteers, a woman quietly collected free food and basic goods. “Has anyone given you any money?” he asked her. “No,” replied Carol Hefty, a 72year-old retiree living in a damaged home. “Here,” he said, slipping the money into her hand. “But this isn’t real money!” said Hefty, glancing at the red “Secret Santa” stamped onto the $100. “It is, and it’s for you,” he tells her. She breaks down weeping and hugs him.

And so it went, again and again. Secret Santa started his daylong East Coast visit with stops in Elizabeth, NJ Keeping close watch over the cash handouts was his security entourage - police officers in uniform from New York and New Jersey, plus FBI agents and former agents from various states. Some have become supporters, wearing red berets marked with the word “elf” and assisting “Santa” to choose locations where people are most in need. He himself wears an “elf” cap and a red top, plus blue jeans.

The group must choose stops carefully, and refrain from simply appearing outdoors in a neighborhood, lest they be mobbed by people hearing that cash is being handed out. At a stop at a Staten Island Salvation Army store, one woman is looking over a $4 handbag. “But you get $100!” he tells her, offering the bill. “Are you serious?” said Prudence Onesto, her eyes widening. “Really?” “Secret Santa,” he deadpans, breaking into a broad grin. The 55-year-old unemployed woman opened her arms and offered him a hug. An aisle over, 41-year-old Janice Kennedy is overwhelmed: She received four $100 bills. Unemployed with a 2-year-old daughter, she lost her home in the storm and lives with her boyfriend. The money will go toward Christmas presents and her toddler’s next birthday.

“You’re not alone. God bless you!” the Missouri stranger tells Phillip and Lisa Morris, a couple in their 30s whose home was badly damaged - but now had an extra $300 in cash for rebuilding. Secret Santa took up the holiday tradition from a close Kansas City friend, Larry Stewart, who for years handed out bills to unsuspecting strangers in thrift stores, food pantries and shelters. Stewart died in 2007 after giving away more than $1 million to strangers each December in mostly $100 bills.

The current Secret Santa will not divulge his name. Nor does he allow his face to be photographed. But he said he’s been to cities across America, from San Diego to Chicago to Charlotte, NC. A reporter asked whether he might be a sort of Warren Buffett of Kansas City. He smiled mysteriously and said only that he admires Buffett for his philanthropy. —AP

angnam Style,” the catchy Korean song by rapper Psy, may have danced its way into the American charts but the Korean pop industry isn’t horsing around when it comes to capitalizing on the singer’s phenomenal US success. With “Gangnam Style” topping the current Billboard Digital Songs chart and becoming the most-watched video on YouTube ever with more than 800 million views, fellow Korean pop, or K-pop, artists are positioning themselves for similar US breakthroughs. Korea’s pop music industry is thriving. Over the past two years, a handful of K-pop acts including girl group 2NE1, boy band Super Junior and nine-piece band Girls Generation have embarked on mini-promotional tours around the United States to build their audience.

“Psy has opened doors and is shining a spotlight on Kpop. People are paying attention to what’s being done there,” Alina Moffat, general manager at YG Entertainment group, which manages Psy, told a recent entertainment industry conference in Los Angeles. Psy’s vibrant music video, featuring his invisible pony-riding dance, also featured K-pop artists Kim Hyun-a of girl band 4Minute, and Deasung and Seungri of boy band Big Bang, all of whom are attempting to crack the US market.

“YouTube has really changed the awareness of K-pop.

Both American kids and second-generation Korean American kids are discovering it,” Kye Kyoungbon Koo, director of the Korea Creative Content Agency, told a panel at a Billboard and Hollywood Reporter conference in Los Angeles in October.

Marketing the next big thing For US companies looking to invest, K-pop is being marketed as the next big thing, boasting young, stylish and influential artists who command devoted fan followings. Moffat said car companies and mobile phone brands were among those being courted at KCON, a convention held in October in Irvine in Southern California that showcased K-pop artists.

“Kids are coming, they’re engaged, they want to spend money and sponsors saw that,” Moffat said. Whether Psy or other K-pop artists can command a global following to rival Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber or Rihanna remains to be seen, but John Shim, senior producer at MTV World, believes it is the right genre to compete with pop music’s biggest names. “K-pop admittedly is a very niche genre but I also think it’s the best equipped of Asian pop to cater to the US audience,” Shim told Reuters. Psy has helped to break down language barriers, keeping “Gangnam Style” in its original Korean form instead of adapting it to English when it became an international hit.

The singer told Reuters he was persuaded to keep it that way by his manager Scooter Braun, the talent scout responsible for Justin Bieber’s success, who signed Psy to his record label. “I thought, ‘Should I translate this or not?’ because (the fans) have got to know what I’m talking about, and lyrics are a huge part,” Psy said.

Chatting in English But industry executives say at least one member of each K-Pop group is usually taught to be fluent in conversational English. “The investment in language is costly, but effective,” said Ted Kim, president of South Korean music television channel Mnet. “It really matters that Psy can go on the Ellen DeGeneres TV show and have a conversation.” Psy said he was proud his song succeeded in Korean, but he now wants to branch out into English. “‘Gangnam Style’ is not the sort of thing that’s going to happen twice. I’ve definitely got to make something in English so I can communicate with my fans right now,” the singer said. In Korea, bands such as SM Entertainment’s Super Junior and Girls Generation have became branding powerhouses, scoring endorsements ranging from cosmetics, fashion, video games, electronics and beverages.

In the United States, companies such as Samsung have already jumped on the K-pop train, sponsoring Korean boy band Big Bang’s US tour. But while the genre is gaining steam in the charts, it has yet to spill into ticket sales for tours, according to Gary Bongiovanni, editor in chief at Pollstar.com, which tracks concert sales. “Psy may

South Korean pop sensation Psy gestures from the red carpet as he attends the 2012 Mnet Asia Music Awards in Hong Kong yesterday. — AFP be able to sell out arenas in Asia, but not yet here. For the American audience, he has to prove that he’s more than a novelty act,” Bongiovanni said. “K-pop has to prove itself before large companies spend money on it,” he added.

—Reuters

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ayan priests started off ceremonies aimed at marking the end of the current era in the Mayan long-count calendar Thursday, with dancing, incense and rituals designed to thank the gods. The Mayas performed the “New Fire” ceremony at a park in Mexico City, but complained they have been barred by authorities from performing rituals at their ancestral temples in the Maya region. The Mayas measure time in 394-year periods known as Baktuns. The 13th Baktun ends around Dec 21, and 13 is considered a sacred number for the Maya.

The estimated 800,000 surviving Mayas in Mexico are hoping for a better new Baktun than the one now ending, which began around 1618. It included the painful aftermath of the Spanish conquest in which Mayas and other indigenous groups saw their temples and sacred writings systematically destroyed and their population decimated by European diseases and forced labor. “This is the ending of an era for the Maya, an era which has been very intense for us, in which we have had suffering and pain,” said Mayan priest Jose Manrique Esquivel, 52, who wore a feather headdress and body paint for the ceremony. For the new Baktun, he said, “we are praying the wars, the conflicts, the hunger to end.”

The Maya survived all of that suffering with their pride intact. “We were not conquered, we are still here, we are alive and so is our culture our language, our food, our history,” Manrique Esquivel said.

The priest, who is in agreement with most archaeologists and astronomers, doesn’t believe the ancient Mayas predicted the world would end with the close of the current Baktun. Some bloggers and astronomy enthusiasts have suggested the Mayan calendar would “run out” on Dec 21. Despite the generally festive atmosphere at the ceremony, there was some discontent that the government won’t allow Mayan priests and healers to perform their ceremonies inside archaeological sites like Chichen Itza, Coban and Tulum that their ancestors built. “We would like to do these ceremonies in the archaeological sites, but unfortunately they won’t let us enter,” Manrique Esquivel said.—AP

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

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hinese regulators suspended a broadcaster yesterdat after an unaired segment of a TV game show was leaked online showing a raucous shouting match about nudity between spectators and a woman who calls her daughter the next Lady Gaga. The suspension of all of Jiangsu Education Television’s programming - because of content deemed vulgar and not educational enough - marked the government’s latest attempt to rein in the increasingly freewheeling media sector.

China also said earlier this year it would limit American-style reality TV and other light fare shown on satellite TV. The latest ruling was prompted by the game show “Bang Bang Bang,” which has games of chance for cash prizes as well as entertainment segments with attractive women. A video clip apparently filmed by an audience member features Gan Lulu, an auto show model well-known in China for racy outfits and whose career was launched by a nude video of her posted online by her publicity-seeking mother.

The six-minute clip of the not-yet-aired game show episode,

still available on YouTube, shows Gan as well audience members and the model’s mother shouting and swearing after one spectator asks whether Gan’s risque images have undermined China’s morality. Gan’s mother, Lei Bingxia, also in the audience, stands to take up the argument, using several off-color slurs.

“Can your mom make you the sexy goddess of China?” she later shouts. “Can your mom make billions of people like you?

Gan’s mom can!” “I’m the best agent in China, I’m telling you! I will not only make my daughter the world’s Lady Gaga, but the world’s Marilyn Monroe.” The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television first ordered the show canceled Wednesday and criticized the clip for showing name-calling, “wanton acts” and for “amplifying ugliness.” It said the incident had a “negative influence on society.”

On Thursday, the agency issued a second directive saying that Jiangsu Education Television, a regional broadcaster near Shanghai, had to suspend all programming effective Friday

because it violated China broadcasting rules by identifying itself as an educational channel while offering entertainment content.

The Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said in a faxed statement that some 30 programs were affected by the suspension, including some distance learning programs, meaning classes were canceled for as many as 150,000 students. The “Bang Bang Bang” editor also was fired, the Jiangsu provincial government said. The broadcasting regulator is concerned about vulgar, violent and pornographic videos being aired, and has been tightening rules to make sure that broadcasters and Internet service companies prescreen their content. — AP

India’s giggling guru says laugh yourself to good health

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ndia’s “guru of giggling” Madan Kataria, who has got thousands of people guffawing globally in pursuit of better health, has an unexpected confession-he hasn’t got a very good sense of humour. “But you don’t require one to laugh,” chortles Kataria, founder of “Laughter Yoga”, a movement that has attracted fans worldwide including celebrities Oprah Winfrey and Goldie Hawn. Kataria-who travels constantly spreading his “laugh with no reason” gospel-has been hired by multinationals from computer giant Hewlett-Packard to automaker Volvo to hold team-building laughter sessions. Now he is setting up a “Laughter University” in the southern city of Bangalore on land donated by a building contractor and $250,000 from an anonymous tycoon.

Indian ‘guru of giggling” Madan Kataria speaks during an interview after a session at a ‘laughter club’ in Greater Noida. — AFP

“In three months we will start building and by the end of 2013 we will be up and running. We want to build a worldwide community headquarters of laughter yoga,” he said. Kataria envisions holding laughter sessions and conferences at the centre and setting up an alternative medi-

cine unit to expand medical knowledge about the beneficial health effects of laughter. Studies already suggest laughter releases feel-good endorphins, the brain chemicals that are linked with a sense of wellbeing. “Laughing is the healthiest thing you can do-it’s the best medicine,” said the towering, bald 58-year-old, whose movement has inspired thousands of “Laughter Clubs” in India and around the world from Beirut to Dublin.

Kataria also holds laughter sessions in schools, prisons, hospitals and retirement homes, and a few years ago testified before a US Senate committee that laughter yoga could help the country cut healthcare costs. A qualified doctor, he hit upon medical literature advocating laughter as a stress-buster and remedy for other ailments. In 1995 he decided to “field-test” his findings before setting up the first of his clubs.

Medical benefits Kataria started with four strangers in a Mumbai park. They stood in a circle and “laughed like hyenas,” he recalled.

Numbers soon swelled to around 50. They recounted jokes but realised they didn’t have enough gags-then he found that the body was unable to distinguish between fake and genuine laughter with both producing the same “happy, healing chemistry”. “Anyway, fake laughter turns into real laughter after a few moments. Try it,” he said.

He persuaded his group to laugh with him for one minute with no reason. It stretched into 10 minutes as the laughter turned infectious-and the Laughter Yoga movement was born. “Laughter is more about social connection and bonding than something being funny,” Amit Sood, a doctor at the Mayo Clinic in the United States, told AFP. “Studies show all kinds of benefits from laughter from better immunity and coping skills, lower stress, better relationships to improved digestion,” he said. Many Indian parks now host sessions every morning with peals of laughter ringing out from people standing in groups.

“It relaxes me. If I laugh in the morning, the rest of the day goes well,” said Lisa

Singh, 39, one regular “laugher” in New Delhi. Kataria, who runs his non-profit Laughter Yoga Institute with a dozen employees from his Mumbai home, says one needs a full 15-to-20 minutes of giggling daily to reap the full benefits.

Researchers believe it may be the use of abdominal muscles in laughing that triggers the release of endorphins-a phenom-

family was rather disappointed-but now they have seen how big Laughter Yoga has become, they’re proud,” he said. His talent to engage people came across at a recent financial analysts’ team-building session in New Delhi. He stretched his arms out and led off with his signature “tee-hee, ho, ho” that finally gave way to unrestrained bellows.

Indian participants take part in a session of a ‘laughter club’ in Greater Noida on the outskirts of New Delhi on August 25, 2012. — AFP

enon also associated with exercise, such as running. “It’s not enough to just watch a funny movie because you just laugh a few seconds at a funny line-you need to laugh for a stretch to get the rewards,” Kataria said.

Big ambitions Kataria was the youngest of 14 children from a poor farming family in the state of Punjab. Six siblings died as medical help was too far away and his mother set her heart on him becoming a doctor.

She sold her gold bangles so he could go to medical school. He qualified as a physician but was more drawn to acting and admits he was a “bit of a showman”. “My

There were a few nervous titters, then within minutes the room was engulfed by laughter and some people were wiping away tears. “Laughter is contagious-like yawning,” said Kataria who intersperses the merriment with deep breathing yoga exercises and stretching. “We need to laugh to help us deal with life, which can be very difficult,” he said, briefly sounding serious. “When you laugh you’re joyfulyou’re living in the moment.” — AFP

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Aamir Khan returns to Bollywood big screen B

ollywood superstar Aamir Khan returns to the big screen yesterday in his first commercial film release for three years, taking up the role of a mustachioed police inspector in a Mumbai crime thriller. In “Talaash” (Search), promoted as a darker tale than the industry’s typical mix of glamour, action and comedy, Khan stars alongside popular actress Kareena Kapoor as a prostitute and Rani Mukerji as his wife. Producer-actor Khan has given little away about the eagerly-anticipated film, which is set in the underbelly of India’s entertainment capital and has been described by the star as an “intense suspense drama”.

“I want the suspense to be there, that’s part of the promotions.

Sometimes being quiet also might pro-

mote it,” Khan said. “I found it fulfilling... the suspense part of it. But at its heart, it’s a story about someone coming to terms with loss... it is a very emotional story at its core,” Khan told the Press Trust of India ahead of the release. The star reportedly had to learn to swim for scenes in “Talaash”-a film that “proves once again this actor’s films are not to be skipped and completely worth the wait”, said a review in the DNA newspaper.

Directed by Reema Kagti and coproduced by Khan, “Talaash” marks the 47-year-old’s first appearance in a movie since art film “Dhobi Ghat” (also known as “Mumbai Diaries”) was released in 2010, directed by his wife Kiran Rao. Khan’s last commercial hit was “3 Idiots” in 2009, a coming-of-age comedy about three engineering stu-

dents which became the highest grossing Bollywood movie of all time.

His 2001 film “Lagaan” (Land Tax) became the third Hindi-language movie to be Oscar-nominated for best foreign language film. This year Khan launched a 13-episode Sunday morning television show that won plaudits for tackling some of India’s darkest social problems, drawing comparisons between him and US chat show host Oprah Winfrey. — AFP

Indian Bollywood actor Aamir Khan (left) and actress Rani Mukerjee pose as they attend the premier of Hindi film ‘Talaash’ directed by Reema Kagti in Mumbai late November 29, 2012. — AFP

Berry, Aubry, Martinez call truce Christmas decorations are for sale at a stand of the traditional Christmas Market in Nuremberg, southern Germany, yesterday. The traditional “Nuernberger Christkindlesmarkt” opens from November 30 to December 24, 2012. — AFP

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alle Berry, her ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry and her current lover Olivier Martinez have called a truce after their angry Thanksgiving Day brawl outside the Oscar-winning actress’s Los Angeles home. Attorneys for the trio said after a closed-door court hearing on Thursday that the trio “have reached an amicable agreement” but gave no details. “There will be no further statements regarding this matter,” the attorneys said in a brief statement.

Aubry, French actor Martinez, and the “Monster’s Ball” star have been embroiled for months in a custody fight over Berry’s 4-yearold daughter, Nahla. Berry wants to take the daughter she had with Aubry to live with her and fiance Martinez in France, but a Los Angeles judge denied that request earlier in November. The two men came to blows over the issue on Nov 22, with both accusing the other of starting the fight in Berry’s driveway, and then obtaining restraining orders against each other. It was unclear on Thursday whether either man would be charged in the incident, or how the custody issue had been resolved. — Reuters

Attorney expects Lohan will be cleared in NYC case

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indsay Lohan was charged Thursday with crimes in New York and Los Angeles, marking her latest setbacks as she tries to revive her career and avoid a return to jail. Prosecutors in Santa Monica charged Lohan with three misdemeanors related to a June accident. Hours earlier, the actress was arrested and charged with third-degree assault, also a misdemeanor, after a woman was punched in a New York City nightclub. The California charges came about six months after Lohan’s Porsche crashed into the back of a dump truck. She told police her assistant was driving, but detectives now believe the actress was behind the wheel as she headed to a movie set.

In that case, Lohan, 26, was charged with lying to police, reckless driving and obstructing a police officer from performing duties. Lohan’s California attorney, Shawn Holley, said she could not comment on the crash-related charges. In New York, her attorney Mark Heller said he expects the assault charge to be dismissed. “Once again, Lindsay Lohan is a victim of someone trying to capture their 15 minutes of fame,” Heller wrote in a statement. “From my initial investigation, I am completely confident that this case will be concluded favorably and that Lindsay will be totally exonerated.”

