2 Dec

CR IP TI ON BS SU

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

Morsi calls referendum as Islamists march

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7Sea of10new faces 28 elected 20 amid low voter turnout Shiites make huge gains with 15 seats • 3 women victorious

Max 20º Min 09º High Tide 00:40 & 15:08 Low Tide 07:56 & 19:26

SECOND CONSTITUENCY

FIRST CONSTITUENCY

LIST OF WINNERS

Kamel Al-Awadhi

Adnan Abdulsamad

Faisal Al-Duwaisan

Yousuf Al-Zalzalah

Maasouma Al-Mubarak

Abdulhameed Dashti

Saleh Ashour

Nawaf Al-Fuzai

Khaled Al-Shatti

Hussein Al-Qallaf

Ali Al-Rashed

Adnan Al-Mutawwa

Abdulrahman Al-Jeeran

Badr Al-Bathali

Adel Al-Kharafi

Ahmad Lari

Khalaf Dumaitheer

Khalil Al-Saleh

Hamad Al-Harshani

Salah Al-Ateeqi

FIFTH CONSTITUENCY

FOURTH CONSTITUENCY

THIRD CONSTITUENCY

KUWAIT: (Clockwise from top) Candidates Ali Al-Rashed, Safa Al-Hashem and Adnan Al-Mutawwa celebrate with supporters early today after being elected as MPs in yesterdayís parliamentary elections. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat (See Pages 3, 4 & 5)

By B Izzak and Agencies

Ali Al-Omair

Khalil Abdullah

Ahmad Al-Mulaifi

Safa Al-Hashem

Saadoun Hammad

Hisham Al-Baghli

Abdullah Al-Maayouf

Nabeel Al-Fadl

Yaaqoub Al-Sane

Mohammad Al-Jabri

Askar Al-Enezi

Saad Khanfour

Saud Al-Huraiji

Mubarak Al-Khrainej

Thekra Al-Rasheedi

Khaled Al-Shulaimi

Mohammad Al-Rasheedi

Mubarak Al-Orf

Meshari Al-Husseini

Mubarak Al-Nejadah

Faisal Al-Kandari

Abdullah Al-Tamimi

Nasser Al-Merri

Hani Shams

Essam Al-Dabbous

Taher Al-Failakawi

Khaled Al-Adwah

Hammad Al-Doussari

Saad Al-Bous

Nasser Al-Shimmari

KUWAIT: Shiite candidates won as many as 15 seats in the 50-member National Assembly for the first time ever in a general election that was boycotted by the opposition which claimed turnout was just 26.7 percent. Speaking after an emergency meeting of the opposition, former Islamist MP Khaled Al-Sultan said that “based on information available to the opposition, the turnout of voters was very low at 26.7 percent”. The figure was confirmed by the website of the Information Ministry which was carrying the latest results of the counting of the ballots. There has so far been no official figures on the turnout by the National Election Commission.

Former Assembly speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun described the election as “unconstitutional” while former MP Faisal Al-Mislem called on elected MPs to resign after the clear popular verdict in the election which came through the massive boycott. The boycott was mainly in the tribal fourth and fifth electoral districts where turnout was reported at 22 percent and 20 percent respectively, while most voting took place in the first constituency, heavily populated by Shiites. The 15 seats won by the Shiites are the largest ever as they held only seven seats in the scrapped 2012 Assembly and nine in the 2009 house. For the first time, Shiites won seats in all the five districts, particularly in the tribal constituencies. The National Islamic Alliance, the largest Shiite group, won five seats, one in each district for the first time ever.

Women also returned to the Assembly as three female candidates won seats - Maasouma AlMubarak getting re-elected in addition to Safa AlHashem and Thekra Al-Rasheedi. Four women MPs were elected in 2009 for the first time ever while no women MPs were elected in the scrapped 2012 Assembly.

Sunni Islamists and tribal candidates, who formed the backbone of the majority in 2012 Assembly, were the main losers, with the first reduced to just four members compared to 23 in the 2012 Assembly, and the latter losing as many as six seats and winning just 19. With the introduction of the single-vote system and the massive, almost total boycott by the main tribes of Awazem, Mutair and Ajman which together normally hold around 17 seats, smaller tribes and non-tribal communities took the opportunity and won seats.

The Awazem, Mutair and Ajman tribes, with a population of well over 400,000 people, won only a single seat - Khaled Al-Adwah, who was re-elected.

Among the prominent winners are Shiite MPs Adnan Abdulsamad, Faisal Al-Duwaisan, Saleh Ashour, Hussein Al-Qallaf and Abdulhameed Dashti. Others include Ali Al-Rashed, Ali Al-Omair, Ahmad Al-Mulaifi and Askar Al-Enezi. Mulaifi and Rashed immediately announced they will contest the speaker’s post while Omair is reportedly planning to do the same. MP Saadoun Hammad said he will contest the post of deputy speaker.

All the opposition groups are not represented in the Assembly because of the total boycott.

Continued on Page 13

A woman casts her vote at a polling station in Salwa, while a man votes in Sabah Al-Salem.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

LOCAL

Released auto thief quick to get back into business Wife freed from two-month confinement KUWAIT: A bedoon (stateless) man serving a 14year jail sentence who was released midway on grounds of ‘good conduct’ recently was found buying and smuggling stolen vehicles while being in cahoots with a rogue traffic department officer and a Saudi national. Capital Investigation Department detectives found that the convicted car thief resumed his criminal activity after he was released from jail, having spent half of his sentence after being convicted for auto thefts.

His modus operandi was to buy stolen SUVs for around KD300 each, and then get a garage in Shuwaikh to do a ‘makeover’ in which the chassis plates were replaced with personally imported plates. He would then coordinate with a rogue Traffic Department officer to create new files for the stolen vehicles, and register Saudi nationals as their owners.

His Saudi counterpart in crime would then arrive in Kuwait to take the vehicles back to be sold at relatively cheaper prices in his home country. The bedoon man was arrested after he was noticed taking a stolen vehicle to Shuwaikh recently, and then monitored as a suspect in multiple cases of SUV and luxury sedan thefts reported across the country.

Forced confinement The Adan police freed a Kuwaiti woman held hostage inside her apartment for two months during which she said that her husband forced

her to sign multiple promissory documents. An aunt of the victim reported to the police that her niece in distress had called her to say she was in trouble. Before that, the aunt said she had not heard from her in two months, during which her niece’s husband claimed she was out of the country. Police, armed with a warrant, raided the house and found her who pleaded with the officer to ‘free’ her from her husband’s forced confinement. The couple was taken to the area’s police station afterwards for investigations, during which the husband denied the accusations and said these were motivated by ‘malicious intent’. Police later allowed his wife to be taken by her aunt to the hospital since she was in a bad shape.

‘Election’ fistfight A drunken driver got into a fistfight over whether to vote in the Dec 1 elections with a stranger he had given lift to, and then drove to a police station to complain where both were taken into custody and made to face charges. The man was driving towards Fahaheel when he gave a lift to a man waiving at the side of the road. As the conversation veered towards politics, and the driver found that the hitchhiker planned to vote, an altercation ensued that soon led to a fistfight at the parking lot of the Fahad Al-Ahmad police station. The driver had reached there claiming that he will get him arrested since

the police station’s chief was his neighbor. Both were taken into custody and will remain under detention pending further action.

Visa scam A man stole passports of two women and their money which they had paid in lieu of his promise to help them procure valid residencies in Kuwait. The two cases were filed separately at the Khaitan police station recently, where a Syrian and an Ethiopian woman explained that the suspect disappeared with their passports and KD150 that each had paid. They said they had turned to the man, believed to be an Arab national, in desperation since they were facing trouble with their original sponsors in getting their expired visas renewed.

Honey trap Police is searching for four male suspects accused of mugging teenagers by luring them into a honey trap. The suspects reportedly imitated a feminine voice to call teenage boys and set up dates. The racket came to light when a case was filed at the Um Al-Haiman police station where a 16-year-old boy arrived along with his mother to report that he was attacked by four people at a spot ostensibly fixed for a rendezvous to meet his ‘secret admirer’. He said the suspects robbed him of KD20 that he was carrying in his pocket.

Panel studies TEC’s contracts with investors KUWAIT: The government has recently approved formation of a special committee to study contracts between the state-owned Touristic Enterprises Company ( TEC) and investors which expire next month, a top TEC official said in a statement released recently.

The decision came after the State Audit Bureau (SAB) recommended against renewal of contracts that would have enabled investors to utilize properties owned by the state.

However, the TEC had a different view as per which terminating contracts was not a feasible option due to “several technical and procedural reasons,” according to Deputy Chairman of the Board and Managing Director, Khalid Al-Ghanim.

The conflicting opinions led to the setting up of a committee comprising representatives of the State Property Department in the Finance Ministry, the Fatwa and Legislation Department, the TEC and the investors. “The main reason [behind the decision] is to protect the rights

of all contracting parties as well as study the possibility of renewing the contracts, the nature of operations, the investment period, in addition to evaluating the income from investments and finding solutions to the hurdles in the way of contracts’ renewal,” Al-Ghanim said during a press conference held recently at the TEC building.

The TEC had received a letter from the State Property Department in late 2009 requiring the implementation of the SAB’s recommendation, but the decision “reflected negatively” on the future plans of investors when they were notified that the TEC would be under obligation to follow the orders. “The TEC had some form of absolute authority to sign contracts with private companies as per a license obtained in 1989 from the State Property Department which did not require implementation of State Property Law number 105/1980 based on which contracts cannot be renewed after the end of investment period,” Al-Ghanim said, citing the

KUWAIT: TEC Deputy Chairman and Managing Director, Khalid AlGhanim, addressing the press conference. law that formed the basis for SAB’s recent decision. He further explained that “the TEC signed a contract with the State Property Department in April 2009 which includes articles requiring implementation of law number 105/1980” that prompted the SAB’s recommendation.

Al-Ghanim said that more than 400 contracts for investments includ-

ing “restaurants, kiosks, phone sites, ads, hotels, and clubs” will be discussed by the committee. Al-Ghanim urged the media to “consult all parties involved in order to report the whole picture.” His remarks came after several newspapers published reports about restaurants located at the Gulf Road receiving evacuation notices.

VIVA announces KD25,000 prize winner KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s newest and most advanced mobile telecommunications service provider, announced yesterday the third winner of the KD25,000 prize, the latest addition to the ‘Win a car every week’ campaign as part of Eid Al-Adha celebrations. The third lucky draw winner of the KD25,000 grand prize was Sultan Khalaf, and the latest lucky car winners were Mohammad Mutlag Aldaihani who won the Mercedes Benz C180 and Shebeeb Alajmi who won the Chevrolet Camaro.

VIVA congratulated the lucky winner and invited its customers to participate in the longest on-going campaign of its kind, and also announced that the Eid Al-Adha celebrations have been extended to cover an additional two weeks, giving more VIVA customers the opportunity to win this grand prize.

Entering the draw can be done through two options. The first option is to subscribe with 500 Fils per day giving customers infinite minutes and SMS to any VIVA line. This option entitles the customer to one chance to enter the draw each week.

The second option is to subscribe to the BlackBerry KD3.9 service, which gives customers full and unlimited BlackBerr y Services. This option provides customers with 7 automatic chances to enter the draw each week. In addition, customers who purchase a new prepaid line are given a single entry to the draw on the week they

activate their new line and send the SMS “GO” to 535.

Customers can also subscribe to both options, increasing their chances each week to win KD25, 000 or a luxurious car. In the case a customer does not win, the points will be accumulated and carried on to the next draw. The upcoming draw prizes will be KD25,000, a brand new Mercedes Benz C180 and the Chevrolet Camaro.

VIVA also created the ‘Flavor of the Week’, an additional means to entering the draw and increasing the customers’ chances to win a new car every week. The ‘Flavor of the Week’ will be a ‘special service’ for that week, to which the customers can subscribe. This week’s ‘Flavor of the Week’ will last until 4 December 2012, and will give prepaid customers two chances to win KD25,000, or a Mercedes Benz C180 or the Chevrolet Camaro upon using the Surf On KD 1 to get 500MB of mobile internet for 5 days by sending “3” to 535, and six chances to win KD25,000, or the Mercedes Benz C180 and the Chevrolet Camaro upon using KD3 international bundle for 5 days by sending “6” to 535.

Prepaid customers interested in the full, unlimited, local KD 3.9 BlackBerry offer, can send an SMS with the number ‘2’ to ‘535’.

For the full menu of the prepaid offers, send an SMS with the word “GO”, to number ‘535’.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

LOCAL

Protest fails to leave much impact on NA elections Polls well organized

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Elections 2012 elections passed off smoothly amidst an atmosphere of calmness with Kuwaitis above the age of 21, men and women, trudging to the polling venue from 8am onwards yesterday. Polling stations across the country registered about 25 per cent balloting on an average in the early hours. The percentage varied from one district to another. Even within the same district, different areas registered a various voting patterns.

With the election scheduled for Saturday, a day after the weekly holiday, most people were expected to turn up late at the polling venues and the voting percentage was expected to increase as the day wore on, judges and candidates expected. Also, many people who would have gone to the camps or their chalets were expected to return late and thus vote during evening hours. In general, the voting percentage was described as good, and proved that Friday’s protest failed to leave much impact on the people who did not refrain from voting.

Voting at the First constituency witnessed one of the highest instances of participation with nearly 34 per cent exercising their right to franchise in some areas such as Rumaithiya. The main committee in the first district was at Sayid Mohammed Al-Musawi School in Rumaithiya for men where, according to Judge Owayid AlThuweimer, the Head of the committee, nearly 34 percent of the electorate had cast their votes by noon.

“A total of 232 voters out of 669 registered voters have already cast their ballot. This is a very good percentage, and we expect even much larger numbers to turn up in the evening.

There was only one illiterate man who voted verbally. He told me the name (of the candidate he wanted to give his vote to) and I marked it for him without any family member being in attendance,” he told the Kuwait Times.

Judge Khalid Al-Asousi from Al-Mugheera Ibn Noufal School in Salwa said that at the venue where he was, participation reached about 27 percent by noon as 131 of the 518 registered voters in this committee had voted.

Candidate and former MP Adnan

Abdulsamad agreed that voter participation was good, irrespective of the threatening campaigns of the opposition that targeted both voters and candidates. “ The elections and the voting process were very much organized, and I expect that voting will increase during the afternoon, and I wish good luck to all,” he said.

On her part, candidate Jinan Bushihri was optimistic and expressed her satisfaction with the voting percentages registered in the morning. “The Kuwaitis are now aware of the importance of voting and realize their responsibility to participate in developing Kuwait,” she noted.

Candidate Abdulhameed Dashti described the attendance as “great” and wondered whatever happened to the boycott call of the opposition. “We witnessed the electorate from all categories voting and I am sure that the percentage will be as usual. This is the first election in which we did not notice buses crossing the borders transferring people to vote (a reference to citizens with dual nationality from a neighbor country),” he noted.

“If this parliament gets good MPs, the decree of one vote will be approved. Otherwise certain changes may be made and the decree may be modified. I expect the voting percentage to be between 50-60 percent. I am optimistic about these elections and also about the fact that the Kuwaitis were not swayed by the protests,” he added.

There are a total of 74,879 voters, men and women, in the first constituency, who were to vote for 51 candidates in this segment, including three women. The elderly and disabled citizens were the first to cast their votes in the ballot boxes, reaching the venue early in the morning.

The second constituency witnessed nearly the same percentage of voting with 24 percent of the electorate casting their votes in the morning. As compared to previous elections, there were lesser number of flyers and cards with candidates’ pictures peering out, usually distributed during the elections.

At the main committee in Shamiya Girls School, 147 voters of the total 654 came to vote before noon. In the other committees in this constituency, the percentage was even higher, crossing 30 percent in one of them. The total

number of voters in Shamiya area from all committees is 6121.

The Head of the main committee at Al Jazaer School, Consultant Essam Al-Sadani, said that voting progress was good, and while voters from all age groups were trooping in, the older citizens seem to be outnumbering the young ones.

He also praised the organizational efforts being put in by policemen.

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohamed voted in the Second constituency and exclaimed his joy at enjoying this innately democratic moment as a sort of celebration.

The situation was similar at the Third constituency where voting percentage hovered at around 25. At the women committee in Saad Bin Obada School in Adeliya, 155 voters out of 615 voted till 12:00 noon. While at the men’s committee in Abdullah Al-Otaibi School in Khaldiya area, 170 of the total 650 voters exercised their right by noon.

Activists connected to certain candidates’ campaign were handing out brochures and cards with the candidates’ photos and names in front of some schools, but such material was confiscated by the security guards stationed at the entrance to the ballot venues.

Candidate and former MP, Ahmed Al-Mileifi, who is also a former minister, expressed satisfaction with the progress of voting since morning, and appreciated the efforts of the senior citizens, some of whom even came on wheelchairs just to vote.

Describing these elections as special, he said, “It was the first time that elections were being held on one voter-one vote basis. Hence, the voters now know that their vote was precious and are careful about whom to vote for. People should be positive and must participate in voting to rectify the mistakes that they see happening.”

“The most important issues which will vie for priority as the next parliament is formed will be issues related to health, education, youth and sports, and women. I hope that the next parliament cooperates with the government for the benefit of this country and securing a better future,” stated Al-Mileifi.

KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, said yesterday that the turnout of voters in the Second constituency was “positive.” The minister was speaking to the press during his inspection of a polling station in the Sulaibikhat area (Second constituency).

One-vote decision favors Kuwait’s interest

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir took the ‘one-vote’ decision after noticing that matters were not going in favor of the country’s interest, First Deputy Premier Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said here yesterday.

HH the Amir is responsible of the country and best to know how to “maintain its stability,” Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud, also Interior Minister, told reporters after visiting the polling station at Maan Bin Zaedah Middle School for boys in the second constituency

for the Parliamentary elections. On facilitations provided for the international team of the higher commission for elections’ transparency, Sheikh Ahmad said the existence of such team “supports” work of the interior ministry, pointing out that all previous reports by the commission had underlined “transparency and fairness” of the electoral process. Kuwait was, still and will continue to be a beacon in the Arab world when it comes to elections transparency and impartiality,” he stressed. —KUNA

Hayef hits hard at pro-election clerics

By A Saleh KUWAIT: Former MP Mohammad Hayef attacked those clergy men who had called for participating in the elections and who found the demonstrations and Irada Square sit-ins strange. Questioning the motives of these proelection clerics, he wondered about where these same people were when a law was passed by the national assembly to execute those insulting the Prophet (PBUH), but the government had sent it back.

He said clergy men should have clear opinions and should not try to appease anyone. He also added that the current elections have nothing to do with the constitution, and people should stay away from these.

Meanwhile, sources confirmed that the Islamic Constitutional Movement received an advice from the World Guidance Bureau of the

Muslim Brotherhood, telling it that boycotts should end quickly to stop the negative impact of such calls on HADAS in the future.

Sources described the advice as saying that the “boycott of 2012 elections is done and over with, but what is more impor tant is how HADAS will overcome this phase and find an honorable exit, which enables it to participate in any upcoming elections.”

“The existence of the ICM in the democratic process and its presence in Parliament enables it to influence decisions and pressure the government,” the advice said.

It said “HADAS was striking alliances with those who do not have true and permanent basis on the ground. Rather, they keep on changing their stance and may turn on the ICM at any moment. That is why the strength of HADAS lies in remaining a part of the practical democratic process, and this can only by being

in the National Assembly.”

On his par t H.H. Sheik h Nasser AlMohammad voted in the second constituency at Shamiya joint school for girls. He said, “We congratulate the Kuwaiti people for this democracy and for having a wise Amir, who is a safety valve for Kuwait constitution.”

He said, “Our Amir holds the constitution in his hands, and the constitution is a guarantee of safety for the Kuwaiti people. Democracy and freedom exist in Kuwait according to what the constitution allows, and I am always optimistic.” At Kuwait University, several teachers were warned since they urged their students not to vote. Sources said that some students secretly complained about some professors, out of fear that those teachers may later turn vindictive. They said the teachers were verbally warned not to repeat such actions to avoid punishment.

KUWAIT: First Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah visiting the polling station.

Top priority for Kuwait’s future KUWAIT: Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, Jamal Al-Shehab, highlighted the importance of citizen participation in the National Assembly (parliament) elections. Al-Shehab said in statements during an inspection of the electoral process in Khaldiyah area (Third constituency), “In regard to those against participating in elections: it’s a matter of one’s conscience, in addition to the fact that participation or lack of it is a freedom guaranteed by the Constitution.” He stressed that the nation’s interest is a top priority; therefore all are responsible in taking part in this democratic practice.

Al-Shehab highlighted that voters are eligible to vote for one candidate according to KUWAIT: Kuwait Red Crescent volunteers helping elders near polling stations.

Elders converge on polling stations despite cold weather KUWAIT: Kuwaiti elders converged on polling stations in the early cold hours of the morning yesterday as voting opened nationwide for the National Assembly (parliament) elections, the second in 10 months. Amid extensive security precautions by personnel of the Ministry of Interior, citizens, males and females as well as seniors, stood in long lines outside ballot sta-

tions in the early hours of the day. Senior citizens showed the highest turnout in the first constituency, despite temperatures of 15 degrees celsius. A number of candidates were present at some ballot centers. But some nominees sent in representatives, relatives or friends, distributing bands, leaflets, pictures and beverages outside the centers. Balloting was well organized and

proceeded smoothly, amid rising numbers of voters at stations. Over 400,000 Kuwaiti voters headed to polling stations early on Saturday to elect 50 new National Assembly members in a heated parliamentary race, contested by hundreds of candidates, including many women.

Polling for the 50-seat house started at 8 am. local time and continued until 8 pm. — KUNA

Governors praise smooth electoral process

KUWAIT: A policeman keeps guard as Kuwaiti men wait to cast their vote to elect a second parliament in ten months, at a polling station in Kuwait City.

KUWAIT: Governors of Asima, Hawaii and Jahra yesterday praised the .smooth launch of the electoral process in the country Sheikh Ali Jaber Al-Ahmad AlSabah, Asima Governor, said that the National Assembly (parliament) elections that began yesterday morning is “a good start in the road of development and reform.”

He added during his inspection of polling stations in Abdullah AlSalem, that the morning turnout “was good” He expressed optimism towards the electoral process, praising the Kuwaiti people’s loyalty and determination in practicing democracy, and heeding His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah’s wishes. Meanwhile, Hawaii Governor, Lt Gen Abdullah Abdulrahman Al-Faris said participa-

tion in the parliamentary elections “is a national duty”, calling upon all citizens to cast ballot.

He added during his inspection of polling stations, that turnouts are “excellent” expressing hopes for a successful democratic practice in the country. On the other hand, Sheikh Mubarak Al-Humoud AISabah, Jahra Governor and Sheikh Ali Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, Governor of Mubarak Al-Kabeer, both wished success for all citizens in electing candidates to the new parliament. He also praised the citizens’ cooperation with security personnel. He assured, “We should all work together as Kuwaitis towards the nation’s development,” emphasizing the importance of cooperation between the parliament and government. — KUNA

amendments to the electoral law by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah in October. In previous elections, voters were able to cast ballot for four candidates. “Democracy practiced by the Kuwaiti people is deep-rooted”, Minister of Public Works Dr Fadhel Safar said after casting his vote yesterday.

The turnout is good and nothing is disturbing the course of the voting process,” Safar said, hoping for the future cooperation between the legislative and executive branches. Over 400,000 voters are eligible to take part in the National Assembly elections, the second in 10 months, to choose 50 MPs out of some 300 andidates. —KUNA

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

local

Kuwaitis cast ballots

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti former premier Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad casts his vote at a polling station in Kuwait City yesterday. Kuwaitis cast ballots to elect a second parliament in 10 months, but early turnout was low as voters appeared to heed an opposition call to shun the poll over a disputed electoral law. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Female Kuwaiti supporters of Bandar Khaled Al-Makrad (portrait) chant outside a polling station in Kuwait City yesterday.

KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti woman waits to cast her vote to elect a second parliament in ten months, at a polling station in Kuwait City.

KUWAIT: Policemen keep guard at a polling station in Kuwait City as Kuwaiti women wait to caste their ballots to elect a second parliament in ten months yesterday.

KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti woman, holds her identity card as she waits to cast her vote to elect a second parliament in ten months, at a polling station in Kuwait City yesterday.

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti men choose their candidates before casting their vote at a polling station in Kuwait City yesterday.

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti women wait to cast their vote to elect a second parliament in ten months, at a polling station in Kuwait yesterday.

KUWAIT: Electoral officials watch on as a Kuwaiti man casts his ballot to elect a second parliament in ten months, at a polling station in Kuwait City yesterday.

KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti woman talks with a policeman as she waits to cast her vote to elect a second parliament in ten months, at a polling station in Kuwait City yesterday.

KUWAIT: A policeman helps a Kuwaiti citizen find his name on the registered voter’s list at a polling station in Kuwait City.

KUWAIT: Policemen keep guard at a polling station in Kuwait City as a Kuwaiti woman arrives to cast her ballot to elect a second parliament in ten months yesterday.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

local

to elect parliament Kuwait factfile KUWAIT: The Gulf state of Kuwait, which was voting to elect a new parliament yesterday, is a major oil producer with one of the world’s highest per capita incomes.

CAPITAL: Kuwait City AREA: 17,818 square kilometres (6,880 square miles) POPULATION (June 30, 2012): 3.8 million. Nearly 1.2 million or 31.6 percent are Kuwaitis, and 20 percent are Arab nationals. The rest are Asians plus several thousand Americans and Europeans.

GEOGRAPHY: Kuwait, at the head of the Gulf, shares land borders with Iraq and Saudi Arabia. It has a coastline exceeding 300 km on the Gulf, facing Iran.

CLIMATE: The desert country has an arid subtropical climate, which can top 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in the summer, between April and October.

RELIGION: The official religion is Islam, with some 90 percent of the population Muslims-one third are Shiites, the rest Sunnis.

LANGUAGES: Official language is Arabic.

English is widely spoken.

CURRENCY: Currency is the dinar, which equals $3.5 or 2.75 euros.

SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT: Constitutional monarchy. Head of state: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

The 1962 constitution provided for a 50-member National Assembly, elected for four years.

Unelected ministers are ex-officio members. The assembly has legislative and monitoring powers.

Political parties are banned but many groupings are openly active.

HISTORY: Kuwait was founded in the 1700s. The Al-Sabah family has ruled since 1756. Oil was discovered in the 1930s. Iraq claimed the emirate and invaded it in August 1990; it was then liberated by a US-led coalition in February 1991.

ECONOMY: Nominal 2011 gross domestic product was $175 billion, according to the World Bank, while per capita income was $48,600. Oil brings in over 94 percent of national revenues.

Kuwait is a member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and is pumping around 3.0 million barrels per day. — AFP

A female Kuwaiti supporter of Bandar Khaled AlMakrad (portrait), wearing a niqab, stands outside a polling station in Kuwait City yesterday.

A female Kuwaiti supporter of Mohammad Hayef AlMutairi (portrait) wearing a niqab, stands outside a polling station in Kuwait City yesterday.

first step for country’s bright future: Dashti KUWAIT: A senior Cabinet member said yesterday that partcipating in the National Assembly elections which opened earlier “is the first step for building a bright future for the State of Kuwait.”

Dr Rola Dashti, Minister of State for Planning and Development Affairs, told

reporters after casting her vote that balloting is facing no obstacles and we all have one ambition, mainly the continuation of efforts by Kuwaitis in bolstering the prosperity of this giving country ... and hence participating in these elections is the first step we should take in this direction.”

Dashti, also Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs, said voters are finding it easy to cast ballot, adding that all citizens, despite their political views, should work for the best interest of their country.

She said that the next stage requires stronger cooperation between the house and government to implement national development programs. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti citizens wait in line to cast their vote at a polling station in Rumaithiya yesterday.

Kuwaiti women look for their names on the registered voter’s list before casting their ballot at a polling station in Kuwait City.

A Kuwaiti man casts his ballot to elect a second parliament in ten months at a polling station in Kuwait City yesterday.

A Kuwaiti woman looks for her name on the registered voter’s list at a polling station in Kuwait City yesterday.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

LOCAL kuwait digest

THE COLUMN

Once upon a veil

David, the Kuwaiti!

By Dr Sajed Al-Abdeli

O

n a flight back home, a tall handsome young man in a suit who did not seem a Kuwaiti sat beside me. After some small talk, when I asked him his reason for visiting Kuwait, he said he worked here. Asking me the same question, he smiled when I told him I was Kuwaiti and said, “Do you believe that I might be more Kuwaiti than you?”

Baffled at his comment, I asked, “How?” “Well, apparently, I am older than you are. I was born in Sharq more than 45 years ago and lived and finished my education here until I was forced to depart along with many others after being branded as a subject of one of the adversary countries (those who supported Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait) after the liberation. I travelled to the US where I got married and got American citizenship. I changed my name from Dawood to David. Years later, I returned to Kuwait as a head of department in one of the major investment companies,” said David, telling me how disappointed he was with what Kuwait had become economically and administratively.

He told me that Kuwait did not suffer from any financial or human manpower inadequacies, and its citizens were smart enough to turn it into one of the most developed and superb countries in the world.

“What Kuwait really lacks is true will, devotion, dedication and hard work on the part of its citizens to make it achieve such standards,” he underlined.

What David, that Arab who was cast out of Kuwait and returned as a US citizen to find all Arab airport gates welcoming him, made me recall what I had read on one of the blogs about loyalty. It said: “Loyalty is not a mere word uttered openly, nor is it a piece of paper one carries in his pocket. It is rather about voluntary actions and real practices. Loyalty means to respect the laws and follow them even if you do not fear penalties, even if nobody sees you.

Loyalty means to devotedly give and work even when not asked to. Loyalty is to accord priority to your country’s interests over yours. That is real loyalty.” There is a very well-known and oft-quoted saying that goes: “To die for your nation is nice. But it is more wonderful to live for it.” It is really great to be martyred for the sake of one’s country, which is an honor that comes to a few. So, what is even greater is that one dedicates his entire life for his country, for that would mean true love and true loyalty, something that everyone can aspire to achieve.

Loyalty has nothing to do with origin. It is not about ethnicity. It is something greater and deeper.

So, let us all assess ourselves, our ability to give and dedication to our work, how far we respect the laws and regulations of our country, how concerned we are with its worries and pains and how keen we are in fulfilling its aspirations. Only then, we will know where we stand on the scale of loyalty. — Al-Jarida

By Fouad Al-Obaid

fouad@kuwaittimes.net Twitter: @Fouadalobaid

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kuwait digest

Where are women societies?

By Iqbal Al-Ahmad

C

ivil society institutions usually focus on human development in their own field of expertise.

Their activities include reinforcing respect for human rights, raising awareness about laws and democratic principles through seminars, conferences and public lectures, as well through participation in local and international events.

Women groups have been seen as among the most active in Kuwait in recent years, especially when it comes to the kind of developments such as the one that the country is witnessing today. The elections in Kuwait require participation of both men and women since we all share an equal responsibility to vote.

The right for women to contest and vote in general elections was gained in 2005 following 30 years of struggle during which women fought against Islamist and conservative voices that thwarted all attempts to get a law about it passed in parliament. Women eventually won this right after the parliament passed a draft law forwarded personally by the late Amir HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, though by a narrow margin.

After such a long drawn struggle, activists of women groups in Kuwait today stand idly as mute witnesses watching from a distance the events happening on Kuwait’s political scene, as if these do not concern them in any way, despite the fact that women form more than half of the society. Each society’s position reflects the ideas of its members, and in

no circumstances should there be a lack of any stated position. That position in a democracy also has to be impartial, regardless of members’ personal opinions.

Imagine a situation in which a society is headed by a president who supports participation in the elections, while her deputy is against voting. What if each one of them tried to force their opinion? Instead, they can act in an objective fashion and, for example, hold an impartial seminar featuring supporters and boycotters to discuss their points of view respectfully.

I understand that some leading members among the women activists have their own view point about what is going on today, but they have no right, I repeat, no right to force their personal opinions on the entire society. Voting is a political and constitutional right which needs to be exercised, regardless of personal positions about yesterday’s elections.

Women societies of all orientations are required to play their role in spreading awareness among fellow female citizens about their political rights, especially under the circumstances that Kuwait is passing through and in which the society is divided. They can, for example, hold seminars featuring activists from both sides, and leave it up to the citizens to decide whether to vote in or boycott the elections. However, women groups should not remain idle simply because their managements do not like what is going on or have taken a one-sided position. They must not exclude one point of view altogether. —Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

A lesson from Egypt for youth

By Dr Shamlan Y. Al-Essa

W

hat happened in Egypt when President Mohamed Morsi declared himself the sole ruler after turning against the constitution makes it clear for us Arabs that we must learn a lesson from what Egypt went through after the Jan 25 revolution. The Muslim Brotherhood took over power after goading the youth into bringing a revolution and leading it. In a way, the Brotherhood hijacked power from the Egyptian youth.

The question is what are the lessons that can be learnt by Kuwaiti youth belonging to the national faction, democratic centrists, democratic alliance and several tribes since they are being cheated?

They are being made to follow the political Islamic factions in general and the Brotherhood in particular.

The first lesson is not to trust the Muslim Brotherhood slogans about its belief in democracy.

The Brotherhood said in Egypt and Kuwait that it believes in democracy, yet Egypt’s events proved without a doubt that they would like to capture power for themselves alone by wresting control of Parliament and Shura Councils.

Second, the Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait or Egypt does not believe in the constitutional civil state, so we find its leadership insisting in both countries on the Islamization of law and the implementation of Sharia. In Kuwait, for example, the Brotherhood, Salaf, Popular Forum, Development faction and others made more than four or five attempts to amend the second article of the constitution, but the political leadership headed by HH the Amir foiled these attempts to change the second article and make any other changes in the constitution that would have led to giving an Islamic twist to the laws.

The person who protected Kuwait from slipping into the hands of political Islam and Muslim Brotherhood is HH the Amir who refused to amend the constitution through his authority, but in Egypt the Judges’ club insisted on rejecting any changes in the constitution that compromised the civil nature of the Egyptian state.

We hope that our youth are aware of the danger of following the political Islam factions, and not believe that these factions believe in democracy.

Egypt’s current events have proven that the Muslim Brotherhood tried to change the political game as soon as it got the opportunity and captured power following the election. In fact, its leadership tried to take over all power centres. When the liberal and national factions objected to the formation of the constitutional committee and submitted mass resignations, the President decided to protect the committee and keep the Shura Council, in other words to take over all powers himself. Do Kuwaiti youth want the Muslim Brotherhood and their supporters to take over all power so that they can change the constitution just like what happened in Egypt? —Al-Watan

othing is more specific to this region than the way people dress. Though men too have a peculiar dress uncommon in the West, it is the veil that has been the source of much controversy, and perhaps of fascination. The debate in Europe over whether the niqab is compatible with liberal democracies has led to some countries passing laws outlawing its wear, with potential retribution to male guardians should it be proved that they enforced the veil on their ‘women’.

Closer to home in our beloved Kuwait, women are not forced to dress in a particular manner, the freedom of attire is for the most part upheld. That said; it is not uncommon for women to wear the veil in its myriad of shapes and forms. I would suspect that a majority of Kuwaiti women do wear the veil out of their religious conviction of its necessity in order for them to be deemed good Muslims. Though if you were to ask older Kuwaiti women about the way they dressed back in the 1960s and 1970s, the veils were as uncommon as non-veiled women are today. As mentioned earlier the veil is a subjective term that many seem to interpret in their own distinct manner.

I personally am fascinated and captivated by the concept of the veil which I attribute to my many years lived in Western liberal democracies, the idea that someone is compelled to do something out of religious conviction or otherwise, is a demanding challenge at best. What I find particularly puzzling is the way certain women interpret the wearing of the veil so as to enhance the very sexuality their veil is supposed to repress! They wear the veil to cover their hair, what they fail to notice is that it is not their hair that they are covering, rather, it is their brains that fail to take into account when they wear skimpy tight pants spicing things up with a ton of make up! The purpose being usurped, one is left with a constant reminder of what is dysfunctional in our post-Bedouin/tribal society. We do things it seems not because we understand the underlying reason; we do things in a manner not too dissimilar to fellow mammal primates: monkey see, monkey do!

Our predicament runs deeper than elections, for we seem to have lost the essence of matters, swimming only in an artificial bubble that we must collectively dwell in or else: or else, we will come to see the popping of this balloon, and just like a rotten apple covered in sugar, once the coating fades its ugly core emerges on its now tainted surface. Without attempting to understand the complex brainthe question of the veil is one that imposes itself on the casual observer every time one views a woman pretending to veil while dressed outlandishly provocative. Some take this a notch higher as they don’t see a contradiction with modesty and public smoking while veiled. To clarify matters, the way a person dresses is intimate and I don’t believe I am allowed to dictate the way people dress.

However, when you step outside the confines of your dwellings privacy you tacitly allow people to judge you primarily based on the way you dress...

The debate over the wearing of the veil has become the subject of many conversations, as the world is moving towards greater integration through globalization. I don’t see the veil disappearing anytime soon-certainly not from debates and discussion concerning women and the Middle East. This editorial fundamentally is not about an article of clothing or even make-up as some may choose to understand. This editorial is an honest attempt at launching a serious debate in a region marred by much uncertainty and understanding over its very own collective consciousness.

If I could get people to simply question things even if casually, I believe that my task as an editorialist and commentator on public events would be of use.

kuwait digest

Cabinet’s bad reputation

By Jaafar Rajab

I

believe that the only one worthy of being labeled as one with a ‘bad reputation’ is our so-called honorable government, given its history of making shameful statements and having multiple relationships with suspicious politicians and groups.

Of course, that does not mean that all Cabinet members have bad reputations, as there are ministers with good reputations who follow both the law and the constitution strictly, and also refrain from using their positions to serve any vested political agendas.

But anyway, I am not going to focus much on the cabinet’s reputation as it has never been any better. Also, the parliament ignored aberrations in politics, catered to personal agendas, and resorted to threats and blackmail instead of striking a blow for dignity.

I am focussing today on the current elections that have brought forth some candidates with good reputation since they ignored tribal, sectarian and discriminatory interests and instead spoke about the national interests. I am not sure if this necessarily indicates a positive change in the quality of candidates, or whether they are simply being politically correct due to the fear of the national unity law and the anti-hate law. However, one thing is clear: normal campaigning resumed when candidates committed themselves to principles of fair competition.

If we want to talk about the level of participation, it is worth mentioning that the five constituencies system approved by the parliament has significantly led to a drop in voting by more than 20 percent. Polling plunged below 60 percent in recent elections compared to more than 80 percent that used to be registered before the law was enforced. This was a clear negative outcome of the change in the electoral law that did not figure in most discussions happening today about voting.

When the voting percentage in any country drops, this reflects upon the performance of the parliament.

Voters choose to abstain from voting if they feel that their vote can in now way help improving the conditions they live in.

In Italy, for example, voting dropped by one third, not because of a dispute over the number of votes per voter, but because citizens became frustrated with the parliament’s ability to impact their daily life issues. —Al-Rai

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

Myanmar verifying Muslim citizenship

Qatar permits rare protest for workers’ rights

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CAIRO: A supporter of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi holds a Quran at a rally in front of Cairo University in Cairo yesterday. —AP

Islamists rally for Morsi as rifts widen Egypt polarized between Islamists and their opponents CAIRO: Tens of thousands of Islamists demonstrated in Cairo yesterday in support of President Mohamed Morsi, who is racing through a constitution to try to defuse opposition fury over his newly expanded powers.

“The people want the implementation of God’s law,” chanted at least 50,000 flag-waving demonstrators, many of them bussed in from the countryside to pack streets near Cairo University. Morsi was expected later in the day to set a date for a referendum on the constitution hastily approved by an Islamistdominated drafting assembly on Friday after a 19-hour session.

“We will certainly present the constitution to the president tonight,” Mohamed AlBeltagy, a Muslim Brotherhood leader and a member of the constituent assembly said.

The presidency said the handover would take place at 7 pm at a convention centre in Cairo.

Morsi plunged Egypt into a new crisis last week when he gave himself extensive powers and put his decisions beyond judicial challenge, saying this was a temporary measure to speed Egypt’s democratic transition until the new constitution is in place.

His assertion of authority in a decree issued on Nov 22, a day after he won world praise for brokering a Gaza truce between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement, dismayed his opponents and widened divisions among Egypt’s 83 million people. Two people have been killed and hundreds wounded in protests by disparate opposition forces drawn together and re-energized by a decree they see as a

dictatorial power grab. Tens of thousands of Egyptians had protested against Morsi on Friday. “The people want to bring down the regime,” they chanted in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, echoing the trademark slogan of the revolts against Hosni Mubarak and Arab leaders elsewhere. Rival demonstrators threw stones after dark in the northern city of Alexandria and a town in the Nile Delta.

Similar clashes erupted again briefly in Alexandria yesterday, state TV said.

COMPLETE DEFEAT Mohamed Noshi, 23, a pharmacist from Mansoura, north of Cairo, said he had joined the rally in Cairo to support Morsi and his decree. “Those in Tahrir don’t represent everyone. Most people support Morsi and aren’t against the decree,” he said. Mohamed Ibrahim, a hardline Salafi Islamist scholar and a member of the constituent assembly, said secular-minded Egyptians had been in a losing battle from the start.

“They will be sure of complete popular defeat today in a mass Egyptian protest that says ‘no to the conspiratorial minority, no to destructive directions and yes for stability and sharia (Islamic law)’,” he said. Morsi has alienated many of the judges who must supervise the referendum. His decree nullified the ability of the courts, many of them staffed by Mubarak-era appointees, to strike down his measures, although says he respects judicial independence. A source at the presidency said Mursi might rely on the minority of judges who support him to super-

US war on Qaeda ‘not indefinite’ WASHINGTON: The US military campaign against Al-Qaeda should not be seen as a conflict without end, the Pentagon’s chief lawyer said in a speech that broached a rarely discussed subject among US officials. The Defense Department’s highestranking lawyer, Jeh Johnson, predicted Al-Qaeda would some day be so “effectively destroyed” that the United States would no longer say it is in an armed conflict. A text of his remarks to be given at Oxford University in England was made available to Reuters in advance in Washington.

The US government points to the existence of an armed conflict as the legal underpinning for the indefinite detention of the global militant group’s members and allies and for drone strikes in places such as Pakistan. Johnson’s remarks could ignite a global political debate with arguments from both the left and the right. The speech to the Oxford Union did not forecast when such a moment would arrive because Al-Qaeda and its affiliates in Yemen and elsewhere remain a danger, he said.

But Johnson tried to frame the discussion with what he called conventional legal principles rather than a new legal structure emerging from the Sept 11 attacks. “Now that efforts by the US military against Al-Qaeda are in their 12th year, we must also ask ourselves: How will this conflict end?” said Johnson, an appointee of US President Barack Obama.

Johnson delivered the remarks in Oxford as prepared, a spokesman said. —Reuters

vise the vote.

“Oh Morsi, go ahead and cleanse the judiciary, we are behind you,” shouted Islamist demonstrators in Cairo. Morsi, once a senior Muslim Brotherhood figure, has put his liberal, leftist, Christian and other opponents in a bind. If they boycott the referendum, the constitution would pass anyway. If they secured a “no” vote to defeat the draft, the president could retain the powers he has unilaterally assumed. And Egypt’s quest to replace the basic law that underpinned Mubarak’s 30 years of army-backed oneman rule would also return to square one, creating more uncertainty in a nation in dire economic straits and seeking a $4.8 billion loan from the IMF. NO PLACE FOR DICTATORSHIP Mursi’s well-organized Muslim Brotherhood and its ultra-orthodox Salafi allies, however, are convinced they can win the referendum by mobilizing their own supporters and the millions of Egyptians weary of political turmoil and disruption.

“There is no place for dictatorship,” the president said on Thursday while the constituent assembly was still voting on a constitution which Islamists say enshrines Egypt’s new freedoms. Human rights groups have voiced misgivings, especially about articles related to women’s rights and freedom of speech.

The text limits the president to two fouryear terms, requires him to secure parliamentary approval for his choice of prime minister, and introduces a degree of civilian

oversight over the military - though not enough for critics.

The draft constitution also contains vague, Islamist-flavored language that its opponents say could be used to whittle away human rights and stifle criticism. For example, it forbids blasphemy and “insults to any person”, does not explicitly uphold women’s rights and demands respect for “religion, traditions and family values”. The draft injects new Islamic references into Egypt’s system of government but retains the previous constitution’s reference to “the principles of sharia” as the main source of legislation. “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.

Several independent newspapers said they would not publish on Tuesday in protest. One of the papers also said three private satellite channels would halt broadcasts on Wednesday. Egypt cannot hold a new parliamentary election until a new constitution is passed. The country has been without an elected legislature since the Supreme Constitutional Court ordered the dissolution of the Islamist-dominated lower house in June. The court is due to meet today to discuss the legality of parliament’s upper house.

