03 Jan 2012

ON IP TI SC R SU B

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

Iran test-fires more missiles as Hormuz exercises end

Kuwait Nov inflation slows, seen stable

NO: 15317

150 FILS

7 40 PAGES

SAFAR 9, 1433 AH

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India airs edgier shows, but cuts out the edge

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www.kuwaittimes.net

Lampard to the rescue as Chelsea down Wolves

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Govt moves to set up election commission Scope TV ordered shut • Youth groups back ‘reformists’

Max 19º Min 09º High Tide 06:45 & 18:50 Low Tide 00:38 & 11:41

By B Izzak conspiracy theories

And you get away with it

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

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89 candidates signed to run for the 50-seat parliament this year. WOW! When I saw the figure, I thought I was in China. Is the whole of Kuwait running for parliament or what? It sounds it is a lucrative business to run for parliament and everyone is encouraged and enthusiastic to become an MP. I wish I could join the party.

I have my theory that many people are encouraged to run for parliament after they realized that parliamentarians get away with anything they do. You break into the house of the people, you break the chairs, you Continued on Page 13

BEIRUT: A picture taken yesterday shows Beirut’s skyline at sunset. — AFP

KUWAIT: In a surprising move, the Cabinet yesterday reviewed two key election reform draft laws presented by Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, one of them calling for the establishment of an independent election commission. The second bill calls for setting up of an independent national committee for supervising election campaigns in a bid to ensure equal and fair opportunities to all candidates contesting the polls. The two draft laws were then referred to the Cabinet’s legal committee to study its details before they come back to the Cabinet for final approval, according to a statement issued following the Cabinet’s weekly meeting.

The two draft laws will not be issued immediately as they will be referred to the next National Assembly which will be elected on Feb 2. The establishment of an independent election commission has been among the main demands by the opposition to reform the election process which has been under the supervision of the interior ministry since 1962 when Kuwait began adopting the parliamentary system.

Many former opposition MPs and activists besides analysts have repeatedly called for taking the interior ministry’s and the government’s hands off the election Continued on Page 13

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

LOCAL

Leading candidate Al-Osaimi denies eyeing Speaker post New plans needed to eliminate corruption KUWAIT: Meshari Al-Osaimi, a second constituency candidate, does not plan to run for the post of Speaker should he be elected to Parliament. “I never set my sights on the speakership post”, Al-Osaimi said Sunday, denying speculations that he has ambitious plans after returning to the Parliamentary scene after an eight year hiatus. The longtime liberal activist and former MP said recently that he is running as an independent. “I decided to run following pressure from friends and relatives in the hope of changing the political reality Kuwait is living today,” he said.

Al-Osaimi stated that Kuwait needs plans to eliminate corruption in all fields. “This step can only be achieved through a Parliament that works in cooperation with a Cabinet composed of statesmen qualified to live up to the requirements of upcoming challenges,” he said.

Al-Osaimi’s candidacy in the second constituency is seen by many as causing prob-

lems to candidates in the liberal National Movement of the same constituency. But AlOsaimi said that the group contains “qualified individuals” who have a good chance at vying for the constituency’s ten places.

The registration period for the elections, set for 2 February 2012, finished last Friday. In the meantime, a report published by Al-Rai on Monday indicated that no updates have been detected so far with regards to coalitions between candidates in the first constituency. Most Shiite candidates are already part of a Shiite political group. Spectators notice that so far there is no coordination between any of them to work on boosting their chances in the upcoming elections.

Similarly, the Salafi candidates have absolutely no coordination between the three candidates in the Islamic Salafi Movement.

Sources believe that coordination is already in place in the fourth constituency, between former MPs Musallam Al-Barrak,

Ahmad Al-Shuraian and Mohammad AlKhalifa. Shiite political groups are expected to form a coalition in order to support Shiite candidates in the second and fifth constituency, sources told Al-Rai, as well as Sunni candidates “with moderate approaches who call for national unity”.

Youth groups in the fifth constituency are reportedly planning to launch campaigns to support candidates who refused to take part in primary elections or tribal consultations, mainly former MPs Falah Al-Sawagh and Khalid Al-Tahous.-Al-Rai In other news, former MP Dr. Waleed AlTabtabaei, a third constituency member, urged the Prime Minister, His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, to stop what he referred to as “corrupt media outlets that sabotage the election process by targeting certain candidates with attacks”.

“If (the premier) fails to do so, then he is considered an accomplice in these actions”, Al-Tabtabaei stated. —Al-Qabas

India a global destination for higher education KUWAIT: India is fast becoming a global destination for higher education that is on par with major educational institutions around the world. A good yardstick of the quality of education at many Indian institutions is that students studying at these institutes in India are regularly and increasingly getting global attention and attractive international job offers from multinational corporations looking for talent.

Today, people from different countries come to India because the cost of education is very competitive and the quality is very high. In addition, the fast integrating world economy and corresponding rise of student mobility have made studying in India an attractive option. Large numbers of Non Resident Indians, as well as foreign students, apply each year to Indian universities and colleges. For all those who wish to study in India, it is very important to get prior and correct information about the courses that they would like to undertake, the university they want to apply to, and how to go about the application procedure. For an international student, it is also important to know the accommodation facilities, weather con-

ditions, food habits and cost of living in the city in which he or she intends to study.

The India Education Exhibition 2012, which will take place on Jan 6 and 7, at the Ramada Hotel Kuwait, in Riggae, from 10.30am to 8.30pm, will display attractive options available to NRI and other students in Kuwait, to obtain undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in various disciplines, including medicine, engineering, business management, marketing and communications, arts and science, hospitality and hotel management and Allied Health Sciences.

This exhibition will have over 15 leading Indian Exhibitors with more than 150 institutions under them offering nearly 300 and above programs. All the participating institutes are recognized by the AICTE, UGC and respective government bodies in India.

Indian Education Exhibition 2012, being held for the fifth consecutive year in Kuwait, is a one-stop information event for learning about the variety of professional and vocational courses that NRI and Kuwait students can pursue in reputed institutions of higher learning in India. Students, along with their parents will get an opportunity to personally

interact with college administrators and professors, to know about the variety of educational programs available in India.

The profile of the participating institutes include International Schools / Universities / Deemed Universities / Engineering Colleges / Medical Colleges / MBA & Management / B Schools / Distance Education / Pharmacy & Nursing / Bio Informatics / Information Technology / Colleges offering Higher education in Arts & Science / Hotel Management & Catering Technology / Post Graduation & Research / Diploma Studies/ International Schools /Unique and specialized programs.

In addition the exhibition offers free educational counseling / registration and admissions from school education to research programs.

The exhibition, which has free entry, is being organized by Indus Fairs & Events (India) Pvt. Ltd in association with Response Events and Exhibitions, Kuwait. Indus Group, established in the year 1995, is engaged in organizing trade shows and exhibitions in India and abroad. The exhibition has become an annual affair and quite popular among the NRIs in Gulf region.

KUWAIT: Engineer Usama Al-Duaij, Deputy Director General for Municipal Affairs in Hawally and Mubarak Al-Kabeer, expressed his extreme displeasure at the damage that hit the sea front due to barbecuing and leftovers by those who frequent the seaside. He said such practices spread insects and rodents in those areas. He said embers that are discarded on the grass burn the plants and damage the scenery. He said a team from Hawally Governorate Municipality is carrying out campaigns against violators to limit and stop the above mentioned uncivilized practices. — Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

KGOC calls for negotiation on disputed gas field KUWAIT: The best solution to the dispute currently in place regarding the development of an offshore gas field in the Arabian Gulf is for negotiations to take place between Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. They all claim shares in the field.

Hashem Al-Refaei, Chairman and Managing Director of the Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC), described recent official Iranian remarks about the field as “fueling animosity instead of solving problems”.

A senior Iranian oil official said recently that Iran can launch full unilateral development at Dorra gas field, known as Arash field in Iran, if Kuwait does not respond to its offer of launching a joint development. “The best solution is for Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iran to sit at a negotiation table and discuss demarcation [of sea borders in the northern Gulf]”, said Al-Refa’ei. He said that demarcation is a political process “that is done by the Foreign Ministry, not the Oil Ministry”. —Al-Rai

Eight candidates quit 2012 electoral race

KUWAIT: The General Department for Drug Control arrested an Asian who works for a family in Nuzha in possession of 1.5kg of heroin and 8,000 illicit tablets. The drugs were found in the Asian’s residence. The suspect was sent to concerned authorities. Meanwhile, Maj Gen Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdallah, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Criminal Security, instructed the arrest of a Kuwaiti who has dual citizenship who possessed 30 kg of hashish. The arrest was made in Sabah Al-Salem area after some resistance.

— Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

$2bn crude, diesel deal with Egypt KUWAIT: Nasser Al-Mudhaf, Managing Director of the Marketing Sector at Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), said that Kuwait has renewed a $2 billion contract with Egypt.

The contract has two parts.

The first part is to supply Egypt with crude oil at the rate of 50,000 barrels a day i.e. 1.5 million barrels monthly at the prevailing international price for Kuwaiti crude oil.

The second part of the con-

tract concerns the supply of refined products of oil to Egypt at a value amounting to $1.2 billion annually. A rate of 40,000 tons of diesel will be delivered in two monthly shipments.

Al-Mudhaf said that the Egyptian market is a promising one, and meets the conditions which large oil companies look to enter into. He said that relations with Egypt are very strong and date back to the 80s of the last century. —Al-Anbaa

Two Egyptians injured in fights

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: An Egyptian was injured in the eye during a fight near Safat Al-Ghanim. He was taken to Sabah hospital.

Meanwhile, a 19-year-old Egyptian received a few lacerations on his scalp during a fight in Farwaniya. He was taken to Farwaniya hospital.

Road accidents A 54 year old Bangladeshi was

hit by a car and sustained various bruises near Al-Muthanna complex in Kuwait city. He was taken to Amiri hospital.

A 21-year-old from Sudan was cut on the chin during a car accident in Beirut street. He was taken to Mubarak hospital.

A 31-year-old Kuwaiti received lacerations on his head and a 27year-old complained of pain in the back during a car accident on Salmy road. They were taken to Jahra hospital.

KUWAIT: Eight candidates ended their campaign and withdrew from the National Assembly election 2012, slimming the total number of candidates as of yesterday to 377, among them 26 women candidates.

The following is a list of the candidates who have withdrawn so far: Hasan Mohammad Al-Attar, First Constituency Aisha Abdularazaq Al-Assousi, Second Constituency Abdullah Amer Al-Bathali, Second Constituency Yousif Rashid Al-Methen, Second Constituency

Walid Husain Ghlom, Third Constituency Zaid Rajeh Al-Mutaires, Fourth Constituency Sana’a Eid Al-Mutaires, Fourth Constituency Last night, five candidates also withdrew their nominations for parliament election, one from the first constituency and four from the fifth constituency. Withdrawal will continue to be open until Jan 25.

Elections for the National Assembly 2012 first legislative session will take place on Feb 2. — KUNA

Slow air traffic over New Year holiday KUWAIT: The level of activity at the Kuwait International Airport dropped considerably over the new year holiday compared to the same period last year, says a report quoting senior officials working at the airport.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the sources indicated that the number of travelers is significantly lower than recorded during the 2011 new year holiday. The sources reported “normal and calm” activity at the airport during the holiday. The decrease in the

number of travelers this new year holiday is attributed to many reasons such as relatively cold weather, local preparations for Parliament elections, as well as current situations in some Arab countries. “The Directorate General for Civil Aviation allocated 38 additional flights in preparation for the new year holiday”, said Operations Director Essam Al-Zamel, adding that Beirut, Lebanon and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia were the most preferred destinations for people who wished to spend the holiday abroad. —Al-Qabas

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

local

Draft laws submitted to ensure integrity of electoral process Cabinet holds weekly meeting

KUWAIT: Ibn Sina Hospital is scheduled to host the French Brain and Nerve surgeon professor, Rocco Du Conciso (left) starting Jan 14 where he will examine some critical cases and conduct several surgeries, said Ibn Sina’s chief brain and nerve surgeon, Dr Yousif AlAwadhi (right).

Kuwaiti women apply for housing loans

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Kuwaiti women have started to apply for the cash housing loan of KD 45,000, or to benefit from low cost housing.

In the past, the housing loan was only given to Kuwait men to build their house after getting married. Recently the government agreed to grant this housing loan to Kuwaiti women. A huge number of women applied for this loan. Most of them were refused, as they did not meet the conditions.

Khazmiya is one of the disappointed women who did not meet the conditions to benefit from this loan.

“My application was refused as I have a house to live in, although it is in joint ownership with my sisters. Also I have a friend who’s application was refused, as her husband was living outside Kuwait.

She managed to open a company to bring him to the country and then they accepted her application,” she told the Kuwait Times.

The loan is provided by the Bank of Credit and Savings. According to their statistics there are 6,400 women who applied for the loan, out of which 67 percent applied for low cost housing, and 33 percent applied for the cash loan of KD 45,000. The law approving this loan was issued in September 2011.

Certain conditions apply to benefit from this loan. The loan is given to a Kuwaiti woman who is married to a nonKuwaiti, with or without children, providing the marriage has exceeded five years.

A Kuwaiti woman may apply if she is

divorced, with or without children, if she is older than 40. She can apply if she is a widow, with or without children, if she is older than 40, or she may be a spinster who is over 40 years old. There are more restrictions and conditions.

Om Mahmoud, a Kuwait widow with three children, applied for the housing loan about a month ago but did not receive any answer until now.

“Staff received my application with the documents and said they will call me.

I have lived with my children in a small house in Sabah Al-Salem since 1997 on ‘Rent Status’. This is a kind of facility from the government. I pay a symbolic rent of KD 30. Currently I am retired after working in the Ministry of Health,” she said.

She is worried that if something happens to her the children will not have accommodation.

“This house is not my possession so my children may be kicked out if I die.

Already their situation is bad as they are not Kuwaitis. One is still in school and the other, who graduated as an engineer, is working for a salary of only KD 200.

Thank God my daughter is married and living with her husband.

I wonder what would I do if I did not get a pension,” she added. Om Mahmoud concluded sadly: “I applied for the naturalization of my children after my husband died, as this is one of the conditions for naturalization of the children of a Kuwaiti woman. The employee told me that I have to wait for five years to pass after the death of my husband. I do not get the point. Is there any hope that my husband will be alive again?”

KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality’s supreme elections committee, headed

by Municipality Director Ahmed Al-Subaih, meeting yesterday to discuss preparations for the upcoming National Assembly elections.

Citizen kidnapped

By A. Saleh KUWAIT: A citizen in his 40s was kidnapped from Jahra stables yesterday. The kidnappers called his family asking for a ransom. His brother called police and told them what happened, and that he knows the kidnappers. A person called the kidnapped citizen asking him about his whereabouts. Then the caller, along with two others, caught the victim and tied him up before taking him. The victim’s brother gave police the phone number, car and address of the caller.

Bonuses for National Guard KUWAIT: The National Guard has started preparing lists of employees deserving excellent work allowances.

Orders instruct the payment of allowances to all officers and personnel of the National Guard, provided that no disciplinary penalties are recorded against them. Allowances will vary from KD 400 at the least to KD 1500 at the most, depending on the title of the soldier. The allowances will be paid into the accounts of recipients before the end of this month. —Al-Anbaa

British team to help boost govt employees’ performance KUWAIT: Major General Faisal Al-Jazzaf, Chairman of the Public Authority for Youth and Sports (PAYS), recently received a team from the Tony Blair Project to boost the performance of employees in government establishments. Saad AlHawwal, PAYS Information System Center Manager, Bader AlHlaibi, his deputy, Suad Al-Hakem, the Personnel Manager, and Nasser Al-Mutairi attended the Reception. During the meeting, Al-Jazzaf stressed that PAYS is keen to develop the skills of its staff in various sporting and youth departments.

Klaus Poker stressed that the cooperation of his team with PAYS was highly significant. He said sport is a common concern for all age categories but in particular for youths, as they are the milestone of all development processes.

KUWAIT: The Cabinet held its weekly meeting yesterday at the Seif Palace under the chairmanship of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah.

After the meeting, spokesman for the government, Minister of Justice and Minister of Education and M inister of H igher Education Ahmed Abdul Mohsen Al-Mlaifi said the cabinet congratulated His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and the Kuwaiti people on the occasion of the New Year, asking God Almighty to make next year a year of blessing and goodness for the homeland, the Arab and Islamic nations and to bring peace, security and stability to all humanity.

Al-Mlaifi added that the Council resumed studying practical steps aimed to translate the content of the opening speech of HH the Prime Minister as part of ensuring the integrity of the parliamentary elections and to ensure transparency, promote the principles of justice and equality before the law and equal opportunities, combat any form of interventions and physical and moral effects of the electoral process and their results as well as safeguarding the will of the nation from any defect in the process of selecting their representatives in Parliament and in furtherance of the path of democracy and a commitment to the provisions of the Constitution in letter and spirit.

As a result, Al-Mlaifi said His Highness the Prime Minister submitted to the Cabinet two draft laws aimed at ensuring the integrity of the electoral process and the development of legal controls to enhance transparency and equal opportunities in the campaign.

He added that the first deals with the establishment of an independent electoral commission which enjoys neutrality, independence and immunity for the exercise of its business away from any influence or pressure, and carry out the task of preparation, implementation, supervision and management of the electoral process in all stages to ensure fairness, impartiality and transparency through a set of procedures and functions. He pointed out that such commission would be entrusted to audit and update electoral statements and control the electoral process, in addition to monitoring and following up voting process and the announcement of final results, besides receiving complaints from concerned parties with this matter, in addition to its terms of reference in the issue of awareness of the importance of elections and public participation in the full embodiment of its will.

Al-Mlaifi said the second draft project deals with the establishment of an (Independent National Commission to oversee the campaign) and in which, members of the judiciary along with some leaders concerned take part, in addition to representatives of relevant public-interest associations, experienced media and advertising figures.

He said the aim of this Committee is to promote the integrity of the parliamentary elections and to ensure their transparency through supervision to achieve justice and equality of opportunity and equality before the law in all matters relating to the organization of media propaganda and advertising. He added the commission shall also in particular monitor the compliance of the candidates, media and the institutions of opinion polls with the laws and regulations

KUWAIT: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah receiving Minister of Information Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah at Seif Palace yesterday. and for that, the Commission shall establish rules and regulations necessary to ensure that the Kuwaiti visual, audio and written media are abiding by the principles of equal opportunity for candidates in the electoral and advertising campaigns as well as controlling the issue of electoral expenditure, in addition to developing the rules and regulations necessary for the poll during the campaign and determine the measures to be followed to ensure the credibility, fairness and impartiality of the electoral process.

The cabinet commended the lofty goals of the two bills submitted by His Highness the Prime Minister for the setting up the Independent Electoral Commission and the establishment of the National Committee to oversee the campaign, which would give more elements of fairness, equality and equal opportunities in the election process in a way to dedicate the democratic and civilized approach of the State of Kuwait.

The Cabinet decided to refer the two draft laws to the Committee on Legal Affairs for a study in collaboration with specialists and representatives of civil society institutions and prepare the appropriate format of such bill in this regard ahead of referring it to the National Assembly in the next legislative term. In this context, Minister of Justice and M inister of Education and H igher Education Ahmad Al-Mlaifi, head of the committee entrusted with working out mechanisms aiming to implement the contents of HH the Prime Minister’s keynote speech at the Cabinet, presented the committee’s recommendations over a number of key issues. He elaborated on a draft law on the creation of a public authority for integrity in line with Law 47/2006 allowing Kuwait to join the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and consecrating the principle of transparency and integrity in economic, financial and administrative dealings. The minister added that the draft law was considered and backed by a number of public and specialized figures, noting that it showed Kuwait’s resolve to combat corruption and maintain its national interests.

The cabinet referred the bill to its committee on legal affairs for further deliberations and discussions. The cabinet then reviewed the committee’s recommendation to take all required procedures to speed up

the completion of the e-government project. In this respect, the ministers listened to explanation from Chairman of the Central Agenc y for I nformation Technology Abdulatif Al-Suraia’, on the agency’s cooperation with other agencies involved to carry out national projects, including an information network and official portal, clients’ center, training center for national cadres and awareness program for information technology uses.

Also discussed were obstacles impeding e-government projects and practical proposals for wiping them out.

The cabinet urged the committee to accelerate the issuance of the executive statute of the privacy law to ensure the correct application of this law and the fulfillment of its goals.

It decided to entrust its section of fatwa and legislation to prepare the final formula of the statute and its purposes to the cabinet for a final approval.

Furthermore, the ministers decided to ask a team of experts and specialists to set out a plan for consolidating and developing the relationship between both legislative and executive authorities and pushing cooperation between them, in line with the constitution and HH the Amir’s directives. A recommendation targeting a team of experts for suggesting practical moves to protect and safeguard Kuwait’s national interests and to fight all manifestations of sectarian and communal tensions was approved during the weekly cabinet meeting.

The ministers further entrusted a number of experts to look into how to boost the role of mass media in the consecration of national constants and protection of national security, gains and traditional societal values.

M inister of Commerce and I ndustr y Amani Bouresli presented a memo by the Union of Investment Companies on the global financial crisis and its aftershocks on national economy, primarily the sector of investment firms. The memo suggested moves to revitalize the core role of the Kuwaiti private sector in national development. The memo was sent to the cabinet’s committee on economic affairs for further deliberations. Finally, the ministers considered the latest Arab and international political developments. — KUNA

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

LOCAL Letters to Muna Al-Fuzai

Off the Record

Hunger is not a myth, a reality

America good, Kuwait good

By Sajeev K Peter

muna@kuwaittimes.net

sajeev@kuwaittimes.net

twitter @munaalfuzai Dear Muna Al-Fuzai,

P

eople say it is easy to be pessimistic. To many, cynicism comes spontaneously like an obsession that nothing will bring in positive changes to this world. It is hard to challenge their attitude because every passing year, we usher in new year with a fervent hope and prayer that things will be better for humanity. Less bloodbath and more peace, less starvation and more food for the poor, less diseases and better health for all the inhabitants of this universe. And no lurking recession or foreclosures to find yourself a bankrupt when you wake up on a notso-fine morning. But when you look back as every year winds up, you see an even gloomier picture, a picture that makes you a less optimist, if not a hardcore pessimist.

Probably, we have endured the worst in 2011 in the name of revolution, terror-fighting, freedomfighting etc. To me, 2011 will remain a stark reminder as to how the world community once again failed to address the grave issue of hunger, the world’s No 1 health risk.

No one will dispute that 2011 had been an eventful year for families across the world. More inhabitants on this planet Earth found themselves below the poverty line. That killing drought and famine continued to plague East Africa, pulverizing Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. The extent of abject starvation in the region baffled the global community and mocked at the rich countries who accumulated wealth without a qualm or pang of conscience.

At the same time we will not forget the noble humanitarian assistance offered by countries like Kuwait to ease the suffering of the people in the Horn of Africa.

The UN food agency came out with an alarming report that world food prices in 2011 reached their highest level ever recorded. It warned that they will keep rising, meaning hunger for many more people.

According to FAO, 925 million people across the world do not have enough to eat and 98 percent of them live in developing countries. Sadly enough, 65 percent of the world’s hungry live in only seven countries: India, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia.

But there aren’t any bright spots in the developed world either. In the US, the world’s number one economy, poverty rate rose to its highest level since 1993 touching 15.1 percent (46.2 million of the total population) in 2010. Similarly, poverty level in many of the European countries is alarmingly rising. Paradoxically, this strange phenomenon is taking place in the developed world at a time when the global poverty rate is dropping sharply. The total number of poor people around the world fell by nearly half a billion from over 1.3 billion people in 2005 to under 900 million in 2010.

Now we begin to doubt whether the means and machinery of the United Nations or its agencies are adequate enough to address global famine or disasters - be it manmade or natural. We have seen their helplessness in Haiti. Then in Japan, China, Turkey and other parts of the world. It may be true that world hunger is not due to food scarcity but is caused by increasing poverty in the developing countries. This fact raises the responsibility of the global community to fight hunger with a firm determination and eradicate poverty from the face of Earth. Undoubtedly, the more fortunate nations with resources must take the lead in evolving a global distribution system of food supplies that can considerably reduce poverty in many of the worst-affected regions. Hunger is a reality, not a myth any more.

I

Environmental ‘Earth Hour’

More fuel to the fire of corruption

By Khalifa Al-Khurafi

I

can’t figure out how to start my column with all the conflicted thoughts and emotions I am having about the current political state in Kuwait.

We are living in a time in which a lawmaker, who acts from a logical approach and seeks reform through applying the law, is considered someone who sold his loyalty to the government. In the meantime an MP, who adopts a chaotic approach, does not hesitate to break the law, and spends years in Parliament without pushing for enforcement of anticorruption laws, is called a spearhead of reform!

What happened? Why have citizens adopted this twisted logic?

Corruption in Kuwait has reached a level in which bribes are made in public, given the lack of proper law enforcement. You cannot confuse such illegal action as being something that is justified. What is wrong cannot be justified. Yet, whoever acts based on this realization eventually finds themselves at odds with both the government and the opposition.

A person who truly cares about the welfare of their country would not yield to pressure that tries to make them stray from that concept.

Shortly after HH the Prime Minister, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, assumed his duties he was quick to receive threats and criticism from MPs and columnists. It is a sign of things to come. When Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak accepted the premiership post, he likely knew that the job ahead of him will not be easy or fun. He is going to prepare for wide scale attacks unless he gives in and meets the unlawful demands of his opponents.

Following the 2012 elections, and as soon as Parliament holds its inaugural sessions, the countdown will begin for public demonstrations to start being held at the Irada Square. —Al-Qabas

News as a tool for reforms

By Fouad Al-Obaid

By Dr Noura Al-Jandal

fouad@kuwaittimes.net Twitter: @Fouadalobaid

G

lobal warming is the phenomenon of the gradual rise in the temperature of the earth.

This is due to the increase in the concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, following the industrial revolution.

In 2007, Sydney city took a step towards facing this issue when they turned off the lights for one hour in houses, landmark buildings and restaurants and used candles for lighting instead. The event was the largest global action. In 2008, 400 cities joined this event.

“Earth hour” in Kuwait began in 2009, represented by Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research and Kuwait University. The Kuwaiti global warming team, of the Voluntary Work Center, graciously volunteered to participate in organizing this event in 2010 and 2011 by turning off the lights in more than 26 shopping malls and tourist attractions in Kuwait. This was a good step towards our beautiful environment, but ...

Why don’t we do an environmental event for Kuwait in isolation from the rest of the world?

Especially that there is a tendency of the organizers of the Earth Hour event that each city adopt its own hour!

Why can Kuwait not pioneer a local environmental event to attract the Gulf countries to participate in?

So the idea of an environmental hour like earth hour appeared, to happen in February and at the level of the State of Kuwait, for several reasons: lIt can be associated in the minds of Kuwaitis with two important dates, which are February 25th Independence day and February 26th Liberation from Iraq day, Why don’t we make February 27th a date where we celebrate something for the environment. There will be a great link in the mind of every Kuwaiti citizen for these three dates and they will not forget it. l February is the month of national celebrations and there is a frequent use of ornamental lights to mark the occasion. l In this month, there is a car cruising event which leads to the emission of carbon dioxide from the exhausts of cars.

Objectives

kuwait digest

In my view

kuwait digest

lPromote environmental awareness in Kuwait. l Establish a link between an environmental

day and the dates of national holidays to entrench the concept of the environment in the minds of future generations. l Demonstrate to the world and deliver an important message that the people of Kuwait are environmentally responsible and civilized. l Contribute to the mitigation of greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide to help reduce global warming. l Encourage an interest in agriculture, as plants help to reduce carbon dioxide. lRationalize water and electricity consumption.

Recommendations off unnecessary lights for one hour only (rush hour is between 1-4 pm). lTurn off unnecessary electrical appliances for one hour. l Reduce the number of hours that illuminations are turned on, as we do not need to keep lighting until early morning hours. l Use energy saving lights for ornamental purposes, if possible. l Apply environmentally-friendly cruising rather than car cruising and replace them with walking and cycling. l Environmentally-friendly cruising will be organized by Touristic Enterprises Company. The event will be friendly to the environment to deliver an important message about its importance. l Turn

Main orientation Declaration of the event by the government of the State of Kuwait as an official event to be celebrated each year, to establish the concept of environmental awareness among future generations.

Mechanism of action for the implementation of the event and tasks 1. Nominate a person from each government sector and private participants to support the event.

2. Establish a national committee that arranges the event annually.

3. Provide environmental recommendations on a year-round basis.

4. Participate in environmental events in the country.

N

ews is subjective to the propagandistic agenda of those sharing it. Many have come to view certain news channels as a ‘certain’ authority who one ought not to doubt for they - it is believed - are there to ‘tell’ and inform them of what is ‘really’ going on in the world today, as opposed to what they ‘chose’ to present to you as important. In a world that is ever more connected many I fear will not be able to decipher how news acts as a catalyst in shaping the way we perceive our contemporary world, and how through it we come to define our version and understanding of ‘reality’.

What is ‘real’ to me is maybe a lie to someone else. Not dissimilar to the notion that ‘others’ may perceive my version of truth as a conspiracy theory! The subjective nature of the dissemination of information - much of which is irrelevant and has as a sole purpose the creation of an adult form of ‘divertissement’ - and its perception is largely based on cultural understanding and preconceptions.

If we look at the news arena in Kuwait and the wider Middle East, much of it is about ‘informing’ the general public of what is going on without any real attempt to contextualize the events, let alone attempt to explore their ramifications. For instance, in this year of ‘yet again’ Parliament elections, when considering the issues of tribal primaries and/or vote buying, we can read many articles and editorials shunning the practice, casting such phenomenon in a rather negative light.

Little research is done - either due to negligence or purposely - to explore the reason why tribes hold primaries, and why such inter-selection is a bad thing. After all, most democracies have primaries. Why do we consider them illegal?

Furthermore, if we attempt to understand the reason people vote, and the purpose of a parliament that has been disbanded - albeit constitutionally - numerous times in recent years, why is the news not focused on shedding the light on the real reason for the disbanding of parliament which is structural? So long as the structural issue of the our political predicament is not dealt with, one can assume that similar results will occur regardless of how many times we chose to experiment our much publicized ‘democratic wedding’.

To me this is a rather odd sounding term. Again!

At the regional level, the ‘Arab Street’ as one analyst put it is nothing more than a ‘Thahira Sawteeya’ i.e. an almost musical melody that has no real physical translation to it. At this point we ought to consider how news shapes the understanding of the people, and how in our part of the world it directs most individuals who decide to follow it towards a path of mundane knowledge, little of which has any practical sense, let alone any profound meaning to it.