The California charges could trigger another probation violation for Lohan, who was ordered to stay out of trouble when she was released from supervised probation in March after being

convicted of the misdemeanor theft of a necklace and two DUI charges. Since then she has been arrested twice in New York, crashed her car on Pacific Coast Highway, been treated by paramedics in her hotel room, and gotten in an

argument with her mother that prompted a 911 call. None of the events are likely what the clearly relieved actress anticipated in March when she thanked Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner, who warned the actress that

Lindsay Lohan is escorted from the 10th Precinct police station, with her face shielded, Thursday, Nov 29, 2012, in New York after being charged for allegedly striking a woman at a nightclub. — AP

she could face up to 245 days in jail if she violated her probation again. “You need to live your life in a more mature way, stop the nightclubbing and focus on your work,” Sautner said.

In recent years, Lohan has been sentenced to the Los Angeles-area women’s jail five times.

Most of her stays have been short due to overcrowding, and she was allowed to serve 35 days on house arrest in 2011. Lately, Lohan has been filming two movies and doing a cameo in the latest installment of the “Scary Movie” franchise.

The first film, “Liz & Dick,” premiered Sunday night on Lifetime to mostly negative reviews.

She was on her way to shoot scenes for “Liz & Dick” in June when her Porsche crashed into the dump truck and the actress was briefly hospitalized. A week later, paramedics were summoned to her hotel room. Her then-publicist Steve Honig attributed the health scare to exhaustion and dehydration. Lohan relocated to New York after finishing her work on “Liz and Dick” and a Bret Easton Ellis film titled “The Canyons” was complete. On Thursday, police said Lohan got into a spat with a woman at Club Avenue in the Chelsea area of Manhattan.

The woman was hit in the face and did not require medical attention, authorities said. The “Mean Girls” and “Freaky Friday” star was charged with third-degree assault. Her arrest at 4 am EST Thursday was the latest by New York police since September, when a man accused her of hitting him with her car. —AP

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Actor who killed landlady not on drugs Review

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This photo shows Nobert Leo Butz as Jack (left) and Katie Holmes as Lorna, in a scene from “Dead Accounts”. — AP

Rebeck’s ‘Dead Accounts’ lacks sharpness

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ou might expect Katie Holmes to have something to prove in her first acting appearance since splitting from Tom Cruise. You might expect her to emerge onstage in a gown by Valentino and shoes by Jimmy Choo. Well, put those expectations aside. In Theresa Rebeck’s new Broadway play, Holmes first appears in sweat pants and fuzzy pink slippers, her hair in a frazzled ponytail and her spoon in a quart of antidepressant ice cream.

In “Dead Accounts,” Holmes plays an “old but pretty” woman who “seems like a loser” and lives at home with her parents.

She only flashes her beauty once, freeing her hair and looking seductive - enough to remind you what a head-turner she can be.

It’s a brave move for the 33-year-old, who deserves credit for trying hard. But she mostly tries hard to keep up with stage veterans Norbert Leo Butz and Jayne Houdyshell in Rebeck’s oddly thin new play, which opened Thursday at the Music Box Theatre. Director Jack O’Brien struggles to both get the five-person cast to really jibe and the rhythm of the plot to get going. Holmes relies too much on a whiny teenage angst and a guilelessness that

worked on TV but lacks nuance onstage.

That said, she does generate two of the biggest cheers in the play - one for pulling out a cheap box of wine from the fridge and the other for an anti-bankers rant that sounds like it could come from an Occupy Wall Street protester.

Rebeck, who created the first season of NBC’s “Smash” and several well-received plays including “Seminar” and “Mauritius,” has stumbled a bit with “Dead Accounts,” a love letter to the hardworking, plainspoken Midwest, but one that lacks the sharpness and depth of her previous work. Too often Rebeck’s insights come in the form of clunky fortune cookie proverbs, as when one character says, “It’s complicated. But anything true, is!” Or when another says: “Religion and money are just the dumb things we use to plug up the hole in our hearts because we’re so afraid of dying.”

The heavy lifting is done by Butz, who plays Jack, a banker who one day abandons his rich life in Manhattan for the calmer hometown sweetness of Cincinnati and his listless sister (Holmes), old buddy (a contained Josh Hamilton) and his slightly demented mother (a delightful

Mickey Mouse poster sells for more than $100,000

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ne of the earliest surviving posters of Mickey Mouse sold for more than $100,000 on Thursday, Heritage Auctions said. The 1928 movie poster of the iconic cartoon mouse belonged to the family of a deceased collector in Northern California, the auction house said. Mickey Mouse was created in 1928 by Walt Disney, and the color poster shows a smiling Mickey waving his gloved hand, advertising the “Mickey Mouse sound cartoon,” with a slogan calling the animated mouse “The World’s Funniest Cartoon Character.” The poster was auctioned in Dallas, Texas and sold for $101,575.

The name of the winning bidder was not disclosed. Grey Smith, director of movie poster auctions at Heritage Auctions, in a statement called the poster “an important piece of pop culture treasure,” and said it was likely to be the only Mickey Mouse poster created until 1930, when Columbia Pictures started distributing Disney cartoons. Mickey Mouse has become one of the most recognized animated characters in popular culture, symbolizing the Walt Disney Company and spawning a global merchandising franchise. — Reuters

Houdyshell). His chilly wife (nicely nasty Judy Greer) follows.

Jack is slightly crazed, buying too much ice cream and pizzas, sitting too close to people, spouting strange manic philosophy and flitting generally too close to the psychic edge. His sister puts it perfectly when she calls him “very a lot.” The Act I curtain falls on the stunning reason he has fled. Butz at first seems to be overcompensating for the smallness of Holmes, but the anguish and heart of his character are revealed beautifully. Butz makes Jack both lovesick in one moment and thunderously revengeful in the next, showing the complexity of a Midwestern boy in love with his local hot dogs and yet one who has grown comfortable in his plush steak-eating New York life. But “Dead Accounts” doesn’t really resolve anything or really end. It just sort of peters out, its momentum lost and none of its issues resolved. There’s a halfhearted, last-second attempt to bring grace to Jack, but it’s more of a Hail Mary-type pass, one born out of desperation. At the play’s end, it feels like the audience itself should be handed quarts of ice cream as a commiserative olive branch. — AP

former “Sons of Anarchy” actor who was the lone suspect in the killing of his landlady did not have drugs in his system when he died, according to an autopsy report released Thursday. Authorities had been interested in whether Johnny Lewis was on drugs or medication when he apparently killed Catherine Davis in her home and then fell to his death in her driveway. Lewis had recently been released from jail and had a string of drug-related arrests before the killing. His attorney had speculated he Johnny Lewis might have been in a druginduced psychosis when he killed Davis. Toxicology results on Johnny Lewis found no traces of cocaine, alcohol, marijuana or any other types of drugs in the actor’s system. Officials checked for anti-psychotic drugs as well as psychedelic drugs.

An autopsy report noted that Lewis had nail marks on both sides of his neck when he died and had suffered partial strangulation. His death was ruled accidental because there was no evidence he attempted to kill himself or had been pushed.

Police believe Lewis fell while trying to flee the home after killing Davis, 81, who operated a retreat for writers and actors out of her home. Lewis had played Kip “Half-Sack” Epps on the TV drama “Sons of Anarchy” in 2008 and 2009 before his character was killed off. He had been arrested three times during the past year.

Probation officials earlier this year expressed concern about Lewis’ mental health and his danger to others.

A probation officer who evaluated Lewis’ case after he attempted to break into the home of a woman wrote that he was being “very concerned for the well-being of not only the community but that of the defendant.” The report added Lewis suffered from some form of chemical dependency and mental health issue, and was a transient.

“Given this, (Lewis) will continue to be a threat to any community he may reside,” it said The break-in attempt came about six weeks after the actor hit two men over the head with a bottle during a fight. Lewis’ attorney, Jonathan Mandel, said after his client’s death that drugs may have been a factor in the deaths. He said he recommended treatment for Lewis but he declined it. — AP

Holy pricey car! Original Batmobile to hit auction block

W

ant to own your very own Batmobile? The original car from the “Batman” television series is going up for auction and is expected to fetch a seven-figure sum, auctioneers Barrett-Jackson said on Thursday. The two-seater car was featured in the live-action “Batman” show starring Adam West that aired from 1966 to 1968. “The Batmobile is true Americana and it’s hard to put a dollar figure on something like that,” Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of automobile auction house BarrettJackson, said in a statement.

“We expect plenty of enthusiasts and fans to come out and wouldn’t be surprised if the car sold for multiple millions.” The 1955 Lincoln Futura, of which only one was made, was a handbuilt concept car developed by the Ford Motor Co featuring a bubble top. It was bought in 1965 for $1 by owner George Barris, who customized the 19-foot (5.8-meter) car for the television series. The one-off Futura symbolized space-age design of the 1950s with a push-button transmission and exterior microphones that piped in the sounds of traffic to its occupants. The car will be auctioned on Jan. 19 in Scottsdale, Arizona, along with Clark Gable’s personal 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe sportscar. —Reuters

In this photo, famed auto customizer George Barris poses with the original Batmobile in Los Angeles. — AP

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

A

lthough Dolly Parton has cemented her place in country and popular music, pop culture, and as an entrepreneur and philanthropist, she still, on occasion, gets nervous.

Her new book, “Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You” encourages readers to overcome their fears, believe in their passions and keep taking risks. The “I Will Always Love You” singer/songwriter, 66, who has written more than 3,000 songs and sold more than 100 million records, talked to Reuters about the message of the book, which was published this week.

Q. You say you put off writing this book?

A. “It’s just a simple little book. It’s not meant to save the world, or it’s not a complete book of how to be successful, but I think there is enough stuff in it for people to see kinda how I conduct my business and kinda what my thoughts are. And the good part is that all the money, if it sells good, goes to Imagination Library.”

Q. Right - your non profit quest to get kids to read?

A. “It’s one of the reasons I wanted to write this too, because I usually do concerts every year, for the foundation to make money to afford a lot of books, but I am not on tour now.”

Q. Talk about your 2009 commencement

Q. Success doesn’t equal happiness, yet you seem so hopeful and modest?

A. “I am always hopeful as a person, I have been since I was little...I really want things to be good. As I mention in the book, I wake up every day expecting it to be good, and if it is not, then I try to set about changing it before I go to sleep at night.”

Q. Would you describe yourself as religious or spiritual?

A. “Just spiritual, I am not religious. Although I grew up in a very religious family, but...I am no fanatic by any stretch of the word, and I am no angel, believe me. I wrote a song called ‘The Seeker’ many, many years ago, and it says ‘I am a seeker, just a poor sinful creature, there is no one weaker than I am.’

“People say, ‘What do you regret?’ I say, ‘I can’t say that I regret anything because at the time I was doing it, whatever it was, it seemed to be the thing to be doing at the time.’ “I have a good friend base, I have a good husband. So I have a lot of things and people who help me and guide me. I have never had to go to a psychiatrist, but I would if I thought that I needed to.

Q. But we are in New York, Dolly! No psychiatrist?

A. “Well yes (laughs), I guess not. But I do that in my songs, I write my feelings out and then I have such a strong faith and then I have such good friends. I am very close to several of my sisters, and we just talk about everything and anything....And my best friend Judy, there is nothing I can’t tell her, even if it is the awfulest thing in the world.”

Q. You recently had to deny gay rumors. Who is your greatest love?

A. “My husband is my greatest love, I have been with him 48 years...He is my best buddy.”

address at the University of Tennessee.

Were you nervous?

A. “Well, yes, when I am out of my element doing things. I am not that educated and I didn’t go that far in school and I thought, ‘What am I going to say to these educated people, not just these kids who have just graduated college and are probably brilliant, but all these professionals and all these teachers?’ And I thought, ‘Oh, I am not smart enough’, but I thought, ‘Well, at least I am a hometown girl. At least they can see that in America, you can start from humble beginnings, that everybody can make it.”

Q. Which is one of the book’s messages, overcoming fears?

A. “Any time I am in a situation where I am just not comfortable, I am uneasy, but that doesn’t mean I won’t go on with it, just like the speech. And that I won’t be good at it, but there are just some things I would prefer not to do!”

Q. Why do you think people always wonder about him?

A. “They don’t think he really exists! When I was doing my show, we were thinking about having a different guy knock on the door every night, as my husband, and then one night he would be a midget, and one night he would be a black man, and one night he would be like a boxer or a wrestler, all these different things that people imagine what my husband looks like.”

Q. You say that looking so artificial works for you, as it lets you prove how real you are.

Why all the plastic surgery?

A. “Because I need it. Why does anybody get it?”

Q. Why do you think you need it?

A. “Because I am in show business. I am not a natural beauty. And I am on camera all the time. And I just always see, like if I need - Oh take one of my chins off, at least! - Or whatever. I mean, I don’t go to extremes with it. I just do little bits and pieces, just to try and keep things touched up, just tweaking.” - Reuters

This file photo shows US fashion designer Alexander Wang (left) posing with Japanese models Anna Tsuchiya (second left), Karina (second right) and Yuri Ebihara showing off new lipsticks and a lip gloss during a photo session for Maquillage series of Japan’s largest cosmetics manufacturer Shiseido in Tokyo. - AFP

Balenciaga

to tap US designer Alexande

B

alenciaga has tapped New York star Alexander Wang as its new designer, a report said yesterday, marking a shift for the French fashion house from its couture roots towards a younger, edgier look.

Quoting market sources, trade magazine Women’s Wear Daily said Balenciaga would next week announce the appointment of the 28-year-old Wang, one of the hottest names on the New York fashion scene.

The choice of Wang-who was born to Taiwanese-American parents and whose own-name brand has been pushing into Asiacould also signal a willingness by the house to open up to the vast Chinese market. He would succeed the outgoing Nicolas Ghesquiere, whose surprise departure stunned the fashion galaxy this month and whose contract at the house ends yesterday.

Paris fashion sources confirmed the choice of Wang, although Balenciaga, which is part of the PPR luxury group, declined to comment officially on what it said was just a “rumour.” Raised in San Francisco, Wang landed in New York aged 18 to study fashion at Parsons School of Design, designing a first collection under his own name while still a student.

Launched in 2007, his first ready-to-wear women’s line blended relaxed chic and a streetwise edge, securing distribution in 200 stores. The following year he won the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America/ Vogue Fashion Fund Award, with a 200,000 dollar endowment to develop his business.

At New York Fashion Week this September he reaffirmed his flair for the theatrical, juggling monochrome silhouettes, in sexy graphic lines, with futuristic outfits that glowed in the dark. A Mandarin speaker, Wang has traveled frequently over the years to Shanghai, where his mother lives, according to WWD. His father is based in Hong Kong.

With a flagship in New York’s SoHo district,

Wang earlier this year opened a major store in Beijing and has announced plans to open a dozen more stores in East Asia. PPR, whose fashion labels include Gucci, Yves SaintLaurent, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney has owned Balenciaga since 2001.

It took the fashion world by surprise by announcing the departure of its designer of 15 years, who had put the historic house of Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga back on the fashion map in his time there.

Turnover had been multiplied by 11 since the house was acquired by PPR, with two-figure growth for the first nine months of this year.

Balenciaga’s chief executive Isabelle Guichot told AFP this month that the house was not planning a change of strategy following Ghesquiere’s departure.

But for Serge Carreira, fashion industry expert and teacher at Sciences Po university in Paris, Wang’s appointment would mark a “clean break”. “At Balenciaga today there is a very couture spirit, a very Parisian elegance, whereas Wang plays on a modern and relaxed look,” he told AFP. Asking Wang to reinterpret its heritage could “help Balenciaga move away from a kind of technical virtuosity towards something just as modern, but suited to a wider market,” Carreira argued. The choice could also help Balenciaga “consolidate the historic, and fundamental US market, while positioning itself for the Chinese market, one of the biggest for the sector in the medium term.” - AFP

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Models showcase creations by French designer Yin Yiqing yesterday in Singapore during the French Couture 2012 Singapore fashion show. - AP

TECHNOLOGY

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

KUWAIT: Microsoft booth at The Avenues.

KUWAIT: The officials are pictured at the Microsoft press conference.

Microsoft announces launch of Windows 8 in Kuwait KUWAIT: Microsoft Kuwait yesterday celebrated Windows 8 with its customers. At a press conference this morning, Microsoft, along with its hardware partners Dell, Toshiba, Acer, Asus and Nokia, announced their presence at the Avenues mall phase 1 to showcase different hardware devices, touch based and laptops that are new to the Kuwaiti market, Windows 8 certified, and are available in all the retail stores starting today. Windows 8 offers a personalized experience to suit a wide range of requirements for the Kuwait market, whether it comes to work or play.

Addressing this morning’s press conference, Ehab Mostafa, Country Manager, Microsoft Kuwait, said: “Kuwait has always been an early adopter of new technology, and in line with the global release of Windows 8 which happened on Oct 26, we’re taking this opportunity to celebrate the local arrival of Windows 8 on new devices with our consumers and partners.”

He added: “This year is an exciting year for us, as we enhance and strengthen our relationships with leading hardware partners to bring innovative new devices to Kuwait.

These new products are designed to make full use of the capabilities of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, and we’re positive that customers in Kuwait will see huge benefits when they experience the new Windows on the latest devices.

“Business and consumer customers are going to get an enhanced experience when using the revolutionary and easyto-use new user interface of Windows 8, and will also benefit from the wide range of apps that will be available from the Windows Store,” added Mostafa. The latest features will be widely accessible to Kuwaiti users, with Windows 8 available on more than 1,000 new Windows 8 certified PC and touch based tablet models, all on sale at retail locations throughout Kuwait. Additionally, Windows 8 will be available for download to upgrade existing PCs running Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7. The product will also be offered in 37 languages in Kuwait.

To highlight the full Windows 8 experience, Microsoft has a fun and interactive booth located at the Avenues mall, from Nov 29-Dec 8. Microsoft is teaming up with its hardware partners to display the latest Windows 8 certified devices, where

mall visitors can try before they buy.

Nokia will be displaying its latest Lumia 920 and 820 Windows 8 Phone devices at the Avenues stand. The Nokia Lumia 920 is the flagship Windows Phone 8 smartphone, featuring Arabic language capabilities and the latest advances in Nokia PureView imaging technology for crisp, clear video and photos without flash. Dell is helping customers in Kuwait touch the future with a refreshed portfolio of business and consumer PCs built for Microsoft Windows 8, designed to provide a more intuitive computing experience and address evolving customer desires. Dell’s new systems deliver on the promise of new advances in computing: a leading-edge and intuitive touch experience, the security and manageability required by today’s always-on pace and the design aesthetic, style and precision workmanship customers demand.

As part of its ‘In Search of Incredible’ journey, ASUS unveiled a complete new line-up of Windows 8 touch enabled products. The new range enables new forms of functionality and applications targeting the entire spectrum of home and office users, while setting a new standard in performance, ease of use and innovative design. Toshiba PCs showcase the possibilities of what Windows 8 can do, providing a responsive touch experience on beautiful, precisely engineered hardware.