“We want stability. Every time, the constitutional court tears down institutions we elect,” said Yasser Taha, a 30-year-old demonstrator at the Islamist rally in Cairo. —

Bahrain police break up demos

KARANNAH: A Bahraini Shiite Muslim protester flashes the sign of victory as others take part in clashes with riot police in the village of Karranah, West of Manama, following a demonstration in solidarity with demonstrators from the city of Sitra against the government’s clampdown on Shiite-led protests. —AFP

DUBAI: Bahraini police fired tear gas and stun bombs to break up protests overnight in Shiite-populated villages around Manama, leading to arrests and injuries, witnesses said yesterday. The protesters took to the streets in response to a call by the February 14 Youth Coalition for rallies against a blockage imposed on the Shiite locality of Mahazza, near the capital, since November 7.

“The blockade will not make us afraid” and “Down with Hamad,” chanted the protesters, in reference to King Hamad. The protesters, some of whom wore masks, waved the Bahraini flag and pictures of prisoners. Police responded by firing tear gas, sound bombs and buck shot, injuring some of the protesters, according to the witnesses who did not specify the number of casualties.

People injured at anti-government demonstrations in Bahrain avoid going to hospital for fear of being arrested. In the latest clashes, police detained several demonstrators, and the skirmishes continued until dawn yesterday, according to the witnesses.

Demonstrations have shaken Bahrain since its security forces crushed a Shiite-led uprising against the ruling Sunni regime in March last year. The United States last week expressed concern about rising violence in Bahrain, one year after an inquiry report was issued on the violence, saying the country needed to put more of its recommendations into effect. —AFP

News

in brief

32 die as plane crashes BRAZZAVILLE: A cargo plane crashed into houses near Brazzaville Maya-Maya airport while attempting to land in a thunderstorm on Friday, killing at least 32 people, a Congolese Red Cross official said yesterday. “We have already pulled 32 bodies from the crash site, but there could be more victims,” the official said, asking not to be named. The official said the dead included six crew members. The Soviet-made Ilyushin-76 cargo plane, operated by local carrier Trans Air Congo was travelling from Pointe-Noire, the commercial capital of the Central African state. It crashed into more than a dozen houses near the airport. Congo Republic, like its neighbor the Democratic Republic of Congo and many countries in the region, has one of the world’s poorest aviation safety records due to poor maintenance and the use of old planes banned from other skies. In March 2011, another Soviet-made Antonov cargo plane, operated by the same company, crashed into houses in Pointe-Noire while attempting to land, killing 23.

Landslides buries 12 ISLAMABAD: At least 12 people have been killed, including eight Pakistani soldiers, and nine people are missing after being hit by landslides in the mountainous Kashmir region, officials said yesterday. A military rescue operation swung into action after heavy snows on Friday triggered two landslides at a remote outpost in the Kel area of Pakistan-administered Kashmir near the de facto border with India. “Three bodies of soldiers were recovered yesterday. The dead bodies of five soldiers including a captain and four civilians have been recovered yesterday,” said a statement by the military. Local administration officials said they were searching for more dead bodies as nine people from the rescue party were still missing. “Eight soldiers and 10 civilians went to rescue the soldiers at the post, all of the rescuers were buried in the second landslide, so we are searching for the rest of the bodies,” local administration official Raja Saqib Muneer said.

Cyber police chief fired TEHRAN: Tehran’s cyber police chief has been sacked for negligence in events leading to the death in custody of an Iranian blogger, Iran’s police said yesterday on its website. Colonel Saeed Shokrian “was removed from his post due to negligence and lax supervision over personnel under his command,” police.ir reported, quoting a decree

by Iran’s police chief, Esmaeel Ahmadi Moghadam. His dismissal came weeks after the fate of blogger Sattar Beheshti, reportedly tortured to death after criticizing Iran’s regime in his posts, provoked an international outcry. Beheshti, 35, was found dead in his cell in a Tehran prison on November 3 after being arrested on October 30, according to chief prosecutor Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie. His death also provoked outrage inside the regime, in a rare case of Iran accepting international criticism over a human rights complaint. Judiciary officials have promised a lawful probe into the case, leading to seven arrests so far, according to Iranian media.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Myanmar verifying Muslim citizenship Immigration authorities tackle an explosive question SIN THET MAW: Guarded by rifle-toting police, immigration authorities in western Myanmar have launched a major operation aimed at settling an explosive question at the heart of the biggest crisis the government has faced since beginning its nascent transition to democracy last year. It’s a question that has helped fuel two bloody spasms of sectarian unrest between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims since June, and it comes down to one simple thing: Who has the right to be a citizen of Myanmar, and who does not?

A team of Associated Press journalists that traveled recently to the remote island village of Sin Thet Maw, a maze of bamboo huts without electricity in Myanmar’s volatile west, found government immigration officials in the midst of a painstaking, census-like operation aimed at verifying the citizenship of Muslims living there, one family at a time. Armed with pens, stacks of paper and handdrawn maps, they worked around low wooden tables that sat in the dirt, col-

against the Rohingya, who majority Buddhists believe are trying to steal scarce land and forcibly spread the Islamic faith. Myanmar’s recent transition to democratic rule has opened the way for monks to stage antiRohingya protests as an exercise in freedom of expression, and for vicious anti-Rohingya rants to swamp Internet forums.

In the nearby town of Pauktaw, where all that remains of a once-significant Muslim community are the ashes of charred homes and blackened palm trees, the hatred is clear.

Graffiti scrawled inside a destroyed mosque ominously warns that the “Rakhine will drink Kalar blood.” Kalar is a derogatory epithet commonly used to refer to Muslims here.

Myanmar ’s reformist leader, President Thein Sein, had set a harsh tone over the summer, saying that “it is impossible to accept those Rohingya who are not our ethnic nationals.” But this month, he appeared to change course, penning an unprecedented and politically

SIN THET MAW: Immigration officers fill out forms during an operation to verify the citizenship of Muslims living in the western Myanmar village of Sin Thet Maw. — AP lecting information about birth dates and places, parents and grandparents vital details of life and death spanning three generations.

The operation began quietly with no public announcement on Nov. 8 in the township of Pauktaw, of which the village of Sin Thet Maw is a part. It will eventually be carried out across all of Rakhine state, the coastal territory where nearly 200 people have died in the last five months, and 110,000 more, mostly Muslims, have fled. The Thailand-based advocacy group, the Arakan Project, warns the results could be used to definitively rule out citizenship for the Rohingya, who have suffered discrimination for decades and are widely viewed as foreigners from Bangladesh. Muslims in Sin Thet Maw echoed those concerns, and said they had not been told what the operation was for.

“What we know is that they don’t want us here,” said one 34-year-old Muslim named Zaw Win, who said his family had lived in Sin Thet Maw since 1918. So far, more than 2,000 Muslim families have gone through the process, but no “illegal settlers have been found,” said state spokesman Win Myaing. It was not immediately clear, however, what would happen to anyone deemed to be illegal. Win Myaing declined to say whether they could deported or not. Bangladesh has regularly turned back Rohingya refugees, as have other countries, including Thailand.

Few issues in Myanmar are as sensitive as this. The conflict has galvanized an almost nationalistic furor

risky letter to the UN promising to consider new rights for the Rohingya for the first time. In the letter, Thein Sein said his government would address contentious issues “ranging from resettlement of displaced populations to granting of citizenship,” but he gave no timeline and stopped short of fully committing to naturalize them. The operation observed by the AP in Sin Thet Maw appeared to be part of an effort to resolve the issue.

By law, anyone whose forefathers lived in Myanmar prior to independence in 1948 has the right to apply for citizenship. But in practice, most Rohingya have been unable to. They must typically obtain permission to travel, and sometimes even to marry.

Discrimination has made it hard to obtain key documents like birth certificates, according to rights groups.

Many Rohingya, having migrated here during the era of British colonial rule, speak a Bengali dialect and resemble Muslim Bangladeshis, with darker skin than other ethnic groups in Myanmar.

The road to naturalization grew more difficult with a 1982 citizenship law that excluded the Rohingya from a list of the nation’s 135 recognized ethnicities. Since Bangladesh also rejects them, the move effectively rendered the Rohingya living in Myanmar stateless - a population the UN estimates at 800,000. The issue is so fraught that even the word “Rohingya” itself is widely disputed.

Buddhists say the term was made up to obscure the Muslim population’s South Asian heritage; they do not

accept the Rohingya as a separate ethnic group, and instead call them “Bengali” - a reference to the belief they are in fact Bangladeshis who entered illegally.

While some Rohingya have lived in Myanmar for generations and have documents to prove it, others arrived more recently. There is little distinction between these two groups, though. During the last official census in 1983, the Rohingya were excluded.

In places like Sit Thet Maw, Rakhine Buddhist elders believe they are on the front line of a population explosion, and they are worried. Some 70 years ago, there were about 1,000 Buddhist and 100 Muslim inhabitants here, according to Said Thar Tun Maung, a 59-year-old Rakhine who works as a local government administrator.

Today, the Buddhists are a minority: They number just 1,900, compared to 4,000 Rohingya residents. Tun Maung blamed the demographic changes on higher birth rates among Muslim families, and the illegal arrival of new migrants hunting for fertile farmland and good fishing. Several thousand more Muslims arrived in October after Rakhine mobs burned their homes in the town of Kyaukphyu, swelling the Muslim population here even fur ther. The refugees’ presence is considered temporary - they are currently camped along the beach beside their ships.

“This is our land,” Tun Maung said.

But “it’s slowly being taken away from us, and nobody is doing anything to stop it.” The AP team that visited Sin Thet Maw observed four-man government teams conducting interviews with dozens of Muslim families.

The Rohingya live in a separate part of Sin Thet Maw that is completely segregated from the Buddhist side of the village by a wide field running hundreds of meters (yards) inland.

Most of those interviewed had temporary national registration cards that were issued by authorities ahead of elections in 2010 in an apparent effort to secure their support.

The cards granted the Rohingya the right to vote, but they were stamped with a major caveat that read: “Not proof of citizenship.” Most also showed government-issued forms on which their family members had been registered. There was one question, though, that the officers did not ask - the one that mattered above all the rest. It was represented on the forms by a blank line beside the entry: “Race/Nationality.” After each interview, the officers filled in the empty space with the words: “Bengali,” or, “Bengali/Islam.” The consequence of such answers is unclear.

One officer, Kyi San, said only: “We’re collecting data, not making decisions on nationality.”

But several Muslims interviewed by the AP complained that officers refused to classify them as Rohingya, declaring that “the Rohingya do not exist.” One man said he was beaten after refusing to sign a form identifying himself as Bengali. Chris Lewa, of the Arakan Project, said the use of the word Rohingya was common among Muslims in some parts of Rakhine state, but rarely used in others like the capital, Sittwe. But since the latest unrest began in June, Muslims from packed refugee camps to the remotest island villages are almost uniformly calling themselves Rohingya. “Being Bengali means we can be arrested and depor ted. It means we aren’t part of this country,” said Zaw Win, one of the Muslims who had been interrogated. “We are not Bengali. We are Rohingya.”—AP

Vampire on the loose?

ZAROZJE: Get your garlic, crosses and stakes ready: a bloodsucking vampire is on the loose. Or so say villagers in the tiny western Serbian hamlet of Zarozje, nestled between lush green mountain slopes and spooky thick forests. They say that rumors that a legendary vampire ghost has awakened are spreading fear - and a potential tourist opportunity - through the remote village. A local council warned villagers to put garlic in their pockets and place wooden crosses in their rooms to ward off vampires, although it appeared designed more to attract visitors to the impoverished region bordering Bosnia. Many of the villagers are aware that Sava Savanovic, Serbia’s most famous vampire, is a fairy tale.

Still, they say, better to take it seriously than risk succumbing to the vampire’s fangs.

“The story of Sava Savanovic is a legend, but strange things did occur in these parts back in the old days,” said 55-year-old housewife Milka Prokic, holding a string of garlic in one hand and a large wooden stake in another, as an appropriately moody mist rose above the sur-

rounding hills. “We have inherited this legend from our ancestors, and we keep it alive for the younger generations.” Vampire legends have played a prominent part in the Balkans for centuries - most prominently Dracula from Romania’s Transylvania region. In the 18th century, the legends sometimes triggered mass hysteria and even public executions of those accused of being vampires.

Sava Savanovic, described by the Zarozje villagers as Serbia’s first vampire, reputedly drank the blood of those who came to the small shack in the dense oak tree forest to mill their grain on the clear mountain Rogatica river. The wooden mill collapsed a few months ago - allegedly angering the vampire, who is now looking for a new place to hang his cape. Some locals claim they can hear steps cracking dry forest leaves and strange sounds coming from the rocky mountain peaks where the vampire was purportedly killed with a sharp stake that pierced his heart - but managed to survive in spirit as a butterfly.— AP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Qatar permits rare protest for workers’ rights DOHA: Qatar permitted a rare protest for workers’ rights yesterday at a government-approved rally of about 300 activists demanding action to combat climate change. Marchers, mostly foreigners attending the Nov. 26-Dec. 7 talks among 200 nations on slowing global warming, chanted “Arab leaders, time to lead” and “climate action now” as they marched along the waterfront past skyscrapers in central Doha.

One group at the rally called for greater freedoms for migrant workers, who make up about 94 percent of the workforce in Qatar, which is expecting a construction boom ahead of the 2022 World Cup soccer tournament it is to host. Poor working conditions are common across the Gulf, where impoverished men and women from South Asia work on construction sites, oil projects and as domestic help. “Migrant workers ... have no rights, no voice right here in Qatar,” said Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, at the march. “More workers will die building the stadiums than players will play on the field,” she said of the World Cup. Non-Qataris are banned by law from joining a labor union, but Burrow said after meeting Acting Minister of Labor Nasser Abdullah Al-Hemedi: “Qatar’s labor minister said that if we establish a union, he will personally ensure that any workers

who join it are not punished. We will test him on that.” Qatar does not publish figures for industrial deaths. Nepal’s embassy said 191 Nepalese workers died in Qatar in 2010, when the Indian embassy said

98 of its nationals died. “There are measures currently being taken to improve the conditions of workers,” said Fahad Bin Mohammed Al-Attiya, chairman of the Qatari organizers of the climate talks. “It is a legit-

DOHA: Activists carry placards during a rally in Doha yesterday to demand urgent action addressing climate change as the United Nations Convention on Climate Change continues in the Qatari capital. — AFP

imate concern and one ought to work in addressing it seriously and swiftly,” he said at the rally.

Qatar, which has the world’s highest emissions per capita of greenhouse gases, allowed the protest to take place as part of a rally for tougher action to fight climate change staged during the international talks. Major international environmental groups did not turn out in large numbers. Two marchers wore polar bear costumes.

Tasneem Essop, of the WWF conservation group, who attended the march said she hoped the UN climate talks would “lay the seeds for a continued civil society movement” in Qatar, a US ally which hosts an American military base. The climate talks seek to agree an extension of the troubled Kyoto Protocol, the U.N. plan that obliges almost 40 developed nations to cut emissions by at least 5.2 percent below 1990 levels between the years 2008-12.

Russia, Japan and Canada are pulling out, saying it is meaningless to extend the plan when big emerging nations led by China and India have no binding targets.

That will leave a core group led by the European Union and Australia as Kyoto backers. The United States never ratified the 1997 pact. Disputes over Kyoto are holding up other work towards a wider, global deal, meant to be worked out by 2015 and enter into force in 2020. — Reuters

West pushing democracy through ‘iron and blood’ Syria army presses drive to secure Damascus perimeter

SINGAPORE: An Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (left) vehicle leaves the Admiralty West prison where mainland Chinese SMRT bus drivers were taken in yesterday. Singapore will deport 29 mainland Chinese bus drivers and prosecute five others for taking part in the city-state’s first strike since the 1980s. — AFP

Singapore to deport Chinese bus drivers SINGAPORE: Singapore will deport 29 mainland Chinese bus drivers and prosecute five others for taking part in the citystate’s first strike since the 1980s, the government said yesterday. The strike has highlighted affluent but tightly-controlled Singapore’s heavy dependency on migrant labor to drive its economic growth amid falling birth rates. The Ministry of Manpower said 29 drivers’ work permits had been revoked and immigration officials “will be repatriating them” for involvement in a two-day stoppage to demand better pay and working conditions. “The strike was planned and premeditated. It disrupted our public transport which is an essential service, and posed a threat to public order,” its statement said.

A fifth driver has been arrested and will be charged in addition to four others who have been brought to court for allegedly instigating the November 26-27 work stoppage at state-linked transport firm SMRT. If found guilty of involvement in an illegal strike, they could be jailed for up to a year or fined a maximum of Sg$2,000 ($1,640) the equivalent of two months’ wages for a driver. Strikes are illegal in Singapore for workers in “essential services” such as transport unless they give 14 days’ prior notice and comply with other requirements. “Barring any new developments, we do not expect further arrests or repatriations related to this illegal strike,” the manpower ministry said. “The police will be issuing warnings to the others who were involved, but no further action will be taken against them and they will be allowed to remain and work in Singapore, so long as they continue to abide by our laws.” The Chinese government has urged Singapore to respect the workers’ legal rights while also cautioning its citizens to obey local laws. A total of 171 drivers launched the strike by refusing to leave their dormitories to report for work, with the number falling

to 88 on the second day. They issued no strike declaration or public statements.

The strikers were contract workers who did not belong to any union and were questioning why they were being paid less than their Malaysian counterparts for the same work. SMRT has had to hire bus drivers from China and Malaysia due to a chronic labor shortage. Singapore’s last strike took place at a shipyard in 1986.

Unions have since cooperated with the government and private employers in a tripartite system to protect industrial harmony, attract foreign investment and negotiate wage increases and other benefits.

An SMRT spokesman said that 22 percent of its 2,030 bus drivers were from China, another 22 percent from Malaysia and the rest Singaporean citizens and permanent residents. The strikers drew scorn from Singaporeans complaining about their rebellious behavior but also generated sympathy from others after their wages and living conditions were exposed by the walkout. Sinapan Samydorai, director for Southeast Asian affairs at civil rights group Think Centre, criticized the government action as “a bit too harsh” and said the drivers should have been let off with a stern warning as their grievances were real.

SMRT has promised to look into the strikers’ demands, fumigate their bedbuginfested dormitory rooms, find alternative housing in 2013 and open permanent communication lines with its Chinese workers.

Singapore’s opposition Workers’ Party has issued a statement calling for fair treatment of foreign laborers. “It is in Singapore’s interests, and in line with our nation’s values, that all workers are treated fairly, so that they are motivated to perform their jobs with excellence,” it said. “This is especially so for workers providing essential public services as it affects not just the local public but also Singapore’s international reputation.” — AFP

S Sudan’s official in Sudan to resolve border dispute KHARTOUM: A top South Sudanese official arrived in Sudan yesterday to discuss how to set up a demilitarized border zone, a condition for resuming oil exports, in the first direct talks between the neighbors since new tensions broke out last month. The African countries agreed at talks in Ethiopia in September to end hostilities and restart oil exports including creating the buffer zone - after coming close to war in April, the worst violence since South Sudan seceded last year. South Sudan had shut down its oil production of 350,000 barrels a day in January after tensions over pipeline fees escalated.

But the neighbors have been unable to agree how to withdraw their armies from the disputed border, a step both had said was necessary to resume oil exports from landlocked South Sudan through Sudanese pipelines. “I came here from Juba to activate the joint cooperation agreements signed between the two countries in Addis Ababa for the benefit of the two people,” Pagan Amum, South

Sudan’s chief negotiator, told reporters at Khartoum airport. He said he had brought a letter from South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir for his Sudanese counterpart Omar Hassan Al-Bashir. Sudan’s top negotiator Idris Abdel-Qadir said it was in the interest of both countries to break the deadlock.

“We welcome the visit of our brother Pagan in Khartoum and, as our brother Pagan said, the aim of his visit is to implement the cooperation agreements,” he said. Security officials from both countries will meet from Monday in Khartoum to discuss setting up the demilitarized zone.

On Monday, Kiir accused Sudan of putting new obstacles in the way by demanding that South Sudan needed first to disarm rebels fighting the Khartoum government inside Sudanese territory. Sudan has not publicly responded to the comments but has accused South Sudan of supporting rebels of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-North), which operate in two states bordering South Sudan. —Reuters

MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western states yesterday of trying to advance democracy abroad through “iron and blood”, defending Moscow’s refusal to join nations seeking the exit of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. Echoing comments made by Vladimir Putin, Lavrov made his sharply-worded address to a foreign and defense policy council meeting two days before the Russian president travels to Turkey where the war in Syria is expected to dominate talks. “Russia is not opposing Western influence or putting a stick in the spokes of Western-initiated projects out of spite,” Lavrov said, according to state-run news agency Itar-Tass. “The fact is, advancing democracy through iron and blood just does not work, and this has been made clear in recent months the past year-and-a-half,” he said.

He added “in most cases it produces the opposite reaction” and leads to “the strengthening of extremists and repressive forces, decreasing the chances of real democratic change.”

Moscow says Western and Gulf states are encouraging rebels seeking the overthrow of Assad while the United States and Europe accuse the Kremlin of shielding the Syrian president during 20 months of bloodshed. Russia says Assad’s exit from power cannot be imposed from abroad and has voiced concern extremists could gain the upper hand in Syria and other states following Arab Spring revolts, further destabilizing the region.

Meanwhile, the Syrian army shelled the outskirts of Damascus yesterday in a drive to establish a secure perimeter around the capital, including the key airport road that has come under sustained rebel attack. The 27-kilometre highway remained perilous a day after troops said they had reopened the key link to the outside world in heavy fighting that followed repeated deadly fire on an a bus carrying airport staff and at least two attacks on UN convoys, a watchdog said.

The fighting sparked mounting expressions of concern from UN officials. UN chief Ban Kimoon said the conflict had reached “appalling heights of brutality”. UN-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said Syria was in danger of becoming a “failed state” if a political settlement was not reached soon. The army shelled both the southwestern outskirts of the capital and the town of Douma in the northeastern suburbs, human rights monitors and opposition activists said.

Douma forms part of the so-called Eastern Ghouta region where troops have gone on the offensive to secure the airport highway. Analysts say President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime has been trying to establish a secure perimeter around Damascus at all costs in a bid to be in a position

to negotiate a solution to the 20-month conflict.

The repeated firing on the airport road prompted the cancellation of a string of international flights. Airport officials said flights had resumed on Friday but a military source acknowledged more heavy fighting lay ahead to fully secure the road.

Traffic resumed after the army cleared rebels from the western side of the highway and part of the eastern side on Friday. “But the most difficult part is yet to come,” the military official said.

“The army wants to take control of the eastern side, where there are thousands of terrorists and this will take several days.” Shelling and fighting between troops and rebels also rocked Syria’s second city Aleppo yesterday, scene of urban warfare for more than four months, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Also, clashes were reported in the central city of Homs, dubbed by activists “the capital of the revolution”.

ARMY RE-ENTERS OILFIELD In the east, troops re-entered the Al-Omar oilfield, three days after pulling out, the Observatory said. “Despite Thursday’s pullout, rebels did not enter the oilfield for fear that it was mined,” said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. The oilfield is one of the regime’s last positions east of the city of Deir Ezzor. Rebels last week seized a huge swathe of territory stretching from the city to the Iraqi border, the largest in Syria outside government control. Early last month, the rebels seized con-

trol of the Al-Ward oilfield, the first it had captured. The army has since also lost control of the Al-Jofra oilfield and the Conoco gas reserves, according to the Observatory.

Syria’s oil and gas production is now largely for domestic consumption as a result of embargos on its exports by its biggest pre-conflict customers. But rebel activity has also taken a mounting toll on output. Violence nationwide killed at least 122 people on Friday, including 73 civilians and 22 fighters from neighboring Lebanon, the Observatory said, bringing to more than 41,000 the number killed since the uprising erupted in March 2011. UN chief Ban predicted that Syrian refugee numbers would surge to more than 700,000 by next month as more civilians fled the fighting in residential areas, up from 480,000 now.

Peace envoy Brahimi warned the intensifying conflict could see “the state and its institutions withering away, lawlessness spreading, warlordism, banditry, narcotics, arms smuggling and worst of all the ugly face of communal and sectarian strife take hold of Syria”. Google and Twitter said that they had reactivated a voicetweet program, last used in 2011 when the Internet was shut down in Egypt during its revolution, to allow Syrians affected by an Internet shutdown to get messages out. Most phones and Internet networks were down for a second straight day on Friday, the Observatory said.

Syrian authorities blamed maintenance work.

Washington accused Damascus of deliberately cutting communications. — Agencies

RAS AL-AIN: Residents pass by buildings destroyed in a regime’s bombardment in Ras Al-Ain. — AFP

UN ‘may suffer’ over Palestinian upgrade US laws could gut-punch Palestinians WASHINGTON: Approval of Palestinian non-member UN status this week provoked no US funding ban on the United Nations, but irate US lawmakers have introduced measures that would do dramatic fiscal harm to the Palestinians and could also target the global body. The upgrade from “observer entity” to “non-member observer state” marked a diplomatic triumph for Palestinian Authority (PA) president Mahmud Abbas, but he will have the unenviable task of watching out for vindictiveness on Capitol Hill, and navigating tough new restrictions should the proposals become law.

“Nothing that happened has triggers any sanction under existing law,” Lara Friedman, director of policy relations at Americans for Peace Now, who is tracking Palestinian-related legislation in the US Congress said. The concern, Friedman said, is with three new measures, all added into a defense spending bill set for a Senate vote next week, which could slash funding to Palestinian organizations, the United Nations and its entities, and even countries that support a Palestine status upgrade.

In other words, the potential exists for far more serious funding cuts in the future than the rescinding of some $60 million in US dues for UNESCO when it admitted Palestine as a member state 13 months ago. The United States and Israel were among just nine countries to vote against Palestine’s UN elevation, while 138 countries supported the move, including France and Spain. But the White House signaled Friday it would not seek to cut off UN funds or Palestinian aid, even though it sees the “unilateral” UN move as the wrong way to

go about a two-state solution. Still, Republican Lindsey Graham and Democrat Chuck Schumer were among several senators venting their fury, introducing legislation that would cut off as much as $935 million in foreign aid to the Palestinians — $495 million in frozen fiscal year 2012 funds and a reported $440 for 2013 - if they use their new UN standing to pursue Israel at the International Criminal Court. Some $200 million of that funding is urgent, “direct budget support” for the PA, the State Department said. But it has been held up for months in Congress, even after President Barack Obama signed a waiver to free up the money that was frozen after the Palestinians’ full state bid last year.

“Granting UN membership to the Palestinian authority is a nightmare in the making for the peace process,” Graham said, adding that he would not allow taxpayer dollars to support Palestinians who could use the UN and ICC as a “political club” against Israel. But Abbas would have to weigh the risk of losing crucial US funds for the cash-strapped PA if he were to pursue Israel in the ICC. The Graham legislation would also force the closure of the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s office in Washington unless Palestinians are seen to have entered “meaningful” negotiations with Israel.

An official contacted there declined to comment on the proposed legislation or its impact on the PLO office, saying it was “all speculation.” Another amendment, filed by Republican Orrin Hatch hours before the UN vote, sought to eliminate all US funding to the United Nations if it changed Palestine’s “current status.” A third amendment would slash US

aid to Palestinians by half if the PA seeks a UN status upgrade “after November 25.” The UN vote came on the 29th. It would also cut US aid by 20 percent to any country which votes to upgrade Palestinian status. “It’s a bizarre scenario,” said Khaled Elgindy, a fellow on Middle East policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

“Is there an objective that is being met by imposing whatever punishment or sanctions, or is it purely retaliation for its own sake?” Elgindy posed. “None of the measures that I’ve seen proposed would further what everybody says is the goal, which is a twostate solution-and would probably undermine it if not destroy it.” Archaic legislation came into play last year when the Palestinians sought full UN recognition. That bid came up short, but had it gone through, Washington would have been bound to ban all US funding to the United Nations, thanks to a 1990 law forbidding authorization of funds to the UN if the body accords the PLO “the same standing as member states.”

Many lawmakers expressed frustration with the UN vote, but made no mention of congressional retribution. It remains unclear whether the harsh legislation will pass, but if it does, could Obama outflank Congress to ensure that the funding keeps flowing?

He wields a veto pen, of course, which would send any bill back to Congress. But George Ingram, who spent 20 years as a congressional aide, said such legislation is often crafted with a waiver that allows the president to override the law, often for what is deemed the interest of the United States. “That frequently is the ultimate compromise,” Ingram said. — AFP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

US government releases once-secret Watergate files WASHINGTON: Judge John J Sirica aided the prosecution in pursuing the White House connection to the Democratic headquarters break-in at the Watergate in 1972 by providing the special prosecutor information from a probation report in which one of the burglars said he was acting under orders from top Nixon administration officials, according to once-secret documents released Friday by the National Archives.

One newly public transcript of an in-chambers meeting between Sirica, the US District Court judge in charge of the case, and then-Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox in July 1973 shows the judge revealed secret probation reports indicating that E Howard Hunt had cited orders from officials high up in the Nixon administration. Several of Hunt’s co-defendants had previously denied any White House involvement in court testimony, and Sirica told Cox and other prosecutors that he felt the new information “seemed to me significant.”

The US government released more than 850 pages from the Watergate political scandal, providing new insights on privileged legal conversations and prison evaluations of several of the burglars in the case. A federal judge had decided earlier this month to unseal some material, but other records still remain off limits. The files do not appear to

provide any significant new revelations in the 40year-old case that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon and criminal prosecutions of many of his top White House and political aides.

But the files provide useful context for historians, revealing behind-the-scenes deliberations by Sirica, the US District Court judge in charge of the case, along with prosecutors and defense lawyers.

The documents stem from the prosecution of five defendants arrested during the June 1972 Watergate break-in and two men, Hunt and G Gordon Liddy, who were charged as the burglary team’s supervisors. All seven men were convicted.

In the conversations between Cox and Sirica, the special prosecutor agreed with the judge’s concerns that the probation report should be sealed and thanked him for the information. Cox promised that his team would not divulge the new information unless they felt there was a prosecutorial need and returned for a hearing to make it public.

“Unless we came back,” Cox told Sirica, “we wouldn’t reveal it.”

Former Nixon White House lawyer John Dean, who cooperated with prosecutors and testified against Nixon during an explosive congressional hearing in June 1973, said Friday after reviewing some of the newly released files that he believed

File photo shows G Gordon Liddy, a Watergate conspirator

Sirica “was very aggressive for a judge, even more than the White House was aware of at the time. No one in the Nixon White House knew exactly where he was coming from.” Dean added that while Sirica’s investigative zeal was well-known, his dealings with Cox and other prosecutors were “eyeopening.”

US District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered the files unsealed earlier this month after a request from Luke Nichter, a professor at Texas A&M University-Central Texas. Nichter wrote Lamberth in 2009 asking for release of the materials.

Lamberth held back other sealed materials but agreed to ask the Justice department to explain the reasoning for keeping those materials secret. The documents released by the Archives also reinforce Sirica’s reputation as a gruff, no-nonsense jurist.

During pretrial hearings in December 1972, Hunt’s defense attorney sought to delay the trial after the former CIA man’s wife was killed in a plane crash.

Sirica refused to put the trial on hold unless there was proof Hunt was suffering from a serious medical condition, according to the transcripts. “If he is just emotionally upset, that, in my opinion, is not a valid excuse,” Sirica said. “If he gets tired during the day, I will arrange for him to go down and take a rest for two or three hours if he wishes.” A doctor who examined Hunt said in a letter to Sirica in early January 1973 that he suffered from ulcers and other gastrointestinal ailments but “has sufficient present ability to consult with his lawyer.” The doctor, Charles E Law Sr, said he was worried that Hunt would weep in court, especially when questioned by prosecutors. — AP

Defiant N Korea plans to launch new rocket Seoul says it is ‘grave provocation’ SEOUL: North Korea is to carry out its second rocket launch of 2012 as its youthful leader Kim Jong-un flexes his muscles a year after his father’s death, in a move that will likely heighten diplomatic tensions and draw criticism from Washington. North Korea’s state news agency announced the decision to launch another space satellite yesterday, just a day after Kim met a senior delegation from China’s Communist Party in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. China, under new leadership, is North Korea’s only major political backer and has continually urged peace on the Korean peninsula, where the North and South remain technically at war after an armistice, rather than a peace treaty, ended the 1950-53 conflict.

No comment on the planned launch was immediately available from Beijing’s foreign ministry. Seoul’s foreign

TONGCHANG-RI: North Korea’s Unha-3 rocket, slated for liftoff between April 12-16, stands at Sohae Satellite Station in Tongchang-ri, North Korea. — AP

ministry said in a statement that the move was a “grave provocation”. Japan’s Kyodo news agency said Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda had ordered ministries to be on alert for the launch. “North Korea wants to tell China that it is an independent state by staging the rocket launch and it wants to see if the United States will drop its hostile policies,” said Chang Yong-seok, a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace Affairs at Seoul National University.

North Korea is banned from conducting missile or nuclear-related activities under United Nations resolutions imposed after Pyongyang carried out nuclear tests, although it says its rockets are used to put satellites into orbit for peaceful purposes. Washington and Seoul believe the isolated, impoverished state is testing long-range missile technology with the aim of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Pyongyang’s threats are aimed, in part, at winning concessions and aid from Washington, analysts say.

POLITICS AND ANNIVERSARIES The failed April rocket launch took place to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung and the latest test will take place close to the Dec 17 date of the death of former leader Kim Jong-il. It will also come as South Korea gears up for a Dec 19 presidential election in a vote that pits a supporter of closer engagement with Pyongyang against the daughter of South Korean dictator Park Chung-hee. The April test was condemned by the United Nations, although taking action against the North is hard as China refuses to endorse further sanctions against Pyongyang.

North Korea is already one of the most heavily sanctioned states on earth thanks to its nuclear program.

Pyongyang has few tools to pressure the outside world to take it seriously due to its diplomatic isolation and its puny economy. The state that Kim Jong-un inherited last December after the death of his father boasts a 1.2 millionstrong military, but its population of 23 million, many malnourished, supports an economy worth just $40 billion annually in purchasing power parity terms, according to the US Central Intelligence Agency.

“The North’s calculation may be that they have little to lose by going ahead with it at this point,” said Baek Seungjoo of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses in Seoul.

Baek said the test planned for December would likely be no more successful in launching a satellite than the April one that crashed into the sea between China and North Korea after flying just 120 km. “Kim Jong-un may be taking a big gamble trying to come back from the humiliating failure in April and in the process trying to raise the morale for the military,” Baek said. North Korea’s space agency said yesterday that it had worked on “improving the reliability and precision of the satellite and carrier rocket” since April’s launch.— Reuters

N California braces for more stormy weather SAN FRANCISCO: Northern California is bracing for more stormy weather this weekend after heavy rain and strong winds knocked out power to thousands, delayed flights, tied up traffic and flooded some roadways. After the second in a series of storms slammed the region Friday, scattered showers are expected today before a third storm strikes, according to the National Weather Service. A flash flood watch will remain in effect for most of the San Francisco Bay Area and the Santa Cruz Mountains throughout the weekend. The storms could cause rock and mud slides in areas already saturated and affected by wildfires this summer, said NWS forecaster Diana Henderson in Monterey. “It’s not a super storm by any measure, but this is pretty significant,” Henderson said. “We should see periods of moderate to heavy rains.”

Friday’s stormy weather may be behind the death of a Pacific Gas & Electric worker in West Sacramento who was killed after his truck crashed into a traffic signal pole during the stormy weather. Friday’s storm delayed flights at San Francisco International Airport and knocked down a large tree that smashed a car and blocked a busy street for hours in the city’s affluent Pacific Heights neighborhood. The North Bay was seemingly hit the hardest, as parts of Sonoma County received more than 7 inches of rain and areas in Napa County received nearly 6 inches, Henderson said.

With rain expected all weekend long, Tony Negro, a contractor from Penngrove, Calif, in Sonoma County, said he is worried about water flooding his workshop. “I’m on my way to get some sand bags,” he said. Thousands of people were without power in that area after an outage that also affected the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The suspension span

of the bridge was briefly in the dark as traffic was backed up longer than usual because of rain and strong wind gusts. Also, a mudslide shut down a stretch of Highway 84 east of Fremont, the California Highway Patrol reported. There was no estimate on when it would reopen.

In Sacramento, an empty big-rig jackknifed in the southbound lanes and struck the median divider on Interstate 5 south of downtown Friday morning, the CHP said. “I would definitely say it’s weather-related. The reports came in that he hit a water puddle and hydroplaned and couldn’t correct,” CHP Officer Mike Bradley said. “A lot of high-profile vehicles, especially the lighter ones, are getting windblown and having some problems maintaining their lane.” No one was injured in the crash on I-5, California’s main north-south highway. But a second vehicle also was damaged and had to be towed, while workers cleaned up diesel fuel spilled from the tractor-trailer.

In West Sacramento, police say wet conditions may have been a factor when a PG&E worker died after he lost control of his vehicle and slammed into a traffic pole. PG&E workers at the scene told KCRA-TV that the driver had been working overtime and was returning from Clarksburg in Yolo County.

In Los Angeles, conditions were wet and gloomy as downtown skyscrapers disappeared in low-hanging clouds.

Elsewhere in the West, a state of emergency was declared in Reno, Sparks and Washoe County in Nevada due to expected flooding as a storm packing heavy rain and strong winds swept through the area. Reno city spokeswoman Michele Anderson said public servants would be working overtime through the weekend to control what’s expected to be the worst flooding there since 2005. —AP

CASPER: Students and staff listen to a news conference after an apparent murder-suicide on campus at Casper College in Casper, Wyo. — AP

US man kills 2, self Attack locks down school CASPER: A man wielding a sharp-edged weapon killed one person in a Casper neighborhood Friday before killing a male teacher and himself in a community college classroom, causing a campus-wide lockdown as authorities tried to piece together what happened. Police found the suspect and one of the victims dead at a science building on the Casper College campus, which was locked down for about two hours, school and police officials said. The other victim was found about two miles away. The suspect used at least one sharp-edged weapon and no guns were involved, police said.

The attacker wasn’t believed to be a Casper College student and it appeared he knew the victims, Casper Police Chief Chris Walsh said. He didn’t identify the suspect or victims but said the victims were a male and a female.

“We’re locating next of kin and working on notification absolutely as fast as we can,” Walsh said. He added authorities don’t believe there is any further threat to the community. “I want to emphasize that this is a horrible tragedy,” Walsh said. “And I want the city to ... just feel safe right now.

There is no one at large.” The attack at the two-year community college in Casper, about 250 miles northwest of Denver, occurred just before 9 a.m. while class was in session. The college sent out a campus-wide alert via text message and email within two minutes of receiving word of the attack at 9:06 a.m., school spokesman Rich Fujita said.

The campus was locked down and the science building was evacuated. The lockdown ended about 11 am after school officials received word police were no longer searching for a suspect, Fujita said. There are fewer classes on Friday than any other day of the week at Casper College, so only between 1,500 and 2,000 of the college’s 5,000 students were there, he said. Political science instructor Chris Henrichsen said he was showing the film “Frost/Nixon” to his Wyoming and US government class when he stepped into the hall to get something for a student and was told a homicide had occurred on campus.

He went back to his classroom, where students were getting messages about the campus lockdown on their phones. “We locked the door and waited for further instruction,” Henrichsen said. The students were later sent home, but some who parked near a different campus building where the attack occurred had to leave their cars there, Henrichsen said. About two miles away, Dave Larsen said he was headed to the gym when drove passed a body in a gutter with two people standing over it, one talking on a cellphone. Larsen lives about a block from the location of the body, a well-kept neighborhood of mostly single-story houses.

Emergency vehicles had the street blocked off Friday afternoon. Police provided some details in a news conference streamed live by the Casper Star-Tribune. Walsh said 33 law enforcement officers from different agencies responded to the college after receiving reports of the attack. He said authorities first thought it might have been an “active-shooter-type situation.” “We quickly contained the building and started a sweep through the building,” he said.

Walsh said that within minutes of the initial call, there was another report of a traumatic injury about two miles southwest of campus. That victim was found in the street, the Star-Tribune reported. Classes were canceled for the day. A meeting was held in the afternoon for the 150 teachers and students who remained. College president Walt Nolte addressed them, calling it the worst day of his more than 40 years in higher education. He encouraged the community to come together, Fujita said “It is particularly painful

because of our size,” Fujita said of the small, tight-knit campus. Counselors were speaking to students and planned to be available through the weekend.

About 450 students live on campus. Classes were to resume tomorrow. “We agreed it doesn’t do any good to just set the students loose. It makes the most sense to have them come back to campus, where they can get help if they need help and come to terms with what happened,” Fujita said. Casper is Wyoming’s second-largest city with a population of about 56,000. Wyoming residents refer to it as the “Oil City” because it’s a hub for the state’s oil industry.

Wyoming Gov Matt Mead was traveling to Casper Friday afternoon to meet with the police and the head of the col-

Mexico’s Pena Nieto begins new era for old ruling party MEXICO CITY: Enrique Pena Nieto took over as Mexican president yesterday, offering a shot at redemption for the party that shaped modern Mexico if he can bring about an end to years of violence and economic underperformance. Shortly after midnight at the national palace, outgoing President Felipe Calderon formally transferred power to his successor, handing over a flag to Pena Nieto and saluting him. “Today I begin to exercise the honorable office of president,” said Pena Nieto, who then swore in his top security ministers.

The new president gave his inaugural address yesterday morning. Returning the centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, to power after a 12-year hiatus, the 46-year-old Pena Nieto aims to use a recent improvement in the economy’s fortunes to spark faster growth. Telegenic and married to a popular actress, he also promises to restore calm after more than 60,000 people were killed in violence between drug gangs and security forces during the six-year term of his conservative predecessor. “Unfortunately, this has been something which has made or formed the image of Mexico in the world,” Pena Nieto said during a trip to Europe in October. “That’s why there’s no doubt dealing with lawlessness more effectively is a priority.”

He says he is committed to the fight against organized crime, which dominated Calderon’s presidency, but has also stressed his main goal is to reduce the violence.

Pena Nieto, a former governor of the state of Mexico was sworn in as president at a ceremony yesterday. He won the July 1 election with about 38 percent of the vote, more than 6 points ahead of second-place Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

The new president’s right-hand man, Luis Videgaray, and close political ally Miguel Angel Osorio Chong will be the two key figures in his cabinet, running the finance and interior ministries respectively. Having helped shepherd a labor reform through Congress since his election victory, Pena Nieto now wants to pass legislation to strengthen Mexico’s tax base and allow more private investment in lumbering state oil giant Pemex. If he is successful, the reforms could help spur stronger growth and create jobs, blunting the allure of organized crime. —Reuters

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

NEWS

Sea of new faces elected amid...

Continued from Page 1

KUWAIT: Supporters of candidate Khaled Al-Adwah pose near a polling station in Hadiya yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Immediately after the ballots closed, the opposition held an emergency meeting to discuss its future course of action.

Earlier, state media and senior officials passionately appealed to citizens to cast their vote in order to achieve political stability in the state. In Salwa, only a few people showed up after the centre opened. In the nearby area of Rumaithiya, there was more activity in the predominantly Shiite constituency but still far below that in February poll or in 2009. “I believe that voting is a national duty especially after the emir has urged us,” Nadya Mandani, a public sector employee said after voting in Rumeithiya. “I am very optimistic that the next parliament will be good and will cooperate with the government to resolve our problems,” she said.

In the past, its candidates have called on supporters to cast their additional ballots for allies. They say such informal affiliations are crucial due to a ban on political parties.

“The old system was unfair for people in some areas of Kuwait,” 28-year-old Dalal AlAboud said at a polling station in a suburb

on the edge of Kuwait City, where there was a steady trickle of voters. “I think it will be better if we try this new method, then we judge if it is fair or not.”

Near a polling station in the south of the countr y, where tribal candidates have polled strongly in the past, Ahmed AlAzemi said he would not vote because his tribe was boycotting. “The Azemi family, we are against the election,” he said. “The new parliament will last only a month. A National Assembly without the opposition is useless.” Around him older men sat drinking tea and arguing about the boycott.

Asked who had voted, three of the 10 raised their hands, to shouts from the others.

University professor Alia Shuaib said women, who received the right to vote in 2005, were still finding it an uplifting experience to cast their ballots. “I believe it is my duty as a woman and as a Kuwaiti national to vote,” she said. “It is a pleasure to get up, dress, get my papers and vote. It is breathtaking,” the 45-year-old said. “I believe every person should vote and put the right people in parliament. We want educated people, the best.”

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

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Washington Watch

The UN’s Palestine Vote: Why the panic?