Perhaps we should consider news in this region as mere tabloid. After all, tabloid is a genre of news that is popular with many mainly lowly educated classes the world over. Could our Arab world be in itself a class apart, where the majority of its populous is placed in such a category?

The multiplication of news channels and organizations has not in my humble view been able to create a sense of cohesion between the Arabs. The primar y interest of most of such organizations is to ‘protect’ the interest of those backing them, and to ensure the dumbification of the Arabs in general. It creates a constant state of apathy and belittlement with no hope for any bright future. Such is done by focusing the bulk of meaningful news on the ongoing problems that we as Arabs face, and we become passive.

We are not only trained to accept the numerous historical and contemporary humiliations we are confronted with but, like addicts, we seem to beg for more knowing in advance that striving to adjust our current status - at least for the time being - is futile!

am an American. From 2008-2009 I was working in Kuwait. When I returned to the US I was so grateful to return home to my wife, but I left with very fond memories of Kuwait. I had never before experienced the Middle East and when I arrived I had my own prejudices - Arabs hate Americans. Muslims hate Americans. That’s what I believed when I arrived. I was treated with great respect and kindness in your country, not only by Kuwaitis but by Egyptians, Pakistanis, Indians, Turks, Syrians and Bangladeshis.

One of my fondest memories is the day I left my apartment and walked to the barber shop off of Damascus Road. I had the habit of, while I walking through my neighborhood, waving at passing cars. It’s obvious that the local people had never before seen a tall American walk on the streets waving at people. The Indian and Filipino houseboys would all wave back. The Kuwaitis usually hesitate but then wave in reply. On the day in question I waved at a passing car. An elderly Arab man in traditional dress waved back at me, stopped the car, made a U-turn and pulled up alongside me. He asked if I spoke Arabic. “No.” I asked if he spoke English.

“No.” He pointed and waved his hands and I understood that he was asking me where I was going. I said, “to the barbershop”, and a made a scissors motion with my fingers and pointed to my hair. He gestured for me to get into his car. The company I worked for told us time and time again, “do not get into a car. Do not get into a car.”

But my gut told me that this gentleman was sincere. I got in and he drove me right to the barbershop. He asked, “American?” and I said I was. He said something I heard many times in Kuwait. “America good.” He even paid the barber for my haircut.

Kuwait good.

Dave Dear Muna, As always, your write up “Ranting over Rent” gently touched psyche of readers mostly from the expatriate community because the issue is severely affecting one and all except those who live in employer provided houses. We are now “Panting” due to the absurd increase in rents. I am told to pay KD 40 more beginning from January 2012 or vacate. This comes 2 years before the expiry of 5 years of my current contract. Even though most of us know about provision to pay in court, we avoid taking legal course for the obvious reason that it may anger the owner. There are not too many options available except to move out. The law is there but enforcement is mild since the government agencies are tackling more important issues before the nation. Yet there is a need to address this issue also, as it is related to overall well-being of the society we are living in.

Sincere regards, Rent man

kuwait digest

KU shadow director

By Thaar Al-Rashidi

W

ho is the real director of Kuwait University? This question is known by many of the professors and administrators there, but no one announces it. I ask this question to the prime minister and to the minister of education and higher education and I challenge them to give us a clear and satisfactory answer.

Definitely I am not asking about the current university director. I am asking about the one who controls most of the decisions at the university. The most important are decisions relating to Al-Shidadia University which, because the real university director is hiding behind curtains, have got lost.

The ‘real director’ has formed committees and created postponements in order to float responsibility and scatter the efforts of any parliament investigation, which might question university officials about the reasons behind the delay. The real director has ignored all laws and norms. He has appointed two of his children (a son and a daughter) in the administrations of Al-Shidadia University project.

He even communicated with the actual officials responsible for the project and indirectly threatened them.

What power does this shadow director rely upon?

Honestly, I have no answer. Therefore, I leave the answer to the prime minister and the minister of education and higher education. Maybe one of them has the answer. I don’t want an answer only. I need an investigations to expose all violations made by the shadow director or the real director or anybody else. Then we will come to know how a national project like Al-Shidadia University, which concerns thousands of our students, has been turned by an expatriate into a ‘farm’ which he handed to his two children so that millions have been lost — if not billions.

Is it possible from a non-Kuwaiti, and I am not speaking lowly of his abilities. Even if he is Kuwaiti, he has to be held accountable. How did this person cause losses of hundreds of millions while we are watching? What I am saying is true and is documented in official papers. It is not a mere accusation.

If 16 MPs were sent to the Public Prosecution Department in respect of the KD 20 million deposited in their accounts, isn’t it a priority to open an investigation into the loss of KD 200 million. This is through or because of an expatriate who appointed his son and daughter as supervisors to our national university project, which still needs millions of expenses.

Note: In this article I do not refer to the current university director or previous directors. I mean a person working from behind the curtains as if he is a shadow director.

Open a full investigation and stop him now if you really want a new style of government and are looking for reform. — Al-Anbaa

5

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

Local

MoC, Mobily improve internet services KUWAIT: The Ministry of Communications (MoC) signed a contract with Saudi Telecom Company (Mobily) yesterday to link the company’s road network with the ministry for 15 years. The ministry is trying to reduce prices and improve the delivery of Internet service in the country.

Minister of Electricity and Water and Minister of Communications, Salem AlUthaina, said at a press conference that the value of the contract that will link the Saudi

company’s road network with the ministry through the border areas of Salmi and Nuwaisib is 315,000 Kuwaiti dinars.

He said the Ministry is working on two parallel plans. The first is the development and expansion of old cables, and the other is the introduction of external cables to give more freedom of choice and competition between companies.

He said that this linkage gives Internetservice providers, local and external suppliers,

greater scope to compete in the market. It helps to improve the services provided with “the highest quality and lowest price.”

The Minister revealed that the Ministry also has plans to sign other contracts in the future. He pointed out that the ministry will soon form a specialized committee to pursue services and complaints, as well as to coordinate and control prices of telecommunications and Internet companies in the country. —KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receiving HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah at Al-Seif Palace yesterday.

Karzai hails positive Kuwaiti role KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai has expressed his appreciation and gratitude for Kuwaiti leadership and people for their nonstop support to Afghan people.

“His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has a special position in the hearts of Afghan people,” he said during a meeting with a visiting Kuwaiti Journalists Association’s (KJA) delegation.

Karzai hailed HH the Amir as a leader who has great regional leverage and Kuwaitis as a civilized people. The president expressed gratitude for the hospitality he received during his recent visit to Kuwait. Afghanistan is yearning for more developed relations with all Arab countries, especially Kuwait, he said, voicing hopes Kuwait would open an embassy in Kabul soon. Karzai hailed roles of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, and Turkey in the international efforts to reach an agreement with Taliban movement.

He expressed readiness to cooperate with Qatar and its efforts to revive peace talks with Taliban through opening a liaison office for Taliban in Doha.

Karzai underlined that his country seeks good relations with all neighboring countries especially Iran and Pakistan.

He highlighted the great outcome of the recently-held Bonn Conference on Afghan future, adding that “there is still a lot of work to do to improve the situation in Afghanistan”.

With regard to his government performance, the President said it is trying to implement a number of programs to improve security and services provided to Afghan citizens as well as eliminate bureaucracy in all government agencies. He added that the government embarks on plans to revive economy in light of the availability and diversity of resources, citing as examples Afghanistan’s mineral, oil, natural gas and precious stones resources as well as the distinguished relations with world countries. President Karzai revealed the government has signed three multi-billion-dollar contracts with multi-national companies for oil production and refining. He touched upon the rampant corruption in Afghanistan, describing it as a product of the decades-long wars that plagued his country.

With regard to security, Karzai noted that achieving security requires strengthening Afghan police potential and the stop of foreign interventions.

For his part, KJA delegation chief Adnan Al-Rashed thanked President Karzai Office, Afghan Foreign Ministry and Afghan Ambassador to Kuwait Dr. Asadullah Hanif for all the help they offered to the Kuwaiti delegation. Following the meeting, President Karzai held a luncheon for the Kuwaiti delegation. The KJA delegation was headed by KJA Treasurer Adnan Al-Rashed and membership of Meshaal Al-Nami, Abdulsamad Mustafa, Faisal Al-Jassem and Sami AlDulaimi. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Minister of Electricity and Water and Minister of Communications, Salem Al-Uthaina pictured with officials after signing the contract yesterday. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

IBS plans workshop on leadership KUWAIT: The Institute of Bank ing Studies (IBS) announced yesterday that it will organize a workshop on leadership on March 20. Dr. Yagoub Al-Rifae, IBS Director, told the press that the workshop, entitled “How To Be a Real Success” will be presented by Dr. John Maxwell, an internationally renowned leadership expert and coach.

Maxwell’s organizations have trained more than 5 million leaders in 153 countries around the world. The workshop provides a clear picture of leadership. It defines leadership and it breaks it down into understandable steps. It also provides a clear game plan for leadership development. And it aligns leadership practices, principles, and values. The workshop will be divided into two lectures. One is named “The Five Levels of Leadership” and the second one is called “Put Your Dream to the Test.”

Many employees in the banking sector, service, real estate and investment institutes from Kuwait and the GCC countries will participate in this workshop. —KUNA

Gitmo detainees under new law KUWAIT: Kuwaitis Fayez Al-Kandary and Fawzi Al-Ouda will be under a new law signed by American President Barrak Obama, and will spend the rest of their lives in the Guantanamo detention center.

Lawyer Adel Abdelhadi said President Obama signed a law that authorizes the American National Defense to adopt the policy of unlim-

ited detention for those being held in Guantanamo. The policy will become effective within the next 60 days.

Abdelhadi said it bans the handover of detainees to their relative countries. He appealed to the Kuwaiti leadership to face these regretful developments, and make serious political moves to demand the immediate release of the detainees. He said the

law allows the US president, under the war against terrorism act, to arrest any person the US suspects of carrying out any action against the US in support of Al-Qaeda or Taleban anywhere in the world.

They will be sent to Guantanamo to face the same fate of Fawzi and Fayez, without evidence, without a charge and without a trial. —Al-Watan

Iraqi MP calls for GCC membership BAGHDAD: An Iraqi MP expressed hope in recent statements to a Kuwaiti daily that the Gulf Cooperation Council “opens its arms” to accept Iraq’s membership in 2012 “in order to avoid seeing Iraq lured to another regional side”.

Aliya Nassif of the White Iraqiya Party further hoped in her statements to Al-Rai that Kuwait provides “assurances” to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri AlMaliki during his anticipated visit to Kuwait, with regards to resolving pending issues between the two countries. “ We hope that Kuwait reconsiders its polic y towards Iraq in all fields”, Nassif said, adding that while the Kuwaiti people share history of brotherly relations with Iraqis, “Kuwait has so far failed to create requirements of bilateral relations”. “Kuwait hasn’t dropped the Iraqi dues despite the social and religious ties that bind the two countries, unlike some Western countries who voluntarily dropped their owed dues in order to help Iraq”, she said.

Iraq is still owed to pay compensations to Kuwait for destruction left by the invading forces of former president Saddam Husain in the 1990/91 war.

“It’s true that the tyrant Saddam left destruction, but the tyrant already got what he deserved”, Nassif argued. “One hundred and fifty million US dollars are taken every month from the national income of Iraqi people to pay for the Kuwaiti compensations... The Iraqi people made no mistakes as to pay those compensations”, she added.

Nassif took the chance to criticize the construction of the Mubarak Al-Kabeer border east of the Boubyan Island, saying that it hurts Iraq. “Kuwait knows well that Iraq only has a single and narrow outlet at the Arabian Gulf, and that building a mega port opposite to that outlet is going to hurt navigation there”, she indicated, adding that “Kuwait was ought to stand by Iraq in its current political insurgencies even if only through economic support”. —Al-Rai

Dear All All necessary arrangements have been made to take Mr. P.C.Chacko’s mortal remains to Kerala on Tuesday, Jan 3, 2012. His mortal remains will be prepared for final viewing at 9 am on Tuesday at the AlSabah Hospital Mortuary in Kuwait. They will be flown to Kerala later on the same day.

T.O.Thomas

One hospital to every 223,000 residents in Kuwait KUWAIT: Kuwait has only 15 public hospitals to provide medical attention to more than 3.5 million people, with an alarming average of one hospital per 233,000 people. No new public hospitals were built between 2006 and 2010, a new report says.

The recently released report, prepared

by Skills Consulting and Public Relations in cooperation with local experts in the medical field, points out a decline in performance created by the fact that public medical facilities did not increase in number during the four years period in comparison to population growth rates.

Performance in the public medical sector showed an improvement ranging between 11 percent and 55 percent in terms of facilities and human resources between 2006 and 2010, according to a

recent study. The evaluation took into consideration the aspects of time, population growth, and official state statistics.

The report shows that the Ministry of Health increased the number of polyclinics it operates around Kuwait by 17.2 percent, with 60 new clinics opened between 2006 and 2010, increasing the total number to 409.

It also notes that bed capacity at public hospitals increased by 23.1 percent with 1,189 additional beds during the same four year period. As for medical staff members, the report mentions a 28.7 percent increase in staff after 9,743 were hired between 2006 and 2010, increasing the total number to 43,733 by 2010. This means an average of one medical staff member to each 68 resident in Kuwait. —Al-Qabas

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

local

Suspicious party in Salmi desert camp, eight held Unfaithful wife busted

KUWAIT: Officials signing the agreement.

PACE to launch Kuwait’s first solar energy station KUWAIT: The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) in collaboration with PACE-Pan Arab Consulting Engineers, yesterday announced their intention to provide a state-of-the-art design to set-up a Solar Energy Station Experimental Project, which will be located in the College of Basic Education (CBE) Campus in Ardiyah; adjacent to Jaber Al-Ahmad Stadium.

PACE, a leader in the architectural consultancy field with over 43 years of experience is designing its unique project, which will produce one Mega Watt of Solar energy, which reflects its committed approach to sustainable renewable energy sources and green building applications. The campus consists of 32 buildings built on an area of 450,000 sqm, with an open roof space of 40,000sqm.

The experimental project will include applications such as photovoltaic solar panel arrays, photovoltaic film arrays, thermal water heaters, stand-alone external light fittings, all of which will contribute to a saving of 20% electrical power consumption on campus and reducing two tons of CO2 emissions per year.

PACE’s scope of work for this project includes selecting a highly qualified and experienced design team to be fully dedicated to this project, in addition to developing the project’s design criteria and project budgeting that covers solar systems. The project’s approximate estimated budget to-date is KD5 million and is expected to be completed by June 2012.

“PACE are pleased to be part of a project that combines the efforts of both the public and the private sectors. At PACE, we have always participated in the development of various projects by applying new and advanced technologies such as Smart Building Systems, Facilities Management in order to encourage more sustainable practices.” says, PACE’s managing partner, Tarek Shuaib.

The buildings on campus have been provided with skylights and curtain walls to increase daylight and reduce the indoors lighting levels, thereby reducing energy consumption on campus. In addition, Lighting Control System and Building Automation System has been set up to monitor and control the systems’ performance and energy consumption. Also, a central plant has been installed to provide chilled water and pretreated water for irrigation purposes.

Apart from providing services to more than 8,000 students, the project will also offer students the opportunity to understand the importance of solar energy, sustainability and green building applications.

Most educational institutes are only operational during daytime based on studies and research findings. Kuwait enjoys minimum average estimated six hours of sunlight on a daily basis. Most universities, college campuses and schools only utilize 35% of their roof for miscellaneous building services. PACE is committed to utilize solar energy sources to generate energy, thereby turning business challenges into sustainable practices.

“This project is a model that demonstrates the countless benefits of utilizing renewable energy sources into business practices. Through our collaboration with PAAET and CBE, we will bring the first Mega Solar Energy Station to Kuwait and open many doors for sustainable, green applications at a local and regional level” says Shuaib.

PACE is a multi-disciplinary organization with a reputation of providing effective, efficient and professional services to a wide range of public and private sector clients. PACE has a completely integrated in-house capability of expertise who offer a diversity of professional services in fields including master planning and urban design, architecture, landscape design, interior design, project management and construction supervision.

Bouland wins GMC Yukon in Gulf Bank draw KUWAIT: Gulf Bank yesterday announced Mohammad Abdulaziz Qasem Bouland as the winner of its fourth and final quarterly KOC prize draw for 2011. Mohammad Abdulaziz Qasem Bouland wins a brand new 2011 GMC Yukon and was announced by Yaser Sulaiman, executive manager, Consumer Banking Group, Gulf Bank who was present at the branch.

On winning the brand new GMC Yukon, Bouland said, “I’m extremely grateful to Gulf Bank for providing me with the opportunity to win this prize.

The service Gulf Bank provides for KOC employees is exceptional and as a fortuitous added bonus I am also driving away with my brand new GMC Yukon. “ Gulf Bank’s Quarterly Prize Draw for the GMC Yukon is part of the benefits offered in the KOC salary package. The KOC salar y package is a specially designed banking package for KOC staff

members and is a non interest bearing current account.

Gulf Bank offers this tailored package to KOC employees, where they can enjoy several benefits including: a chance to participate in an exclusive quarterly draw to win a brand new GMC Yukon; receive vouchers; free issuance charges for Visa and MasterCard credit cards; special discounts upon using Gulf Bank debit and credit cards at over 300 outlets across Kuwait; and a 10% discount on both motor and travel insurance. All KOC staff that transfer their salaries and have a valid Gulf Bank credit card will be eligible to enter the quarterly draw.

Gulf Bank is the only branch present at the KOC Head Office and the Bank invites all KOC staff members to visit the branch to find out more about the KOC salary package.

KUWAIT: A married woman was among eight people arrested inside a desert camp hosting a suspicious party. The party was raided by police, based on a report by the woman’s husband. The stateless man dropped his wife off at her family house, where she wanted to spend new year’s eve. But minutes later he saw her exiting the house and taking a cab.

He decided to follow his wife. The cab stopped near a camp at an open area in Salmi.

He called police after seeing his wife enter the camp. Jahra security officers headed to the scene with a warrant to raid the camp. The woman was arrested along with seven men.

They were referred to the Public Prosecution Department for further action. -Hanaan AlSaadoun Prostitutes in custody Police arrested 20 prostitutes inside a bus that was on its way to a camp hosting a new year’s eve party. Police caught 12 men there.

The bus was pulled over on its way to a camping site in Julaiah, after it raised police suspicions. The bus driver admitted that he was asked by a female citizen to collect the 20 women from a location in Ahmadi and transport them to a camp in Julaiah. The women confessed that the female citizen is the madam who arranged for them to serve customers at the new year’s eve party. Alcoholic drinks were also found inside the designated camp. All detainees were referred to the proper authorities for further action. -Al-Rai Women arrested Two Asian women were arrested for offering sexual services to customers while using their massage work as a cover for illegal activity. The suspects were arrested after being lured into a trap, following investigations sparked by a tip about their illegal activity.

The initial information received by Hawally police indicated that the women offered massaging services only in private homes, instead of running a massage parlor which could have been raided by police. Al-Rai Drug smuggler A truck driver was arrested at Abdali northern border checkpoint in possession of drugs. He was attempting to smuggle them into Kuwait. Customs officials decided to search the truck extensively, after the driver’s behavior raised suspicions. He was placed under arrest after a kilogram of hashish and a thousand captagon pills were found in hiding places. -Al-Rai Bootleggers in custody Two Arab men were arrested for trading in imported alcoholic drinks. They used a rented apar tment to run their activity.

Investigations went underway following information about the suspicious activity of two people, believed to be using an apartment rented by the day. Its location was not mentioned in the news report, but alcohol was sold illegally there. A warrant to raid the apartment was released following a monitoring period. Investigators spotted multiple people going inside and then leaving with suspicious possessions. Police arrested a Syrian and a stateless resident inside. Police found three cardboard boxes filled with liquor bottles. The suspects confessed to trading in alcohol and were referred to the proper authorities to face legal action. -AlAnba Drunk in trouble A man is facing multiple charges after he attacked police officers in a shopping mall where he was repor ted to be harassing

female shoppers. The stateless male suspect was also found to be drunk at the time of arrest. He reportedly helped three accomplices escape before police arrived. A team of security officers headed to Souq Sharq following complaints by female shoppers of a muscular harasser. The man was eventually arrested after strong resistance. It was soon discovered he was under the influence. Police launched a probe in search of the three other suspects which the main suspect helped escape before officers arrived. -Al-Anba Kidnap foiled A search is currently ongoing for two male suspects who escaped in a white SUV following a failed kidnap attempt at a camp in Julaiah. Police officers were on a routine patrol when they were approached by two women. They reported suspects attempting to kidnap their two friends. The officers rushed to the scene and spotted two young men attempting to force two women inside their car. The vehicle did not have license plates. The suspects drove away from the scene before they could be caught. A case was filed at the nearest police station for investigations. -Al-Anba Illegal drinking Ten people were arrested in Sabah AlSalem after they were caught committing illegal activities during a new year’s eve party. A police patrol received orders to head to a building in the area, following a report from a resident who witnessed two drunk people leaving an extension built from corrugated galvanized iron sheets. Police arrested ten Asian men inside, who were found to be gambling and drinking alcohol. They were referred to the proper authorities to face charges. —Al-Watan

Kuwait sells China $10bn in oil, products BEIJING: Kuwait currently sells China nearly $10 billion in crude oil and petroleum products, driven by robust crude shipments.

This is a huge increase from just $400 million in 2004. The world’s seventh-largest oil exporter supplied around 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude to China in 2010, a 11-fold increase from 18,000 bpd in 2004, according to data from the Chinese government.

Since then Kuwait and China have witnessed steady growth in energy cooperation, following an agreement between the two governments in July 2004 when His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah toured China in his capacity as the then prime minister. In 2005, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) established a Representative Office in Beijing. Chinese refiners then significantly increased crude purchases from Kuwait, KPC said. Kuwaiti crude is

imported by most of China’s coastal refineries owned by Sinopec and CNPC, which cater to China’s highly industrial areas such as Beijing, Dalian, Guangdong and Fujian.

In November 2011, KPC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chinese oil trader Unipec for a 10-year crude term contract starting from this year, which states that crude oil supplied to Unipec should be increased to at least 300,000 bpd.

Last month, KPC said its Beijing Representative Office has successfully developed new outlets for KPC products in the world’s largest energy consuming market, including naphtha, gas and sulfur, in addition to crude oil.

Kuwait became China’s biggest liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplier in November, with its shipments surging 64.4 percent yearon-year to 80,500 tons to control a quarter of

2012 starts with kidnap, adultery, shooting, theft KUWAIT: Eight different police stations around Kuwait welcomed the new year with felony and misdemeanor charges which were pressed on residents for incidents which happened during the first hours of 2012.

The cases, which bear the distinctive registration number of 1/2012, ranged from kidnapping, adultery, hit and run, theft, public intoxication and shooting.

One of the first cases filed in the new year was at Jahra police station regarding a case pertaining to suspects kidnapping a young man and calling his family for a ransom. Police headed to a stable in Jahra, where the victim was reportedly kidnapped from. The stable owner confirmed that three unidentified people took the victim and drove to an undisclosed location. Investigations in the case are still ongoing.

Meanwhile, the first case filed in 2012 at Sulaibiya police station pertained to an incident in which a man reported his wife celebrating new year’s eve at a camp hosting suspicious activities.

The woman was charged with adultery after she was caught in the company of multiple male suspects.

The first case of 2012 filed at Abdullah Port police station related to an incident in which two citizens sustained gun wounds after being shot by a man. They reportedly insisted that they dance with his girlfriend at a new year’s eve party. The incident happened at a camp in Julai’ah. All people involved were reportedly drunk at the time. The shooter is still at large.

In Salmiya, a drunk man was the first to be charged in the new year after he was caught walking after midnight on a public street while being under the influence.

Case number 1/2012 in Maidan Hawally was filed for an incident pertaining to a female citizen, who was charged with a misdemeanor count of committing an immoral act. She was arrested for dancing in a public street in front of a shopping mall.

In Taima, battery charges were the first to be pressed in 2012 against suspects who a citizen accused of physical assault over previous disputes.

In Hawally, an Asian man was hospitalized after a Kuwaiti driver accidently hit him. The incident was the first recorded at the area police station in the new year. A car theft was the first case in 2012 to be reported in the new year in Farwaniya. —Al-Rai

China’s total LPG imports. It was the first in 2011 that Kuwait topped the list of LPG importers. In the field of joint energy project, Kuwait also attaches importance to a joint refinery project between its subsidiary Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI) and Asia’s top refiner Sinopec to build a USD 9 billion refinery and petrochemical complex in south China’s Guangdong Province.

Kuwait sealed a MoU with China in 2005 to construct the plant in hopes of securing a foothold in China, not only for sales of crude oil, but also for refining and petrochemicals operations as well as retail network.

The planned refinery is designed to process 100 percent Kuwaiti crude with a capacity of 300,000 bpd and the ethylene cracker unit will have an annual production capacity of 1 million tons. The refinery is expected to go on-stream in 2014. — KUNA

Kuwait Dive Team recaps 2011 achievements

Divers take a break during a buoy maintenance operation.

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Dive Team released their annual report for achievements in 2011, which include the inauguration of the Environmental Voluntary Foundation licensed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.

Kuwaiti divers carried out several voluntary works in territorial waters, including a mission to float a sunken ship weighing 80 tons north of Kuwait, and three other 30 ton ships.

The team also carried out cleaning missions to remove disposed fishing nets on reefs in Bnaidar, Salamah and Khairan coral colonies, as well as off-shore from Shaab beach. The total weight of nets lifted in 2011 reached 10 tons.

The divers were also successful in missions to remove solid waste from coral reefs on Um Al-Maradem island. A major voluntary cleaning campaign ended up with 70 tons of solid waste being lifted from Ushairej beach.

Comprehensive maintenance operations in 2011 totaled 70 buoys marking coral reef sites in Kuwaiti waters. Kuwait Dive Team continued monitoring the recovery of coral reefs from bleaching in Kuwaiti waters. KDT were also able to register 400 sightings for coral reeds, that were updated in the Coral Watch database.

Divers also installed seven artificial coral colonies, and planted six different types of coral reefs at Al-Zoor and Bnaider.

Furthermore, Kuwaiti divers made a notable achievement when they carried out maintenance operations to underwater filters for fire extinguishers at Abdullah Port.

They also released two documentaries, one about two wrecked ships on Kuwait’s sea bed, and another about a turtle that was

spotted and documented in the south of Kuwait.

The Kuwait Dive Team signed cooperation agreements in 2011 with multiple international organizations, including the World Confederation of Underwater Activities (CMAS) in Rome, Italy and the National Geographic Center in New Zealand.

The team also received awards, including the Ford Middle East Award for Environmental Work received in Dubai, and the Golden Star award presented by Kuwait Oil Company. KDT divers also enrolled in three courses in monitoring coral reefs, with the cooperation of Australia’s Queensland University.

The team also launched its YouTube page in 2011 with more than 500 uploaded videos viewed more than 400,000 times.

A diver records the status of coral infected with bleaching.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

Tortured Afghan girl to go to India for treatment

Nigerian anger heats up as petrol prices rocket Page 10

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HORMUZ: Iranian 200-kilometre (120-mile) range Qader (Ghader) ground-to-sea missile is launched on the last day of navy war games near the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran yesterday.—AFP

Iran tests missiles near key strait 10-day war games reach climax TEHRAN: Iran tested missiles yesterday near the Strait of Hormuz, underlining its threats to close the vital oiltransit waterway as the West readies to impose more economic sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear drive. The launch of three missiles took place on the final day of war games in waters east of the strait at the entrance to the Gulf, said official media and a navy spokesman, Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi. France said the tests sent a “very bad signal to the international community” and stressed the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to shipping.

The United States, which keeps its Fifth Fleet based in the Gulf, has warned it will not tolerate a closure of the strategic channel. Two of the missiles tested yesterday can fly a maximum 200 kilometres (120 miles), generally considered short-range though Iranian media and Mousavi described one of them, a Qader ground-to-ship cruise missile, as a “long-range” weapon. The other missile tested yesterday, a Nasr anti-ship missile, had a shorter range of 35 kilometres (22 miles).

On Sunday, a medium-range surface-to-air missile was also test-fired during the exercises, according to Mousavi. The display of military mus-

cle was designed to show Iran’s ability to close the Strait of Hormuz-through which 20 percent of the world’s oil flows-if it chooses. Iranian political and military officials insist they could take that drastic step if the West imposes more sanctions, on top of others that have already taken their toll on Iran’s oil-dependent economy.

The United States and its allies have imposed their sanctions to punish Iran for maintaining a nuclear programme they believe masks military objectives. Tehran denies the allegation, saying its nuclear activities are exclusively for energy generation and for making medical isotopes. In another show of defiance, Iran’s atomic energy organisation said on the weekend its scientists had tested “the first nuclear rod produced from uranium ore deposits inside the country.”

US President Barack Obama upped the pressure on Tehran last Saturday, signing into law new unilateral sanctions targeting Iran’s central bank and financial sector. The European Union is considering an embargo on Iranian oil imports. A meeting of EU foreign ministers at the end of this month will decide whether to implement that measure. Iran’s currency was showing the impact of the sanctions, slumping

more than 12 percent in street trading yesterday, accelerating a weekend slide triggered when Obama activated the new US sanctions. The US measures seek to further squeeze Iran’s crucial oil revenues, most of which are processed by the central bank. Analysts are sceptical, however, that Iran will make good on its threat over the Strait of Hormuz if sanctions bit harder. Some noted that Iran would devastate its own economy if it did so, likely lose the diplomatic protection it enjoys from Russia and China, and risk open war with the United States.

Yesterday’s missile tests, however, renewed concerns over what Iran might do if it felt cornered. Mousavi said the Qader cruise missile “built by Iranian experts successfully hit its target and destroyed it,” according to the official IRNA news agency. He said it was “the first time” a Qader missile had been tested. Hours later a Nasr missile “was also fired from a vessel in the sea,” he told state television, adding that its test, too, was successful. IRNA and other outlets later said the third missile, Nour, was test-fired late yesterday and also hit its target.

The Nour and the Nasr are based on Chinese missiles, while the Qader is said to be built entirely in Iran.— AFP

Saudi Arabia seeks arrest of 23 Shiites for unrest RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has ordered the arrest of 23 Shiite Muslims in the kingdom’s Eastern Province who it says were responsible for unrest that has led to shootings and protests in recent weeks, the Interior Ministry said yesterday. The Sunni-ruled kingdom accused the wanted men of serving the agenda of a foreign power, usually a reference to its Shiite rival Iran which Riyadh sees as fomenting sectarian unrest to destabilise the region.