Consumers will love interacting with Windows 8 on these devices. This is the beginning of a new generation of hardware development designed to take advantage of touch from Toshiba.

Acer designs products to enable everyone to explore beyond limits. The cool, fluid designs have smooth surfaces that make these notebooks comfortable to the touch. The notebooks are specifically designed for easy navigation and enhanced productivity through ergonomic design. In addition to the new devices, where the booth internet connection is powered by Mada Communications, Microsoft is offering to take photographs of you at the picture booth and an interactive zone. For children there is a special Kid Zone particularly set up for their fun experience from gaming to educational apps. The latest OS is available in two retail versions, Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. For business customers, Windows 8

Abeer Kamal, Marketing Manager Enterprise offers new possibilities in mobile productivity with features like Windows To Go, DirectAccess, and BranchCache, as well as enhanced end-to-end security with features including BitLocker and AppLocker. Launched at the same time is a new member of the Windows family designed for ARM-based tablets, Windows RT, which is available pre-installed on new devices. Windows 8 features the new fast and fluid Start screen that gives people one-click access to the apps and content they care most about, the entirely new Internet Explorer 10 that is perfect for touch, and built-in cloud capabilities with SkyDrive.

In addition to the range of new devices available, consumers can also upgrade their existing PCs. Through the end of January, consumers currently running PCs with Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7, are qualified to download Windows 8 Pro for an estimated retail price of $39.99.

Robot to keep Japan astronaut company TOKYO: This drawing shows a small robot which will be taken into space with Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata. — AFP

TOKYO: A small humanoid robot that can talk will be sent into space to provide conversational company for a Japanese astronaut on a six-month mission, according to new plans. The miniature robot will arrive at the International Space Station next summer, a few months ahead of astronaut Koichi Wakata, Japan’s Kibo (Hope) Robot Project office said Thursday. At 34 centimetres (13.4 inches) tall and weighing about one kilogram (2.2

pounds), the little android is programmed to recognise Wakata’s face and to communicate in Japanese, the project office said, adding that it will also take photos during the trip.

The robot will send information to Earth from the Japanese Kibo laboratory on the space station, where it will spend its time while Wakata is busy carrying out his mission as ISS commander.

A cartoon sketch of the space bud-

dy was released on Thursday and showed a black-and-silver figure with bright red boots.

Mission organisers are asking for suggestions from the public for a name for the robot, which will also have a twin brother on Earth doing public relations. A team of Tokyo University researchers, leading advertising agency Dentsu and robot creator Tomotaka Takahashi are organising the project. — AFP

TECHNOLOGY

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Living Social cuts 10% of staff

WASHINGTON: Online deals firm Living Social said Thursday it was cutting 400 jobs, or 10 percent of its staff, in a retrenchment which follows big losses for the company. Company spokesman Andrew Weinstein said in an email that most of the jobs were US-based but that “a couple dozen” positions were in international locations. “After two years of hyper-growth from 450 to more than 4,500 employees, these moves will align our cost structure against our 2013 plans and will help us set the company on a path for long-term growth and profitabil-

ity,” the statement said.

“Specifically, they will us to allow us to invest more in critical priorities like marketing, mobile, and the hiring of additional technology staff.” The spokesman added that Eric Eichmann, president of LivingSocial’s international business unit, is also leaving under a “mutual decision” with management. Washingtonbased Living Social has been under pressure along with its larger rival, Groupon, as consumers show fatigue over online deals offers.

The firms aim to make money by selling members

deals for discounts on activities, items or services and then splitting the money with the businesses involved. Both firms have been seeking to diversify, but have been struggling to become profitable.

Amazon, which owns a stake in LivingSocial reported a writedown of $169 million recently on that investment under accounting rules requiring a charge against earnings to reflect the lower estimated value of the company. LivingSocal has deferred talk of a public offering. Groupon shares have slid some 80 percent since its IPO last year. — AFP

How a desperate HP suspended disbelief for Autonomy deal Autonomy founder rejects HP fraud allegations

NEW YORK: This photo shows New York City Police Officer Larry DePrimo presenting a barefoot homeless man in New York’s Time Square with boots. — AP

NYPD officer’s kindness sparks online sensation NEW YORK: A tourist’s snapshot of a New York City police officer giving new boots to a barefoot homeless man in Times Square has created an online sensation. Jennifer Foster, of Florence, Ariz, was visiting New York with her boyfriend on Nov 14, when she came across the shoeless man asking for change in Times Square. As she was about to approach him, she said the officer - identified as Larry DePrimo - came up to the man with a pair of all-weather boots and thermal socks on the frigid night. She recorded his generosity on her cellphone.

DePrimo, speaking to reporters on Thursday, remembered the night clearly, that even with two pairs of socks on, his feet were freezing. The homeless man “didn’t even have a pair of socks on and I could only imagine how cold that pavement was,” the 25-year-old said, clutching a box containing cufflinks given to him by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

Foster’s photo was posted Tuesday night to the NYPD’s official Facebook page and became an instant hit. More than 420,000 users “liked” it as of Thursday evening, and more than 140,000 shared it. Thousands of people commented, including one person who praised him as “An officer AND a Gentleman.” The photo shows the officer kneeling beside the man with the boots at his feet. A shoe store is seen in the background.

“I have these size 12 boots for you, they are all-weather.

Let’s put them on and take care of you,” Foster quoted DePrimo as saying to the man. She wrote: “The officer squatted down on the ground and proceeded to put socks and the new boots on this man. The officer expected NOTHING in return and did not know I was watching.”

DePrimo said buying the boots “was something I had to do.” He tried to persuade the man to get something to eat, but he declined and left. “When I brought out the shoes, it was just a smile from ear to ear,” he said. “It was a great moment for both of us.” DePrimo said he only told his family about the incident at the time, and was surprised when a friend told him the photo was posted on the Internet some time later. —AP

SAN FRANCISCO: For Leo Apotheker, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO, a July 2011 meeting with Autonomy founder Mike Lynch at a chic seaside resort in France was pivotal to his effort to remake a storied technology giant. In the nine months since taking the helm at HP, Apotheker had tried furiously to find a way to move the lumbering company away from its low-margin computer hardware business and into the lucrative corporate software and services arena. Apotheker was looking for a big, transformative acquisition, two people familiar with the situation said, and after overtures to several companies went nowhere, he set his sights on Autonomy.

After two months of negotiations on what was known at HP as “Project Tesla,” Apotheker sat down with Lynch at a hotel in Deauville on the Normandy coast - and shook hands on what would become an $11.1 billion deal. The Autonomy takeover was indeed a bombshell - but not in the way that Apotheker had hoped. When it was announced in August 2011, HP’s stock plummeted amid withering criticism of the price tag. Within weeks, Apotheker was out of a job. Within months, Lynch and his new masters at HP were at war.

Inside a year, Lynch had been forced out and HP was investigating allegations of major accounting irregularities at Autonomy. That culminated in HP saying last week it was writing off more than three-quarters of the value of Autonomy, and telling US and UK regulators about alleged accounting fraud.

The implosion of the Autonomy deal has raised questions about how HP and its army of lawyers, accountants and investment bankers could have overlooked warning signs and gone ahead with the acquisition.

Reuters spoke with close to a dozen people directly connected with the deal or the accounting investigation. The picture that emerges is of a company so desperate to plot a new course that it may have been far too accepting of Autonomy’s published and audited accounts. It has also cast a shadow over Lynch, widely regarded as a brilliant but difficult executive; he left HP in May and has flatly rejected the company’s claims of accounting shenanigans or that HP had been deliberately deceived.

CEO’S rocky reign Apotheker’s appointment as CEO of HP in November 2010 was greeted even

at the time with head-scratching - and criticism. A veteran of the German corporate software maker SAP, he had no obvious qualifications to run HP - a company with sales several times SAP’s especially given his lack of experience in the computer hardware business. But the U.S. company was reeling from a series of boardroom imbroglios that culminated in the firing of then-CEO Mark Hurd in a sexual harassment scandal in August 2010.

Apotheker went on the acquisition trail almost immediately, even though previous HP takeovers like Compaq and Palm had not worked out well. He was given the mandate of moving HP in a new direction - software seemed logical given the decline in HP’s traditional computer business - and felt the need for a transformative acquisition to do that, according to one of the sources.

He “knocked on a number of doors,” according to another of the sources, looking as far and wide as the telecom software companies Comverse Technology and Amdocs , and corporate software maker Tibco Software.

It’s not clear how far talks with those three progressed. According to one of the sources, HP backed off from Comverse because the company was not current with its published accounts and because of previously disclosed involvement in an options accounting scandal. HP could not agree on a price with Tibco, and Amdocs rebuffed it, saying the time wasn’t right for a deal.

Spokespeople for Amdocs and Comverse declined to comment. Tibco did not respond to requests for comment. Apotheker then set his sights on Autonomy. It was a pioneer in the upand-coming field of “big data” - software that can separate the wheat from the chaff in huge mountains of corporate data - and could serve as a centerpiece for the new strategy. This time, Apotheker was determined not to miss out. He was “not being able to really have anybody dance with him at the right price,” said the source with direct knowledge of the deal. “What happened is he talked to Autonomy and they got into a dialogue and he told the board that we have to do something,” this person said.

“It was out of frustration and desperation to a large degree.” HP began looking at Autonomy in earnest around May last year, bringing in investment bank Barclays as adviser. Boutique investment bank Perella Weinberg Partners had

already been hired to look at ways of restructuring HP’s businesses. In early July of 2011 the board met to do a twoday review of the rationale behind the acquisition. During that process, the board set guidelines for the deal, including the price, and agreed on a process to do due diligence, two people familiar with the process said. It voted to enter into negotiations at the end of the two days.

Dealmaker Throughout the process, Apotheker remained in direct contact and consulted with HP Chairman Ray Lane, the person said, adding that Lane - a former top executive at software giant Oracle encouraged management to proceed with the deal. By the end of July, Apotheker and Lynch - who were previously acquainted because HP was an Autonomy customer - narrowed down financial terms at the hotel in Deauville, though didn’t finalize the price. Also present was then HP chief strategy officer Shane Robison, who has been credited by HP with being the main architect of many of HP’s larger deals, including another troubled acquisition - its purchase of technology services firm EDS. Robison was pushed out of HP shortly after Apotheker left last year.

At the meeting, Apotheker presented HP’s view about putting the companies together - with Robison chipping in when needed, one source said. Robison, who has not spoken publicly about Autonomy’s accounting issues, did not respond to requests for comment sent to representatives at Fusion-io and Altera Corp, companies where he is a board member. For some weeks, both sides went back and forth on the price, with Robison playing a pivotal role in pitching the deal internally, and getting it finalized. Inside HP, it was seen as Apotheker’s and Robison’s deal, the sources said. In the end, uber-dealmaker Frank Quattrone, whose Qatalyst Partners was representing Autonomy, proved instrumental in securing for its shareholders the lofty price tag, according to another source familiar with the negotiations.

While the price haggling was going on, a large due diligence team numbering in the hundreds, including internal HP staff from all relevant departments like finance, poured over Autonomy’s books, examined contracts, and interviewed Autonomy’s top executives, sources said.

External experts involved in the process included accounting firm KPMG, law firms and bankers. — Reuters

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

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03:15 03:40 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:00 06:25 06:50 07:00 07:15 07:35 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 09:55 10:20 10:40 11:05 11:30 11:55 12:20

Looney Tunes Help! It’s The Hair Bear Bunch Dexter’s Laboratory Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes The Scooby Doo Show Johnny Bravo The Flintstones The Jetsons Wacky Races Dexters Laboratory Johnny Bravo The Addams Family Bananas In Pyjamas Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Cartoonito Tales Moomins The Looney Tunes Show Taz-Mania What’s New Scooby Doo? Tom & Jerry Tales Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Wacky Races

12:30 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:00 14:10 14:35 15:00 15:25 15:50 16:05 16:30 16:55 17:20 17:45 18:00 18:25 18:50 19:05 19:30 20:15 21:00 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:40

Puppy In My Pocket Moomins Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show Wacky Races Tom & Jerry Dastardly And Muttley The Addams Family Looney Tunes The Garfield Show Dexter’s Laboratory Johnny Bravo Pink Panther And Pals Scooby Doo Where Are You! New Yogi Bear Show Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes Dexters Laboratory Taz-Mania The New Scooby Doo Movies The New Scooby Doo Movies Wacky Races Tom & Jerry Tales Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries The Looney Tunes Show What’s New Scooby Doo? The Garfield Show Johnny Bravo Dexter’s Laboratory

03:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 04:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 04:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:50 Adventure Time 05:15 The Powerpuff Girls 05:40 Generator Rex 06:05 Ben 10 06:30 Ben 10

06:55 Angelo Rules 07:00 Ed, Edd n Eddy 07:30 Casper’s Scare School 08:00 The Marvelous Misadventures...

08:25 Redakai: Conquer The Kairu 08:45 Grim Adventures Of...

09:35 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 09:55 Level Up 10:15 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 10:35 Transformers Prime 11:00 Ben 10: Omniverse 11:25 Thundercats 11:50 Regular Show 12:15 Adventure Time 12:40 The Amazing World Of Gumball 13:05 Johnny Test 13:30 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 13:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 14:20 The Powerpuff Girls 15:10 Green Lantern: The Animated Series 15:35 Transformers Prime 16:00 Angelo Rules 16:50 Ben 10: Omniverse 17:15 Generator Rex 17:40 Eliot Kid 18:30 Regular Show 19:20 Adventure Time 19:45 The Amazing World Of Gumball 20:10 Johnny Test 20:35 Ben 10: Alien Force 21:00 Ben 10: Alien Force 21:25 The Powerpuff Girls 22:15 Grim Adventures Of...

23:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 23:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 23:50 The Powerpuff Girls

World Report World Sport Anderson Cooper 360 Piers Morgan Tonight Quest Means Business CNN Marketplace Africa The Situation Room World Sport Leading Women Future Cities World Report CNN Marketplace Africa Backstory World Report CNN Marketplace Middle East Sanjay Gupta MD World Sport Winning Post The Gateway The Best Of The Situation Room Amanpour The Brief World Report Inside Africa Talk Asia I Report For CNN World Report On China Going Green Backstory International Desk African Voices CNN Marketplace Europe CNN Marketplace Africa The Brief World Sport Open Court International Desk Inside Africa International Desk Leading Women Future Cities The Best Of The Situation Room

03:00 Mythbusters 03:55 Border Security 04:20 Auction Kings 04:50 Auction Kings 05:15 How Stuff’s Made 05:40 How It’s Made 06:05 Hillbilly Handfishin’ 09:10 Extreme Engineering 10:05 X-Machines 10:55 Rattlesnake Republic 11:50 Gold Rush 12:45 Tallest Tower: Building The Shard 13:40 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior:...

14:35 Wheeler Dealers 15:30 Dynamo: Magician Impossible 16:25 Mythbusters Dirty Dozen 17:20 Curiosity: Can You Live Forever?

18:15 How We Invented The World 19:10 Masters Of Survival 20:05 Ultimate Survival 21:00 Outback Truckers 21:55 Deadliest Catch 22:50 Gold Divers 23:45 American Guns

03:15 Mega World 04:05 Weird Connections 04:35 Colony 05:25 Prototype This 06:15 The Gadget Show 06:40 The Tech Show 07:05 Joao Magueijo’s Big Bang 08:00 Curiosity 08:50 Brave New World 09:40 Head Rush 09:43 Sci-Fi Science 10:10 Sci-Fi Science 10:40 Man-Made Marvels Asia 11:30 Sport Science 12:20 Sport Science 13:10 Sport Science 14:00 Sport Science 14:50 Sport Science 15:45 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 16:35 Things That Move 17:00 Head Rush 17:03 Tech Toys 360 17:30 Tech Toys 360 18:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman

18:50 19:40 20:05 20:30 21:20 21:45 22:10 22:35 23:00 23:50

Scrapheap Challenge Junk Men Junk Men Meteorite Men How Tech Works How Tech Works The Gadget Show The Gadget Show Meteorite Men Things That Move

03:05 03:30 03:55 04:20 04:45 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:15 06:40 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 08:55 09:10 09:35 10:00 10:25 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:00 15:25 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:00 18:25 18:45 20:15 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:40 22:05 22:30 22:45 22:55 Cody 23:20 Cody 23:45

Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Kim Possible Kim Possible Jake & The Neverland Pirates Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Suite Life On Deck A.N.T. Farm A.N.T. Farm Jessie My Babysitter’s A Vampire Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Good Luck Charlie Austin And Ally Gravity Falls Cadet Kelly Austin And Ally My Babysitter’s A Vampire Gravity Falls Jessie Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb My Babysitter’s A Vampire My Babysitter’s A Vampire My Babysitter’s A Vampire My Babysitter’s A Vampire Austin And Ally Avalon High Good Luck Charlie Camp Rock Phineas And Ferb My Babysitter’s A Vampire Gravity Falls A.N.T. Farm Jessie Jessie Fish Hooks Fish Hooks The Suite Life Of Zack And The Suite Life Of Zack And Stitch

03:15 Behind The Scenes 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 THS 05:05 THS 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 10:15 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 11:10 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 12:05 E! News 13:05 Scouted 14:05 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 14:30 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:00 Married To Jonas 15:25 Married To Jonas 15:55 Opening Act 16:55 Opening Act 17:55 E! News 18:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 19:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 20:55 Married To Jonas 21:25 Fashion Police 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Scouted

03:10 03:35 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:40

Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco Heat Seekers Heat Seekers Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Heat Seekers Guy’s Big Bite Grill It! With Bobby Flay

TV listings

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012 06:05 06:30 07:10 Basics 07:35 Basics 08:00 08:50 09:40 10:05 Basics 10:30 Basics 10:55 11:20 11:45 12:10 12:35 13:00 13:50 14:15 14:40 Basics 15:05 15:30 16:20 16:45 17:35 Basics 18:00 Basics 18:25 18:50 19:15 19:40 20:05 20:30 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50

Unwrapped Iron Chef America Barefoot Contessa - Back To

03:05 03:55 04:45 05:30 06:20 07:10 08:00 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:30 Jones 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:15 14:40 15:30 Jones 16:20 16:45 17:10 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:05 20:55 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50

Police Women Of Memphis I Escaped Death Dr. G: Medical Examiner The Haunted A Haunting Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