By Dr James J Zogby ere in Washington, negative reactions to the United Nations’ vote to admit Palestine as a non-member state have ranged from silly and infuriating to downright dangerous. The hysteria surrounding this UN vote may seem strange, even bizarre, to outsiders, but here in Washington it was expected. The rhetoric was harsh and the actions proposed by lawmakers were extreme and, if passed, could prove dangerous. But why all the panic? Instead of simply shrugging off their responses as “business as usual”, it is useful to examine the unspoken assumptions that underlie these reactions.

Here’s one example: the “news crawl” running on one of the networks during the UN debate read “US aid threatened by UN vote”, as if the statement were logical and complete in itself, requiring no further explanation. Unstated, but taken as a “given”, was the connection between the “aid” and the “vote”, and that is the hold that pro-Israeli hardliners have over appropriations in the US Congress As if to make this point, in the days and hours leading up to the vote, several US Senators leapt into the fray. First on board were a group of Republicans who offered an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would not only cut US aid to the Palestinian Authority(PA) by 50 percent should they seek to change their status at the UN; the amendment would also cut by 20 percent US assistance to any nation that voted for the Palestinian resolution. This measure is dangerous and could threaten US relations with many important allies around the world. It is also silly and poorly drafted, since as our friends at Americans for Peace Now point out - it is not the PA that is moving to change their status at the UN. The PLO is the group that has brought the resolution to the international body. And the PLO is not a recipient of any US aid. There is another Republican amendment that proposes to cut all US support to the UN should that body vote to change the status of the Palestinians. Finally, there is a bipartisan amendment that would ban US aid to the Palestinians should they become involved in any action before the International Criminal Court. This is an obvious and ham-fisted attempt to shield Israel from any action by the Court. A second provision in the same amendment would order the closure of Washington’s PLO mission unless the President, on a regular basis, is able to certify to Congress that the Palestinians are engaged in “meaningful negotiations” with Israel, without ever defining what is meant by “meaningful”.

“Expert” commentators have also reacted to the UN vote, largely indulging in banal expressions of what has come to be accepted “conventional wisdom”. On the one hand, they have pointed out the obvious-that the “vote will change nothing on the ground” or that “peace will only come through negotiations”. They have also issued warnings against the Palestinians taking “unilateral actions”, cautioning that passage of the statehood measure would have “dire consequences”, “risk exacerbating tensions” with Israel, and “create an impediment to the peace process”. I am tempted to digress and ask “what about Israeli unilateral actions?” or “what peace process?” All these warnings take for granted the unstated but accepted assumption that any Israeli reaction to the vote must be seen a logical consequence of any Palestinian assertion of their rights. The most infuriating comment came from the Israelis in reaction to the announcement that France and other European nations would vote for Palestine. This they lamented would deny Israel the support of what they termed “the moral majority” - by which they meant “white”, “Western” nations. The racism suggested in this formulation is so obvious and disturbing, and yet was reported without comment in the New York Times. As all of this was playing out this week, my mind hearkened back 24 years ago, when working with the Jesse Jackson for President campaign I had the opportunity to lead the first ever debate on Palestinian rights at a political convention. In the lead up to the debate, the party leadership did everything they could to block our effort. I was warned “if you persist, you will destroy the Democratic Party” and “you will never have a place in this party again”. One prominent proIsrael Democrat actually said “I’m scared. Nothing like this has ever happened before”.

Their hysteria and fear were real. But what troubled me most was that my opponents would never verbalize or admit the source of their panic and fear. It was, in my way of thinking, irrational. To them it was perfectly rational - but because it sounded so awful, they would never verbalize the reasons for their panic. Some were motivated by the crass political calculation that anything that demonstrated their less than total support, not for Israel, but for whatever the most hard-line pro-Israel voices wanted, would somehow compromise them, causing them to suffer unspoken harsh consequences. For others, it was an issue of power and control - as in, “how dare the Arabs assert themselves and demand equal treatment and the right to speak without first seeking our approval?”

NOTE: Dr James J Zogby is the President of the Arab American Institute.

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All articles appearing on these pages are the personal opinion of the writers. Kuwait Times takes no responsibility for views expressed therein. Kuwait Times invites readers to voice their opinions. Please send submissions via email to: opinion@kuwaittimes.net or via snail mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait.

The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.

Next stop for Palestinians global courts?

By Joseph Schuman he UN General Assembly’s overwhelming vote to recognize Palestine as a non-member state offers little prospect for greater clout in world politics but it could make a difference in the international courts. The formal recognition of statehood, even without full UN membership, could be enough for the Palestinians to achieve membership at the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC), where member states have the power to refer for investigation alleged war crimes or crimes against humanity.

With its upgraded status at the UN, the Palestinians may now seek to apply to the ICC for membership and authority to file war-crimes charges against the Israeli government and its officials. That threat of socalled “lawfare” has already prevented some Israeli civilian and military leaders from traveling abroad out of fear they’d be arrested

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as war criminals. “Israelis are afraid of being hauled to The Hague,” said Robert Malley, the Middle East program director for the International Crisis Group.

The Palestinians have long planned to use non-membership statehood at the UN, once obtained, as a way to enter the ICC. One Palestinian negotiator, in talking to the International Crisis Group, called the strategy a “legal or diplomatic intifada” against Israel. When Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the United Nations in September he specifically accused Israel of committing war crimes.

Israeli officials have said the country’s armed forces strictly adhere to international law and argue the true aim of Palestinians’ accusations is to isolate Israel.

Last spring, the ICC’s former chief prosecutor turned down a 2009 Palestinian request for prosecution of Israel’s actions in the 2008-2009 Gaza war with Hamas, specifically noting that Palestine was only a UN

observer entity. In September, the new ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said a General Assembly vote could make the difference.

“What we have also done is to leave the door open and to say that if this - if Palestine is able to pass over that (statehood) hurdle, of course, under the General Assembly, then we will revisit what the ICC can do,” Bensouda said during a talk in New York.

The Hague-based ICC is the one international venue where individuals can be criminally charged. All 117 countries that ratified the Rome Statute, which created the court, are bound to turn over suspects. The United States and Israel have not joined the Rome Statute, but that would not prevent the Palestinians from pursing cases under the treaty. ICC arrest warrants and rulings carry geopolitical weight even when they can’t be enforced. An indictment of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi last year helped mobilize international support for the rebels who opposed him.

Of course, if the Palestinians enter the legal battlefield, they, too, risk being accused and prosecuted in the venues where they’d try to target Israelis. There is no guarantee for either side that the ICC prosecutor would follow through on charges. The ICC has procedural obstacles that could head off any prosecution there.

Some commentators argue that, like lawyers in any legal fight, both the Palestinians and Israelis have exaggerated the stakes in what’s more of a political and public-relations drama.

“The concern that something dramatic would change is overblown,” said Rosa Brooks, a professor of international law at Georgetown University who has also served in policy roles at the State and Defense departments. A - cases are initiated by member governments and the UN Security Council - so geopolitical considerations can trump a strictly legal case. — Reuters

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi shows pragmatism

By Todd Pitman or Aung San Suu Kyi the democracy activist, the 25-year struggle against Myanmar’s former army rulers was a largely black-and-white affair a clear fight for freedom against one of the world’s most oppressive regimes. But Suu Kyi the elected lawmaker is finding it a lot more difficult to pick her battles, and she’s a lot more pragmatic when she does. With the long-ruling junta gone and a reformist government in place, the political prisoner-turned-parliamentarian is now part of a nascent government dealing with a complex transition to democracy - even as she maintains her role as opposition leader.

This week, Suu Kyi moved to settle a dispute that has festered in the northwest for years: controversy over a military-backed copper mine in Letpadaung that has raised environmental concern and forced villagers from their land with little compensation. Suu Kyi made a twoday trip to the region to hear people’s grievances and try to help mediate a resolution. Hours before she arrived Thursday, security forces launched a brutal crackdown on protesters that was the biggest of its kind since President Thein Sein took office last year.

Police used water cannons, tear gas and smoke bombs to break up an 11-day occupation of the mine project. Protesters saw their makeshift shelters ablaze. A nurse at a Monywa hospital said 27 monks and one other person were admitted there to be treated for burns. Addressing a crowd of more than 10,000 people in the nearby town of Monywa on Friday, Suu Kyi criticized security forces but said protesters may have to accept a compromise for the sake of national honor.

Myanmar’s former army junta made past deals without taking into account the wishes of the people, she said, but such commitments must be honored “so that the country’s image will not be hurt.” A Chinese company is part-owner of the mine, and Beijing previously complained when Myanmar pulled back on a dam project in which China had an interest. In other comments during her trip to Monywa, Suu Kyi said she would work for the country’s benefit but called on people to be “open-minded”. “ To walk the democratic system is a tough

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path,” she said. “It’s not straight.”

Though mine protesters may not be satisfied by those words, they at least know that they have Suu Kyi’s attention. The Nobel Peace laureate has gotten less involved in other conflicts. Since taking her seat in the legislature in April, Suu Kyi has not set foot in northern Kachin state, where a war is raging between rebels and the army that has forced than 75,000 people to flee. She also has yet to visit the western state of Rakhine, where two waves of sectarian violence between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims has killed nearly 200 people and driven 110,000 people from their homes since June.

Suu Kyi has urged calm in both crises, but she not attempted to mediate, either. “When entire communities of Rohingya and Muslims were wiped out in the state-backed ethnic cleansing in Rakhine state .... she didn’t even bother to tour the violence-struck” region, said Maung Zarni, a Myanmar expert and visiting fellow at the London School of Economics. “Why not?”

The answer, it seems, is that Suu Kyi has evolved into a pragmatic politician, one who must pursue personal and party goals without upsetting her new relationship with Myanmar’s new power brokers, including Thein Sein.

The army still wields enormous power in this Southeast Asian nation, and Suu Kyi has argued she must work with them on the path to national reconciliation.

One of the most prominent signs of Suu Kyi’s pragmatism has been her failure to speak out strongly against what rights groups say is the widespread repression of the Rohingya minority.

Although she has condemned the recent unrest, she has pointedly refused to take sides, saying violence has been committed by both Buddhists and Muslims.

The Rohingya, though, are among the

most persecuted people in the world, largely denied cit-

izenship by Myanmar and rejected by Bangladesh. They have borne the brunt of the recent violence, which Zarni and others argue is part of an effort by ethnic Rakhine to drive Muslims out of the state. The vast majority of the 110,000 displaced are Rohingya, many of whom lost homes in arson attacks.

But Suu Kyi is well aware of her movement’s desire to sweep national elections in 2015. The Rohingya are a deeply unpopular cause, and standing up for them is politically risky in a predominantly Buddhist nation where they are widely denigrated as foreigners from Bangladesh, even though many have lived in Myanmar for generations. In April, Suu Kyi got a taste of the new political world she was entering shortly after her National League for Democracy party won almost all of the several dozen seats up for grabs in the country’s historic byelection.

Before taking their seats in the legislature, Suu Kyi’s party got embroiled in a major dispute over what they called the undemocratic wording of the oath of office. The party defiantly declared it would not take its seats until the phrasing was changed.

After a weeklong stalemate, Suu Kyi announced they would take the oath anyway and take their seats in a legislature where a quarter of seats are controlled by the army and most of the rest are occupied by retired military officers. “Politics is an issue of give and take,” Suu Kyi said. “We are not giving up. We are just yielding to the aspirations of the people.” —AP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

sp orts Carroll out for 8 weeks LONDON: West Ham striker Andy Carroll will be sidelined for up to eight weeks after suffering a knee injury, manager Sam Allardyce confirmed yesterday.

Carroll, on a season-long loan with the Hammers from Liverpool, sustained the injury in the second half of Wednesday ’s 1-0 defeat at Manchester United and was absent from the squad for yesterday ’s London derby against Chelsea.

England international Carroll has endured a difficult time at Upton Park, scoring just once in 10 games for Allardyce’s side and missing a month of action at the start of the campaign due to a hamstring injury. “It’s pretty severe. We didn’t expect it to be quite as severe,” Allardyce told BBC Sport. “It’s going to be about six to eight weeks. It’s a blow for us and Andy.” — AFP

Bangladesh suffer a blow

Isner beats Ferrero KEY BISCAYNE: John Isner beat recently retired Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-6 (2), 6 3 on Friday in the six-player Miami Tennis Cup exhibition event. Isner won seven straight points in the first-set tiebreaker after dropping the first two. “It probably wasn’t the best match as I know he hasn’t played in forever and I’m just getting going again,” said Isner, ranked 14th in the world.

“The best way to prepare yourself for a new year is to get out there and play a match like that. I know there wasn’t much riding on the match, but it had that match feel that you can’t emulate in practice.” Ferrero, the 2003 French Open champion, surrendered his serve in the eighth game of the second set to enable Isner to serve for the match. Nicolas Almagro beat Alejandro Falla 6-4, 61. Almagro won the final two games of the first set and easily finished off Falla in the second. Yesterday, recently retired Andy Roddick faced third-ranked Andy Murray. Roddick is playing his second exhibition since retiring from competitive tennis at the US Open in September. “I enjoy playing in these things because you still play a little bit, see old friends, not something you’re training for weeks at a time,” Roddick said. “It’s a nice way to stay connected without all the commitments and pressure of the normal tour.” — AP

KHULNA: Bangladesh suffered a crucial blow when their star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was ruled out of the entire one-day series against the West Indies because of injury, an official said yesterday. The 25-year-old allrounder’s chronic shinbone injury recurred during the second Test in Khulna last week and he was initially ruled out of the first two of the five-match oneday series.

Bangladesh physician Debashish Chowdhury said after a review of his MRI scan reports on Saturday that he has been asked to rest for four to six weeks. “We reviewed his MRI and have decided to rest him for the series,” Chowdhury told reporters.

“He will need at least four to six week rest to heal the injury, though no surgery is required.” Despite the absence of the star all-rounder, Bangladesh clinched a comfortable seven-wicket win against the tourists in the first one -day here on Friday, to go 1-0 up in the series.— AFP

Ex-cricketer wins first boxing bout Flintoff pulls his punches over future in ring

THOUSAND OAKS: Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland hits his tee shot on the sixth hole during the second round of the Tiger Woods World Challenge Presented by Northwestern Mutual at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California. — AFP

McDowell takes charge at beloved Sherwood Tournament host Woods trails by four THOUSAND OAKS: Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell continued his love affair with Sherwood Country Club as he charged into a commanding three-shot lead after Friday’s second round of the World Challenge. Winner here in 2010 and runner-up in 2009, McDowell fired a superb six-under-par 66 in rain-softened conditions to take control of the elite 18-player event hosted by Tiger Woods.

The 33-year-old Northern Irishman made a fast start with three consecutive birdies on a receptive layout and finished with four more in the last nine holes to post a nine-under total of 135. “A good day’s work,” said McDowell, who has not won anywhere since his 2010 World Challenge victory. “The golf course is obviously very receptive ... so it’s an opportunity to be very aggressive coming into these pins. “And it’s nice to come back to a golf course which has got some good memories for me. It’s just been a golf course that’s always fit my eye.”

Jim Furyk, World Challenge winner in 2009, carded a 69 to sit three strokes off the pace with fellow Americans Bo Van Pelt (68) and Keegan Bradley (69). Woods, the defending champion who has won

the tournament a record five times, was a further shot back at five under after carding a five-birdie 69. “Certainly I hit the ball a lot better than I did yesterday and made a couple more putts,” said Woods, who moved into a four-way tie for the lead on the back nine before slipping back with a bogey at the 15th. “I felt a lot better today with my swing overall. I just had to come out here and trust it and when I did I got into a nice little run there. I just need to do that all 36 holes on the weekend.”

McDowell, however, took charge of the invitational event on a mainly overcast day with intermittent drizzle after starting the second round two strokes behind overnight leader Nick Watney. He covered the front nine in two-under 34 with his only bogey coming at the parfour seventh, and picked up four more shots with a flawless display on the hillier homeward nine. McDowell was well aware, though, that any of his closest challengers were capable of shooting a low score on a Sherwood layout softened by rain. “I’ve certainly got my small little cushion going into the weekend, but all I can do is concentrate on my game,” he said. — Reuters

AAW, Nike Stores sponsor Kuwait 2nd Half Marathon KUWAIT: Under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Mohamed Abdullah Al Mubarak Al Sabah, Minister of Information, and in association with the Kuwaiti Red Crescent, and Dasman Diabetes Institute, Ali Abdulwahab Al Mutawa Commercial Co (AAW) and Nike sponsored Kuwait’s 2nd Half Marathon organized by the Kuwait Charity Run (KCR) on Saturday, November 17th 2012.

KCR organized a charitable run for donation purposes towards a particular humanitarian cause every year, and for 2012 all initiatives were focused on the Dasman Diabetes Institute under THE PUMPS 4 KIDS campaign, to raise funds for children with Type 1 diabetes. The event took place at Marina Crescent, and observed over 1200 runners, participating in either the 21 KM Half Marathon, or the 10 KM run. Local

and international runners took part in this initiative, supporting the cause, and running for the greater good.

Registration fees of 15 KD from each participant went directly to the charity, and KCR were able to raise and contribute 30,000 KD for the PUMPS 4 KIDS campaign.

AAW has a longstanding history of supporting such charitable causes, and its participation in this Half Marathon is no different.

In an effort to promote health and fitness, and mobilize the Kuwaiti community in leading healthier lifestyles, AAW continuously endorses such campaigns as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)initiatives. In this case, the Kuwait Half Marathon was able to tap into two of the company’s social interests, namely, fitness and charity.

MANCHESTER: Andrew Flintoff will take his time before deciding if he will continue boxing after his successful heavyweight debut against American Richard Dawson. The former England cricket captain beat Dawson 39-38 on points after a lively affair in front of 5,000 raucous fans at the Manchester Arena, but only after being knocked down in the second round of the four-round contest. The 34-yearold said he will wait until after Christmas before deciding if he will continue his foray into the paid-ranks of boxing.

“I really enjoyed it. I said at the start that I knew I was starting at a novice level,” said the former England all-rounder, who sported a black eye in his post-fight news conference. “I want some time off, have a nice Christmas.

After Christmas I will start to decide what to do. It is quite fresh, still quite raw what happened.” Flintoff had been accused in some boxing quarters of demeaning the sport by thinking he could just casually walk into the professional ranks. But that did not stop former England team-mates, Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison, being at ringside to see the man who was twice an Ashes winner during his cricket career.

Flintoff entered the ring wearing the shirt of his county team, Lancashire. But it was a walk very different to the one he used to make from the pavilion to the crease, this time the roped-off ring awaited him after Dawson had entered to a chorus of boos. It was, by Flintoff’s admission, a sluggish affair but he started the fight well, pawing out jabs while Dawson looked disinterested from the off. But in the second round, the American caught him off balance with an accurate, but

hardly powerful, left that put the Englishman on the canvas.

He beat the count and recovered, before regaining his composure and dominating the final two rounds to deservedly take the contest. “It was probably everything and more,” said Flintoff.

“It was not one for the purists. Walking out there with the crowd, completely different feeling than I ever had before. “I think I got the

full experience. I got the canvas, black eye and the win. It was like an out of body experience.

“Shane (McGuigan, his coach) said you worked so hard don’t leave anything in the ring. In my cricket career that was similar to how I played. It was a bit ragged and arms going, I just wanted to leave it all in the ring.

“This was not about degrading boxing, we wanted to show boxing as it is, a fantastic thing.” — AFP

MANCHESTER: Andrew Flintoff (right) in action against Richard Dawson during their International Heavyweight boxing contest in Manchester, England. —AP

Top NFL teams seek playoff spots DENVER: The first weekend of December football signals the start of the NFL stretch run with Houston, New England, Denver, Baltimore and Atlanta poised to clinch playoff spots, while others fight to stay on the postseason path. American Football Conference (AFC) division races look close to being locked up, but the National Football Conference is full of question marks with five weeks left in the regular season. “This is when you need to be playing your best ball, heading into the playoff atmosphere,” New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said this week. “This is when you want to be playing your best.”

The Super Bowl champion Giants (7-4) could be dragged into a battle for the NFC East title by the Washington Redskins (5-6) and their gifted rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III, who could climb to within a game of New York with victory on Monday. The Giants know they could have their hands full with the explosive Redskins quarterback. RG3 put Washington ahead with a late TD pass in their October meeting before Eli Manning threw a 77-yard bomb to Victor Cruz with 73 seconds left to win it. The NFC North-leading Chicago Bears (8-3) entertain wildcard hopefuls the Seattle Seahawks (6-5), and the Green Bay Packers (7-4) host the Minnesota Vikings (6-5) in a key NFC North clash.

In one of the league’s fiercest rivalries, the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) go up against AFC North-leading Ravens (92), desperate for a victory to fortify their wildcard aspirations. The Steelers will be hard-pressed to avert a third straight loss as it looks likely they will be without injured starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. “I firmly believe that (Charlie Batch will play well),” Roethlisberger told reporters on Friday about the 37-year-old fill-in, who threw three interceptions in last week’s loss to the Cleveland Browns. “They know what he’s capable of. He’s been doing it a long time. They respect him. I think he’s ready to rise to the occasion.”

A key inter-conference game pits the hard-charging Denver Broncos (8-3) and MVP candidate quarterback Peyton Manning against the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5), who are clinging to their wildcard hopes. “Our goal is to keep winning and get to the big one,” said Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, whose team is riding a six-game winning streak. Denver can clinch the AFC West division with a win or a San Diego loss to the wildcard hunting Cincinnati Bengals (65). Baltimore can claim the AFC North crown with a win and a Bengals loss. A victory over the Steelers would ensure them of a playoff spot.

New England (8-3) takes another AFC East title if they beat the Miami Dolphins (5-6), while AFC-leading Houston (10-1) can secure a berth in the postseason with a win over the Tennessee Titans. The Atlanta Falcons, 2313 winners against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday, would clinch the NFC South division if Tampa Bay loses, or a playoff berth should Seattle lose. — Reuters

The Captain at NASCAR’s helm with first Cup title LAS VEGAS: At no point in the days leading into NASCAR’s season finale did Roger Penske assume his 40-year wait for a championship would finally end. Brad Keselowski had the Sprint Cup title well within reach and a decent day would give Penske Racing its first title at NASCAR’s top level. But weird things happen in racing, and the team owner wasn’t taking anything for granted. And then he slipped, just slightly, admitting two days before the Nov 18 finale that he’d told his upper management group he was sick and tired of being just another face in the crowd at the season-ending awards ceremony.

“I kid these guys and say, ‘I don’t want to sit down in the front row anymore, I want to be up on the stage so I see who’s at the party,’” Penske said. Well, “The Captain” was assured of a spot on the main stage Friday night at Wynn Las Vegas Resort, where the party was very much for Penske. Penske is the titan of motorsports, the gold standard of openwheel racing. He’s got 23 championships in various series and 15 Indianapolis 500 victories, but his NASCAR operation never could reach the pinnacle.

Now he’s done it with Keselowski, and the entire industry couldn’t be more pleased for Penske. “I’ve known Roger Penske since I was a teenager, I have worked with Roger Penske my entire professional life, and it’s really, really exciting for me to know and see Roger because in everything he’s done, he’s done it with high integrity, he’s done it with incredible effort and he’s done it with amazing class,” NASCAR chairman Brian France said in an unscripted moment of a speech during one of the Champion’s Week events. “I couldn’t be more thrilled that Roger, you’re getting your first Sprint Cup championship ... way to go. I’m really impressed.”

That’s been the sentiment all week in Las Vegas, where Penske is the toast of the town. “I think for Roger, as long as he’s been in the sport and as hard as he’s tried and all the championships he’s won in the other series, that everybody likes seeing somebody achieve this because he’s worked so hard for this,” said four-time champion Jeff Gordon. “And he’s such an amazing person, and such a successful

person, that a lot of this banquet is around him.”

At his pristine car dealership inside the Wynn, he was the center of attention at a reception to celebrate the achievement.

Surrounded by sparkling Ferrari’s and Maserati’s, the 75-year-old Penske threw back cold Miller Lite’s as he spent most of the evening hanging out by a virtual racing simulator. He kept a running order of who he wanted to next drive the simulator, and excitedly noted who logged the fastest laps. “I’m buying one of these,” Penske kept repeating. One of those to try the simulator and mingle at the party was IndyCar rival Chip Ganassi, who paid his respects to the owner he’s admired his entire career.

“I couldn’t be more happy for Roger because nobody has worked harder and made more effort at trying to do well across all forms of the sport,” Ganassi said.

“He’s obviously been a big influence of mine over the years. He’s one of the people you would emulate or want to be like, and he has set the bar at a new level. I am happy, I am jealous, I have a lot of awe, a lot of respect and I’m looking forward to now chasing him in another category.”

Penske planes have been arriving daily all week as friends, family, employees and longtime associates have been arriving to celebrate. The last arrival was a chartered 747 that brought in almost 250 Penske employees who were treated to a trip to Las Vegas. That’s the Penske way - reward everyone because this championship belongs to the entire organization.

“I never realized the power and the impact of this sport, and I’ve been involved in the Super Bowl in Detroit in 2006 and all the noise that goes on with championships, but this is so special,” Penske said. “For me, thousands of people have sent me communication. But I walked into my office on Monday morning (after the race) and they had a big banner already they’d made up for the championship. You don’t think about walking into your own place and seeing that. That banner is going to hang in every one of our 1,500 locations around the US. “It was a galvanizing night for us, bringing everyone together and it was a culmination of a lot of people’s hard work. — AP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

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Steyn and Amla put S Africa in charge SA lead by 292; Amla one run from century

LAKE LOUISE: Lindsey Vonn of the USA takes 1st place during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women’s Downhill in Lake Louise, Canada. — AFP

Lindsey Vonn dominates, renews bid to race men LAKE LOUISE: Lindsey Vonn, who swept all three races last year at Lake Louise, easily won the downhill here Friday, her 12th World Cup title at the venue, giving credibility to her desire to race the men. The four-time overall World Cup champion will race her second super-G today. “When you say you want to race the men, you can’t really not win the women’s races,” said Vonn, whose desire to race in the men’s event last week was turned down by the sport’s governing body FIS. “I knew that and I definitely was trying to prove a point, I think mostly to myself, but to everyone else who doesn’t think I should race with the men. Hopefully it works out.

Maybe it won’t, but I think my skiing will speak for itself.”

In a race disrupted by fog, Vonn clocked 1min 52.61sec to win her 27th World Cup downhill title overall. Almost half of those have come in the Canadian Rockies. American Stacey Cook was a distant second, 1.73sec back with Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch and Liechtenstein’s Tina Weirather sharing third, 1.74sec behind Vonn. The race was halted for an hour and a half because of poor visibility after the run of starter number 25, Austrian Anna Fenninger. Vonn was already in the lead by then. The 28-yearold American, who landed in the hospital earlier this month with a painful intestinal

illness, looked like her old self a week after she was clearly exhausted after competing in a giant slalom in Colorado.

Vonn finished 21st in the giant slalom last week, then skipped the slalom. “It seemed like everything was going wrong,” Vonn said. “It’s hard sometimes to believe that you’re going to turn things around. I just keep fighting and every day, I keep trying my best. I was just so happy I was able to come out today and ski the way I wanted to. It was just a big sigh of relief.”

“The only thing I’m concerned about at this point is my energy level and trying to make sure I have enough energy for the next couple of days,” she said. “It was a long time standing out in the cold today and hopefully I can just get some good recovery in today and maintain what I have and be able to ski the way I want to.”

In a rare move, Vonn skipped Thursday’s final downhill training run because of stomach problems.

“It’s just that my stomach is really sensitive, so I had some funny eggs or, I don’t really know what it was,” she said. “It seems like it doesn’t really matter what I eat, something can sometimes trigger it. I definitely wasn’t feeling well yesterday.”

Cook cried after completing the one-two American sweep and when she realized she would be on a World Cup podium for the first time in her career. — AFP

PERTH: South Africa, fired by a devastating spell of bowling from Dale Steyn and sustained by the batting of Hashim Amla, took a firm grip on the third and final test against Australia yesterday to end day two with an imposing lead of 292. Amla finished the day one run short of his 18th test century with South Africa on 230 for two after paceman Steyn had taken four for 40 as the bowlers dismissed the hosts for 163 for a first-innings lead of 62.

Skipper Graeme Smith put on a quickfire 178 for the second wicket with Amla before departing for 84 late in the day to leave Jacques Kallis, who had made 17 not out, to resume on Sunday with plenty of time to build an insurmountable lead. “Dale started well with the ball this morning,” fast bowler Vernon Philander told reporters. “And then the way Graeme and Hashim batted was just unbelievable, taking the game to them, and momentum’s on our side and hopefully we can keep it that way.”

Australia had started the day on 33 for two in front of a bumper WACA crowd hoping to see Ricky Ponting score a century in his penultimate innings and drive his country towards a series victory and the number one test ranking that would go with it. Their hopes lasted less than 40 minutes, however, as Steyn, who took three wickets at the cost of just four runs in the morning sun, and fellow quicks Philander (2-55) and Morne Morkel (1-19) unleashed the barrage the Australians had feared all series. “Not an ideal day,” said wicketkeeper Matthew Wade. “We had high hopes when we came in this morning but things didn’t go well.”

The first ball of Steyn’s first over dispatched opener David Warner caught behind for 13 after a fruitless TV appeal, while his fourth sent nightwatchman Nathan Lyon back to the pavilion for seven. Ponting, welcomed by a standing ovation, managed just four runs when he was trapped lbw by Philander, his subsequent appeal to the TV umpire having less merit than Warner’s but proving just as pointless. With their free-scoring captain Michael Clarke at the crease, Australia were still thinking about a first-innings lead but

PERTH: Australian bowler Mitchell Johnson completes a spectacular low catch off his own bowling to dismiss South African batsman Alviro Petersen on day two of the third cricket Test between South Africa and Australia yesterday. — AFP Steyn ended those thoughts with his best ball of the series. A fullish ball that moved away at the last moment induced Clarke into an edge that AB de Villiers caught behind the stumps.

LITTLE RESISTANCE Only Wade, who scored a bright 68, and debutant pace bowler John Hastings, the last Australian out for 32, offered any real resistance to the South Africans. Wade built a partnership of 55 with Mike Hussey and brought up his second test half century from 51 balls by launching his third six over the deep midwicket boundary. Hussey was removed by Morkel having eked out 12 runs in 68 balls before Robbie Peterson, who finished with three for 44 after being recalled for his first test in four years, bowled Wade and mopped up the tail just before tea.

South African opener Alviro Petersen had ended the Australian innings with a brilliant catch to dismiss Hastings, flicking the ball into

the air as he fell over the boundary rope and returning to the field to take the catch. After a bright start, his own innings was ended for 23 after tea by an even better effort when Mitchell Johnson, off his own bowling, flung himself down to his right to take the ball just above the turf.

Smith, who scored his 84 off just 100 balls with 13 fours, was victim of a third sensational catch when Lyon dived low to claim the ball at deep square leg with the end of the day in sight. It was a rare bright moment in a hard day for Australia, particularly for left-arm quick Mitchell Starc who ended up with figures of one for 76.

“We don’t feel the series has slipped away,” Wade, perhaps mindful that South Africa chased down 414 to win at the WACA four years ago, added. “Tomorrow we need to come out and execute, take eight wickets, get ourselves into a real scrap and chase whatever total they put up.” — Reuters

Thunder hold off Jazz to sweep homestand Raptors top Suns to snap skid OKLAHOMA CITY: Kevin Durant scored 25 points, Russell Westbrook made a twopronged bid for his sixth career triple-double and the Oklahoma City Thunder finished off an impressive homestand by beating the Utah Jazz 106-94 on Friday night. Oklahoma City won all three games by double digits and made a bid to win three in a row by at least 20 points for the first time in 25 years before a late charge by the Jazz. Westbrook ended up with 23 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and seven steals.

Enes Kanter scored a career-high 18 points, with 14 coming in the fourth quarter as Utah pulled within five before Oklahoma City closed it out. Westbrook came up with two of his steals - and one of his eight turnovers - during a wild, momentumchanging stretch midway through the fourth quarter. After his two free throws stretched Oklahoma City’s lead to seven, Westbrook swiped the ball, only for Earl Watson to steal it back, and then for Westbrook to race back up the court to get it again. He fired a pass ahead to Kendrick Perkins, who flipped it to Durant for a twohanded slam that got the sellout crowd roaring again and the Thunder back on the path to victory.

CAVALIERS 113, HAWKS 111 Alonzo Gee scored on a putback with less than 1 second remaining, and the Cavaliers snapped a four-game losing streak. Gee rebounded a missed 3-pointer by Dion Waiters and quickly followed up with the winning shot. The Hawks, out of timeouts, couldn’t manage a shot before time expired.

Jeremy Pargo led Cleveland with 22 points, including three straight baskets late in the game. Waiters scored 21 and Anderson Varejao had 20 points and 18 rebounds for Cleveland. Josh Smith had 25 points for Atlanta, which had won six in a row.

LAKERS 122, NUGGETS 103 Antawn Jamison scored 33 points while leading an outstanding game by the Lakers’ reserves, and Dwight Howard had 28 points and 20 rebounds before hitting Los Angeles’ 17th 3-pointer in the final seconds of a victory over Denver. Jodie Meeks scored 21 points on seven 3-pointers for the Lakers, who improved to 3-3 under Mike D’Antoni while playing splendidly at the furious tempo favored by their new coach. The Lakers tied the club record for 3-pointers in a regulation game, getting five from Jamison in the first 30-point game by a Lakers reserve since 1998. Howard capped it with just the second 3-pointer of his career with 9.8 seconds to play. Danilo Gallinari scored 19 points for the Nuggets, who lost three times on their three-game trip. Kobe Bryant had 14 points and eight assists for the Lakers.

CELTICS 96, TRAIL BLAZERS 78 Jeff Green scored 19 points, Jason Terry

their lone victory after a 0-12 start but were never in this game after the first 10 minutes.

to 1-9 on the road. Memphis played without guard Tony Allen, who has a right groin sprain.

76ERS 104, BOBCATS 98 Evan Turner scored 25 points, Jason Richardson hit four 3-pointers down the stretch and the 76ers earned their third consecutive victory. Jrue Holliday added 13 points and a career-high 15 assists for Philadelphia, which shot 51 percent from the field. Richardson had 14 of his 22 points in the final period, and Turner was 10 of 15 from the field for the game. Philadelphia (106) had 54 points in the paint, most of those in the first half. Thaddeus Young had 15 points and Lavoy Allen contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds. Ben Gordon led Charlotte with 19 points, and rookie Jeffery Taylor matched a career-high with 16 points.

The Bobcats (7-8) have dropped three straight and four of five.

TIMBERWOLVES 95, BUCKS 85 Alexey Shved scored 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and Kevin Love overcame a nasty stomach bug to collect 15 points and 14 rebounds in the Timberwolves’ victory.

Nikola Pekovic had 14 points and tied a career high with 16 rebounds and JJ Barea added 15 points and five assists for the Wolves, who are getting star guard Ricky Rubio back at practice this weekend for the first time since he tore an ACL last March.

Larry Sanders had a career-high 10 blocks to go with 10 points and 12 rebounds and Brandon Jennings had 18 points and six boards for the Bucks, who lost backup point guard Beno Udrih to a right leg injury in the fourth quarter.

GRIZZLIES 90, PISTONS 78 Rudy Gay had 18 points, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley added 17 apiece, and the Grizzlies stretched their winning streak to four games. Darrell Arthur added 11 points for Memphis, while Jerryd Bayless scored 10 points. Gasol added 11 rebounds. Greg Monroe led the Pistons with 17 points and nine rebounds, and Tayshaun Prince finished with 15. Brandon Knight added 10 for Detroit, which lost its third straight and fell

RAPTORS 101, SUNS 97 DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points to help the Raptors stop a six-game slide. Kyle Lowry scored 15 points, and Jose Calderon had 13 points and nine assists for the Raptors, who ended Phoenix’s seven-game winning streak in Toronto. Marcin Gortat, Shannon Brown and Jared Dudley scored 14 points apiece for Phoenix. It was the second straight loss for the Suns, who were routed 117-77 at Detroit on Wednesday. — AP

NHL results/standings Toronto 101, Phoenix 97; Philadelphia 104, Charlotte 98; Brooklyn 98, Orlando 86; Boston 96, Portland 78; NY Knicks 108, Washington 87; Cleveland 113, Atlanta 111; Memphis 90, Detroit 78; Oklahoma City 106, Utah 94; Minnesota 95, Milwaukee 85; Indiana 97, Sacramento 92; LA Lakers 122, Denver 103.

LOS ANGELES: Denver Nuggets forward Jordan Hamilton (right) and Los Angeles Lakers forward Antawn Jamison reach for a rebound during the second half of their NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Calif. — AP added 17 and the Celtics cruised to a com- Davis had 16 points for the Magic, who lost fortable win without Rajon Rondo. The star their third straight game. Brooklyn center point guard served the first game of his two- Brook Lopez missed his first game of the game suspension for his role in a scuffle season with a mild right foot sprain. He is Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets. day to day.

Courtney Lee started in Rondo’s place and finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and KNICKS 108, WIZARDS 87 five assists. The Celtics never trailed. They Carmelo Anthony and JR Smith each carried a 56-33 advantage into the break scored 20 points, and the Knicks beat the and took their biggest lead on a 22-foot Wizards for the 10th straight time. Tyson jumper by Kevin Garnett that made it 65-38 Chandler and Ronnie Brewer each added 12 with 8:26 left in the third quarter. LaMarcus points for the Knicks, who improved to 6 Aldridge had 23 points for Portland, which 0 at home and also beat the Wizards for has lost four in a row. the ninth straight time at Madison Square Garden. Both winning streaks are their NETS 98, MAGIC 86 longest active against one team. Chandler Joe Johnson had 22 points and the Nets finished with 10 rebounds but his 5-of-8 earned their fifth straight victory. Gerald shooting represented a cold night after the Wallace added 20 points, including five 3- NBA’s leading shooter had made 16 of 17 pointers, as all five Brooklyn starters scored over his previous two games and came in in double figures. The Nets beat the Magic shooting 71.8 percent for the season. Jordan for the third time this season and wrap up Crawford scored 17 points for the Wizards, their three game road trip in Miami. Glen who beat Portland 84-82 on Wednesday for

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L Brooklyn 11 4 NY Knicks 11 4 Philadelphia 10 6 Boston 9 7 Toronto 4 13 Central Division Milwaukee 7 7 Chicago 7 7 Indiana 8 8 Detroit 5 12 Cleveland 4 12 Southeast Division Miami 11 3 Atlanta 9 5 Charlotte 7 8 Orlando 5 10 Washington 1 13

PCT .733 .733 .625 .563 .235

GB 1.5 2.5 8

.500 .500 .500 .294 .250

3.5 4

.786 .643 .467 .333 .071

2 4.5 6.5 10

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 13 4 .765 Utah 9 8 .529 Denver 8 9 .471 Minnesota 7 8 .467 Portland 6 10 .375 Pacific Division Golden State 9 6 .600 LA Clippers 9 6 .600 LA Lakers 8 8 .500 Phoenix 7 10 .412 Sacramento 4 11 .267 Southwest Division Memphis 12 2 .857 San Antonio 13 4 .765 Houston 7 8 .467 Dallas 7 9 .438 New Orleans 4 10 .286

4 5 5 6.5 1.5 3 5 0.5 5.5 6 8

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

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Dons face Dons in FA Cup grudge match

MILTON KEYNES: The depth of ill-feeling between English lower-league teams MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon will be evident in the boardroom even before the clubs’ first ever meeting in the FA Cup today. Both clubs trace their roots back to Wimbledon, winners of the cup in 1988, but the decision of AFC chairman Erik Samuelson to snub the offer of pre-match drinks confirms this will be no reunion of old friends.

Instead, Samuelson and his fellow directors will be seated amongst the travelling fans, although for a long time it appeared the visitors section would remain empty, until AFC supporters decided against a boycott of the tie. Even now, there are reports away fans are planning to attend the

second-round match wearing radiation suits to avoid “contamination” from the club they despise. The bitter divide can be traced back to 2002 when, with Wimbledon in dire financial trouble, the Football Association sanctioned plans to move the south London club 56 miles nor th to Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire.

AFC Wimbledon were formed as a reaction to the move and began life in the lower tiers of English non-league football, but returned to the Football League after five promotions in eight years. Now in League Two, the fourth tier of English football, they will finally confront opponents dubbed “Franchise FC” by their fans in a game almost everybody connected with AFC hoped would never happen. MK Dons-

the club’s continued use of Wimbledon’s nickname, the Dons, is another bitter point of contention-are in League One, but from AFC’s point of view, this game represents much more than the chance to pull off a mere giant-killing.

The old Wimbledon served up one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup final history when they beat the mighty Liverpool thanks to Lawrie Sanchez’s header 24 years ago. Now AFC would like to secure a similar result against a club they believe stole their identity.

The counter view, put forward by MK Dons chairman Pete Winkelman, is that Wimbledon would have ceased to exist had he not stepped in. “We were the only oppor tunit y. Wimbledon FC would have been liquidated the next

day had we not put in the money to support the club through its administration,” he said. The back-story has inevitably overshadowed the game and AFC manager Neil Ardley admits it has been difficult to remain focused on the tie. Ardley, who played almost 300 games for the old Wimbledon, said: “Eight weeks into my first managerial job, it’s certainly been a test of the media skills. “There is a lot of emotion behind it and a lot of histor y. I t ’s unique. I don’t think there is any other game where this has been the case.”

He added: “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 book written about this club and a film made about it. For the

fans, that’s what this game should be about-how far this club has come through hard work and determination.”

AFC are in their second season in League Two, while MK Dons have reached the League One play-offs in three of the last four seasons and are currently lying third, three points off the top of the table. MK Dons manager Karl Robinson said: “I got the chairman in to speak to the players to talk about the history and what happened. The importance of that was we got that out in the open. “That was to help the players understand why there is the animosity and the grievances. And the reaction was: ‘This is our time.’ “And it’s our time that we’re looking forward to challenging ourselves in a game that will go down in history.”— AFP

AC Milan thump 10-man Catania Victory boosts European qualifying hopes

CARSON: Landon Donovan #10, David Beckham #23, Pat Noonan #11, Robbie Keane #7 and Tommy Meyer #21 of the Los Angeles Galaxy jog on the field during the team training session at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California. — AFP

Galaxy’s Donovan focused on MLS Cup final, not future CARSON: While David Beckham is parting ways with the LA Galaxy after yesterday’s MLS Cup final, the team’s star US international did little to clear up his future plans.

Landon Donovan, the all-time top scorer for the United States, has openly discussed his fading motivation and desire for a break in recent months, raising the prospect of an extended break or even an early retirement at the age of 30. Asked at a news conference about his feelings and possible plans, Donovan simply replied: “We can talk about all that at a different time. We are excited for tomorrow.” Quite rightly Donovan, sporting a new beard, was keen to keep the media focus on MLS’s championship game and not his personal situation - even if Beckham’s impending departure has already hung over the build-up to the final.

Beckham on Thursday urged Donovan not to quit yet and there is no doubt that losing two of their star players in the same offseason would be a major blow for the Galaxy. It would also be a setback for US national team coach Juergen Klinsmann as

he enters a year of qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil. Speaking to a small group of reporters on Friday, Klinsmann said he had told Donovan to focus on finishing his season and then the two would talk over the player’s plans. “I’ll give my two cents and see where he is at.

He says it’s both (mental and physical fatigue). We will sort that out and talk. It’s totally up to him, what he wants to do,” said Klinsmann. “If Landon is not there obviously we want him to be part of it this team will find solutions.” MLS is also wishing that Donovan, once he has recharged his batteries and cleared his thoughts, recommits to a future in the growing North American league. “We certainly hope that he’s here until he’s 37 years old like David Beckham is,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “Landon has played here since he was 17 years old and has become the face of American soccer and I think really will be viewed as one of the key drivers of the success of the sport overall in our country.”— Reuters

ROME: AC Milan recovered from a goal down to win 3-1 at 10-man Catania thanks to a second-half double from Stephan El Shaarawy and a strike by Kevin-Prince Boateng who was sent off near the end of a lively Serie A clash on Friday. The win, which was Milan’s third in a row including the 3-1 defeat of Anderlecht in the Champions League earlier this month, moved them up to seventh place on 21 points, 11 adrift of leaders Juventus who host Torino in the Turin derby on Saturday.

However it was not without controversy as El Shaarawy’s equaliser was scored from an offside position, punishing a Catania side who have already suffered bad decisions in their matches with Inter Milan and Juventus this season. “We’re happy with the three points. We’re just going our own way and looking to move up the table,” said Italy striker El Shaarawy. “We’re only thinking about that, so let’s hope we carry on in the same way.”

Catania, who stay ninth with 19 points from 15 games, took a deserved lead in the 10th minute through ex-Milan defender Nicola Legrottaglie, who thumped a header past Marco Amelia from a Francesco Lodi corner. Massimiliano Allegri’s Milan side huffed and puffed through a scrappy first half but did not create one decent chance. Had his shaky defense faced a more incisive attack, Milan could easily have conceded more goals. One goalmouth scramble just after the half-hour mark saw the jittery Milan defense haphazardly pinging the ball around their own box under little pressure from any Catania players.