“We do have evidence of a relationship with somebody else abroad,” Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Mansour Turki told a news conference. “Now how much, or what kind of relationship and how strong that relationship, this still has to be investigated and that is what we want these people for.” Tensions between Riyadh and Tehran have risen in recent months, since the Arab uprisings altered the Middle East’s balance of power and brought sectarian clashes to Saudi Arabia and its close neighbor Bahrain.

Last week, an Iranian general said the Islamic Republic might respond to new sanctions over its nuclear program by closing the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that transports

most Gulf crude, including that produced by Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter. The interior ministry, announcing the arrest orders in a statement read on state television, apparently tried to calm sectarian tensions by praising as “honorable” the people of Eastern Province, heart of the kingdom’s oil wealth and home to most Saudi Shiites . The statement called on the wanted men to turn themselves in, and Turki said the arrest order had been issued after they had failed to report when summoned for questioning.

Some of them had criminal records, held illicit weapons, obstructed traffic and tried to incite unrest, the statement said. This showed there were coordinated efforts to provoke unrest “and to force citizens to take part in pointless confrontations,” Turki said. In November four people were killed in the province’s Qatif oasis area when clashes broke out near police checkpoints and at a funeral. Eastern Province Shiite activists said aggressive policing at checkpoints and the arrest of some community members had provoked the trouble.

The Saudi government blamed an unnamed foreign power for the unrest

and officials have privately pointed at Iran, which they accuse of stirring sectarian violence across the Middle East.

The only significant protests to hit Saudi Arabia, the Middle East’s largest economy, during the Arab uprisings were among Shiites in Eastern Province, where small demonstrations persisted throughout 2011. In October the United States accused Iran of backing an alleged plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington.

Iran denies the charges and last month sent its intelligence minister to Riyadh to try to defuse tensions. Saudi Shiites complain of widespread discrimination, which they say prevents them from gaining good government jobs, reduces state investment in their neighborhoods and leads to closures of Shiite centres of worship. The Saudi government denies charges of discrimination. The last official Saudi figures showed there were fewer than one million Shiites in Eastern Province out of a total 3 million people, but a 2006 Human Rights Watch report put the number of Shiites there at 2 million and a 2008 US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks estimated the Shiite population at 1.5 million.—Reuters

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

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

Palestinians hope peace efforts can be salvaged RAMALLAH: The chief Palestinian peace negotiator said yesterday his first meeting with Israelis in more than a year will be a last-ditch effort to salvage the peace process and warned that the Palestinians would explore alternatives if no progress is made.

Saeb Erekat said he was holding out hope for today’s meeting in Jordan, but acknowledged his expectations were low as he reiterated his longstanding demand for an Israeli freeze on settlement construction. Without a breakthrough, he warned, the Palestinians will be forced to examine alternatives to peace talks at the end of the month. Those could include again trying for recognition at the UN “The Jordanian efforts are the lastminute efforts to salvage the situation,” Erekat warned.

Erekat is set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s peace envoy, Yitzhak Molcho, at today ’s meeting. It is the first time the sides are meeting since negotiations collapsed in September 2010. Officials say the meeting is not a formal negotiating session. Instead, it is aimed at finding enough common ground to

resume negotiations. The meeting is taking place under the auspices of the Quartet, an international group that mediates Mideast peace efforts. The Quartet, consisting of the US, European Union, Russia and the United Nations, has been trying to revive talks for months with the goal of forging a peace deal by the end of this year.

The Palestinians want to establish an independent state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip.

Israel captured all three areas in the 1967 Mideast war, though it withdrew from Gaza in 2005. A short-lived round of peace talks broke down in September 2010 after an Israeli moratorium on settlement construction expired. The Palestinians say they will not resume talks unless Israel stops building settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. They say it is a sign of bad faith if Israel continues to build on the ver y lands the Palestinians claim for their independent state. The Palestinians also say Israel must agree to withdraw to its pre-1967 lines as the basis for the future border of the two countries.

Speaking to reporters in the West Bank, Erekat said the future of peace efforts depended on what the Israeli delegation brings to the meeting in Jordan. “We hope that the Israeli government would reciprocate the Jordanian efforts by announcing cessation of settlement activities and the acceptance of the concept of the twostate solutions on the ‘67 (borders), so we can resume negotiations in accordance with the Quartet statement of Sept. 23,” he said.

In September, the Quartet called for the sides to meet within one month to agree upon a negotiating agenda, and to present proposals for borders and security within three months. The Palestinians believe the clock is already ticking and have already presented proposals on these issues. They say the timeline expires at the end of January, and if there is no progress, they will seek alternatives.

Officials say the options include resuming their efforts to win acceptance as a member state at the United Nations - an option that Israel bitterly opposes in the absence of a peace deal - and seeking other international

action against Israel, such as a UN resolution condemning settlement activity. Erekat stressed that no decisions have been made.

Israel has rejected all of the Palestinian demands and says negotiations should start without preconditions. Netanyahu has already said he opposes a return to the 1967 lines.

Netanyahu spokesman Mark Regev expressed hope that the meeting in Jordan will “bring about as soon as possible the resumption of direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians.” “The only way to achieve peace and reconciliation is through dialogue,” he added. While Israeli-Palestinian deadlock is nothing new, the situation has been complicated by recent developments.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is in the midst of reconciliation efforts with the Hamas militant group, which seized control of the Gaza Strip from his forces in 2007. Israel considers Hamas a terrorist group and has warned that it cannot make peace with a Palestinian government that includes Hamas. Hamas has sent mixed messages about Abbas’ peace

efforts. Hamas’ supreme leader, Khaled Mashaal, has said he would not stand in the way if Abbas chooses to resume negotiations.

But in Gaza yesterday, Hamas officials urged Abbas to call off the meeting in Jordan. “We ask the Palestinian Authority to give priority to the reconciliation between Palestinians and to continue to reject any meeting or negotiations with the occupation,” said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.

Hamas has been emboldened by the growing strength of Islamic groups throughout the Middle East as a result of the Arab Spring uprisings.

The secular Jordanian regime is also eager to counter the growing Islamist influence. A failed peace process would strengthen Islamists inside Jordan and potentially spill over from the West Bank into Jordan, whose population is already heavily Palestinian.

Both Netanyahu and Abbas agreed to attend Tuesday’s meeting to help strengthen Jordan’s King Abdullah II. But with prospects for success slim, it appeared unlikely that the talks would be little more than a short-term boost to the king.— AP

Rebels capture Syrian troops in north Rebels seize checkpoints, take prisoners: Activists

CAIRO: Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, lies on a stretcher as he leaves court following his trial at police academy, on the outskirts of Cairo yesterday.—AFP

Mubarak trial resumes amid acquittal speculation CAIRO: The trial of Hosni Mubarak resumed yesterday amid speculation that a recent acquittal of policemen tried in the killings of protesters could be a prelude to the dismissal of charges against the ousted Egyptian leader.

Mubarak is charged with complicity in the killing of more than 800 protesters during the uprising that toppled his 29year regime last year.

The 83-year-old ailing Mubarak was brought by helicopter to the Cairo courthouse from a hospital where he is held in custody. He was then taken into the defendants’ cage on a gurney, wearing dark sunglasses and covered by a green blanket. Another Cairo cour t on Thursday acquitted five policemen of charges of killing five protesters in the capital’s El-Sayedah Zeinab district during the Jan 25-Feb 11 uprising. The court said three of the defendants were not at the site of the killings while the other two fired on protesters in self defense. The ruling angered families of the victims.

Activists demanded that the killers be brought to justice and complained that similar cases are languishing in courts in several Egyptian cities.

On trial with Mubarak are his two sons, Gamal, his one-time heir apparent, and Alaa, along with the ousted leader’s former security chief and six top police

commanders. The Mubaraks face additional corruption charges in the same case. The trial began Aug 3 but has since been bogged down in procedural matters, including a demand by lawyers for the victims that the presiding judge, Ahmed Rifaat, be removed. That request alone took a separate court about three months to rule on.

Yesterday’s hearing was adjourned until today, when the court is due to hear from the prosecution. The acquittal of the police officers in el-Sayedah Zeinab and the relatively long time the Mubarak trial is taking before even starting to deal with the core of the charges against him have led many activists to brand the proceedings a farce, organized by the generals who took over power when the longtime leader was ousted.

The generals are led by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Mubarak’s defense minister for the last 20 years he spent in office. The activists believe the generals remain beholden to the Mubarak regime, and only placed the former president and his two sons under arrest after mounting pressure by protesters. The Mubaraks were arrested in April, two months after the ouster of the regime.

Activists believe this was long enough for the three to conceal evidence of their alleged involvement in either the killings or corruption.— AP

Yemeni govt worker killed during strike SANAA: Armed Yemeni guards trying to break up a strike yesterday at a government office killed one of the protesting workers, a security official said. Employees of the Central Agency for Control and Audit in the southern province of Aden are among civil servants holding strikes nationwide to demand the removal of corrupt officials and loyalists of the country’s outgoing president.

The unrest from within government agencies presents a new threat to the regime of Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has agreed to step down after nearly a year of protests calling for his ouster but only in exchange for immunity from prosecution. His opponents, however, want to see him stand trial over the k illings of hundreds of demonstrators during the uprising that began nearly a year ago.

The employee of the auditing agency was killed at the gate of the building, the security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to

brief journalists. Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi ordered the formation of several committees to try to resolve the strikes. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Yemenis rallied in major cities yesterday to demand President Saleh be brought to trial.

The largest demonstrations took place in the capital, Sanaa, and in the southern cities of Aden and Taiz.

The U.N. estimates that hundreds of protesters have been killed and thousands wounded since last February, when anti- government protests erupted across major cities. Eleven months of turmoil have seriously weakened security in Yemen, which was already a fragile nation beset by internal conflict. The Yemen branch of al- Qaida, considered one of the world’s most dangerous, has taken advantage of that to dig in to positions in the country’s south, taking over towns and villages. Yemen’s military fights frequent battles with the Islamist militants but has failed to dislodge them.— AP

BEIRUT: Armed Syrian rebels captured dozens of members of the security forces by seizing two military checkpoints yesterday, the opposition said, even as the Arab League chief reported cautious progress in a peace monitoring mission. The opposition said army deserters also clashed with security forces at a third checkpoint, killing and wounding an unspecified number of troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

Assad is struggling to defeat a popular uprising and avoid becoming the latest president to be toppled by “Arab Spring” revolutions, after the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen.

After nearly 10 months of violence in which the United Nations says more than 5,000 people have been killed, an Arab monitoring mission has spent the past week assessing Assad’s compliance with a peace plan. In partially upbeat comments, Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby said Syria’s military had withdrawn from residential areas and was on the outskirts of the country’s cities, but gunfire continued and snipers were still a threat. “ The latest telephone report said there is gunfire from different places, which makes it hard to say who is shooting who,” said Elaraby. “Gunfire should be stopped and there are snipers.”

“We call upon the Syrian government to fully commit to what it promised,” he said in Cairo. The Arab League plan calls for Assad to withdraw troops and tanks from the streets, release detainees and talk to his opponents.

Elaraby said the monitors had achieved the release of 3,484 prisoners and succeeded in getting food supplies into Homs, one of the centres of the violence. “Give the monitoring mission the chance to prove its presence on the ground,” he said. But many

HOMS: An image grab taken from AFP TV shows a Syrian anti-regime protester looking at security forces as they walk towards demonstrators near the main square of the flashpoint city of Homs on December 30, 2011.—AFP Syrian opposition activists are sceptical that the mission can put real pressure on Assad to halt the violence.

The reported attacks on military checkpoints came three days after the anti-government Free Syrian Army said it had ordered its fighters to stop offensive operations pending a meeting with the Arab League delegates. Rami Abdelrahman, director of the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said yesterday’s operation took place in the northern province of Idlib. It was not immediately clear how many people had been killed or captured by the rebels.

Separately, the Observatory said two people were killed by gunfire in Homs yesterday, and the bodies of another two were handed over to their families.

Security forces killed a farmer in Douma, on the northeastern edge of Damascus, as they carried out raids searching for sus-

pects wanted by authorities, it said. Kinan Shami, a member of the Syrian Revolution Coordinating Union activists group, said from Damascus that people were taking huge risks by gathering in cities where Arab League monitors were expected, in the hope of talking to them.

“People expected them in Daraya yesterday on New Year’s day and thousands went to the main square, raised the Independence Flag on a mast and gathered around it. Security forces shot at them and killed two protesters,” Shami said.

“The people are trying to show the monitors the repression and are risking their lives to meet them because everywhere they go the monitors are surrounded by security... Other than getting arrested and beaten or killed, they could easily face endless counts of treason and communicating with foreign powers.” But Issam Ishak, a high-level member

of the main opposition Syrian National Council, said the monitors must be given a chance.

“Their presence is helping further erode the fear factor and is encouraging the expansion of the protests.”

The Syrian government bars most international journalists from operating in the country, making it difficult to verify accounts of incidents. Assad blames the unrest on foreignbacked armed Islamists who officials say have killed 2,000 security personnel. State news agency SANA said a worker at a school in the city of Hama was killed by armed men who captured her three days ago after her husband, who worked at the same school, refused their demands that he leave his job. SANA also said a journalist working for state radio died on Monday from wounds sustained when gunmen shot him several days ago in Daraya, in Damascus province.—Reuters

Hamas PM tours Turkish boat stormed by Israel ISTANBUL: Gaza’s Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya hailed yesterday the “martyrs” killed when Israeli commandos stormed a Turkish vessel in 2010 trying to break the blockade of the Palestinian enclave. Haniya, on his first trip abroad since Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007, toured the Mavi Marmara, part of a flotilla

attacked by Israeli troops in international waters in a raid that left nine Turkish activists dead.

The May 2010 incident led a furious Turkey to downgrade relations with Israel, a one-time ally, and Ankara is seeking an apology and compensation for the victims before it restores full ties. “Your martyrs are our martyrs, your blood

ISTANBUL: The Gaza Strip’s Hamas Premier Ismail Haniya , center, addresses supporters in front of the Mavi Marmara ship which he visited in Istanbul, Turkey yesterday.—AP

is our blood, your wounds are our wounds,” Haniya told hundreds of supporters of the Islamic aid group which had dispatched the ship to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

“Israel, the invader: you may have stopped the Mavi Marmara from reaching Gaza, but Gaza is now meeting the Mavi Marmara,” he said in an address to the supporters gathered by the vessel docked in Istanbul’s port. The demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans such as “ Welcome to Hamas” and “the resistance continues”. Haniya, who also met relatives of the victims of the raid, thanked Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his support for the Palestinian cause.

On Sunday, Haniya met with Erdogan, who has long wished to visit the Gaza Strip blockaded by Israel. Israel has vigorously defended its right to maintain a blockade on Gaza, which it says is necessary to prevent weapons from entering the impoverished coastal territory.

Since 2007, the Palestinian territo-

ries have been politically divided into two separate territories, with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah largely ruling the West Bank and Hamas governing Gaza.

Turkey has sought to mediate in efforts to reconcile between Abbas’s Fatah faction and Hamas, despite Israeli ire over its contacts with the Islamist movement.

Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted government insists that peace cannot be achieved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if Hamas is excluded from the process. Erdogan has rejected the “terrorist label” for the Islamist group, calling its members “resistance fighters who are struggling to defend their land”.

Haniya’s visit comes after Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas held talks in Turkey in December. “Turkey talks to all parties in Palestine and our doors are open to anyone coming from Palestine,” a Turkish foreign ministry diplomat told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We support internal peace in Palestine,” added the diplomat. — AFP

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

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

Paralyzed Carolina bride still hopes to walk again RALEIGH, NC: A North Carolina woman who got married last summer after a poolside accident left her paralyzed isn’t walking yet, but she hasn’t given up on learning to move on her own again. Rachelle Friedman Chapman is stronger after training for almost three weeks in October at Project Walk, a spinal cord injury recovery center in Carlsbad, Calif. And the 26-year-old from Knightdale, near Raleigh, hopes to return for more training that could help her walk for the first time since the accident just weeks before her original wedding date.

“You see people standing up out of their wheelchair, people who are relearning how to walk,” Chapman said in a recent phone interview. It was on May 23, 2010, that Chapman was pushed into a pool by a friend at her

bachelorette party in Virginia Beach, Va. She fell into the shallow end and awkwardly hit the cement bottom. The injury to her vertebra left her with no feeling from the chest down and feeling on the inside of her arms but not the outside. Her wedding had been scheduled for a few weeks after the party, but she and her fiance postponed it by more than a year.

She has never revealed the name of the friend, who was a bridesmaid when the wedding was finally held in July 2011. The cruel timing of her injury and her enduring positivity landed her story in newspapers, websites and television reports around the world. Chapman got one round of rehabilitation therapy after her accident and tried to exercise on her own.

Now she works out on a table that her husband, Chris, and his father built for

her and does weight-bearing exercises on a home gym.

Her balance is better because her core is stronger, as are her arms. When Chapman arrived at Project Walk, she was weak, says Kimberly Davis, an instructor there. Her blood pressure was low because her muscles had atrophied and she didn’t have the muscle contractions necessary to move the blood, Davis says. “Mornings would be difficult for her,” Davis says.

“We wouldn’t even be able to get her into a seated position without her passing out.”

She also was suffering from bone loss because she’s not standing or bearing weight. By the end of her treatment, Chapman was able to move for 30 minutes on a machine similar to an elliptical trainer that takes clients through the walking process while

supporting their legs and body with a harness. She also was able to get upright in a frame that uses hydraulics to move clients to a standing position.

“I was pretty impressed with her progress,” Davis says. “She didn’t leave here walking, but she increased her strength tremendously.” While she describes Chapman’s condition as severe, Davis says it’s still possible she will walk again. “With this injury, it’s unpredictable,” she says.

Chapman, whose California rehab was funded by an organization called Walking With Anthony, hopes to return in 2012. “I want to go back more than anything,” she says. Davis wants her to return as well. “If I could have her back in here tomorrow, I would,” she says. “She needs to be back in here as soon as possible. There’s really no duplication of the program.”

Meanwhile, Chapman is taking care of other business. As promised, the Beatles fan got a tattoo of the peace sign drawn on the back of her neck, at the center, marking her injury.

Underneath is inked, “Let It Be.” It was, she said, the most painful thing she’s ever experienced - the fall in the pool didn’t hurt. She also learning to drive again and thinking of trying to find a job or getting a master’s degree in a subject such as school counseling. And she’s started writing a book. She and her husband are considering having a child, but she has to get off the blood pressure and pain medications to do that. “It’s not going to be a fun pregnancy,” she said. “I’ll probably be dizzy and in pain all the time. It will be nine months of sacrifice. ... But we would love to have our own child.”— AP

Argentine governor killed by own gun; wife queried Soria quickly buried in private ceremony

WASHINGTON: In this pool photo provided by the Pierce Co. Sheriff’s Dept., law enforcement vehicles are shown at a lower checkpoint Sunday in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state.—AP

Gunman sought after US park ranger shot to death WASHINGTON: Police pursued an armed gunman through Mount Rainier National Park’s snowy terrain yesterday after a park ranger was shot to death, while other officers used the cover of morning darkness to evacuate more than 100 tourists from a guarded visitors center. About 150 officers converged on the mountain park after ranger Margaret Anderson was shot to death Sunday morning, and searchers used an aircraft with heat-sensing capabilities to hunt from the skies. Authorities believe the gunman is still in the woods, with weapons. Pierce County Sheriff ’s spokesman Ed Troyer said that Benjamin Colton Barnes, a 24-year- old Iraq War veteran believed to have survivalist skills, was a “strong person of interest” in the slaying. “We do have a very hot and dangerous situation,” Troyer said. It has been legal for people to take loaded firearms into Mount Rainier since 2010, when a federal law went into effect that made possession of firearms in national parks subject to state gun laws. Safety concerns prompted authorities to keep about 125 tourists quarantined at a visitors center as the manhunt unfolded.

But early yesterday morning, officers escorted them in their cars out of the park. Troyer said it was determined to be “better to do it (evacuate) under the cover of darkness than daylight.” Evacuee Dinh Jackson, a mother from Olympia, Washington, who came to the mountain to sled with family and friends, told The Associated Press that officials ordered people to hurry into the lodge after the shooting.

Jackson said officials had everyone get on their knees and place hands behind their heads as they went through the building, looking at faces to make sure the gunman was not among them.

“That was scary for the kids,” she said. A parks spokesman said Barnes was an Iraq war veteran, and the mother of his

child had alleged he suffered from posttraumatic stress following his deployments. Barnes was involved in a custody dispute in Tacoma in July 2011, during which the toddler’s mother sought a temporary restraining order against him, according to court documents. In an affidavit, the woman wrote that Barnes was suicidal and possibly suffered from PTSD after deploying to Iraq in 2007-2008. She said he gets easily irritated, angry and depressed and keeps an arsenal of weapons in his home. Barnes was also a suspect in an early Sunday morning shooting that that left four people injured, two critically, at a house party south of Seattle, police said.

At Mount Rainier around 10:20 am Sunday, Bacher said the gunman had sped past a checkpoint to make sure vehicles have tire chains, which are sometimes necessary in snowy conditions. One ranger began following him while Anderson, a 34-year-old mother of two young children who was married to another Mount Rainier park ranger, eventually blocked the road to stop the driver. Before fleeing, the gunman fired shots at both Anderson and the ranger that trailed him, but only Anderson was hit, Bacher said. Anderson would have been armed, as she was one of the rangers tasked with law enforcement, Bacher said. Troyer said she was shot before she had even left the vehicle.

Tactical responders wearing crampons and snowshoes pursued what appeared to be the gunman’s tracks in the snow, Troyer said.

Those tracks went into creeks and other waterways, making it more difficult for crews to follow. “He’s intentionally trying to get out of the snow,” Troyer said. Authorities recovered his vehicle, which had weapons and body armor inside, Troyer said. The park would remain closed yesterday, officials announced late Sunday.— AP

Pope to visit Cuba in March HAVANA: Pope Benedict XVI will visit Cuba on March 26-28 and perform two open-air masses on the communist island as part of his upcoming trip to Mexico and Cuba, Roman Catholic Church officials said on Sunday. The 84-year-old pontiff was to fly from Mexico and arrive in the eastern city of Santiago, where he will be met by President Raul Castro, and then go on to Havana on March 27. He will perform masses in the main plazas—both known as Revolution Square—of the two cities and also visit Cuba’s most famous religious icon, the statue of the Virgin of Charity in the town of El Cobre, the Church said. The purpose of the papal visit is in part to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the relic, said to have been found by three fishermen floating in a bay in eastern Cuba.

A replica of the statue on Friday completed a 16-month pilgrimage around the island

that was the first such religious display since the 1950s and a signal of improved relations between the government and the Church, which were at odds for many years following the 1959 revolution.

Relations began to warm in the 1990s, a process that was aided by a 1998 visit by Pope John Paul II, and intensified in 2010 when the church brokered a deal with Castro to release political prisoners. It was not known if Benedict would meet with Fidel Castro, 85, who ruled Cuba for 49 years before his brother Raul Castro, 80, succeeded him in 2008. The elder Castro now seldom appears in public, but occasionally meets in private with visiting foreign leaders and writes columns about international affairs. The pope will go to Mexico for three days starting on May 23 before going to Cuba, Mexico church officials said on Sunday.— Reuters

BUENOS AIRES: The ruling party governor of Argentina’s Rio Negro province, Carlos Soria, was quickly buried in a private ceremony after authorities determined that he died of a single bullet wound to his head, fired from his own handgun in the bedroom of his home after an argument with his wife. “We know that there was a family argument,” prosecutor Miguel Angel Fernandez Jahde told reporters yesterday. The governor’s wife, Susana Freydoz, has not been charged in the killing, which is still being investigated, Jahde said.

Police tested Freydoz for evidence that she fired the gun, but she was not detained. She also under went a medical examination.

Results have not been made public, the case has been sealed and Freydoz has yet to make a formal declaration about what happened in their bedroom early on New Year’s Day. Soria was buried Sunday night as about 1,500 peo-

ple marched in his honor in the provincial town of General Roca, where he had served as mayor for eight years before swearing in as governor on Dec. 10.

An official description of Soria’s death released the courts late Sunday left many questions unanswered. “Dr Carlos Soria was the victim of a single gunshot, to the head, from which he died a few minutes later,” duty Judge Emilio Stadler wrote. “At this point, there is no evidence, nor even a suggestion, indicating that someone else may have been involved.”

Soria led the province’s Peronist Justicialist Party and won election by a wide margin in October, displacing the Radical Party that had long controlled the province. Soria will be succeeded by his vice-governor, Alberto Weretilneck, who was described yesterday in local media as closer to President Cristina Fernandez and her ruling Front for Victory.

Soria came up through the more conservative wing of the Peronist Party, allying himself with former presidents Carlos Menem and Eduardo Duhalde. He was photographed sharing a friendly meal with Nazi war criminal Erich Priebke, who lived openly in the Rio Negro city of Bariloche for 50 years before being extradited and tried in Italy. While serving as Duhalde’s intelligence service chief, he was accused by Fernandez of spying on Kirchner. Soria’s son Martin, who replaced him as mayor of General Roca, made no immediate statement about his father ’s death. The couple also had three other children: German, Carlos and Emilia. Emilia and her boyfriend also spent the night in the Soria family home, and also were examined for gunshot residue. Emilia Soria has the right to decline to testify under Argentine law, given her close relationship with both parents, authorities said.—AP

Romney looks to fend off Santorum, Paul

UTAH: This photo provided by Chris Willden shows a car in the Logan River in Utah Saturday after it was flipped upright by rescuers who saved three children trapped inside. —AP

Passers-by rescue kids from icy river SALT LAKE CITY: Former police officer Chris Willden didn’t hesitate when he realized children were trapped in an upside down car in an icy Utah river. He pulled his handgun, pushed it up against the submerged windows and shot out the glass. Then he reached inside. “I was trying to grab arms, but I couldn’t feel anything,” Willden said. “I’m thinking ...

‘What are we going to do?’” He turned to see up to eight other passers-by had scrambled down the 10-foot embankment to help after coming upon the accident along US 89 in Logan Canyon on Saturday afternoon.

The driver, Roger Andersen, 46, of Logan, had lost control of the car as he tried to brake while heading northbound in slippery conditions. Andersen was able to free himself, but his 9-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son were trapped along with a second 9-year-old girl. Highway Patrol Lt. Steve Winward said that after shooting out a window, the rescuers helped turn the Honda Accord upright in the Logan River and rescue all three trapped children. “( The driver) was panicked, doing everything he could to get in through the doors, but they wouldn’t budge,” said Willden, who had jumped into the water with his own father. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘You’re going to see some dead kids, get ready.’ I’ve got three of my own and it was going to be (an awful) start to the New Year.” Willden said he tried unsuccessfully to open windows and doors. He then used his firearm just as he had done in training for his current job as a bodyguard and Department of Defense contractor.

One of the girls had found an air pocket and was breathing fine but was trapped in her seat belt. Willden cut it with a pocket knife and pulled her from

the rear passenger window. He said the other two children were lifeless, the boy upside down in his car seat and the second girl floating in the front passenger compartment. Buzzy Mullahkel, of North Logan, told the Deseret News of Salt Lake City that the boy wasn’t breathing and didn’t have a pulse but was revived when another passer-by performed CPR. “Emotions started taking over when he started to breathe. Everybody started to cheer. Lots of tears and clapping,” said Mullahkel, a father of a 4-year-old.

Willden, 35 of Ogden, was wrapping up his bleeding forearms cut by the broken window when he heard cheers. “That was awesome,” he said. “I knew that’s where the little boy was.” He would later learn both the boy and his sister, who were flown by air ambulance to Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City, had survived. Bonnie Midget, a hospital spokeswoman, said Sunday both were taken out of intensive care Sunday but still in the hospital, listed in fair condition as they recover from hypothermia.

Winward said the father and the second girl escaped injury. Mullahkel said the scene reminded him of another heroic rescue in Logan earlier this year. In that case, bystanders lifted a burning car off an injured motorcyclist and pulled him to safety. The motorcyclist survived and is recovering from his injuries. “It was eerily similar,” Mullahkel told the Deseret News.

“Those men in the river just even now blow my mind. Look at these gentlemen, these men in this river in the middle of winter.” Willden said simply there was a mission to be accomplished. He noted that both he and his father are former military/civilian police officers, while his sister and mother are emergency medical technicians. “It’s in our family to go out and help others,” he said. —AP

DAVENPORT: The Iowa race remarkably fluid, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney faces a suddenly surging Rick Santorum, an unpredictable Ron Paul factor and the challenge of winning over undecided conservatives in a state that spurned him four years ago. Despite that pressure, Romney ignored his rivals and kept his focus on President Barack Obama. “This is a contest about the economy and about the budget and about foreign affairs, but it’s also an election that is bigger than that,” Romney said at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, calling the election a battle for the “soul of America.”

Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, sounded increasingly optimistic. “I look forward to building on our momentum from Iowa to again defy expectations in New Hampshire,” a confident Santorum said yesterday, announcing the endorsement of several New Hampshire politicians and making clear his intent to compete aggressively in that state’s Jan. 10 primary regardless of the Iowa outcome.

Yesterday is the last full day of campaigning before caucuses that kick off state-by-state voting in the fight to pick a Republican to challenge Obama in November. The trio clustered at the top, as well as the trailing Texas Gov Rick Perry, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, were fanning out across the Midwestern state to make closing arguments to the chunk of likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers who say they haven’t decided who to support and still could change their minds.

“I feel very confident. We’ve got a great ground game,” Perry said on NBC as the day began, highlighting the 41 percent of likely voters who say in a recent poll that they could be persuaded to vote for someone else. Bachmann, who was born in Waterloo but later moved to Minnesota, rolled out a TV ad - her first since before an August test vote in Iowa - reminding Republican caucus voters of her Iowa roots and stiff stands in Washington. The ad twice mentions Bachmann’s Iowa heritage and calls her “one of our own.” It’s been a costly race with at least $12.5 million in advertising - much of it negative - flooding Iowa’s airwaves in the run-up to the caucuses as candidates and outside groups aligned with them, called super PACs, worked to influence the outcome of what remains a wide open race. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, has roughly the same amount of backing in polls as he did in 2008 when he lost the race with 25 percent of the vote amid skepticism over his Mormon faith and reversals on some social issues.— AP

IOWA: Former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks to Iowa voters at a campaign event at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds yesterday in Davenport, Iowa. —AFP

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

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

Left rages as Sarkozy finds friend in crisis PARIS: With the French economy tanking, President Nicolas Sarkozy is pursuing an unorthodox campaign strategy: depict the crisis as so bad and so global that his untried opponents could not deal with it, and hope the picture holds until election time.