True Crime With Aphrodite

Barefoot Contessa - Back To Winning Holiday Cookies Food Network Challenge United Tastes Of America Barefoot Contessa - Back To Barefoot Contessa - Back To Cooking For Real Cooking For Real Charly’s Cake Angels Unique Sweets Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Iron Chef America Guy’s Big Bite Cooking For Real Barefoot Contessa - Back To Mexican Made Easy Winning Holiday Cookies United Tastes Of America Chopped Barefoot Contessa - Back To Barefoot Contessa - Back To Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Kid In A Candy Store Unique Sweets Charly’s Cake Angels Chopped Iron Chef America Iron Chef America Special Chopped Unwrapped

Planet 14:00 Planet 14:30 15:25 15:50 16:20 17:15 18:10 19:05 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:55 23:20 23:50

Food Lover’s Guide To The Extreme Expeditions Roam Deadliest Journeys 2 Deadliest Journeys Deadliest Journeys Perilous Journeys Bondi Rescue Street Food Around The World Market Values Roam Deadliest Journeys 2 Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Danger Beach

04:00 06:00 08:00 PG15 10:00 12:00 14:00 PG15 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

The Untouchables-PG15 The Green Hornet-PG15 True Justice: Deadly Crossing-

03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

9-PG According To Greta-PG15 Chasing 3000-PG15 13-PG15 Arrietty-FAM My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend-PG15 Uncorked-PG15 Teen Spirit-PG15 The Company Men-PG15 Last Night-PG15 Paranormal Activity 3-18

The Green Hornet-PG15 Little Big Soldier-PG15 True Justice: Deadly CrossingReturner-PG15 Little Big Soldier-PG15 Blood Out-18 Striking Distance-PG15

03:00 Raising Hope 03:30 30 Rock 04:00 Samantha Who? 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 06:30 Friends 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Samantha Who? 08:30 Raising Hope 10:00 Two And A Half Men 10:30 Community 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Friends 12:30 Samantha Who? 14:00 30 Rock 14:30 Community 15:00 Two And A Half Men 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Friends 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Raising Hope 18:30 30 Rock 19:00 Two And A Half Men 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Saturday Night Live 23:00 Family Guy 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00

Perception Greek Good Morning America The Practice Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show

10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Bunheads The Practice The X Factor U.S. Glee Bunheads Perception Live Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Bones C.S.I. C.S.I. Miami Breakout Kings Greek

The Tudors The X Factor U.S. Perception Body Of Proof Emmerdale Coronation Street White Collar Glee The X Factor U.S. Survivor: Philippines Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show White Collar Body Of Proof Emmerdale Coronation Street White Collar Bones C.S.I. C.S.I. Miami Breakout Kings The Tudors

03:00 Beneath The Darkness-PG15 05:00 Aeon Flux-PG15

Murder Shift Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Forensic Detectives True Crime With Aphrodite Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Murder Shift Disappeared Forensic Detectives Street Patrol On The Case With Paula Zahn Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill The Haunted Ghost Lab

03:00 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 03:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 03:55 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 04:25 Travel Madness 04:50 Travel Madness 05:20 Bondi Rescue 05:45 Bondi Rescue 06:15 Street Food Around The World 06:40 Market Values 07:10 Roam 07:35 Deadliest Journeys 2 08:05 Deadliest Journeys 08:30 Deadliest Journeys 09:00 Deadliest Journeys 09:25 Deadliest Journeys 09:55 Perilous Journeys 10:50 Race To The Bottom of The Earth 11:45 Danger Beach 12:10 Danger Beach 12:40 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 13:05 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 13:35 Food Lover’s Guide To The

07:00 True Justice: Vengeance Is Mine-PG15 09:00 Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within-PG 11:00 Aeon Flux-PG15 13:00 Rocky-PG15 15:00 Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within-PG 17:00 Inside Out-PG15 19:00 Thick As Thieves-18 21:00 Striking Distance-PG15 23:00 They Wait-18

04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Dinner For Schmucks-PG15 Prom-PG15 Say Anything-PG15 Open Season 3-FAM Morning Glory-PG15 Scooby-Doo-PG Open Season 3-FAM Easy A-PG15 Nothing To Lose-PG15 American Virgin-18

03:15 05:00 06:45 09:30 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 PG15 19:00 21:00 23:00

Winter’s Bone-18 Coyote Ugly-PG15 The Insider-PG15 Boy-PG15 Dear John-PG15 Relative Stranger-PG15 Boy-PG15 Justice For Natalee Holloway-

04:00 05:45 07:15 09:00 10:30 12:30 14:45 16:45 18:15 20:00 22:30

Rising Stars-PG15 Winnie The Pooh-FAM Call Of The Wild-PG15 Glee: The Concert Movie-PG15 Blackthorn-PG15 The Tree Of Life-PG15 Game Change-PG15 Glee: The Concert Movie-PG15 127 Hours-PG15 Marley-PG15 The Hangover 2-18

04:15 06:00 08:00 10:00 11:30 13:00 14:30 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 23:30

Blue Elephant 2-FAM Queen Of The Swallows-FAM Freddy Frogface-PG Rebound-PG The Nimbols: Part II-FAM Jetsons: The Movie-FAM The Apple & The Worm-FAM Shark Tale-PG Rebound-PG Scooter The Penguin-FAM Jetsons: The Movie-FAM Freddy Frogface-PG

Burlesque-PG15 The Fighter-PG15 The Weather Man-18

03:00 Live NBC Nightly News 03:30 ABC World News With Diane Sawyer 04:00 MSNBC The Ed Show 05:00 MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 06:00 MSNBC Politicsnation 07:00 Live NBC Nightly News 07:35 ABC Nightline 08:00 ABC World News With Diane Sawyer 08:30 Live NBC Nightly News 09:00 MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 10:00 MSNBC The Ed Show 11:00 MSNBC Morning Joe 14:00 MSNBC Caught On Camera 15:00 Live NBC Saturday Today Show 17:00 MSNBC Up With Chris Hayes Saturday 18:57 Live MSNBC Hardball With Chris Matthews 19:38 Live MSNBC The Ed Show 20:19 Live MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 21:00 ABC 20/20 22:00 MSNBC News 23:00 MSNBC News

PANORAMAL ACTIVITY ON OSN CINEMA

03:30 Michael Jackson: The Life Of An Icon-PG15 06:00 Alabama Moon-PG15 08:00 A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song-PG 10:00 A Guy Thing-PG15

11:45 Take Shelter-PG15 14:00 Kung Fu Magoo-FAM 16:00 A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song-PG 18:00 Jack And Jill-PG15 20:00 Marley-PG15 22:30 Wuthering Heights-18

04:00 05:30 13:30 14:30 16:30 17:00 17:30 19:30

Ryder Cup Official Film Live Cricket Test Match Trans World Sport Top 14 ICC Cricket 360 Futbol Mundial Live Rugby Union International Cricket Test Match

03:30 04:30 05:00 07:00 08:15 11:15 11:45 15:00 15:30 19:00 20:00 22:00

PGA European Tour Highlights Futbol Mundial Top 14 Trans World Sport Live HSBC Sevens World Series Futbol Mundial Live HSBC Sevens World Series ICC Cricket 360 Live HSBC Sevens World Series UFC The Ultimate Fighter Rugby Union International Top 14

03:00 03:00 03:30 06:00 07:00 12:30 14:00 21:30 22:00

Total Rugby Total Rugby Mass Participation Golfing World NedBank Golf Challenge Top 14 Live Snooker UK Championship Total Rugby Live Snooker UK Championship

03:00 WWE Bottom Line 04:00 UFC Unleashed 05:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 06:00 UFC Unleashed 07:00 Live V8 Supercars 09:00 WWE SmackDown 11:00 WWE Bottom Line 12:00 Futbol Mundial 12:30 Live The Nedbank Golf Challenge 18:00 Live Top 14 20:00 V8 Supercars 22:00 Total Rugby 22:45 Live Pro 12

03:00 Rides 04:00 04:30 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 World 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

World’s Greatest Motorcycle Essential Vegas Stripped Globe Trekker Departures Off Limits Globe Trekker Flavours Of Colombia Flavours Of Colombia Flavours Of Spain Glutton For Punishment Glutton For Punishment Planet Food Globe Trekker Departures Off Limits Bert The Conqueror Essential Globe Trekker Around The Planet Food Travel 360 Cruising The Icelandic Fjords The Ethical Hedonist Around Iceland On Inspiration Planet Food

04:40 Elvis On Tour-PG 06:15 Penelope-FAM 08:00 The Angel Wore Red-PG 09:35 The Adventures Of Huckleberry...-FAM 11:20 Come Fly With Me-FAM 13:05 Flipper’s New Adventure-FAM 14:40 How The West Was Won-PG 17:10 Show Boat-FAM 18:55 The Hill-PG 21:05 Meet Me In St. Louis-FAM 23:00 The Night Of The Iguana

WHAT’S ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Places of interest Sadu House Al Sadu House stands on Arabian Gulf Street near the National Museum, representing one of the last preserved preoil -era dwellings in Kuwait. Al Sadu House became a centre for Bedouin art and the sale of traditional goods In 1979. Visitors can observe Bedouin women weaving at their looms, handmaking carpets, camel bags and tent screens.

Opening hours are Saturday to Thursday from 8:00 am to 1:00 p.m and from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m daily except Friday. (Tel: +965 2243.2395) Admission is FREE. Science & Natural History Museum A wealth of education awaits the visitor to the Science and Natural History Museum on Abdulla Al Mubarak Street. Each gallery contains either a collection or an exhibit covering a wide range of themes. Collections on display Include fossils, stuffed animals, skeletons, and dried flowers. There are exhibits on health, petroleum, space travel, and electronics, among others. Forming part of the National Museum complex, the wonderful, modern Planetarium In the museum complex has shows at around 18:00 daily: local children, convinced the room is spinning, clap In syncopated beats every time the accompanying music begins.

A museum planetarium shows: Mornings: 1st Show: 10:00 a.m; 2nd Show: 11:00 a. m; 3rd Show: 12:00 p.m Evenings: 1st Show: 5:00 p.m; 2nd Show: 5:45 p.m; 3rd Show : 6:00 p.m. Note: Friday & Saturday no morning shows. (Tel: +965 22451195; +965 22456534). Admission is FREE. The Dickson House The house of the first British political agent In Kuwait is still standing. The Dickson House, located across from the dhow harbour east of Sief Palace, was originally a Kuwaiti home built in 1870, but was given to Britain to use as residential headquarters. The compound was expanded several times over the years, but stands as an excellent example of early Kuwaiti architectural styles. Opening hours are from Saturday to Thursday 8:30 a.m-12:30 p.m and 4:30 a.m-8:30 p.m Friday 4:30 a.m - 8:30 p.m. Admission is FREE. Al-Qurain Museum Located in the residential suburb of Qurain, This small museum is a memorial to a cell of young Kuwaiti patriots who tried to resist arrest in February 1991. Early In the morning, Iraqis bombarded the house for hours with machine guns, bombs and eventually a tank. Monday to Saturday 8.30 a.m - 12.30 p.m; 4.30a.m -8.30 p.m Friday morning off. Afternoon: 4.30 a.m-8.30 pm. Winter Visiting hours: 4-8.30 pm. 1st Day of Eid off. Tel: +965 25430343

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian ConsulateGeneral in Dubai.

Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information.

Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF ARGENTINA

The Embassy of Argentina requests all Argentinean citizens in Kuwait to proceed to our official email ekuwa@mrecic.gov.ar in order to register or update contact information.

The embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the embassy. The registration process helps the Argentinean Government to contact and assist Argentineans living abroad in case of any emergency. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF BRITAIN Consular section at the British Embassy will be starting an online appointment booking system for our consular customers from Sunday, 01 July 2012. All information including how to make an appointment is now available on the embassy website. In addition, there is also a “Consular Appointment System” option under Quick links on the right hand side on the homepage, which should take you to the “Consular online booking appointment system” main page.

Please be aware that from 01 July 2012, we will no longer accept walk-in customers for legalisation, notarial services and certificates (birth, death and marriages). If you have problems accessing the system or need to make an appointment for nonnotarial consular issues or have a consular emergency, please call 2259 4355/7/8 or email us on consularenquirieskuwait@fco.gov.uk. If you require consular assistance out of office hours (working hours: 0730-l430 hrs), please contact the Embassy on 2259 4320. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 12:30 to 01:00 pm for lunch break.

Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday. The Canadian Embassy will be closed on Sunday and Monday 19 and 20 August 2012 on the occasion of Aid Al Fitr. The Embassy will resume its duties on Tuesday 21 August 2012. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait.

Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca.

WHAT’S ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

IIS conducts Chocolate Day

I

t’s a tradition of India International School to celebrate chocolate day every year. This year too we celebrated for the honeyed tiny tots of LKG on 8th November, 2012 under the guidance of Shifana Muizz KG HOS and her team of devoted teachers.

This day doesn’t hold any significance in the history. Yet, it is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm. To mark the very purpose, Director Malayil Moosa Koya inaugurated the day with an exquisite taste of marsh mellows dipped in hot chocolate sauce.

The objective behind the celebration is to make our tiny tots independent, to celebrate the promises of life; laughter and friendship by dedicating the chocolates to their friends and acquaintances.

The sweet scenario of the Chocolate Day, galore the corridors of KG section with assortment of chocolates, vibrant ambience and musical cadence. The highlight of the celebration was teachers and students exhibited their creativity and skills in preparing delightful hand-made chocolates wrapped in glossy paper. This

sort of exposure not only instills confidence and courage but also enhancesthe soft skills of the students.

KG section of India International School provides a strong foundation which lubricates the learning skills in the students that fosters growth and remarkable progress in the teaching learning process.It was indeed an impressive experience for everyone to witness the tiny tots cherishing and enjoying their beautiful moments of life and enlightened themselves in sharing the bonds of friendship.

Infact, it was a break for our blooming buds from the mundane daily routine of their school life to a pleasant sweet journey intothe delightful world of chocolate where in they were enriched with a sweet experience of dedication and sharing.

The programme was graced by the presence of the Principal F.M. Basheer Ahmed, VicePrincipal NarinderKaur, and the Governing council members Saleem.k, Sameena Afshan, Indulekha Suresh, Sapna Rauf and Sophy John.

HEALTH

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

15 percent carbon cut is needed for UN goal ‘Window for reversing emission rapidly narrowing’

This NASA photo shows a Mosaic of MESSENGER Images of Mercury’s North Polar Region. — AFP

Large ice deposits found on Mercury WASHINGTON: Scientists Thursday announced new evidence that Mercury, the planet orbiting nearest the Sun, hosts massive caches of ice and revealed new information on how water reached our solar system’s inner planets. “The new data indicate the water ice in Mercury’s polar regions, if spread over an area the size of Washington DC, would be more than two miles (3.2 kilometers) thick,” said David Lawrence, a researcher participating with NASA’s mission to study Mercury. Though much of Mercury is boiling hot, its axis of rotation is nearly parallel to the Sun-which means the poles of the planet are never hit by the Sun’s heating rays.

Scientists have long hypothesized these shadowy poles could harbor frozen water and other interesting materials.

In 1991, that theory got a boost when a powerful telescope in Puerto Rico detected “radar-bright patches” at the poles, often in spots where a previous mission in the 1970s had found large impact craters. For the first time, new data from the MESSENGER spacecraft, which landed on Mercury in 2011, allows for a detailed model of just what’s going on at Mercury’s mysterious poles.

Images from MESSENGER confirmed that the radar-bright patches are all within cooler, shadowed regions, consistent with the theory they could be ice spots. The spacecraft’s neutron spectrometer also analyzed hydrogen concentrations as a way of determining the presence of water, which is a molecule composed of hydrogen and oxygen. In the coldest spots, the water was on the surface, but in slightly warmer regions, where the ice might have melted, it was covered by a dark material with a lower concentration of hydrogen.

The researchers said this dark material could actually be the key to explaining how the water got there in the first place. The dark material, which serves as insulation, is likely a mix of complex organic compounds, which were “delivered to Mercury by the impacts of comets and volatile-rich asteroids,” explained David Paige, another researcher involved in the project. Those comets and asteroids, he added, were “the same objects that likely delivered water to the innermost planet.” “For more than 20 years the jury has been deliberating on whether the planet closest to the Sun hosts abundant water ice in its permanently shadowed polar regions,” said Sean Solomon of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. “MESSENGER has now supplied a unanimous affirmative verdict,” said Solomon, the principal investigator of the MESSENGER mission.

“But the new observations have also raised new questions,” he added. “Do the dark materials in the polar deposits consist mostly of organic compounds? What kind of chemical reactions has that material experienced? “Are there any regions on or within Mercury that might have both liquid water and organic compounds? Only with the continued exploration of Mercury can we hope to make progress on these new questions,” he said. Three papers describing the MESSENGER findings were published Thursday in the online edition of Science Express. — AFP

DOHA: The chances of hitting the UN’s global warming target are diminishing, but the goal can still be met if greenhouse-gas emissions fall by 15 percent by 2020, scientists said yesterday. In a study issued at the world climate talks in Doha, they cautioned against mounting pessimism that the UN’s objective of curbing warming to a safer two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) is now out of reach. “Limiting global warming below 2C, or even to below 1.5C, remains technically and economically feasible, but only with political ambitions backed by rapid action starting now,” the team said.

“If nothing more is done except the current pledges, costs would be much higher to reach deeper reductions necessary, and/or the damage from climate impacts would be far greater.” In the runup to the 12-day UN talks which opened in Qatar on Monday, the World Bank gave a 20-percent likelihood of a 4C (7.2 F) rise by 2100 and said a 3C (5.4 F) rise appeared likely. Separately, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) forecast a rise of 3-5C (5.4-9.0F) on the

basis of current pledges.

“The window for reversing emission trends is rapidly narrowing,” the “Climate Action Tracker” report issued here yesterday said. “Emissions must be reduced by roughly 15 percent from present levels by 2020 to be on a pathway holding warming below 2C” by 2100. At present, emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, blamed for damaging the planet’s fragile climate system, are scaling new peaks.

Levels of carbon dioxide-the single most important man-made contributor to climate change-rose to 390.9 parts per million in 2011, which is 2.0 ppm higher than in 2010, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said on Tuesday. From 1990 to 2011, the warming effect of greenhouse gases has risen 30 percent, it said. Scrutinising the actions of the four major emitters, the “Climate Action Tracker” said neither China, the United States, the European Union nor Russia were making adequate pledges to tackle their pollution. Butwith the exception of the United Statesthe pledges that they have made are

likely to be met, it said. China has surged in rankings to become the world’s No 1 carbon polluter, voraciously burning coal to fuel its rise out of poverty. Right now, China is on track for emissions in 2020 of 14.4 gigatonnes, or billion tonnes, of CO2 or its equivalent, said the report.