CATANIA: AC Milan midfielder Antonio Nocerino (left) challenges for the ball with Catania defender Alexis Rolin, of Uruguay, during the Serie A soccer match between Catania and AC Milan at the Angelo Massimino stadium in Catania, Italy. — AP The first 10 minutes of the sec- and could have been behind a a golden chance to double his tally ond period had more action than minute later when El Shaarawy but he smashed the ball high over the first half, with Catania’s Pablo looked to have been tripped in the the bar with the goal at his mercy.

Barrientos helping Milan’s cause box only to be booked for simula- Allegri’s team could have made it three in an eventful last minute in four minutes after the break when, tion.

Boateng did put Milan in front in which Urby Emanuelson hit the having already been booked, he kicked out at Antonio Nocerino and the 57th though with a spectacular post and Boateng was given a was sent off. Milan took advantage long-range strike that curled past straight red card for ungentlemanly of the extra man with a controver- the stationary Mariano Andujar conduct. It was left to El Shaarawy sial goal from El Shaarawy, who after the midfielder was left free to to curl home a phenomenal goal in tapped home a Robinho flick-on shoot. The result should have been added time with his 12th league from an offside position after 52 beyond doubt with 11 minutes left goal of the season and confirm minutes for his 11th league goal of when a quick break from a Catania Milan as a contender for one of next the season. Catania were rocking corner saw Boateng presented with season’s European places.—Reuters

Beckham helping Galaxy in Kaka bid

Ashkanani signs for entire season KUWAIT: Fresh from his stunning debut in Bahrain, Zaid Ashkanani has confirmed he will race throughout the entire 2012/13 season of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East and battle for individual honors in the driver’s championship. The 18year-old Kuwaiti, who finished fifth and sixth respectively out of a seventeen car line-up in Rounds 1 and 2 at the Bahrain International Circuit, believes driving in all twelve rounds of the series, will help him gain the perfect experience he needs to develop his career.

He said: “I learnt a lot about myself and the championship in Bahrain to know that the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge is the very best racing platform in the Middle East. It is exactly where I feel I need to be driving if I want to improve. It really is the purest form of racing, since all cars are identical.

It’s all down to the driver and my results have filled me with confidence that I can compete.” Ashkanani made an immediate impact from the moment he took to the track for his opening practice session, regularly posting timings within the top six quickest.

The impressive debut continued to the races with the young protÈgÈe placed fifth in the overall drivers’ standings after the opening rounds in Bahrain with a total of 32 points. “For me it wasn’t a hard decision to sign-up for the full season as I loved every second of the Porsche experience and I’ve learnt a lot already. I will do my

best to battle for points, as I want to make Kuwait proud. But this is also about learning and getting better each time I go out onto the track. So I’ll keep listening to the likes of reigning champion Abdulaziz AlFaisal and Walter Lechner,” Zaid added.

With his prodigious abilities and calm personality, it is a remarkable rise for the Kuwaiti who only a few seasons ago was riding k ar ts in his home countr y.

Following his first experience in the 911 GT3 Cup on the Bahrain International Circuit, Ashk anani now heads to the world-famous Yas Marina Circuit to continue his rise in the world of motor-racing.

Walter Lechner, Manager of Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East said: “Zaid is exactly what this championship is all about and an ideal role model for the region.

The series was created to nurture new talent and giving young ambitious drivers from the Middle East the perfect platform to launch their racing careers. This is an important step for Zaid, because he has everything needed to become a champion driver one day if he continues to develop. He just needs experience and the only way he is going to gain that is if he spends time on the track.” The one-make series heads to the Yas Marina Circuit for Rounds 3 & 4 on 6th and 7th December, with Austrian Clemens Schmid looking to make it a hat-trick of wins, following his double successive in the previous two rounds.

LOS ANGELES: David Beckham has been helping LA Galaxy in their bid to sign Brazilian playmaker Kaka from Real Madrid as his replacement, the Major League Soccer club’s owner said on Friday. Kaka recently expressed interest in a future move to MLS and on Friday Tim Leiweke, president of Galaxy’s owners AEG, told SI.com they wanted to sign the 2007 World Player of the Year. “We’re well aware of Kaka’s interest in MLS, and we in turn have made it very clear to him that he’s aware of our interest in him,” said Leiweke.

“We have a great relationship with Real Madrid, and just as we worked through a player with them six years ago (Beckham), I’m absolutely convinced we could find the right deal this time, too,” he added on the Sports Illustrated website. In an earlier interview with the Galaxy’s official podcast Leiweke said they wanted a player to boost the club’s profile in the Hispanic community and said Beckham, who played with Kaka at AC Milan, had taken a leading role in the bid.

“The guy who introduced us to this player is David Beckham. David has done the yeoman’s work on our behalf at introducing us, getting him comfortable, getting his family comfortable, talking about L.A. and the organization,” Leiweke said. Beckham will play his final competitive game with the Galaxy in Saturday’s MLS Cup final against Houston Dynamo. The 30-year-old Kaka has long been linked with an eventual move to MLS and his comments after the friendly in New Jersey earlier this month between Brazil and Colombia, indicating his desire for a move in the future, intensified speculation.

Galaxy’s Ireland striker Robbie Keane said he would be delighted to see the Brazilian take Beckham’s spot. “We want as a team and an organisation to push on and be the best that we can. To attract players like Kaka, he will have big shoes to fill with David going,” said Keane. “We welcome any top players, Kaka was voted one of the best players in the world only a few years ago. We’d welcome anyone with his stature and ability to the Galaxy but ultimately it is down to Tim Leiweke and (coach) Bruce Arena,” he said.

Beckham’s involvement in the attempted deal for his replacement is another fascinating aspect of the former England midfielder’s future plans. The 37-year-old has said he intends to have one more playing challenge after leaving Galaxy but will then return to the US to take an ownership role although he has not indicated where that involvement would be or what form it would take. Beckham has an option to take an ownership share in a future expansion team in MLS but Leiweke suggested his involvement will be with the Galaxy. “David is going to continue to be a part of this organization going forward because there is no-one better to go out and get some of the best players in the world to come here than David,” he said.—Reuters

McDonald’s, BOCA Juniors launch the ‘Yellow League’ KUWAIT: McDonald’s Kuwait and their partners, the BOCA Juniors football academy, held a press conference yesterday at the Holiday Inn to announce the launch of the “Yellow League”. The “Yellow League” is the first activity on the calendar for the Yellow Alliance and consists of an exciting football league for schools which will start on December 7th 2012 and last until February 26th 2013. The “Yellow League” endorsed by the Public Authority of Youth and Sports will be conducted by professionals from the BOCA Juniors Academy and refereed by officials from the Kuwait Football Association.

Boca Juniors is the world’s most decorated football team, which has won 50 titles to-date as well as 18 international titles. Many of the world’s most famous and legendary footballers of all time have played with Boca Juniors: Diego Maradona, M Palermo, Rodrigo Palacio and Riquelme to name a few. During the press conference coaches from all 12 schools were waiting anxiously to find out who they will be competing with first. The format of the league will be of a round robin structure were all schools will play each other one time. Each team can have a roster of 12 seven on the field and five substitutes -with open substitution available. At the end of the round robin, the top four teams qualify into the semi- finals and there will be a final match to determine first and second place as well as a match to determine third place. The “Yellow Alliance” between McDonald’s Kuwait and BOCA Juniors is based on bringing the family together through the love of football, and

part of McDonald’s ongoing commitment of encouraging and promoting an active and balanced lifestyle.

“The alliance between McDonald’s Kuwait and BOCA Juniors seemed like a perfect fit because both brands share a common core value: both us are strong advocates of healthy athletic living. This league will provide a fun venue for families to get together and cheer for the kids while they partake in the beautiful game of football.” commented George Khawam, Marketing Director of McDonald’s Kuwait.

Twelve schools will be pooled together in a competitive and exciting league starting on December 7th 2012 and will span three months, resulting in the league final being played on February 26th. Families and the school communities as a whole will get to enjoy following their sons every Friday from 3 to 6 pm at the Public Authority for Youth & Sports Grounds in Mishref and engage in many elaborate fun events. McDonald’s Kuwait continuously supports local youth sports program and is a sponsor of major sports events and focuses on promoting and encouraging an active and balanced lifestyle.

McDonald’s has been a proud supporter of the Olympic Movement for the past 40 years and is an official partner of the FIFA World Cup since 1994. The League is also receiving support from Seif Hospital as medical partners who will be on the ground at each game; Al Mulla Security Services who will provide security during the season; as well as Tanzifco who will provide cleaning services.

18

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

sp orts

Brazil to face Japan in Confed opener

DUBAI: Samoa’s rugby players celebrate after winning the IRB Sevens World Series rugby union final match against New Zealand in Dubai yesterday. — AFP

Samoa grab Dubai Sevens title DUBAI: Pre-tournament favorites New Zealand lost unexpectedly to Samoa in the final of Dubai Rugby Sevens yesterday. At The Sevens Stadium in Dubai, Gordon Tietjens’ side lost 26-15, just a few hours after their 15-a-side World Cup winning side had slumped to a 38-21 defeat to England at Twickenham. It was the third time Samoa had reached the final in Dubai, but the first time they had taken victory having lost championship matches in 2009 and 2010.

The 2009 loss had come to the All Blacks, who have won the title five times in Dubai.

Samoa found their inspiration in

Paul Perez, whose two early tries-the first one coming as early as the 14th second-gave the champions a 12-0 advantage, with Patrick Faapale completing the second conversion.Tries from Ben Lam and Kiwi captain DJ Forbes made it 19-10 at the break, and Kurt Baker reduced the deficit to just four points, but Forbes spilled a pass for Tulolo Tulolo to score and Faapale converted to give his side a lead that they did not relinquish. New Zealand reached the final defeating Kenya 27-7.

Tim Mikkelson scored twice before the interval for the winners and Scott Curry scored twice in the second half.

Samoa beat France 12-5 in their semifinal. In the quarter-finals, France scored the biggest upset when they beat Fiji, winners of the first leg of IRB Sevens Series in Australia, 8-5. Samoa moved ahead with a 19-7 win over Wales, while Portugal, who created the biggest upset on the opening day qualifying from their pool ahead of defending champions England and South Africa, could not produce the same magic against New Zealand and lost 28-7. Kenya beat Canada in the fourth quarter-final 19-7. The third round of the series takes place in South Africa on December 8 and 9. — AFP

Schalke draw 1-1 with ‘Gladbach BERLIN: Rising Germany star Julian Draxler rescued a 1-1 draw for stuttering Schalke against Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Bundesliga yesterday. The 19-yearold Draxler scored with four minutes remaining to cancel out Igor de Camargo’s 62nd-minute opener for the visitors. Schalke has just five points from its past six games.

Stefan Kiessling scored his ninth goal of the season for Bayer Leverkusen to beat Nuremberg 1-0 and consolidate second place.

Adam Szalai joined Kiessling as one of the league’s top scorers when he scored with a superb header in the last minute for 10-man Mainz to beat Hannover 2-1. Elsewhere, Augsburg and Freiburg drew 1-1 in a bad-tempered game, and Stuttgart held on with 10 men for a 1-0 win at Greuther Fuerth.

League leader Bayern Munich hosted defending champion Borussia Dortmund yesterday. In an effort to halt Schalke’s alarming loss of form, Huub Stevens switched goalkeepers before the game, bringing in Timo Hildebrand for “more experience” in place of the 22-yearold Lars Unnerstall. However, the former Germany ‘keeper should have done better to stop de Camargo scoring with Moenchengladbach’s first real chance when he got his hand to the ball. Marc-Andre ter Stegen then produced a fingertip save to deny Draxler an immediate response, before Jermaine Jones missed two good chances to pull one back.

Stevens brought off the ineffective Klaas-Jan Huntelaar with 20 minutes remaining, and it was substitute Teemu Pukki who crossed for Draxler to preserve Schalke’s 17-game unbeaten record at home against Moenchengladbach. Dieter Hecking was making his 100th appearance as Nuremberg coach in the Bundesliga, but was unable to celebrate as Leverkusen won its fourth game in succession. Kiessling scored in the 37th, though TV replays suggested the former Nuremberg striker was offside when he received Andre Schuerrle’s pass. In Mainz, Nicolai Mueller opened the scoring in the 10th, before Christian Schulz equalized for Hannover in the 28th.

It looked good for the visitors when Christian Wetklo was sent off four minutes into the second half, but Szalai sealed an unlikely win for the home side. In Augsburg, Tobias

Werner scored in the ninth minute for the home side, but Freiburg equalized in the 29th when the rebound fell kindly for Jonathan Schmid to score after goalkeeper Mohamed Amsif had saved Jan Rosenthal’s effort. Stuttgart forward Shinji Okazaki scored before the break with a header from the rebound after Vedad Ibisevic had shot his penalty straight at goalkeeper Wolfgang Hesl, who was making his Bundesliga debut.

Fuerth hit the post afterward, and Stuttgart defender Serdar Tasci was sent off in the 53rd for a dan-

gerous tackle on Milorad Pekovic, who had to go off.

Fuerth hit the crossbar twice and was denied by the outstanding Sven Ulreich, as the visitors climbed to seventh. Fans across all stadiums marked their dissatisfaction with the league’s security proposals by curtailing their singing for the first 12 minutes, 12 seconds. Clubs are due to vote on the German Football League’s proposals on Dec 12. The fans want to be consulted more about a range of measures designed to reduce violence in football. — AFP

GELSENKIRCHEN: Schalke’s US midfielder Jermaine Jones (left), Moenchengladbach’s midfielder Thorben Marx and Moenchengladbach’s Belgian forward Igor de Camargo (right) vie for the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match yesterday. — AFP

SAO PAULO: Hosts Brazil will face Japan in the opening match of the Confederations Cup on June 15 next year in Brasilia following yesterday’s draw in Sao Paulo. After their curtain-raiser against the Asian champions Brazil will face CONCACAF champions Mexico and then fourtimes world champions Italy, Euro 2012 runners-up, in their pool matches. World champions Spain are in Group B along with double world champions Uruguay, Oceania champions Tahiti and whoever wins the Jan 19-Feb 10 Africa Cup of Nations. The intercontinental showpiece, a dry run for the 2014 World Cup which Brazil will also host for the first time since 1950, runs to June 30, when Rio de Janeiro will host the final at the Maracana stadium.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter lauded Brazil for the giant country’s efforts on readying its infrastructure for both events with six venues staging the Confederations Cup and 12 the World Cup. Although FIFA has at times been critical of the country’s efforts, in recent months the game’s world body has been more conciliatory and Blatter, noting the country last staged a World Cup in 1950, struck a positive tone.

“A lot has changed in this country since 1950,” said Blatter, noting that “it is a question of trust and confidence” to hand organization of a major event to a country.

“Now, Brazil has developed - not only in their culture but also in their economy. We are very happy to be in a country which is the sixth economy in the world.” And he assured listening Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff that “FIFA is behind you.”

Rousseff responded by saying Brazil would seek to win on the pitch and off. “Winning is a mission in itself but we also must win beyond the stadiums by putting the organization in place. The venues will be ready,” she insisted. “We are certain that we have prepared things properly in order to hold an outstanding

sports event and in June 2013 we will show we are in a position to hold the upcoming World Cup. “We will make the World Cup the most organized and most joyful,” added Rousseff. The eight-nation Confederations Cup brings together four former world champions in reigning top-ranked side Spain, fivetimes winners the Brazilians themselves, four-times champions Italy and Uruguay, inaugural world champions in 1930 and then 1950, when they beat their hosts in Rio. Whereas the hosts, under re -

SAO PAULO: The result of the draw for next June’s eight-nation Confederations Cup which is a dress rehearsal for the 2014 World Cup football is seen in Sao Paulo yesterday. — AFP appointed Luiz Felipe Scolari, their 2002 World Cup winning coach, see the event as a dress rehearsal for 2014, Blatter said ahead of the draw the meeting of continental champions is an important date in its own right. “This is really a rendezvous of world champions. High quality is here-we have 12 World Cup stars,” said Blatter, in reference to the roll of honour in terms of word titles.

Asian champions Japan, CONCACAF champions Mexico, and Oceania surprise package Tahiti are also invited to the party for which

FIFA left red-faced after Confed draw SAO PAULO: Hosts Brazil will face Japan in the opening match of next year’s Confederations Cup in Brasilia on June 15 although FIFA were left red-faced following a chaotic draw yesterday. The draw should have been simple as hosts Brazil and world champions Spain were automatically placed at the head of the two Groups, A and B, with the six other contestants placed in the remaining slots. The only proviso was that Italy were kept apart from Spain, to separate the two European countries, and Uruguay kept apart from Brazil, to separate the two South American ones.

Italy were to be in Group A with Brazil, while Uruguay were going to be placed in Group B with Spain.

However when Uruguay’s name was drawn, Alex Atala, Brazil’s top chef who was helping FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke make the draw, put his hand in the Group A bowl and drew out position A3. Valcke placed Uruguay in B3, but Tahiti were later paired in the same position. “That doesn’t go at all, Tahiti must be in B3,” said Valcke when he realized the mistake. Tahiti were then placed in position B3 and Uruguay moved to place B2, meaning they would face Spain in their opening match.

“It was a bit of a chaotic draw, sorry for that,” Valcke told a packed auditorium which included Brazil president Dilma Rousseff and FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

“It’s sad these things happen in life, this is my first time,” he said afterwards. The completed draw placed Brazil, who have won the last two tournaments, with Japan, CONCACAF champions Mexico and Italy, runners-up to Spain in this year’s European Championship. Spain, the world and European champions, will open their campaign against South American champions Uruguay in Recife on June 16. Oceania champions Tahiti and the African champions, who will be decided on Feb 10, complete the quartet. The final takes place in Rio de Janeiro on June 30.

Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Fortaleza, Recife, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador will host matches in the eightteam tournament, which is seen as a major organizational test ahead of the 2014 World Cup. Stadiums in Fortaleza and Belo Horizonte are scheduled to be ready this month, while the other four are expected to be ready in March. The six stadiums together cost $2 billion, making it the most expensive Confederations Cup since the tournament took its current shape in 1997.

Brazil won the right to host the World Cup in 2007 but delayed a whole year before deciding which 12 cities would be chosen to hold matches. Most of the stadiums are on schedule although many are also over budget and the government’s own Court of Audits says at least four of the 12 will be white elephants after the tournament. A more worrying issue is transport infrastructure. — Reuters

Lyon down Montpellier to consolidate top spot PARIS: Lyon underlined their title credentials as they beat defending champions Montpellier 1-0 yesterday to provisionally move five points clear at the top of Ligue 1, with Bafetimbi Gomis notching his 10th goal of the campaign. Fresh off his first Ligue 1 hat-trick in Wednesday ’s 4-1 rout of title -rivals Marseille, Gomis scored the game’s only goal on 26 minutes to hand Remi Garde’s side a seventh home win of the season.

“It was a difficult victory because we dominated the first half but less so in the second because Montpellier improved as a unit, were more aggressive and it was harder for us to control the match,” said Garde. Victory for Lyon lifted them onto 31 points, five ahead of the chasing trio of Saint-Etienne, Paris-Saint Germain and Marseille, while Montpellier remained in 12th on 17 points. “We are leaders but once again the championship doesn’t

end today,” Garde added. PSG can reduce the deficit when they travel to Nice, while Marseille will have the chance to do likewise today at Brest.

France international Gomis put Lyon in front after he latched on to Clement Grenier’s through ball and struck a crisp effort that beat Jonathan Ligali, deputizing for the injured Geoffrey Jourdren, all too easily. Ligali did markedly better to push away a subsequent Grenier free-

132,000 tickets have already been sold, FIFA indicated Friday. The winners of January ’s Africa Cup of Nations will likewise compete.

“There is great passion for football in Brazil, the mecca of football,” added Blatter, who is confident that all will be in place in six months time when the action starts in Brasilia before further encounters in Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Recife, final host Rio de Janeiro and Salvador.

Defending Confederations Cup champions Brazil will be out to

kick minutes later, while Lyon keeper Remy Vercoutre was on hand to make two second-half saves from Chilean midfielder Marco Estrada.

Souleymane Camara came close to an equalizer with just under 20 minutes remaining as he drifted in from the right, firing a low left-footed strike narrowly wide of the far post, while Gomis was prevented from adding to his tally late on by Ligali. — AFP

prove they can rise above recent poor showings which have left them outside FIFA’s rankings top ten. That slump precipitated the sacking of Mano Menezes as coach and Scolari’s return rescue mission, but Spain coach Vicente del Bosque says the auriverde are “the team to beat”. FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, who earlier this year infuriated Brazil by saying it needed a “kick up the backside,” was effusive yesterday as he looked forward to June. “Brazil will receive the cream of the cream,” he enthused. — AFP

News

in brief

Duesseldorf hammers 10-man Frankfurt 4-0 FRANKFURT: Stefan Reisinger scored his third goal in three games as Fortuna Duesseldorf beat 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 in a showdown between two promoted Bundesliga clubs on Friday. Eintracht forward Karim Matmour was sent off in the 34th minute after a second yellow card, given for a professional foul. His team’s downfall began four minutes later when Reisinger struck after a solo run through Frankfurt’s makeshift, injury-hit defense.

Matmour was back after serving a one-match suspension for another red card. Oliver Fink doubled the lead in the 42nd with a fine shot from the edge of the area. Nando Rafael made it 3-0 in the 58th after a poor clearance by Eintracht’s defense left him free at the far post. Axel Bellinghausen completed the win in the 85th.

Osasuna beat Rayo to escape drop zone PAMPLONA: Osasuna beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 thanks to an early goal from striker Kike Sola on Friday, provisionally lifting the Pamplona-based team out of the Spanish league’s relegation zone.

Sola ran onto Alvaro Cejudo’s pass down the right flank and beat goalkeeper David Cobeno with a chip shot from a tight angle in the fifth minute at Reyno de Navarra stadium. Rayo’s best chance of equalizing came four minutes later, but Osasuna goalkeeper Andres Fernandez rushed out to block an effort by Francisco “Piti” Medina. Osasuna remained unbeaten in its last four games, while Rayo stayed in the middle of the standings.

Yesterday, leader Barcelona hosted Athletic Bilbao before Atletico Madrid visits Real Madrid looking for its first win in the Spanish capital derby in 13 years.

Brazil ex-skipper Cafu blasts Scolari’s return SAO PAULO: Legendary former Brazil skipper Cafu yesterday slammed the decision to re-appoint Luiz Felipe Scolari, with whom he lifted the 2002 World Cup, as coach in place of the sacked Mano Menezes.

“It’s obvious this wasn’t the time to get rid of Mano,” Cafu told reporters ahead of the Confederations Cup draw in Sao Paulo. He had been constructing a group for two-and-a-half years, working with the team, (constructing) a base, trying out players. “I can’t agree with a decision to get rid of a coach just as the team was creating an identity,” said the 42year-old former Roma and Milan star, who won a national record 142 caps for the Selecao, also winning the 1994 World Cup, two Copa Americas and a Confederations Cup. Cafu lifted the 1994 World Cup under Carlos Alberto Parreira, who will now act as Scolari’s technical assistant, but said while he respects both men he feels Menezes has been badly treated. “Felipao and Parreira are great professionals - but I cannot agree with the decision to push Menezes through the exit.” But Cafu and Scolari, who made him his 2002 skipper only after Emerson was injured before the tournament, do agree on one thing. Scolari said on his appointment that “Brazil have an obligation to win the World Cup” on home soil - they lost the 1950 final when the tournament was previously played here - and Cafu agrees.

19

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

sports

Wenger jeered off as Swansea sink Arsenal Arsenal 0

Swansea 2 LONDON: Swansea piled on the misery for Arsenal as Michu scored twice in the closing minutes to clinch a shock 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium yesterday. Spanish forward Michu, a £2 million signing from Rayo Vallecano this past July, underlined his growing reputation as the bargain buy of the season with a pair of clinical finishes on the counter attack, prompting Arsenal’s fans to unleash a torrent of abuse at manager Arsene Wenger and his players at full-time.

Arsenal have now won just one of their last six Premier League matches and this defeat dropped the Gunners to 10th place in the table.

The north London club are now five points off the top four and to add insult to injury in-form Swansea climbed above them into seventh spot. There was an early scare for Arsenal when they struggled to deal

with Jonathan de Guzman’s free-kick into the box and the ball fell to Swansea captain Ashley Williams in front of goal but a defender was in the way of the shot that followed. Arsenal replied with a wayward effort from Carl Jenkinson but were soon back under pressure and needed goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to make a double save to deny Angel Rangel.

The full-back arrived at the back post to cap a superb passing movement that had seen almost every outfield player involved and Arsenal chasing shadows. Arsenal moved Lukas Podolski from the left flank to the central striking position and the Germany forward saw a shot blocked by a defender before Santi Cazorla headed straight at goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel from Jenkinson’s cross. Seconds later Swansea came even closer to taking the lead after Michu’s header sent Nathan Dyer sprinting for goal, only for Thomas Vermaelen to slide in and block just as the winger unleashed his shot.

The half ended with Gervinho putting a free header so wide that Theo Walcott had to retrieve it from near the corner flag, and the home fans booed Arsenal off as soon as the whis-

tle went. The second half saw Jack Wilshere set Cazorla up for a low drive that Tremmel was able to block and referee Mark Clattenburg was not interested in awarding a penalty when Chico Flores body-checked Gervinho. Swansea soaked up the pressure and replied with a shot from Itay Shechter that was deflected behind, before Rangel hit the sidenetting after Cazorla had appeared guilty of a dive in the box at the other end.

Wenger made a double change in the 67th minute, with Olivier Giroud and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replacing Gervinho and Lukas Podolski.

Giroud went down straight away as Flores challenged but referee Clattenberg ruled the defender had got the ball. Arsenal were applying strong pressure but Tremmel was behind Cazorla’s volley. Yet Swansea had not given up hope of snatching a winner and again Arsenal had Szczesny to thank for a smart save to deny Dwight Tiendalli after the substitute had moved into a shooting position on the right of the box.

Tremmel kept out Vermaelen’s header at the other end and Swansea took full advantage of that escape as

LONDON: Swansea City’s Spanish midfielder Miguel Michu (right) scores past Arsenal’s Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny (left) during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Swansea City yesterday. — AFP Michu netted with just two minutes remaining. The Spaniard played a one-two with substitute Luke Moore which was deflected back into his path and he slotted calmly past Szczesny. Swansea sealed the win in stoppage-time when Dyer caught

Jenkinson in possession to send Michu away and again he made no mistake with only Szczesny to beat.

The final whistle was greeted by loud jeers from the home support as the away supporters celebrated a famous and fully deserved victory.—AFP

Liverpool down Southampton Liverpool 1

Southampton 0

LONDON: Fulham’s Croatian forward Mladen Petric jumps for the ball during the English Premier League football match between Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur at Craven Cottage yesterday. — AFP

Defoe double fires Spurs into fourth Fulham 0

Tottenham 3 LONDON: Jermain Defoe bagged a brace as Tottenham cruised to a 3-0 win against Fulham that lifted the north London club into fourth place in the Premier League yesterday. Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas this week claimed Defoe is as good as Colombia star Radamel Falcao, the Atletico Madrid striker regarded as one of the world’s best forwards, and the England international repaid that compliment with a clinical display at Craven Cottage. Defoe, 30, took his goal tally for the season to 12 with a pair of cool finishes in the second half after Brazilian midfielder Sandro broke the deadlock soon after the break.

Tottenham’s third successive win means Villas-Boas’ team are level with thirdplaced Chelsea, but injuries to Gareth Bale and Michael Dawson may have taken some of the gloss off the win for the former Chelsea coach.

Steve Sidwell threatened for Fulham in the early stages, but French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris charged off his lane to collect before the midfielder had a chance to shoot. Ashkan Dejagah set up Kerim Frei as the hosts pressed again, but the opportunity was squandered by a poor finish. Villas-Boas was forced into an early change when Dawson was injured while clearing a cross, then, not for the first time this season, Wales winger Bale was booked for diving. Mladen Petric muscled Sandro off the ball and found Sidwell as Fulham pushed for an opener just after the break, but he dragged his shot wide.

After a slow start Spurs took the lead in the 55th minute when Sandro collected Mousa Dembele’s pass and carried the ball forward before unleashing a powerful 30-yard drive that beat Mark Schwarzer via a post. Bale surged onto Defoe’s pass moments later, but Australian goalkeeper Schwarzer saved well. That proved to be Bale’s last contribution as he hobbled off with a ham-

string problem. Fortunately for Spurs, Defoe was able to ensure Bale wasn’t missed. In the 72nd minute he took Gylfi Sigurdsson’s pass in stride and he made no mistake with a close range finish. Five minutes later, former Fulham midfielder Clint Dempsey’s defense-splitting pass allowed Defoe to race through and fire beyond Schwarzer to complete the win.—AFP

LIVERPOOL: Daniel Agger’s first goal of the season earned stuttering Liverpool a 1-0 win at home to promoted Southampton yesterday, giving the Reds just their second Premier League victory in seven matches. Agger struck three minutes before half-time to clinch only a fourth win of the campaign for Brendan Rodgers’ men, as the Reds bounced back from Wednesday’s 2-1 reverse at Tottenham. Liverpool, whose eight-match unbeaten run in the league was snapped following that midweek defeat, climbed one spot to 11th in the table, while Southampton remained mired in the relegation zone after their first loss in five outings.

Lucas Leiva’s return to the Liverpool midfield was a welcome sight following the Brazilian’s three-month lay-off with a thigh injury, and the home side went close to taking the lead inside 10 minutes as Glen Johnson’s close-range effort travelled just wide. Saints defender Luke Shaw made a crucial interview to deny Steven Gerrard, while Luis Suarez stung the palms of Southampton goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool’s Danish defender Daniel Agger (right) clears from Southampton’s Uruguayan midfielder Gaston Ramirez during the English Premier League football match yesterday. — AFP Liverpool continued to mount floating in a cross that was head- the hosts’ advantage midway the pressure on the visitors as ed brilliantly into the top corner through the second period, Jonjo Shelvey saw his blistering by Agger. Rickie Lambert forced shooting just past the far post drive rattle the woodwork before Pepe Reina into a sprawling with after clever link-up play with the home side finally took a a speculative effort from all of 40 Suarez. The tireless Uruguayan deserved lead on 42 minutes. yards moments later in what rep- also missed a late chance to add After Suarez’s 25-yard free- resented a rare opportunity for to his league-leading tally of 10 kick crashed against the crossbar, Southampton. Jose Enrique then goals, steering wide with just Johnson controlled the rebound, squandered a chance to double Gazzaniga to beat.—AFP

Matches on TV (Local Timings) ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Norwich v Sunderland Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5

19:00

GERMAN LEAGUE Hoffenheim v Bremen Dubai Sport DH Dubai Sport1 Wolfsburg v Hamburger Dubai Sport DH

19:30

SPANISH LEAGUE

ITALIAN LEAGUE 14:30 17:00 17:00 17:00 17:00 17:00 22:45

FRENCH LEAGUE Brest v Marseille Aljazeera Sports +4 ES Troyes v Stade Rennais Aljazeera Sports +4 Lorient v Toulouse Aljazeera Sports +4

QPR 1

17:30

Granada v Espanyol 14:00 Aljazeera Sports +2 Deportivo v Real Betis 19:00 Aljazeera Sports +7 Celta de Vigo v Levante 21:00 Aljazeera Sports +2 Real Mallorca v Real Zaragoza 23:00 Aljazeera Sports +7 Napoli v Pescara Aljazeera Sports +1 Udinese v Cagliari Aljazeera Sports +10 Siena v AS Roma Aljazeera Sports +2 SS Lazio v Parma Aljazeera Sports +7 Internazionale v Palermo Aljazeera Sports +1 Genoa v Chievo Verona Aljazeera Sports +8 Florentina v Sampdoria Aljazeera Sports +1

Villa crash Redknapp’s QPR house-warming

16:00 19:00 23:00

Aston Villa 1 LONDON: Harry Redknapp’s home debut as Queens Park Rangers manager ended in frustration after heroics from visiting goalkeeper Brad Guzan saw Aston Villa claim a 1-1 draw at Loftus Road yesterday. Villa went ahead through Australian midfielder Brett Holman and although Jamie Mackie levelled for QPR, who had Stephane Mbia stretchered off, Guzan kept the home side’s attackers at bay in the second period. QPR are still seeking a first win of the campaign and remain bottom of the Premier League table, seven points from safety, while Villa move up one place to 16th. It took Villa just eight minutes to put a dampener on Redknapp’s Loftus Road bow, as Holman found the net with a left-foot shot from 20 yards that beat a rather flimsy attempt at a save from QPR goalkeeper Rob Green.

Mbia headed wide from an Adel Taarabt corner before the hosts drew level in the 18th minute, Mackie flicking an excellent header inside the left-hand post from Samba Diakite’s

deep right-wing cross. Christian Benteke thought he had restored Villa’s lead two minutes later but the burly Belgian’s header from Matt Lowton’s centre was ruled out for offside. Shaun Wright-Phillips then came close to putting the hosts ahead twice in the space of four minutes. In the 29th minute he could only shoot straight at Guzan after being sent clean through by Esteban Granero, and he then struck the base of the right-hand post with a lusty half-volley from an angle on the right.

It was at that juncture that Mbia sustained a troubling injury that saw seven minutes of injury time added at the end of the first half. The Cameroon international collapsed to the turf following a collision with Gabriel Agbonlahor and after receiving lengthy treatment from medical staff, he was stretchered off and taken to hospital for precautionary scans.

QPR redoubled their efforts after the interval, with Guzan thwarting WrightPhillips, producing a one-handed save to push away a hooked effort from Ryan Nelsen, and then denying substitute Park Ji-sung. The American saved his best for the 80th minute, springing high to his left to acrobatically claw a header from Taarabt onto the crossbar, to the disbelief of the watching Redknapp.—AFP

Whitehead denies West Brom 3rd spot LONDON: A late goal from substitute Dean Whitehead gave Stoke City their first West Brom 0 away win of the season at West Bromwich Albion yesterday to deny the hosts Stoke 1 third place in the Premier League. Whitehead picked up a cross from fellow substitute Michael Kightly, as Stoke became just the second team to win at The Hawthorns this season after champions Manchester City. Tony Pulis’ side have taken 13 points from the last five games, while for the fifth-placed West Brom it was a second setback in a few days after Wednesday night’s 3-1 loss at Swansea. A draw would have been enough for West Brom to go third after Rafael Benitez’s Chelsea were beaten 3-1 by West Ham United earlier. Hammers manager Steve Clarke made six changes to his side after their midweek loss, giving a debut to Sweden striker Markus Rosenberg, but the strategy backfired as the side failed to gel.

Kenwyne Jones, in as Peter Crouch recovers from dental surgery, made his first Premier League start of the season and came close early but his header went just wide. West Brom’s Steven Reid had another chance after 34 minutes but his long range effort was tipped over by Stoke’s Bosnian goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. Stoke finally broke the deadlock after 75 minutes following an error from Sweden’s Jonas Olsson. The defender tried to keep the ball in play when challenging Jones but succeeded in finding Kightly, who raced into the Albion area with his low cross turning in by Whitehead. Begovic kept out a late Graham Dorran effort as Stoke held on for the three points, to keep their record of having not lost at West Brom for the past nine years.— AFP

Steyn and Amla put South Africa in charge

Former cricketer Flintoff wins his first boxing bout

16

15

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

Wenger jeered off as Swansea sink Arsenal

Page 19

READING: Manchester United’s Robin Van Persie celebrates his goal against Reading during their English Premier League soccer match at the Madejski Stadium in Reading, England yesterday. — AP

Utd trounce Reading in seven-goal thriller United 4

Reading 3

LONDON: Manchester United opened up a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League yesterday with a remarkable 4-3 victory at struggling Reading where all the goals came before halftime. Reading led 1-0 through Hal Robson-Kanu and went 3-2 ahead with Sean

Morrison’s header but goals from Anderson, a Wayne Rooney double and Robin van Persie saw United go in front with only 34 minutes on the clock at the Madejski Stadium. The torrent of goals dried up after the break as United held on for the win that lifted them above champions

Manchester City who had briefly gone top with a 1-1 draw at home to Everton. In what looks like a two-horse title race United have 36 points from 15 games with City on 33. The chasing pack of Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Bromwich Albion each have 26.— Reuters

West Ham prolongs Chelsea woe West Ham 3

Chelsea 1 LONDON: Rafael Benitez’s difficult start as interim Chelsea manager took a significant turn for the worse when his side were beaten 3-1 by West Ham United at Upton Park yesterday. An impressive recovery saw the Hammers overturn Juan Mata’s first-half opener with goals from Carlton Cole, Mohamed Diame and Modibo Maiga. It left Chelsea without a win in seven Premier League games-their worst run since February 1995. Benitez has been in charge of three of those games, but after successive scoreless draws, the manager was entitled to feel confident he would oversee his first victory when Mata’s goal capped a dominant first-half display.

But West Ham were transformed after manager Sam Allardyce introduced Diame and Matt Taylor at half time and ultimately deserved victory for a vastly improved performance in the second period. Benitez made four changes to the side that started the 0-0 draw against Fulham, underlining the manager’s pre-match assertion that the demands of the season are already beginning to tell on Chelsea’s senior players. Mata, surprisingly held back on the bench in mid-week, returned in place of Ryan Bertrand, while Victor Moses and John Obi Mikel came in for Oscar and Oriol Romeu, and Gary Cahill stepped in for suspended centreback David Luiz.

Allardyce was forced into changes of his own, after striker Andy Carroll was ruled out for two months with a knee injury picked up in the narrow mid-week defeat at Manchester United.

After the frustrations of Benitez’s first few days in charge at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea desper-

LONDON: English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Man Utd Man City Chelsea Tottenham West Brom Everton Swansea West Ham Stoke Arsenal

15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15

12 9 7 8 8 5 6 6 5 5

0 6 5 2 2 8 5 4 7 6

3 0 3 5 5 2 4 5 3 4

37 28 25 28 24 25 23 19 14 24

21 11 16 23 19 19 17 17 12 16

36 33 26 26 26 23 23 22 22 21

Liverpool 15 Fulham 15 Norwich 14 Newcastle 14 Wigan 14 Aston Villa 15 Sunderland 13 Sampton 15 Reading 14 QPR 15

4 4 3 3 4 3 2 3 1 0

7 5 7 5 2 5 7 3 6 6

4 6 4 6 8 7 4 9 7 9

19 25 11 14 15 12 12 21 19 11

18 26 20 21 25 23 16 32 27 27

19 17 16 14 14 14 13 12 9 6

Everton hold back City

More misery for Benitez ately wanted to make a positive start. And after surviving an early lapse when Winston Reid was allowed a free header in the Blues penalty area, they opened up the West Ham defense with ease to allow Mata to score the confidence-lifting opening goal.

The move was as simple as it was incisive, stemming from a throw-in on the half-way line.

Moses released Torres on the right-hand side of the West Ham area and the striker’s cut-back found Mata, who finished side-footed from 12 yards. The effect on Chelsea was tangible and Benitez’s side began to press forward with a fluency that was noticeably absent during their previous two games. Ramires found space on the left to set up Moses, who shot wide, before a sweeping four-man break ended with Torres firing wastefully over.

Chelsea’s failings meant West Ham remained in the game but Allardyce’s side appeared to be affected by the demands of a testing week that had seen them lose at Tottenham Hotspur and Old Trafford. They had Jussi Jaaskelainen to thank for restricting Chelsea to a single-goal lead at half-time after the goalkeeper produced an excellent save to repel Mata’s close-range shot. Allardyce made two changes at half-time, introducing Diame and Taylor for James Tomkins and Gary O’Neil. And the changes had an immediate effect, with the Hammers transformed from the side that had struggled in the first half.

Immediately, Chelsea were pressed onto the back foot and forced to defend with increasing desperation. But their back-line was broken when Cole out-jumped Branislav Ivanovic to head the home side level in the 63rd minute.

Chelsea responded positively, Mata hitting the post with a curling free-kick. But the momentum was with West Ham and Allardyce’s side went ahead in the 86th minute when Diame latched onto Cole’s lay-off to drill the ball home.

And substitute Maiga sealed the points when he found the roof of the net after Taylor’s shot had been parried by Cech.— AFP

English Premier League standings

LONDON: Chelsea’s Gary Cahill (left) and West Ham United’s Carlton Cole battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match at Upton Park yesterday. —AFP

MANCHESTER: Marouane Fellaini played a decisive role at both ends of the pitch as Everton held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium yesterday. Fellaini, Everton’s outstanding player of the season, put Everton ahead with his eighth goal of the campaign on a ground at which his side had won on four of their previous five visits. However, it was also Fellaini’s tug on Edin Dzeko’s shirt at a corner that led referee Lee Probert to award the penalty from which Carlos Tevez equalised.

The point took City top of the table ahead of Manchester United’s late game at Reading.

City manager Roberto Mancini sprung a surprise by picking Joleon Lescott, the former Everton defender, who has been kept out of the side recently by teenage summer recruit Matija Nastasic. His Everton counterpart, David Moyes, admitted on Friday that he would not be averse to taking England centre-back Lescott back on loan when the transfer window opens next month.

Lescott, who was instrumental in City’s title campaign-playing in 31 of the 38 games-had not figured since playing in the 3-1 Champions League defeat against Ajax in Amsterdam on October 24. City suffered an early setback when Aleksandar Kolarov, preferred to midweek choice Pablo Zabaleta at left-back, limped off after six minutes to be replaced by Zabaleta. Tim Howard and Dzeko both needed treatment after Maicon drifted in a teasing cross that called on the Everton goalkeeper to save at full stretch. But Howard’s next call of duty did not go so well as the United States goalkeeper chose to punch clear a swirling free-kick from David Silva.

The ball was half-cleared and when Silva swung in a cross from the right, Sylvan Distin did just enough to disrupt Tevez, whose header sailed wide.

Maicon had his hands full with the partnership of Everton duo Steven Pienaar and Leighton Baines down his flank, the pair working well without reward. However, the Brazilian defender still found time to launch a swift City attack in tandem with Tevez that saw Samir

Man City 1

Everton 1 Nasri’s shot blocked by Phil Jagielka. Fellaini had made a quiet start to the game, but that changed suddenly after 33 minutes when Everton took the lead following a superb cross from Baines. Vincent Kompany’s attempted clearing header merely skimmed the ball on to Fellaini at the far post.

His header was brilliantly saved by Joe Hart, but the England goalkeeper could only push the ball into the air and the Belgian took full advantage to knee it over the line. Howard was forced to react well to a shot from Tevez as City attempted to extricate themselves from a position all too familiar in this fixture over recent seasons. But they were given a helping hand

by Fellaini himself, whose tug on Dzeko’s shirt at a 43rd-minute corner was deemed worthy of a penalty by Probert. Other officials might have overlooked an offence that has become commonplace, but Everton’s protests fell on deaf ears and Tevez sent Howard the wrong way from the spot.

Lescott, keen to do well against his former club, was unfortunate to pick up the game’s first booking for a stretch that won the ball but sent Pienaar tumbling head over heels. Fellaini almost restored Everton’s advantage in time added onto the end of the first half, a deft back header from Baines’ cross forcing Hart to plunge to another fine save. With the second half becoming something of a stalemate, Maicon surged forward to power in a fierce shot that Howard was happy to parry, while Jagielka made a vital tackle inside the penalty area to halt Silva’s progress. And in the dying minutes, as the full-time whistle loomed, Hart was almost bamboozled by a Nikica Jelavic free-kick that dipped and moved.— AFP

Business

GIC wins ‘Innovative in-house Team of the Year’ Award Page 22 China’s manufacturing grows for 2nd month Page 23

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

Gulf Bank wins ‘Bank of the Year’ Award from The Banker

Page 24

Obama cranks up ‘fiscal cliff’ pressure, seeks support Page 25

MADRID: Demonstrators take part in a protest organized by the Association of Users of Banks and Insurance of Spain (ADICAE), in Madrid yesterday to demand that the bailed-out lenders give their money back to customers. — AFP

Return our money, Spaniards yell at banks Thousands of savers take to Madrid streets

MADRID: Furious Spaniards who say banks cheated them of their savings took to the streets yesterday demanding that the bailed-out lenders give them their money back.

“Thieves! Where is our money?” bellowed a crowd of some 1,000 protestors, many of them elderly, outside the central bank in Madrid before marching on the offices of Bankia, the ruined finance giant. The protestors say Bankia told them it was putting their money in secure savings products but actually sold them “preferential shares” as it scrambled to raise

funds after the financial crisis started in 2008. Now that Bankia and other lenders have collapsed and had to be rescued with funds from Spain’s European partners, customers stand to lose a big chunk of their savings. The banking consumers’ group ADICAE, which has brought legal action against Bankia, planned similar demonstrations in more than 20 towns yesterday. Its president Manuel Pardos said in a statement the customers were “victims of a massive fraud” and were now being subjected to “illegal imposed losses”.