The list of French problems - from record-high unemployment to bleak growth prospects, the threat of a rating downgrade and increasingly wobbly-looking deficit-reduction plans would have many leaders in preservation mode, seeking to limit damage.

But Sarkozy has taken a different tack, seizing in a Dec 31 speech on fears over an economic crisis he described as “planetary”, “unprece-

dented” and “the worst since World War 2”. The opposition Socialists, whose challenger for the April 2012 presidential election, Francois Hollande, has a clear lead over Sarkozy in opinion polls, criticized it as an underhand way of masking his failures while capitalizing on public anxieties.

“There was an admission of weakness,” Manuel Valls, a spokesman for Hollande, said after Sarkozy’s speech.

“This is Nicolas Sarkozy’s approach ... it’s to play on fears and fears of the crisis.” Analysts say Sarkozy’s underlying message was that without his leadership, France would be in a far worse position than now, given the unprecedented global nature of the crisis in

which France’s problems are only a symptom. For opponents, the implication is that they are not strong or seasoned enough to lead France through the storm.

Pascal Perrineau, a political analyst, summed up the strategy in a comment to Les Echos daily: “If the crisis is bad, Sarkozy is beaten; if the crisis is very bad, he is elected.” Valls maintained that Sarkozy had brought France to the brink of recession. “We’ve got a million more people unemployed since his five-year term began,” he told a news conference.

Sarkozy vowed in his New Year’s speech to use a Jan. 18 meeting with unions, just three months before elec-

tion day, to come up with some kind of agreement on improving labour market flexibility as a way to stem unemployment. But Socialists sniffed at his chances of achieving reform so close to the election. “I don’t think anyone is fooled, everyone knows he is a candidate and everyone knows that you cannot do in four months, on jobs, unemployment and job security, what he did not do in the first four years of his presidency,” said Valls. In his New Year address, a solemn Sarkozy urged the French to be stoical as he called for a new tax on imported goods to help shore up a welfare system which now relies mostly on social fees taken out of workers’ paychecks.

“The strategy we’ve been pursuing for the past 20 years is to cut labour costs to be more competitive. Has that produced any salary increases until now? No. Will it increase salaries in a crisis? Obviously not,” said Socialist Party spokesman Benoit Hamon. JeanLuc Melenchon, head of the hardline Left Party, called Sarkozy’s initiative a “bad joke”.

“If we want to avoid firms moving away, we need to stop companies moving abroad to profit from ‘social dumping’, by which products cost less abroad because work is less paid and produced in awful environmental conditions,” he told France Info radio. —Reuters

Nigerian anger heats up as petrol prices rocket Opposition threatens mass demonstrations

NEW DELHI: Friends of slain Indian student Anuj Bidve hold candles and photographs as they stage a rally near India Gate in New Delhi yesterday. —AFP

‘Psycho’ in British court accused of student murder LONDON: A man describing himself as “Psycho Stapleton” appeared in a British court yesterday accused of shooting dead an Indian student in northwest England. Kiaran Stapleton, 20, was remanded in custody for 24 hours at an initial court appearance in Manchester, where he was formally charged with the murder of Anuj Bidve in the Salford area of the city.

Stapleton was led into the courtroom in handcuffs wearing a grey T-shirt and grey tracksuit trousers, with four armed officers standing guard in the room.

When asked for his name, he replied: “Psycho. Psycho Stapleton.” Prosecutor Ben Southam said the case would be sent to a higher court. A scrum of journalists surrounded the prison van carrying Stapleton when it arrived at the court, which was packed with reporters.

A lone gunman shot Bidve, 23, in the head after approaching him at around 1:30 am (0130 GMT) on December 26 as he walked with a group of friends towards Manchester city centre. The student, from the western Indian city of Pune, died a short time later in hospital.

The friends were in Stapleton’s home neighbourhood of Ordsall when the shooting occurred. Police have described the murder of Bidve, who arrived in England in September to study microelectronics at Lancaster University, as “extremely, unusual, savage and motiveless.”

Hundreds of people were expected to gather in Salford later yesterday for a candlelit memorial service for Bidve, while a peace march in his memory was also due to take place in New Delhi. Two members of Greater Manchester Police flew to India on Sunday to meet Bidve’s family, who have criticised the police after they found out through social networking site Facebook about the murder.

GMP Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley has said it is important “to have someone from the force meet with Anuj’s family at the earliest opportunity and help support them at this time.” The murder in Britain’s third city is being treated by detectives as a “hate crime” which may have been racially motivated. Police have offered a £50,000 ($78,000, 60,000 euros) reward for information. — AFP

Scores feared dead in South Sudan tribal clashes NAIROBI: Thousands of villagers in South Sudan hid in the bush yesterday, waiting for UN and government troops to stop a cattle vendetta which officials feared may have left scores of people dead over the weekend. A column of some 6,000 armed youths from the Lou Nuer tribe marched on the remote town of Pibor in troubled Jonglei state, home to the rival Murle people, who they blame for cattle raiding and have vowed to exterminate.

They burned thatched huts and looted a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders, the worst flare-up in a dispute that has left more than 1,000 dead in recent months and threatened to destabilize the world’s newest country. “The situation is tense as the Lou Nuer are still around Pibor,” said Jonglei state information minister Isaac Ajiba, adding that army reinforcements were still on their way to the remote settlement.

“They (the army) are yet to arrive but we hope to have the reinforcements there soon... We have reports of several casualties, but at present the exact numbers are not verified,” Ajiba added. Newly independent South Sudan was left in ruins by decades of war with northern Sudanese forces, who fuelled conflict by backing proxy militia forces across the

south, often exacerbating historical enmities between rival groups. A group calling itself the Nuer Youth White Army issued a statement on December 26 vowing to “wipe out the entire Murle tribe... as the only solution to guarantee long-term security of Nuer cattle.”

The government and the United Nations-which has warned the violence could lead to a “major tragedy”-were beefing up their forces in the area. “We are moving in a big number of forces from the army and from the police to the area...to stop what is happening,” South Sudan President Salva Kiir said in a New Year’s Day address. Despite disarmament efforts, guns remain common in Jonglei, an isolated and swampy state about the size of Austria and Switzerland combined but with limited mud roads often impassable for months during heavy rains.

Reverend Mark Akec Cien, general secretary of the Sudan Council of Churches, an umbrella organisation with members across the area, said they had reports of many killed and wounded in the clashes.

“The situation is very bad, there have been heavy casualties, and the Murle have fled out of the town,” Cien said from South Sudan’s capital Juba. “The Lou Nuer are there in the town, but others have left chasing after the Murle.” — AFP

ABUJA: Nigerian motorists and unions were venting their anger yesterday at a sudden more than doubling of fuel prices, a day after government subsidies were removed in a sweeping economic reform that could trigger mass protests. Opposition leaders, unionists and local rights groups have condemned the move by the state’s fuel regulator, which they say will heave up prices in a nation already too expensive for the majority of its citizens living on less than $2 per day.

Many fuel stations in the capital Abuja and main commercial city Lagos were shut yesterday while they waited to figure out how to adjust their prices. Those that were open were jammed with queues and selling at prices of up to 150 naira ($0.92) per litre, up from a fixed price of 60 naira before. “This is a bad New Year present from the government,” said David Akpe, a motorist at pump site in Abuja, as a queue of about 30 cars formed behind him. “What next?” The measure risks bringing public wrath down on President Goodluck Jonathan, who says it is needed to reform the economy. “Don’t push us to the street; for we went to the street to make you president and would not like to go to the street to remove you as president!” the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), an opposition umbrella group, warned. Many lawmakers are opposed, and the Senate spokesman said that as far as they were concerned the debate was still ongoing. The Trades Union Congress and Nigerian Labour Congress called on Sunday for mass action to repeat strikes and street protests that thwarted previous attempts to end subsidies. There was no major organized response yesterday.

Workers in the petroleum sector also rejected the move. “ The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) rejects (it) as totally unacceptable and a crass display of bad faith,” they said in a statement yesterday. “We therefore urge all Nigerians to ... begin immediate mobilisation for the struggle ahead.”

Lawmakers have been divided on the subsidy issue, leaving the future of the measure potentially still in doubt. Senate spokesman senator Enyinnaya Abaribe said in a statement that the Senate had not yet ruled on the subsidy removal, so it was still open to debate.

The subsidies were left out of the 2012 budget, which has yet to be voted on by both houses. To restore the subsidies, lawmakers

LAGOS: A driver tries to buy fuel behind a sign post showing the new pump price at a filling station on Lagos - Ibadan highway yesterday. —AFP would have to add them to the budget and find some way of paying for them, probably by cutting expenditure elsewhere.

“While it is true that there was no provision for subsidy in the 2012 budget proposal, the Senate ... is yet to reach a consensus on the matter,” Abaribe said. Such a decision would “take cognisance of the general mood”, he added. Many economists say the fuel subsidies were hugely corrupt, wasteful and bled money from the treasury into the pockets of

Former Macedonian president dies SKOPJE: Kiro Gligorov, the first democratically elected president of Macedonia who shepherded his nation through a bloodless secession from the former Yugoslavia and narrowly survived an assassination attempt, has died. He was 94. The head of Gligorov’s office, Zivko Kondev, said yesterday that the former president died in his sleep at his home in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, on Sunday evening. The exact cause of death was not immediately clear.

Gligorov had been in good spirits on New Year’s Eve, said Kondev, adding he had visited the former president for a glass of champagne to see in the new year. Current Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov received the news of Gligorov’s death “with regret” his office said. Ivanov sent a telegram of condolences to the former president’s family saying his tenure at the nation’s leader saw it evolve into a “stable and prosperous country.”

Gligorov became president of Macedonia in January 1991 when it was still a Yugoslav republic. He led his countrymen through a referendum in which they voted for independence, and the territory of 2.1 million people became the only republic to secede from Yugoslavia without a war. Gligorov “proved how someone should lead the country and therefore undoubtedly has a historic role in recent Macedonian history,” said former Parliament speaker Stojan Andov, who was also an aide to the former president.

Severely injured in an assassination attempt in October 1995, Gligorov emerged from a roughly four-month hospital stay with deep facial scars. The bomb which targeted his car as he headed to work in the capital, Skopje, cost him an eye and killed his driver and a bystander. No suspects were ever arrested, and the investigation into the attempted assassination has made little headway in the inter vening years.

Gligorov served two consecutive presidential terms, leading the nation from

rich fuel importers. Some Nigerians see sense in ending them. “The people against the subsidy removal are the people who have been milking Nigeria,” said retired banker Peter Madu. “The labour unions are just being selfish.” But the unpopular policy of removing subsidies remains a political bombshell, as most Nigerians see the subsidies as the only benefit they derive from living in an oil rich

January 1991 to November 1999.

As Yugoslavia teetered on the brink of what would become a series of calamitous wars, he joined with late Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic to put forward a plan for a loose federation that would keep the country’s republics from splitting. But the nationalist fervor whipped up by late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic was too great, and the plan never came to fruition.

Macedonia managed to avoid the fate of the other Yugoslav republics by declaring independence without the breakout of conflict. But it was not all smooth for Gligorov. The early days of his presidency were overshadowed by a bitter dispute with southern neighbor Greece over the newly independent nation’s name - a dispute that continues to this day. Athens objected to the use of the name “Macedonia,” saying it implied territorial ambitions on its own northern province of the same name. — AP

SKOPJE: In this file picture taken on September 7, 2005 Kiro Gligoro, the first President of The Republic of Macedonia, takes his seat during a ceremony in Skopje. —AFP

country. Nigeria produces more than 2 million barrels per day of crude oil, but a lack of investment in refineries and infrastructure means almost all of it is exported, while refined products such as gasoline have to be imported at great cost. Going ahead with the plan will save the Treasury over 1 trillion naira ($6.13 billion) in 2012, according to the government, which was heavily criticised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the wasteful use of public funds. — Reuters

Over 20 feared dead in Kenyan boat crash LAMU: More than 20 people were feared dead after a Kenyan ferry carrying more than 80 passengers capsized on Sunday night following a collision with a cargo boat off the island of Lamu, a popular tourist destination. Survivors confirmed earlier suggestions that the small ferry was overloaded when the two vessels collided in the dark at about 9 pm (1800 GMT). The Kenya Red Cross said of the 82 passengers, seven were confirmed dead as of Sunday night, 25 had been rescued and 23 managed to swim to shore. Fifteen people pulled from the water were admitted to hospital.

Abdalla Miraj, regional head of the Kenya Red Cross, told Reuters at least 16 people were still believed missing. “We have stopped diving now because we have been told that after 24 hours the bodies will float to the surface, so at around 8 p.m. we will all go out again and try to collect the rest,” he said. Speedboats scoured the channel separating Lamu Island from the mainland. One police boat carried the body of a victim under a white patterned sheet.

The ferry had just left Lamu at the time of the collision. The other vessel was carrying oil drums. A Lamu resident said the small ferries can typically take up to about 50 passengers, but survivors said the boat was overloaded with people and baggage.

Kenyans flock to the Indian Ocean coast over Christmas and New Year for holidays. “Soon after leaving it hit another vessel and water started flowing in. I was on it with my three children and wife and luckily we were all saved,” said survivor Ali Bakari. “The boat itself was overloaded. Before it left there was a police officer who tried to stop it leaving, but the operator talked him out of it,” Bakari told Reuters at the hospital, adding that neither vessel appeared to have lights. “All we heard was the impact,” he said. Locals lamented the fact a new water ambulance equipped with first aid facilities and oxygen tanks, donated to Kenya by an international donor, had remained moored throughout the rescue. “There’s a brand new ambulance boat with new engines but no one can use it because there is no driver and no petrol,” said resident Mohamed Ali. “It has never been used because the government won’t put the money towards using it. It’s another tragedy for Lamu,” he said.

A British tourist was shot dead and his wife kidnapped by gunmen from a beach resort north of Lamu in September. The wife is still being held hostage in Somalia. In October, gunmen seized a French woman from Lamu. — Reuters

11

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

i n t e r n at i o n a l

Tortured Afghan girl to go to India for treatment

SARAROGHA: In this Sunday, Oct 4, 2009 file photo, new Pakistani Taleban chief Hakimullah Mehsud, left, is seen with his comrade Waliur Rehman during his meeting with media in Sararogha, Pakistani tribal area of South Waziristan along the Afghanistan border. —AP

Al-Qaeda, Taleban seek Pakistani militants’ help DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Prominent AlQaeda and Afghan Taleban fighters asked Pakistani militants in a pair of rare meetings to set aside their differences and step up support for the battle against US -led forces in Afghanistan, militant commanders said yesterday. The meetings were held in Pakistan’s tribal region in November and December at the request of the Afghan Taleban’s leadership council. They could indicate the militants are struggling in Afghanistan, or conversely, that want to make sure they hit US forces hard as the Americans accelerate their withdrawal this year. That could give the Taleban additional leverage in any peace negotiations.

“For God’s sake, forget all your differences and give us fighters to boost the battle against America in Afghanistan,” senior Al-Qaeda commander Abu Yahya al-Libi told Pakistani fighters at a meeting on Dec. 11, according to a militant who attended. Pakistani militants have long been split over where they should focus their fighting. The Pakistani Taleban have concentrated on toppling their own government, although they have sent some fighters to Afghanistan. Other Pakistani groups based in the tribal region have almost exclusively directed their attacks against foreign forces in Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Taliban, an umbrella organization set up in 2007 to represent roughly 40 insurgent groups, has also been split by infighting over turf and leadership positions after commanders were killed by the Pakistani military and US drone strikes.

The group has fractured into more than 100 smaller factions, a process that some analysts have suggested would take a toll on militants fighting in Afghanistan by making it increasingly difficult for them to find recruits, as well as restricting territory in Pakistan available to them. Pakistani Taleban chief Hakimullah Mehsud attended the two meetings on Nov 27 in Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, and Dec 11 in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan,

Pakistani Taleban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told The Associated Press.

Other prominent Pakistani militant leaders who attended included Mehsud’s deputy, Waliur Rehman, and two commanders who have focused on fighting in Afghanistan, Maulvi Nazir and Gul Bahadur, Ehsan said. Also there was Sirajuddin Haqqani, an Afghan militant based in North Waziristan who leads one of the most feared groups fighting in Afghanistan. The Afghan Taleban fighters at the meetings included Zabiullah Mujahid, a well-known spokesman, and Maulvi Sangin, who claims to have custody of US Army Pvt. Bowe R. Bergdahl, captured in Afghanistan in 2009.

The four Pakistani commanders and Haqqani agreed to form a council to resolve differences, said two Pakistani Taleban commanders who attended the meetings. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. A pamphlet handed out in North Waziristan over the past two days announced the formation of the fivemember committee, saying it was established in consultation with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the name given to the country by the Taleban. It called on Pakistani militants to coordinate with each other and “avoid unwarranted killings and kidnappings for ransom.”

“If any holy warrior is found involved in an unjustified murder or crime, he will be answerable to the committee and could face Islamic punishment,” said the pamphlet, a copy of which was obtained by the AP. Al-Libi, the Al-Qaeda commander, asked the Pakistani militants to provide additional fighters to the Afghan Taleban in March, when the snow melts from the passes connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan and the spring fighting season begins. Ehsan, the Pakistani Taleban spokesman, said the militants agreed, but that did not mean the group would end its fight against the Pakistani government. “We will continue our jihad against Pakistani security forces,” Ehsan pledged. —AP

KABUL: A 15-year-old Afghan girl severely tortured for months by her in-laws in an attempt to force her into prostitution will be sent to India for medical treatment, an Afghan official said yesterday. Sahar Gul’s mother-in-law and sister-in-law were arrested and her husband was being sought, said Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi. The case has shocked Afghanistan, though rights activists say serious abuses against women and girls in the conservative society are common.

President Hamid Karzai has said that whoever used violence against Gul will be punished.

According to officials in northeastern Baghlan province, the in-laws kept Gul in a basement for six months, ripped her fingernails out, tortured her with hot irons and broke her fingers. Police freed her last week.

The public health and women’s affairs ministers visited Gul, who is now in a Kabul hospital.

She was freed from a basement at her husband’s home last week after her uncle called the local police. “It is a violent act that is unacceptable in the 21st century,” Sediqi told reporters. “We are thankful of Sahar Gul’s uncle.”

He added that “if the police had not arrived in time she may have died.” He did not provide details on the treatment she would seek in India. But many Afghans with serious injuries or illnesses prefer to go to India or Pakistan for care because of poor medical services in Afghanistan. Gul was married about seven months ago. Jawad Basharat, spokesman for the provincial police chief in Baghlan, said an arrest warrant had been issued for her husband, who is serving in the Afghan army.

“After police found out about the small girl Sahar Gul they took action and found her in the basement of the house in very bad condition,” Basharat said. “Her nails were pulled out, she has injuries in all parts of her body, there are signs of burning on her body, she was suffering from different kinds of injuries.” He said that her mother-in-law and other members of the family were reportedly involved in what he described as “criminal activities,” which he said included selling alcohol and prostitution.

According to preliminary reports, Basharat said, “they tried to force her into prostitution and she did not agree. This was one of the reasons that they detained her in the basement for six months.” Rahima Zarifi, the provincial director of women’s affairs in Baghlan, said a commission had been set up under Karzai’s orders to investigate the case. “According to the neighbors in the area, Sahar Gul’s in-law’s were not good people. Besides selling alcohol, they were involved in prostitution and that is

why they put pressure on Sahar Gul to join with them. She was not happy with it and that is why they put her in the basement, detained her for six months and tortured her,” Zarifi said. “They pulled out her nails. You can see the signs of torture and abuse all over her body, several types of torture and abuse. They even burned her with hot irons.”

Health Minister Suraya Dalil said that despite progress in women’s rights, work remained to be done. “This is the very most extreme case that we have seen. That a child, that a girl child has been abused, has been physically abused, psychologically abused. It is an issue that shows that we are need to

BAGHLAN: This photo taken Wednesday shows Sahar Gul, a 15-year-old Afghan wife, being carried in a wheelchair to a hospital in Baghlan, north of Kabul, Afghanistan. —AP work a lot with regard to education, with regard to awareness, with regard to social and economic development,” Dalil said. Despite much progress since the fall of the Taleban 10 years ago, women’s rights in Afghanistan remain a problem area in a country with a strict patriarchal culture Under Taleban rule, girls’ schools were banned and women could only leave the house accompanied by a male family member.

A UN report issued in November found that a 2009 law meant to protect Afghan women from a host of abusive practices, including rape, forced marriage and the trading of

fears the closure might last longer than expected, it has been arranging for its equipment to be shipped back to Europe through the northern route. The alliance is in the process of drawing down its forces and helping the Afghan army and police prepare to take over responsibility for security by 2014, when it plans to end its combat role.

Jacobson and Afghan military spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi said the handover was proceeding well. This is despite repeated incidents in which Afghan soldiers have shot their foreign advisers. On Thursday, an Afghan army soldier shot and killed two French Foreign Legionnaires, the latest in a series of attacks by members of Afghan security forces against their coalition partners. The shootings have raised fears of Taleban infiltration as NATO speeds up the training of Afghan security forces.

Jacobson said the incidents all had different causes and backgrounds and were not an indication of guerrilla activity within the Afghan army’s ranks. “We do not see a campaign or an orchestrated operation that leads to this kind of operation from the side of the insurgency.” he said.

If the current phrase of transition is completed by next summer as planned, the Afghan army and police will be providing security to about half of the country’s population. Nimroz province, about 500 miles (800 kilometers) southwest of Kabul, will become the latest to start transitioning to Afghan control today, officials said.

Also yesterday, four Afghan civilians were killed in two explosions in eastern Logar province, official said. The first took place in Puli Alim the capital city of Logar province and killed three civilians. Their vehicle drove over a land mine, said Din Mohammad Darwesh, spokesman for the provincial governor. In Baraki Barak district in the same province, a roadside bomb killed the driver of a passing car, he said. —AP

opened 594 investigations involving crimes under the law. That’s only 26 percent of the 2,299 incidents registered by the Afghan human rights commission, the UN report said.

Prosecutors filed indictments in only 155 cases, or 7 percent of the total number of crimes reported.

Sometimes victims were pressured to withdraw their complaints or to settle for mediation by traditional councils, the report said.

Sometimes prosecutors didn’t proceed with mandatory investigations for violent acts like rape or prostitution. Other times, police simply ignored complaints, the report said. —AP

India complains to Beijing over treatment of diplomat

NATO hopes for reopening of Pakistan supply route KABUL: NATO hopes for a quick reopening of blocked supply routes through Pakistan because the 5-week closure is damaging the economies of both Afghanistan and Pakistan, an alliance officer said yesterday.

Pakistan shut the routes, which NATO uses to ship about 40 percent of the supplies for its forces in landlocked Afghanistan, after alliance airstrikes killed 24 Pakistani border troops in November.

The US expressed regret over the deaths.

The incident drove US-Pakistani relations further into a tailspin, adding to Pakistani outrage over the US raid that killed ALQaeda founder Osama bin Laden in May and drone strikes that have killed civilians, all without informing Pakistan in advance.

Pakistan is a key ally in the fight against Islamic militants in neighboring Afghanistan. Prominent AL-Qaeda and Afghan Taleban fighters have asked Pakistani militants to set aside differences and step up support for the battle against US-led forces in Afghanistan. The Pakistani Taleban commanders said yesterday that the request came during two meetings in Pakistan’s tribal region in November and December. The did not disclose what their response was.

NATO spokesman Brig Gen Carsten Jacobson said the military coalition has a stockpile of supplies that can keep operations in Afghanistan running at their current level even if routes through Pakistan remain closed. Afghan merchants have complained that their imports have also been affected by the closure of NATO traffic. They say the resulting shortages have driven up prices of staples four, sugar, rice and other staples.

“We have reason to wish the reopening of the routes,” Jacobson said. “We are aware that the present situation on the border has a negative effect on both economies.” The coalition has reduced its dependence on Pakistan over the last two years by developing alternate routes to Afghanistan through Russia and Central Asia. In a sign that NATO

women to settle disputes was being undermined by spotty enforcement. The Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women was passed in August 2009 and had raised hopes among women’s rights activists that Afghan women would get to fight back against abuses that had been ignored under Taleban rule. The law criminalized many abuses for the first time, including domestic violence, child marriage, driving a woman to resort to suicide and the selling and buying of women.

Yet the report found only a small percentage of reported crimes against women are pursued by the Afghan government. Between March 2010 and March 2011, prosecutors

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani riot policemen beat a protester during a demonstration in Islamabad yesterday to protest the shortages and hike in the gas prices. Hundreds of Pakistanis enraged at severe gas shortages yesterday clashed with police and blocked the highway to Islamabad airport and roads leading to the garrison town of Rawalpindi. —AFP

NATO reports ‘incredible’ seizures of Afghan drugs KABUL: The NATO-led force in Afghanistan said yesterday it had made “incredible” seizures of drugs in Afghanistan last year and dealt a blow to the finances of the Taliban-led insurgents. “Narcotics trafficking has been a key generator of funding for the insurgency, but that source of revenue is diminishing,” Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson, spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force, told a news conference.

“Afghan security forces, together with ISAF partners, seized an incredible amount of illicit drugs and related material in 2011 versus 2010.” Opium seizures rose 13 percent and those of hashish climbed 59 percent, while the amount of marijuana and morphine confiscated soared 1,208 percent and 10,113 percent respectively, according to the figures from ISAF, which did not give the amounts of drugs seized. “Counter-narcotics operations are successfully disrupting the insurgents’ ability to process opium into heroin. We will continue to choke off revenue generated by the sale of illicit drugs in 2012,” Jacobson said.

ISAF’s optimism is in stark contrast to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which in October said opium production in Afghanistan rose 61 per-

cent in 2011 from the previous year, when the harvest was hit by disease. The UNODC estimates this year’s output at 5,800 tons against 3,600 tonnes last year, with a slight increase in area under poppy cultivation to about 13,1000 hectares (324,000 acres) in 2011.

After a slight decrease in 2010, Afghanistan will again be responsible for 90 percent of the global opium production, with 78 percent of the total coming from the troubled south, the UNODC said. According to UNODC country head Jean-Luc Lemahieu, this year opium will generate about $700 million for the Taliban, who have been fighting a decade-long insurgency against the Afghan government and its NATO-led ISAF allies, and several billion dollars for criminal syndicates while also fuelling corruption in the country.

“We will continue to defeat them on the battlefield and we will continue to take their revenue away wherever we can,” Jacobson told AFP. “An insurgency is never defeated in one field alone. An insurgency can only be defeated by efforts all across the board, that is their fighters in the field, the money that they finance themselves with, the political process that brings stability and governance to the regions of Afghanistan.” —AFP

NEW DELHI: China has agreed to look into a complaint

by India’s foreign ministry that a diplomat was prevented from treating his severe diabetes and collapsed while offering consular assistance to two Indian citizens on trial in China’s Yiwu city. S Balachandran from the Indian consulate in Shanghai, had to be hospitalised after attending a court hearing that lasted five hours without being able to treat his condition, said an Indian government source who declined to be named.

“We have taken it up pretty strongly with the Chinese, that this is no way to treat a diplomat, that he should be allowed access to medication,” the source said. But the source denied Indian media reports that the diplomat had been attacked by an angry crowd for defending the two businessmen on trial. A Chinese diplomat in New Delhi said the incident would be investigated. “I believe both governments ... will handle this properly, this seems to be a civil-civic commercial dispute,” China’s charge d’affaires Zhang Yue said after meeting with officials at India’s foreign ministry.

“We are trying to figure out what happened,” he said.

Yiwu is a small city known for manufacturing and a commodities wholesale market that attracts traders from across Asia. Although annual bilateral trade between India and China is more than $50 billion, the neighbours have a tense diplomatic relationship linked to a brief but bloody border war in 1962 over national boundaries which remain unsettled.— Reuters

Iranian border guards still in Pakistani custody QUETTA: Pakistani authorities have yet to decide what to do with three Iranian border guards who they say crossed into southwestern Pakistan while chasing after smugglers and killed one them, a government official said yesterday . The incident occurred Sunday in the Mazah Sar area of Baluchistan province, a desolate, unpopulated region where the border is not clearly marked.

Aalam Farez, a senior government official in Washuk district, where Mazah Sar is located, said the Iranians admitted to inadvertently crossing into Pakistan. But, he said, they claimed the two people they shot - one of whom died - were bystanders and that the people they were chasing escaped. After the shooting, Pakistani border personnel chased the Iranians back across the border and detained them, Pakistani officials have said. They also seized the surviving gunshot victim and determined both of those who had been shot were petty smugglers.

Farez said he was waiting to hear from Baluchistan’s provincial government about what to do with the Iranians. Iran has not publicly commented on the incident. Naseebullah Bazai, the top government official in the province, said he has ordered an investigation.”The Iranians will remain in our custody as long as the probe is done,” he told The Associated Press. —AP

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

Years

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

Unidentified gunmen kill five in Indonesia’s Aceh BANDA ACEH: Unidentified gunmen killed five people and wounded eight in three attacks on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, police said yesterday.

The largest attack was Saturday on a base camp of workers digging a fiber optic trench for a telecommunications company in Bireuen district, said Col. Gustaf Leo, a local police spokesman. Three of the

workers were killed and seven wounded.

The attacker was believed to have used a longbarrel assault rifle, Gustaf said. At almost the same time, two men riding a motorbike killed a man at a doll shop in the province’s capital Banda Aceh, Gustaf said. In North Aceh district Sunday, assailants riding several motorbikes fired on a cof-

fee stall, killing one farmer and wounding another.

The assailants fired randomly on houses while escaping, but causing no more casualties. Aceh is on the northern end of Sumatra island where separatist rebels once struggled for independence.

They reached a peace deal in 2005, but the fighting left assault weapons in irresponsible hands.

Governor Irwandi Yusuf called on police to thoroughly investigate the shootings, which happened as the province prepares to election a new governor. The twice-delayed election is set for Feb. 16.

However, Irwandi, who is seeking re-election, was confident the shootings had no direct link with the elections. — AP

Muslims clash with police in China who destroyed mosque Newly renovated mosque declared illegal BEIJING: Hundreds of Muslims fought with armed police who demolished a mosque in north China, local police and a human rights group said yesterday, with several people injured in the “riot”. The violence between local Muslims and roughly 1,000 armed police began after police declared illegal a newly renovated mosque in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and moved to destroy it, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy, in Hong Kong, said.

The Hui are one of several Muslim minority groups in China. Two people were killed and 50 injured after police fired tear gas and used knives and batons to beat back ethnic Hui Muslim protesters in Taoshan village, Hexi township, the rights group said, citing villagers.

Hexi township police denied any deaths when reached

by telephone. A policeman surnamed Ma confirmed that the mosque was torn down. He told AFP a “riot” occurred in Hexi on Saturday afternoon.