But-according to China’s justunveiled official plans-this “business-asusual” figure will fall by 4.5 gigatonnes to 9.9 gigatonnes under an ambitious energy-efficiency programme. “If accurate, this would be the largest single absolute reduction for any country in the history of action on climate change,” said the report. “By comparison, the emissions of the European Union in 2010 were 4.4 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.” The “Climate Action Tracker” is a regularly updated report compiled by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany; a non-profit German science and policy research organisation called Climate Analytics; and Ecofys, a European consultancy on renewable energy and carbon efficiency. — AFP

SYDNEY: This image shows the sun breaking at dawn over phosphorescent blue waves on Stanwell Park beach, south of Sydney, after algae, noctiluca scintillans, forced swimmers and surfers out of the water at Sydney’s Bondi and a number of neighbouring beaches and spread along the fringes of two states. — AFP

Aus sie beaches reopen after red algal bloom SYDNEY: Beaches around southeastern Australia’s coastline reopened yesterday after a red algal bloom that glowed a phosphorescent blue at night forced them to close to the public. The algae, noctiluca scintillans, forced swimmers and surfers out of the water at Sydney’s Bondi and a number of neighbouring beaches earlier this week, and it spread along the fringes of two states. One of the worst affected beaches, Clovelly in Sydney, reopened yesterday, just in time for a predicted heatwave over the weekend.

“There is no sign of the red algal bloom that kept the beach closed from Tuesday to Thursday this week,” the local council said, a sentiment echoed by other councils along the city’s

northern beaches. “It is now safe to swim, at the moment,” a Surf Life Saving NSW official told reporters. “We’ll continue to monitor the situation.” Aerial footage shot over parts of New South Wales and neighbouring Victoria state showed huge blooms of the oily red to pink scum this week, which has a fishy odour and can irritate the skin and eyes but is not dangerous to humans. One of the most striking features was the way it glowed blue at night, earning it the nickname “sea sparkle”. The Sydney South Coast and Hunter Regional Algal Coordinating Committees said the blooms typically occur as a result of currents bringing cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface. — AFP

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

HEALTH

CLASSIFIEDS SATURDAY, DECMBER 1, 2012

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Clinics Rabiya

24732263

Rawdha

22517733

Adailiya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Khaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Qadisiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

FOR SALE Executive Office Tables, Cabinets, Chairs, Salon Facial Beds, Massage Bed, Steamer, Beauty Studios, and many more. Contact: 66711141 / 66711140.

27-11-2012

MATRIMONIAL Proposals invited for a beautiful girl, aged 28 years, height 164 cms, belonging to Malankara Catholic denomination, working with MOH Kuwait as B.Sc nurse and shortly moving to Kerala on annual vacation. Email: bijily92@gmail.com (C 4231) Proposal invited for my son MBBS Doctor, a Pakistani working in Kuwait from parents of Pakistani lady doctor or highly qualified girl age not more than 27 years can contact at email: shah-54@hotmail.com (C 4232) 26-11-2012

ACCOMMODATION For bachelor or couple Filipino only near Gulfmart Farwaniya, block 1. Available on December 25, 2012.

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29-11-2012

CHANGE OF NAME

Nawada, P/S Barauli, Dist.

Gopal Ganj, Bihar, India, is declaring that my name, Vahid Husen Abdul Hakim Ansari (Surname to Given name order), written in my Passport (No. K7916220) is wrong. The correct name is Wahid Hussain. (C 4233) 26-11-2012 SITUATION VACANT

Prayer timings Fajr:

05:01

Shorook

06:25

Duhr:

11:37

Asr:

14:30

Maghrib:

16:50

Isha:

18:11

Wanted house driver, 3-5 years driving experience in Kuwait, 20-30 years old, speak and read English, Indian or Sri Lankan. Contact: 99747679.

(C 4234)

112

GOVERNMENT WEB SITES Kuwait Parliament www.majlesalommah.net

The Public Institution for Social Security www.pifss.gov.kw

Ministry of Interior www.moi.gov.kw

Public Authority of Industry www.pai.gov.kw

Public Authority for Civil Information www.paci.gov.kw

Prisoners of War Committee www.pows.org.kw

Kuwait News Agency www.kuna.net.kw

Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.mofa.gov.kw

Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affair www.islam.gov.kw

Kuwait Municipality www.municipality.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Oil) www.moo.gov.kw

Kuwait Electronic Government www.e.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Electricity and Water) www.energy.govt.kw

Ministry of Finance www.mof.gov.kw

Public Authority for Housing Welfare www.housing.gov.kw

Ministry of Commerce and Industry www.moci.gov.kw

I, Robino Joao Novals, holder of Indian Passport No: H0590686 issued in Kuwait, change my name to Robino Joao Novais. (C 4235) 1-12-2012

Ministry of Justice www.moj.gov.kw

Ministry of Education www.moe.edu.kw

Ministry of Communications www.moc.kw

Ministry of Information www.moinfo.gov.kw

I, Wahid Hussain, s/o Abdul Hakim Ansari, Vill & PO.

Supreme Council for Planning and Development www.scpd.gov.kw

Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation www.awqaf.org

information SATURDAY, DECMBER 1, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Airlines JAI KLM THY JZR QTR SAI ETH GFA UAE GTI ETD OMA QTR FDB MSR DHX THY JZR JZR KAC JZR BAW KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB ETD GFA BAB KAC JZR MSC MSR UAE IRM FDB KNE KAC SVA QTR KAC JZR IZG QTR IRC KAC JZR JZR KAC SYR UAE JZR ETD RJA GFA SVA KAC JZR QTR ABY UAL KAC KAC KNE JZR RBG BAB

Arrival Flights on Saturday 1/12/2012 Flt Route 574 MUMBAI 413 AMSTERDAM 772 ISTANBUL 539 CAIRO 148 DOHA 441 LAHORE 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 5418 HAHN 305 ABU DHABI 643 MUSCAT 138 DOHA 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 170 BAHRAIN 770 ISTANBUL 503 LUXOR 555 ALEXANDRIA 416 JAKARTA 529 ASSIUT 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 344 CHENNAI 855 DUBAI 121 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 436 BAHRAIN 284 DHAKA 165 DUBAI 401 ALEXANDRIA 610 CAIRO 871 DUBAI 1190 MASHAD 57 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 672 DUBAI 500 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 788 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 4161 MASHAD 134 DOHA 6692 MASHAD 538 SOHAG 535 CAIRO 325 NAJAF 118 NEW YORK 341 DAMASCUS 857 DUBAI 357 MASHAD 303 ABU DHABI 640 AMMAN 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 502 BEIRUT 777 JEDDAH 144 DOHA 127 SHARJAH 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 1538 SHARM EL SHEIKH 542 CAIRO 470 JEDDAH 177 DUBAI 3553 ALEXANDRIA 438 BAHRAIN

Time 0:30 0:30 0:35 0:50 1:00 1:30 1:45 1:50 2:35 2:45 2:45 2:50 3:01 3:05 3:10 5:15 5:30 5:55 6:00 6:25 6:35 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:45 7:55 8:05 8:40 8:40 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:55 10:05 10:45 11:20 12:00 12:45 12:50 12:50 13:50 14:10 14:15 14:30 14:45 14:55 15:05 15:20 15:30 15:50 16:20 16:25 16:25 16:35 16:40 16:40 16:45 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:00 18:05 18:10 18:15 18:20 18:40

FDB MSC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC IRA KAC OMA FDB JAI AXB MSR JZR ABY KNE QTR ALK KNE MEA QTR GFA ETD UAE JZR JAI FDB KLM KAC AIC JZR GFA FDB JZR KAC UAL DHX BBC DLH

63 405 176 618 674 104 774 607 562 647 61 572 389 618 189 129 462 146 229 474 402 136 221 307 859 135 576 59 415 786 975 239 217 8051 185 614 981 370 43 636

DUBAI SOHAG GENEVA DOHA DUBAI LONDON RIYADH MASHAD AMMAN MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI MANGALORE ALEXANDRIA DUBAI SHARJAH MEDINAH DOHA COLOMBO JEDDAH BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN COCHIN DUBAI AMSTERDAM JEDDAH CHENNAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DHAKA FRANKFURT

Airlines AIC UAL DLH JAI KLM SAI ETH THY FDB UAE OMA ETD MSR GTI QTR QTR JZR GFA THY FDB BAW JZR JZR KAC KAC KAC ABY KAC UAE FDB ETD QTR GFA

Departure Flights on Saturday 1/12/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 981 WASHINGTON DC 637 FRANKFURT 573 MUMBAI 413 AMSTERDAM 442 LAHORE 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 644 MUSCAT 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 5418 HONG KONG 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 256 BEIRUT 534 CAIRO 101 LONDON 787 JEDDAH 671 DUBAI 122 SHARJAH 537 SOHAG 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN

18:45 19:00 19:15 19:20 19:35 19:35 19:50 19:50 19:55 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:30 20:35 20:35 20:45 20:55 21:00 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:05 22:25 22:30 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:05 23:15 23:25 23:40 23:45 23:55

Time 0:05 1:10 1:20 1:30 1:45 2:30 2:45 2:55 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 4:10 4:45 4:50 6:05 6:55 7:00 7:35 8:25 8:45 9:05 9:15 9:20 9:25 9:40 9:45 9:50 9:55 10:00 10:05 10:30 10:40

JZR BAB KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR JZR MSC MSR JZR UAE IRM FDB KAC KAC KNE KAC SVA JZR QTR IZG KAC IRC KAC JZR ETD SYR JZR QTR UAE RJA GFA JZR SVA ABY JZR QTR RBG JZR UAL KNE FDB BAB MSC KAC FDB IRA OMA KAC JAI ABY KNE MSR KAC KAC DHX KNE ALK MEA ETD QTR GFA KAC KAC FDB JZR UAE JAI KAC KLM QTR FDB GFA KAC

356 437 541 501 165 1537 776 324 406 611 176 872 1191 58 561 673 473 617 505 188 141 4162 773 6693 785 238 304 342 538 135 858 641 216 184 511 128 266 145 3554 134 982 461 64 439 402 613 62 604 648 331 571 120 471 607 351 543 171 475 230 403 308 137 222 301 381 60 554 860 575 205 415 147 8052 218 411

MASHHAD BAHRAIN CAIRO BEIRUT ROME SHARM EL SHEIKH JEDDAH AL NAJAF SOHAG CAIRO DUBAI DUBAI MASHHAD DUBAI AMMAN DUBAI JEDDAH DOHA JEDDAH DUBAI DOHA MASHHAD RIYADH MASHHAD JEDDAH AMMAN ABU DHABI DAMASCUS CAIRO DOHA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH SHARJAH BEIRUT DOHA ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN MADINAH DUBAI BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN DUBAI ISFAHAN MUSCAT TRIVANDRUM MUMBAI SHARJAH JEDDAH LUXOR KOCHI CAIRO BAHRAIN JEDDAH COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN MUMBAI DELHI DUBAI ALEXANDRIA DUBAI KOCHI ISLAMABAD DAMMAM DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN BANGKOK

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

10:45 10:50 11:30 11:45 11:50 12:15 12:15 13:00 13:00 13:45 13:50 14:15 14:15 14:30 14:30 15:05 15:10 15:45 16:00 16:05 16:15 16:20 16:25 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:15 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:00 19:05 19:10 19:10 19:25 19:30 20:00 20:15 20:40 20:50 20:55 20:55 21:10 21:15 21:25 21:25 21:30 21:40 21:50 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:40 22:45 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:40 23:50 23:55

C R O S S W O R D 2 5

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Yesterday始s Solution

ACROSS 1. Exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health.

5. Causing great physical or mental suffering.

12. Thickening of tissue in the motor tracts of the lateral columns and anterior horns of the spinal cord.

15. Very dark black.

16. An expert who gives advice.

17. The basic unit of money in Romania.

18. A port city in southwestern Iran.

20. (Hindu) A manner of sitting (as in the practice of Yoga).

21. The sense organ for hearing and equilibrium.

22. A tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling).

23. Marry an unsuitable partner.

25. A tax levied on the difference between a commodity's price before taxes and its cost of production.

27. An inactive volcano in Sicily.

28. A person who habitually pretends to be something he is not.

31. Motivation based on ideas of right and wrong.

33. American prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942).

34. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

36. Radish of Japan with a long hard durable root eaten raw or cooked.

40. Deciduous shrub of North America.

42. A unit of magnetomotive force equal to 0.7958 ampere-turns.

44. A diacritical mark (u-curved) placed over a vowel to indicate a short sound.

45. On or to the other side of a page.

48. A rapid bustling commotion.

49. Top part of an apron.

50. A blood vessel that carries blood from the capillaries toward the heart.

51. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

52. English economist noted for his studies of international trade and finance (born in 1907).

54. A colorless and odorless inert gas.

55. Any of a group of Indic languages spoken in Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan.

60. Headdress that protects the head from bad weather.

63. A genus of evergreen shrub that grows in New Zealand.

66. Rate of revolution of a motor.

68. Small ornamental ladies' bag for small articles.

70. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

71. Ill-mannered and coarse and contemptible in behavior or appearance.

74. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

75. (anatomy) Shaped like a boat.

77. (British) Your grandmother.

78. The month following February and preceding April.

79. A valve that regulates the supply of fuel to the engine.

80. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar.

DOWN 1. A collection of objects laid on top of each other.

2. A French abbot.

3. Weight to be borne or conveyed.

4. Widely cultivated herb with leaves valued as salad green.

5. Elongate very slender water scorpions.

6. A public promotion of some product or service.

7. A sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain.

8. (Islamic) The will of Allah.

9. (Old Testament) The first of the major Hebrew prophets (8th century BC).

10. Designed to reduce or prevent skidding.

11. A metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram.

12. Very attentive or observant.

13. Acquire or gain knowledge or skills.

14. An important god.

19. (zoology) Lacking a tail or taillike appendage.

24. (Norse mythology) The chief race of gods living at Asgard.

26. A unit of length of thread or yarn.

29. United States jazz musician who influenced the style of Louis Armstrong (1885-1938).

30. A sea nymph (part woman and part bird) supposed to lure sailors to destruction on the rocks where the nymphs lived.

32. Alternatively, a member of the family Nymphaeaceae.

35. The hair growing on the lower part of a man's face.

37. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

38. Roman poet remembered for his elegiac verses on love (43 BC - AD 17).

39. The compass point that is one point east of northeast.

41. A baby bed with sides and rockers.

43. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

46. The range within which a voice can be heard.

47. The syllable naming the fourth (subdominant) note of the diatonic scale in solmization.

53. Having been taken into the mouth for consumption.

56. A town in central Belgium.

57. A Russian soup usually containing beet juice as a foundation.

58. A unit of electrical resistance equal to the resistance between two points on a conductor when a potential difference of one volt between them produces a current of one ampere.

59. Essential oil or perfume obtained from flowers.

61. Wood of a sumac.

62. English aristocrat who was the first wife of Prince Charles.

64. Kamarupan languages spoken in northeastern India and western Burma.

65. (old-fashioned) At or from or to a great distance.

67. A unit of illumination equal to 1 lumen per square centimeter.

69. A light clear metallic sound as of a small bell.

72. A corporation's first offer to sell stock to the public.

73. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice.

76. Being nine more than forty.

Yesterday始s Solution

SPORTS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Wales, Argentina keen to build on global gains MADRID: Atletico Madrid take on derby rivals Real Madrid this weekend aiming to pile up the pressure on under-fire coach Jose Mourinho whose team already trail leaders Barcelona by 11 points. It is the first time in almost 14 years that Atletico take on their illustrious neighbors with more points in La Liga - they are second with an eight-point lead over a stuttering Real who were beaten once again last weekend by Real Betis.

Despite winning the league last season Mourinho is coming under fire from a demanding Madrid media who are speculating whether he will be still at the helm next summer. The Portuguese flatly denies he is feeling the strain. “I have perfect health and I am working as I have done for

many years. My relationship with the players and the club is like it has always been,” he said. “This is not a courtroom but a press conference. I am just an employee of the club and it is they who decide if they are happy with what they have but I have a very, very, very good relationship with the president and the board.”

He also had the backing of captain Iker Casillas who played down whistles that have been heard recently at the Bernabeu for the coach. “Only a few months ago the shouts were applause and praise that we had won the league but in football memories are very short. “Mou’ led the team to the title with a record number of points and goals. We should remember the good moments and look to continue the project,”

Casillas said. Atletico’s fine start to the campaign is partly due to the form of Radamel Falcao who has hit 14 goals in 13 games and he is now geared up for the derby. “I don’t feel as much pressure as motivation.

We play a great side and it will be a hightempo match but we will go out looking to win,” he said. Barcelona take on Athletic Bilbao aiming to maintain their prolific start which has seen them only drop two points so far in the Clasico against Real Madrid.

Lionel Messi has hit 19 goals in the league and is only three away now from formerGermany striker Gerd Muller’s record of 85 in a calendar year. “Messi is the best player in the world but there are other footballers with great qualities like Xavi (Hernandez) and (Andres) Iniesta who are not far

Tijuana stun Toluca 2-1 in final first leg TIJUANA: Tijuana defeated Toluca 2-1 on Thursday in the first leg of Mexico’s first division final and has the edge going into tomorrow’s deciding match in Toluca. Fidel Martinez and Paraguayan Pablo Aguilar scored in the first half for Tijuana, with the second goal allowed despite replays suggesting he was offside. Edgar Benitez scored for Toluca.

Tijuana is a newcomer to Mexico’s first division and was promoted only last year, while Toluca is attempting to win its 11th title to equal Guadalajara Chivas as Mexico’s most successful club. Tijuana had deservedly taken the lead in the 24th minute when Martinez brought down a pass chipped over the defense by Cristian Pellerano and slotted the ball through goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera’s legs and into the net. The hosts dominated the first half and had a number of half chances, but Toluca equalized two minutes later with its first real attack of the game.

Paraguayan Benitez scored from a tight angle when Lucas Silva slid the ball across goal after a mistake by US international Edgar Castillo sent him through down the right. Aguilar tapped in Tijuana’s second in the 40th minute after US international Joe Corona flicked on a freekick swung in from the right by Fernando Arce. Replays showed Aguilar was slightly offside, sparking protests from Toluca players and manager Enrique Meza at halftime. Tijuana had the better of the possession and play in the second half, but the game became largely a midfield battle and was a much tighter affair.Over the 90 minutes, Tijuana had eight shots on target compared to Toluca’s two.