The European Union on Wednesday gave a green light for the payment of the first slice of the rescue aid, some 37 billion euros ($48 billion), for Bankia and three other Spanish banks.

To meet the conditions demanded by Brussels, Bankia said holders of the so-called “preferentials” would be repaid in shares worth only 61 percent of the value of the money they put in the bank.

“They want to take away 40 percent from us,” said one protestor, Paloma, 59, who put 25,000 euros into preferential

Canada seeks access to new oil markets

PM: French firms must fight China for stake in Africa ABIDJAN: French companies must go on the offensive and fight the growing influence of rival China for a stake in Africa’s increasingly competitive markets, France’s Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said yesterday.

France, which once ruled over much of West Africa as colonial master, continued to exert direct and indirect influence over its ex-colonies for decades through a murky system of patronage known as “Francafrique”. However, that regional reach is now being challenged by a new Chinese investment blitz.

“It’s evident that China is more and more present in Africa...(French) companies that have the means must go on the offensive. They must be more present on the ground. They have to fight,” Moscovici told journalists during a trip to Ivory Coast. France’s Socialist President Francois Hollande has promised to break with his conservative predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy’s businessfocused policy towards Africa and root out the last vestiges of Francafrique.

However that does not mean France will back away from competition with China for economic influence in Africa, Moscovici said. “Africa is booming. SubSaharan Africa will have the second highest regional growth after Asia in 2012 with a rate of 5.5 percent,” he said.

“The new phenomenon is that African growth has the potential to stimulate growth in France. We want to be present there.”

French firms including infrastructure group Bouygues and energy company Areva are on the front lines in the race for markets in former colonial nations from Ivory Coast to Cameroon.

But working in sub-Saharan Africa

carries risks that some firms are loath to take, as demonstrated by the kidnapping of seven Areva employees in Niger in 2010. At the same time China’s trade with Africa reached $166.3 billion in 2011, according to Chinese statistics, and African exports to China - primarily resources to fuel Chinese industries rose to $93.2 billion from $5.6 billion over the past decade.

China in July offered African countries $20 billion in loans over the next three years, double the amount pledged in the previous three-year period. Moscovici said the creation of a new Public Investment Bank would boost the competitiveness of French companies on the world stage. The fund of around 40 billion euros ($52.02 billion) is intended to ease lending to small and medium-sized businesses and inject capital directly into selected companies. The law creating it passed the lower chamber of France’s parliament last week and will go to the Senate later this month.

“It will be the bank for the SMEs. It will be the bank of...the regions. It will also be the bank for exports,” Moscovici said. “And it’s on this basis that our businesses will head out with more confidence to conquer new markets and be more present in our traditional markets,” he said.

Moscovici was due to sign a debt conversion contract with the Ivorian government yesterday that will see 630 million euros of the west African nation’s debt to France transformed into poverty reduction projects. Initial projects will target areas, including infrastructure construction and rural development, aimed at stimulating Ivory Coast’s economic growth. — Reuters

shares, being told she would get the money back after five years. “I spent 25 years saving a little each day and now when I need it they won’t give it to me,” said Paloma, who asked not to be identified by her surname. Spanish banks were brought low by the collapse of a construction boom in 2008 that threw millions into unemployment and poverty. Spain is deep in recession, with one in four workers unemployed.

“They should give back all the money because now in the crisis we don’t have any,” Paloma said. —AFP

JAMMU: Workers reach for a board being carried by a crane at the site of a bridge under construction in the Jammu-Srinagar highway, on the outskirts of Jammu. India’s economic growth slid to 5.3 percent in the September quarter, stuck at its lowest levels in three years as New Delhi struggles to enact reforms to kick start Asia’s third-largest economy. — AP

MONTREAL: Canada is scrambling to build an expansive new oil pipeline network to reach new markets including Asia as its sole customer, the United States, hikes production, aiming to become the world’s top exporter. Canada holds the third-largest oil reserves in the world but 98 percent of its oil exports and 100 percent of its natural gas shipments go the United States. This has made Canada the top energy supplier to its neighbor.

But that could soon end.

The United States is seeing a boom in shale gas and offshore oil production as it strives for energy independence, and the International Energy Agency recently said the US could become the world’s top oil producer by 2020. This week, Canada’s Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver urged a fix: build more pipelines to move oil from landlocked Alberta province to both refineries in eastern Canada and the Pacific coast to fill tankers bound for Asia. “The US market will not be large enough to accommodate all of Canada’s oil exports,” Oliver said. “By 2035, Canadian oil exports will be 4.0 million barrels per day, but total US imports will only be 3.4 million barrels per day. This highlights the need for Canada to access new markets.”

The federal government has put its weight behind several new pipeline projects, but the initiatives face stiff opposition from environmentalists and regional authorities. “We’re already lacking outlets for the oil now being produced-existing pipelines are at capacity,” said Marco NavarroGenie, a researcher at Calgary-based Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

“We’re forced to sell our oil at $22 below market value because we can’t get it to any market outside of North America.”

A New Course The first major push to brighten the Canadian oil industry’s outlook was a proposal to build the Keystone XL pipeline to carry 830,000 barrels of oil per day from the Alberta oil sands to refineries and ports on the US Gulf Coast. US President Barack Obama denied approval for part of the US$7 billion pipeline earlier this year, while the US State Department asked for a new proposed route to avoid environmentally sensitive areas.

A southern leg of TransCanada Corporation’s pipeline was later approved but the northern portion still needs State Department approval because it crosses the border. TransCanada submitted a new route for that section in September, and has said it expects a decision in early 2013. Andre Plourde, an oil specialist at Carleton University in Ottawa, noted that refineries in the Houston, Texas area largely handle heavy crude oil, and are seeing dwindling supplies from key producers in Venezuela and Mexico. This presents an opportunity for Alberta, which also produces heavy oil, he said.

While conventional light crude oil is pumped from the ground, oil sands must be mined and bitumen separated from the sand and water, then upgraded and refined.

Once it reaches the US Gulf Coast, the oil may be sold in the United States or shipped abroad. The International Energy Agency forecasts that global energy demand will rise by one-third by 2035, spurred by rising economic activity in China, India and the Middle East. Canada is eyeing those markets. Two new pipelines connecting the oil sands to the Pacific coast for eventual shipping to Asia are currently under review. —AFP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

BUSINESS

GIC wins ‘Innovative in-house Team of the Year’ Award

Zain Kuwait discount on UAE National Day KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunications company in Kuwait, has announced that it will offer a 50% percent discount on all SMS messages to UAE and 20% discount on International calls to UAEas they celebrate the Independence Day today.

Zain, expressed the company’s congratulations on this occasion to the people of UAE, represented in its leader-

ship, the embassy and all UAE expatriates’ residing in Kuwait.

The Company stressed that Zain is a global company which is always keen to participate in the celebrations of nations.

Zain added that the offer is extended to all SMS & International calls sent to UAE only today for both post-paid and pre-paid customers.

The Brief Middle East Law Awards 2012

Mittal, France reach deal over threatened steel plant PARIS: French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault announced a deal with steel giant ArcelorMittal on Friday which he said saved part of a massive plant that had been threatened with closure. But unions at the plant denounced what they described as a betrayal by the government, saying they had backed down on a threat to nationalise, and wanted to know what had happened to a possible buyer mentioned by one minister.

Ayrault said ArcelorMittal had committed to invest at least 180 million euros ($234 million) over the next five years in the endangered Florange site in northeastern France. The company had also reaffirmed its commitment to the region and the money invested in Florange would not be at the expense of its other sites it ran in France, he added. The government has not retained its proposed “temporary nationalization” given the commitments ArcelorMittal had made, he added.

The company had closed the two blast furnaces as the demand for steel slumped.

Friday’s agreement came after three days of tense negotiations and within hours of a deadline set by the world’s top world steelmaker for a deal.

ArcelorMittal had insisted the government find a buyer for the two blast furnaces at the Florange site, in the northeastern Lorraine region, by Saturday. At stake were the 650 jobs there. Ayrault, reading from a statement, said the two blast furnaces ArcelorMittal had closed would be left intact for now, until EU financing was confirmed for an existing carbon-capture project. Both ArcelorMittal and France are stakeholders in this project.

“The government has thus shown the capacity for state intervention to bring about positive solutions for jobs, investments and future industrial projects” in a troubled sector, he added.

“These undertakings of ArcelorMittal are unconditional,” he added. “The government will see that they are scrupulously respected.” But a spokesman for the CFDT union at the plant quickly denounced the deal. “We have the feeling we have once again been betrayed,” said Edouard Martin at the Florange plant, a few minutes after the prime minister’s statement. “We don’t trust Mittal at all,” he added, referring to tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, the steel giant’s owner.

Martin called for direct talks with both the government and company management. A source inside the office of French President Francois Hollande said they still had the

means to apply pressure on the tycoon, should that be necessary.

“If (Mittal) acts like someone who doesn’t respect his word there are ways to apply pressure,” the Elysee official said Friday. “We are keeping the revolver on the table,” he added.

But CFDT secretary general Dominique Gillier wanted to know why the prime minister had made no mention of a possible buyer that his Industrial Renewal Minister Arnaud Montebourg had mentioned.

Hours earlier Montebourg, meeting with workers from the plant camped outside his office, had told them the nationalization option was “not a false hope but a solution that is serious, credible and lasting.”

ArcelorMittal however had made it clear that any nationalization of the plant would cast doubt on the future of all its operations in France, where it employs 20,000 people. Montebourg had already said there were interested investors, but only for the entire site, with a nationalization as a means to sell the plant to another firm. The world’s largest steelmaker, which had always wanted to keep operating the rest of the Florange site, had given the government until Saturday to find a new investor willing to take over the furnaces. — AFP

PARIS: French Minister for Economic Recovery, Arnaud Montebourg posing with a pair of white Repetto ballet pumps that he received as a present during a visit at the group’s factory in Saint-Medard d’ Excideuil, as part of its extension. — AFP

KUWAIT: The Brief Middle East Law Awards 2012 recognize the excellence and outstanding achievements of the region’s leading law firms and in-house legal teams as well as the top deals and dealmakers. Months of intensive research and voting by an external panel of unbiased judges precede the announcement of finalists and winners.

The Gulf Investment Corporation was nominated in two categories, and won the Innovative In-House Team of the Year award. This award category recognizes the achievements of a corporate in-house team that has created or implemented novel compliance/training programs or other systems/structures that assist the legal department in reaching its objectives.

GIC’s Head of Communication & PR, Qais Al-Shatti, said: “We are delighted to learn of this award.

Innovation is at the heart of every successful, ambitious business. It requires a culture in which every employee is constantly striving to

Heads; and it is the hard work and dedication of those dealmakers and their teams that brings to GIC the sort of high quality transactions, without which this award would simply not have been possible”.

GIC has been awarded the prestigious 2012 award for “Innovative In-House Team of the

find new, better, and more efficient ways of doing things”.

Al-Shatti added: “ We are proud of every single person at GIC because this award for Innovative In-House Team of the Year is shared by all of them. It is an award that celebrates the team, not the individual. GIC has some very talented Group and Division

GIC’s Head of Communication & PR, Qais Al-Shatti

Year” by a distinguished external panel of judges, including leading lawyers at Abu Dhabi Investment Company; Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait; Commercial Bank of Dubai; the DIFC Courts; Dubai World Central; the Emirates Investment Authority; E&Y; Etisalat; Mars, Inc; Noor Investment Group; PepsiCo International; and Standard Chartered Bank.

Established in 1983, GIC is a regional financial institution owned entirely and equally by the six GCC states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. GIC strives to provide a comprehensive set of financial services that promote development of the private enterprise and foster economic growth in the GCC. GIC has emerged as a regional leader in its chosen fields, and has successfully promoted and developed projects in the GCC across a range of sectors, including financial services, petrochemical, metal, power, utilities, and communications.

Pressure rises on Obama over pipeline decision WASHINGTON: Embarking on a second term, President Barack Obama faces mounting pressure on a decision he had put off during his reelection campaign: whether to approve the $7 billion proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline between the US and Canada. On its surface, it’s a choice between the promise of jobs and economic growth and environmental concerns.

But it’s also become a proxy for a much broader fight over American energy consumption and climate change, amplified by Superstorm Sandy and the conclusion of an election that was all about the economy.

Environmental activists and oil producers alike are looking to Obama’s decision as a harbinger of what he’ll do on climate and energy in the next four years. Both sides are holding out hope that, freed from the political constraints of re-election, the president will side with them on this and countless related issues down the road. “The broader climate movement is absolutely looking at this administration’s Keystone XL decision as a really significant decision to signal that dirty fuels are not acceptable in the US,” said Danielle Droitsch, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Once content with delays that have so far kept the pipeline from moving forward at full speed, opponents of Keystone XL have launched protests in recent weeks at the White House and in Texas urging Obama to nix the project outright. Meanwhile, support for the pipeline appears to be picking up steam on Capitol Hill. But Obama has shown little

urgency about the pipeline, which would carry crude oil about 1,700 miles from western Canada to Texas Gulf Coast refineries. The pipeline requires State Department approval because it crosses an international boundary.

The pipeline became an issue in the campaign, and Obama put it on hold while a plan was worked out to avoid routing it through Nebraska’s environmentally sensitive Sandhills region. TransCanada, the company applying to build it, revised the route, but that caused the lengthy environmental review process to start over. In the meantime, the company split the project into two parts, starting construction in August on a southern segment between Oklahoma and Texas even as it waits for approval for the northern segment that crosses the Canadian border.

Although the lower leg didn’t require Obama’s sign-off, he gave it his blessing in March anyway, irking environmental activists who see the pipeline as a slap to efforts to reduce oil consumption and fend off climate change. “At a time when we are desperately trying to bend the emissions curve downwards, it is wrong to open up a new source of energy that is more carbon intensive and makes the problem worse,” wrote former Vice President Al Gore, now a climate activist, in an email. Still, in an otherwise highly polarized political climate, access to affordable energy has become a rare issue with bipartisan appeal.

“It’s just a no-brainer,” Senator Mary Landrieu, told The Associated Press. “Canada is going to export this oil. It’s either going to

come to the US or it’s going to go to Russia or China. Even Democrats that aren’t really excited about oil and gas development generally can figure that out.”

Many Democrats from states whose economies depend on oil, like Landrieu, support the pipeline. So do some trade unions, whose workers stand to gain thousands of new construction jobs.

And while environmentalists make up an important part of their base, Democratic lawmakers are under intense pressure to create jobs and reduce American reliance on Mideast oil. There’s less variation among Republicans, who by and large support the project. But in Texas, a deep red state that normally embraces the oil industry, the project has drawn intense opposition from landowners who argue their property along the pipeline’s route is being unfairly condemned. Their complaints, along with those from Texans who oppose an influx of foreign oil from Canadian tar sands, have fostered an unlikely alliance with local environmentalists, who have taken to chaining themselves to machinery and trucks in an attempt to stall construction.

The messy politics may demonstrate why Obama punted the decision until after the election. Now both sides are applying pressure with renewed vigor. A group of Keystone XL opponents, organized by climate activist Bill McKibben, marched on the White House in November, hoping to call attention to an issue that got barely a mention during the presidential campaign. — AP

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds

.2750000 .4480000 .3620000 .3010000 .2810000 .2920000 .0040000 .0020000 .0762570 .7429510 .3880000 .0720000 .7283310 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2809000 GB Pound/KD .4504510 Euro .3648330 Swiss francs .3028730 Canadian dollars .2829090 Danish Kroner .0489170 Swedish Kroner .0425950 Australian dlr .2944960 Hong Kong dlr .0362450 Singapore dlr .2299820 Japanese yen .0034180 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0765080 Bahraini dinars .7453890 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0749270 Omani riyals .7298950 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - transfer Irani Riyal - cash

3.440 5.143 2.923 2.165 3.192 231.840 36.452 3.447 6.901 9.195 0.271 0.273

.2850000 .4600000 .3670000 .3080000 .2910000 .3000000 .0067500 .0035000 .0770240 .7504180 .4070000 .0770000 .7356510 .0510000 .2830000 .4538190 .3675600 .3051380 .2850240 .0492830 .0429130 .2966970 .0365160 .2317010 .0034440 .0051090 .0021800 .0029550 .0034980 .0770800 .7509620 .4002830 .0754870 .7353510 .0069640

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 75.363 77.653 734.050 750.630 76.955

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 47.900 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.156 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.318 Tunisian Dinar 179.990 Jordanian Dinar 398.650 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.896 Syrian Lier 3.864 Morocco Dirham 33.511 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 282.500 Euro 369.230 Sterling Pound 454.400 Canadian dollar 285.640 Turkish lire 157.910 Swiss Franc 305.080 Australian dollar 296.630 US Dollar Buying 281.300 GOLD 332.000 167.000 86.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria

SELL CASH

299.400 750.880 3.690 287.400 554.500 46.000 49.900 167.800 47.950 369.100 37.120 5.510 0.032 0.161 0.246 3.550 400.120 0.191 95.710 45.400 4.340 235.400 1.829

51.200 733.410 3.080 7.080 78.100 75.390 232.390 34.520 2.689 455.800 43.800 308.800 4.000 9.560 198.263 76.980 282.700 1.360

10 Tola

GOLD 1,841.380

Sterling Pound US Dollar

733.230 2.958 6.928 77.670 75.390 232.390 34.520 2.170 453.800 305.300 4.000 9.390 76.880 282.300

COUNTRY

Currency

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 453.800 282.300

SELL DRAFT

296.900 750.880 3.449 285.900

232.400 46.350 367.600 36.970 5.095 0.031

SELL DRAFT

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

299.41 288.40 308.07 368.30 281.90 455.12 3.52 3.474 5.080 2.171 3.185 2.939 76.82 750.60 46.21 401.61 733.67 77.85 75.38

SELL CASH

299.000 288.000 308.000 366.50 283.150 454.800 3.690 3.555 5.490 2.300 3.650 3.150 77.500 749.500 47.750 399.50 732.000 77.850 75.900

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 400.090 0.190 95.710 3.200 233.900

Rate for Transfer

Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

282.250 284.445 452.865 365.445

Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

304.775 747.250 76.825 77.475 75.230 397.875 46.193 2.166 5.091 2.929 3.454 6.898 692.360 4.445 9.285 4.380 3.260 92.435

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

282.100 2.936 5.075 2.175 3.457 6.930 76.910 75.384 749.900 46.178 457.900 2.990 1.550 372.200 289.900 3.183

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

281.900 368.650 454.050 286.400 3.475 5.145 46.135 2.166 3.456 6.895 2.922 750.650 76.600 75.275

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

BUSINESS

Japan recession looms, exports down 6.5% KCIC ASIA ECONOMIC REPORT

By Saif Rangwala KUWAIT: Japan posted its fourth consecutive monthly trade deficit, stoking fears that it is headed for a recession. Export numbers improved slightly, although they still remain in contraction. Exports declined by 6.5% year-on-year (YoY) in October from 10.3% in the previous month. Exports fell in 18 out of the last 21 months, due to the slowing global demand (exports to the EU contracted for 13 consecutive months), and the appreciation of the Yen, which gained 7.3% between March and September due to its role as a safe-haven asset. In addition, territorial tensions between China and Japan resulted in boycotts that hurt Japan’s exports. In spite of the recent softening of the currency, which depreciated, almost 3% in November, exports kept contracting.

Imports also fell by 1.6% YoY, driven by the weakening domestic sector, as highlighted by the lower growth in retail sales (0.4%YoY in September).

However, upward pressure on import growth is likely to come from Japan’s strong dependence on energy imports following the shutdown of 54 nuclear reactors after last year’s Fukushima disaster.

The trade balance is the difference in value between a country’s total exports and imports.

When a country is in a trade deficit, then it is a net importer: its imports are outweighing its exports in value. Over ten years up to 2010, half of Japan’s real GDP growth was accounted for by net exports. The trade balance itself is a component of the current account balance. The current account balance

records the purchase and sale of goods and services and is comprised of the trade balance, net income from abroad (repatriated profits, dividends, interest payments) and net current transfers (remittances, pensions, grants, international aid). Japan has been running a current account surplus for decades.

However, if the trade deficit persists, then the fate of the current account surplus will depend on foreign income from abroad. Japan’s trade balance is also

relevant as a leading indicator of the global economy. Case in point, Goldman Sachs highlighted a 90% correlation between its Global Leading Indicator (GLI) and Japan’s trade balance, with a three month lead. In other words, a deteriorating trade balance in Japan could be indicative of a further decline in global momentum in the medium term.

Weak trade figures have pulled third-quarter

GDP figures into contraction at -3.5% (annualized) from 0.7% (annualized) in the second quarter. As a result, Japan is teetering on the edge of a recession.

Japan’s trade balance is expected to remain in deficit until the end of 2012, especially as export growth will be weak and energy imports rigid. On the 21st of November, the yen hit a seven-month low against the dollar on growing expectations that the Bank of Japan will take more aggressive policy action under the new government next month, giving the economy a much needed boost. Just three weeks before elections, Shinzo Abe, most likely to be the next prime minister of Japan and the current leader of the main opposition, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has promised to push for the central bank to undergo more drastic measures. In order to lift the economy out of deflation, he is calling for a 2% inflation target, up from the current 1%. Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) opted to hold fire until the elections. We expect a more aggressive expansion of its monetary policy soon: the newly elected government is expected to pursue ‘unlimited’ easing to help finance its public debt. As the BOJ continues to keep its interest rates unchanged at extremely low levels, within the 00.1% range, the BOJ’s asset purchase program has become the main tool for stimulating credit. Thus an additional monetary stimulus, via its asset-purchasing program, is widely expected within the next three months, if the BOJ steps up its fight against deflation and stimulate growth in the economy.

China’s manufacturing grows for 2nd month Further sign of strengthening economy

ROME: Employees work in their offices in Rome Friday. Another month, another record unemployment rate for the economy of the 17 European Union countries that use the euro. — AP

Cyprus rushes adoption of austerity measures NICOSIA: Cyprus’ finance minister urged lawmakers Friday to approve a first batch of spending cuts and tax hikes agreed with international creditors by Dec. 13, when the other 16 EU countries that use the euro are expected to discuss a bailout deal.

Vassos Shiarly said the only element left to determine in the bailout accord with the ‘troika’ of the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund is how much cash troubled Cypriot banks need. The banks need to replenish their reserves after taking huge losses of around ?4.5 billion ($5.84 billion) on bad Greek debt and loans. Shiarly said that investment firm PIMCO and auditors Deloitte, which are currently assessing banks’ needs, will issue a preliminary figure on Dec. 7, while the formal sum will be known by mid-January.

“As a result, you understand that there is an outstanding issue that will remain for some time until the final figure is issued.

However, this doesn’t stop us from completing the memorandum (bailout) to the greatest possible degree,” Shiarly said.

Cyprus’ Central Bank Governor Panicos Demetriades said Friday that amount won’t exceed ?10 billion ($12.99 billion). A leaked draft of the bailout accord said that “up to ?10 billion is foreseen” for Cypriot banks which includes “potential future capital needs.” Cypriot officials privately say that the banks’ needs are much lower, closer to 7 billion euros ($9 billion). The size of the bailout for the crisis-stricken country is estimated at between 14.5-17.5 billion euros ($18.8-22.7 billion) which includes 7.5 billion to cover the country’s financing needs and fiscal shortfalls over the agreement’s four-year duration between 2013-16.

Cyprus, with a total economic output of 17.5 billion euros ($22.7 billion), sought international aid in June to save its teetering banks and to pay its bills after being shut out of international markets for a year because of its junk credit rating. The country will see its economy shrink this year by 2.4 percent of GDP and 3.5 percent in 2013.

Unemployment will peak at over 14 percent in 2014 before it starts to recede, the finance ministry said.

Three other euro countries have received international help with their debts - Greece, Ireland and Portugal. Separately, Spain has also been given a ?100 billion loan facility to strengthen its banking sector. Cypriot lawmakers will vote on the initial round of austerity measures outlined in

20 bills once debate on the 2013 budget wraps up at the end of next week.

The 30-page accord - leaked almost immediately after Shiarly said that the troika on Friday authorized its release to party leaders and lawmakers - and study shows that the Cyprus government needs to shore up its finances over the next four years to achieve a primary surplus of 4 percent of gross domestic product by the end of 2016.

To achieve that, authorities need to cut spending and raise revenue by a total 7.25 percent of GDP and needs to start doing so right away by making ?42 million in cuts by the end of this year. Spending cuts primarily target the bloated public sector which absorbs a sizeable chunk of all government spending. According to the bailout terms, government workers making over 4,000 euros monthly will see their salary rolled back by 12.5 percent, while allowances will be cut by 15 percent. Government workers will also pay more into their pensions which will be taxed.

Government handouts such as a mothers and students allowance will also get the chop. State officials will also see some long-standing perks disappear, including the right to travel first or business class, as well as duty free cars. A salary freeze will stay in place over the next four years, while inflation-indexed pay rises that the government previously doled out twice-yearly will be suspended until 2016. The government workforce will shrink by 5,000 through such measures such as hiring one person for every four retirees. On the revenue-raising side, property taxes will increase as well as a bank levy on deposits from 0.095 percent to 0.11 percent. Tobacco, beer and spirits will also see hefty tax hikes, as will motor fuel. The general sales tax will jump from 17 to 19 percent.

The retirement age will increase by two years to 65 and may increase further depending on a review of life expectancy numbers every five years. A penalty will be imposed on early retirement to discourage it. The agreement doesn’t call for immediately selling off state-owned enterprises, but that could happen if the country’s debt is deemed unsustainable. Regarding the country’s new-found offshore natural gas deposits, the deal says potential revenue must be split between developing the nascent gas industry, paying down the debt and setting aside a portion for future generations. — AP

BEIJING: China’s manufacturing activity grew in November for the second month in a row, official data showed yesterday, in a further sign of strength in the world’s second-biggest economy after a marked slowdown.

The indications of upward momentum were reinforced by a separate survey by British banking giant HSBC that showed growth for the first time in 13 months. China’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) reached 50.6 last month, up from 50.2 in October and 49.8 in September and the highest since hitting 53.3 in April, figures from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.

The PMI is a widely watched barometer of the health of China’s economy, and a reading above 50 indicates expansion while anything below points to contraction. The improved data eased recent months’ worries of a “hard landing”, said IHS senior China economist Alistair Thornton, though he cautioned that risks remained and reforms were needed for long-term growth.

“The fears surrounding that sharp hard landing have been largely averted,” he said, while also singling out as dangers an unstable property market and the debt crisis in Europe, a key trade partner for China. The November figure

came in below the 50.8 median forecast of 10 economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires.

Still, Dow Jones said, the official reading “adds to recent signs of a rebound” and “is likely to further boost market confidence in the Chinese economic outlook for the rest of the year”.

Separately, the HSBC said on November 22 that its preliminary PMI reached 50.4 in November, up from a final 49.5 in October and 47.9 in September. HSBC is set to release its final November PMI data on Monday. China’s manufacturing sector suffered this year given the broader slump in the economy, which has been hit by weaker demand for Chinese products in the crucial markets of Europe and the United States. The country’s economic growth hit a more than three-year low of 7.4 percent in the third quarter from July to September.

But recent data have fuelled optimism that the worst is over. Exports, industrial production, retail sales and fixed asset investment-a key gauge of infrastructure spending-have all shown improvement.

Premier Wen Jiabao and Commerce Minister Chen Deming have both said in recent months that they expect China to achieve its tar-

geted 2012 growth rate of 7.5 percent despite the impact of the global slowdown. The rosier outlook comes as China concluded an overhaul of the ruling Communist Party’s top leadership in mid-November.

Vice President Xi Jinping took charge of the party from President Hu Jintao, whom he is also expected to replace as president in March. China cut interest rates twice this year and decreased the amount of funds banks must keep in reserve three times since December last year to encourage lending. It has avoided the type of major initiatives it took after the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, including a government-driven stimulus package worth about half a trillion dollars.

But it faces mounting pressure to restructure its economy to ensure long-term growth, such as reducing its reliance on investment and boosting domestic consumption.

“Whilst things are stabilised in the short termthat means maybe six months, a year even, we don’t expect there to be any dramatic slowdownthe bigger picture remains that the Chinese economy is slowing,” said Thornton. “I think the focus now has been pushed out to assessing how China’s going to deal with reform.” — AFP

Oil prices gain ahead of weekend NEW YORK: Oil prices turned higher in late trade Friday to end with modest gains ahead of the weekend despite growing worries over deficit negotiations in Washington. In New York, West Texas Intermediate crude for January delivery added 84 cents to $88.91 a barrel. On the London market, the Brent North Sea contract for January gained 47 cents to $111.23 a barrel.

Traders said there was little news to explain the higher price; the rising euro, which topped $1.30, was one likely contributor to buying. But the US fiscal cliff talks, which could see the world’s largest economy forced into recession next year if Democrats and Republicans cannot agree on a deficitcutting plan, continued to overshadow trade.

Politicians on both sides signalled Friday that things were not going very well in the talks, one month before the deadline. “Crude oil prices consolidated within the recent range... due to the mixed signals from the US about the fiscal cliff program and the ongoing uncertainty about the euro-zone’s economic conditions,” said Sucden Financial Research analyst Myrto Sokou.

In Europe, official data published Friday showed unemployment in the euro-zone hit a record high in October, another drag on growth in the region. In Lagos, ExxonMobil’s Nigeria chief warned that Nigerian oil production will fall by 40 percent by 2020 if the country goes ahead with proposed increases in taxes and royalties.

The proposals are part of a planned sweeping overhaul of Nigeria’s oil industry that has been delayed for years. It would also include a restructuring of state oil firm NNPC. Mark Ward said the current legislation included fiscal terms that were too harsh and would block investment.

“It would be good to have a good (law) passed so there is clarity and there is certainty on the investment climate, the fiscal terms as well as the restructuring,” Ward told a gathering of industry figures. “However, if what we see today is passed without significant changes, it will cause just the opposite: investment will dry up.” — AFP

HYDERABAD: Commuters drive past Indian workers at a metro rail construction site in Hyderabad yesterday. India’s economic growth slid to 5.3 percent in the September quarter, stuck at its lowest levels in three years as New Delhi struggles to enact reforms to kick start Asia’s third-largest economy. — AP

News Corp to name Thomson as Publishing Co CEO soon News Corp is expected to name Robert Thomson, a close confidant of Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch, to lead its new publishing company by the end of this week, according to sources familiar with New s Corp’s plans.

Thomson is currently managing editor of the Wall Street Journal and editor in chief of its publisher Dow Jones & Co, which News Corp acquired in 2007. Gerard Baker, currently the deputy editor of the Journal, is expected to succeed Thomson, according to these sources.

Murdoch will be relying on his trusted lieutenant to steer the new company - w hose main assets apart from Dow Jones include its British and Australian newspapers and HarperCollins book publishing business - a t a difficult time.

Newspapers in many developed markets are suffering from a severe drop in advertising revenue and circulation is being hit as readers are choosing to get their news on smartphones and tablets.

Among the key decisions Thomson will have to make include what t o do about the financially struggling New York Post and whether the new company will go on an acquisition spree for other US newspapers that could come on the market, such as the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune. Thomson and Baker were not immediately available for comment. Representatives for

Dow Jones and News Corp were also not immediately available. In June, News Corp said it was separating its publishing and entertainment assets in response to shareholders who had pressed News Corp to get rid of its troubled newspapers business after a phone hacking scandal tainted its British newspapers and forced the company to drop its proposed acquisition of pay-TV group BSkyB. News Corp is still finalizing the details of other executive appointments within the new company - a decision that could delay the announcement of the appointments of Thomson and Baker, one of the sources said. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the role of Dow Jones CEO Lex Fenwick will change in any way.

Murdoch will hold the chairman title at the publishing company after its split from the entertainment side, which will include most of the group’s TV and movie studio assets and where he will remain chairman and CEO. The confirmation of Thomson’s long-rumored appointment to CEO of the publishing company appears to have sidelined any plans Murdoch may have had to bring his eldest son, Lachlan, back into the family business fold. News Corp watchers and industry experts had assumed that Murdoch would push hard to recruit Lachlan given his s on previously had some success as publisher of the New York Post.—Reuters

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

business

KSE equities upbeat ahead of election Bayan Weekly Market Report KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the green zone. The price index ended last week with an increase amounted to 0.94%, and the weighted index advanced by 1.43% compared to the closings of the week before. In addition KSX-15 index increased by 1.31%. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover increased by 10.55%, compared to the preceding week, reaching KD36.23 million, whereas trading volume average was 408.64 million shares, recording increase of 5.30%.

Kuwait Stock Exchange was able to realize gains to its three indices last week, in light of the strong purchasing trend that controlled the trading performance during the few last weeks, with concentration on large-cap and heavy stocks such as the Banking sector. As a result, the Price and the KSX-15 indices were positively affected more than the Price index compared to the previous week. Also, the market was positively impacted by the speculations operation that has been influencing the small-cap stocks for quite some time.

In addition, the increased liquidity limits, which recorded its highest in 8 months, specifically on 21st March, had contributed into an optimism and confidence state on the purchasers, whilst news were roaming about a strong intervention into the market by the

national portfolio during the same period.

For the annual performance, the price index ended last week recording 2.23% annual gain compared to its closing in 2011, while the weighted index increased by 4.50%, and the KSX-15 recorded 3.54% increase compared to its value at inception.

By the end of the week, the price index closed at 5,943.94 points, up by 0.94% from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 1.43% weekly gain after closing at 423.89 points. Moreover, the KSX-15 index closed at 1,035.40 points, increasing with 1.31%.

Sectors’ Indices Nine of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone, The healthcare sector headed the gainers list, after its index closed at 921.82 points, to increase by 11.60%. The Insurance sector was the second on the list, as its index closed at 881.63 points, up by 3.06%. The Oil & Gas sector was the least on the gainers’ list, which index advanced by 0.14%, closing at 924.15 points.

On the Other hand, The Technology sector headed the losers list as its index declined by 1.09% to end the week’s activity at 855.61 points. The Financial services sector was the

Gulf Bank wins ‘Bank of the Year’ Award from The Banker KUWAIT: Gulf Bank yesterday proudly hailed its success in winning the ‘Bank of the Year’ award from The Banker, the world’s leading and most respected banking industry magazine. The award, which was made in recognition of the Bank’s outstanding achievements over the past year, was presented to Michel Accad, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Bank, at The Banker’s annual awards gala dinner, held in London on the 28th November, 2012.

The dinner, one of the key highlights of the banking industry year, is attended by some of the world’s most senior bankers, executives, and other key figures in the financial and banking sectors.

Michel Accad, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Bank, said: “It is truly a great honor to receive this major award from The Banker and I would like to thank the awards committee for selecting Gulf Bank this year.

“This award is a recognition of the tremendous effort by the Bank’s management & staff to make Gulf Bank the best bank in Kuwait, and provide our

valued customers with the best and the fastest personal banking services possible. The banking industry will become even more competitive in the future, and we intend to continue to lead from the front, putting innovation and customer service first, raising standards, and setting the benchmark for banking excellence across the region.”

“Gulf Bank’s customer oriented strategy is just one of the many reasons the Bank has won the ‘Bank of the Year’ award this year. This award underlines our enthusiasm and motivation to progress and will serve to help push Gulf Bank forward to further success in the coming years.”

The ‘Bank of the Year’ award is awarded by The Banker, the leading and highly respected banking industry publication owned by the Financial Times Group, which also publishes the Financial Times. The Banker Awards for the Middle East region, which are presented annually, are hotly contended and winners are generally accepted as setting the industry standards for banking excellence.

Michel Accad, Chief Executive Officer at Gulf Bank accepting the ‘Bank of the Year’ award from Melissa Hancock, Middle East Editor of ‘The Banker’ and Michael Buerk, Former BBC news presenter during the awards ceremony in London.

second on the list, as its index closed at 832.90 points, down by 0.93%. While the Consumer Goods was the least, when its index closed at 982.16, down by 0.73%.

Sectors’ Activity The Financial Services sector dominated total trade volume during last week with

783.28 million shares changing hands, representing 38.34% of the total market trading volume. The Real Estate sector was second in terms of trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 36.35% of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 742.66 million shares.

On the other hand, the banks sector’s stocks were the highest traded in terms of val-

ue; with a turnover of KD52.50 million or 28.98% of last week’s total market trading value. The Financial Services sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of KD48.08 million represented 26.54% of the total market trading value.-Prepared by the Studies & Research Department, Bayan Investment Co.

BEC & Geely (KAICO) join hands in a new campaign KUWAIT: An exciting new raffle draw campaign heralding the festive season was launched in BEC head-office recently. The raffle by BEC showcases the vehicle Geely EC7 which is one of the latest entrants in the car segment in Kuwait.

E D Titus, Director and GM of BEC Exchange handed over the first raffle coupon to Rexczy Williams, Brand Manager- Geely from Kuwait Automotive Imports Co WLL (Al-Shaya & Al-Sagar).

Speaking at the launch of the campaign Rexczy Williams, from Geely said that, EC7 model follows European standards and emulates European quality, so the global success of EC7 is not a surprise.

The key of success is that EC7 has grasped the demands of customers for comfort, space, appearance, production techniques, equipment and cost performance. GEELY Emgrand EC7 made history by becoming China’s first proprietary model that participated in the European safety collision test and achieved great success, which, according to GEELY, is attributable to its ‘Safety First’ R & D strategy where safety is a top priority.

The BEC Exchange has consistent customer reward schemes running throughout the year, which aim at ensuring that at BEC a customer has always something to look for. As a market leader in the exchange business, BEC also holds cash curren-

cies and is one of the wholesale dealers in the Kuwait market. So retail customers also get the advantage of any currencies at wholesale rates while they are assured of availability at all times.

Present at the launch of the promotion were Ashraf & Ms Zhana, Asst Marketing Managers in AlShaya & Al- Sagar, Jose , Marketing Manager BEC and Thomas, Branch Manager, Hajery branch.

Serb parliament adopts 2013 budget, sees deficit at 3.3%

BELGRADE: Lawmakers in Serbia adopted a 2013 budget yesterday, pledging to slash the deficit to 3.3 percent of national output and return the economy to growth of 2 percent as the government seeks new IMF funding.

The Balkan country is running a budget shortfall this year of around 6.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) as seen in the revised budget, while public debt has ballooned to 60 percent. GDP is forecast to contract 2 percent in 2012. “The modest growth in 2013 is expected on the basis of the (expected) recovery of the (domestic) economy and of economies which are Serbia’s main foreign trade partners,” the budget document said.

Like much of the western Balkans, Serbia has slid back into recession this year on declining trade and investment from the crisis-hit euro-

zone and a harvest hit by drought. The country expects public debt to peak in 2013 at 65.2 percent of GDP. The government set the 2013 consolidated deficit target, which includes financial statements of local communities and state funds, slightly higher, at 3.6 percent. It also set revenues at 956.4 billion dinars ($11.12 billion) and spending at 1,078 billion dinars.

“This is the beginning of our struggle against the economic crisis,” Finance Minister Mladjan Dinkic said before the budget was approved by parliament by 138 votes to 69.

The government, a coalition of nationalists and socialists, is trying to secure a three-year precautionary loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which froze a 1 billion euro ($1.30 billion) standby deal in January due to over-spend-

ing. The IMF says Serbia’s forecasts are over-optimistic, and the World Bank is predicting more modest growth next year. Serbia’s Fiscal Council, a parliament-appointed watchdog, also warned the shortfall would be higher, about 4.3 percent.

Unemployment has reached 25.5 percent, and year-on-year inflation in October stood at 12.9 percent.

The government has outlined cuts in public sector spending, subsidies and sovereign guarantees for Serbia’s major state-run companies.

The country will also resort to borrowing next year, when it plans a $2 billion Eurobond and a 500 million euro loan from the Luxembourg-based European Investment Bank for investment in small and medium-sized enterprises. It has also sought sovereign loans from Russia and China. — Reuters

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

BUSINESS

Cliff fight may knock out December rally WALL STREET WEEKLY OUTLOOK NEW YORK: In normal times, this week’s slew of US economic data could be a springboard for a December rally in the stock market. December is historically a strong month for markets. The S&P 500 has risen 16 times in the past 20 years during the month.

But the market hasn’t been operating under normal circumstances since Nov 7 when a day after the US election, investors’ focus shifted squarely to the looming “fiscal cliff.”

Investors are increasingly nervous about the ability of lawmakers to undo the $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts that are set to begin in January; those changes, if they go into effect, could send the US economy into a recession. A string of economic indicators this week, which includes a key reading of the manufacturing sector on Monday, culminates with the November jobs report on Friday. But the impact of those economic reports could be muted. Distortions in the data caused by Superstorm Sandy are discounted.

The spotlight will be more firmly on signs from Washington that politicians can settle their differences on how to avoid the fiscal cliff. “We have a week with a lot of economic data, and obviously most of the economic data is going to reflect the

effects of Sandy, and that might be a little bit negative for the market next week, but most of that is already expected - the main focus remains the fiscal cliff,” said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital in New York.

Concerns about the cliff sent the S&P 500 into a two-week decline after the elections, dropping as much as 5.3 percent, only to rally back nearly 4 percent as the initial tone of talks offered hope that a compromise could be reached and investors snapped up stocks that were viewed as undervalued. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 gained more than 20 points from its intraday low after House Speaker John Boehner said he was optimistic that a budget deal to avoid big spending cuts and tax hikes could be worked out. The next day, more pessimistic comments from Boehner, an Ohio Republican, briefly wiped out the day’s gains in stocks.

On Friday, the sharp divide between the Democrats and the Republicans on taxes and spending was evident in comments from President Barack Obama, who favors raising taxes on the wealthy, and Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, who said Obama’s plan was the wrong approach and declared that the talks had

reached a stalemate. “It’s unusual to end up with one variable in this industry, it’s unusual to have a single bullet that is the causal factor effect, and you are sitting here for the next maybe two weeks or more, on that kind of condition,” said Sandy Lincoln, chief market strategist at BMO Asset Management US in Chicago. “And that is what is grabbing the markets.” But investor attitudes and seasonality could also help spur a rally for the final month of the year.

The most recent survey by the American Association of Individual Investors reflected investor caution about the cliff. Although bullish sentiment rose above 40 percent for the first time since Aug. 23, bearish sentiment remained above its historical average of 30.5 percent for the 14th straight week.

December is a critical month for retailers such as Target Corp and Macy’s Inc. They saw monthly retail sales results dented by Sandy, although the start of the holiday shopping season fared better. With consumer spending making up roughly 70 percent of the US economy, a solid showing for retailers during the holiday season could help fuel any gains.

Ryan Detrick, senior technical strategist at

Schaeffer’s Investment Research in Cincinnati, believes the recent drop after the election could be a market bottom, with sentiment leaving stocks poised for a December rally. “The concerns on the fiscal cliff - as valid as they might be - could be overblown. When you look at a lot of the overriding sentiment, that has gotten extremely negative,” said Detrick.

“From that contrarian point of view with the historically bullish time frame of December, we once again could be setting ourselves up for a pretty nice end-of-year rally, based on lowered expectations.” Others view the fiscal cliff as such an unusual event that any historical comparisons should be thrown out the window, with a rally unlikely because of a lack of confidence in Washington to reach an agreement and the economic hit caused

by Sandy. “History doesn’t matter. You’re dealing with an extraordinary set of circumstances that could very well end up in the US economy going into a recession,” said Phil Orlando, chief equity market strategist at Federated Investors in New York. “And the likelihood of that is exclusively in the hands of our elected officials in Washington.

They could absolutely drag us into a completely voluntary recession.” — Reuters

Obama cranks up ‘fiscal cliff’ pressure, seeks support Boehner says talks stalemated

WASHINGTON: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California flanked by Rep Sander Levin, (left) and Rep Steve Israel, D-NY (right) speaks to reporters just after meeting with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on the fiscal cliff negotiations, at the Capitol in Washington. — AP

Brazil grew a paltry 0.6% in Q3 BRASILIA: Brazil’s economy grew just 0.6 percent in the third quarter of 2012 compared with the previous three months, signaling a weaker than anticipated recovery, the Brazilian statistics office said Friday.

The Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) said the economy rose 0.9 percent in the July-to-September quarter compared with the same period of last year, and a mere 0.7 percent so far this year. “This thirdquarter result signals an improvement. We are on a trajectory of economic recovery, growth,” Finance Minister Guido Mantega told a press conference in Sao Paulo.

“It was not as strong as we and analysts had expected, but the economy is in an acceleration phase,” he added. “We are on the right course and with this we should achieve four percent growth in 2013.” But Paulo Skaf, president of the powerful Sao Paulo Federation of Industries (FIESP) voiced strong skepticism.

“If we don’t have conditions for investment, we will have difficulties next year to grow more than three percent,” he said.

Market analysts and the government had expected GDP growth of one percent in the third quarter, but the modest third-quarter rise in the world’s sixth largest economy was still the strongest this year.