“Two police officers and two villagers got injured and several villagers were taken away by the police, but I don’t know how many,” Ma said. One Taoshan local who was away when the violence occurred, said his relatives had told him over the telephone that on December 30 an official had shouted “(the mosque) is illegal” and ordered the armed police to tear it down.

“Clashes happened and more than 100 people went missing,” Jin Haitao told AFP. He said many villagers’ injuries were caused by police using high-pressure water cannon to disperse those trying to stop destruction of the mosque. “Now, I can’t reach anyone there,” Jin said,

speaking from north China’s Hebei province near Beijing.

The Hong Kong-based rights group said in a fax that Muslims from Ningxia and the neighbouring province of Gansu had donated money to build the mosque.

Jin said it was first built in 1987 and refurbished last year. China’s communist government monitors religious activity closely and must approve the building of all mosques, churches and other places of worship as a way to prevent their becoming centres for antigovernment organizing. China in recent years has seen several outbreaks of ethnic violence involving Muslims, mostly as the mainly Muslim Uighurs of the northwest Xinjiang region bridle under what they regard as government oppression and the unwanted immigration of majority ethnic Han Chinese.— AFP

South Korea says ‘new era’ possible for Koreas

TOKYO: Japanese Emperor Akihito (7th L) and Empress Michiko (8th R) greet well-wishers with their royal family at the balcony of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo yesterday.—AFP

Japanese emperor greets New Year’s well-wishers TOKYO: Japan’s emperor waved to cheering New Year well-wishers yesterday and said he shares in the disaster-struck nation’s pain as well as hopes for its recovery. Emperor Akihito appeared on a balcony at the Imperial Palace with his wife Empress Michiko and his family, as throngs of well-wishers looked on from below, some energetically waving the Japanese flag - a red circle, symbolizing the rising sun, in a backdrop of white.

Akihito said he felt sorrow for those who died in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, as well as those forced from their homes because of the nuclear disaster that followed.

The quake and tsunami in northeastern Japan left nearly 20,000 people dead or missing.

The Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant went into meltdown because the tsunami destroyed backup generators. It is expected to take decades to fully clean up and decommission the plant. “Last year was a truly distressing year,” Akihito said in a New Year’s statement. “But I hope for recovery, and may this year be a good one, even in little ways, for everyone.” Akihito holds no political powers and is viewed as a symbol of the nation, unlike his father, the wartime Hirohito, who had been revered as a divinity. “I hope that the people’s hearts will always be with the afflicted, and that everyone will persevere and work together to build a brighter tomorrow,” Akihito said.— AP

BEIJING: An ice fisherman waits for a catch on a frozen lake in Beijing yesterday.

Many of Beijing’s lakes and rivers remain frozen during the December to February period when temperatures usually fall well below freezing. —AFP

Hu warns Chinese culture being ‘Westernised’: Report BEIJING: Chinese President Hu Jintao has warned that “hostile” powers are seeking to “Westernise” the country and called for greater efforts to enhance China’s cultural influence overseas. Hu’s remarks published in the latest edition of Communist Party magazine Seeking the Truth come after Beijing ordered the culture industry-taken to include the media-to lift its game as China pushes its “soft power” abroad. “Hostile international powers are strengthening their efforts to Westernise and divide us,” Hu wrote in the article, noting “ideological and cultural fields” are their main targets. “We must be aware of the seriousness and complexity of the struggles and take powerful measures to prevent and deal with them.”

Hu also called for greater efforts to develop Chinese culture to meet the “growing spiritual and cultural demands of the people” in China.

“The overall strength of Chinese culture and its international influence is not commensurate with China’s international status,” Hu said. “The international culture of the West is strong while we are weak.” Hu’s comments are the latest in a series of directives from Communist Party leaders seeking to tighten their control over the Internet and media industry. For the past decade Beijing has

been encouraging state-run media to be more competitive and less reliant on state subsidies, which has led to more critical reporting and racier programming as outlets compete for readers and viewers. But the trend towards more free-wheeling reporting, the growth of reality television programs and the explosion of micro-blogging sites has undermined official efforts to control public opinion. It has also unnerved authorities who have seen previously obedient media outlets criticize their decisions and defy orders to toe the Communist Party line.

In October, Communist leaders ordered stricter control of social networking sites and better supervision of the media to “improve positive publicity” and guide public opinion on “hot and hard social issues”. The following month the country’s media watchdog said that advertisements would be prohibited during television dramas from this year, as it looks to exert more control over television and woo back viewers lost to the Internet.

Beijing has also earmarked 45 billion yuan ($7.2 billion) to fund the expansion of stateowned media groups including CCTV, Xinhua and China Radio International, according to previous reports.— AFP

SEOUL: South Korea’s president urged rival North Korea yesterday to use the transition of leadership after Kim Jong Il’s death to usher in a new era of peace on the tense Korean peninsula, even as he warned the North against any provocations. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak reached out in his New Year’s message to the North Korean government now led by Kim’s son, Kim Jong Un, saying he has high hopes for a breakthrough this year in negotiations over the North’s nuclear program.

However, Lee warned that Seoul would respond sternly to any North Korean provocations. Relations between the rival Koreas dropped to their lowest point in decades following the 2010 sinking of a South Korean warship that killed 46 sailors and North Korea’s deadly shelling of a front-line island later that year. Lee’s comments in a nationally televised speech came a day after the North called on its citizens to rally around Kim Jong Un and transform themselves into his “human shields.”

Lee said Kim Jong Il’s death is “portending a sea change” for the fractured Korean peninsula. “If North Korea comes forward with a sincere attitude, it will be possible for us to work together to open a new era,” he said. The Korean peninsula remains in a technical state of conflict because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. North and South remain divided by a heavily fortified border, and their navies have traded deadly fire at their disputed maritime border over the years.

After a decade of warming ties, relations plummeted in 2008 after Lee took office with a firm policy of linking aid to the impoverished North to its commitment to dismantle its nuclear program. Most joint business ventures and other civilian, humanitarian and cultural exchanges were suspended. Lee said the Korean peninsula is at a turning point with Kim’s death, and “new opportunities always emerge amid such changes.”

His speech shows South Korea “has no intention” of provoking North Korea, said Cheon Seong-whun, an analyst with the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul.

Yesterday, state media accused Lee of plotting to shake up the North by temporarily placing his troops on high alert after Kim Jong Il’s death. The North’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper

said in an editorial that Lee must “kneel down and apologize” for his acts. However, in one of his first roles as North Korea’s leader, the young Kim met briefly in Pyongyang last week with a former South Korean first lady who was leading private mourning delegations paying respects to Kim Jong Il - a clear sign he is open to reaching out again to the South Koreans.

North Korea’s New Year’s message Sunday didn’t include the country’s routine harsh criticism of the United States and avoided mention of the country’s nuclear ambitions, a sign the North may be willing to continue talks with Washington to win food aid in exchange for denuclearization.

North Korea also repeated a call in the message for implementing past agreements for the Koreas to cooperate on potentially lucrative economic projects. Lee said negotiations can resume if North Korea halts its nuclear activities.

North Korea, which has tested two atomic devices since 2006, said it wants to return to long- stalled sixnation talks on halting its nuclear weapons program in return for aid.

Washington and Seoul, however, have insisted that the North first show progress on past disarmament commitments. “We are ready to resolve security concerns on the Korean peninsula and provide assistance to revive North Korea’s economy through agreements in the six-nation talks,” Lee said. The disarmament talks involve the two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan.

However, Lee vowed that South Korea would maintain a “watertight defense posture” to deal with any North Korean provocations.

“If any aggression occurs, we will respond with strength,” he said.

Meanwhile, North Korea’s propaganda efforts to build up Kim Jong Un continued yesterday, with state TV showing him dressed in a dark overcoat and laughing with officers as soldiers applauded during a field inspection.

State TV also played a song widely associated with Kim Jong Un: “Footsteps,” a reference to his role carrying out his family’s legacy. This year is a crucial one for North Korea as it aims to build a “great, prosperous and powerful nation” befitting the April 2012 centenary of the birth of national founder Kim Il Sung, the new leader’s grandfather. — AP

SEOUL: This handout picture, taken by North Korea’s official Korean Cenrtal News Agency on Sunday shows the new North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) inspecting the Seoul Ryu Kyong Su 105 Guards Tank Division of the Korean People’s Army honored with the title of the O Jung Hup-led Seventh Regiment at undisclosed place in North Korea. —AFP

News

in brief

One dead, 739 injured in Philippine New Year revelry MANILA: Philippine health officials say a boy has died from massive injuries from a firecracker explosion in the first known death from violent New Year’s revelries that also injured 739 others.

The Department of Health reported yesterday that the 10-year-old boy packed a small can with explosive powder, which exploded and injured him seriously when he threw it into flames. He died en route to a hospital in northern Cabanatuan city on New Year’s eve. Officials say 712 others were wounded by firecrackers and 22 by celebratory gunfire. Five kids accidentally swallowed tiny firecrackers. Despite a government scare campaign, reckless revelries have continued as a New Year’s eve tradition across the Philippines in one of the world’s most raucous and dangerous celebrations.

Workers delay return to Freeport’s Indonesia TIMIKA: Indonesian workers have delayed their return to Freeport-McMoRan’s largest gold and copper mine. Production at the Grasberg mine in Papua province has been crippled since 8,000 union workers walked off the job in September.

They ended their strike Dec. 14 after the company agreed to a 37 percent wage hike and improved benefits. Workers removed roadblocks to the mine last week and Freeport was expected to take about a week for full operations to resume. But union spokesman Virgo Solossa said workers did not return yesterday because 500 striking employees who work for Freeport’s contractors have been threatened with dismissal. Workers will return once the dispute is resolved, likely today.

Crash kills 10 children NEW DELHI: News reports say a collision on a northern Indian road in dense fog has killed 10 children and the driver taking them to school.

Press Trust of India said yesterday the children were between 5 and 8 years old. Twenty other children were injured in the accident. PTI reported the van carrying the children and a truck collided head-on due to poor visibility. The accident happened on the outskirts of Ambala in the northern state of Haryana. While India is known for its brutal summer heat, temperatures in December and January drop sharply. Heavy fog that blankets north India, especially in early morning and late evening, disrupts flights and trains and causes a slew of road accidents. — Agencies

Myanmar govt reduces sentences for prisoners YANGON: Myanmar’s government announced yesterday that it is reducing the sentences of many prisoners, but stopped short of declaring an amnesty that had been expected by many people. State television and radio said President Thein Sein signed a clemency order to mark the country’s 64th anniversary of independence tomorrow.

They said death sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment and prisoners serving more than 30 years will have their sentences cut to 30 years. Prisoners serving 20-30 years will have their terms reduced to 20 years, while those with less than 20 years will have their sentences cut by one-fourth. It was not immediately clear how many prisoners would be affected or whether the order would apply to all political detainees. Some former student activists serving 65-year terms were included in the clemency.

Last week, state-run media reported that the government-appointed National Human Rights Commission had appealed to Thein Sein to issue a general amnesty.

“This order cannot be called an amnesty. The limited nature ... indicates that the government has no intention to free the prisoners of conscience,” activist lawyer Aung Thein told The Associated Press. A spokesman for pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party said the move fell short.

“Many political prisoners will remain in detention,” party spokesman Han Thar Myint said. “It is not satisfactory.” Thein Sein has pushed forward reforms since taking office last March, following decades of repression under previous military regimes. His government is still dominated by a military proxy party, but changes have been made in areas such as media, the Internet and political participation.

An amnesty in October freed 6,359 prisoners, including about 200 political prisoners, but many prominent detainees remained behind bars. Suu Kyi said in November that there were still about 600 political prisoners, but some human rights groups put the number at about 1,500. Most political prisoners, both from the pro-democracy movement and from out-of-favor government factions, are serving long prison terms that will keep them locked up for many more years.

The detainees include prominent former student activists Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi, who have been serving 65-year sentences, and ethnic Shan leader Hkun Htun Oo, who was given a 93-year term. The release of political prisoners has been seen as a crucial step in the country’s reforms, and a failure to free a substantial number is likely to be considered inadequate by the United States, the European Union and other nations. — AP

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

NEWS

LEIPZIG, Germany: Newborn babies are pictured at the university hospital yesterday. In the year 2011, more than 2100 babies were born at the hospital. — AFP

NY authorities probe fire attack on Islamic center NEW YORK: While members of an Islamic cultural center gathered for a Sunday evening dinner, a Molotov cocktail hurled by an unknown assailant and made from a Starbucks bottle burst and shattered against the center’s main entrance. Another was thrown at the sign for the center’s school. It was one of a string of suspected arson attacks that police were investigating yesterday as possible bias crimes and trying to determine whether the incidents were linked. No arrests have been made.

Structural damage to the Imam Al-Khoei Foundation was minimal, but some members of the center were emotionally shaken, the assistant imam said. About 80 worshippers were there when the firebomb was set off at 8:44 pm, the third in the series of suspected arson attacks in Queens on Sunday night. “We were very surprised,” assistant Imam Maan Al-Sahlani said. “This has never happened here before.”

The decades-old foundation is among the foremost Muslim institutions in New York, with branches around the world, he said.

Named for one of the most influential Shiite scholars, it promotes work in development, human rights and minority rights as a general consultant to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The center also has a full, accredited school that resumes today after holiday break, and some parents were concerned about the attack,

Al-Sahlani said.

The sprawling complex has two minarets rising high with the Van Wyck Expressway as a backdrop. Yesterday, the concrete overhang outside the main entrance was blackened from smoke damage and there was minor damage to the area near the sign, as yellow police tape fluttered. But Al-Sahlani, 36, dressed in traditional clerics’ robes, said the center was working with authorities and trying to move forward. Worshippers prayed and milled around, and the front doors were wide open. “This is America,” he said. “And we must continue to love one another.”

Other targeted locations were more substantially damaged. No one was injured in the four attacks. Police said at least three Molotov cocktails were thrown, though some did not explode. The first hit at 8 pm, when a bottle was thrown at a counter at a corner store known as a bodega. Ten minutes later, a nearby house was damaged in a fire that erupted when a possible firebomb smashed through glass; it took 65 firefighters 40 minutes to bring the blaze under control, authorities said. The home was badly damaged. At 8:44 pm, the Islamic center was targeted. And at 10:14 p.m., two bottles were thrown - but did not explode - at a house police said was used for Hindu worship services. Police said possible suspects were believed to have fled the scenes of the third and fourth attacks. They were looking at sur-

veillance video obtained from the bodega and the attack on one of the houses.

Meanwhile, political leaders spoke out against the incidents. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said New York Police Department hate crimes unit detectives were working with precinct detectives and looking into whether there were any connections to incidents outside the city. Gov Andrew Cuomo and the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the violence. “ The four reported attacks on Sunday night go against everything we stand for as New Yorkers and Americans,” Cuomo said in a statement. “Attacks such as this have no place in our open and inclusive society.”

CAIR called on police and Muslim institutions to step up security measures around mosques. Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the advocacy group, said CAIR recently called on the FBI to investigate threats targeting mosques posted on an anti-Islam blog called “Bare Naked Islam”. One comment on the site read: “Throw 10 Molotov cocktails into these mosques and burn them down,” according to Hooper. By yesterday, the comment appeared to have been taken down by blog operator WordPress.com. The council noted that in the past year, numerous mosques or mosque construction sites around the country have been targeted by arson, vandalism or threats. -—AP

Saudi Arabia to apply law for women to sell lingerie RIYADH: Saudi Arabia said yesterday it will begin enforcing a law that allows only females to work in women’s lingerie and apparel stores, despite disapproval from the country’s top cleric. The 2006 law banning men from working in female apparel and cosmetic stores has never been put into effect, partly because of view of hard-liners in the religious establishment, who oppose the whole idea of women working where men and women congregate together, like malls. Saudi women - tired of having to deal with men when buying undergarments - have boycotted lingerie stores to pressure them to employ women. The government’s decision to enforce the law requiring that goes into effect Thursday. The country is home to Islam’s holiest site in the city of Makkah and follows an ultra-conservative form of the religion known as Wahhabism. The kingdom’s religious police, under the control of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, enforce Saudi Arabia’s strict interpretation of Islam, which prohibits unrelated men and women from mingling.

Women and men in Saudi Arabia remain highly segregated and are restricted in how they are allowed to mix in public.

The separation of men and women is not absolute. Women in Saudi Arabia hold high-level teaching positions in universities and work as engineers, doctors, nurses and a range of other posts. The strict application of Islamic law forced an untenable situation in which women, often accompanied by uncomfortable male relatives, have to buy their intimate apparel from men behind the counter.

Over the past several weeks, some women have already begun working in the stores. Although the decision affects thousands of men who will lose their sales jobs, the Labor Ministry says that over 28,000 women, many of them South Asian migrants, have already applied for the jobs.

Saudi’s Arabia’s most senior cleric, Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Al Sheikh, spoke out against the Labor Ministry’s decision in a recent sermon, saying it contradicts Islamic law. “The employment of women in stores that sell female apparel and a woman standing face to face with a man selling to him without modesty or shame can lead to wrongdoing, of which the burden of this will fall on the owners of the stores,” he said, urging store owners to fear God and not compromise on taboo matters. —AP

Bahrain to review some verdicts DUBAI: Bahrain said yesterday it would create a judicial panel to review some verdicts a military court issued over anti-government demonstrations mounted last year by the country’s Shi’ite Muslim majority and crushed by the Sunni-led kingdom. A statement carried by the official news agency BNA said the move was a response to recommendations of an inquiry into the turmoil commissioned by the Bahraini government. Military courts issued at least five death sentences and sentenced some opposition leaders to life terms for organising protests after last year’s unrest, among a slew of pro-democracy movements that swept across the Arab world.

The United States, whose Fifth Fleet Bahrain hosts, has said a $53 million arms sale to Bahrain depends on its response to the recommendations of the inquiry, which found

detainees had been systematically abused and in some cases tortured to death. Yesterday’s statement said judges from civilian courts in the Gulf island kingdom would be part of a body reviewing verdicts issued by the military tribunal that were not subject to appeal.

Rulings subject to review would include convictions for statements that did not amount to incitement to violence, it said. The inquiry had criticised such convictions as punishing free speech.

The “National Safety” tribunals, in which Bahrain prosecuted some of the more than 1,000 people detained in the aftermath of the protests that rocked the kingdom in February, did not initially allow appeals. Bahrain subsequently transferred some cases to civilian courts and allowed them to hear appeals of verdicts handed down by the military tribunals.

Matar Ibrahim Matar, a former MP whose bloc, the largest Shiite opposition group, quit parliament to protest the crackdown, said the government was paying lip service to free speech while continuing to punish dissidence. “(Authorities are) still charging people with the same charges described by the report and human rights organisations as incompatible with the right of expression and free speech,” he told Reuters.

Separately, BNA said the head of the body charged with implementing the recommendations of the inquiry was continuing to work, apparently responding to a report in the opposition Al Wasat daily that he had resigned. The inquiry dismissed Bahrain’s claim that Shiite Iran stoked unrest through its co-religionists, who complain of discrimination in access to land and state employment. — Reuters

And you get away with it Continued from Page 1 steal the gavel of Jassem Al-Khorafi (the house speaker) and you get away with it. You are accused of money-laundering large amounts - I am talking millions here - and you get away with it. All what you get is a subpoena to go to the police station near your area and chat with the detectives for 30 minutes, drink tea and your picture is published across all the media. Your picture is taken as if you are the hero.

They release you on bail for less than KD 2,000. Why not join the gang? And of course you get away with it.

This all comes under immunity. You are immune as long as you are an MP. Even when parliament is dissolved, you have immunity. I discovered that most of the MPs who broke into parliament, which I think is an offence, are running for parliament again. How could

that be? According to my knowledge, if you have a pending lawsuit against you, you cannot run for a legislative position. Are the rules different in Kuwait? Or does immunity cover these guys? It is amazing. How do you want me to trust the candidates any more. It has been reported that two thirds of the new candidates also have pending lawsuits of various types.

How do you want the nation to trust somebody who has a pending lawsuit? Shouldn’t he clear himself from any lawsuits and prove that he is innocent first? This is another story then. What kind of parliament are we going to have if the same pack returns.

Imagine if they are not punished for what they did to parliament and they make a comeback? Then they will act even more violently when they return in the next term. They will still get away with it and they know it well.

RIYADH: In this March 25, 2009 file photo, a Saudi woman holding a child checks out lingerie at a store. — AP

Govt moves to set up election commission Continued from Page 1 process through creating the independent commission like most democratic countries. The other committee aims at ensuring that all candidates receive equal attention and media coverage and that media outlets are not allowed to manipulate campaigns and news against certain candidates or groups fighting the election.

In a related development, the criminal court yesterday ruled to close down local pro-government Scope satellite channel for three months, and sentenced its owner Fajer Al-Saeed, writer Nabeel Al-Fadel and two workers at the station for one year each but asked them to pay KD 1,000 each to suspend the implementation of the sentence until the appeals court has heard the case.

The ruling was issued over a lawsuit filed by Minister of the Amiri Diwan Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah who complained that a program aired by the station contained derogatory remarks against him. The same court also sentenced former opposition MP

Musallam Al-Barrak for six months in jail over remarks deemed insulting to former MP Rola Dashti. The sentence was also suspended against the payment of KD 1,000.

Meanwhile, 12 candidates have so far dropped out of the election race, including three women, reducing the number of candidates to 377, with 26 female hopefuls. None of those who withdrew was a key candidate in the five constituencies. Withdrawals are open until Jan 25, or seven days before the election day as per the latest amendment to the electoral law.

Youth campaigners also began moving in various constituencies as they plan to ensure that reformist candidates get elected to the new National Assembly in order to forge ahead with democratic reforms. Youths in Sulaibikhat yesterday formed committees with the aim to spread awareness among the area’s voters about the best candidates they should vote for. Youth activists in other areas and constituencies plan similar committees and also plan to ask reformist candidates to sign on a reform program with the promise of backing them in the election.

14

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

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Issues

Iran ramps up courtship of Latin America

By Bernd Debusmann or decades, American foreign policy on Latin America has gone through cycles of neglect and concern. It’s in a cycle of concern again, prompted by an Iranian campaign to make friends and influence people in the American backyard. Washington’s message to Iran’s Latin friends - don’t get too close - does not appear to impress them. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in unusually strong language, sounded the first warning on Dec 11: “I think if people want to flirt with Iran, they should take a look at what the consequences might well be for them.

And we hope that they will think twice.” President Barack Obama followed up eight days later with a message focused on Venezuela, Iran beachhead in Latin America.

Ties with Iran had not served the interests of Venezuela and its people, he said in an interview with a Venezuelan newspaper. “Sooner or later, Venezuela’s people will have to decide what possible advantage there is in having relations with a country that violates fundamental human rights and is isolated from most of the world.” Since those warnings, Iran’s Latin American friends have made clear that they are not thinking twice, as Mrs. Clinton suggested.

Instead, the leaders of Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Ecuador are preparing to play host to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the second week of 2012.

In another move to poke the “great Satan”, Iran’s label for the United States, in the eye in its own backyard, Iran launched a Spanish-language satellite TV channel, HispanTV, to break the dominance of international broadcasters that are “muzzled by imperialism, hiding the truth and twisting the facts.” So said Iranian Radio and TV executive Mohamed Sarafraz when he launched the new channel on Dec 21.

There is more than a little irony in that assertion, given that state-run Iranian media are no strangers to hiding the truth and twisting the facts, not to mention that the government imprisons journalists, jams foreign broadcasts, and engages in Internet censorship. The new Iranian channel aims beyond the countries run by anti-American leaders and is meant to convince Latin Americans of “the ideological legitimacy of our (Iranian) system to the world, “ in the words of Ezzatollah Zarghami, head of Iran’s state radio and TV. That’s easier said than done. Latin Americans dissatisfied with news and information from their own countries can turn to the Internet and to international networks already broadcasting to the region in Spanish Britain’s BBC, TVE of Spain, Germany’s Deutsche Welle, Voice of America and CNN. Iran’s entry in what Hillary Clinton has called a war of information speaks volumes about Ahmadinejad’s ambition to confront the United States not only in the Middle East but globally. It’s an ambition he shares with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, who has portrayed himself as the leader of a global “anti-imperialist” alliance since he came to power 13 years ago.

The two have much in common, from shared hostility to the United States to rhetoric so outrageous it beggars belief. Ahmedinejad has called the holocaust “a lie based on an unprovable and mythical claim” and he startled an audience in New York in 2007 by insisting there were no homosexuals in Iran. Chavez is given to elaborate theories involving US assassination plots. After news last week that Argentine President Christina Kirchner had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, Chavez speculated that the United States might have developed a way to give Latin American leaders cancer. He himself underwent cancer surgery in June. Paraguay’s Fernando Lugo, Dilma Roussef of Brazil and her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have all battled cancer.

Delusional statements aside, Chavez has been the key facilitator for Iran’s attempt to weaken US supremacy in Latin America. Both Chavez and Bolivia’s Evo Morales have declared Iran a “strategic ally” and have signed a slew of joint venture deals. Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega is a close ally, as are Ecuador’s Rafael Correa and Cuba’s Raul Castro.

For all of them, Iran’s nuclear program is not an issue: they accept Tehran’s assurances that it is for peaceful purposes.

The United States and its Western allies suspect that Iran is working on nuclear weapons and have imposed successively harsher sanctions to get the theocratic rulers to drop the program. The sanctions, Obama said this month, had succeeded in isolating Iran. They also had an unintended consequence Obama didn’t mention - Iran looking for friends wherever it can find them, from subSaharan Africa to America’s backyard. Obama and Clinton have yet to spell out the consequences of flirting with Iran against Washington’s wishes. — Reuters

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Morocco without cabinet, row over minister

By Mohsin El-Hassouni and Sinikka Tarvainen row between the palace and prime minister- designate Abdelilah Benkirane’s Islamists has delayed the formation of Morocco’s first Islamist government by more than a week. Officially, there are no problems between the Par ty of Justice and Development (PJD), which won a resounding victory in the Nov 25 elections, and King Mohammed VI’s circle.

But Morocco has been without a government for more than a month, and media reports attribute the delay partly to a row over Mustafa Ramid - a lawyer with sympathies for the February 20 protest movement, whom Benkirane wants to make his justice minister.

The palace now appears set to accept Ramid, with the PJD emerging as the winner in the power struggle, the newspapers Al-Massae and Assabah

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reported. Morocco was expected to get a government possibly this week. The PJD will likely form a coalition government with previous prime minister Abbas El-Fassi’s nationalist party Istiqlal, the formerly communist PPS and the centrist MP. The PJD was expected to take key ministries such as finance, foreign affairs, public works and justice.

Psychiatrist and leading PJD politician Saad-Eddine El-Othmani was tipped for foreign minister, while PJD economist Najib Boulif was expected to become finance minister.

The elections were held nearly a year in advance in response to the Arab Spring uprisings, which were spreading in the North African kingdom. They followed a referendum endorsing a new constitution aimed at boosting the powers of the government and parliament at the expense of those of the king. While the new constitution will reduce royal inter ference in the

appointment of key ministers, Mohammed VI’s councillors opposed the choice of R amid, according to media reports.

Ramid has defended Islamist terrorist suspects, been active in human rights organizations, criticized the security services, and is known to sympathize with the Februar y 20 protest movement. Mohammed VI reportedly dislikes Islamists, but the constitution obliged him to appoint Benkirane as prime minister after the PJD took 107 of 395 seats in parliament. The PJD’s victor y was the second for a moderate Islamist party in democratic elections in North Africa after popular uprisings toppled the rulers of Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, where the Ennahda party won the country’s first free elections and is part of the new coalition government.

The PJD was not expected to impose sweeping fundamentalist reforms in Morocco, a liberal Arab country and

long-time ally of the West. The party earlier said it supported the creation of Islamic banks. The El-Fassi government presided over an average 3-per-cent economic growth, seen as a good performance during the global financial crisis, even if it was partly because of good harvests. The new government was expected to face less protests than the previous one, given that the February 20 movement has been losing steam.

The large non-parliamentary Islamist movement, al-Adl w’al-Ihsane (Justice and Spirituality), announced in December that its representatives would no longer attend February 20 protests amid problems with the secularist views of the other demonstrators.

Some commentators said the movement wanted to back the new Islamist government, even if many of al-Adl w’al-Ihsane’s members are more radical than the PJD in their views. — dpa

Iran moves a call to arms or to talks?

By Farshid Motahari or anyone thinking Iran might be suffering from weakness, the country has been in overdrive the last few days to prove the opposite. The cascade of news from Iran has included announcements of the country’s first domestically produced fuel rods - a major first for a nation chasing a nuclear program and semi-official threats to block shipments of oil through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a clear response to sanctions meant to hem in the aforementioned nuclear work. If those two announcements were too subtle, recently concluded military manoeuvres in the Arabian Gulf - where cruise missiles were fired across the body of water - were named “Strength”.

“No one can cow us, we will not yield a single centimetre,” said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in recent comments. But are the signs of bravado true shows of strength? Or are they merely effor ts to project strength - real or imagined - to Western powers? Iran sees them as unfairly trying to stop its progress toward developing a nuclear programme, which it insists will be peaceful, even as outsiders worry the country is pursuing a bomb. The goal, apparently, is to convince Western powers to join Iran at the negotiation table Iranian officials announced over the weekend that they were ready to restart talks about its nuclear work - without compromising the country’s goals.

The fact is that recent sanctions placed by the United States upon Iran’s central bank cannot be ignored by the theocratic state. Nor can Iran brush aside recently announced weapons deals whereby the US will sell billions of dollars worth of armaments to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which many say are aimed at helping those nations to contain Iran. That leads to a delicate game, whereby Iran has to show its power, but not do anything so severe as to warrant further clampdowns.

The back and forth over the last week about the Hormuz shipments is a clear case in point. After more incendiary comments about a possible closure earlier in the week, a top naval official tried to ratchet back the war of words. “We are after peace and security and free shipping and not after closing the Strait of Hormuz,” Deputy Navy Commander Admiral Mahmoud Moussavi told the ISNA news agency. “But we have a share of the strait and if our interests were jeopardized, then the interests of others (Gulf Arab states) would be jeopardized as well,” he said. Hormuz is one of Iran’s most effective bargaining chips at the moment. A blockade could endanger 40 per cent of the global oil trade. Its cruise missiles are another potential threat, especially after their recent successful test and announcements of plans to upgrade them

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and give them a wider range. At the core of the myriad debates are the concerns and fears about Iran’s nuclear program. Western powers have demanded that Iran give up attempts to gain the ability to enrich uranium, a demand Iran rejects, even as it calls for international recognition as a nuclear power with the ability to enrich uranium.

would be a major step forward for Iran’s nuclear credentials. The new fuel rods require uranium enriched to a level of 20 per cent, which the country apparently can produce with no problem. “We don’t want all this, but if there is no international cooperation, then we’ll do it ourselves,” said Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi. There had been past deals to secure Russian and French help

Iranian navy members celebrate after successfully launching a Ghader missile at the shore of the Sea of Oman during Iran’s navy drill. —AP “Iran knows that it cannot consider any compromises on its nuclear program,” said one Tehran-based political scientist. “The country is hoping that, by virtue of military strength and further development of its nuclear know-how, that it can force the other side to compromise.” That tallies with the weekend’s news that Iranian technicians have successfully crafted the country’s first domestically produced nuclear fuel rods, for use in the capital’s medical research reactor. If true, it

in creating the fuel rods, but those plans fell apart.