Toluca went into the final as slight favorite and finished as leaders in the regular-season standings, but a draw in the second leg is good enough to see Tijuana crowned champion. “We are happy, we fought to the end like always,” Tijuana’s Colombian striker Duvier Riascos said. “The team gave its all to get an important result and thanks to God we achieved it.” With only a one-goal deficit to overcome, Benitez said his side can snatch the title in the second leg, saying: “We’ve got to be calm, look for the goal and to control the game.” The Mexican season is divided into two halves - the Apertura season - the one now underway - and the Clausura season starting in January. Each crowns its own champion. — AP

TIJUANA: Tijuana’s Duvier Riascos (top) celebrates a goal against Toluca made by teammate Pablo Aguilar (bottom left) as Fidel Martinez embraces from the right during the Mexican soccer league match in Tijuana. — AP

behind,” said midfielder Thiago Alcantara.

Malaga responded to a dip in form with a convincing 4-0 win over Valencia last weekend and now play Getafe while Real Betis who are level with them on 22 points are away at Deportivo la Coruna.At the other end of the table Javier Aguirre is preparing for his first league game at the helm of Espanyol against Granada after Mauricio Pochettino was sacked following just two wins all season. Above them Osasuna take on Rayo Vallecano. Levante look to respond to their 4-0 defeat by Barcelona away to Celta Vigo and Valencia hope to maintain their strong home record against Real Sociedad. Elsewhere, Mallorca play Zaragoza and Sevilla entertain Valladolid. — AFP

Asia body ‘ready to bury Hammam era’ SINGAPORE: Asia’s football body finally looks ready to turn the page on an era of bribery allegations and intrigue by announcing moves to replace suspended president Mohamed bin Hammam, insiders said yesterday. A unanimous decision by the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) executive committee to hold presidential elections next year demonstrates unusual unity, they said, in a body better known for in-fighting.

“Even his (bin Hammam’s) ardent supporters said they wanted to go ahead... I was pretty surprised,” a witness, who did not want to be named, told AFP. “It was the quickest item on the agenda.” Leadership elections, at a congress expected next April, would banish a long period of turmoil and uncertainty after bin Hammam was accused of bribery during FIFA’s 2011 presidential vote and banned from football activities.

Hammam, 63, is already in his third and final allowable term as AFC president, under the body’s rules, and remains temporarily suspended from football despite having his life ban overturned earlier this year. But the Qatari businessman’s long fight to clear his name appears to be wearing thin among the 46 member associations of the AFC, which is the biggest regional football body in the world. “Everybody’s fed up. I have spoken to all the member association presidents, they’re all fed up,” the witness said. “I think these guys have seen the writing on the wall. They really want to put this behind them. They want to start a new chapter and look forward. It doesn’t make sense to devote all this energy to one man.”

Interim president Zhang Jilong of China is favorite to claim the post full-time, and he appeared to throw his hat in the ring when announcing the vote on Thursday. “Under my caretaker leadership, I promised a new vision for AFC. I committed myself to a new era of transparency and I am confident that with your support I will be able to deliver this objective,” Zhang said in a statement. Stable leadership would be a boon for the AFC, which was dominated by Hammam during his nine-year rule before being thrown into turmoil by his suspension last year.

Peter Velappan, who was the AFC’s general secretary for 30 years and is a vocal critic of the Qatari, was delighted the body had decided to move forward. —AFP

Malaga faces UEFA action over unpaid player wages GENEVA: Champions League contender Malaga is facing UEFA sanctions for failing to pay millions of euros (dollars) of players’ wages on time, and will likely have some prize money withheld. UEFA said yesterday that investigators from its Club Financial Control Body have referred Malaga and eight other clubs to the panel’s judging chamber.

Malaga, which is owned by a Qatari investor, has reportedly failed to pay players a combined 9 million euros ($11.6 million). The Spanish club has qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League and is due at least 25 million euros ($32 million) in prize money, bonuses and a share of Spanish tele-

vision revenues from UEFA. UEFA said the judging panel will examine nine clubs who played in this season’s Champions League and Europa League whose prize money has been frozen because of unpaid players’ wages, transfer fees or social taxes. Sixteen clubs have been cleared - including defending Europa League champion Atletico Madrid, Sporting Lisbon and Fenerbahce - and will now receive their prize money after being cleared by the UEFA finance monitors. Investigators “adjudged that the necessary financial requirements had been implemented” by a Sept. 30 deadline, UEFA said in

a statement. UEFA published a list of 23 clubs under investigation in September who owed a combined 30 million euros ($38.4 million) in socalled “overdue payables.” Clubs must pay their football and tax debts as a condition of getting a license from their national association to play in UEFA competitions. Malaga will be joined in the UEFA court by eight Europa League entrants: Bucharest clubs Dinamo and Rapid, Serbian clubs Partizan and Vojvodina, Hajduk Split and Osijek of Croatia, plus Lech Poznan of Poland and Arsenal Kiev of Ukraine. The latter two have been added to the original list of 23 since September. —AFP

SPORTS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

ITALIAN LEAGUE

Preview

Torino aim for impossible in Juve derby MILAN: One of Serie A’s biggest derbies takes centre stage today when Torino visit Juventus Stadium with the unlikely hope of denting the Old Lady’s bid for a successful title defense. ‘Il Grand Torino’ were once one of Italy’s biggest teams and their history hangs over the city, no more so than at the Superga hill where virtually the entire team was wiped out in a plane crash in May 1949. Juve are unbeaten against Torino in the sides’ last 12 games and on home soil have chalked up 33 wins, 18 draws and 16 defeats over the years. Indeed the last time Torino beat the Bianconeri was in 1995, when the visitors took all three points in a 2-1 win at the Delle Alpi. Juve, however, have injury worries over Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal and Uruguayan defender Martin Caceres, with Vidal a doubt and Caceres ruled out.

Juve are also sweating on the fitness of one of their three defenders, Giorgio Chiellini, who missed a disas-

trous trip to the San Siro last week with a calf injury. He may start on the bench, and a week after a controversial 1-0 reverse to AC Milan, only their second of the season, some believe Juve could be there for the taking. “Torino have to treat this like a World Cup final,” said former Torino player Paolo Pulici, who scored the most goals against Juve in previous derbies. “In this kind of game motivation, belief and desire will be key. That’s the only way to get one over on such a strong and complete side as Juventus.”

An unlikely Juve defeat would be applauded by Napoli, who are right back in the title chase thanks to a recent resurgence and are at home to Pescara. They are unbeaten this month in all competitions, including the Europa League, and have scored 14 goals in their past six games thanks largely to the combined efforts of Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik and Lorenzo Insigne. With Goran

Wondolowski named ‘Most Valuable Player’ LOS ANGELES: San Jose Earthquakes striker Chris Wondolowski was voted Major League Soccer’s Most Valuable Player for the 2012 season, the league said on Thursday. The US international, a classic ‘goal poacher’ equaled MLS’s goals per season record, held since 1996 by Roy Lassiter, with 27 during 2012. “It’s an individual award but I like to think of it as a team award,” said Wondolowski, paying tribute to his coaches and team-mates.

“There weren’t many of those goals were more than one touch finishes. I get great service from good passers. I’m not beating 10 guys or shooting into the upper 90 but from six yards and in,” he said. It was the third successive year the 29-year-old has been the league’s top scorer, but the first time he has been named MVP. Former France and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry of the New York Red Bulls finished a distant second in the vote of clubs, media and fellow players.

Sporting Kansas City and US winger Graham Zusi was ranked third while Houston Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis was fourth. “What he is good at is taking chances,” Wondolowski’s coach at San Jose Frank Yallop said. “His general play is solid, just normal. As he says himself, he doesn’t dribble anybody, he isn’t very fast but where he is fast is in his mind. He knows when the ball is going to arrive...it’s instinct. “He works on his finishing, no doubt about that.

Every striker tries to score goals but lots can’t because they can’t get away from people. He can, he drifts around and does he thing - he’s very difficult to play against,” he added.

The title-deciding MLS Cup is played on Saturday between LA Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo. — Reuters

CALIFORNIA: Chris Wondolowski of the San Jose Earthquakes poses with the 2012 MLS Most Valuable Player Award at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California. — AFP

FRENCH LEAGUE

Preview

Lyon host defending champs Montpellier PARIS: French league leaders Lyon will aim to build on Wednesday’s impressive 4-1 demolition of title-rivals Marseille when they host defending champions Montpellier this weekend. Remi Garde’s side returned to the Ligue 1 summit following their midweek victory at Stade Velodrome, a win punctuated by France striker Bafetimbi Gomis’ first top-flight hat-trick.

“It’s good, I will savor it, but we saw what happened in Toulouse (last weekend’s 3-0 defeat) and we have to have humility and perform in the next game against Montpellier, who are never easy to play against,” said a buoyant, but grounded Gomis. Seeking their first title since the last of their seven consecutive triumphs in 2008, Lyon have a two-point lead over chasing Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille but their mettle will be test-

ed in December with trips to Saint-Etienne and PSG also on the fixture list.

“I’m very happy to be top. It’s not by chance, if we’re there (in first place) we deserve it but there is still a long way to go, and difficult matches on the schedule,” said Lyon boss Garde. Montpellier’s dreadful start to the season means their title defence is already effectively over, but Rene Girard’s charges are currently enjoying their best run of form this term as they are unbeaten in five league outings. Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s return from a twomatch suspension inspired PSG to a 4-0 rout of Troyes last Saturday, but the Parisians’ dreams of a domestic treble were dashed in midweek as they suffered an agonizing penalty shootout defeat at the hands of Saint-Etienne in the League Cup. — AFP

Pandev reportedly still not fully recovered from an ankle injury, Insigne is likely to start against his former club in what should be a memorable game for the Italy under-21 player.

While on loan at Pescara last season, Insigne helped their promotion bid by scoring 18 goals in 37 Serie B appearances. This season Pescara prop up the table with 11 points and only three wins from 14. Fiorentina, meanwhile, face an attacking injury crisis before they host Sampdoria in tomorrow’s late match. La Viola have climbed to a deserved third in the table, on the same 28 points as Inter in fourth, thanks a solid run of games this month. However, their come-from-behind 2-2 draw away to Torino last week exacted a toll. Former Italy striker Luca Toni is still suffering from the effects of a clash of heads while fellow strike partner Stevan Jovetic, the club’s top scorer on six goals, is still sidelined with a calf injury. — AFP

GERMAN LEAGUE

Preview

Bayern, Dortmund clash in ‘El Clasico’ BERLIN: Bayern Munich are out to break their losing streak against defending champions Borussia Dortmund today in the Bundesliga clash which has been described as ‘El Clasico’ of Germany. Bayern extended their lead at the top of the league to 10 points on Wednesday with a 2-0 win at Freiburg while Dortmund, who have won the title for the last two years, lag behind in third and are 11 points adrift. Munich managed a 2-1 pre-season victory at home to Dortmund in August’s Super Cup, but the Bavarian giants are eager to break a Bundesliga run of four defeats in their last four league meetings with Borussia. Bayern midfielder Javi Martinez, who joined Munich from Athletic Bilbao in August, has likened the Dortmund-Bayern clash to the Real Madrid-Barcelona El Clasico in Spain.

“I have followed the duel in Spain and it is a bit like the Clasico,” said the 24-year-old. “There have always been problems against Dortmund and we have to change that.” Bayern have already lost to second-placed Bayer Leverkusen at home this season and must make home advantage count, said Munich midfielder Toni Kroos. “Dortmund are the team with the highest quality after us,” he said. “We know they are a strong opponent against whom we have had big problems in the last two years. We want to show we can do better against them.”

Bayern will have virtually a full strength squad to choose from with only Luiz Gustavo and Arjen Robben out with injury.

Dortmund have a few concerns of their own with midfield pair Mario Goetze and Ilkay Gundogan and defender Mats Hummels all facing a race to be fit. Both Hoffenheim coach Markus Babbel and his Augsburg counterpart Markus Weinzierl are under pressure to turn results around with both teams in the bottom three.

Hoffenheim, who host Werder Bremen tomorrow, are 16th after their 4-2 defeat at Nuremberg which saw Babbel criticise his players, while Augsburg are home to Freiburg today.

“This is not about Markus Babbel, this is about TSG Hoffenheim,” said Babbel with one victory and five defeats in the last nine games.”You have to wonder what is in the players’ heads. I will do all I can to get us out of this difficult situation. That is clear.” Likewise, Weinzierl has just one win and five defeats in his last nine matches and badly needs a win over Freiburg.Having dropped to fourth in the Bundesliga, Schalke 04 are looking to put a disastrous November behind them when they host Borussia Moenchengladbach after just one victory in the month’s five league matches. — AFP

SPORTS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Beck’s Galaxy go for second-straight title LOS ANGELES: Former England captain David Beckham hopes to close out his Major League Soccer career with a bang as a win in today’s final against Houston would give him twostraight championship titles.

Beckham’s six-year playing career with Los Angeles will end with his final game in a Galaxy uniform against the Dynamo after he announced last week he was looking forward to “one more challenge” outside of the MLS. He is expected to make a decision on where he will end up playing next by the end of the year, saying he has several offers on the table. “On the field, to have played in three finals and to have been able to lift the championship last year in our own stadium, I felt that I had achieved everything I wanted to do,” he said.

“Now that we have reached the MLS Cup final, that it is going to be in our stadium again in front of our own fans, it just felt it was the right time.”

Beckham told British broadcaster Sky Sports that playing in the Premier League isn’t one of the options. “I can’t see myself playing for any other

Premier League club” than former team Manchester United, he said this week. He has been linked to possible moves to Australia’s A-League or Paris Saint-Germain. Regardless of today’s outcome, Beckham will have left his mark on the league since he began playing for the Galaxy in 2007.

The league has expanded from 12 to 19 teams and it has more than doubled its overall attendance. “He was an unbelievable ambassador for the league, for the Galaxy,” said MLS commissioner Don Garber. Beckham scored a seven goals this season and had 15 assists last year with the Galaxy. Both were personal MLS season best marks for Beckham.

Some thought it was a long time coming as Beckham got off to a slow start in his first few seasons with Los Angeles, sparring with fans and dividing his playing time between teams in Europe and North America. “When I first came here people expected me to score 10 goals and that was never going to happen,” Beckham said.

“Wherever I played there has always been expectations. Whether I reach them, that is for other people to

decide just what my impact was.”

Beckham’s teammate Landon Donovan also could be playing his last game with the Galaxy yesterday.

“We haven’t always gotten along, especially in the beginning. But he’s a good person and I think we’re all happy for him,” Donovan said of Beckham.

Donovan hinted recently that he may retire after this season which would end a superb North American career that saw him score more goals than any player in US national team history. Galaxy coach Bruce Arena says playing their final game at The Home Depot Center instead of on the road is a blessing. “We could play this in Anchorage if they asked us to,” said Arena, who has coached the Galaxy since 2008. “But playing at home should be an advantage in an MLS Cup. “We hope it helps us a little bit, because we’re going to need all the help we can get. I’d rather be playing in LA than Houston.”

The Galaxy have come a long way in 2012. Three months into the season they were in last place in the Western Conference. But they went 12-3-2 in

How goal king ‘Der Bomber’ crashed BERLIN: Lionel Messi could break Gerd Mueller’s 40-year-old record this weekend for the most goals scored in a single year, but the lifestyles of ‘Der Bomber’ and the magical Argentine could not be more different. Messi’s Barcelona host Athletic Bilbao today in the Spanish League and with 82 goals so far in 2012, the 25-year-old is just three short of Mueller’s record tally of 85 set in 1972 for Bayern Munich and West Germany. At the peak of his career-when he scored the winning goal in the 1974 World Cup final-Mueller basked in the same god-like status Messi now enjoys. But having battled alcoholism since his retirement in 1981, his public appearances are limited now to the occasional Munich match and a German television milkshake advert alongside current Bayern and Germany star Thomas Mueller. “I ruined my life,” ‘Der Bomber’ admits having blasted an incredible 68 goals in his 62 appearances for his country. He bowed out on the international stage at just 28 years of age after hitting the winning goal in Munich as West Germany beat Holland 2-1 to win the 1974 World Cup. Mueller finished with 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games.

While Messi has been instrumental in helping Barcelona enjoy a golden era in the club’s rich history, the same was true for Mueller and Bayern in the 1970s. In 1965, Muller, Sepp Maier and Franz Beckenbauer inspired the club to promotion to the Bundesliga. Munich became Bundesliga champions for the first time in 1969, before claiming a hat-trick of domestic titles in 1972, 1973 and 1974.The dream team then won the European Cup three times in succession from 1974 to 1976. “Everything that FC Bayern has become is due to Gerd Mueller and his goals,” said Beckenbauer, who captained Germany to the 1974 World Cup win and coached the 1990-title winning team. Mueller was the club’s top scorer every season from 1964-65 to 1977-78, and the Bundesliga’s leading marksman seven times. His collection of personal awards is just as impressive as the titles Bayern won.

Aged 21, he was first voted German Player of the Year in 1967, then in 1970, he became the first German to be crowned European Footballer of the Year after winning the top scorer award at the Mexico 1970 World Cup. He appeared three times in FIFA Select XIs (1971, 1972, 1973) as further proof of his exceptional status. When his playing career ended after a three-year spell in the North American League, Mueller admits he descended into deep crisis and began drinking heavily.Bayern’s current president Uli Hoeness helped get him back on his feet by offering him a contract in 1992; initially to look after sponsors, scout for talent and coach strikers and goalkeepers. — AFP

PARIS: A combination of files pictures shows West German forward Gerd Muller (up) kicking the ball during the World Cup first round match between East Germany and West Germany in Hamburg and (bottom) FC Barcelona’s Argentinean forward Lionel Messi jumping past Real Madrid’s defender Sergio Ramos (left) and Lassana Diarra (right) during the “El clasico” Spanish League football match Real Madrid against Barcelona. — AFP

their next 17 games to clinch a playoff spot with five weeks remaining in the season. They advanced to the final by overcoming deficits in each of their first two playoff series. A lot of the credit goes to Arena. “He’s a leader,” says Dave Sarachan, the Galaxy’s associate head coach. “A decent balance of when to step on guys and when to back off. He knows how to manage. “When you add up all these components, you get Bruce.”