The economy expanded 0.1 percent in the first quarter and 0.2 percent in the second compared with the previous ones, according to the latest revised figures. “The result of the third quarter is not the one percent that we anticipated. And it will drag the annual result down. We now expect GDP growth for 2012 to stand closer to one percent,” said Silvia Matos, an economist at the Getulio Vargas Foundation.

The market is banking on 1.5 percent growth this year, a projection similar to one by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in October. The IMF also expects Brazil to fare worse than its partners in the BRICS bloc of emerging powers, predicting 7.8 percent growth for China, 4.9 percent for India, 3.7

percent for Russia and 2.6 percent for South Africa.

The food sector surged 2.5 percent in the third quarter while the industrial sector grew 1.1 percent. The service sector remained flat. Mantega noted that the recovery was taking place mainly “in those sectors which were a source of concern to us: industry and agribusiness.”

The national economy lost steam last year due to the global slowdown, with GDP growth at 2.7 percent, down from a sizzling 7.5 percent in 2010.

The timid growth results from recent government incentives to boost industry and consumption and follows a year of steady cuts in the central bank’s key interest rate, now down to a record low of 7.5 percent. The central bank launched its rate cut strategy in August 2011, when the interest rate stood at a historic high of 12.5 percent and inflation, at 7.2 percent, exceeded the government’s target.

“Industry reacted positively to these (stimulus) measures,” Mantega said, adding that the government would next week unveil new measures to spur investment.

Yet FIESP warned that Brazil’s high production costs are hampering private investment. “We have a record tax burden, high credit cost, excessive red tape and electricity rates that are among the highest in the world,” it complained. Analyst Roberto Troster, a former chief economist at the Federation of Brazilian Banks, said the government must “change its economic policy, focus less on demand and consumption and more on supply, promoting the structural reforms and the productivity that the country requires.”

He warned that failure to revive the economy could jeopardize President Dilma Rousseff’s chances of reelection in 2014.

Meanwhile, Alexandre Tombini, the president of the Central Bank, hailed the effectiveness of the government’s stimulus measures.—AFP

HATFIELD, Pennsylvania: President Barack Obama turned up the pressure in “fiscal cliff” talks on Friday, hitting the road to drum up support for his drive to raise taxes on the wealthy and warning Americans that Republicans were offering them “a lump of coal” for Christmas.

In a visit to a Pennsylvania toy factory, Obama portrayed congressional Republicans as Scrooges who risked sending the country over the fiscal cliff rather than strike a deal to avert the tax increases and spending cuts that begin in January unless Congress intervenes. In Washington, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner declared a stalemate in the talks and said Obama’s plan to raise taxes on the rich was the wrong approach.

“There is a stalemate. Let’s not kid ourselves,” the Ohio Republican said. “Right now we are almost nowhere.” Lawmakers are nervously eyeing the markets as the deadline approaches, with gyrations likely to intensify pressure to bring the drama to a close. Major stock market indexes fell as Boehner spoke but recovered afterward. It was a repeat of the pattern earlier in the week when the Speaker offered a gloomy assessment.

The latest round of high-stakes gamesmanship focuses on whether to extend the temporary tax cuts that originated under former President George W Bush beyond their Dec. 31 expiration date for all taxpayers, as Republicans want, or just for those with income under $250,000, as Obama and his fellow Democrats want.

“If Congress does nothing, every family in America will see their taxes automatically go up on January 1,” Obama said during his visit to a factory in suburban Philadelphia. “That’s sort of like the lump of coal you get for Christmas. That’s a Scrooge Christmas.”

Obama, who made higher tax rates for the wealthy a centerpiece of his re-election campaign, said Americans should pressure Republicans to quickly agree to extend the middle-class tax cuts that cover 98 percent of the public. “We already all agree, we say, on making sure middle-class taxes don’t go up. So let’s get that done. Let’s go ahead and take the fear out for the vast majority of American families so they don’t have to worry,” Obama said at The Rodon Group factory, which makes K’NEX building toy systems as well as Tinkertoys and consumer products.

Obama’s trip to Pennsylvania was part of a renewed public relations push on the fiscal cliff that the White House hopes will build support for his stance. The effort has infuriated Republicans, with Boehner calling it a “victory lap” on Thursday as he rejected Obama’s proposals to avoid the cliff. “It tells you he’s not interested in negotiating.

He’s more interested in traveling around the country trying to campaign,” Representative Jim Gerlach, a Pennsylvania Republican, said on CNBC on Friday.

The effort continues next week, as Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Obama’s lead negotiator in the talks, makes the rounds of television talk shows on Sunday. Obama will meet a bipartisan group of governors at the White House on

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama salutes as he exits the Marine One helicopter on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington Friday after returning to the White House from a trip to Hatfield, Pennsylvania where he spoke at the Rodon Group, which manufactures over 95% of the parts for K’NEX Brands toys. —AP

Tuesday, and the president will address the Business Roundtable on Wednesday.

Boehner is scheduled for an appearance on Fox News Sunday. Obama and Boehner both said they still believe the two sides can work together

to find a solution before the end-of-year deadline.

But Boehner has been scrambling to keep his House Republicans in line, with some signaling more flexibility on ways to find a combination of new revenue and spending cuts that could yield

US stocks manage gains despite ‘cliff’ overhang NEW YORK: US stocks managed gains for a second straight week, as investors clung to a blind faith that politicians will resolve the looming fiscal cliff crunch. The pending threat of higher capital gains and dividend taxes next year, whatever the resolution of the negotiations between Democrats and Republicans, failed to dim sentiment. And some stocks, like Costco and Walmart, spurred higher because of it, as firms announced special dividends and moved forward regular payouts to before December 31, to avoid an expected increase in the tax rate.

The broad-based S&P 500 managed a 0.5 percent gain for the week, to end at 1,416.18. The Dow Jones Industrial Average of 30 blue chips gained 0.12 percent, to 13,025.58, while the Nasdaq Composite put on 1.46 percent, ending the week at 3,010.24.

Although the business and financial communities continued to warn Congress and the White House to reach a deal for averting the economycrunching spending cuts and tax hikes of the socalled fiscal cliff, investors did not appear too worried. Gains during the week were broadbased, with the crucial retail sector adding two

percent on the back of solid sales at the beginning of the holiday shopping season.

But weak data on consumer spending in the third quarter and the October to early November period-when the devastation from superstorm Sandy distorted the picture-made looking ahead a challenge.

“Between Sandy and the fiscal cliff, the pace of consumer spending and business investment is really unclear,” said Joel Naroff of Joel Naroff Economics.

“The implication is that the October and even November numbers have to be evaluated carefully and may not reflect the true nature of either the consumer or the economy.” “Given the noise from Washington and the fears of tax changes to come, movements in the equity markets during December may also bear no relation to underlying economic trends.”

Chris Low of FTN Financial said the markets were trading the headlines from Washington on nearly a minute to minute basis. “The traders love volatility because that’s what generates their revenues, but for investors it is just frustrating.”—AFP

US consumer spending and income stall; Sandy a factor WASHINGTON: US consumer spending fell in October for the first time in five months and income growth stalled, leading some economists to cut already weak estimates of fourth-quarter economic growth.

Superstorm Sandy was partly to blame for the pullback in spending as the quarter started, but economists said the data on Friday also underscored the economy’s fundamental weakness, stemming from the uncertainty over the course of fiscal policy. The Commerce Department said consumer spending fell 0.2 percent after a 0.8 percent increase in September.

Income growth was flat as wages and salaries dropped 0.2 percent, in part because of work disruptions caused by the storm, which lashed the East Coast in late October.

But even stripping out the $18.2 billion annual rate hit to wages and salaries from the storm, they would have been flat. “What this is showing is the economy, broadly, is slowing in the fourth quarter and it is concern on the part of businesses and consumers with respect to the fiscal cliff,” said David Berson, chief economist at Nationwide Insurance in Columbus,

Ohio.

The cliff refers to automatic government spending cuts and tax hikes early next year that could drain about $600 billion from the economy unless lawmakers and the Obama administration agree on a less painful plan to reduce budget deficits.

Fears an impasse could send the economy into a swoon undercut business spending in the third quarter. So far there is little sign of progress in Washington budget talks, which the top Republican in Congress on Friday said were at a “stalemate.”

Inflation-adjusted consumer spending fell 0.3 percent in October, the first decline since June, after rising 0.4 percent the prior month. It was the largest drop in real spending since September 2009 and implied growth in consumer spending this quarter would struggle to exceed the third-quarter’s 1.4 percent annual pace, which was the slowest in more than a year.

The data prompted economists to cut fourth-quarter GDP growth estimates, some quite sharply.

Estimates now center between a 0.8 percent and 1.8 percent annual pace. The economy expanded at a 2.7

percent rate in the third quarter.

“It’s going to be challenging for real spending to grow above the third-quarter’s pace. The fundamental drivers of spending are still sluggish,” said Sam Bullard, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina.

And the risks to growth are rising. A second report showed that while factory activity in the Midwest rose in November for the first time in three months, new orders tumbled to their lowest level since June 2009, when the recession ended.

US financial markets shrugged off the data as traders kept a wary eye on the budget talks in Washington. Stocks on Wall Street ended flat, while prices for longer-dated US government debt fell modestly. The dollar was barely changed against a basket of currencies.

Major retailers on Thursday reported unexpectedly weak sales in November, which many pinned on Sandy. Consumer spending is expected to bounce back by December as households replace goods damaged by the storm and income picks up as workers return to work. However, the magnitude could hinge

MARYLAND: Production line workers Xiao Yins-Wong (left) and Chui M Wong, straighten the wick in the candles at Chesapeake Bay Candle factory in Glen Burnie Maryland. The US economy grew at a 2.7 percent annual rate from July through September, much faster than first thought. The strength is expected to fade in the final months of the year because of uncertainty about looming tax increases and government spending cuts. —AP

26

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

BUSINESS

Management during the car launching.

Management during the show.

Introducing the all-new Range Rover The world’s most refined and capable luxury SUV, now available at Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive Co in Kuwait KUWAIT: Luxury automotive manufacturer Land Rover and Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive Co in Kuwait are proud to unveil the highly anticipated all-new Range Rover to the region.

Lighter, stronger and with new levels of refinement, the fourth generation Range Rover reinforces its position as the world’s most refined and capable luxury SUV and was revealed at an invitation-only gala event hosted by Ali Alghanim & Sons and held at the company’s showroom in Shuwaikh. Guests included VIPs and loyal Land Rover customers.

The evening commenced with an interactive magic show by magician Felipe Scherson who dazzled guests with his tricks and illusions. Mohamed Fahad Alghanim Automotive Group General Manager welcomed guests to the event and introduced the much anticipated All-New Range Rover.

Guests got an insight into the evolution of the Range Rover throughout the years, and using a hand-crafted leather display area and digital interactive panel, the presentation also portrayed the next generation all-new Range Rover’s design and luxurious features. An additional high-impact aluminium wall was used to convey the vehicle’s structure and highlight its capability and performance; giving guests the perfect opportunity to engage with the fourth generation Range Rover.

Throughout the sensorial experience, guests were able to browse the options available should they choose to create a bespoke interior for the all-new Range Rover. Also available for their review was the much acclaimed Land Rover Icon Book, a coffee table book detailing the brand’s history, milestones and accomplishments in the region.

13MY All-New Range Rover The world’s first SUV with a revolutionary lightweight all-aluminium monocoque body structure is 39% lighter than the steel body in the outgo-

New Land Rover launch

The all-new Land Rover

Fahad Alghanim (right) Managing Director, Saed Salama

Managing Director Fahad Alghanim and Terry Killkenny

Mohamed Abdulqader, Marketing & PR Manager (left) with Fahad Alghanim

ing model, enabling total vehicle weight savings of up to 420kg.

The lightweight aluminium platform has delivered significant enhancements in performance and agility, along with a transformation in fuel economy and CO2 emissions.

In addition to the strong and rigid lightweight body, new aluminium front and rear chassis architecture has been developed with completely re-engineered four-corner air suspension. While

the luxurious ride has been retained, the vehicle’s handling and agility have been significantly improved. The new suspension architecture delivers flatter, more confident cornering, with natural and intuitive steering feel.

The fourth generation of the unique Range Rover line, the all-new model has been developed from the ground up, capturing the innovative spirit and iconic design of the original model which changed the world of motoring when it

was launched over 40 years ago.

The all-new Range Rover has a clean and elegant shape which is derived from a fresh interpretation of Range Rover design cues. While instantly recognizable as a Range Rover, the new vehicle takes a significant step forward with a bold evolution of the model’s iconic design language.

Speaking about the arrival of the allnew Range Rover to this region, Robin Colgan, Managing Director of Jaguar

Land Rover MENAP, said, “With the Land Rover strength at its heart, the new model has been engineered from the ground up to be the most capable and refined Range Rover ever. While maintaining the essential, unique character of the vehicle that blends luxury, performance and unmatched all-terrain capability, the new design and revolutionary lightweight construction have enabled us to transform the experience for luxury vehicle customers, with a step change in comfort, refinement and handling.”

Mohamed Fahad Alghanim, Automotive Group General Manager added, “The all-new Range Rover has already received an overwhelming response from customers in Kuwait, with pre-orders far exceeding expectations.

The Range Rover is a true icon which has attracted a loyal following, and with the introduction of the all-new Range Rover to our showrooms, we expect this to continue for many years to come.”

The all-new Range Rover is available through the year 2013 in Alghanim & Sons Automotive Co. showroom in Shuwaikh.

The North Face launches its first store in Kuwait Opening ceremony at The Mall - The Avenues, Phase 3 he North Face celebrated its first store opening in Kuwait on November 21 at the Mall, The Avenues. The ceremony was conducted by the Chairman & Managing Director of Ali Abdulwahab AlMutawa Commercial Co (AAW), Faisal AlMutawa, and the General Manager, Ali Faisal Al-Mutawa.

The event would not have been a success without the support of The North Face team at Ali Abdulwahab Al-Mutawa Commercial Co along with the attendees, employees of Ali Abdulwahab Al-Mutawa Commercial Co, VIP guests, and loyal customers. Also present was the Kuwait Extreme Team who The North Face is proud to sponsor. Ahmad Al-Majed from the Kuwait Extreme Team briefly spoke about himself, and his teams experience with The North Face.

The North Face (TNF), with over 40 years of innovation and exploration, were named

T

for the coldest, most unfathomable heights of the Himalayas. But The North Face legend began in 1966 on San Francisco’s North Beach, where two hiking enthusiasts resolved to follow their passions and founded a small mountaineering retail store. Soon thereafter, that little shop became known as The North Face, a retailer of high-performance climbing and backpacking equipment.

The North Face delivers an extensive line of performance apparel, equipment, and footwear; among them is Tekware, an innovative collection designed to provide rock climbers, backpackers, hikers, trail runners, and outdoor enthusiasts with the ultimate fit and function. The North Face half dome logo began to appear with greater regularity on ultra marathon courses, high-country trails, and big walls. And as the calendar clicked toward a new millennium, The Nor th Face launched its own line of

trekking and trail-running shoes to ultimately address the head-to-toe needs of those always striving for the next horizon.

The North Face, never stop exploring!

Ali Abdulwahab Al-Mutawa Commercial Co (AAW) is an international group, considered as one of the largest trading and commercial companies in the Middle East, representing over forty different global brands in the surging Middle East retail and consumer goods market.

AAW is a diversified group of companies successfully operating across a range of continuously growing sectors like Consumer Goods, Pharmaceuticals, Furniture and Carpets, Real Estate, Kitchen Furniture, Home Appliances, Outdoor Gear, Sports and Fashion, and having various world class brands in its portfolio like P&G, Pfizer, VANS, The Nor th Face, Bosch, Siemens, TAF, Bioderma, Roche, among many others.

KUWAIT: Chairman & Managing Director of Ali Abdulwahab Al-Mutawa Commercial Co (AAW), Faisal Al-Mutawa, and the General Manager, Ali Faisal Al-Mutawa during the opening of The North Face.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

EU to fight Internet tax and ‘spying’ at global summit BRUSSELS: European Union member states are preparing to fight as a bloc alongside the United States to prevent a move by Russia and countries in Africa to impose a levy on internet traffic and make it easier to track users’ activities.

The showdown over the policing and administration of the internet will take place at a meeting of the International Telecommunications Union in Dubai from Dec. 3-14, when the ITU’s 193 member countries will meet to debate new net rules.

The EU’s 27 states are staunchly opposed to sweeping plans to regulate the internet, including proposals from Africa, Asia and the Middle East that governments should be able to trace the flow of Webbased traffic and introduce a tax on companies such as Google and Yahoo! if they deliver content to networks abroad. The United States, which plays a dominant role in administering the internet via ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is firmly opposed to any new restrictions, which it fears will limit innovation and commerce.

It is backed in its stance by the EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and other ITU-member countries. As well as having support from African countries, officials say Russia has backing for some of

its proposals from China. “The EU believes that there is no justification for such proposals,” the European Commission, the EU’s executive, said on Friday, saying it was the view of all 27 member states. Neelie Kroes, the European commissioner responsible for internet policy, says some of the proposals being made ahead of the ITU conference risk damaging the internet’s evolution as a critical piece of global commercial infrastructure and a network for the free flow of information and data.

“The European Union’s firm view is that the Internet works,” she said this week. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Leaked drafts of a proposal from Russia show it would like to have more say over internet traffic entering its networks, a proposal the United States has said is most troubling to them.

“Member states shall have the sovereign right to regulate... the national internet segment,” Russia’s proposal says. The US ambassador to the ITU, Terry Kramer, said Moscow’s plans would give governments “the right to route traffic, to review content, and say that’s all a completely national matter”, a potentially profound limitation on speech and trade.

Any agreements which would allow governments to shepherd traffic at their will threaten U.S. business

interests because most content on the internet either originates from, is stored in or routed via the United States. With some of the world’s biggest and most innovative Web-based companies, from Google to Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo!, based in the United States, the country has the most to lose.

While countries like Russia cite cyber attacks as a reason to monitor traffic, the EU see it as an excuse.

“Some countries treat this as a euphemism for controlling freedom of expression,” said a commission official. The EU is also alarmed by proposals to make content providers pay for having their services delivered abroad. As traditional phone revenues decline and internet access prices remain high, some countries argue that Google, Skype and Facebook ought to pay to have their traffic routed to that country, helping them fund the expansion of their networks.

A leaked proposal from Cameroon says traffic reaching a network operator would incur “full payment.” Kramer said some Arab states were also favourable to the idea.

However, such proposals, known as ‘sender party pays’, are a potential boon to European telecoms companies, some of which annnounced in October that they supported such fees. Some European tele-

coms operators have or would like to have operations in developing countries such as Cameroon.

The German operator Deutsche Telekom tried to promote the principle by comparing it to the first postage stamp. But in practical terms, extending the way the postal service makes money to the Internet could mean that Google would pay each time someone in Cameroon read their Google-based email.

Critics say such proposals are unworkable because traffic usually crosses half a dozen networks in several countries before it lands in a person’s browser.

“The idea that you trace and bill all of this is ludicrous,” said James Waterworth of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, a US group whose members include Facebook and Microsoft and which has an office in Brussels.

Internet activists say such fees would ‘Balkanise’ the internet and cause an information black out in poorer countries. “Who would be interested in providing content, if they have to pay for doing so?” said Markus Kummer of the Internet Society, a think-tank with offices in Geneva. “And developing countries might be shooting themselves in the foot, as reversing the economic Internet model might cut them off from accessing vital information.” — Reuters

Hacking group declares Internet war on Syria Group says will target Syrian embassies

ISTRES: The prototype of a European combat drone, known as “Neuron”, flies above the military airport in Istres, in southeastern France, yesterday. The drone model created by Dassault Aviation made its maiden flight yesterday, and is being used to test technologies that will serve to develop unmanned fighter jets and drones for European Union countries’ air forces by 2030. — AFP

Prototype of European combat drone makes maiden flight PARIS: A prototype of a European combat drone, the Neuron, made its maiden flight yesterday from a base in the south of France, project leader Dassault Aviation announced.

“It inaugurates the next generation of combat aircraft, whether piloted or not, with the ambition of preserving European autonomy in this field,” the French defence ministry said in a statement.

“It’s a major accomplishment on both the technological and industrial levels,” it added. The aircraft, which has no vertical tail in order to make it as furtive as possible, flew for 25 minutes under the watch of two test pilots based on the ground.

The Neuron is a prototype, or model serving to test and develop technologies that could be used one day in a pilotless fighter plane which would equip European air forces around 2030.

The programme, launched by France in 2003 with support from Italy, Sweden, Spain,

Switzerland and Greece, cost 406 million euros ($527 million), of which France contributed about half. Drones currently in service are used as surveillance planes or in surgical strike missions, but none rival the tasks performed by combat aircraft.

Under current strategic thinking, drones could be used on the first day of a conflict to destroy enemy anti-air defences, but will not replace piloted planes. “Today nobody imagines a future with planes without pilots,” said Dassault’s technical director general Eric Gondoin.

Unlike the Pentagon, which is due soon to call for bids for the production of a first fighter drone, the Europeans cannot currently afford to build such a weapon. In the meantime, Dassault is appealing for financing by European governments interested in a new programme to build an operational prototype, in order to preserve engineering know-how. — AFP

BEIRUT: Global hacking network Anonymous said it will shut down Syrian government websites around the world in response to a countrywide Internet blackout believe aimed at silencing the opposition to President Bashar Al-Assad. Syria was plunged into communication darkness on Thursday when Internet connectivity stopped at midday. Land lines and mobile phones networks were also seriously disrupted. The Syrian government said “terrorists” had attacked Internet lines but the opposition and human rights groups suspect it to be the work of the authorities.

Opposition activists have used the Internet extensively to further their cause by publishing footage of aerial strikes and graphic images of civilian casualties. In the absence of a free press, they have used social media to disseminate information during the uprising and communicate with journalists abroad. Anonymous, a loose affiliation of hacking groups that opposes Internet censorship, said it will remove from the Internet all web assets belonging to Assad’s government that are outside Syria, starting with embassies.

By 1000 GMT yesterday, the website for Syria’s embassy in Belgium was down but the embassy in China - which Anonymous said it would target first - was operating.

Most government ministry websites were down although this could be due to the blackout. Several networking experts said that it was highly unlikely that the lines had been sabotaged by anti-Assad forces.

CloudFlare, a firm that helps accelerate Internet traffic, said on its blog that saboteurs would have had to simultaneously sever three undersea cables into the port city of

Australia unveils telescope to warn of solar flares

TOKYO: This undated publicity image provided by Sony shows an ultra-HD 4K TV set.

High-definition TVs roughly quadrupled the resolution of the sets that came before them. Now, the industry is poised to do it again as Sony says its US stores will, by December 2012, sell a TV set with four times the resolution of today’s best HDTVs. — AP

Sony introduces ultra HD video player LOS ANGELES: “The Amazing Spiderman,” “Taxi Driver” and “The Karate Kid” are getting some real resolution. The new, restored and rebooted films from Sony Pictures are among the content coming preloaded on a video player bundled with Sony’s first ultra-high-definition television, a massive 84-inch set that retails for $24,999.99 and features nearly four times the resolution of typical high-definition TVs. “People ask the question, ‘Do I need to get a bigger house to fit an 84-inch TV?’” said Chris Cookson, president of Sony Pictures Technologies. “The answer is that 25 inches was right for standard definition; 50 inches was right for high-def; and 84 inches is right now that we’re going ultra-high-def.”

Ultra HD is widely regarded as the next evolution in TV technology, but there’s currently a lack of content that takes advantage of the vast resolution, though Ultra HD sets are equipped to upscale lower resolution video. Sony Corp. is hoping to overcome that pitfall that with this new player. The Japanese electronics giant debuted the hard-disc server - hidden in a cabinet underneath the behemoth television - at a posh invite-only party Thursday at a private mansion in Santa Monica that featured a performance by John Legend.

The video player will include 4K content

such as short films, concerts and 10 featurelength movies, including “The Other Guys,” “Salt” and “The Bridge on the River Kwai.” Sony’s TV will also come with an Xperia Tablet S, which can be used as a touchscreen remote control.

“We know there are limitations with broadband and the typical size of a movie that’s in 4K,” said Phil Molyneux, chief operating officer of Sony Electronics. “I think this is an extremely good first step to ensure that consumers can have and enjoy the 4K experience in their home.” The electronics industry has dubbed the new flat-panel displays “Ultra HD,” while Sony specifically refers to it as “4K” because it features nearly 4,000 pixels, compared to the 1,080 pixels found in “1080p” sets. Molyneux said Sony has been pushing for 4K since 2005, when the company put 4K projectors in movie theaters.

Last year, Sony introduced a 4K home projector, and offered a 4K upscaling Blu-ray player earlier this year. Molyneux teased that additional 4K content for the new player would be sent to owners on Blu-ray discs.

“It’s a first step,” added Molyneux. “If we’ve had a vision since 2005, and we’ve been arming and equipping for 4K content creation, I think it’s fair to speculate that we’re also thinking about other ways to get 4K content to consumers in their home.” — AP

SYDNEY: Australia has unveiled a new radio telescope in the remote outback that will give the world a vastly improved view of the sun and much faster warnings on massive solar storms.

The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) radio telescope will detect flares on the sun’s surface that could damage communication satellites, electricity power grids and GPS navigation systems, director Steven Tingay said Saturday.

Tingay said large solar flares produced an eruption of particles that could wreck havoc on satellites, and also created strong magnetic fields. “The telescope will be able to detect when those flares take place,” he told AFP. Tingay said the goal was to predict the trajectory of potentially damaging debris and use this information to allow the reorientation of satellites or the shut down of communications systems that could be in its path. He said while previously scientists could have about three or four hours’ warning of potentially damaging solar disturbances, the new telescope could give them up to 20 hours.

“It’s a very new type of telescope,” he said, adding that its remote, sparsely populated location almost 800 kilometres (500 miles) north of the western city of Perth meant it was ideal for low-frequency radio reception.

Experts have warned that the sun is due to re-enter peak activity in 2013, with a marked increase in the number and severity of solar storms expected. “The MWA will keep watch on the sun during the upcoming period of maximum solar activity,” Tingay, who is professor of Radio Astronomy at Curtin University, said in a statement.

“It has the potential to deliver very real and immediate benefits to the entire global population.” Tingay said the Aus$51 million (US$53 million) MWA telescope, involved the work of 13 institutions in Australia, the United States, India and New Zealand, led by Western Australia’s Curtin University.

The MWA will also offer scientists a better understanding of how the early universe formed by picking up radio waves that have travelled for a long as 13 billion years-or soon after the Big Bang-to reach Earth.

“Understanding how the dramatic transformation took place soon after the Big Bang, over 13 billion years ago, is the final frontier for astrophysicists like me,” Tingay said. The MWA, launched on Friday, is expected to be fully operational in February. — AFP

Tartous and also an overland cable through Turkey in order to cut off the entire country’s Internet access. “That is unlikely to have happened,” CloudFlare said. The government has been accused of cutting communications in previous assaults on rebel-held areas. Anonymous said Assad’s government had physically “pulled the plug out of the wall”. “As we discovered in Egypt, where the dictator (Hosni) Mubarak did something similar - this is not damage that can be easily or quickly repaired,” it added, referring to an Internet outage during the early days of the 2011 uprising in Egypt.

Rebels have seized a series of army bases across Syria this month, exposing Assad’s loss of control in northern and eastern regions and on Thursday fighting on the outskirts of the capital blocked access to the

international airport. More than 40,000 people have been killed since the uprising began in March 2011, according to opposition groups.

Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, said the Internet cut could signal that Assad is seeking to hide the truth of what is happening in the country from the outside world. Syrian authorities have severely restricted non-state media from working in the country. The hacker collective has staged cyber attacks on the US Central Intelligence Agency and Britain’s Serious Organised Crime Agency. Earlier this month, The Israeli government said it logged more than 44 million hacking attempts in just a few days during its military assault on Gaza after Anonymous waged a similar campaign. — Reuters

Ford Fusion wins ‘Green Car of Year’ award 2013 LOS ANGELES: Ford Motor Co, which has emphasized boosting the fuel economy of its lineup to attract car buyers, won a top “green car” award for its Fusion midsize sedan, making it the least expensive model yet to earn the title. In the past, sales of green vehicles have been hampered by their relatively high price tags. The Fusion, which starts at $21,700 for the gas-powered base model, won because it is offered in a wide range of powertrains, said Ron Cogan, editor of Green Car Journal, which gives out the annual award to recognize leadership in cutting emissions. “It won by virtue of the fact that it offers an array of choices,” Cogan said after announcing the award during the LA Auto Show on Thursday. “This is huge.”

The second-largest US automaker offers gas-powered, hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. The Fusion hybrid is estimated to get 47 miles per gallon, although early tests by Consumer Reports magazine signal that the Fusion hybrid, like other hybrids that have been tested, may fall short of that figure. A hybrid is an automobile with more than one power source, such as an electric motor and internal combustion engine or an electric motor with battery and fuel cells for energy storage.

Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said the company was expecting to see a wider range for fuel economy on its new generation of hybrids because it is not asking drivers to compromise on vehicle performance. “If you want to drive for maximum fuel economy, the car has the tools. You can do it,” Sherwood said. “If you want to drive 80 miles per hour on the highway you aren’t going to get 47 miles per gallon.”

All five finalists for the 2013 award are available to the mass market, underscoring the auto industry’s ramped-up focus on boosting fuel economy over their entire lineup, not just in low-volume, specialized vehicles. The finalists included the Dodge Dart Aero, a turbocharged version of Chrysler Group LLC’s compact car, and Mazda’s CX-5 SkyACTIV crossover, both of which start around $20,000. The others were Toyota Motor Corp’s subcompact hybrid, the Prius c, which starts at $18,950, and the Ford CMax, which starts at $25,200 for the hybrid model. “(The LA Auto Show) used to be all about electric vehicles, which really don’t suit everyone,” said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ director of automotive testing. “Now you’re seeing fuel economy for everyone.” Previous winners of the Green Car award have included General Motors Co’s plug-in Chevrolet Volt, which costs just under $40,000, and Honda Motor Co’s natural gas-powered Civic, which starts around $26,300.

Ford’s transformation The award has been presented since

2006, when Ford won for its Mercury Mariner hybrid, a since-discontinued sport-utility vehicle that got about 27 mpg and had a starting price of nearly $30,000. The 2013 Fusion’s gasolinepowered base model gets 34 mpg on the highway, while the hybrid version gets 47 mpg, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The plug-in Fusion Energi includes 20 miles of all-electric range, with a backup gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain.

Ford has revitalized sales in recent years in part because of a renewed focus on fuel economy and smaller, more efficient cars. Ford has also adopted a more flexible manufacturing strategy that allows it to build gaspowered, hybrid and electric models all on the same assembly line.

The average fuel economy of Ford’s cars and trucks for model year 2011 was 21.3 mpg, up from 18 mpg in 2006, US government data shows. The industry average for 2011 was 22.8 mpg. Early tests by Consumer Reports indicate that the Fusion and C-Max could fall short of EPA’s estimates of 47 miles per gallon for both models, Fisher said. “I’d be surprised if we get near that,” Fisher said. But he added that it was not uncommon for hybrids to fall short of the EPA estimates, citing the Prius as an example. Official testing by the influential consumer watchdog is just beginning, but in routine driving by researchers, “we haven’t seen anything close to 47,” Fisher said.

‘Nothing earth-shattering’ While the industry is shifting focus to improving fuel economy, hybrids like the popular Toyota Prius and the Volt still account for less than 3 percent of US auto sales, said Lonnie Miller, analyst with Polk Automotive.

Sales of electric cars like Nissan’s Leaf and the Volt have lagged expectations, despite high gasoline prices, in part because the cost of the batteries that power them is very high and normal internal combustion engines are getting much better mileage per gallon than in the past.

Fisher said that the past couple of years have been characterized by incremental improvements rather than big breakthroughs when it comes fuel economy of new vehicles. “There’s not a whole lot of ‘hit ‘em right out of the park’ vehicles here,” he said.

“There’s no new Tesla being introduced. You look at the Green Cars of the Year. There is nothing really earthshattering.” The winner was selected by a panel of environmental leaders, including Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune, Ocean Futures Society President Jean-Michel Cousteau, Global Green USA President Matt Petersen, television personality and car enthusiast Jay Leno and staff of the Green Car Journal. — Reuters

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

health & science

Brought in ballast, aggressive seaweed spreads along East Coast LITTLETON: An invasive Asian seaweed that likely was brought to the New England coast from Europe has spread across more than 400 miles (645 km) of Atlantic coastline since it was first discovered in US waters off Rhode Island in 2009, biologists say.

The Red Asian seaweed is creating problems for the fishing industry as it gums lobster traps and fishing pots while displacing marine creatures that feed on native seaweed varieties. “It’s outcompeting them,” said Matt Bracken, a Northeastern University biol-

ogist who is studying the spread of the plant known scientifically as heterosiphonia japonica.

“It’s better at taking up nutrients, it grows more readily and is not eaten as readily by animals like snails and small crustaceans,” he said in an interview.

High school students in Maine recently collected Red Asian seaweed off the coast of Cape Elizabeth, near Portland, Maine, the farthest north it has yet been found. It has been sighted as far south as New York’s Long Island.

Some New England beaches have been

blanketed with the seaweed, which emits a bad smell when it dries out.

Red seaweed is native to the waters around Japan and the Korean peninsula and scientists believe it arrived in Europe in the early 1980s, probably in France in a load of live baby oysters that were grown in aquaculture farms.

It has since spread as far south and east as Venice, Italy, on the Adriatic Sea and as far north as upper Scandinavia.

It likely spread from Europe to Rhode Island in the seawater used as ballast for cargo ships, scientists said.

Craig Schneider, who studies seaweed at Trinity College in Connecticut, first identified the red seaweed while walking the beach in Charlestown, Rhode Island in 2009. “I saw this plant and said, ‘I don’t know this, I don’t know what this is,’” he said.

“I brought it back to the lab and I knew in five seconds after looking under the microscope: oh no, this probably came from Europe.” The seaweed is likely to rapidly spread as far north as Newfoundland and as far south as North Carolina, Bracken said. In

Norway researchers found that the seaweed, which clones itself asexually, extended its range up the coast by 500 miles (8000 km) in five years, he said.

Halting the red seaweed’s spread in the ocean will be difficult. Bracken said sea urchins, which are voracious seaweed eaters, could help contain the species.

However, sea urchin levels have declined sharply in the North Atlantic after fishermen began harvesting the species in recent years to sell urchins to Asian consumers, he said. — Reuters

S Africa makes progress in fight against HIV/AIDS ARVs are called the ‘Lazarus drug’

DOHA: Local and international activists march to demand urgent action to address climate change at the UN climate talks in Doha, Qatar, yesterday. — AP

Some wish Islam would inform climate talks DOHA: At Friday prayers in Qatar’s most popular mosque, the imam discussed the civil war in Syria, the unrest in Egypt and the UN endorsement of an independent state of Palestine.

Not a word about climate change, even though the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar is hosting a UN conference where nearly 200 countries are trying to forge a joint plan to fight global warming, which climate activists say is the greatest modern challenge to mankind.

“Unfortunately the Arab and Islamic countries have political and economic problems,” said Adham Hassan, a worshipper from Jordan streaming out of the al-Khatabb mosque in Doha. “Islam calls for the protection of the environment, but the Muslim countries are mostly poor and they didn’t cause pollution and aren’t affected by climate change.”

Of six mosques contacted by The Associated Press in the Qatari capital, only one included an environmental message in the Friday prayers, telling those in attendance to plant trees, shun extravagance and conserve water and electricity. The Quran, Islam’s holy book, is filled with more than 1,500 verses to nature and Earth. Yet the voice of Islamic leaders is missing from the global dialogue on warming.

That disappoints Muslim environmental activists, who believe the powerful pull of Islam could be the ideal way to change behavior in both poor countries, where many people’s main source of information is the mosque, and in some wealthy countries like Qatar where Islam remains important even as rapid growth has made it the world’s top per capita emitter of carbon dioxide.

“It’s absolutely frustrating,” said Fazlun Khalid, founder of the UK-based Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences, which oversees projects around the world that use Islamic teachings to combat problems ranging from deforestation to overfishing. “ We get very little support from Muslims,” he said. “They don’t connect.

We have to wake them up to the fact their existence is threatened by their own behavior. Modernity and the economic development paradigm is about dominating nature. Islam, as you are aware, is submission to the will of the creator. We need to remind ourselves that we have to submit.”

As the annual UN climate conference neared its halfway point in Doha, the usual splits opened up between rich and poor nations over how to divide the burden - and financial cost - of protecting the world from overheating.

UN climate chief Christiana Figueres lamented that she didn’t see “much public interest, support, for governments to take on more ambitious and more courageous decisions.”

“Each one of us needs to assume responsibility. It’s not just about domestic governments,” she said.

The talks are aimed at limiting the level of warming to 2 degrees C (3.6 F), compared to temperatures before the industrial revolution. So the main focus is to cut the emissions of greenhouse gases that a vast majority of climate scientists say is to blame for the rising temperatures.

That goal gets more difficult to reach ever year. Temperatures have already risen about 0.8 degrees C (1.4 degrees F), according to the latest report by the U.N.’s scientific panel on climate change.

And a series of reports before and during the conference warned that global emissions are still increasing, primarily driven by the rapid growth of emerging

economies such as China and India.

World religions are seeking a more active role in climate change and sustainability issues. The Interfaith Declaration on Climate Change project - endorsed by Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism - was a regular presence at the U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen in 2009, while the Dalai Lama has repeatedly called on governments to take climate change more seriously. Religious leaders in the United States have launched a movement known as “green religion” or “eco-theology, with groups like the Evangelical Environmental Network endorsing clean energy and calling on people to consume less.

Muslims are also slowly heeding the call. Egypt’s government-appointed Muslim Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa, also known at the green mufti, has been outspoken on pollution and climate change, calling them greater threats than war, according to the consultancy Green Compass Research. The holy month of Ramadan has taken on a greener theme, with Muslims across the Middle East and the United States using it to touch on food waste and sustainability. Small-scale campaigns using Islam including one aimed at turtle conservation in Malaysia and illegal mining in Indonesia have been rolled out.

“It’s becoming a more important part of Islamic discourse, a more holistic approach to what it means to be a responsible Muslim in the world today,” said Tamara Sonn, a humanities professor at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. “There are greater levels of education and overall global awareness of the importance of environmental concerns facilitated by advances in communication, the Internet.”

But Muslim environmental activists say more could be done. Too often, they complain, discussions of the role of Islam and the environment are limited to conferences. They say religious leaders could issue fatwas on the environment, and governments could introduce curriculums in schools highlighting themes found in the Quran such as the importance of nature, treating animals compassionately and the prohibition on wastefulness. “ The majority of Muslim scholars, leaders, and activists whose major concerns are ritualistic and the legalistic aspects of Islam, themselves have not seen the environmental issues and problems as their immediate concern,” Muhamad Ali, assistant professor Islamic Studies University of California, Riverside, said in an email.

“While they focus on the purity and validity of a ritual act, they lack understanding and awareness of the immediacy and cruciality of the environment crisis as a common problem. Besides, like other monotheists in general, they see human beings as superior over the natural world.”

Khalid has seen firsthand how Islam can persuade Muslims to change their ways on sustainability issues. He once went to Zanzibar after conservation groups failed to persuade fishermen to stop using dynamite on coral reefs. After leading several workshops that leaned heavily on Quranic teachings, he said the fishermen never again used destructive practices.

“They stopped dynamiting coral reefs in 24 hours,” said Khalid, who has similar successes in Nigeria and Pakistan with forest protection. “It had a profound impact on the local fishermen. One of the fishermen told me that we can disobey the laws of the government but we can’t disobey the laws of the creator.” — AP

JOHANNESBURG: In the early 90s when South Africa’s Themba Lethu clinic could only treat HIV/AIDS patients for opportunistic diseases, many would come in on wheelchairs and keep coming to the health center until they died.

Two decades later the clinic is the biggest ARV (anti-retroviral) treatment center in the country and sees between 600 to 800 patients a day from all over southern Africa. Those who are brought in on wheelchairs, sometimes on the brink of death, get the crucial drugs and often become healthy and are walking within weeks. “The ARVs are called the ‘Lazarus drug’ because people rise up and walk,” said Sue Roberts who has been a nurse at the clinic , run by Right to Care in Johannesburg’s Helen Joseph Hospital, since it opened its doors in 1992. She said they recently treated a woman who was pushed in a wheelchair for 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) to avoid a taxi fare and who was so sick it was touch and go. Two weeks later, the woman walked to the clinic, Roberts said. Such stories of hope and progress are readily available on World AIDS Day 2012 in sub-Saharan Africa where deaths from AIDSrelated causes have declined by 32 percent from 1.8 million in 2005 to 1.2 million in 2011, according to the latest UNAIDS report.

As people around the world celebrate a reduction in the rate of HIV infections, the growth of the clinic, which was one of only a few to open its doors 20 years ago, reflects how changes in treatment and attitude toward HIV/AIDS have moved South Africa forward. The nation, which has the most people living with HIV in the world at 5.6 million, still faces stigma and high rates of infection.

“You have no idea what a beautiful time we’re living in right now,” said Dr. Kay Mahomed, a doctor at the clinic who said treatment has improved drastically over the past several years.

President Jacob Zuma’s government decided to give the best care, including TB screening and care at the clinic, and not to look at the cost, she said. South Africa has increased the numbers treated for HIV by 75 percent in the last two years, UNAIDS said, and new HIV infections have fallen by more than 50,000 in those two years. South Africa has also increased its domestic expenditure on AIDS to $1.6 billion, the highest by any low-and middle-income country, the group said.

Themba Lethu clinic, with funding from the government, USAID and PEPFAR, is now among some 2,500 ARV facilities in the country that treat approximately 1.9 million people. “Now, you can’t not get better. It’s just one of these win-win situations. You test, you treat

and you get better, end of story,” Mahomed said. But it hasn’t always been that way. In the 1990s South Africa’s problem was compounded by years of misinformation by President Thabo Mbeki, who questioned the link between HIV and AIDS, and his health minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, who promoted a “treatment” of beets and garlic.

Christinah Motsoahae first found out she was HIV positive in 1996, and said she felt nothing could be done about it. “I didn’t understand it at that time because I was only 24, and I said, ‘What the hell is that?’” she said.

Sixteen years after her first diagnosis, she is now on ARV drugs and her life has turned around. She says the clinic has been instrumental. “My status has changed my life, I have learned to accept people the way they are. I have learned not to be judgmental. And I

ed with HIV has declined significantly. In six countries in sub-Saharan Africa - South Africa, Burundi, Kenya, Namibia, Togo and Zambia the number of children with HIV declined by 40 to 59 percent between 2009 and 2011, the UNAIDS report said.

But the situation remains dire for those over the age of 15, who make up the 5.3 million infected in South Africa. Fear and denial lend to the high prevalence of HIV for that age group in South Africa, said the clinic’s Kay Mahomed.

About 3.5 million South Africans still are not getting therapy, and many wait too long to come in to clinics or don’t stay on the drugs, said Dr. Dave Spencer, who works at the clinic. “People are still afraid of a stigma related to HIV,” he said, adding that education and communication are key to controlling the

JAMMU: Indian students hold candles during a rally to mark World AIDS Day in Jammu, India, yesterday. — AP have learned that it is God’s purpose that I have this,” the 40-year-old said.

She works with a support group of “positive ladies” in her hometown near Krugersdorp. She travels to the clinic as often as needed and her optimism shines through her gold eye shadow and wide smile. “I love the way I’m living now.” Motsoahae credits Nelson Mandela’s family for inspiring her to face up to her status. The anti-apartheid icon galvanized the AIDS community in 2005 when he publicly acknowledged his son died of AIDS. None of Motsoahae’s children was born with HIV. The number of children newly infect-

disease. Themba Lethu clinic reaches out to the younger generation with a teen program.

Tshepo Hoato, 21, who helps run the program found out he was HIV positive after his mother died in 2000. He said he has been helped by the program in which teens meet one day a month. “What I’ve seen is a lot people around our ages, some commit suicide as soon as they find out they are HIV. That’s a very hard stage for them so we came up with this program to help one another,” he said.

“We tell them our stories so they can understand and progress and see that no, man, it’s not the end of the world.” — AP

Australia introduces plain packaging for cigarettes SYDNEY: A law forcing tobacco firms to sell cigarettes in plain packets came into effect in Australia yesterday in an effort to strip any glamour from smoking and prevent young people from taking up the habit. The new law, the first of its kind anywhere the world, came into force despite a vigorous legal challenge by big tobacco, which argued that the legislation infringed its intellectual property rights by banning trademarks.