“We’ll stop this work as soon as we get them from abroad,” says Ahmadinejad. The continuous sabre-rattling has begun to worry some in Iran. “It seems serious this time,” says Mohsen S, a Tehran student. Kazem M, a retired banker, said the US sanctions upon the central bank seem to have opened a new chapter in the country’s external relations. “I’ve always been an optimist, but this time there’s a sense of trouble.” —dpa

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

analysis

US fighter sales soar in time for campaign

Focus

Regime change scores big in north Africa

By Arieh O’Sullivan

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By Jim Wolf ooming Middle East purchases of US fighter jets will be a bright spot in what is expected to be a sluggish US economy in 2012, possibly paying dividends for President Barack Obama’s bid for a second term. Beneficiaries include Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co, whose respective F-16 and F-15 production lines are being extended by US government sales to Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Oman, among other rich arms deals announced in recent weeks. The foreign sales will help offset expected cuts in big-ticket purchases by the US Defense Department, which is set to lose at least $450 billion in previously projected funding through 2021 as part of a US deficit-reduction push. Additional cuts totaling another $500 billion to $600 billion over the same period are scheduled to kick in next year unless a new deficitreduction plan is adopted by Congress.

The sales of fighters, missiles and other advanced US weapons will help provide jobs as the United States heads into an election campaign expected to focus on the domestic economy. It has been growing at only half the pace needed to get the jobless rate down from 8.6 percent, a problem for Obama as the incumbent. The Obama administration announced last week it had finalized a record $29.4 billion Boeing F-15 sale to Saudi Arabia, dwarfing previous individual US arms deals and supporting jobs by increasing exports.

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Deliveries of 84 of the most advanced F-15 fighters are expected to start in 2015 with upgrades to 70 others expected to start in 2014, the administration said. Congress had cleared the sale in the fall of 2010, setting the stage for the freshly completed negotiatons on the government-to-government contract.

Josh Earnest, a White House spokesman, portrayed the deal as shoring up Saudi air defenses in a region rattled by Iran’s disputed nuclear program as well as supporting more than 50,000 US jobs at a time of high unemployment. The deal was signed Dec 24 and unveiled by the White House on Thursday in Hawaii, where Obama has been vacationing. The program involves roughly 600 suppliers in 44 of the 50 US states and give the economy a $3.5 billion annual boost, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro told reporters at a State Department briefing. “This will support jobs not only in the aerospace sector but also in our manufacturing base and support chain, which are all crucial for sustaining our national defense,” he said.

The deal is worth about three times more than any other single US arms sale to date, according to a March 10 report on US-Saudi ties by Christopher Blanchard of the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. It will extend Boeing’s F-15 production line about five years to late in this decade, Dennis Muilenburg, head of the company’s military, space and security

F-15 business, said in a telephone interview with Reuters. “Having that hot production line gives us the base to invest in technology advancements for that platform going forward, he said. “Obviously, that creates a lot of momentum for us on our international growth.”

Workers on the F-16 fighter production line at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas plant also have received good news for their job prospects. The Defense Department awarded Lockheed a $600 million contract on Dec 14 to build 12 latemodel F-16s for Oman, the second firm order in two weeks. Lockheed received an $835 million Pentagon contract on Dec 5 to build 18 F-16C/Ds for Iraq. Only months earlier, the company, the Pentagon’s No. 1 supplier by sales, had warned it would have to start shutting down its supplier base by year end absent new F-16 orders.

On top of the contracts for Iraq and Oman, the Obama administration told the US Congress on Dec 12 that it was proposing to sell Iraq another 18 F-16s, advanced munitions and related gear for an estimated $2.3 billion. Analysts have questioned whether adding US arms into Iraq could heighten growing sectarian tensions there since the US completed its troop withdrawal last month. Fighter jets are not the only pricy arms deals, long in the works, to have been brought to a conclusion by the Obama administration as the president prepares to swing more into campaign mode. On Friday, the Defense Department

F-16 said the United States had reached a $3.5 billion agreement to supply an advanced antimissile interception system to United Arab Emirates. The US Congress had been notified of the proposed sale of the Lockheed Martin system - known as Theater High Altitude Area Defense - in Sept 2008 by former President George W Bush’s administration.

Lockheed and its supporters had sought to play on the election calculus in pushing to meet Taiwan’s request, over China’s objections, for 66 new F-16C/Ds valued at more than $8 billion. Pushing the sale in October, Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the US Taiwan Business Council, a trade group that includes Lockheed, wrote that F-16 associated jobs “could have an important positive impact on local communities around the country particularly in California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Ohio, Texas and Utah,” possible electoral swing states.

But the Obama administraton, apparently in an effort to placate Beijing, has been unwilling to meet that request.

Instead, the president offered a $5.3 billion upgrade of Taiwan’s 145 existing F-16A/Bs. F-16s played a role in a previous US election. George H W Bush announced during the 1992 presidential campaign that he would sell Taiwan 150 of the A/B models.

He signalled an intent to do so during a campaign rally at the General Dynamics Corp plant then producing them in Texas where jobs had been in danger. — Reuters

Angola’s Dos Santos keeps succession open

By Shrikesh Laxmidas ong-serving Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos is keeping his country and the world guessing about whether he will bid for re-election in 2012 in Africa’s No. 2 oil producer. Apparently unfazed by unprecedented youth protests against his rule last year inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings, the soft-spoken 69-year-old leader has promised that elections due in September will be transparent and fair, while keeping his own options open. Dos Santos’ mild, inscrutable public demeanour belies his more than 32 years firmly at Angola’s helm, a rule eclipsed in Africa only by Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

Speculation over Dos Santos’ intentions under the country’s new 2010 constitution he could remain in power until 2022 - has reached fever pitch among analysts, investors

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and oil companies watching one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies. “Dos Santos’ succession is the single biggest question hanging over Angola,” said Alex Vines, an Angola expert and analyst with UK-based think-tank Chatham House.

Fanning the succession debate, in September the Angolan weekly Novo Jornal cited sources in the ruling MPLA party to report that Dos Santos had selected Manuel Vicente, the 55-year-old head of state oil company Sonangol, as his successor to take over before or after the election. But in December, Dos Santos himself appeared to quash this report by re-appointing Vicente for another term as Sonangol CEO, leading observers to conclude he may have had second thoughts about the succession plan, possibly swayed by resistance from within the MPLA. “ The handover of power to a career oil executive has the potential to anger loyalists in the upper ranks of the

MPLA, many of whom have been patiently waiting in the wings to take another step up the ladder,” analysts at IHS Global Insight said in a recent research note.

Adding to the speculation, Dos Santos, a Moscow-trained oil engineer, signalled in November his apparent readiness to lead the party in a re-election bid by saying he was “as a long-serving party militant ... always available” for any mission the MPLA chose for him.

Angola’s new constitution approved in 2010 abolished direct presidential elections, strengthening the role of the president in the country’s government, politics and military. It established that the person heading the electoral list of the winning party in parliamentary elections becomes president.

“Dos Santos has never been elected president - in 1992 the second round (of presidential elections) never took place, the 2008 election was only for parliament and he postponed the presidential ballot before

abolishing it altogether in 2010,” Chatham House’s Vines said. “As matter of legitimacy, and even legacy, he will want to be elected president before retiring,” Vines believed.

This would mean attention focusing on whoever Dos Santos appoints as his deputy, which could keep Sonangol’s Vicente in the running for the Angolan leadership succession. “The president retains the ability to pull him from that (Sonangol) post and place him as his deputy on the party list at any time,” IHS Global Insight said.

Others who could be in line for that deputy post on the MPLA list, set to be announced in January, include current VicePresident Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos and several ministers. “The No.2 position is important in terms of a potential successor, but it’s like Kremlinology, speculation about who will take which seat, and maybe even Dos Santos has not yet decided on the plan,” Chatham House’s Vines said. — Reuters

Iraq’s Sunnis leave mixed neighborhoods

By Rebecca Santana he question was disturbing: Why do you live here? Ahmed Al-Azami, a Sunni Muslim, has owned a house in Baghdad’s Shiite neighborhood of Shaab since 1999. But when Shiite residents recently began questioning why he, a Sunni, was living among them, he decided it was time to leave. His story and similar tales by other Sunnis suggest Iraqis are again segregating themselves along sectarian lines, prompted by a political crisis pulling at the explosive Sunni-Shiite divide just weeks after the American withdrawal left Iraq to chart its own future.

The numbers so far are small and not easy to track with precision, but anecdotal accounts and a rise in business at real estate agencies in Sunni neighborhoods reveal a Sunni community contemplating the worse-case scenario and acting before it’s too late. Baghdad and the rest of Iraq are already highly segregated places.

Running from bombs, death squads and their own neighbors at the height of violence in 2006 and 2007, Sunnis and Shiites fled neighborhoods that were once mixed.

That violence and the resulting migrations slowed in 2008, but tensions are again swirling as a power struggle worsens between Shiite Prime Minister Nouri AlMaliki and Sunni politicians who have been largely sidelined since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. And many fear increased violence could result.

“People started to question my origins.

Why don’t you live in Azamiyah?” said AlAzami, referring to the Sunni-dominated enclave in northern Baghdad where he has a shop. He felt so nervous and unwelcome that he began looking for a house in Azamiyah a few weeks ago. Once he moves, he’ll either rent out or sell his Shaab house. “I will always be a stranger to them,” he said, referring to his Shiite neighbors. In a sign that he is not alone, rental prices in Azamiyah have risen by about $200 a month, said real estate agent Abu Abdullah Al-Obeidi. Other Sunni neighborhoods of the capital like Adel and Khadra have also seen rent increases, he said. “The people who are coming to Azamiyah to rent or buy

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are afraid that they will be killed during any possible sectarian war if they stay in the mixed areas,” Al-Obeidi said.

Iraq’s worst political crisis in years blew up just as the last American troops were rolling across the border into Kuwait on Dec 18. Al-Maliki’s government issued an arrest warrant for the country’s highestranking Sunni politician, Vice President Tariq Al-Hashemi, on charges he ran a hit squad that assassinated government officials five years ago. Al-Hashemi is staying in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region beyond the reach of Iraqi law enforcement, and the government has televised purported confessions in which his bodyguards say he paid them to carry out the killings.

Al-Maliki is also trying to get rid of Sunni Deputy Prime Minister Saleh Al-Mutlaq after he likened the prime minister to Saddam, a comparison meant to suggest he had autocratic leanings. Al-Maliki has

threatened to form a government without a key Sunni-backed party, Iraqiya, which has been boycotting parliament because its members say Al-Maliki is not sharing power.

Even before the US military withdrawal, sectarian tensions were rising after the arrests of hundreds of former members of Saddam’s Sunni-controlled Baath Party. For Sunnis, a purge of Baathists is seen as a shot against all Sunnis. When Iraq’s violence was at its worst, hundreds of thousands of people fled to neighboring Jordan and Syria. Most of them were Sunnis, and more than a million remain there. But with a crisis in Syria and tightening visa requirements for Iraqis in Syria and Jordan, Sunnis now seem to be relocating around Iraq.

Some, like al-Azami, are moving from Shiite to Sunni neighborhoods, others are going from Baghdad to Sunni-dominated cities such as Fallujah or Mosul or the relatively

In this Dec 30, 2011 photo, people gather at a coffee shop in Fallujah. —AP

safer Kurdish region.

This means Iraq’s sectarian map will have even more sharply drawn boundary lines. For some of those contemplating moves - most of them minority Sunnis - it is a familiar feeling. Mohammed Abdullah moved his family to Syria in 2006 when violence was at its worst. Two years later he, his wife and two children returned, hoping to find a better Iraq. For a while it seemed better. One recent confrontation, though, changed all that. Abdullah, who used to drive passengers in an SUV from Baghdad to the northern city of Kirkuk, was harassed by one of his Shiite passengers. Sunni members of the Diyala provincial council had just voted to form an autonomous region, essentially trying to limit the Shiitedominated government’s control on them.

Shiite protesters blocked the streets for hours to demonstrate against the vote.

Abdullah said the passenger, a soldier in the Iraqi army, knew he was Sunni after seeing him pray during a rest stop in the Sunni fashion, with his hands clasped in front of him. When Abdullah took a detour to get around the blocked roads, the soldier started in on him. “The army officer thought I was taking a road controlled by Al-Qaeda to let insurgents kidnap the passengers,” he said. “He told me that I put the lives of the passengers at risk, and he threatened me.”

Hala Abdul-Rahman’s 17-year-old son was kidnapped in 2004 by Shiite militiamen while he was walking through the Sunni neighborhood of Dora in southern Baghdad. His father found the boy’s body in a field days later. Her family moved to Kirkuk, 290 km north of Baghdad. The Kurdish-Arab city had its own problems since the invasion but was generally much safer than Baghdad. In 2009, thinking the bad memories were gone forever, they moved back to Dora. But with the recent tension and Al-Hashemi’s arrest warrant, they took no chances. Earlier this week they moved to Chamchamal, a city in the Kurdish north. “We lost the dearest thing parents can lose and that is our eldest son,” she said. “We are not ready to sacrifice another son because of the politicians’ ambitions.” — AP

year of unrest in North Africa has had a surprisingly beneficial effect on national soccer teams, which have registered dramatic improvements in their performances for the 2012 Africa Cup, the third most important football competition after the World Cup and Euro Championship. With their training schedules and economies disrupted by more than a year of mass protest and civil war, this year’s championship looked like a lost cause for football - soccer for Americans - and other organized sports. But a statistical review of the national soccer teams of Libya, Tunisia, Sudan, Morocco, Algeria and Egypt show that political upheaval got them better results on the field than stability. With the exception of Egypt, North African countries on average scored more points per match in the 12 months after the Arab Spring broke out last December, compared with the previous 12 months, according to Matthew Barrett, a sports sponsorship professional, who published his analysis on FootballSpeak.com. They boosted their win ratio to 45 percent from 33 percent. “There must be a very indirect link on how people can be inspired from seeing events at home, seeing what their fellow countrymen are doing, and using the instability of their country as some kind of inspiration to perform well for the rest of their people and their teammates,” Barrett, who arranges corporate sponsorships for professional sporting events, told The Media Line.

Barrett, who has published work before on the impact of wars on national teams, said evidence showed that political upheavals also had a strong effect on the athletes themselves. This effect is especially keen nowadays because national teams are seen symbol of the country and a source of patriotic pride. “When everything is going wrong around them the most important thing is to do well for your immediate colleagues and teammates,” Barrett said. “All these footballers were experiencing all these upheavals and uncertainties had probably been bound together in light of these mounting crises. And judging from their statistics it has affected their playing.

They have all come together. And they have all done very well.”

Barrett noted that Libya and Tunisia and Egypt, all of whom overthrew despots of long standing over the course of 2011, suspended their football schedules suspended for months during the peak of the unrest. But since then, Libya, which “hardly ever registered in African football consciousness,” astonished everyone by qualifying for the 2012 African Cup. Barrett noted that even Morocco, which had experienced smaller protests but, nevertheless, has taken major steps toward more democracy, improved its performance and finished at the top of its qualification group. Indeed, Morocco just defeated Algeria, which had also dramatically improved their performance in conjunction with the lifting of a 19-year old state of emergency.

Sudan, which has experienced violent conflict and the trauma of seeing the southern part of the country secede into the new state of South Sudan, boosted its win ratio to 53 percent last year, compared with just 25 percent in 2010. “This is for all Libyans, for our revolution,” declared Samir Aboud, the goalkeeper of Libya’s team, which has remained unbeaten since the revolution against Muammar Gaddafi. Libya’s coach, Marcos Paqueta, was clearer, saying his team is now “not only playing for football success but for a new government and a new country.”

Nabil Maaloul, the coach of Tunisia’s Esperance squad, said: “The events at home really stimulated our team and we believe that the players felt greatly liberated after what happened.” The Libyan team has a new kit in white, and the team for the first time played under the preGaddafi flag, in red, green and black, which has been adopted by the rebels. “One positive thing from the revolution was that, although we suffered a lot, those changes and the suffering made us stronger - mentally and physically,” Defender Khalil Chamman was quoted as saying.

James Dorsey, who writes a blog on Middle East sports and is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told The Media Line that in autocratic regimes the soccer players usually stood on the sidelines of the revolt. In Libya, the national team was lavished with gifts from AlQaddafi and the leader’s son, Saadi, was once captain of the national team and ran the Libyan Football Federation.

Nevertheless, the club’s stadium and clubhouse were burned down and three fans sentenced to death after Saadi was criticized during a match.

“What they said was ‘We support the demands of the protesters, and we are fed up with the nepotism, but we don’t want the leader to be humiliated’,” Dorsey said.

“They were being showered with gifts, but they were not playing for the leaders, but rather for their people.” He said the sport took place in the backdrop of a fan base which, particularly in Egypt’s case, was intimately involved in the protests. “There was an incredible enthusiasm and they were for the first time representing a free country. It was expressed not in terms of victory of the team but as a victory of the revolution,” Dorsey said.

The one exception to the rule is Egypt, traditionally Africa’s football giant. Egypt’s national team suffered a dramatic fall from its preeminent position when it was ousted from the qualifications for the 2012 Africa Cup for the first time in 33 years. “Egypt has almost seemed to have hit the self-destruct button,” Barrett said, noting that Egypt had been the champions of the past three tournaments. “The fact that they suddenly, completely reversed and are at the bottom of their qualifying group is almost unbelievable.”

Unlike Tunisia and Libya, many political analyst say Egypt has not yet experienced real regime change. While President Hosni Mubarak was ousted from office, the country is still controlled by the generals who were Mubarak loyalists. Tahrir Square, which has been the center of anti-Mubarak protests, remains the site of often violent demonstrations against the government. “I think that really does mirror what is going on in that country itself.

Whereas, a lot of other countries have seen themselves pull together and it seems as though the revolutions have taken shape and they are moving forward. Egypt has been very uncertain in the last few months,” Dorsey said.

“Some countries will use that as a good period to come together and work towards a new and common improvement. It seems to me that in Egypt it has thrown everything into turmoil from which they haven’t quite recovered from; they haven’t rallied around together in quite the same way.” Barrett said his research focused on North Africa and he has not yet examined the impact of the massive unrest in Yemen, Syria and Bahrain.— Media Line

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

Years

sp orts

MIAMI: LeBron James’ first order of business in 2012: Drop to one knee and ask longtime girlfriend Savannah Brinson to be his wife. Yes, she said yes.

Moments after ringing in the new year, James surprised his high school sweetheart by popping the question - letting very few people in on the secret beforehand. He did it at a party both to celebrate New Year’s Eve and his 27th birthday, which was Friday. “My girl, she’s very excited,” James said Sunday night after he and the Miami Heat beat Charlotte 129-90. “She would love to answer more questions about it than me. But she’s happy, my family’s happy and that’s what it’s about.” With a number of teammates and close friends looking on, James pulled off a bit of a sneak attack.

He and Brinson had discussed marriage in the past, but amid the din of ringing in 2012, she didn’t expect the twotime NBA MVP to get on bended knee at that moment. “It was beautiful,” Heat teammate Chris Bosh said.

“I told him, ‘Good luck.’ It was nice. It was real nice.”—AP

Man United striker Macheda joins QPR

Yi set to join Mavericks

LeBron, Savannah engaged

WASHINGTON: Chinese star forward Yi Jianlian has agreed to a one-year NBA deal with the reigning champion Dallas Mavericks, according to reports on Sunday on ESPN and in Dallas area newspapers.

Yi, who suffered a knee injury while playing for Guangdong Southern Tigers, will report to the Texas Legends developmentalleague squad to improve his conditioning before joining the Mavericks.

The Legends are coached by Del Harris, who guided China’s 2004 Olympic squad to an eighth-place showing at Athens. In four NBA seasons with Milwaukee, New Jersey and Washington, Yi has averaged

8.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in 24 minutes of playing time a game.

Last season, he averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds for Washington.

Yi, 24, was a free agent after helping China qualify for a berth in the 2012 London Olympics last year. He averaged 16.7 points and 10.3 rebounds in three Chinese league games but was hurt after a teammate fell on him during a game.

Yi had also considered NBA pitches from San Antonio and Golden State before agreeing to terms with Dallas, ESPN reported.

The Mavericks were the first team in NBA history to have a Chinese player, with Wang Zhi-Zhi making his breakthrough appearance with the team in 2002. — AFP

LONDON: Manchester United striker Federico Macheda has joined struggling Queens Park Rangers on loan until the end of the season, the London club said yesterday. The 20-year-old Italian, who has started two League Cup matches this season and made three Premier League appearances as a substitute, also spent time on loan at Sampdoria last season. “There is a lot of competition at Manchester United, there are some very good strikers there,” Macheda told QPR’s website (www.qpr.co.uk). “But I am still young and I need to get more experience in the Premier League.”

QPR manager Neil Warnock said: “This is a great opportunity for both parties. Federico is not getting a regular game at United quite obviously because of the quality of the squad they’ve got. “Everybody in the league is in envy of what (manager) Sir Alex Ferguson has there ... but I believe this can really work for us because he is positive and always in and around the box. He can finish too.”

— Reuters

Giants win NFC East, beat Cowboys 31-14 Patriots top AFC EAST RUTHERFORD: Two rematches of regular-season games will highlight the wild-card round, which was set up when Cincinnati grabbed the final AFC spot Sunday and Atlanta moved ahead of Detroit in the NFC. The Bengals got into the postseason despite losing 24-16 to Baltimore, winning a tiebreaker at 9-7 over Tennessee. Cincinnati visits Houston to open the playoffs on Saturday. The Texans (10-6) beat the Bengals 20-19 in Cincinnati on Dec. 11.

“We’ve been successful up until this point, and we’ve got a shot in the playoffs,” Bengals rookie quarterback Andy Dalton said. “We’re in it. Now it’s what we do with it.

I think everybody’s got the right attitude.”

Detroit will need to find the right attitude when it visits New Orleans on Saturday night. The Lions (10-6) lost a shootout at Green Bay 45-41 in their finale, meaning a return to the Big Easy, where they fell 31-17 on Dec 4.

“Everyone’s frustrated because you want to win anytime you play,” defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch said. “But it won’t put a damper on our season, and we’re excited about our opportunity and we’re in the playoffs.” So are the Giants and Broncos, who won their divisions in different manners Sunday.

New York’s 31-14 victory over Dallas gave the Giants (9-7) the NFC East title.

Atlanta, which earned the No. 5 seed in the conference by routing Tampa Bay 45-24 earlier in the day, will visit the Meadowlands.

“I would not want to face the New York Giants in the playoffs right now,” running back Brandon Jacobs said. “I got the same feeling” as when the Giants won the Super Bowl as a wild card after the 2007 season. Even without any Tim Tebow heroics, the Broncos won the AFC West. They did it despite falling 7-3 to the Kansas City Chiefs because San Diego knocked off Oakland 38-26. The Broncos and Raiders tied for the division lead at 8-8, but Denver won on the

tiebreaker, better results in common games.

Tebow’s late-game magic helped Denver turn around its season, from 2-5 to the top of a weak division. He struggled mightily as the Broncos lost their last three games, but they are playoff-bound for the first time since 2005. “It’s obviously a little bittersweet right now,” Tebow said. “We obviously would have loved to have won that game to have a little momentum going into the playoffs. But I think it’s still a special thing what we accomplished - to come back and win the AFC West is very special.”

They did it at the expense of the archrival Raiders. “It’s obviously frustrating when you hear the other outcomes of other games and know what was there to be had just makes it that much worse, that much more difficult,” Oakland quarterback Carson Palmer said. Baltimore (12-4) took the AFC North and a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed when it outlasted Cincinnati. Even though the Bengals lost, their 9-7 record earned them a wild card in a head-to-head tiebreaker over Tennessee, the only other team with that record in the AFC. The Bengals beat the Titans 24-17 in November.

Pittsburgh (12-4) is the other wild card, but lost both games to the Ravens this year to finish second in the division. The Steelers, who beat Cleveland 13-9, will be at Denver next Sunday.

“Now is the time to go out and play our best football,” said Ben Roethlisberger, who went 23 of 40 for 221 yards on his gimpy left ankle. “If you are a great team, you have to win on the road. We’d like to get it together, starting next week. We have not been able to put it all together yet this year, whether because of injury, weather, a lot of factors.”

By winning every game in the second half of the season, the Patriots own homefield advantage in the AFC playoffs. By losing their last three games, the New York Jets won’t be going to a third straight conference title game.

The Patriots (13-3) earned the right to

stay at home throughout the AFC playoffs after a 49-21 victory over Buffalo, which led 21-0 after the first quarter. It should be comforting to the Patriots, except that they have lost their last two home playoff games, and their last three postseason games overall.

“It depends on how we play,” three-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady said. “It’s great playing at home. It’s great to have a bye. But I think we have to concentrate here this week on what we need to do to play our best football in a couple weeks.”

The Jets (8-8) finished a late-season collapse with a 19-17 loss at Miami to fall out of contention. They dropped their final three games after taking control of the AFC’s final wild-card spot. “We played well in spurts this season, but we weren’t consis-

tent enough,” said quarterback Mark Sanchez, who was among the most inconsistent Jets. “You have to ask yourself the tough questions and clean things up for next season.

“It doesn’t feel good now, but we’ll come back and be just fine.” San Francisco (13-3) is just fine thanks to a turnaround season.

Under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers will be the No. 2 seed in the NFC behind Green Bay (15-1) after a 34-27 win at St. Louis.

“I’ll sit back and watch the games. Let the games begin,” tight end Vernon Davis said. “My mind is about to go on a whole new phase, that’s the way I see it. We’ve just got to keep growing, keep trucking.” New Orleans (13-3) is seeded third after a 45-17 win over Carolina. — AP

Results and standings from NFL games on Sunday.

Green Bay 45, Detroit 41; Jacksonville 19, Indianapolis 13; Tennessee 23, Houston 22; San Francisco 34, St. Louis 27; Miami 19, NY Jets 17; Chicago 17, Minnesota 13; New England 49, Buffalo 21; New Orleans 45, Carolina 17; Philadelphia 34, Washington 10; Arizona 23, Seattle 20 (OT); San Diego 38, Oakland 26; Kansas City 7, Denver 3; Atlanta 45, Tampa Bay 24; Baltimore 24, Cincinnati 16; Pittsburgh 13, Cleveland 9. NY Giants 31, Dallas 14.

NY Rangers Philadelphia Pittsburgh New Jersey NY Islanders Boston Ottawa Toronto Buffalo Montreal Florida Winnipeg Washington Tampa Bay Carolina

Chicago Detroit St. Louis Nashville Columbus Vancouver Minnesota Colorado Calgary Edmonton Los Angeles Dallas San Jose Phoenix Anaheim GREEN BAY: Detroit Lions’ Calvin Johnson (81) is called for pass interference as he goes up for a pass with Green Bay Packers’ Tramon Williams (38) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, in Green Bay, Wis. — AP

Rider death overshadows first day of Dakar Rally SANTA ROSA DE LA PAMPA: The death of Argentinian rider Jorge Martinez Boero overshadowed the first day of the Dakar Rally on Sunday during which Russia’s Leonid Novitzkiy lead the cars section and Chilean Francisco Lopez the motorbikes.

The 38-year-old Boero, making his second appearance on the gruelling rally, suffered a heart attack after being seriously injured in a fall from his Beta bike two kilometres from the end of the

NFL results/standings

stage between Mar del Plata and Santa Rosa de la Pampa in the west of Argentina. Organisers said that Boero received medical attention within five minutes of the crash and was airlifted by helicopter, but died on his way to hospital. Boero, they said, “was the victim of a fall at kilometre 55 of the special of the first stage between Mar del Plata and Santa Rosa”.

“The rider suffered a cardiac arrest following his fall and was attended five minutes after the acci-

MAR DEL PLATA: France’s driver Stephane Peterhansel steers his Mini during the Stage 1 of the 2012 Dakar between Mar del Plata and Santa Rosa de la Pampa, Argentina. — AFP

dent by the medical staff, who reached the place of the incident by helicopter. “Despite their best efforts, the doctors were unable to resuscitate the pilot, who died while he was being taken to hospital.

“The organisers of the rally offer their heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.” Boero was the son of a former Argentinian racing champion of the same name who died in 2004. His only previous Dakar Rally appearance last year ended when he crashed into a ravine during stage six in Chile and had to wait eight hours before being rescued.

Boero’s death was the 21st of a competitor during a Dakar Rally, organised 29 times in Africa from 1979 before moving to South America in 2009. In total, 59 people have died during the rally, including more than 20 spectators.

“It’s a real tragedy. He’s a boy that we knew well,” said race director Etienne Lavigne. “There’s a lot of emotion at the camp tonight. It will be tough to start tomorrow. But it’s the biggest tribute we could give him. The competition continues.”

During the day’s racing Mini got off to a flying start with Novitzkiy clocking 32min 12sec over the 57km special to finish 5sec ahead of Poland’s Krzysztof Holowczyc with France’s former champion Stephane Peterhansel 9sec off the pace - both also in Minis.

Defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah however struggled home 9min 50sec behind Novitzhiy after his Hummer ran into mechanical problems.

“We will see, but this does not look good ... whatever happens, this is not a good way to start the Dakar!” said the Qatari.

Aprilia rider Lopez timed 32min 37sec coming in 14sec ahead of defending motorbike champion Marc Coma of Spain on a KTM and 27sec in front of Argentinian Javier Pizzolito, riding a Honda.