This marks just the second time in MLS history the same two teams will meet in consecutive finals. Donovan scored the only goal of the match last year to give the Galaxy the 1-0 win over the Dynamo who are playing in the MLS Cup for the fourth time in their seven-year history. Midfielder Brad Davis said the Dynamo has improved from last year, especially at midfield. “I definitely think we’re a bit more dynamic,” Davis said. “The additions of Ricardo [Clark] and Boniek [Garcia] to our midfield has brought nothing but confidence to our team right now. “It’s been a lot of fun to play, and hopefully we can keep it going in the last game.” — AFP

Monaco eye Beckham MONACO: AS Monaco are interested in signing former England captain David Beckham, the second-tier French club’s chief executive Tor-Kristian Karlsen told local media yesterday. “Our team is very young. If we’re lucky enough to attract a player to Monaco with such charisma, such a competitive spirit and who is physically in form it would be terrific,” Karlsen told the daily Parisien/Aujourd’hui newspaper.

The Norwegian also told sports daily l’Equipe: “We have a very young team who could benefit from a player of his (Beckham’s) stature, experience and personality. “But there is obviously a lot of interest from clubs from around the world in such an illustrious player.

Now we’re an ambitious club and when a player of this stature becomes available, it’s normal that we are on the alert.”

Beckham’s six-year playing career with Major League Soccer will end with his final game for the Los Angeles Galaxy against Houston this weekend after he announced he was looking forward to “one more challenge” outside of the MLS. The 115-times capped England player is expected to make a decision on where he will end up playing next by the end of the year. Sources close to the player have confirmed an approach by Monaco.

Beckham has also been linked with a possible move to Ligue 1 high-flyers Paris Saint-Germain where he would team up again with Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti and team director Leonardo, whom he knows from his two previous loan stints with AC Milan. There have also been offers from China, Russia and Brazil for the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player, who has not ruled out a return to England. “I’ve always said I think I would struggle to come back and play in England because I’ve played for the biggest club in the world, the biggest club in England, Manchester United, and I couldn’t see myself playing for any other Premiership team,” he told Sky Sports News on Wednesday.

“But you never know. Like I said, we’ve got some exciting options on the table. I do think we’ll be spending a little more time in England because it’s good for the kids to see their grandparents.” Since their relegation from the top flight in 2010, Monaco have been taken over by billionaire Russian businessman Dmitry Rybolovlev, who has ambitions to return the club to the top flight and Champions League football. The Riviera side are currently top of Ligue 2. — AFP

SPORTS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Benitez in search of Hammer blow LONDON: European champions Chelsea may be third in the Premier League but that will be little consolation to interim manager Rafael Benitez as he takes his side across London to West Ham today. Two successive goalless draws is not what owner Roman Abramovich wanted after sacking Roberto di Matteo, the man who brought the European Cup to Stamford Bridge for the first time courtesy of last season’s Champions League triumph.

And those performances, against Manchester City and derby rivals Fulham, have done little to alter the hostility felt towards Benitez by a large section of Chelsea fans on account of the Spaniard’s outspoken comments about the Blues when he was Liverpool manager. Even wins may not be enough to appease those sections of the Chelsea faithful who remain implacably opposed to his appointment.

But a win, not to mention a goal, at West Ham would be a start in an early kick-off fixture where victory would see the Blues close to within four points of Manchester United before the leaders are in action at Reading. “If you analyze 10 games without a clean sheet, when the

team are attacking and then you give the chance to the other team to score, you lose your confidence,” said Benitez. “The main thing is to keep a solid team with good shape and then we have to take the chances we create with the talent we have up front.” United travel to Reading following a midweek 1-0 win where it took striker Robin van Persie just 33 seconds to score the fastest goal of the Premier League season so far.

Moreover, that match saw United rid themselves of the worrying habit they’ve developed this season of conceding first. “The clean sheet is something to build on because the performance needs to be better,” insisted United midfielder Michael Carrick in words that could have been borrowed from manager Alex Ferguson.

Meanwhile Manchester City, still the only unbeaten side in the league, are at home to Everton with manager Roberto Mancini demanding more of Mario Balotelli after the striker opened his Premier League account for the season with the first goal in a 2-0 midweek win at Wigan. “It’s his first goal this year (season) and I hope he can improve after that game,” Mancini said of his fellow Italian.

West Brom, still fourth despite a 3-1 midweek defeat by Swansea, will look to return to winning ways at home to Stoke while Tottenham, whose 2-1 win over Liverpool took them up into fifth place, make the crossLondon trip to Fulham. Arsenal welcome Swansea to the Emirates following a 1-1 draw at Everton. Southampton, still in the relegation zone, travel to Liverpool-the club where Saints manager Nigel Adkins was once a schoolboy goalkeeper. “Obviously they’re going through a transition at this moment in time, but it is a game that we’ll look forward to, as we do every game in the Premier League,” said Adkins.

Liverpool are just four points above the relegation zone and Reds manager Brendan Rodgers has called on the rest of his players to ease the burden on captain Steven Gerrard.

“He’s carried this club for nearly 13 years and it’s about time that there was more than Steven picking up the baton of responsibility,” said Rodgers of the England midfielder. Bottom of the table QPR, who drew away to Sunderland in their first match under Harry Redknapp, will look to give their new manager a maiden win at home to fellow strugglers Aston Villa. — AFP

Nastasic wants champ Man City to tighten up MANCHESTER: Manchester City defender Matija Nastasic has called on the Premier League champions to add more clean sheets in December as they bid to overtake leaders Manchester United. The 19-year-old made his eighth successive appearance for City against Wigan on Wednesday as they kept hot on the tails of Premier League leaders United with a 2-0 win.

Roberto Mancini’s side welcome Everton to Eastlands today and Nastasic wants the champions to keep it tight at the back even though they will have their hands full with Nikica Jelavic and Marouane Fellaini in town. Serbian centre-back Nastastic has been impressive since linking up with Vincent Kompany in the heart of City’s defense and Mancini’s team

have conceded just one goal in their last six league matches. Nastasic was largely unknown in English football when he arrived from Fiorentina in pre-season but now he has City fans singings his praises.And he is keeping Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott on the bench for the side with the best defensive record in the league.

Now Nastasic wants City to maintain their run of cleans sheets. “Everything is going well for us,” he said. “In the last six games we have only conceded one goal-now we need to keep it going, but this time make it no goals.” The teenage sensation credits much of his form to the help he has received from City skipper and experienced Belgian international Kompany.

“We talk every day on the pitch and on the

training ground, and it makes me happy to play alongside such an excellent captain and in such a good team,” Nastasic explained.

“Whatever I am learning, I am learning along with Vinny. I am playing with Vinny at the moment which is good but we also have other good defenders like Kolo and Joleon who help.” City midfielder James Milner is set to miss today’s match as a result of a hamstring injury he suffered against Wigan.

Meanwhile Gael Clichy and Jack Rodwell are both doubtful, with Micah Richards definitely ruled out. Everton could be missing Leighton Baines should the left-back not recover in time from the hamstring strain he sustained in the Toffees’ demanding draw with Arsenal on Wednesday. —AFP

Today’s matches on TV

English Premier League West Ham v Chelsea Abu Dhabi Sport QPR v Aston Abu Dhabi Sport Fulham v Tottenham Abu Dhabi Sport Liverpool v Southampton Abu Dhabi Sport Man City v Everton Abu Dhabi Sport West Brom v Stoke Abu Dhabi Sport Arsenal v Swansea Abu Dhabi Sport Reading v United Abu Dhabi Sport

and, according to Walcott, there is much more to come. “Those are the sort of positions (at Everton) that this season and in the last few seasons I have been quite deadly in,” said the England international. “When given a little sniff I am able to take it now.

The goals (I have scored) show that.

“I think I scored 11 last season and 13 the year before. Not just that, but my general play (is getting better) as well.

The assists are coming now, which is fantastic, and I am enjoying my football. “I am very happy with the way I have started and it has got to continue.

Hopefully I will take it into today’s game.” Arsenal certainly need an inform Walcott now after a run that has brought one win in five Premier League games and left them five points behind fourth spot.

An improving Swansea side will pro-

vide a stern test but Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen believes the Gunners have demonstrated the kind of attitude in recent weeks that can help revive their form and move them up the table. “Mentality-wise, there is nothing wrong with the team,” said Vermaelen. “Everybody works hard and there is no one who doesn’t work for the team, and that will give you results.

From that point of view I am very happy.” Vermaelen has been operating at left back but with Laurent Koscielny facing a three week absence after injuring his groin at Everton, will shift back into central defense with Kieran Gibbs coming in at full-back.

There may be a change on the right hand side of the back four as well, with Bacary Sagna doubtful with a foot injury. Swansea’s 3-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion means they have lost

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SPANISH LEAGUE Getafe v Malaga Aljazeera Sports +2 Valencia v Real Sociedad Aljazeera Sports +7 Barca v Athletic de Bilbao Aljazeera Sports +2 Real v Atletico Madrid Aljazeera Sports +2

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ITALIAN LEAGUE Juventus v Torino Aljazeera Sports +1

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GERMAN LEAGUE Bayer 04 v Nuremberg Dubai Sports 4 FSV Mainz 05 v Hannover Dubai Sports 6 Bayern v Borussia Dortmund Dubai Sports 1 Dubai Sports DH

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French League Lyon v Montpellier Aljazeera Sports +4 Evian Thonon v Nancy Aljazeera Sports +10 Nice v Paris Saint-Germain Aljazeera Sports +4 Girondins v Sochaux Aljazeera Sports +8 Lille v Bastia Aljazeera Sports +7 Valenciennes v Stade Reims Aljazeera Sports +9

Walcott ready to clip Swans’ wings LONDON: Theo Walcott believes he is now demonstrating a true striker’s instinct, highlighting why the winger’s contract negotiations are coming to dominate Arsenal’s season. Walcott scored his tenth goal of the campaign at Everton to secure the draw that ensures Arsene Wenger’s side face Swansea at the Emirates Stadium today one point and one place above the Welsh club in seventh position. But if the quality of Walcott’s finish underlined his value to the side, the fact it came after it had emerged the player had not been included on the club’s 2013 calendar confirmed his Arsenal future remains in the balance.

Walcott is a free agent at the end of the season, with talks about a new deal having stalled over the player’s wage demands. His recent form, however, has reinforced his bargaining position

15:45

just once in nine games across all competitions and was an ideal tonic ahead of their trip to the Emirates Stadium.

“We can go there with confidence,” said Swansea manager Michael Laudrup. “There is no pressure on us at all, we go there as underdogs and everyone will expect Arsenal to win,” the Denmark great added.

Wayne Routledge scored twice against West Brom as the club took its points tally to 20, a mark the winger believes to be a significant milestone as the Welsh side attempts to consolidate its position in the Premier League.

“We have 20 points from 14 games which is a great start, but we need to continue that,” said the winger. “To be at that tally before Christmas is a big achievement for us. Hopefully we can continue that form and pick up more points before Christmas.” — AFP

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SPORTS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Sharp putting keeps Tiger in contention THOUSAND OAKS: With his game markedly better than this time a year ago, tournament host Tiger Woods was happy enough after grinding out a two-under-par 70 in Thursday’s opening round of the World Challenge. Though Woods did not strike the ball as well as he did in Wednesday’s pro-am competition, he sank several par putts from around 10 feet to remain in contention and ended an overcast day at Sherwood Country Club just three strokes off the lead.

The American world number three has triumphed five times in the elite invitational event and, at a hilly venue he knows better than anyone else in the 18player field, he has a good opportunity to claim his fourth victory this year. “I didn’t hit it very good today, so it was nice to scrape out a good score,” Woods told reporters after mixing three birdies with a lone bogey and a total of 29 putts to finish three behind compatriot Nick Watney.

“I made a few good par putts to keep the round going. I kept myself in the tournament. Could have easily shot myself out of the tournament but I kept myself in it.” Playing his first tournament since he tied for fourth at the PGA Tour-sanctioned CIMB Classic in Malaysia last month, Woods said he was not at all rusty with his game. “I just felt a little off,” the 36-year-old said. “Even warming up I didn’t quite feel it was where I needed to have it. I had it last night when I was hitting golf balls, and that was nice. “Unfortunately I just didn’t have it like I did last night. I’ll do some work here and hopefully shore it up for tomorrow.”

ENDED TITLE DROUGHT Since ending a frustrating two-year title drought with a one-shot victory at the World Challenge 12 months ago, Woods has triumphed three times on the PGA Tour and is excited about his prospects for 2013.

He has been working with coach Sean Foley on the

fourth swing change of his professional career but, with all the fundamentals now bedded in, he is spending most of his time in practice just fine tuning. “I’ve already made the big changes,” said Woods who was World Challenge champion in 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2011. “They’re already in. It’s the little tweaks here and there.

“But the thing I’m excited about is my short game is back. I’m chipping and putting well again, and that’s something that’s turned around since my ball striking was better. “I didn’t have to spend all the time hitting golf balls and making changes. I could chip and putt for hours, and it paid off for me at the end of the year.” For the moment, though, Woods has just three more rounds to go before wrapping up his 2012 campaign ere at Sherwood. “This is ending my year, ending my season, and then I’ll take a nice little break over the holidays and then gear back up for next year,” he said.— Reuters

Will Ponting spark retirement rush?

NEW DELHI: Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting’s decision to retire could be the start of an exodus of other batting greats, including Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis. With all the leading run-getters in Test cricket in the 35-plus age bracket, the next few years seem set to witness a host of retirements that will leave the game short of batting class and experience.

Ponting, who turns 38 next month, starts his 168th and last Test against South Africa Friday and Tendulkar, who is without a Test century since early last year and will be 40 in April, appears to be next in line to call it quits. Kallis, West Indian Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene are also in the autumn of their careers, despite showing terrific form of late. The five veterans make up half the all-time list of just 10 players to have amassed 10,000 runs or more, along with the already retired Rahul Dravid, Brian Lara, Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Sunil Gavaskar.

Tendulkar, the world’s leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket and the maker of an unprecedented 100 international centuries, has already said he has been contemplating ending his iconic 23-year career. “I am 39 and I don’t think I have plenty of cricket left in me,” he said in a television interview in October.

Asked if he has been thinking of retirement, he replied: “Of course, I have been. “I am 39 plus and it is not abnormal for me to think of it. At that moment, I will go by what my heart says. At this moment, my heart says I am okay. But you will have to look at series by series.”

It was the first time the record-breaking Mumbai batsman had spoken of retirement, and a recent run of poor scores has many wondering if the end was drawing closer. Tendulkar has scored a record 51 Test centuries, but he has now gone 28 innings without a hundred in the five-day format since his 146 against South Africa in Cape Town in January 2011. In 2012, he has managed just 274 runs in seven Tests at an average of 22.83, a far cry from his career figures-a record 15,562 runs in 192 Tests at 54.60.

Recent media reports suggested that Tendulkar had discussed his future with the selectors, but this has been denied by both the Indian cricket board and close friends of the batsman.

At least Kallis and Chanderpaul have the runs behind them to prevent speculation about their careers. A string of injuries has left question marks over the South African, with a hamstring strain preventing him from bowling for all but three overs of the last Test against Australia in Adelaide. However, the 37-year-old’s appetite for runs remains undiminished. This year alone, Kallis has smashed 905 in eight Tests at an amazing average of 75.41, with four centuries including 224 against Sri Lanka in January and 147 against Australia in Brisbane in November.

Most recently, he played through the pain barrier in the Adelaide Test to score 58 and 46 as South Africa held out for an improbable draw. Chanderpaul, described by Cricinfo as possessing the “crabbiest” technique in world cricket with an ugly fronton stance, continues to defy critics as he piles on the runs for the West Indies. The 38-year-old left-hander scored 987 runs in his last nine Tests at an average of 98.70 and ended a remarkable year with two unbeaten marathons of 203 and 150 in Bangladesh in November.—AFP

FUKUOKA: Mongolian sumo grand champion, or “yokozuna”, Hakuho (top) throws down his compatriot and fellow yokozuna Harumafuji (bottom) to the ground to win the bout on the last day of the 15-day Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament in Fukuoka, on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu. Hakuho defeated Harumafuji on the last day to finish with a winning 14-1 record in the 15-day tournament. — AFP

Sumo sports threatened in ‘age of convenience’ TOKYO: Aspiring sumo wrestler Mainoumi once convinced doctors to inject silicone into his scalp to meet height requirements for the ancient Japanese sport. Such sacrifice is a rarity now in a sport beset by scandals and with popularity at an all-time low.

With a history spanning centuries, sumo once graced the Imperial courts of Japan and wrestlers were held in the highest regard.

Sponsors lavished gifts on the hulking giants and to join the ranks of the sumo was considered a worthy occupation.

Those days are long gone, however. Tarnished by scandals involving drug use, bout-fixing, violence and alleged links to Japanese organized crime, sumo struggles to fill stadiums and attract new fans. Such is its decline that last month only one person applied to take the sport’s entrance exam. This brought the total number of applicants for the year to just 56, the lowest since the current system of staging six major tournaments a year was introduced in 1958.

That compares to a peak of 223 in 1992 when muscle-bound Japanese brothers Takanohana and Wakanohana fired up the sport with their dynamic fighting styles. “We should be wracking our brains to find solutions,” said Shoji Kagamiyama, head of a

sumo training gym. “At this rate there will be more wrestlers quitting sumo than coming in. If that trend continues there will be none left. New wrestlers are our most precious commodity.” Last year sumo racked up debts of almost $50 million following a match-fixing sting and widespread arrests which led to a television black-out and a government ticking off. The sport also drew outrage across Japan when a former gym boss was sentenced to six years in prison after a 17-year-old wrestler was beaten to death.

Last year, a gym chief was given a severe dressing down for beating three young wrestlers with a golf club for breaking curfew and not wearing traditional kimono outside. “We don’t know the reason why the numbers are dropping,” a Japan Sumo Association (JSA) official said on condition of anonymity. “You would have to ask (applicants) why, or if the problems have had anything to do with their decision.” The situation is the latest manifestation of a long, slow decline. Public interest in the once-packed tournaments has been falling steadily over the past decade, with both crowds and television viewing figures down.—Reuters

SPORTS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Proteas strike back after being dismissed for 225 South Africa bowled out cheaply PERTH: Australia dismissed South Africa for 225 despite another dogged rearguard action from Faf du Plessis before moving nervously to 33-2 at the close of play on a thrilling first day of the third test at the WACA yesterday. The overhauled Australian pace bowling unit had reduced the tourists to 6-75 with five quick wickets around the lunch break but du Plessis once again proved unmovable until he ran out of tailend partners when unbeaten on 78. Dale Steyn gave the tourists a quick boost in the late afternoon light when he had opener Ed Cowan caught for a golden duck with his third ball before Vernon Philander removed Shane Watson lbw for 10 after an appeal to the TV umpire.