All cigarettes will now have to be sold in identical, olive-brown packets bearing the same typeface and largely covered with graphic health warnings. A cashier at a Sydney newsagent said many customers said they found the new packaging, which must feature graphic images such as a gangrenous foot, mouth cancer or a skeletal man dying of can-

cer, off-putting. Sanjid Amatya said smokers were asking to pick and choose the images on their packets, with the photograph of gangrenous toes bothering many consumers, as well as one of a sick child affected by cigarette smoke. “Some of them don’t care what the picture is,” Amatya said from the store in the suburb of Wynyard where he has worked for three years. “But some say ‘Why did they change the pictures? It’s so awful’.” Another retailer Anas Hasan said the most preferred packs pictured a hand stubbing out a cigarette, while some smokers were buying cigarette cases so they did not have to look at the images.

“They hate it. I smoke and I hate it,” he said of the new packaging as he opened the doors on the cigarette display case in his Coogee shop to reveal the new packs, which cannot be

SYDNEY: An employee in a bookshop adjusts packaged cigarettes which have to be sold in identical olive-brown packets bearing the same typeface and largely covered with graphic health warnings, with the same style of writing so the only identifier of a brand will be the name on the packet, in Sydney yesterday. — AFP

openly displayed. “Poor Bryan, they call him,” he said, referring to the photograph of the dying man, named on the pack as 34-year-old Bryan.

Anti-smoking campaigners have welcomed the new law, which stipulates that 75 percent of the front of packets must feature the graphic images.

Stafford Sanders from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Australia told AFP that research had suggested people would be put off by the packaging. “It’s likely to make people more aware of the health warnings,” he said.

“And it will remove the potential for the packets to be used to mislead people. And it will de-glamorise the packet.”

Sanders said some people had become quite upset and offended by the images. “The images are supposed to be disturbing, to be confronting. They are supposed to have an effect,” he said. “If the images stop one child from taking up smoking, hasn’t it been worth you being offended by it?”

Smoker Louisa Brooks, 21, said she did not really notice the packets. “I’m a stressed out university student,” she said, after buying cigarettes which featured a picture of a sick baby in hospital with an oxygen tube going into its nose. “I definitely am going to quit one day... I don’t actually want to quit now,” she said. The percentage of smokers in Australia has dropped from about 50 percent in the 1950s to 15 percent now and the government is aiming to push it down to 10 percent by 2018.

With 80 percent of smokers starting before the age of 18, and 99 percent before they turn 26, health authorities hope the new packaging will have the biggest impact on young people.

“If we can prevent young people from taking it up, that’s a lifetime gift to them,” Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said on Friday ahead of the law coming into effect. Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death and disease among Australians, killing an estimated 15,000 every year. — AFP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

H E A LT H

Grand Canyon as old as dinosaur era Some 5 million tourists flock to Arizona each year LOS ANGELES: The awe-inspiring Grand Canyon was probably carved about 70 million years ago, much earlier than thought, a provocative new study suggests - so early that dinosaurs might have roamed near this natural wonder.

Using a new dating tool, a team of scientists came up with a different age for the gorge’s western section, challenging conventional wisdom that much of the canyon was scoured by the mighty Colorado River in the last 5 million to 6 million years.

Not everyone is convinced with the latest viewpoint published online Thursday in the journal Science. Critics contend the study ignores a mountain of evidence pointing to a geologically young landscape and they have doubts about the technique used to date it.

The notion that the Grand Canyon existed during the dinosaur era is “ludicrous,” said geologist Karl Karlstrom of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

How the Grand Canyon became grand with its vertical cliffs and flat plateaus - has

been debated since John Wesley Powell navigated the whitewater rapids and scouted the sheer walls during his famous 1869 expedition.

Some 5 million tourists flock to Arizona each year to marvel at the 277-mile-long chasm, which plunges a mile deep in some places. It’s a geologic layer cake with the most recent rock formations near the rim stacked on top of older rocks that date back 2 billion years.

Though the exposed rocks are ancient, most scientists believe the Grand Canyon itself was forged in the recent geologic past, created when tectonic forces uplifted the land that the Colorado River later carved through.

The new work by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and California Institute of Technology argued that canyoncutting occurred long before that. They focused on the western end of the Grand Canyon occupied today by the Hualapai Reservation, which owns the Skywalk attrac-

tion, a horseshoe-shaped glass bridge that extends from the canyon’s edge.

To come up with the age, the team crushed rocks collected from the bottom of the canyon to analyze a rare type of mineral called apatite. The mineral contains traces of radioactive elements that release helium during decay, allowing researchers to calculate the passage of time since the canyon eroded.

Their interpretation: The western Grand Canyon is 70 million years old and was likely shaped by an ancient river that coursed in the opposite direction of the west-flowing Colorado.

Lead researcher Rebecca Flowers of the University of Colorado Boulder realizes not everyone will accept this alternative view, which minimizes the role of the Colorado River. “Arguments will continue over the age of Grand Canyon, and I hope our study will stimulate more work to decipher the mysteries,” Flowers said in an email. It’s not the first time that Flowers has dug up evidence for an older Grand Canyon. In 2008, she authored a

Science journal urged to retract Monsanto GM study

LONDON: The publisher of a much-criticised study suggesting genetically modified corn caused tumours in rats has come under heavy pressure from scientists to retract the paper and explain why it was ever printed.

The calls follow a report by Europe’s food safety watchdog last week dismissing the study’s findings.

Reed Elsevier, which published the study in its Food and Chemical Toxicology journal in September, said on Friday it was considering the criticisms and would let readers know if it concluded it needed to change the way it checked research.

In a statement on its website, the journal said “the paper was published after being objectively and anonymously peer reviewed, with a series of revisions made by the authors and the corrected paper then accepted by the editor.”

Hundreds of scientists from around the world have questioned the research, which was written by French researcher Gilles-Eric Seralini of the University of Caen and said rats fed on Monsanto’s GM corn suffered tumours and multiple organ failure.

Genetically modified crops are deeply unpopular in Europe but are common in the United State where they have been grown and consumed for more than 15 years.

A day after the study was published, Seralini defended his work, saying it was the most detailed study on the subject to date. But more than 700 scientists have signed an online petition calling on Seralini to release all the data from his research. The petition, addressed directly to Seralini, says: “Only a full disclosure of the data can quell any uncertainties over the results you published.”

The chief executive of the agricultural research centre Rothamsted Research, Maurice Moloney, said Seralini’s

study was “seriously deficient in its design, its execution and its conclusions” - failings compounded by “excessive secrecy around the data”.

In a letter to the journal’s managing editor Bryan Delaney, Moloney said it was “appalling that such work should appear in a respected Elsevier journal”.

He also demanded to know how the paper managed to pass peer review - a process in which other scientific experts check a study, analyse its methods, question the authors and decide whether it is robust enough to give a reliable result.

Marc Van Montagu, president of the European Federation of Biotechnology, said this was “a dangerous case of failure of the peer-review system, which threatens the credibility not just of the journal but of the scientific method overall.”

Cathie Martin, a scientist at the John Innes Centre for plant science and microbiology research, said in the light of such widespread criticism of Seralini’s study, “is it not time for Food and Chemical Toxicology to retract the manuscript?”

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued a statement earlier last week confirming the findings of its initial review saying Seralini’s study had “serious defects” in design and methodology and “does not meet acceptable scientific standards”. Among other criticisms, the EFSA review panel said the authors had failed to establish appropriate control groups as part of the study, and had chosen a strain of rat that is prone to developing tumours during its normal lifespan.

Six separate national food safety bodies also asked to review the study - in France, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium - also came to the same conclusions. — Reuters

study that suggested part of the eastern Grand Canyon, where most tourists go, formed 55 million years ago. Another study published that same year by a different group of researchers put the age of the western section at 17 million years old.

If the Grand Canyon truly existed before dinosaurs became extinct, it would have looked vastly different because the climate back then was more tropical. Dinosaurs that patrolled the American West then included smaller tyrannosaurs, horned and domeheaded dinosaurs and duckbills.

If they peered over the rim, it would not look like “the starkly beautiful desert of today, but an environment with more lush vegetation,” said University of Maryland paleontologist Thomas Holtz.

Many scientists find it hard to imagine an ancient Grand Canyon since the oldest gravel and sediment that washed downstream date to about 6 million years ago and there are no signs of older deposits. And while they welcome advanced dating methods to decipher

the canyon’s age, Karlstrom of the University of New Mexico does not think the latest effort is very accurate.

Karlstrom said it also defies logic that a fully formed canyon would sit unchanged for tens of millions of years without undergoing further erosion.

Geologist Richard Young of the State University of New York at Geneseo said his own work suggests there was a cliff in the place of the ancient Grand Canyon. Flowers “wants to have a canyon there. I want to have a cliff there. Obviously, one of us can’t be right,” he said. Whatever the age, there may be a middle ground, said Utah State University geologist Joel Pederson.

Researchers have long known about older canyons in the region cut by rivers that flow in a different direction than the Colorado River. It’s possible that a good portion of the Grand Canyon was chiseled long ago by these smaller rivers and then the Colorado came along and finished the job, he said. — AP

Astronomers report startling find on planet formation SANTIAGO: Astronomers are reporting a find that challenges traditional theories as to how rocky planets-such as Earth-are formed. Besides Earth, our solar system has three other rocky planets: Mercury, Venus and Mars. They have a solid surface and core of heavy metals, and differ from planets that are large spinning bodies of gas, like Jupiter or Saturn.

The new findings suggest rocky planets may be even more common in the universe than previously thought.

The research was presented Friday in the Astrophysical Journal of Letters.

The astronomers used a cuttingedge telescope called ALMA, on a mountaintop 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) high in the remote desert of northern Chile. They peered out into space at a brown dwarf named ISO-Oph 102. A brown dwarf is an object that is like a star but too small to shine as brightly.

Traditional theory holds that rocky planets form through the random collision of microscopic particles in the disc of material that surrounds a star. The particles, like fine soot, stick together and grow.

Scientists thought the outer reaches of brown dwarves were different. They believed the grains there could not cling together because the discs were too sparse. Also, particles would be moving too fast to stick together after colliding. But lo and behold, in the disc

around ISO-Oph 102, the astronomers found things that, for them at least, were big-millimeter-sized grains. “Solid grains of that size shouldn’t be able to form in the cold outer regions of a disc around a brown dwarf, but it appears that they do,” said Luca Ricci of the California Institute of Technology, who

led a team of astronomers based in the United States, Europe and Chile.

“We can’t be sure if a whole rocky planet could develop there, or already has, but we’re seeing the first steps. So we’re going to have to change our assumptions about conditions required for solids to grow.” — AFP

NEW DELHI: An Indian drug user exchanges needles as part of a ‘needle exchange’ program at a drop-in centre in the old sector of New Delhi yesterday. Drug use in India is on the rise but there are no proper statistics on the number of people suffering from this ‘hidden disease’ with the first and last national survey on drug abuse carried out in 2000-01 and showed a figure of 70 million drug users in the country. — AFP

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

WHAT’S ON

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! This summer, let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

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Ambassador of Brazil to Kuwait Roberto Abdalla, Chef Paulo and Alfio Bernardini seen during the press conference. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

Greetings

First time in Kuwait, Brazilian Food Festival at Hotel Missoni otel Missoni Kuwait and the Embassy of Brazil are pleased to introduce for the first time in Kuwait the “Brazilian Food Festival” show at Luna Restaurant from 29th of November till 8th of December.

For this occasion, Hotel Missoni Kuwait and the Embassy of Brazil celebrated this ceremony and invited Government Officials, Diplomats and Media for a launching event at Luna Restaurant to meet the guest chef Paulo Machado who is very well known in Brazil.

Alfio Bernardini, General Manager said “This is a great opportunity for everyone here in Kuwait to enjoy the Brazilian culture through our Brazilian Food Festival and what an honor it is to have Chef Paulo Machado who will be showcasing his talents and taking you for a real tour to experience new taste in culinary arts of authentic Brazilian cuisine including the famous dishes Caldinho de Feijao, Moqueca Capixaba, Barreado, and Quindim”.

Roberto Abdalla, Ambassador of Brazil, said “ Brazilian food is based on three main traditions: Native American, Portuguese and African and I really hope this Festival will instigate those in Kuwait who have not yet had the chance to discover the Brazilian gastronomic universe. Also, for those who had the opportunity to visit Brazil, I am certain that good memories of my country will arise while savoring Chef Paulo’s creations”.

Hotel Missoni Kuwait is combining the unique style of the iconic Italian fashion & interiors house.

Designed to give guests a true taste of the Missoni way of life, Hotel Missoni quickly established itself as one of Kuwait’s leading hotels. The Hotel is located in Salmiya, Arabian Gulf Road and is part of the Symphony Complex, an adjacent luxury boutique shopping mall.

H appy birthday dear Merin Mol and Andrew Mon. May God Almighty shower His choicest blessings upon you both and keep you in good health and spirit.

Lots of love and wishes from pappa, mamma, Sibi, Kichukutten and all dear ones.

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Bridge results First - Withold - Karl, Second - Numan Turki - M. Tawfik, Third - S. Mostafa - Al-Roumi, Fourth - Ahmed Hinnawy - Dr Abdul Aziz Dashti Fifth - Sam Jocobs Sharmeen Jocobs, Sixth - Rana - Naela We conduct duplicate Bridge tournament every Sunday and Wednesday at 20:00 hours: played at the Graduates Club, next to Kuwait Engineering Society, interested Bridge pairs or individual players please contact Mohammed Merchant.

Announcements Christmas Bazaar alesian Cooperators are orgainising their Annual Christmas Bazaar, on Friday 07th December, 2012 from 9.30am to 12 noon @ IEAS (Don Bosco School). As all the proceeds go to for a good cause...your presence will make a difference!

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TASK general body meeting echnical Staff Association of Kuwait (TASK), Kuwait are conducting their General Body meeting on December 7, 2012 Friday 4:00 pm at Hi-Dine Auditorium. Election will be conducted for selecting new office bearers for the year 2013. The committee is inviting all members and technical staff non-residents from India in Kuwait to join hands with TASK and strengthen the association.

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Goan Culinary Club he Goan Culinary Club - Goa encourages you to log on to their website where you can find a video of Odette and Joe Mascarenhas sharing their thoughts on Goan cuisine. These videos were recorded at the launch of the Goan Culinary Club in Goa on March 3, 2012.

Thanks to support from all at the Goan Culinary Club, we have made great progress in six months.

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Basketball Academy he new Premier Basketball Academy offers coaching and games every Friday and Saturday from 10 am onwards for 6 to 18 year olds, boys and girls. Located in Bayan Block 7, Masjed Al-Aqsa Street by Abdullah Al-Rujaib High School. Free Basketball and Tee Shirts for all participants, with certificates and special awards on completion of each 6 week course. Qualified and experienced British and American Coaches, Everyone Welcome.

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Joy of Christmas hristmas is the Season of new beginnings and second chances! Headlines of disease, disaster and death slowly but surely acclimatize us to permanently anticipate the darker side of life. Men’s Voice Kuwait and Choral Society has always carried the message of love, hope and unity, touching the hearts of thousands, regardless of age, creed or religion. Every year we look forward to ring the Christmas season with a night of joyous music. Popular 12-year-old choir draws us to the brighter side with the “The Joy of Christmas” a wonderful Concert on Friday, December 7, 2012 at 7 pm at Carmel School Auditorium, Khaitan.

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Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Jalalabad Society holds reception alalabad Social Welfare Society (Jalalabad Association) Kuwait gave a warm reception to A.S.M.Nazrul Islam the Country Manager of Biman Bangladesh Airlines and his colleagues on 22nd November. At this reception, expatriates from the greater Sylhet district of Bangladesh honored the Kuwait officials of country’s national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines to mark its introduction of Kuwait to Sylhet direct flight.

M Alim Uddin president of Jalalabad Social Welfare Society presided over the

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program. A.S.M. Nazrul Islam Country Manager of Biman Bangladesh Airlines was the guest of honor. Among the special guests were, Abdul Khaleque Chowdhury - chief advisor to Jalalabad Society, M Raihan uddin, M Faiz KamalVice president of Bangladesh Awami League Kuwait, Muktijoddha Sanghati Parisad Kuwait’s President M Rabiul Alam Rabi, Bangladesh Samaj Kallyan Samity President M Abdul Kader Mullah along with Bengali expatriate leaders from socio-cultural and journalist’s organizations in Kuwait. M Moynul Al Islam

General Secretary of the Samity presented the program. M Faisal Ahamed, M Moyob Ali Mahabub, M Salauddin, M Moynul Islam, M Faizur Rahaman Faiz, M Bahar, and the chief advisor to the samity M Abdul Khalique Chowdhury in their respective speeches spoke highly of the country’s National flag carrier’s timely decision and thanked it’s officials whole heartedly. In return the chief guest A.S.M.Nazrul Islam the country manager of Biman Bangladesh Airlines expressed gratitude for such an honor. He urged all to fly with the national carrier to assist its

continuous advancement that will ensure country’s economy as well. In the beginning of the program of Jalalabad Social Welfare Society presented a crest of honor A.S.M. Nazrul Islam.

M Abdul Hai Mamun, M.Faisal Ahamed, M Sad Uddin, M Nurul Amin Joynal, M Ankhar Mia, M Akhlakuiiaman Munna, M Sahab Uddin Shaheen, M Abdus Salam, M Shah Emdad Ullah and others had extended their hearty support to make the event a graceful one.

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WHAT’S ON

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

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 Consulate-General 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.

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EMBASSY OF CANADA The Canadian Embassy in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 7:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed for lunch from 12:30 to 13:00. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday.

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ESF celebrates One World he English School Fahaheel recently held the annual International Day under the slogan “One World One ESF”. Over 40 nationalities proudly attend ESF. On this all students had an opportunity to share with others the diversity and depth of their culture, tra-

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ditions, social activities and economies.

Upper school students had planned for weeks for this event by setting up stalls in the covered play areas, each depicting the rich culture they represent. It was a truly educational, colourful and enjoyable day for students, teachers

and parents who came to view over 40 nationalities at ESF working together in harmony.

The Lower and Middle school students participated by dressing up in their traditional attire. Upper school students also held a cultural programme at

the end of the day.

Winners for the best International Day stall, best costumes, best performance and overall winning team were awarded at the end of the day.

KPFA observed Iqbal Day with zeal & fervor

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on short-stay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database. Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, first-time applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS. ■■■■■■■

akistan Friendship Association (KPFA) recently celebrated the 135th birth anniversary of the poet of the East, Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal with national zeal, fervor and enthusiasm.

The function was arranged at the Pakistan English School & College - Jleeb Al Shuyouk which was attended by the Ambassador of Pakistan Iftikhar Aziz and by many Pakistanis liv-

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ing in Kuwait.

KPFA Educational Assistance Committee Chairman, Dr Muhammad Afzal while welcoming the guests, spoke highly of Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal and said his poetry ignite the flame of faith, selfhood and courage by his own feelings and force of expression.

Speaking on the occasion, the ambassador also praised Allama Muhammad Iqbal poetry and said Iqbal

was a poet, thinker and seer who could read the signs of tomorrow in the happenings of today, present hard facts and unravel abstruse truths through the medium of his poetry. The ambassador also appreciated the management of KPFA for holding such event.

Many renowned poets that included, Professor Tasleem Akbar Shah, Bader Seemab, Kashif Kamal and Fayyaz Wardak had also paid tributes to Dr

Allama Iqbal with their poetry.

At the end President of KPFA Rana Ijaz thanked the audience and the Executive Council of the KPFA for organizing the event. Special shields, souvenirs were given to the students of the various Pakistani schools & colleges who excelled in their studies.

TEMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform the Kenyan community residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that the Embassy has acquired new office telephone numbers as follows: 25353982, 25353985 - Consular’s enquiries 25353987 - Fax Our Email address: info@kenyaembkuwait.com.

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EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy has moved its office to new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, Al-Salaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes to advice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmar to contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location. Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, email:myankuwait11@gmai1.com.

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Karate training nternational Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Seibukan Karate Do-Kuwait announces the successful competition and grading test which was conducted on 21 November, at Indian Public School, Salmiya. The competition and grading were supervised by Sensei Mani

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Pappu - the chief instructor and Sensei Govindan Prasad - the chief examiner. Three students from Salmiya Dojo - (Ken J. Pais, Fleno Thankachan, Griffin George) and three students from Abbasiya Dojo (Umar Vazir Ahmed. T, Ashwin G. Nair, Shevins K.

Kunjumon), qualified for the black belt Shodan grading. The successful candidates were awarded Shodan certificates.

EMBASSY OF UKRAINE The Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait would like to remind that the external polling station No 90046 was created in the Embassy’s premises at the following address: Hawalli, Jabriya, bl.10, str. 6, build. 5. The working hours of the polling station: Sunday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Monday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Tuesday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Wednesday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Thursday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Friday from 10.00 to 13.00 pm; Saturday from 10.00 to 13.00 pm On October 28, 2012 the working hours of the polling station from 8.00 am to 20.00 pm. Please be advised to refer to the Embassy to check your data in the Electoral Register as well as to pick up your personal invitation from the polling station if you did not receive this document by post.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:20 00:50 01:45 02:35 03:25 04:15 04:40 05:05 05:55 06:45 07:35 08:00 08:25 09:15 10:10 11:05 11:30 12:00 12:25 12:55 13:50 14:45 15:40 16:05 16:35 17:00 17:30 18:25 19:20 20:15 21:10 22:05 23:00 23:25 23:55

Baboons With Bill Bailey I’m Alive Animal Cops Philadelphia Running With Wolves My Cat From Hell Baboons With Bill Bailey Baboons With Bill Bailey Wild France Animal Cops Philadelphia Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Wildlife SOS Talk To The Animals Dogs 101 Crocodile Hunter Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Breed All About It Jeff Corwin Unleashed The Really Wild Show Wild France Queens Of The Savannah Wildwives Of Savannah Lane Shamwari: A Wild Life Shamwari: A Wild Life Rescue Vet Rescue Vet Too Cute!

My Cat From Hell World Wild Vet Gator Boys Into The Dragon’s Lair Biggest And Baddest Shamwari: A Wild Life Shamwari: A Wild Life Squid Invasion

00:20 Bargain Hunt 01:05 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 02:25 Come Dine With Me 03:15 Antiques Roadshow 04:10 Antiques Roadshow 05:00 Antiques Roadshow 05:50 Antiques Roadshow 06:45 MasterChef Australia 07:30 MasterChef Australia 08:15 MasterChef Australia 09:05 MasterChef Australia 09:30 MasterChef Australia 10:20 MasterChef Australia 10:45 MasterChef Australia 11:30 MasterChef Australia 12:15 MasterChef Australia 13:05 MasterChef Australia 13:30 10 Years Younger 14:20 10 Years Younger 15:10 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 15:55 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:15 Come Dine With Me 18:05 Come Dine With Me 18:55 Bargain Hunt 19:40 Bargain Hunt 20:25 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 21:10 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 22:00 Baking Made Easy 22:30 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 22:55 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 23:20 The Hairy Bakers 23:45 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:10 02:00 02:10 02:30 03:00 03:10 03:30 04:00 04:30 05:00 05:10 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30

BBC World News Dateline London BBC World News Masters Of Money BBC World News World Features Middle East Business Report BBC World News World Features The Firing Line BBC World News Dateline London BBC World News Why Poverty?

BBC World News Newsnight BBC World News Click BBC World News India Business Report

09:00 09:30 10:00 10:10 10:30 11:00 11:10 11:30 12:00 12:10 12:30 13:00 13:10 14:00 14:10 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:15 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:10 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:10 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:15 22:30 23:00 23:10 23:30

BBC World News Fast Track BBC World News World Features The Firing Line BBC World News World Features Dateline London BBC World News World Features BBC World News BBC World News Masters Of Money BBC World News World Features Newsnight BBC World News BBC World News BBC World News Sport Today Click BBC World News Horizons BBC World News Why Poverty?

BBC World News India Business Report BBC World News Masters Of Money BBC World News BBC World News BBC World News Sport Today The Firing Line BBC World News World Features BBC World News

00:05 00:20 00:45 01:10 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 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 12:30 13:15 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 19:55 20:20 20:45 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:40

Popeye The Addams Family Duck Dodgers Puppy In My Pocket Tom & Jerry Kids Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Flintstones Pink Panther And Pals 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 Ha Ha Hairies Moomins The Looney Tunes Show Taz-Mania What’s New Scooby Doo? Tom & Jerry Tales Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Wacky Races The New Scooby Doo Movies The New Scooby Doo Movies 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 Addams Family Pink Panther And Pals The Scooby Doo Show The Flintstones Tom & Jerry Tales Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries The Looney Tunes Show What’s New Scooby Doo? The Garfield Show Johnny Bravo Dexter’s Laboratory

00:40 Chowder 01:30 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 01:55 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 02:20 Foster’s Home For...

02:45 Foster’s Home For...

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 Thundercats 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 Thundercats 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

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:15 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:15 04:30 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:15 09:30 10:00 10:15 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 16:00 16:30 16:45 17:00 18:00 18:30

TREMORS ON OSN ACTION HD

World Report Going Green Winning Post The Gateway World Sport World Report Talk Asia World Report Amanpour CNN Marketplace Europe CNN Marketplace Africa The Brief CNN Presents CNN Newsroom Sanjay Gupta MD Inside Africa World Sport On China World Report CNN Marketplace Middle East Talk Asia World Report CNN Marketplace Europe I Report For CNN World Sport Open Court African Voices The Brief CNN Presents World Report Going Green Fareed Zakaria GPS World Report Leading Women Future Cities State Of The Union International Desk Political Mann

19:00 19:15 19:30 19:45 20:00 20:30 20:45 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00

Global Exchange CNN Marketplace Africa Global Exchange CNN Marketplace Middle East World Sport Winning Post The Gateway International Desk African Voices International Desk On China Fareed Zakaria GPS

00:40 Behind Bars 01:35 Chris Ryan’s Elite Police 02:30 How Stuff’s Made 03:00 How It’s Made 03:25 How Stuff’s Made 03:55 How It’s Made 04:20 How Stuff’s Made 04:50 How It’s Made 05:15 How Stuff’s Made 05:40 How It’s Made 06:05 How Stuff’s Made 06:35 How It’s Made 07:00 How It’s Made 07:25 How Stuff’s Made 07:50 Tallest Tower: Building The Shard 08:45 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior:...

09:40 Wheeler Dealers 10:30 Outback Truckers 11:25 Deadliest Catch 12:20 How It’s Made 12:45 How It’s Made 13:15 How It’s Made 13:40 How It’s Made 14:10 How It’s Made 14:35 Auction Kings 15:05 Auction Kings 15:30 Auction Kings 16:00 Auction Kings 16:25 Auction Kings 16:55 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 17:20 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 17:50 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 18:15 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 18:45 Border Security 19:10 You Have Been Warned 20:05 Mythbusters Dirty Dozen 21:00 Dynamo: Magician Impossible 21:55 How We Invented The World 22:50 Curiosity: Stonehenge 23:45 Sons Of Guns

00:15 Weird Or What?

01:05 Colony 01:55 Colony 02:45 Colony 03:40 Sport Science 04:35 Sport Science 05:25 Sport Science 06:15 Sport Science 07:05 Sport Science 08:00 Meteorite Men 08:50 Weird Or What?

09:40 Head Rush 09:43 Sci-Fi Science 10:10 Sci-Fi Science 10:40 Man-Made Marvels Asia 11:30 Punkin Chunkin 2010 12:20 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 13:10 Brave New World 14:00 Junk Men 14:25 Junk Men 14:50 Meteorite Men 15:45 Weird Or What?

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 Scrapheap Challenge 19:40 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 20:30 Killer Robots 21:20 How Tech Works 21:45 How Tech Works 22:10 The Gadget Show 22:35 The Gadget Show 23:00 Killer Robots 23:50 Things That Move

00:10 00:35 01:00 01:25 02:15 02:40 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 09:10 09:35 10:00 10:25 11:55 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:10 14:35 14:45 15:00 16:15 16:40 17:00 18:45 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:40 22:05 22:30 22:45 22:55 Cody 23:20 Cody 23:45

Stitch A Kind Of Magic A Kind Of Magic Replacements Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School A Kind Of Magic A Kind Of Magic Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School A Kind Of Magic 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 Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Austin And Ally Gravity Falls Camp Rock Phineas And Ferb Austin And Ally My Babysitter’s A Vampire Gravity Falls Jessie Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb My Babysitter’s A Vampire My Babysitter’s A Vampire Austin And Ally Camp Rock 2 Cadet Kelly 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

00:55 Style Star 01:25 Cheating Death 03:15 E! Investigates 04:10 E!es 05:05 Extreme Close-Up 05:30 Extreme Close-Up 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Extreme Close-Up 09:45 Extreme Close-Up 10:15 E!es 11:10 Opening Act 12:05 E! News 13:05 Married To Jonas 13:35 Married To Jonas 14:05 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 14:30 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:00 E!es 15:55 Fashion Police 16:55 Behind The Scenes 17:25 Behind The Scenes 17:55 E! News 18:55 Married To Jonas 19:25 Ice Loves Coco 19:55 Ice Loves Coco 20:25 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 21:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 22:25 Opening Act 23:25 Opening Act

00:40 A Haunting 01:30 A Haunting 02:20 The Haunted 03:05 Ghost Lab 03:55 A Haunting 04:45 A Haunting 05:30 On The Case With Paula Zahn 06:20 Mystery Diagnosis 07:10 Disappeared 08:00 Mystery Diagnosis 08:50 Street Patrol 09:15 Street Patrol 09:40 Real Emergency Calls 10:05 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

10:30 True Crime With Aphrodite Jones 11:20 Murder Shift 12:10 Disappeared 13:00 Mystery Diagnosis 13:50 Street Patrol 14:15 Street Patrol 14:40 Forensic Detectives 15:30 True Crime With Aphrodite Jones 16:20 Real Emergency Calls 16:45 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

17:10 Murder Shift 18:00 Disappeared 18:50 Forensic Detectives 19:40 Street Patrol 20:05 On The Case With Paula Zahn 20:55 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

21:20 Nightmare Next Door 22:10 Couples Who Kill 23:00 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 23:50 Great Crimes And Trials

01:25 Chattahoochee 02:55 Just A Little Harmless Sex 04:30 Sketch Artist II: Hands That See 06:05 Two Moon Junction 07:50 It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad World 10:25 The Golden Seal 12:00 Danielle Steel’s A Perfect Stranger 13:30 Savage Harvest 14:55 The Calendar Girl Murders 16:30 Mgm’s Big Screen 16:45 Mannequin 18:15 Bound For Glory 20:40 The Purple Rose Of Cairo 22:00 Zelig 23:20 Flesh And Blood

00:15 Into The Drink 00:45 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 01:40 Roam 02:05 Travel Madness 02:35 Hugh’s Three Hungry Boys 03:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 03:55 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 04:25 Street Food Around The World 04:50 Market Values 05:20 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 05:45 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 06:15 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 06:40 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 07:10 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 07:35 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 08:05 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 08:30 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 09:00 The Best Job In The World 09:25 The Best Job In The World 09:55 Bondi Rescue: Bali 10:20 Bondi Rescue: Bali 10:50 Bondi Rescue: Bali 11:15 Bondi Rescue: Bali 11:45 Roam 12:10 Deadliest Journeys 2 12:40 Hugh’s Three Hungry Boys 13:35 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:30 Street Food Around The World 14:55 Market Values 15:25 Perilous Journeys 16:20 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 16:45 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 17:15 The Best Job In The World 17:40 The Best Job In The World 18:10 Bondi Rescue: Bali 18:35 Bondi Rescue: Bali 19:05 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 19:30 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 20:00 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 20:30 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 21:00 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 21:30 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 22:00 Into The Drink 22:25 Into The Drink 22:55 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3

THE WARLORDS ON OSN CINEMA

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Predators In Peril Diving The Labyrinth Alaska State Troopers Alaska Wing Men World’s Deadliest Animals China’s Mystery Mummies Secrets Of The Cross Nat Geo Amazing!

Predators In Peril Diving The Labyrinth Alaska State Troopers Alaska Wing Men World’s Deadliest Animals Sea Patrol Alaska Wing Men What Would Happen If What Would Happen If Warrior Road Trip American Weed Trapped Cruise Ship Diaries Animal Mega Moves World’s Deadliest Animals Cruise Ship Diaries Trapped

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 08:45 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 India) 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 India) 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Philly Undercover Crocs Of Katuma Monster Fish Crocodile King Inside: The Tiger Trade Caught In The Act Lady With 700 Cats, The Dangerous Encounters Dangerous Encounters Monkey Thieves Monkey Thieves OZ - Python Hunters 3 Animal Intervention Great Migrations Wild India (aka Secrets of Wild Monster Fish Animal Intervention Planet Carnivore Maneater Manhunt Inside: The Tiger Trade The Last Lioness Wild India (aka Secrets of Wild Monster Fish Animal Intervention Planet Carnivore Maneater Manhunt

00:00 Dread-18 02:00 Blood Out-18 04:00 Striking Distance-PG15 06:00 Little Big Soldier-PG15 08:00 Tremors-PG15 10:00 Returner-PG15 12:00 Spider-Man-PG 14:00 Tremors-PG15 16:00 Warriors Of Heaven And Earth-PG15 18:00 Spider-Man-PG 20:00 Empire-18 22:00 Icarus-18

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 PG15 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 PG15 21:00 23:00

The Company Men-PG15 Teen Spirit-PG15 Arrietty-FAM My Girlfriend’s BoyfriendUncorked-PG15 Teen Spirit-PG15 Feed The Fish-PG15 The Warlords-PG15 Footloose-PG15 The People vs George Lucas-

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 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Friends 12:30 Samantha Who? 14:00 30 Rock 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 Breaking In 18:30 Hot In Cleveland 19:00 Two And A Half Men 19:30 Best Friends Forever 20:00 The Cleveland Show 20:30 Napoleon Dynamite 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Don’t Trust The B In Apartment 23 22:30 Eastbound & Down 23:00 Family Guy 23:30 The Cleveland Show

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Body Of Proof C.S.I. Breakout Kings The Tudors Bones C.S.I. Miami Body Of Proof Emmerdale Coronation Street White Collar Breakout Kings C.S.I. Bones Emmerdale Coronation Street White Collar Body Of Proof Emmerdale Coronation Street White Collar Bones The River The Killing Sons Of Anarchy The Tudors

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:00 PG15 19:00 21:00 23:00

Thick As Thieves-18 Striking Distance-PG15 Inside Out-PG15 Rocky-PG15 Bending The Rules-PG15 Inside Out-PG15 In The Line Of Fire-PG15 Bending The Rules-PG15 Charlie’s Angels: Full ThrottleWrong Side Of Town-18 Wake Wood-PG15 The Rig-18

00:00 Griff The Invisible-PG15 02:00 Nothing To Lose-PG15 04:00 Easy A-PG15 06:00 Open Season 3-FAM 08:00 Scooby-Doo-PG 10:00 Joe Dirt-PG15 12:00 Easy A-PG15 14:00 Scooby-Doo! Curse Of The Lake Monster-PG 16:00 Joe Dirt-PG15 18:00 Zookeeper-PG15 20:00 Stuck On You-PG15 22:00 Paul-PG15

The Rum Diary-18 S. Darko-PG15

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Saturday Night Live 02:30 Family Guy 03:00 Raising Hope 03:30 30 Rock 04:00 Samantha Who? 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:15 09:00 11:00 PG15 12:30 14:45 16:30 18:45 21:00 23:30

On The Edge-18 The Fighter-PG15 Burlesque-PG15 Relative Stranger-PG15 Espions-PG15 Justice For Natalee Holloway2001: A Space Odyssey-PG15 Espions-PG15 The Natural-PG The Terminal-PG15 Biutiful-18 L.A I Hate You-PG15

00:30 02:30 04:30 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:15 19:00 21:00 23:00

On The Inside-PG15 Blackthorn-PG15 The Tree Of Life-PG15 Game Change-PG15 Unstoppable-PG15 Elevator Girl-PG15 Backwash-PG15 Courageous-PG15 Unstoppable-PG15 The Woman In Black-PG15 Restless-PG15 Bad Teacher-18

01:00 Shark Tale-PG 02:45 Scooter The Penguin-FAM 04:30 Freddy Frogface-PG 06:00 Jetsons: The Movie-FAM 08:00 The Three Bears: Dreadful Dangers-FAM 10:00 Mars Needs Moms-PG 11:30 Shark Tale-PG 13:00 Winner & The Golden Child: Part I-FAM 14:30 Scooter The Penguin-FAM 16:00 Princess Sydney: The Three Gold Coins-FAM 17:30 Barbie: A Perfect ChristmasPG 19:30 Mars Needs Moms-PG 21:30 Princess Sydney: The Three Gold Coins-FAM 23:00 Winner & The Golden Child: Part I-FAM

02:30 04:30 05:00 05:30 13:30 14:00 19:00

Rugby Union International Futbol Mundial ICC Cricket 360 Live Cricket Test Match ICC Cricket 360 Rugby Union International Cricket Test Match

00:00 03:00 04:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 09:00 12:00 14:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00

HSBC Sevens World Series Trans World Sport Top 14 Futbol Mundial ICC Cricket 360 Rugby Union International HSBC Sevens World Series Top 14 Premier League Snooker ICC Cricket 360 WWE Bottom Line UFC The Ultimate Fighter Futbol Mundial NFL Game Day Live NFL

02:00 Total Rugby 02:30 Pro 12 04:30 Mass Participation 05:30 Mass Participation 06:00 Live Fukuoka Marathon 09:30 Pro 12 11:30 Trans World Sport 12:30 Futbol Mundial 13:00 AFL Premiership Highlights 14:00 Live Snooker UK Championship 17:00 Live Snooker UK Championship 21:30 Total Rugby 22:00 Live Snooker UK Championship

01:00 V8 Supercars 03:00 WWE SmackDown 05:00 WWE Bottom Line 06:00 UFC Unleashed 07:00 Live V8 Supercars 09:00 WWE Experience 10:00 WWE This Week 10:30 WWE Vintage 11:30 Futbol Mundial 12:00 UAE National Race Day 12:30 Live The Nedbank Golf Challenge 18:00 Squash 19:00 Live Pro 12 21:00 V8 Supercars 23:00 Prizefighter

Classifieds SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

CHANGE OF NAME 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

THE PUBLICAUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

Ministry of Interior

GOVERNMENT WEB SITES

website: www.moi.gov.kw 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

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

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

Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation www.awqaf.org

112 No: 15645

Prayer timings Fajr:

05:02

Asr:

14:30

Shorook

06:25

Maghrib:

16:50

Duhr:

11:38

Isha:

18:11

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JAI THY JZR JZR QTR ETH GFA UAE ETD QTR FDB MSR RJA KAC CLX DHX THY JZR BAW KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE GFA ABY QTR FDB ETD GFA IRA IRC JZR MEA MSR UAE KAC KAC GFA FDB KAC KNE SVA SYR QTR JZR

Arrival Flights on Sunday 2/12/2012 Flt Route 574 MUMBAI 772 ISTANBUL 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 148 DOHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 138 DOHA 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 642 AMMAN 544 CAIRO 792 LUXEMBOURG 170 BAHRAIN 770 ISTANBUL 555 ALEXANDRIA 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 855 DUBAI 223 BAHRAIN 121 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 603 SHIRAZ 6666 AHWAZ 165 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 610 CAIRO 871 DUBAI 742 DAMMAM 774 RIYADH 219 BAHRAIN 57 DUBAI 672 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 500 JEDDAH 341 DAMASCUS 140 DOHA 561 SOHAG

Time 0:30 0:35 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:45 1:50 2:35 2:45 3:01 3:05 3:10 3:15 4:20 4:55 5:15 5:30 6:00 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:45 7:55 8:15 8:25 8:40 8:45 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:55 10:40 11:10 11:20 11:55 12:45 12:50 12:55 13:30 13:35 13:50 14:10 14:10 14:30 14:40 14:45 14:50

KAC QTR UAE ETD RJA GFA SVA KAC JZR QTR ABY UAL KAC JZR RBG KAC BAB FDB JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC OMA FDB JAI AXB MSR ABY QTR ALK MEA QTR GFA ETD UAE KAC JZR JAI FDB DHX KAC KLM AFG AIC JZR GFA JZR UAL DLH

284 134 857 303 640 215 510 502 777 144 127 982 542 177 3553 786 438 63 787 166 618 674 102 562 647 61 572 393 606 129 146 229 402 136 221 307 859 172 135 576 59 372 514 417 405 981 239 217 185 981 636

DHAKA DOHA DUBAI ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN RIYADH BEIRUT JEDDAH DOHA SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO DUBAI ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH PARIS DOHA DUBAI NEW YORK AMMAN MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI KOZHIKODE LUXOR SHARJAH DOHA COLOMBO BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI FRANKFURT BAHRAIN COCHIN DUBAI BAHRAIN TEHRAN AMSTERDAM KABUL CHENNAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN FRANKFURT

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

Airlines AIC AXB DHX BBC UAL DLH JAI KAC KAC ETH THY FDB UAE ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR GFA RJA THY CLX JZR FDB BAW KAC GFA KAC ABY UAE KAC KAC FDB ETD KAC QTR GFA KAC IRA KAC IRC JZR KAC MEA KAC MSR JZR UAE GFA FDB

Departure Flights on Sunday 2/12/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 390 MANGALORE 371 BAHRAIN 44 CHITTAGONG 981 WASHINGTON DC 637 FRANKFURT 573 MUMBAI 283 DHAKA 283 DHAKA 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 643 AMMAN 771 ISTANBUL 792 GIALAM 560 SOHAG 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 171 FRANKFURT 224 BAHRAIN 671 DUBAI 122 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 741 DAMMAM 117 NEW YORK 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 773 RIYADH 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 602 SHIRAZ 501 BEIRUT 6667 AHWAZ 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 611 CAIRO 176 DUBAI 872 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI

Time 0:05 0:15 0:40 1:00 1:10 1:20 1:30 2:25 2:25 2:45 2:55 3:45 3:50 4:00 4:10 4:50 6:05 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:35 8:15 8:15 8:25 8:45 9:10 9:30 9:35 9:45 9:55 9:55 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:05 10:30 10:40 11:30 11:40 11:45 12:10 12:15 12:20 12:55 13:00 13:45 13:50 14:15 14:20 14:30

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

KAC KAC KNE SYR SVA KAC JZR QTR JZR ETD JZR KAC QTR UAE RJA GFA JZR SVA ABY JZR QTR RBG JZR UAL FDB BAB FDB OMA JAI AXB ABY MSR DHX ALK MEA ETD QTR GFA KAC FDB UAE JAI KAC DHX KAC KLM QTR KAC JZR GFA KAC KAC

561 673 473 342 503 617 786 141 238 304 538 513 135 858 641 216 184 511 128 266 145 3554 134 982 64 439 62 648 571 394 120 619 171 230 403 308 137 222 301 60 860 575 351 373 205 417 147 343 502 218 411 415

AMMAN DUBAI JEDDAH ALEPPO MADINAH DOHA RIYADH DOHA AMMAN ABU DHABI CAIRO IMAM KHOMEINI DOHA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH SHARJAH BEIRUT DOHA ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI MUSCAT MUMBAI KOZHIKODE SHARJAH ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN MUMBAI DUBAI DUBAI KOCHI KOCHI BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DAMMAM DOHA CHENNAI LUXOR BAHRAIN BANGKOK KUALA LUMPUR

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

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE 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

Kaizen center

25716707

Rawda

22517733

Adaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Kaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salem

22549134

Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Qadsiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Gar

22531908

Shaab

22518752

Qibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

ST TAT TE OF KUW K WA AIT

Te el.: 161

DIRECTORA ATE T GENERAL GENE OF CIVIL AVIA V ATION T PARTMENT A METEOROLOGICAL DEP DA AY Y: Saturday

WWW.MET.GOV V..KW

01/12/2012

BY Y DA AY:

Sunny with moderate wind in general north westerly wind, with speed of 20 - 38 km/h

BY Y NIGHT:

Cold with light to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of 12 - 35 km/h and some scattered clouds will appear No Current Waarnings arnin

WA ARNING

21 °C

15 °C

22451082

KUW WA AIT AIRPOR RT

21 °C

12 °C

Mirqab

22456536

NUW WA AISEEB

22 °C

13 °C

Sharq

22465401

WA AFRA

22 °C

12 °C

Salmiya

25746401

SALMI

18 °C

06 °C

ABDAL LY

20 °C

09 °C

Jabriya

25316254

JAL ALIY YA AH

19 °C

10 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FAILAKA A

20 °C

13 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

21 °C

14 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

21 °C

19 °C

W Hawally

22630786

WA ARBA A - BUBY YA AN

20 °C

11 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

ST TAT TION

01/12/2012 0000 UTC

Temperatures DA AY

DA ATE T

WEA ATHER T

Sunday

02/12

sunny + scattered clouds

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

Monday

03/12

South Jahra

24775066

Tuesday

04/12

North Jahra

24775992

Weednesday

05/12

North Jleeb

24311795

Fintas

SFC. CHART

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST

New Jahra

N Khaitan

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

21 °C

13 °C

NW

12 - 32 km/h

sunny + high clouds

21 °C

13 °C

NW

06 - 26 km/h

clouds to increase

22 °C

10 °C

VRB-SE

06 - 26 km/h

partly cloudy + scattered rain

22 °C

14 °C

S-SE

15 - 35 km/h

PRA RA AYER Y TIMES

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPORT

Fajr

05:01

MAX. Temp.