Coma scored some early points against teammate and principal rival Frenchman Cyril Despres, who finished 1min 48sec behind the stage winner in 13th place. Uruguay’s Sergio La Fuente leads the quad standings and Dutch driver Marcel van Vliet the truck category. — AFP

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF 23 9 4 107 22 10 4 123 21 13 4 121 21 15 1 103 13 17 6 84 Northeast Division 24 10 1 123 19 15 5 120 18 15 5 118 17 17 4 100 14 18 7 99 Southeast Division 20 12 7 103 19 14 5 104 20 15 2 111 17 17 3 104 13 21 6 103 Western Conference Central Division 24 10 4 125 24 13 1 123 21 12 5 95 21 14 4 105 10 23 5 93 Northwest Division 24 13 2 129 21 13 6 95 21 18 1 108 18 17 5 99 15 19 3 100 Pacific Division 19 14 6 86 21 15 1 100 19 11 4 99 19 16 4 102 10 21 6 87

GA 77 106 100 105 113

PTS 50 48 46 43 32

68 133 125 112 110

49 43 41 38 35

107 107 109 122 135

47 43 42 37 32

107 84 85 108 128

52 49 47 46 25

96 95 115 111 104

50 48 43 41 33

90 107 83 103 124

44 43 42 42 26

Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

Liverpool, Everton player Ablett dead LONDON: Former Liverpool and Everton defender Gary Ablett, the only player to win the FA Cup with both Merseyside clubs, has died at the age of 46 after a 16-month battle with cancer. “Respected throughout the game by players, coaches and managers alike Gary will be sadly missed,” the League Managers’ Association said yesterday.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with Gary’s wife Jacqueline and children.” Tributes from Liverpool and Everton were posted on their websites in honour of father-of-three Ablett who was diagnosed with the blood cancer non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2010.

His health suddenly deteriorated when he was assistant to former manager Roy Keane at Championship (second division) club Ipswich Town. Local boy Ablett was handed his Liverpool debut by Kenny Dalglish against Charlton Athletic in December 1986 and went on to play 147 games for the Anfield team, scoring once.

He helped Liverpool to two league titles and the 1989 FA Cup victory over Everton before he was sold to their Merseyside rivals in 1992, landing another FA Cup trophy in 1995. Ablett also had spells at Birmingham City, Sheffield United, Hull City, Derby County, Wycombe Wanderers, Blackpool and the Long Island Rough Riders in the United States before managing minor league Stockport County. — Reuters Gary Ablett

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

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Heat scorches Bobcats to go 5-0 Miami score NBA-high 129 points

Kuwait’s Black Belt Dojo Kajukenbo team with Grand Master Angel Garcia in Paris.

Kuwait’s black belt dojo team to participate in Kajukenbo event KUWAIT: A black belt dojo seminar was organized in Paris (France) under the leadership of senior Grand Master, holder of 10th degree dan black belt in Kajukenbo, senior member of Kajukenbo Self Defence Institute of Europe and member of K.S.D.I American and member of Board of Advisors Angel Garcia, along with master Luis Diaz and Joe Diaz who are the holders of 5th degree dan black belt.

Grand Master Angel Garcia gave the latest developments on the sport through the development of psychological ideas, while maintaining the foundations established in the Kajukenbo training camp, which is located in Paris. Grand Master Garcia was very happy with Kuwait’s Black Belt Dojo Kajukenbo team and its acceptance of the invitation to participate in the camp. He was also impressed with the hard training and efforts exerted by team members who were keen to learn the latest in the sport, so that the sport can be spread among others. Kuwait’s team

has been practicing the sport of Self Defence Kajukenbo since 1993.

Grand Master Angel Garcia Soldado gave a certificate accepting Kuwait’s club as member of the European Association to represent Kuwait in the Kajukenbo sport.

Kuwait coaches of the sport (Sifu) Marwan Al-Rifai, Dakhil Al-Dakhil and Abdullah Hawaj, who hold 3rd degree Dan thanked the masters for their efforts. (Sifu) Marwan thanked them for enabling him to reach global level in North America and Europe following in the footsteps of our late (Sifu) Ahmad Zakaria Hussein who was a holder of 4th degree dan, and devoted his life to spread the sport of Kajukenbo in Kuwait.

Kuwait’s team of Kajukenbo includes Marwan Al-Refaie, Dakhil Al-Dakhil, Mohammad Nazar, Hassan Al-Kaabi, Faisal AlAwadhi, Nayef Al-Marzooq, Jarrah AlObaidley, Nabeel Al-Saeed, Ammar Bahman, Ahmad Hamzawey, Yacoub Ashkanani, Salem Al-Khalawi and Mohammad Jaber.

MIAMI: The Miami Heat mauled the Charlotte Bobcats in a 129-90 blowout on Sunday to improve to a franchise-best 5-0 start to an NBA season. Needing a pair of Dwyane Wade last-second game-winners to defeat Charlotte and Minnesota in back-to-back games last week, the Heat buried the Bobcats early in the rematch.

“We came into the game with a very heightened sense of having the ability to concentrate,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. “It speaks to our guys’ professionalism.” Talent-loaded Miami built a 28-point lead by halftime to effectively kill the game as a contest in front of their home crowd.

Chris Bosh led the way with 24 points and 10 rebounds and Wade added 22 as Miami continued their impressive start to the season. Beaten by the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals last June, the Heat have exploded from the blocks at the start of the the compressed 66-game campaign. Their 129 points were an NBA-high for the fledgling season, sharing the wealth among their big-name players and compiling 33 assists for the game. LeBron James, who entered the contest averaging 33 points per game, played just 28 minutes and chipped in 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

D.J. White had a team-high 21 for the Bobcats (1-3) who suffered their third straight loss and second to the Heat in four days. Charlotte were powerless as the Heat scored the first six points of the game and breezed to an early 17-4 advantage in the first.

It only went downhill from there for the Bobcats, who shot just 38 percent from the field. “That was a high school team in a professional game,” admitted Charlotte forward Corey Maggette, who finished with two points and missed all six of his shots from the field.

Bosh controlled the early going in the paint, scoring 20 first-half points, although plenty of Miami players got in on the action. Rookie point guard Norris Cole finished with 16 points and nine assists while the team shot 60 percent from the floor in a dominating display that sent a message to the whole league. — Reuters

Rams fire coach, GM after another dismal year ST LOUIS: The St. Louis Rams fired coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney yesterday, a day after the team wrapped up a 214 season tied for the NFL’s worst. The Rams made a six-win improvement last season and played for the NFC West title in the finale, but were just 10-38 overall in three seasons with Spagnuolo and Devaney calling the shots.

Devaney joined the front office in 2008, but in his four years as GM, the Rams were 12-52.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke fired both men with one year remaining on their contracts, and with fan interest dwindling. The Edward Jones Dome was been about half-filled much of the year. “No one individual is to blame for this disappointing season and we all must hold ourselves accountable,” Kroenke said in a statement issued by the Rams. “However, we believe it’s in the best interest of the St. Louis Rams to make these changes as we continue our quest to build a team that consistently competes for playoffs and championships.”

Next April, the Rams will have the second pick of the draft, the fourth time in five seasons with No. 1 or 2 selection. The premium picks, including quarterback Sam Bradford, have not been enough to make up the frequent miscues and a puny offense run by first-year coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Names of potential replacements for Spagnuolo began to surface weeks ago as the season unraveled, with Jon Gruden and Jeff Fisher linked as naturals given their relationships with chief operating officer Kevin Demoff and agent Marvin Demoff. Other coaches already fired this season included: Todd Haley in Kansas City, Tony Sparano in Miami and Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville.

Spagnuolo was criticized for devoting too much time to the cosmetics of the job. He pushed for a $1 million renovation of the stadium locker room the team uses 10 times a year, and surrounded himself with a new trainer, public relations head, building operations manager and equipment manager.

Spagnuolo was considered a defensive whiz after an impressive performance by the Giants in a Super Bowl upset of the unbeaten Patriots in 2008, and got a four-year contract for his first head coaching job. The Rams were 1-15 in 2009 while undertaking a massive overhaul, then made a six-victory improvement in 2010, and entered this season viewed as NFC West contenders.

Instead, they were swamped by a difficult schedule, losing their first six in a row, and also by injuries at quarterback, the secondary and the offensive line. “It’s been one of those type of

NHL result/standings

years where it seemed like everything bad that could have happened, happened,” safety Quintin Mikell said.

Players stuck with the relentlessly upbeat Spagnuolo, who never singled out anyone for criticism, and believe they’re not far away from another turnaround.

“Honestly, I think the foundation is here,” running back Steven Jackson said. Defensive end Chris Long, among the league leaders with 13 sacks, said the 49ers’ quick turnaround can serve as inspiration. San Francisco made a seven-victory jump and is the No. 2 playoff seed in the NFC after going 13-3, including a season-ending win in St. Louis.

“You’re never as far away as you think in this league,” Long said. “It’s super competitive.

They came out of nowhere and now they’re in the playoffs and have a shot.” Devaney loaded up with free agents last summer in an effort to augment a team that was in the division race to the end but had too many misses.

The offense was the NFL’s worst, with or without Bradford. The defense was the NFL’s worst against the run, threatening the franchise record for yards allowed. A pair of special teams failures were devastating, a blocked field goal on the potential game-winner and a 99-yard punt return, in an overtime loss at Arizona.—AP

MIAMI: Miami Heat’s Shane Battier, center, battles for the ball against Charlotte Bobcats’ Byron Mullens, left, and Corey Maggette, right, during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game on Sunday, in Miami. The Heat won 129-90. — AP

NBA results/standings Results and standings from NBA games on Sunday.

Cleveland 98, New Jersey 82; Orlando 102, Toronto 96; Miami 129, Charlotte 90; Boston 94, Washington 86.

Philadelphia NY Knicks Boston Toronto New Jersey Chicago Indiana Milwaukee Cleveland Detroit Miami Orlando Atlanta Charlotte Washington

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT GB 2 2 .500 2 2 .500 2 3 .400 .5 1 3 .250 1 1 4 .200 1.5 Central Division 4 1 .800 3 1 .750 .5 2 1 .667 1 2 2 .500 1.5 1 3 .250 2.5 Southeast Division 5 0 1.000 4 1 .800 1 3 1 .750 1.5 1 3 .250 3.5 0 4 .000 4.5

Oklahoma City Portland Denver Utah Minnesota LA Clippers LA Lakers Golden State Sacramento Phoenix San Antonio New Orleans Houston Memphis Dallas

Western Conference Northwest Division 5 0 1.000 3 1 .750 1.5 3 2 .600 2 1 3 .250 3.5 1 3 .250 3.5 Pacific Division 2 2 .500 3 3 .500 2 2 .500 2 3 .400 .5 1 3 .250 1 Southwest Division 3 1 .750 2 2 .500 1 2 2 .500 1 1 3 .250 2 1 4 .200 2.5

Predators beat Flames 5-3

NHL result and standings on Sunday.

Nashville 5, Calgary 3.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division

NY Rangers Philadelphia Pittsburgh New Jersey NY Islanders

W 23 22 21 21 13

L 9 10 13 15 17

OTL 4 4 4 1 6

GF 107 123 121 103 84

GA 77 106 100 105 113

PTS 50 48 46 43 32

Boston Ottawa Toronto Buffalo Montreal

Northeast Division 24 10 1 123 19 15 5 120 18 15 5 118 17 17 4 100 14 18 7 99

68 133 125 112 110

49 43 41 38 35

Florida Winnipeg Washington Tampa Bay Carolina

Southeast Division 20 12 7 103 19 14 5 104 20 15 2 111 17 17 3 104 13 21 6 103

107 107 109 122 135

47 43 42 37 32

Chicago Detroit St. Louis Nashville Columbus

Western Conference Central Division 24 10 4 125 24 13 1 123 21 12 5 95 21 14 4 105 10 23 5 93

107 84 85 108 128

52 49 47 46 25

Vancouver Minnesota Colorado Calgary Edmonton

Northwest Division 24 13 2 129 21 13 6 95 21 18 1 108 18 17 5 99 15 19 3 100

96 95 115 111 104

50 48 43 41 33

Pacific Division Los Angeles 19 14 6 86 90 44 Dallas 21 15 1 100 107 43 San Jose 19 11 4 99 83 42 Phoenix 19 16 4 102 103 42 Anaheim 10 21 6 87 124 26 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

NASHVILLE: Tim Jackman #15 of the Calgary Flames skates between Mike Fisher #12 and Francis Bouillon #51 of the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee. — AFP NASHVILLE: Sergei Kostitsyn scored three goals to lead the Nashville Predators to their third straight victory, 5-3 over the Calgary Flames on Sunday night. Kevin Klein and Matt Halischuk also scored for Nashville. Jarome Iginla, Rene Bourque and Brendan Morrison scored for the Flames, who have lost three straight. Kostitsyn’s first goal gave Nashville a 2-1 lead. His second made it 4-1 and he capped the scoring with an empty-net goal.Iginla, stationed in front of the crease, beat goaltender Pekka Rinne with a wrist shot 3:47 into the game.

Klein tied the game with 7:21 left in the

first period when he blasted a slap shot from the blue line that beat goaltender Mikka Kiprusoff to his glove side. The Predators took the lead at 2-1 when Kostitsyn skated in from the right side and beat Kiprusoff to his glove side with a wrist shot from close range with 4:54 remaining in the first.

Halischuk added to the lead 2:27 into the second period with a snap shot from low in the slot. Kostitsyn struck for the second time with a wrist shot on a 2-on-1 from the right side that went between Kiprusoff’s legs at 5:59 of the second. Calgary cut the lead to 4-2 when Bourque skated in from the left side

and beat Rinne from close range 1:17 into the third period. Morrison scored on a rebound from close range with 2:03 left to play. With 30 seconds remaining Kostitsyn scored an empty-net goal. Meanwhile, National Hockey League officials have pushed back the start of Monday’s annual Winter Classic outdoor game by two hours because of weather forecasts, the league announced on Sunday.

The opening face-off between the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers will come at 3pm (2000 GMT) on Monday in a bid to provide optimal conditions for players and spectators. Cool and windy conditions are

expected at game time although temperatures figure to stay above freezing, not a problem for the outdoor rink which has special freezing equipment to keep the surface icy. The Rangers lead the Eastern Conference with 23 wins and 50 points through 36 games while the Flyers, with 22 wins in 36 games, trail New York by only two points in the Atlantic division. The game will mark the fifth edition of the Winter Classic, the first coming in Buffalo with others having been staged in Chicago, Boston and Pittsburgh. Other outdoor regular-season games were staged in Edmonton and Calgary, Canada. — Agencies

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

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Time to forget Pakistan scandals, says Strauss LONDON: The scandals that have plagued recent series with Pakistan must be forgotten when England play them in the United Arab Emirates later this month, captain Andrew Strauss said yesterday. Three visiting players were jailed two months ago for their part in a spot-fixing scandal in the test series in England in 2010, and the corresponding series four years earlier also ended with Pakistan refusing to play on in one test.

When umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove penalised the Pakistan team for ball-tampering, skipper Inzamamul-Haq refused to bring his players on to the field and the test was forfeited, the first incident of its kind.

An International Cricket Council (ICC) adjudicator later cleared Pakistan of ball-tampering charges but banned

Inzamam for misconduct. “There is a perception there are always issues between Pakistan and England and we should see this as an opportunity to eradicate that perception,” captain Strauss told reporters as his world number one side prepared to fly out from Heathrow airport.

“There is no reason why that should be the case and, as I said, if we both approach it in the right spirit it should be good for relations between both teams and for world cricket.”

Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were jailed in November for their involvement in a plot to bowl no-balls at pre-arranged times in the 2010 series. “I think the spot-fixing stuff is something we are desperately keen to move on from. No

good can come from churning it all up again and it’s time to concentrate on the cricket,” said Strauss.

“I’m certainly excited about playing in what are going to be fairly alien conditions to what we are used to and that is going to be a good challenge against some good cricketers. That is plenty to worry about without thinking of anything else.”

The series is being held on neutral territory due to security concerns in Pakistan. They have not been allowed to host international matches since the 2009 gun attack on the touring Sri Lanka team in Lahore. England and Pakistan lock horns in Dubai for the first test on Jan. 17. They will then contest a further two tests, four oneday matches and three Twenty20 fixtures. — Reuters

Andrew Strauss

Denmark beat US 2-1 at Hopman Cup Kvitova off to perfect start

DOHA: Italy’s Andreas Seppi returns the ball to Lukasz Kubot of Poland during their ATP Qatar Open tennis match at Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha yesterday. — AFP

Federer, Nadal start season at Qatar Open DOHA: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are eyeing a confidence-boosting victor y at the season-opening Qatar Open. But Novak Djokovic, elsewhere in the Persian Gulf, is already showing signs that made him such a force in 2011.

Djokovic wrapped up his first title in Abu Dhabi on Saturday and said he is feeling better than he did at this time last season. That does not bode well for the No. 2 Nadal and No. 3 Federer. After all, the top-ranked Djokovic won three Grand Slams on his way to a 70-6 record.Nadal, who lost to Djokovic in the U.S. Open and Wimbledon finals in 2011, said expectations for the Serb are clear.

“Everybody thinks that Djokovic will be difficult to beat, no?” Nadal said.

“Not just myself.” Nadal, seeded first, opens Tuesday against Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany. Federer faces Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, whom he beat in the final last year. JoWilfried Tsonga of France plays Malek Jaziri of Tunisia while Gael Monfils takes on Rui Machado of Portugal.

Nadal suggested that, for now, he has come to terms with being No. 2.

“You know in the sport ... you cannot be every time in the top,” he said. “I think I played fantastic for seven, eight months in the 2011 season. “I lost against Djokovic in all the finals, but I almost only lost against him. So that’s a really positive thing, play almost every final in all the difficult and important tournaments.”

Nadal lost to Djokovic in six finals in 2011 and wouldn’t say whether he can reverse the trend. The Spaniard has said he felt his tennis in 2011 at times was too predicable. He has started using a heavier racket to increase his power. His preparations for the season have been curtailed by a left shoulder injury that he says has healed.

“The only thing I know is I have to practice to improve my tennis. For the rest of my career, I don’t know if that’s going to be enough to beat him (Djokovic) or to lose to him 100 more times,” Nadal said. “I don’t even know, but I cannot predict that,” he added.

“What I can predict is I (am) going to work hard to try to be enough compet-

itive to play with good chances against ever ybody, not only against him because the first thing, you have to be in the finals. That’s a very difficult thing to do, not only win that once.”

Federer, too, couldn’t avoid questions about Djokovic, who beat the Swiss in the Abu Dhabi exhibition tournament last week. He lost to Djokovic in the Australian Open and U.S. Open but exacted some revenge at the French Open semifinals by ending Djokovic’s 43-match winning streak.

“He was definitely the most consistent player of this last year, and he looks like he’s in good shape again for this upcoming season,” Federer said.

“So it’s obviously someone who is going to be followed very closely not just by the media but also by the players,” he said. “I think we’re also all feeling pretty well, as well, so it’s going to be interesting for all of us to see who’s going to have the best start to the season.”

Federer said his strong finish last season - a 17-match winning streak that culminated in a record sixth title at the year-end championships in London - has given him hope. “You can definitely take confidence from the end of the year and sort of just carry it over because you’re in a good mindset,” Federer said. “You know, you just believe that you’re doing the right things on the court. You’re not second guessing yourself. From that standpoint, confidence is ... it’s a huge part of our, you know, life sometimes as a tennis player.” As for the chances of regaining the top ranking or winning another major this season, the 16-time Grand Slam champion said it was too early to make bold predictions. “You have to go step by step, and right now focus is on Doha, my first round. It’s a tough one against Davydenko,” Federer said.

“Then I do hope I can move on and defend my title here and then go to sort of Australia and make my move over there,” he added. “Then I have a lot coming up in February, as well, for me.

So it’s going to be an interesting next two months for me because I will be playing a lot of tennis. So I hope that I will hold up well physically.” — Reuters

PERTH: A late-arriving Caroline Wozniacki and teammate Frederik Nielsen beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Mardy Fish 7-5, 6-3 in mixed doubles to give Denmark a 2-1 win over the United States at the Hopman Cup yesterday.

Fish gave the US an early 1-0 lead after beating Nielsen 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in men’s singles, but Wozniacki, who arrived only four hours earlier on a flight from Thailand, beat Mattek-Sands 7-6 (4), 6-2 to level at 1-1 before the Danish pair combined to win the decider.

Women’s singles are usually played first under the tournament format, but officials delayed that match to allow the top-ranked Wozniacki more time to practice on the Burswood Dome hardcourts.Wozniacki went straight from the airport to the arena and it showed early - she trailed 3-0 and 5-1 in the opening set.

“It’s the first time I’ve done that, and I felt a bit nervous,” Wozniacki said of her rushed arrival. “I just started off playing too short and Bethanie just went for shots, made a lot of winners and it was tough for me to get into the points. But I just kept focusing. I didn’t even know it was 5-1 so I kept going and hoped for the best.”

Fish broke Neilsen when the Danish player was serving for the match at 6-5 in the second set to force the tiebreaker. “The first one of the year is never pretty,” Fish said. “I feel like I haven’t had much time off ... it feels like only a couple of weeks ago I was in London at the tour finals. I am working on a lot of things on the mental side of things to improve myself, and during the match today, I was thinking about that and maybe a little less on the match.”

Fish is coming off his best year, moving into the top 10 for the first time in May 2010, winning a tournament and playing consistently well.

He credits losing 30 pounds (14 kilograms) with his stronger form and a rise in the rankings to No. 8. “It’s been the discipline of losing that weight and really getting into as good a shape as I can,” Fish said.

“When I lay my head on the pillow every night, I know I make the right choices, I put in the time.”

In another Group A match yesterday, Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and Tomas Berdych won singles matches to give Czech Republic a 2-1 victory over Bulgaria. Kvitova won the last five games of her match to beat Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4, 6-2 before seventh-ranked Berdych defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-3.

Pironkova and Dimitrov won the mixed doubles, saving three match points to defeat the Czech pair 2-6, 6-3, 11-9 (match tiebreak) in a result that could help determine Group A placings and decide which teams advance to Saturday’s final. No. 2-ranked Kvitova won five other tournaments in 2011 to add to her Wimbledon championship, then helped Czech Republic to the Fed Cup title. She was also named the WTA Tour player of the year.” Of course the first match was tough and I

won it,” she said. “The last season was longer than normal and I had some rest. Hopefully I am ready to play matches - we will see how it goes.” Berdych reached the Wimbledon final in 2010, but his best performance in a Grand Slam in 2011 was a quarterfinal berth at the Australian Open. He was beaten in the first round at the French Open, the round of 16 at Wimbledon and third round at the US Open.

“The expectations are pretty much similar to last year,” Berdych said.

“I want to end up again in the World Tour finals in London, which means that I (need to) end up the year in the top eight. And then bring some even better results from Grand Slams and move my game higher.” Today in Group B, Spain will attempt to win its second straight match when it plays China, which is 0-1. France, 1-0, will try to keep host Australia winless when the countries play a night match. The teams with the best group records play in Saturday’s final. — AP

PERTH: Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic plays a return to Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria during their women’s singles session 3 match on day three of the Hopman Cup Tennis Tournament in Perth yesterday. Kvitova won the match 6-4, 6-2. — AFP

Top-form Serena out of love with tennis BRISBANE: Serena Williams says she has fallen out of love with tennis despite recording an impressive comeback win over Chanelle Scheepers in the first round of the Brisbane International yesterday. Playing her first match since losing the US Open final to Samantha Stosur in August, Williams showed why she is the most feared player in the draw as she outgunned Scheepers 6-2, 6-3.

Williams, who missed the last four months of 2011, struggled at times with her first serve but still had too much firepower for the South African, sending down seven aces in the 68minute victory.

The 30-year-old revealed later she was cutting her schedule back in 2012 as she prepares for life after tennis. “I just want to be able to do other things that I’m doing and expand on that. I think that helps keep my motivation up,” she said. Williams, who has won 13 Grand Slam singles titles, admitted she took the latter part of 2011 off because she was tired and said she did not love the sport any more-if she ever had.

“I don’t love tennis today but I’m here,” she said. “I can’t live without itthere’s a difference between not loving something and not being able to live without it. It’s not that I’ve fallen out of love with it. I’ve actually never liked sports and I never understood how I became an athlete. “I don’t like working out, I don’t like anything physical. If it involves sitting down or shopping, I’m excellent at it.”

Second seed Andrea Petkovic of Germany overcame a second set collapse to defeat Israeli Shahar Peer 7-6 (7/2), 1-6, 6-3. Petkovic, the runner-up in 2011, had problems with her serve throughout the first two sets but recovered in the third to outlast Peer in

two and a quarter hours.

Former world No.1 Ana Ivanovic breezed into the second round with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Austrian Tamira Paszek. Ivanovic raced through the first set then recovered from a slight wobble in the second to wrap up the match in 79 minutes. “I really felt I played well and applied a lot of things that I have worked on,” the 24-year-old Serb said.

“Still, there is room for improvement but it is the first match (of the year) and I’m very, very happy to be through.” Ivanovic next plays Belgium’s Kim Clijsters in a mouthwatering second round clash. The two last met in Miami last year, a match Ivanovic lost despite holding five match points in the third set. — AFP

BRISBANE: Serena Williams of the United States plays a shot in her game against South Africa’s Chanelle Scheepers during the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, yesterday. — AP

India aren’t finished, Dhoni warns Australia SYDNEY: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has warned Australia not to get too carried away with their victory in the first test and backed his team to battle back in the second in Sydney this week. If the nature of last week’s 122-run defeat in Melbourne had rattled the tourists, the ice cool Dhoni certainly showed no signs of it when he addressed the media at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday.

Asked whether India’s 4-0 series drubbing in England earlier this year, and the match in Melbourne, had proved his team was “not much good when there was something there for the bowlers”, Dhoni calmly rebuffed the question.

“That’s what you think,” he replied during a news conference. “If you see the kind of players that we have got, that would be very a premature statement to make.

“Because what we have seen is that we have always bounced back. Australia will have to keep the pressure on the batting line-up and the bowlers as well.

“It’s just that we haven’t performed in the first test and we look to improve in the second.” Wicketkeeper Dhoni’s own form with the bat overseas has been of much a concern to Indian cricket fans and scores of six and 23 in Melbourne left him averaging just 17 in Australia. The 30-year-old was not about to push the panic button, though, and said his ability to adapt to different conditions was one of his strengths . “I won’t look to make too many adjustments because what I’ve learned over the last 15 years since my school days is it’s very difficult to changes in just one series,” he said.

“What’s important is to adapt well, look for where you are weak and try avoid the deliveries that can get you out.” One player who has never had any trouble scoring runs, particularly at the SCG, where he has an average of 221 in six tests, is Sachin Tendulkar.

The batting master’s 10-month quest to notch up his 100th international hundred may have been frustrating for cricket-mad India but Dhoni said it has little impact on the player or his team mates.

“It’s not the first time Sachin’s approached a milestone,” he said. “We all know it will happen. It may happen in this test match, it may happen in the next test match or in this series. You can’t really stop it from happening. “I don’t think he thinks about it a lot ... it never really feels like he’s under any sort of pressure when it comes to scoring the 100th hundred. “As a team, we would like him to score it as quickly as possible for no other reason than that it’s a big milestone and we would love to enjoy and celebrate it with him. — Reuters

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

S P ORT S

Spanish football returns with Copa del Rey MADRID: Real Madrid and Barcelona can set the stage for another pair of “clasicos” by beating Malaga and Osasuna when Spanish football returns from its annual winter break this week with the Copa del Rey’s round of 16.

Madrid and Barcelona both play their first leg at home, and big victories there would all but end their opponents’ hopes of pulling off an upset in the return match. Strong results for the Spanish giants would also set up another likely matchup between them later this month, as the winners will meet in the twolegged quarterfinals of the cup competition.

Malaga hasn’t beaten Madrid since its return to regular first division football in 1999, while Osasuna will face a

Barcelona side that has won its last five matches at the Camp Nou by a combined score of 26-0. Malaga’s ambitious owners have gone on a spending spree lately to buy players in a bid to see the Andalucian club compete at the top of the table, but Madrid has won the last three meetings between the sides by a combined score of 15-1.

“In my mind they are the second best team in the world, behind Barcelona, they’ve shown it day-in, day- out,” Malaga for ward Santi Cazorla said ahead of today’s match.

“Hopefully we can manage a positive result so we have a chance in the return.”

Madrid, which beat Barcelona in last year’s final, will likely be without injured players Angel di Maria, Sergio

Ramos and Ricardo Carvalho, while Malaga remains without Brazilian striker Julio Baptista. In-form winger Jose Callejon is expected to fill in for Di Maria, while either Raul Albiol or Rafael Varane can replace Ramos if the Spain international doesn’t recover from a leg injury in time to play at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

“Di Maria’s absence will affect them some,” Cazorla said. “But whoever plays, it’s going to be a complicated match.” Barcelona, meanwhile, has 12 wins and two draws in 14 games at the Camp Nou this season, where it has outscored opponents 59-4. It already beat Osasuna 8-0 on home soil this season.

Chile forward Alexis Sanchez could return from injury, while defenders Carles Puyol and Eric Abidal’s forms

are questionable in the buildup to Wednesday’s game. Lionel Messi’s availability is also questionable as the Argentine forward did not train with the team on Monday after just returning from a winter holiday.

Osasuna is in good form and has climbed to a surprising fifth place in the league after going unbeaten in its last seven games, a streak that includes four wins. “Every game is different,” Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara said. “They can change their tactics from then since they now know us a little more. I don’t know how the game will play out.”

Valencia faces Sevilla on Thursday in perhaps the most even matchup of this round, while all four remaining lower-tier clubs host their first-leg matches against topflight clubs.

Second-tier Alcorcon, which knocked Madrid out of the competition in 2009 and beat Villarreal this time around, plays early-season surprise Levante, with the winner of that series going on to play either Valencia or Sevilla. Madrid and Barcelona are also on that side of the draw, leaving the eight teams on the other half with a golden chance of reaching the final.

Third-tier Albacete, which eliminated Atletico Madrid, today welcomes 23-time champion Athletic Bilbao, which is without injured striker Fernando Llorente, while third-tier Mirandes welcomes struggl i ng top f l i ght te a m R a c i ng Santander. Espanyol is at seconddivision Cordoba on Thursday, while Real Sociedad faces Mallorca tomorrow. — AP

Lampard to the rescue as Chelsea down Wolves End four-match winless run Chelsea 2

Wolves 1 DOHA: Paris Saint Germain (PSG) players attend a training session in Doha, yesterday, ahead of their soccer match against AC Milan in Dubai tomorrow. — AP

Norwich beat QPR as Barton is sent off Norwich 2

QPR 1

LONDON: Norwich won a battle of promoted sides yesterday as it rallied to beat 10-man Queens Park Rangers 2-1 at Loftus Road in a Premier League game marred by Joey Barton’s sending off. QPR captain Barton opened the scoring for the home side with a shot from 12 meters (yards) out in the 11th minute but was then shown a red card for an apparent headbutt on Norwich midfielder Bradley Johnson.

The visitors capitalised on their numerical advantage through Anthony Pilkington, who equalized with a long-range shot in the 42nd minute. A second-half strike by Wales international Steve Morison proved to be the winner for Norwich, leaving the home side winless in eight league matches.