Opener David Warner, who was unbeaten on 12, and nightwatchman Nathan Lyon, who had made seven, will resume on day two of a test which will decide which of the countries will be number one in the test rankings. “Faf’s in pretty good form and he’s proving pretty difficult to get out at this stage,” debutant Australian seamer John Hastings told reporters. “We were close but probably let it slip a bit, but I think 225 is still a pretty good effort to bowl them out. “I think the wicket will get better and better (and) if we can bat well for a half hour, an hour, in the morning, it’s going to flatten out nicely.”

Australia’s selectors had earlier been vindicated in their decision to rest Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle after the pacemen had run themselves into the ground in Adelaide in the wake of a series-ending injury to James Pattinson.

Recalled seamers Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Hastings all got among the wickets to leave South Africa perhaps ruing the decision to bat first on a bouncy WACA track. “I think we’ve got to make it a good score now,” said South African spinner Robin Peterson. “We’d have liked to be up 300 after batting first but after being 6-75, if we can take a couple more wickets in the morning, 225 might end up being a good score.”

All rounder Watson, who missed the two drawn tests in Brisbane and Adelaide with a calf injury, made the first breakthrough with 38 runs on the board when he had Graeme Smith caught in the slips by Michael Clarke for 16. The South Africans were looking like they might just survive until lunch, albeit with a modest total, before the intervention of left-arm quick Starc. Two full, late-swinging deliveries in six balls fooled first opener Alviro Petersen (30) and then all rounder Jacques Kallis (2) and ripped through the gate to make a mess of the stumps.

There was to be no respite after lunch and Hashim Amla had already been dropped by Cowan when he was run out by Warner’s direct hit without adding to his tally of 11. Cowan’s spill deprived Hastings of his first test wicket but the bowler did not have to wait long to claim it as he found some late movement to have AB de Villiers caught in the slips for four. South Africa were now well and truly on the rack and it got worse when Johnson finally got some reward for some fine swing bowling with the first of his two wickets. Dean Elgar’s first test innings lasted just 18 minutes and 12 balls before he caught a top edge with an attempted pull and Matthew Wade took the catch behind the stumps to hand the debutant a duck.

India collapsed from a similar position here last year and Warner had scored a 69-ball century by the end of the first day’s play with Australia winning inside three days. South Africa are made of sterner stuff, however, and du Plessis

SCOREBOARD PERTH, Australia: Scoreboard at stumps on the opening day of the third and final Test between Australia and South Africa at the WACA Ground yesterday: South Africa 1st Innings G. Smith c Clarke b Watson 16 A. Petersen b Starc 30 H. Amla run out (Warner) 11 J. Kallis b Starc 2 AB. de Villers c Clarke b Hastings 4 D. Elgar c Wade b Johnson 0 F. du Plessis not out 78 R. Peterson c Wade b Lyon 31 V. Philander c Hussey b Lyon 30 D. Steyn b Johnson 2 M. Morkel c Hastings b Lyon 17 Extras (lb2, w2) 4 Total (all out, 74 overs) 225 Fall of wickets: 1-38 (Smith) 2-61 (Petersen), 363 (Kallis), 4-67 (Amla), 5-67 (de Villiers), 6-75 (Elgar), 7-132 (Peterson), 8-196 (Philander), 9206 (Steyn), 10-225 (Morkel).

Bowling: Starc 16-3-55-2, Hastings 20-2-51-1, Watson 9-2-22-1 (1w), Johnson 17-3-54-2 (1w), Lyon 12-1-41-3.

PERTH: Australia’s Nathan Lyon tries to duck under a bouncer from a delivery from South Africa’s Dale Steyn during their third cricket test match in Perth, Australia yesterday. — AP anchored a stand of 57 with Robin Peterson, 64 with Vernon Philander and 19 with Morne Morkel to triple his country’s tally for the last four wickets.

Coming after the 78 and unbeaten 110 he scored to save a draw on his test debut in Adelaide, the 28-year-old now boasts a test batting average of 266. “There were always people doubting him but I think those doubts have

been thrown out of the window,” said Peterson.

Lyon broke up all three of du Plessis’s big partnerships to finish with figures of 3-41, ending South Africa’s innings when he had Morkel caught by Hastings. Lyon was facing the South Africans again with bat in hand sooner than he would have liked, however, in a bid to protect the wicket of Ricky Ponting, who is playing his 168th and final test in Perth. — Reuters

Australia 1st Innings D. Warner not out 12 E. Cowan c Kallis b Steyn 0 S. Watson lbw Philander 10 N. Lyon not out 7 Extras (lb4) 4 Total (2 wickets, 11 overs) 33 Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Cowan), 2-18 (Watson).

Bowling: Steyn 6-2-21-1, Philander 4-0-8-1, Morkel 1-1-0-0.

Still to bat: Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey, Matthew Wade, John Hastings, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc.

Spinners set up easy win for Bangladesh KHULNA: Off-spinner Sohag Gazi made a memorable one-day debut to help Bangladesh crush West Indies by seven wickets with 58 balls to spare in the opening game of the fivematch series in Khulna yesterday. Gazi claimed four wickets for 29 runs as he and spin colleague Abdur Razzak (3-39) ran through the West Indies batting order which failed to justify their decision to bat first and folded for 199 runs in 46.5 overs.

Opener Tamim Iqbal (58) scored his fifth consecutive one-day half century, while top order batsmen Anamul Haq (41) and Naeem Islam (50 not out) also contributed as Bangladesh lost three wickets before comfortably overwhelming the target to go 1-0 up in

the series. Tamim set the tone for a successful chase with a 88-run opening stand with Anamul, one of the four debutants Bangladesh fielded in the game. Tamim’s 58 came off 51 balls with eight fours and two sixes before Sunil Narine had him caught by Kieran Pollard at backward point.

Anamul survived some anxious moments before growing in confidence but fell short of his maiden half-century. Naeem Islam added 45 runs with birthday boy Nasir Hossain (28) for third wicket to slam the door on West Indies.

Earlier, the visitors got off to a positive start with the openers raising 48 runs but once Mashrafe Mortaza trapped Lendl Simmons (13) lbw, West Indies batting order simply came

unstuck. Gazi delighted the packed holiday crowd at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium by removing the dangerous Chris Gayle (35) with his second ball with Tamim leaping high on long on boundary to take a spectacular catch.

Gazi, who took nine wickets in his test debut earlier this month, struck another crucial blow when he removed Marlon Samuels for a duck in his next over before left-arm spinner Razzak joined the party. To make it worse for the visitors, Darren Bravo (35) got run out as Bangladesh took control of the match. Down the order, Sunil Narine (36) and Ravi Rampaul (25) added 57 runs for the ninth wicket to give the West Indies innings some respectability but it was not enough in the end. —Reuters

SPORTS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Heat top shorthanded Spurs Warriors take down Nuggets in wild finish MIAMI: The NBA plans to make San Antonio pay for resting four stars. The Miami Heat almost could not. Ray Allen’s 3-pointer with 22.6 seconds left gave the Heat the lead, LeBron James finished with 23 points and the Heat rallied late to beat the Spurs 105-100 on Thursday night needing to dig deep despite San Antonio’s decision to have four standouts resting at home in a move that irked NBA Commissioner David Stern. Allen scored 20 points, Dwyane Wade added 19 and Chris Bosh finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds for Miami, now 7-0 at home.

Gary Neal had 20 points for the Spurs, who played without Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green.

The Spurs’ top foursome was sent back to San Antonio by coach Gregg Popovich, who said the move was in his team’s best interest. Stern wasn’t happy about it, calling the move “unacceptable” and saying that sanctions against the Spurs will be forthcoming. Tiago Splitter scored 18 points, Nando De Colo added 15, Boris Diaw scored 12 and Matt Bonner had a 10point, 10-rebound night for San Antonio, which finished a six-games-in-nine-nights road trip with a 5-1 record.

The Spurs led by seven with about 5 minutes left and were up 98-93 after Neal made a 3-pointer with 2:14 remaining. The Heat finished on a 12-2 run, needing yet another late-game rally. But all anyone will likely remember from this one is Popovich’s decision - and whatever Stern does as a result. “I apologize to all NBA fans,” Stern said. “This was an unacceptable decision by the San Antonio Spurs and substantial sanctions will be forthcoming.” Stern’s statement was released roughly the same time as tip-off in Miami for the nationally televised game.

The Spurs’ five starters came into the game averaging a combined 23.6 points, or 1.6 points less than James averaged entering Thursday night. And when the Heat ran out to a 16-6 lead, it seemed as though a blowout was in the offing. After all, even the oddsmakers in Las Vegas expected it to be that way - the Heat were favored by six points in most sports books before the news broke that the Spurs’ regulars were resting, after which the line swelled to 13.

WARRIORS 106, NUGGETS 105 Andre Iguodala’s 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded was waived off, and Golden State held on for a wild win over Denver after four replay reviews over the final 3.4 seconds. Iguodala received a cross-court inbounds pass and connected from the left wing with a hand in his face, and Nuggets players celebrated by running off the court toward their locker room. But the Warriors stayed put and waited on yet another review by officials at the scorer’s table - then began their own cheers at raucous Oracle Arena when officials ruled the shot came just an instant after time expired. Iguodala missed the last of three free throws that would have tied the game with 3.4 seconds to go, but Denver still had two more chances to win.

David Lee had a season-high 31 points on 13-of-15 shooting for the Warriors, who earned their first win of the season against the Nuggets in the third meeting between the teams in a 20-day span.—Agencies

Old wounds re-opened as Wimbledon face MK Dons LONDON: The first-ever clash between AFC Wimbledon and MK Dons will dominate the FA Cup second round this weekend as another chapter of one of English soccer’s saddest, but ultimately inspiring tales, is written tomorrow. Unfashionable Wimbledon, forever remembered for the Crazy Gang and an unlikely FA Cup final giant-killing against Liverpool at Wembley in 1988, were moved 56 miles north of London to Milton Keynes in 2003 and eventually re-named MK Dons.

While there were financial reasons for the unprecedented re-location of an English side away from its home town, angry fans vowed to save the club’s history and formed AFC Wimbledon from scratch in the minor leagues of the game.

After five promotions in eight years, AFC Wimbledon, a club which is owned by a fans’ trust, are now back in the Football League, just one division below MK Dons. While tomorrow’s tie may look like a chance to settle some old scores, AFC’s chief executive Erik Samuelson said most fans will make the trip from south west London with heavy hearts.

“It’s a match of high emotions for our fans,” Samuelson, who has been a key part of the club’s rise from the ashes, told Reuters in the build-up to the match which will be broadcast live on national television, such is the interest surrounding it.

“It’s a very difficult game because for the majority they would rather the game was not being played. “I’ve spoken to a whole range of people who are going and the feedback I’m getting is that they really don’t want to go and I don’t want to give (MK Dons) any money but I need to be there to support my team.

OAKLAND: Golden State Warriors’ Carl Landry (7) scores past Denver Nuggets’ Kenneth Faried (35) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Oakland, Calif. — AP

NBA results/standings Miami 105, San Antonio 100; Golden State 106, Denver 105.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT Brooklyn 10 4 .714 NY Knicks 10 4 .714 Philadelphia 9 6 .600 Boston 8 7 .533 Toronto 3 13 .188 Central Division Milwaukee 7 6 .538 Chicago 7 7 .500 Indiana 7 8 .467 Detroit 5 11 .313 Cleveland 3 12 .200 Southeast Division Miami 11 3 .786 Atlanta 9 4 .692 Charlotte 7 7 .500 Orlando 5 9 .357 Washington 1 12 .077

GB 1.5 2.5 8 0.5 1 3.5 5 1.5 4 6 9.5

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 12 4 .750 Utah 9 7 .563 Denver 8 8 .500 Minnesota 6 8 .429 Portland 6 9 .400 Pacific Division Golden State 9 6 .600 LA Clippers 9 6 .600 LA Lakers 7 8 .467 Phoenix 7 9 .438 Sacramento 4 10 .286 Southwest Division Memphis 11 2 .846 San Antonio 13 4 .765 Houston 7 8 .467 Dallas 7 9 .438 New Orleans 4 10 .286

3 4 5 5.5 2 2.5 4.5 5 5.5 7.5

‘HEAVY HEARTS’ “Some are saying that nothing will drag me there under any circumstances. Although that’s a small number,” he added. “It’s like a bell curve and the large chunk in the middle are going but with heavy hearts.” In their own way both clubs have been successful since the fateful day in 2001 when Wimbledon’s new chairman Charles Koppel gave the green light for a move to Milton Keynes. MK Dons, as they have been called since being bought by music entrepreneur Pete Winkelman in 2004, are now playing in front of 7,000 crowds in a purpose-built stadium. AFC Wimbledon, with their history and trophies restored after MK Dons effectively handed them back in 2007, were promoted back to the Football League in 2011 after a rapid rise through the minor leagues.

They are still effectively without their own ground, however, as they share a ground in nearby Kingston upon Thames, although plans are ongoing to return to their spiritual home in Plough Lane, just a long ball from the stadium in which they ruffled feathers in the top flight in the 1980s. They still play in the traditional blue and yellow made famous by the Crazy Gang which included the likes of hardman Vinnie Jones, Dennis Wise and Dave Beasant, who famously saved a penalty against Liverpool in the FA Cup final.

NEW STADIUM “After the uprooting of the league place to Milton Keynes, that’s the least emotional word I can use, here we are, a bunch of fans hopefully opening a new stadium in Plough Lane with a team in the Football League,” said Samuelson, outlining plans to move into Wimbledon greyhound stadium.

The team’s manager Neil Ardley, who played nearly 300 games for the old Wimbledon, has had to deal with a media circus in the build up. “There is a lot of emotion behind it and a lot of history. It’s unique. I don’t think there is any other game where this has been the case,” he told the BBC. “Out of bad situations come good situations. I look at this club and it is unbelievable what has been achieved in the last 10 years.

There should be a film made about this club. “For the fans, that’s what this game should be about - how far this club has come through hard work and determination.” While much

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

Sports

Warriors take down Nuggets in wild finish

47

Saints fall to Falcons 23-13 Falcons avenge loss, dent Saints’ playoff chances ATLANTA: Drew Brees said the Saints played winning football against the Falcons in every category but turnovers. “Unfortunately, the turnovers far outshadow the rest,” Brees said.

Brees threw a career-high five interceptions and his record touchdown streak ended in New Orleans’ 23-13 loss to Atlanta on Thursday night. The Saints (5-7) have dropped two in a row, pushing them to the edge of the playoff race, and they know winning their final four regular-season games still might not be enough to make the postseason. “The future as far as the playoffs goes looks pretty bleak right now,” assistant head coach Joe Vitt said.

The Saints fell behind 17-0 before scoring 13 unanswered points to get back in the game. William Moore’s two interceptions stopped the New Orleans comeback.

Brees’ five-interception game came four days after he had two passes picked off and returned for touchdowns in a loss to San Francisco. “A couple of critical mistakes cost us the game, and I’m OK saying that because I hold myself accountable,” Brees said. “Really there have been some critical mistakes in the last two weeks that have cost us dearly.”

He had never before thrown more than four interceptions in a game. “That’s the first time that’s ever happened to me, so that’s extremely disappointing,” Brees said. “I pride myself on being a good decision-maker and not someone who will be a detriment to the game.” Brees had thrown a touchdown pass in 54 consecutive games. He broke Johnny Unitas’ long-standing record earlier this season. “I realize that. I guess records are made to be broken and at some point they come to an end,” he said. “I felt like we could have taken that one for a while.”

Brees’ scoring pass to Darren Sproles late in the first half was nullified by a penalty.

Lance Moore dropped a ball in the end zone.

Falcons coach Mike Smith said Brees’ streak was “unbelievable.” “Drew Brees is an outstanding quarterback,” Smith said. “The way the defense played tonight speaks volumes.

The guys had gone out there and thrown touchdown after touchdown game after game after game.” New Orleans had won four in a row in the series.

Mark Ingram scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter for the Saints’ only touchdown. Garrett Hartley kicked two field goals.

The Falcons (11-1) will clinch the NFC South with a month to go if Tampa Bay loses at Denver on Sunday. After Sproles’ TD was wiped off the board, Brees allowed the clock

to run out in the first half when the Saints had the ball inside the Atlanta 10. Time ran out following a short pass to Sproles. “Obviously we were going down to get some points in the 2minute drill,” Brees said. “Honestly I thought we had more time than we did. The last time I looked at the clock, we had 17 seconds. I thought we had time left to throw one underneath and kill the clock. Unfortunately the clock was down to 7 when I looked back up after the completion. That wasn’t enough time to get the spike.

“That’s my mistake that happened. We needed points, at least 3, and definitely another shot at the end zone, so that was on me. We have to get that.” It was an ugly visit to Atlanta for the Saints, from start to finish.

When the Saints arrived in Atlanta, their bus was pelted by eggs at the airport. Michael Turner scored on Atlanta’s opening possession, Tony Gonzalez hauled in a touchdown pass from Matt Ryan, and Matt Bryant booted three field goals, including a 55-yarder. The defense did the rest. Thomas DeCoud, Sean Weatherspoon and Jonathan Babineaux also had interceptions for Atlanta. Brees completed 28 of 50 passes for 341 yards. The Falcons opened the game with a dominant drive.

Ryan completed a pass on the first play from scrimmage and then turned it over to a running game that has struggled most of the season. Turner burst around right end for a 35-yard gain. Jacquizz Rodgers broke off two straight 14-yard gains. Turner scored from 3 yards out for his 58th touchdown in five seasons with the Falcons, breaking the team record he had shared with Terance Mathis.

Atlanta struck again in the opening minute of the second period. Julio Jones hauled in an 18-yard throw from Ryan, setting up a 17yard touchdown pass to Gonzalez in the back of the end zone. He beat former teammate Curtis Lofton; maybe as a sign of respect, Gonzalez just flipped the ball over the crossbar instead of his customary basketball dunk.

Brees’ second interception, this one a sloppy pass behind running Chris Ivory that deflected into the arms of Weatherspoon, set up Bryant’s 45-yard field goal for a 17-0 lead.

The Saints took control the rest of the second quarter and most of the third. Ingram’s touchdown run capped an 11-play, 80-yard drive.

Hartley’s first field goal, from 21 yards in the third quarter, ended a 15-play, 83-yard drive.

Hartley connected again from much farther out on the Saints’ next possession, a 52-yarder that brought New Orleans even closer.— AP

ATLANTA: Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez (88) makes a catch for a touchdown as New Orleans Saints middle linebacker Curtis Lofton defends during the first half of an NFL football game on Thursday, Nov 29, 2012. — AP