22 °C

Sunrise

06:24

MIN. Temp.

13 °C

24892674

Zuhr

11:37

MAX. RH

83 %

24719048

Asr

14:30

MIN. RH

32 %

Sunset

16:49

MAX. Wind

N 43 km/h

Isha

18:11

TOT TAL AL RAIINF FALL A L IN 24 HR.

24884079

24710044

00 mm

01/12/12 02:27 UTC

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

23900322

V1.00

T1.06

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Dr. Salem soso General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Faiha

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

Expected Weather e for the Next 24 Hours

KUW WA AIT CITY

Omariya

Al-Shuhada

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

07:00

Issue Time

MIN. REC.

Firdous

Ext.: 2627 262 - 2630

22418714

Fax: 24348714

MAX. EXP P.

Ardhiya

PHONE

Al-Madeena

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

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

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

36

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Khloe Kardashian

David Beckham to open restaurant with Gordon Ramsey

gives Mario Lopez marriage advice

he 37-year-old Los Angeles Galaxy soccer player is teaming up with the ‘Kitchen Nightmares’ TV chef for the eatery and he is “excited” to be venturing into a new business. He told radio host Ryan Seacrest: “We’ve got something in the pipeline. We are obviously good friends and we are excited about a project that could happen pretty soon. “It will be a business thing but owning a restaurant is going to be fun as well.” David and his wife Victoria who have children, Brooklyn, 13, Romeo, 10, Cruz, seven, and 16-month old Harper together - are close friends with Gordon, 46, and his wife Tana, 37, and the families regularly meet up for vacations and dinner dates. The superstar sportsman has previously taken cooking lessons and has admitted he has always wanted to work for Gordon someday. David said: “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always loved cooking. I’d love to cook for Gordon and I definitely will one day.” David was to play his final match for Los Angeles Galaxy yesterday and it is believed he and Victoria, 38, are keen to come back to England. The former Spice Girl has been house-hunting in London and the restaurant plan is thought to be another sign the family are looking to permanently relocate to the UK from the US. Referring to the end of his American adventure earlier this week, he said: “I do think I’ll be spending more time in England.”

T

he ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ star has been giving her ‘The X Factor’ USA cohost tips for his wedding, which took place this weekend. The 28-year-old reality star told People.com: “We talk during rehearsals and commercial breaks, and he’s like, ‘What time did you cut the cake?’ “I’m like, ‘I don’t know. I was so wasted at my wedding.’” But she revealed she has also given the father-of-one some good relationship advice. She said: “You and your partner should take a few minutes to yourselves and just watch the whole thing from the audience. “[My husband] Lamar and I will now talk about those little moments, because you get pulled away from each other.

You shouldn’t spend your whole wedding not with each other.” Mario, 39, is set to wed his fiancee Courtney Mazza, 31, as part of a televised two-hour wedding special that will air in the US on TLC on December 8 and admits he is very relaxed ahead of their big day. He said: “I’m just a sidekick in it. My fiancee is the star. I just want the wedding itself to be fun, just a blast, everybody to party and have fun and to go all night.”

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Dina Lohan

blamed for Lindsay Lohan’s latest arrest he ‘Liz & Dick’ actress was arrested and charged with punching a woman in a New York nightclub in the early hours of Thursday morning and her father Michael believes it is all her mother Dina’s fault. He wrote on twitter: “@dinalohan why is it that I have to go public to get her into rehab and you want to take credit when you are part of the cause? TOLD YOU! (sic)” Dina did not respond to Michael but released a statement claiming tough times only help to bond her family. According to RadarOnline, she said: “At this time I kindly ask that you extend to my family the time we need to address my daughter’s circumstances with the appropriate parties. As a mother you always love and pray for the best with all your children. “Our family’s bond grows deeper and stronger during the tough times and I am beyond proud of all of my children for the love and devotion they provide for each other.” “We are there for and stand by one another unconditionally. Many thanks to all that have expressed concern for my daughter. “Your compassionate thoughts and prayers are received with my deepest gratitude.” Meanwhile Lindsay’s assistant, Gavin Doyle, who bailed her out of jail, has urged her to “get help”. Writing under his twitter name @SaveTheSociety, he said: “@lindsaylohan after bailing you out last night I HOPE and PRAY you get the help you so desperately need. We are ALL rooting for you xxx “Life is NOT a movie it’s a reality that needs to be faced (sic).”

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Katherine Heigl is selling her LA mansion for $2.659m he former ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ actress has put her 3,690 sq ft Los Feliz house - which has four bedrooms and four bathrooms - on the market. The property also boats a huge gardens, large verandas, a pool and a cabana. The 33-year-old actress - who is married to Josh Kelley - could be planning to buy a bigger home after recently adopting daughter Adalaide Marie Hope, providing three-year-old Naleigh with a younger sister. While Katherine is thrilled with the latest addition to the family, she has admitted she was not prepared for how dramatic a life change it

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was. She said: “I think it’s far more chaotic than I anticipated. “And I think every parent probably says that and every parent tries to warn new parents about it. And we all go, ‘Pish posh, it’s going to be fine. What’s one more?’ “Naleigh was super excited about having a new baby sister-until she arrived. Then she was a little hesitant about whether or not she wanted her to stay and then she became her little protector and is taking on the role of big sister very seriously.”

Kourtney Kardashian touched a baby alligator he reality TV star and her friend, ‘The Real Housewives of Miami’ star Larsa Pippen, took their children to the museum on a day out recently, and she was impressed by the facilities and the up close encounters she could have with the animals. She wrote on her blog: “Larsa and I took the kids to the Miami Museum of Science and Planetarium. I loved how clean, quiet, calm and cool this museum was! I highly recommend it. “It was very modern and was very different than other museums I have been to. “They had a baby alligator that we got to see up close and touch, little baby otters that were swimming, turtles, lots of space items, geckos and lots more. My favorite part was the astronaut ice cream that I stocked up on.” While Kourtney, 33, was accompanied to the museum by her two-year-old son, Mason, her partner Scott Disick and their fourmonth-old daughter Penelope were not present.

However, the whole family were spotted at the beach a day or so later, with Scott sporting a strange fashion accessory, an eye patch. Kourtney is currently in Miami filming the next season of her reality TV show ‘Kourtney and Kim take Miami’ with her sister.

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Bradley Cooper’s mum wants him to settle down he ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ actor is involved in an on/off relationship with his ‘The Words’ co-star Zoe Saldana and Bradley’s mother Gloria has been spending time with the 34-year-old actress recently to discover if she is ready for marriage with Bradley, 37. A source told RadarOnline: “She’s very protective over Bradley and likes to get to know his girlfriends. She became good friends with Renee [Zellweger] and his former wife Jennifer [Esposito] and it’s important to him that his mom gets on well with whoever he dates. “Bradley recently told Gloria that he is very serious about Zoe, so she spent Thanksgiving with the pair of them. “Gloria loves Zoe, but she wants to know what her intentions are with the relationship.

She knows Zoe isn’t getting any younger and is hoping that if she is the one that they will settle down soon. “Ideally, she wants a grandchild so the pressure is on for Bradley to put a ring on it.” Zoe and Gloria were recently spotted deep in conversation as they enjoyed a day out with the actor and his dog in Venice, California. A source said: “Bradley was standing with his dog outside the Mystic Journey Bookstore, while his mother and Zoe were inside shopping. The two women were engrossed in deep conversation, it looked very serious, and there was clearly a lot of bonding going on.”

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Christopher Walken worked as a lion tamer he actor has taken on a number of interesting roles on screen, including killers, crime lords, a crazed Vietnam veteran and a James Bond villain, but one of his early jobs away from the cameras at a local circus was his most daring. In an interview with ShortList magazine, he explained: “It was owned by this man, Carol Jacobs, who was a professional lion-tamer. The main act was him lion-taming with all these big cats, and he decided as a kind of publicity gimmick that I’d dress up just like him, and it would be announced that I was his son. “When he was done with his act, he’d chase his big cats out and he left one little lioness, her name was Sheba, and I would come into the cage and wave the whip around and Sheba would do some tricks. But Sheba was like a big, nice, old dog.” While he was adept at keeping killer big cats in check, the ‘Seven Psychopaths’ star found it very difficult to keep penguins in check on the set of ‘Batman Returns’. The screen icon played ruthless businessman Max Schreck in the 1992 superhero adventure alongside Danny DeVito as villain The Penguin, Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman and Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader and he remembers the flightless birds required for some scenes caused havoc on set. He explained: “Penguins are like cats, they’re very hard to control. They would let them go and they would run in all different directions, but that’s not their fault; it’s just the way they are. Penguins do whatever they want.” —Bangshowbiz

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

LIFESTYLE

Travel books as gifts: From coffee table to memoir rom memoirs and maps to beautiful hard-covers suitable for coffee-table display, here are some ideas for holiday gifts from this year’s crop of travel books and publications.

National Geographic’s “World’s Best Travel Experiences” ($40) looks at wild places, urban spaces, man-made wonders and other extraordinary destinations, from beach paradises to religious pilgrimage sites. There’s even a list of best places for dance lessons, whether you want to hula in Hawaii or tango in Argentina. The book also includes reminiscences from well-known writers like Bill Bryson and Anna Quindlen.

From Lonely Planet, “Great Adventures” ($40) offers inspiration for hikes, dives, biking, climbs, and drives, plus animal adventures like tracking mountain gorillas in Uganda and washing elephants in Thailand; winter trips from ice-trekking an Argentine glacier to dog-sledding the Yukon; and trips by water, in canoes, kayaks, sailboats, rafts and other conveyances.

Also from Lonely Planet, “Food Lover’s Guide to the World” ($40) offers food history, recipes and recommendations for where to

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eat, from a Bangkok vendor of noodle dishes, Yen Ta Fo JC, to tips for cooking mofongo, a combination of plantains and pork rinds popular in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Travel writers Don George, an editor at large for National Geographic Traveler magazine,

that McCarthy displays as an actor. McCarthy made his name in Brat Pack movies like “St. Elmo’s Fire” and “Pretty in Pink.”

Frommer says she also enjoyed the “behind-the-scenes hijinx of ‘Heads in Beds,’” by Jacob Tomsky (Doubleday, $26), a funny insider’s memoir of the world of

Other recommendations from George include “Among the Islands” by Tim Flannery, about his adventures researching animals of the Pacific islands (Penguin, $25) and “The Black Rhinos of Namibia” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $25) in which writer Rick Bass recounts his experiences tracking animals

Travel bookstores have fallen on hard times with the rise of digital travel content and online book sales, but the Globe Corner bookstore, which closed its Harvard Square location in 2011, has gotten a second life as the Globe Corner Travel Annex at Brookline Booksmith, an inde-

and Pauline Frommer, creator of Pauline Frommer Guidebooks, both said travel books they’ve recently enjoyed include actor Andrew McCarthy’s memoir, “The Longest Way Home” (Free Press, $26). Frommer said the book has “the same wary, watchful charm”

high-end hotels, along with “Wild,’ by Cheryl Strayed (Knopf, $26), a memoir of a grueling 1,100-mile (1,770-kilometer) hike on the Pacific Crest Trail that helped the writer put her life together. Frommer said the book gave her a “cathartic cry or three.”

in Africa with conservationists.

George himself is out with a new anthology of travel stories he edited called “Better Than Fiction” (Lonely Planet, $16) featuring work by Joyce Carol Oates, Peter Matthiessen, Kurt Andersen and others.

pendent store in Brookline, Mass.

Gift suggestions from Globe Corner manager Jodie Vinson include “The Travels of Marco Polo” (Sterling Signature, $40) which Vinson describes as a “stunning new illustrated version of the classic travel text, complete

with over 200 paintings, maps, illuminated manuscripts, and photographs” and “Pictures from Italy” by Charles Dickens (Tara Books, $16). “It can be surprising how many of our favorite novelists were travel writers as well,” said Vinson.

Vinson also offers an unusual idea for a stocking-stuffer: Crumpled City Maps, $20, available for three dozen international cities. “These maps will fit snugly in the toe of any stocking and you don’t have to worry about messing up the creases!” she said, noting that the maps are waterproof and made from paper that is designed to be stuffed in your pocket.

Finally, for a traveler with the right sense of humor, “Gross America: Your Coast-to-Coast Guide to All Things Gross,” by Richard Faulk (Tarcher/Penguin, $14) offers quirky destinations like a walk-through model of human intestines in Houston and the preserved brains at Philadelphia’s Mutter Museum. —AP

Star Trek’s future is history in new book

or a fan base obsessed with a fictional future, the past sure seems to matter. More than 45 years after “Star Trek” took fans boldly into the 23rd century, television writer David A Goodman has written the first detailed narrative in history-book form of events depicted in the iconic science-fiction TV and movie franchise.

“This is the history of the galaxy as it’s already been painted by the writers of the original Star Trek series, the sequel series, and the movies up to but not including the (2009 “Star Trek”) JJ Abrams movie,” Goodman, whose work includes writing for the most recent TV series “Star Trek: Enterprise,” told Reuters. “Star Trek Federation The First 150 Years” details the history of the founding and early years of “the United Federation of Planets” - the interplanetary alliance that has explored the galaxy and kept members safe from Klingons, Romulans, and other villains.

The 167-page book, to be published on Dec. 4, connects the dots and fills in many of the black holes of “Star Trek” history as seen in the live action TV series, animated series and movies since 1966. Like a precious collection of memories, the timeline of events is important to Trekkies - and they are watching.

“If I’m going to buy an official Trek History, I expect it to be true to that history,” wrote fan

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“King Daniel” on fan website Trekbbs.com.

Website Trekcore.com has already made its judgment, referring to Goodman’s book as a “Historical Trek Masterpiece.” The book comes packed with original illustrations depicting epochal moments and iconic characters like Captain Kirk, Mr Spock, Kh an , Zefram Cochrane, Richard Daystrom and Solkar of Vulcan. Inside the back cover is a pocket containing “documents from the Federation Archives,” including a handwritten letter by a young Jim Kirk to his mother.

From the beginning of Star Trek, its late creator, Gene Roddenberry, often used US history and current world events as inspiration for his stories. Some of those themes are reflected in Goodman’s work. His “Articles of Federation” strike an especially familiar note. “Our worlds hold these truths to be self-evident that all species are created equal,” with the stated goal “to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic and intergalactic tranquility, provide for the common defense, and promote the general welfare,” Goodman writes.

The pivotal event of Goodman’s history is “The Romulan War” which, he said, has echoes of World War Two. The relationship between Star Trek’s Romulan emperor and his admiral was inspired by Japan’s wartime admiral, Isoroku Yamamoto, Goodman added. The class of space-

ships that included Captain Kirk’s Enterprise, and the way their construction was farmed out across the Federation, was inspired by the B-52 bomber program, which spread over several US states to gain wide political support.

And the character of Captain Jonathan Archer from the 2001-2005 TV series “Star Trek: Enterprise” is “the George Washington of the founding of the Federation,” Goodman said. The book comes housed in a plastic pedestal display which lights up with the push of a button to the familiar voice of actor George Takei as Admiral Hikaru Sulu introducing the history.

“A deluxe history book” was the idea behind the book’s design, said design manager Rosanna Brockley. “We really wanted it to look elegant.”

“Star Trek Federation - The First 150 Years” is published by 47NORTH and produced by becker&mayer! and has a list price of $99.99. But if #1SheGeek’s comment from StarTrek.com - “I HAVE to have this. I will die without it” - and Alexander’s comment from blastr.com - “Shut up and take my money!” - are any indications, Goodman’s book may be poised to explore sales numbers that boldly go where few “Star Trek” books have gone before. —Reuters

‘Idol’ winner Phillips finds ‘Home’ with debut ith the success of his debut single, “Home,” Phillip Phillips isn’t just the dude who won “American Idol.” He’s the dude with that folk-rock hit, according to the fans he’s met. “People are like, ‘You’re the guy with the song “Home,’” and I’m like, ‘Yeah, yeah.’

They say ... ‘So do you have any other music out?’ I’m like, ‘There are some covers.’ ‘What from?’ I say, “‘American Idol.’” ‘You were on “American Idol”?’” he recalled.

“There was a lot of people who didn’t even know I was on ‘Idol,’” he continued. “I think that’s cool.” The star power for winners on “Idol” - or other singing competitions on TV don’t usually continue after the season’s run, but Phillips is hoping he won’t be one of those stereotypes, thanks to the success of his multiplatinum Top 10 hit and debut album, “The World From the Side of the Moon,” which debuted at No 4 on Billboard’s 200 albums chart this week after selling 169,011 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The song - the only one he didn’t write or co-write on the album also got a boost when it was used in commercials for the Fierce Five, the five American female gymnasts who scored gold during the Olympics. The 22-year-old talked about his music, being laid-back and the insta-family and friends who have surfaced since he won

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the “Idol” crown in an interview with The Associated Press.

AP: What do you think of the comparisons of “Home” to Mumford & Sons’ music?

Phillips: People are always gonna compare somebody to somebody else, but I think when

had success like Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood. Does that make you nervous?

Phillips: I mean if it doesn’t do well it wasn’t meant to do well ... I’d be upset for a little bit, but it’s just what it’s meant to be. I can only hope for the best. I can’t make any-

Phillip Phillips people hear the album it’s not gonna remind them of Mumford & Sons too much because I’m a little more rock and you know they’re very folk and they’re amazing. ... I think once they hear this album it’s gonna turn their heads a little bit.

AP: Most “Idol” winners haven’t

body do anything. I’m nervous about it definitely, but all I can do is hope that it does well.

AP: What do you think of the new “Idol” judges?

Phillips: I’m curious to see how they’re gonna judge and to see what they’re looking for. Keith

Urban is an amazing musician so that’ll be cool to have him.

AP: How’s your health? (Phillips had major kidney surgery when he won “Idol” this year.)

Phillips: I’m doing great. I’m tired, but staying busy. This reminds me, I have to get a doctor’s checkup.

AP: You were so low-key about your health issues while on the show. Was that intentional?

Phillips: I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me or anything on the show or vote for me for sympathy or anything like that, so I tried to keep it on the DL as much as I could, but the show likes that kind of stuff and they said, ‘We’re gonna put it (out),’ and I can’t really say no because I signed some papers that they could show just about what they wanted to. So, yeah, I tried to keep it as low-key as possible.

AP: Do you find a lot of people came out of the woodwork after seeing you on “Idol”?

Phillips: People that were saying they were cousins and good friends with my friend’s friend whose friend of another friend and my grandma’s sister’s other half-sister’s baby’s child. I’m like, ‘Nice to meet you finally.’ —AP

This photo provided by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater shows Matthew Rushing (left) and Renee Robinson performing in Alvin Ailey’s “Revelations” at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s fall gala at the New York City Center, in New York. —AP

Tuxes, gowns, glitter and of course ‘Revelations’ ver at Rockefeller Center they were lighting the Christmas tree, and a few blocks away at New York City Center, another much-cherished holiday tradition was taking place: the launch of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s annual season. An essential part of that tradition, of course, is to perform the late choreographer’s masterpiece, “Revelations.” The challenge at each year’s opening bash is to add a little something extra. On Wednesday evening, it came in the form of a celebrity presenter - the actress and comedienne Mo’Nique - and three highprofile guest singers.

First up was the opera singer Jessye Norman, whose rich soprano tones added an intensity to the already gripping “Fix Me, Jesus” section, danced with beautiful control

by Linda Celeste Sims and Glenn Allen Sims.

Then came the Broadway leading-man voice of Brian Stokes Mitchell, delivering a soulful take on another traditional spiritual, “I Wanna Be Ready,” danced by Antonio Douthit. And actress/singer Anika Noni Rose belted out a spirited “Sinner Man,” that crowd-pleasing section that displays the full power and speed of the male Ailey dancers, represented here by Jamar Roberts, Yannick Lebrun and Kirven James Boyd.

Most performances of “Revelations” are performed to taped music, but that won’t do on gala night - a huge red-carpet event that brought in $2.4 million this year. An impressive onstage musical ensemble supplemented the guest singers, including the terrific soloist Ella Mitchell, who got a rousing cheer after belting out the final number, the infectious “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.”

That number was more meaningful than usual: It was the last time many in the openingnight audience would see veteran Ailey dancer Renee Robinson perform it. Robinson, who retires after the Dec 9 performance, has been with the company since 1981, making her its longest-serving female dancer.

Earlier in “Revelations,” the dancer got a knowing cheer from the crowd as she floated into view carrying her famous white parasol from the “Wade in the Water” sequence, a beatific smile on her face. After all, it was like-

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ly that virtually everyone in the cavernous theater had seen her do it at least once in the past three decades.

Later, she donned the bright yellow church dress and wide-brimmed hat for the rollicking final section, where she was partnered by the majestic and expressive Matthew Rushing (he now serves as rehearsal director and performs as a guest artist.) The two of them, center stage and pointing skyward, remain an enduring image of many an Ailey evening. But a season cannot be made up of “Revelations” alone - nor should it be - and for the night’s opening piece the company turned to another reliable crowd-pleaser, “Minus 16” by Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin.

“Minus 16,” which artistic director Robert Battle added to the repertory last season, is a rather eccentric piece, set to a strange mix of music including, of all things, a counting song often sung at Passover - but not usually by grim-faced dancers in black suits and hats who suddenly rip their clothes off and throw them on the floor. (Oh, and where else do you hear both “Hava Nagila” and “Hooray for Hollywood”?)

Still, the dance has become popular with Ailey audiences, not least because of a section where dancers suddenly descend into the aisles to enlist partners from the audience.

These brave souls then get to twirl and shimmy onstage with their (much fitter) Ailey counterparts. It’s all good fun, particularly when the audience dancers really shed their inhibitions, as did one lucky woman on Wednesday. She was rewarded not only by being chosen as the last person onstage. She also got a huge ovation from the crowd - AND a shout-out from Mo’Nique.

“Float on, baby!” the actress gushed to the unidentified woman, by then safely ensconced in her seat, as she took the podium at the beginning of the second act. She said she’d even procured the phone number of the hunky dancer the woman had performed with. “His name is Charles, and he’s a Sagittarius,” she quipped. —AP

US Star Wars fans may get another Yoda statue S tar Wars fans might soon have another Yoda statue in the San Francisco Bay area to visit.

Filmmaker George Lucas plans to help build a small park in Marin County that would feature a bronze sculpture of the popular Star Wars character, along with one of Indiana Jones. Lucas’ estate manager, Sarita Patel, said the Yoda statue would be similar to one in San Francisco’s

Presidio neighborhood. That one - a fullsized replica of the Jedi sage - lies atop a fountain outside an arts center where Lucas moved most of his operations in 2005. It has become a big draw for fans.

Lucas applied for a permit Wednesday to demolish a building on the site of the planned park in San Anselmo, the town where he lives, the Marin Independent Journal reported. He announced over the

summer that he planned to donate the land where the building sits to the San Anselmo Chamber of Commerce, and donate the statues for the proposed park.

Lucas has since also agreed to pay for the building’s demolition.

The chamber hopes to raise $150,000 to $200,000 to create the park. San Anselmo Town Manager Debra Stutsman said the demolition application, which

includes a historical analysis of the building, will be reviewed by the town’s Planning Commission and Historical Commission. The building, as well as a fresco inside, date back to 1945. Patel said Lucas plans to donate the fresco to the Spanish consulate in San Francisco.

Lucas built his film operation in Marin County and had planned to put up a palatial new digital media production studio

there. But he abandoned those plans earlier this year in the face of opposition from neighbors and what he said were delays in the approval process. —AP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

lifestyle

South Korean K-pop star Psy performs during his public appearance in Singapore yesterday. (Right) Spectators gather at the Marina bay waterfront to watch South Korean K-pop star Psy performing in Singapore yesterday. — AFP

Psy admits he gets sick of

‘Gangnam Style’ outh Korean pop music sensation Psy admitted yesterday that he sometimes gets sick of his massive hit “Gangnam Style” but will continue performing the number that made him world-famous. Speaking at a news conference in Singapore ahead of a free performance for fans, the 34-year-old-clad in a black suit and his trademark sunglasseswas modest about his fame and said he was just another person doing his job.

“Sometimes, honestly, yes I get tired or I get sick of it because I got so many requests to teach them, you know, like

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average let me say 50 requests per city, per country,” said Psy, whose full name is Park Jae-Sang. “I already taught the dance to so many people, so many times but still the dance makes me here, to make a press conference in Singapore, so of course sometimes I’m tired about it, but I got to do it, it’s my job,” he added.

He later performed the dance in front of cheering fans outside a Singapore landmark, the high-rise Marina Bay Sands casino complex. But Psy said that despite the many times he has performed the number, “I really like the dance still.” The

chubby K-pop veteran made his debut in South Korea in 2001 but it was only 11 years later that he shot to global fame with “Gangnam Style”, which a week ago made history by becoming the most watched video on YouTube.

The video has so far notched up more than 860 million views, overtaking “Baby” by Canadian teen heart-throb Justin Bieber, on more than 807 million. “Gangnam Style”, which parodies the extravagant lifestyles of residents of an upmarket Seoul neighbourhood, has inspired thousands of online imitations, and flash mobs of tens of thousands in Paris, Rome and Milan.

The song has also earned Psy a nomination in the “People’s Choice” category of Time magazine’s “Person of the Year 2012” contest together with other newsmakers such as US President Barack Obama, China’s Communist Party head Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. But Psy played down his chances of topping that chart. “I feel really strange and weird why I’m there,” he said. “It’s not going to happen, I think, and I don’t deserve that much. I just did my job.” Psy is currently fourth in the online rankings out of 40 candidates. The North Korean leader was well ahead in the poll yesterday. — AFP

No charges against Chris Brown in phone grab rammy-winning singer Chris Brown will not face criminal charges for snatching a woman’s cellphone when she tried to snap a photo of him outside a Miami Beach club, prosecutors said Friday. A memo released Friday

by Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle concludes there is no evidence that Brown intended to steal the phone in February or that he deleted any photos. One or the other is necessary for him to be charged with robbery or theft.

Prosecutors said that Brown tossed the phone from his limo and that it was picked up

by Devon Blanche, head of security for rapper Tyga, who had performed with Brown at the Cameo club that night. According to the memo, Blanche tried to find out if someone had lost the phone, ultimately took it with him to Atlanta

G This image shows Jessica Chastain playing a member of the elite team of spies and military operatives stationed in a covert base overseas. — AP

‘Zero Dark Thirty’ is massive, meticulous ntil the very end, she is described as “The Girl.” Even after a relentless, decade-long pursuit that leads to the daring midnight raid of Osama bin Laden’s compound, even as she unzips the body bag to verify that the bloody corpse inside is indeed that of the slain Al-Qaeda leader, Jessica Chastain’s CIA officer character is defined primarily by her femininity in this male-dominated world. It’s probably a phenomenon Kathryn Bigelow unfortunately is acquainted with herself, being the rare woman in Hollywood making muscular action movies - including 2009’s “The Hurt Locker,” winner of six Academy Awards including best picture and director, the latter being a first for a woman. And so even as “Zero Dark Thirty” takes an aesthetically strippeddown look at a hugely dramatic event, it shines with the integrity and decency of its central figure: a fierce young woman who’s both dedicated and brainy, demanding and brazen.

Of course it took billions of dollars over 10 years and a multitude of people - many who gave their lives - to make this mission a success. Bigelow and “Hurt Locker” screenwriter-producer Mark Boal have accomplished the difficult feat of taking all that time, travel, investigation and frustration and depicting it thoroughly but also efficiently. The attention to detail, to getting it right each step of the way, is evident in everything from the dialogue to the production design to the lighting. This is pure, unadorned storytelling, an effort to recreate what happened with absolute authenticity and zero excess. Methodical and detached as it is, “Zero Dark Thirty” may actually leave some viewers a bit cold; there are plenty of moments of danger in crowded streets and claustrophobic questioning rooms, but some of the legwork is tedious and it doesn’t always pay off.

But the drama is inherent from the very beginning and the emotion sneaks up on you by the end. We know what happened, and we know why it matters.

Chastain’s powerfully controlled performance - a spectacular showcase for this versatile actress’ many talents and a long-overdue leading role - is emblematic of the film as a whole. Her character, Maya (based on a real person with some tweaks to protect the woman’s identity), is described by colleagues as “a killer” upon arrival at the US Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, two years after the

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9/11 attacks. Quietly reserved at first as she watches a colleague (the commanding Jason Clarke) rough up a suspect during an interrogation - and Bigelow doesn’t shy away from the brutality of such torture, let’s call it by its name Maya soon asserts herself with her exhaustive research and inner drive.

We don’t learn much about her since she has practically no personal life; what she does speaks for who she is. At a rare dinner out one night, a fellow female colleague (Jennifer Ehle, excellent as always) conspiratorially asks Maya whether she’s messed around with a good-looking co-worker of theirs. Maya is appalled by the very suggestion. She’s a professional. Besides, there’s no time.

She’s gotten a hold of a lead she can’t shake: the notion that following one of bin Laden’s couriers will lead to the elusive Al-Qaeda chief. Trails grow cold, years pass, friends die in the line of duty and more attacks occur all over the globe. Pressures run high and time is against her; she finally cracks and lets some raw feelings burst forth in a confrontation with her arrogant superior, played with perfect slickness by Kyle Chandler. Also among the strong supporting cast are some actors in unexpected roles: Mark Duplass as a CIA officer! James Gandolfini as the agency’s director!

But the discovery of a sprawling, heavily protected compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, makes her suspicious and gives her hope. Bigelow’s extensive staging of the May 1, 2011, raid is a prime example of virtuoso action filmmaking. Set in the dead of a moonless night - hence the title, inspired by military jargon - the Navy SEALs’ mission is both massive and intimate, a mix of ominous aerial shots of stealthy Black Hawk helicopters and infrared vision in dark bedrooms and corridors. Every bit of effort and emotion has led to this lengthy sequence, and we’re invested, too.

There’s no riding off into the sunset once the mission is complete, no swell of inspirational music; Alexandre Desplat’s score is suitably understated, too. Just a few heartfelt hugs and some tears, all of them hard-earned. “Zero Dark Thirty,” a Columbia Pictures release, is rated R for strong violence including brutal disturbing images, and for language. Running time: 157 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four. — AP

during the rapper’s tour and said he intended to find its owner.

A felony charge against Brown, 24, might have triggered a violation of his probation for his 2009 assault on singer Rihanna, who was his girlfriend at the time. The two have recently collaborated on a new duet, “Nobody’s Business,” and have been spotted out together in recent weeks. Rundle said the investigation’s findings would be forwarded to probation officials in Los Angeles for review. “We are grateful for the decision and the thorough investigation,” Brown’s attorney Mark Geragos said in an email.

According to the memo, after Brown and Tyga real name Michael Stevenson - finished their performances, both got into separate limos to head for their hotels. Witnesses told prosecutors about 30 female fans gathered outside Brown’s

vehicle, at least one of whom reached inside to take a photo. Brown was accompanied by at least two women in the limo.

Stevenson told prosecutors that he saw Brown throw a white cellphone out of the limo.

The phone’s owner, Christal Spann, said Brown used a derogatory term for women and said “this will not run the website” when he grabbed the phone. Spann began beating on the limo’s windows, according to the memo, until someone in a front seat told her the phone had been tossed out. She could not find it, however. “She used to be a fan of Brown’s, but no longer,” the memo notes of Spann. Blanche, the security man, told investigators he thought Brown was upset because “if photographs of himself with two females got out, it might cause him problems with Rihanna.” — AP

Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor (right) performs a song with actor Salman Khan on the set of a television show during the promotion of their forthcoming Hindi film ‘Dabbang 2’ in Lonavala some 50 kms south-east of Mumbai. — AFP

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis shake up hip-hop paradigm M

acklemore isn’t afraid to tell you he was scared when he saw some of the destinations for his upcoming tour. Idaho. Montana. Texas. None of those places in the Heartland seemed like they’d be receptive to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ left-leaning, socially conscious message. A hostile reception seemed more likely - especially for the lightning-rod song “Same Love,” which offers support for the gay community. To the 29-year-old rapper’s surprise, he found the crowds singing the chorus right back at him.

“Those were three places where people probably sang the loudest and it gives me some hope in the power of music and what music can do,” said the MC, whose given name is Ben Haggerty. “To hear people’s testimonials about ‘Same Love’ changing the way that they feel about gay people or the language that they use in their everyday life, making them consider changing that language, or changing their hateful perspective on another group of people, it’s exciting to see that music has that capability. It just affirms what you already believe, but to see it on a tangible level in these cities has been one of the greatest gifts

of my career.” It’s a time of plenty for the Seattle alternative hip-hop duo, which released its debut studio album, “The Heist,” to great acclaim last month.

Haggerty and his producing and business partner Lewis sold more than 78,000 copies of the record the

In this file photo, American musician Ben Haggerty, better known by his stage name Macklemore (right) and his producer Ryan Lewis pose for a portrait, at Irving Plaza in New York. — AP

first week of release. That’s a staggering sum for an independent release, putting the album at No 2 on the Billboard 200 all-genre chart.

Haggerty said they expected to sell somewhere between 28,000 and 33,000 copies. “It’s a validation, absolutely,” Haggerty said in a phone interview. “It’s definitely a reward. But at the end of the day it is a number and you try not to let your happiness be contingent upon a number. What it equates to is the fact people are resonating with the music, that the fans are supporting our album, that people wanted to be part of our record and not just download illegally, but financially get behind it and say, ‘We believe in it.’ And that is the biggest reward out of all of it.”

What’s happened in the six weeks since the release has been dizzying. Lewis said offers are coming from everywhere and the fans are increasing exponentially at every show. Things are happening so fast, reacting in real time to the changes in their popularity has been difficult. Used to dealing with fans in a very personal way, they’re trying to engage larger groups of people. —AP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

lifestyle

Shoe Mart International enters Kuwait with four new brands

taying close to the heart of all fashionistas, Shoe Mart International the region’s leading retailer in fashion footwear and accessories and a part of Landmark Group Kuwait, has announced today the launch of four new international footwear stores Dumond, Carpisa, Steve Madden, and Pablosky at The Avenues. The new outlets offer shoppers increased choice and variety offering a greater range of styles and fabrications than ever before.

With the launch of these four stores Shoe Mart International has established firm footprints spread across 50 plus stores around UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Oman and Kuwait.

Commenting on the launch of the four stores Saibal Basu, COO, Landmark Group, Kuwait said:”Kuwait is a thriving market for footwear brands and has been a key to our International expansion. We are looking forward to welcoming customers to our four new stores. These big name additions provide an even greater draw for our regular customers, with more than ever on offer to a wider range of customers” “This growth is part of Shoe Mart International expansion plans of taking advantage of growing consumer acceptance and hence increasing the number of stores to reach out to a wider audience.

We are excited about these stores launching in The Avenues, Phase 3 to be able to offer the epitome of fashion delight to the fashionistas” he added.

The four outlets exhibit contemporary

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looks making an exquisite impression; shimmering with an inviting architecture, welcoming to view a wide range of stylish products ranging from footwear, bags and bracelets making shopping a simple and special experience for customers.

This opening represents a milestone in the expansion of Shoe Mart International brands globally and signs the growth of Shoe Mart International in the region. The International footwear stores success has been much attributed to innovation, creativity and the pace to adjust to the growing market demands. Its ability to transform runway trends into wearable fashion has enabled the brands to capture a wide market share through strategically located stores in prime shopping districts around the world.

Dumond, Carpisa, Steve Madden and Pablosky Autumn Winter 2012 collection is diverse and energetic with strong colours, featuring suede, patent leather, fabrics and proportionate elements among other exciting new designs for men, women and children. Steve Madden is America’s most successful shoe designer. Considered the fashion footwear mogul of the 21st century, Madden has been responsible for the design and marketing of the company’s trendsetting shoes for the past two decades. His vision to give young, fashion forward men and women a unique way to express their individuality through style resulted in millions of customers worldwide and propelled his designs to the forefront of the fashion industry.

including Harrods, Selfridges, Liberty, House of Fraser, Fenwick and John Lewis.

It is also the chosen partner for BAA in the UK’s prominent airports. Treat yourself to the latest collection of shoes and pamper yourself at Dumond, Carpisa, Steve Madden, Kurt Geiger and Pablosky at The Avenues Phase 3.

Dumond is a brand of Grupo Paqueta, one of the biggest Brazilian shoe manufacturers and exporters. There are currently 29 Dumond stores in Brazil and the brand is also present in over 50 countries, with stores in countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Angola, The Philippines, Paraguay, Lebanon, among others.

Pablosky, an established leader in children’s footwear, now operates in over 37 countries and is one of the leading producers of European footwear. The brand reinvents itself with each collection in multiple styles, shapes, colors and always with quality at its core. Nevertheless, what sets Pablosky apart from all the rest is its commitment to ensuring proper foot

growth without sacrificing style. Carpisa, a trademark of Kuvera, offers trendy products at extremely competitive prices in their quality range for both men and women. Constant design research and attention to new fashion trends and the rich varied collections make their products unique.

Kurt Geiger is Europe’s largest luxury shoe retailer. It is the largest wholesaler of Gucci and Prada in Europe and has over 70 brands in its portfolio, including Dolce & Gabbana, Jimmy Choo, Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith, Versace, Church’s, John Lobb and Christian Louboutin. The company has 96 trading locations with over 70 concessions with leading department stores,

Marrakech International Film Festival

Singers, Katy Perry (left) Ciara (center) and Carly Rae Jepsen attend Billboard’s “Women in Music 2012” luncheon at Capitale on Friday Nov 30, 2012 in New York. — AP

Katy Perry, Carly Rae Jepsen get Billboard honors illboard named Katy Perry its woman of the year, but the pop star thought her year was 2011. “I felt like my year was last year ... I thought my moment had passed,” Perry said in an interview with Jon Stewart at Billboard’s Women in Music event Friday in New York City. Perry released “Teenage Dream” in 2010, and the double platinum album sparked five No 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that spilled over to 2011. She tied the record Michael Jackson set with “Thriller” for most hits from a single album.

She re-released the album this year, which launched two more hits and a top-grossing 3-D film. Perry thanked her fans, who stood outside of Capitale hoping to catch a glimpse of her. “I don’t really like to call myself a role model for my fans, but I hope I’m an inspiration, especially for young women,” she said when she accepted the honor. Perry also thanked her mom at the event, which honored women who work in the music industry.

In like fashion, newcomer Carly Rae Jepsen also thanked her mom - and stepmom - when accepting the rising star honor. The “Call Me Maybe” singer said she’s happy and surprised by her success. “It was sort of the key to unlocking the rest of the world for me and was something that none of us were expecting,” she said, in an interview, of her viral hit. British singer Cher Lloyd performed Perry’s “E.T.” at the luncheon, which also featured a performance from rising country singer Hunter Hayes. —AP

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Members of the jury (from left to right), Lambert Wilson, James Gray, John Boorman, Marie Jose Croze, Jillali Ferhati, Sharmila Tagore, Gemma Arterton, Pierre Francesco Favino and Jeon Soo Il pose during the opening ceremony of the 12th Marrakesh International Film Festival on November 30, 2012 in Marrakech. — AFP photos

Indian actor Hrithik Roshan arrives with his wife Suzanne to the film festival.

French actress Isabelle Huppert poses during the opening ceremony.

Indian film actor Amitabh Bachchan poses before the screening of his film “The Indian Family”.

‘African heat for cold Norway’ video debunks myths spoof music video urging Africans to send radiators to “poor” freezing Norwegians has gone viral by poking fun at charity fundraisers’ tendency to dwell on negative stereotypes. In “Africa for Norway”, smiling Africans in tee-shirts donate heaters for Scandinavians seen trudging through a blizzard in heavy coats, as a chorus in the background sings in the style of the 1985 US charity group Band Aid for the mock Radi-Aid campaign.

The video challenges standard cliches by turning the tables on the “dark continent” and one of the richest countries in the world. “The perception of Africa is very incomplete,” said Erik Schreiner Evans, head of the Norwegian Students’ and

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Academics’ International Assistance Fund, that created the video. “The large majority of people think of catastrophes, famine and extreme poverty, and are unaware of the positive strides being made on the continent. It’s always the same old thing: starving children, oppressed women and crazy men with guns,” he lamented.

Founded in 1961 to oppose apartheid, the student organisation, which now promotes education in Africa, is annoyed by the “simplistic” images presented by the media and even humanitarian organisations. “The media wants strong emotions, journalists are working against the clock and aid organisations want donations.

All of this contributes to an escalation of shock-

ing images and stifles any attempt to paint a more nuanced, positive picture,” Schreiner Evans said. Both in its content and its title, “Africa for Norway” parodies the “We are the World” music video made in 1985 by the “USA for Africa” collective spearheaded by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie. “People don’t ignore starving people, so why should we ignore cold people?

Frostbite kills too,” South African rapper Breezy V says in the opening scene of the “Africa for Norway” video. SAIH said that despite the music world’s good intentions and efforts to combat the 1980s Ethiopian famine, it actually ended up contributing to the misperception of a continent forever in need of humanitarian aid. In the 1980s

hit “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”, the group of artists who came together as Band Aid sang of Africa as a place “where nothing ever grows, no rain or rivers flow”.

“Most of the videos that I see on TV, I look at them and I’m like ‘It’s not me! That’s not where I am! That’s not my Africa!’” said Samke Mkhize, who played one of the radiator-collecting Africans in the video. Africa’s “structural problems are masked by simplistic texts” which “perpetuate the conception of a poor south that is failing and is a passive recipient of aid,” added Schreiner Evans. While he urged the public to continue to donate funds, the 32-year-old said it was necessary to combat the broader problems

than those raised by aid organisations and television news reports.

“We should think more about the trade policies of our countries, of their agricultural policies, about our consumer choices, which are the basis of these structural problems,” he said. The video and its realism appears to have hit home: more than 1.4 million people have watched it in two weeks on video-sharing website YouTube, it has generated buzz on social media and even sparked debate in the development aid sector.

And among all the positive reactions, SAIH even received a phone call from a Norwegian woman who wanted to know where she could send her radiator. — AFP

Katy Perry, Carly Rae Jepsen get Billboard honors

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012

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2012

French Couture

Models present creations by French designer Julien Fournie during the French Couture 2012 Women’s Fashion Week in Singapore.

— AFP photos

Pageant picks Brazil’s most shapely female posterior arine Felizardo, a curvy model from the northern state of Para was late Friday crowned Miss Bumbum, a title rewarding Brazil’s hottest female derriere. A jury of six women and five men picked the 25-year-old Felizardo among 15 finalists in the second annual edition of the contest, held in a Sao Paulo hotel.

Andressa Urach, another 25-year-old model from the southern state of Santa Catarina finished second while 21-year-old Camila Vernaglia from Sao Paulo state was third.

Felizardo collected a 5,000-reais ($2,500) check, while Urach received 3,000 reais and Vernaglia 2,000 reais. “I am overwhelmed, very, very happy,” the winner said, choking back tears. “I would like to thank those who voted for me, those who believed in me, my family, my friends.” Felizardo, who is single, said she was honored to receive the unusual title. “I am very proud of my bumbum (as Brazilians call the backside), proud to represent the Brazilian woman,” she added, stressing that she owed her victory to years of hard gym training.

The 15 finalists competed in Friday’s grand finale before a predominantly male crowd of journalists from around the world after surviving an online

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eliminatory round that drew representatives of the country’s 26 states and the federal district Brasilia.

The jury, which included Rosana Ferreira-last year’s Miss Bumbum —, delivered its verdict after the con-

testants sashayed down the catwalk first in evening dresses and later in string bikinis that revealed the best part of their anatomy.

“This is ridiculous,” Leila Chequi, a Brazilian

The jury watch on during the Miss Bumbum pageant in Sao Paulo on November 30, 2012. — AFP

female reporter working for the Japanese television network Fuji, told AFP. “I am here just for work. But if they (the contestants) don’t mind showing their bums to the whole world, why not?” she added. The popular contest is however lifting spirits in this huge metropolis wracked by a murder spree that has claimed more than 300 lives in the past month.

The young ladies worked hard to prepare for the final, including taking surfing and jungle training courses to tighten their butts. Inevitably, the pageant sparked some jealous online comments.

Said Juliana Danyelle Stuart: “They are cute, but I think that I have a better booty than some of the contestants. Next year I will take part.”

The symbolic significance of the bumbum in Brazilian culture cannot be underestimated, as shown by the wild popularity of bum dancing among the young. “I think that the tropical climate, the carnival and all this racial mixing gives the Brazilian woman a unique biotype on the planet,” pageant organizer Cacau Oliver, a wellknown female beauty spotter, told AFP in October. “The Brazilian woman’s derriere is a part of the body that the whole world admires and the contest just reaffirms this,” he added. — AFP