Norwich had started the brighter of the sides with midfielder Simon Lappin, who was making his debut, delivering an inswinging free kick that was headed behind for a corner in the opening minutes. But it was QPR who struck first.

Barton’s finishing was clinical when he converted a low cross from Clint Hill on the left that eluded the Norwich defenders, beating goalkeeper John Ruddy. But 35 minutes later, as his teammates were racing ahead after clearing a corner, the controversial midfielder was involved in a tussle with Zak

Whitbread behind the play. Barton then tangled with Johnson in the center circle and appeared to headbutt the Norwich midfielder. After consulting an assistant, referee Neil Swarbrick sent Barton off. The midfielder was adamant in his denial of wrongdoing, protesting his innocence as he made his was down the tunnel. Barton’s absence was keenly felt by QPR as the visitors started to press.

Pilkington found himself in space on the edge of the box and managed to drill ball into the bottom right corner for the sides to finish an eventful first half on even terms.

Despite playing with 10 men, QPR manager Neil Warnock opted to inject attacking pace to his side, replacing Jamie Mackie with Shaun Wright-Phillips to start the second half. The former Chelsea and Manchester City midfielder made an instant impact on the game as Ruddy had to get down quickly to save his low shot.

On 53 minutes, Norwich centre-back Daniel Ayala upended Heidar Helguson to concede a free -kick 25 yards out. Adel Taarabt managed to send his effort over the wall, and Ruddy was again forced into a reaction stop low to his right, deflecting the ball on to the post. Norwich manager Paul Lambert responded to QPR’s resurgence with a triple substitution on 65 minutes as Morison replaced Grant Holt, Wes Hoolahan came on for Lappin and David Fox replaced fullback Adam Drury to leave just three at the back.

The changes eventually paid off in the 83rd when Morison scored from close range after Hoolahan had nodded down Pilkington’s cross to leave Rangers just above the relegation zone and Norwich back up in the top 10. — AP

Van der Vaart wants Spurs to show killer instinct LONDON: Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has told his team-mates they must develop a more ruthless streak before they can be regarded as serious contenders for the Premier League title.

Harry Redknapp’s side, who host West Bromwich Albion today, wasted a chance to close the gap on leaders Manchester City and second placed Manchester United as Swansea snatched a late equaliser to draw 1-1 at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

Van der Vaart had given Spurs the lead but Scott Sinclair’s strike six minutes from time meant a frustrating journey home from south Wales. Tottenham would have been only four points behind City and United if they had held on and Dutch star van der Vaart knows his side must cut out the lapses in concentration that sometimes afflict them. “It was disappointing to lose a goal just before the end of the game. The fact we’re disappointed is also a good sign,” Van der Vaart said. “Perhaps a couple of years ago Tottenham would be happy with a draw on this occasion but we know we can do more.

“It’s been a great first half of the season though and we have lots to look forward to.”

Despite Tottenham’s occasional frailties, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes they are playing the best football in the Premier League this season.

And, while third placed Spurs would be more than happy to finish the season back in the Champions League after missing out last term, City’s shock defeat at Sunderland on New Year’s Day means a surprise title challenge is still possible. A win over Albion could lift Spurs to within three points of City and United if the top two slip up again against Liverpool and Newcastle respectively. But Redknapp’s hopes of moving closer to the top would be dented if

England midfielder Scott Parker is unable to feature today. Parker suffered a knee injury in the first half of the 1-1 draw at the Liberty Stadium and he was eventually substituted with 19 minutes remaining. — AFP

WOLVERHAMPTON: Frank Lampard’s dramatic 89th-minute goal eased the pressure on Andre Villas-Boas as Chelsea ended a four-game winless streak in the Premier League with a 2-1 win at Wolves. Brazil midfielder Ramires struck in the 54th minute at Molineux here yesterday to hand the Blues the lead but Stephen Ward looked to have rescued a point for the home team with an 84th-minute equaliser.

However, Lampard, whose firsthalf tackle on Adam Hammill could easily have warranted more than the booking he received, fired in from close range late on. Having gained just three points from their previous four league matches, this victory was a significant boost to the Blues’ Champions League hopes. Daniel Sturridge and Didier Drogba were both notable absentees for Chelsea, who recalled Lampard, Fernando Torres and Jose Bosingwa following their weekend defeat by Aston Villa.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy made five changes from Saturday’s team which drew with Bolton and handed a debut to Emmanuel Frimpong, the January loan signing from Arsenal. Chelsea began purposefully and had a chance to take the lead in the ninth minute when a defensive mix-up between Roger Johnson and Christophe Berra saw possession gifted to Torres, who slotted in Juan Mata only for his clipped effort to be cleared to safety by Richard Stearman. More

WOLVERHAMPTON: Chelsea’s English midfielder Frank Lampard (2nd R) scores his winning goal during the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, central England yesterday. — AFP good defending by right-back ly after wards when Ward rose Chelsea took the lead. Juan Mata’s Stearman saw him make a fine unmarked to meet another corner fell to Ramires 10 yards out interception to deny Lampard after Hammill set-piece only to head and he spun Ward before firing a rising shot into the top-left corner. another threaded through-ball wide.

Chelsea’s players headed Both sides had opportunities from Torres, while Ramires lashed into the side netting from a narrow before half-time with Bosingwa’s straight for the visiting dug-out to angle in the 13th minute. The shot acrobatically pushed away by celebrate with their under-pressure home crowd were incensed when Wayne Hennessey for a corner, manager. Mata twice threatened Lampard received only a caution which was headed over by John before he was substituted for Josh for a lunge on Hammill, who him- Terry, while Doyle dragged a shot McEachran in the 83rd minute and self soon earned a booking for a past the post. McCarthy respond- within a minute Wolves were level ed by introducing England interna- with a goal out of nothing. bodycheck on Ashley Cole.

Karl Henr y, Kevin Doyle and tional Matt Jar vis in place of Substitute Steven Fletcher attempted to strike Jarvis’s lofted Oriol Romeu all quickly followed Anthony Forde after the break.

The winger almost made an ball goalwards yet instead it with yellow cards of their own as the contest descended into a instant impact when his cross skewed into the path of Ward who scrappy affair. It coincided with picked out the advancing Hammill, drove a low shot beyond Cech.

Wolves’s best period of the first half whose vicious strike was blocked However, Lampard had the final and they were unfortunate when by Terr y. Hammill threatened say when he slid in to conver t Roger Johnson headed a Hammill again when he curled over the Cole’s cross from close range with delivery against the post. Their crossbar from the edge of the area just a minute of normal time best chance of the half came short- and it proved a costly miss as remaining. — AFP

Swansea stun Villa with first away win Aston 0

Swansea 2

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

English Premier League Tottenham v Albion Abu Dhabi Sports HD 4

22:45

Wigan c v Sunderland Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5

22:45

Man City v Liverpool Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3

23:00

Spain copa del rey Albacete v Bilbao Aljazeera Sport +2 Aljazeera Sport 2 HD

22:00

Alcorcon v Levante Aljazeera Sport +5

23:00

Mirandes v Santander Aljazeera Sport +1

23:00

Real Madrid v Malaga Aljazeera Sport +2 Aljazeera Sport 2 HD

0:00

BIRMINGHAM: Aston Villa paid for the price for mistakes in each half as the Midlands club went down 2-0 at home to Swansea in the Premier League yesterday Nathan Dyer scored after just four minutes at Villa Park and fellow midfielder Wayne Routledge added his first goal for Swansea within two minutes of the restart to give the Welsh club its first away victory in the Premier League.

The result brought Alex McLeish’s Villa back down to earth after a shock 3-1 win at Chelsea on New Year’s Eve, while Swansea built on Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham with another impressive performance. Swansea moved up to 11th in the table, while Villa slipped to 12th.

Having finished 2011 on such a high, Villa made a terrible start to the new year as the visitors snatched an early lead following a blunder

by Stephen Warnock. The defender needlessly lost possession in his own half and Dyer took full advantage, collecting the loose ball, driving into the box and firing a shot into the corner of the net.

The hosts looked to make a quick response, but Gabriel Agbonlahor appeared to be put off by his teammate Darren Bent as he headed Charles N’Zogbia’s cross wide. Swansea then went close to doubling its advantage, Andrea Orlandi given the space to advance before flashing a strike across Brad Guzan’s goal.

BIRMINGHAM: Aston Villa’s Irish defender Richard Dunne (R) goes close to scoring with this attempt during the English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and Swansea City at Villa Park in Birmingham, West Midlands, England yesterday. — AFP The pressure was all coming from Swansea and Villa struggled to muster much in way of reply. Two minutes into the second half, the hosts fell further behind, with another error playing a role. Guzan sent his goal-kick to a white shirt and the ball came to former Villa man Routledge, who burst forward, laid on a pass for Graham and then reacted swiftly when the striker hit the post, tucking away the rebound to reg-

ister his first goal for Swansea.

There was no let up, with Orlandi almost slipping in Graham, while Richard Dunne summed up Villa’s frustrations when he shoved over Dyer, picking up a booking in the process. N’Zogbia nearly pulled one back for Villa at the very end, but his shot hit the goal frame and the boos rang out around the ground at the final whistle as another home loss was confirmed. —AP

Denmark beat US 2-1 at Hopman Cup

Giants win NFC East, beat Cowboys 31-14

18

16

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

Heat scorches Bobcats to go 5-0

Page 17

LONDON: Fulham’s English striker Bobby Zamora (2nd L) keeps his eye on the ball during the English Premier League football match between Fulham and Arsenal at Craven Cottage in London, England yesterday.— AFP

Zamora strike injury-time winner Fulham stuns Arsenal with late goals Fulham 2

Arsenal 1

LONDON: Bobby Zamora struck an injury-time winner as Fulham stunned 10-man Arsenal 2-1 to derail the Gunners’ recent Premier League resurgence yesterday.

Zamora swept home the winning goal in the third minute of stoppage time at Craven Cottage after Steve Sidwell had struck an 85th-minute equaliser to cancel out Laurent Koscielny’s 21st minute opener.

Arsenal paid the price for failing to capitalise on a dominant first half when they carved out a series of clear chances only to be denied by some superb keeping from David Stockdale. Fulham’s grandstand finish came after Johan Djourou was sent off for a second bookable offence 12 minutes from time, a red card which encouraged the Cottagers to swarm forward in pursuit of an equaliser.

The defeat was only Arsenal’s second reverse in 13 games and saw Arsene Wenger’s men drop down to fifth after Chelsea scored a dramatic late win at Wolves, Frank Lampard striking an 89th-minute win-

ner in a 2-1 win. A feisty encounter saw Chelsea take the lead through Ramires on 54 minutes, and Chelsea’s players celebrated by racing over to embrace under-fire boss Andre Villas-Boas in a show of support for the Portuguese manager.

However Wolves looked to have grabbed a share of the points when Stephen Ward struck six minutes from time only for Lampard to rescue Chelsea at the death. “It’s a massive win. Everyone knows we are having a tough time but the determination shone through and I think we deserved it,” Lampard told the BBC. “The character showed as we battled through to the end and that is what the players are all about.”

Villas-Boas meanwhile refused to single out Lampard for praise. “The players were magnificent today, no matter who scores,” Villas-Boas said. “It’s a good solid team win.” Elsewhere, Blackburn were brought down to earth following their away win over Manchester United at the weekend after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Stoke at Ewood Park, Peter Crouch scoring twice for the visitors. Blackburn looked to have got off to a dream start only for Christopher Samba’s early effort to be ruled offside.

Stoke then went ahead with Crouch netting his 100th league goal from close range after Blackburn failed to deal with Dean Whitehead’s chip forward.

Crouch then doubled Stoke’s lead with his second of the match on 45 minutes to leave Rovers staring at their eighth home defeat of the season.

David Goodwillie scrambled one back in the 69th minute to give Rovers hope but the home side were

unable to find an equaliser. Aston Villa’s feelgood factor from their win at Chelsea was also shattered, with newly promoted Swansea scoring a 2-0 win at Villa Park. Swansea went ahead after only four minutes, Nathan Dyer punishing some slack defending from Stephen Warnock to dart forward and finish past Brad Guzan. Former Villa old boy Wayne Routledge then doubled Swansea’s lead two minutes after the restart, punishing a poor clearance from Guzan after Danny Graham’s shot crashed back off the post.

QPR captain Joey Barton was hero and villain at Loftus Road as Rangers crashed to a 2-1 loss to Norwich, a defeat that edged Neil Warnock’s side ever closer to the relegation zone. Barton shot Rangers ahead on 11 minutes, drilling in a low finish from Clint Hill’s cross.

But Barton’s joy turned to despair on 36 minutes, when the midfielder was sent off for an apparent head butt in a confontation with Bradley Johnson. It got worse for Rangers moments later, Anthony Pilkington netting his fifth goal of the season to level it for Norwich. The knockout blow from Norwich came seven minutes from time, substitute Steve Morison grabbing the winner to end a desperate rearguard action from Rangers.

Barton later accused match officials of being “conned” into sending him off.”Well feel for the officials, they’ve been conned. Admitted to me at HT they never saw it. I was pulled back 1st, then kicked 2nd!,” Barton wrote on Twitter shortly after the final whistle. —AFP

EPL results/standings Results and standings from the English Premier League yesterday.

Aston Villa 0, Swansea City 2; Blackburn Rovers 1, Stoke City 2; Fulham 2, Arsenal 1; Queens Park Rangers 1, Norwich City 2; Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, Chelsea 2.

Man City Man United Tottenham Chelsea Arsenal Liverpool Newcastle Stoke City Norwich City Everton

P 19 19 18 20 20 19 19 20 20 18

W D 14 3 14 3 12 3 11 4 11 3 9 7 8 6 8 5 6 7 7 3

L 2 2 3 5 6 3 5 7 7 8

F 53 49 35 39 36 24 26 22 30 19

A 16 17 20 25 28 15 25 31 35 20

Pts 45 45 39 37 36 34 30 29 25 24

Swansea City 20

5

8

7 20 23 23

Aston Villa

20

5

8

7 22 26 23

Fulham

20

5

8

7 22 26 23

West Albion 19

6

4

9 19 27 22

Sunderland

5

6

8 23 22 21

19

Wolver

20

4

5 11 22 36 17

Queens

20

4

5 11 19 35 17

Wigan

19

3

6 10 17 37 15

Blackburn

20

3

5 12 29 43 14

Bolton

19

4

1 14 23 42 13

Crouch brings up century as Stoke down Rovers Stoke 2

Blackburn 1

BLACKBURN: Peter Crouch brought up his century of league goals here yesterday as his double saw Stoke beat Blackburn Rovers 2-1 and bring the hosts back down to earth after their fine win over Manchester

United at the weekend. Crouch - who has fallen out of favour with England coach Fabio Capello - struck in the 17th and 45th minutes to take his tally to 101 league goals and kept Stoke eighth in the table.

Scottish striker David Goodwillie did reduce the deficit but Rovers could not grab a share of the points and remain second from bottom three points adrift of safety.

They could go bottom if Bolton beat Everton tomorrow. Rovers had started the brightest of the two sides - boosted by a draw at Liverpool and then the 3-2 win over United at Old Trafford on Saturday - with wantaway Congolese international

defender Chris Samba hitting the bar and then having a goal ruled out.

Stoke made them pay for that as Crouch did well to tuck away Dean Whitehead’s perceptive pass over the Rovers defence and the former Portsmouth and Spurs striker added a second when he converted Matt Etherington’s cross on the stroke of half-time.

Rovers fought back in the second-half with former Dundee United star Goodwillie halving the deficit and then the hosts went close to levelling but Jonathan Woodgate did well to block leading scorer Ayegbeni Yakubu’s goalbound shot. — AFP

EWOOD PARK: Blackburn Rovers’ French defender Gael Givet (R) vies with Stoke City’s Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen (2nd R) during the English Premier League football match between Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City at Ewood Park, Blackburn, north-west England yesterday.— AFP

KFH buys select real estate assets in US Page 22

Kuwait holding companies face strategic challenges Page 23

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

US consumer in slow lane as growth slows

KSE trading lackluster

Page 24 Page 25

SEOUL: A farmer in traditional dress parades a bull during the opening ceremony for the Year 2012 trading at the Korea Exchange in Seoul yesterday. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) started with 1,831.69 yesterday. —AP

Markets usher in 2012 with optimism Europe stocks rise, Asia mixed amid cautious trading BANGKOK: Edgy European shares made a positive start to the New Year as they extended a two-week rebound in thin trade yesterday, with automotive stocks and euro-zone banks leading the charge.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of European shares was up 0.6 percent at 1006.07, breaking above the full retracement level of the Dec7Dec 19 fall.

Around Europe, Germany’s Xetra Dax and Italy’s FTSE Mib outperformed, as they rose 1.9 percent and 1.5 percent respectively, helped by better-than-expected manufacturing data.

Italy’s and Germany’s PMIs for December were unexpectedly revised up on Friday, while

the euro zone reading was kept unchanged at 46.9, pointing to a slowdown in the rate at which the area’s manufacturing activity is shrinking.

Britain’s FTSE 100 index rose 0.1 percent at 5,572.28.

South Korea’s Kospi index, which lost 11 percent of its value last year, closed nearly unchanged at 1,826.37. Most other Asian markets were closed for an extended New Year’s holiday.

South Korea’s tech sector move higher, with Samsung Electronics up 2.1 percent and LG Electronics gaining 2.3 percent. Steel giant POSCO slid 1.1 percent and Korea Electric

Power shed 1.8 percent.

Taiwan’s TAIEX, which was also open for business yesterday, fell 1.7 percent to 6,952.21.

Foxconn Technology, the world’s biggest contract electronics manufacturer, which makes iPads and iPhones for Apple Inc, fell 0.9 percent. Personal computer maker Acer Inc shed 2.3 percent.

Benchmarks in the Philippines and India rose while Indonesia fell.

The Asian-Pacific region’s major benchmarks, including Japan’s Nikkei 225 index, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index and Australia’s S&P ASX 200, were closed. Markets in the US were also closed in observance of New Year’s

Iran’s riyal hits record low TEHRAN: Iran’s currency hit a new record low to the US dollar yesterday, two days after President Barack Obama signed into law a bill targeting Iran’s central bank as part of the West’s efforts to pressure Tehran over its nuclear program. State radio said the Iranian currency’s exchange rate hovered around 16,800 riyals to the dollar, marking a roughly 10 percent slide compared to Thursday’s rate of 15,200 riyals to the dollar. The riyal was trading at around 10,500 riyals to the US dollar in late December 2010. The bill signed by Obama on Saturday includes an amendment barring foreign financial institutions that do business with Iran’s central bank from opening or maintaining correspondent operations in the United States. The Obama administration, however, is looking to soften the impact of the measure, fearing they could lead to a spike in global crude oil prices or pressure key allies that import Iranian oil.

Iranian official warned last week that the Islamic Republic could easily close the Strait of Hormuz, through which a sixth of the world’s oil passes, if the new measures are applied. But analysts and diplomats have downplayed the warning as little more than bluster on the part of Tehran.

The country relies on oil exports for the overwhelming majority of its foreign revenues and shutting the strait would not only affect its oil, but also raises the possibility of a military confrontation. Iranian officials on Monday downplayed the new US measure, with Economy Ministry Shamseddin Hosseini quoted by the semi-official Mehr News agency as saying that targeting the central bank was an “unsuccessful choice.”

Mahdi Ghazanfari, Iran’s trade and

TEHRAN: A forex trader displays 500,000 riyal Iranian banknotes at an exchange company. (file photo) industry minister, argued that the “enemies of Iran will not achieve any result through imposing sanctions” on the bank, while the bank’s governor, Mahmoud Bahmani said “the world will laugh at the US for imposing sanctions on Iran’s Central Bank.”

The pressure on the riyal is the latest example of the economic difficulties the country is facing as the US and its allies seek to ramp up pressure over a nuclear enrichment program they maintain is aimed at developing a weapon. Iran says its program is purely peaceful.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last week his administration will do everything it can to stave off further steep depreciation in the riyal’s value, signaling that the government could prop up the currency using its hard cur-

rency reserves.

Oil sales have allowed Iran to build up a nest egg of tens of billions of dollars. The country earns more than $70 billion from exporting crude per year, some 80 percent of its annual foreign revenue.

Ahmadinejad has already come under fire for cutting subsidies on fuel and food. The step is aimed at reducing government spending while also distributing money directly to the poor.

Critics contend, however, that the cuts will do little more than stoke inflation.

Reflecting possible concerns about liquidity and the flight of hard currency, Iran over the past few months has restricted cash withdrawal and allows those traveling outside the country to take with them only $2,000 a year. —AP

Day. Last year was one that traders would prefer to forget: most Asian equity indexes closed out 2011 deeply in the red. The Nikkei in Tokyo ended the year at 8,429.45 - its lowest closing since 1982.

China’s benchmark Shanghai Composite Index, closed, endured a 21 percent loss for the year as the impact of Beijing’s multibilliondollar stimulus faded and the government tightened curbs on lending and investment to cool blistering economic growth.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index finished at 18,434.39 - a precipitous slide of 19.7 percent from a year ago. Singapore’s Straits Times Index took a 17.5 percent dive when it closed

at 2,646.35 on Friday.

Australia’s benchmark S&P ASX 200 ended the year at 4,140.4 - 14.5 percent lower for 2011. India’s benchmark Sensex index fell more than 22 percent in 2011, making it one of the worst performers globally. The rupee also lost about 14 percent this year and recently hit an all-time low, breaching 54 rupees to the dollar. In hopes of reducing volatility and attracting foreign cash, India announced Sunday that it would allow individual foreign nationals to invest directly in its stock market starting Jan. 15. Currently, foreign investors are limited to indirect investments such as mutual funds.— Agencies

Kuwait Nov inflation slows to 16-mth low DUBAI: Kuwait’s annual inflation slowed to a 16-month low of 4.2 percent in November with prices unchanged from the previous month, data showed yesterday, and analysts expect price growth to remain at around current levels in the coming months.

Inflation in the world’s No. 6 oil exporter had been decelerating since it climbed to a peak of 5.4 percent in May as the impact of higher food prices and government social handouts faded away. It picked up slightly to 4.8 percent in October. “It is along the lines of expectations. We had an inflationary impulse earlier last year partly because of the global commodity prices, especially food prices, partly because of the increased government spending,” said Jarmo Kotilaine, chief economist at National Commercial Bank in Jeddah.

“Much of that impulse has already worked itself into the system and there has not really been anything new to push up the rate of price increases,” he said.

In November, housing costs, which account for more than a quarter of consumer expenses, remained flat monthon-month for the second month in a row, the data released by the Gulf Arab country’s Central Statistics Office showed. The pace of monthly food price increases slowed to a five-month low of 0.1 percent in November from 0.3 percent in the previous month, while transport costs edged up by 0.2 percent, the data also showed.

In January, the government announced plans to spend nearly $5 billion, or almost 4 percent of its gross domestic product, on cash grants and free food rations for its citizens. “As

long as commodity prices don’t start to rebound, it (inflation) may well go lower over the next few months,” said Daniel Kaye, senior economist at National Bank of Kuwait. “We see inflation as remaining quite close to current levels through this year,” he said.

Analysts polled by Reuters in December forecast that inflation in Kuwait, which sits on 10 percent of global crude reserves, would average 4.8 percent in 2011, up from 4.0 percent in the previous year, before slowing to 4.5 percent this year. The OPEC member saw inflation swelling to a historical maximum of 11.6 percent in June 2008 when oil prices soared towards a record high of $147 per barrel in the following month. Kuwait abandoned its US dollar peg in favor of a dollar-dominated currency basket in 2007 to keep price pressures under control. — Reuters

Egypt jumps on 2012 optimism; Gulf mixed MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS CAIRO/DUBAI: Optimism for the year ahead lifted Egypt’s stock market yesterday, while Gulf bourses were mixed in muted trade as many investors were still away on holidays.

Egypt’s benchmark index rose 1.6 percent as some investors took new positions in the tentative hope of equity gains this year after the market slumped by almost half in 2011. “It’s extremely quiet but I think we are still building on some of the positive momentum of Thursday’s session with fund managers adding some stocks to their portfolios,”

said Mohamed Radwan, head of equities at Pharos Securities. “Some market participants might be betting on a rebound this year.”

Commercial International Bank climbed 1.9 percent, Citadel Capital added 2.8 percent and Talaat Moustafa gained 1.7 percent. UAE markets halted a two-session rally, with investors finding little reason to add risk. Abu Dhabi’s benchmark slipped 0.2 and Dubai’s index dipped 0.9 percent.

Aldar Properties ended 2.2 percent higher, up for a third session, and

accounted for over half of all shares traded. The government bailed out Aldar last week with a $4.6 billion lifeline, buying assets and retiring a loan. “UAE is perhaps the only market with a lack of positive catalyst compared to its peers,” said Amer Khan, fund manager at Shuaa Asset Management. “The only exception is event-driven trading like what happened to Aldar but apart from that, there would be precious little reason to attract foreign investors.” Dubai’s Emaar Properties shed 2.7 percent and Dubai Islamic Bank fell 1 percent. — Reuters

22

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

business

KFH buys select real estate assets in US $1bn to expand property investment portfolio KUWAIT: Kuwait Finance House (KFH) announced yesterday its purchase of a set of select real estate assets and entering into partnerships with long-term strategic real estate partners in 2011, worth about $1 billion in a plan to expand its portfolio of real estate investment.

Director of the International Real Estate Department in KFH Ali Al-Ghannam said in a statement yesterday that KFH signed a partnership agreement with the American (Grosvenor) company to invest about $600 million in

income-generating real estate activities with good and continuous returns, especially in the field of healthcare and medical centers in the US market.

Al-Ghannam said that this agreement is the second between the two sides, as Grosvenor had in the past managed assets for the benefit of KFH in the real estate health services in the United States between 2004 and 2007.

He explained that KFH has recorded an important addition to its foreign real estate port-

folio and specifically in Europe by buying a central distribution warehouses in Sweden which provide logistics services, indicating it is the second real estate investment deal for KFH in the Swedish market, which is one of the most important and most prominent global economic markets. He said (KFH) had achieved $6.5 million in profits as a result of the exit from the second phase of Malaysia-based Asia 2 real estate Fund, thus, achieving an IRR that reached 15.8 percent per year. — KUNA

Emirates Steel eyes more expansion VILINUS: Celebrating Lithuania’s accession to the EU in the Cathedral square in Vilnius 1 May 2004 (file photo).

Lithuania euro adoption ‘unrealistic’ for 2014 President refuses to speculate on euro’s survival VILNIUS: Lithuania is unlikely to adopt the euro in 2014, the Baltic state’s president Dalia Grybauskaite said in an interview published yesterday, while refusing to speculate whether the single currency would survive.

Grybauskaite, also the EU’s former budget chief, told Lithuania’s Veidas weekly “2014 is unrealistic” for her country’s euro-zone accession. “In a way, we have the euro today because the (national currency) litas is pegged to it,” she added.

The Baltic state’s centre-right government targeted 2014 as a potential date for euro-zone entry, but officials have become more cautious in the shadow of the debt crisis now threatening the very existence of the euro.

Some analysts contend Lithuania may not be able to switch from its national currency, the litas, until 2016 or 2017 because of problems meeting the euro-zone’s inflation and deficit criteria. Grybauskaite hailed recent EU decisions on “stricter finance policy”, but warned it would take at least two years to overcome the debt crisis.

“The difficulties that Europe is facing

accumulated over a decade, so it will take two or three years until everything comes back into place,” she said. “Will the euro remain? I would not like to speculate on this issue. Most important is responsible fiscal discipline in all countries,” Grybauskaite insisted.

Lithuania, which joined the European Union in 2004, had hoped to adopt the euro in 2007 but failed narrowly to meet the entry criteria.

The Baltic nation of three million was then hard hit by the global financial crisis, suffering a 14.6 percent decline in output in 2009. It returned to growth in 2010, with output expanding 1.3 percent. Lithuania’s output was expected to grow by 5.8 percent in 2011 and 2.5 percent this year, according to finance ministry estimates.

The government has insisted repeatedly that despite the euro-zone crisis, it is better to be inside the currency union alongside Lithuania’s main economic partners.

However, opponents to joining the euro outnumber supporters by 49 to 43 percent, according to a poll published in late November. — AFP

KHX established for educational services KUWAIT: Kuwait Gazette announced yesterday the establishment of KHX company for Educational Services with a capital of KD 1 million. KHX was incepted as a closed shareholding company with a capital of KD1 million distributed over 10 million shares each valued at 100fils, the gazette said in its latest edition.

The company’s mission is to create and run private schools and training institutes for all educational levels and purposes. The

DUBAI: Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Steel has completed the second phase of its expansion plan and intends to further boost production to around 6.5 million tons per year within the next four years, the company said in a statement yesterday.

Emirates Steel, a subsidiary of government-owned Abu Dhabi Basic Industries Corporation (ADBIC), launched a two-phased expansion program worth $2.45 billion in January 2006.

The first phase, worth $816 million, was completed in June 2009

and has increased the rolling output capacity from 750,000 tons to 2.1 million tons. The second phase of the expansion plan has raised its steelmaking capacity to 2.8 million tons per annum and its capacity to produce direct reduced iron (DRI) to 3.2 million tons, making it one of the biggest DRI producers in the Middle East, Emirates Steel said.

“The plant’s new facilities together with its planned further expansions will see Emirates Steel increase its production to around 6.5 million tons per annum within the next

four years,” the statement said. The expansion plan and overall growth strategy of Emirates Steel are in line with the government’s long-term plans for the development and diversification of the Emirate’s economy, the company’s chairman, Suhail Al-Ameri, said in the statement. With the latest expansion phase complete, Emirates Steel has started the hot commissioning of its heavy section mill at a cost of around $650 million. The steelmaker can now produce large-size sections, beams, columns and sheet

piles. Outlook for steel demand was still robust, despite the global economic crisis leading to the cancellation of a number of projects, the company said: “Construction projects, mainly in Abu Dhabi, are currently the key driving force behind the steel industry growth.”

Demand for medium and heavy sections in the Middle East are set to reach 4.3 million tons in 2012, the statement cited forecasts from Steel Business Briefing, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates being the biggest consumers. — Reuters

MANILA: Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) president Hans Sicat (fourth left) rings the opening bell with PSE directors Ma Vivian Yuchengco (fifth left) and Alejandro Yu (second right) during the first trading day of the year at the Philippine Stock Exchange in Manila yesterday. — AFP

Indian manufacturing activity rises: HSBC

company can buy and import all necessary educational supplies and equipment. It can also own all movables and properties that are needed to start off its business, according to the country’s laws. It can also use budget surplus for investment.

The company is allowed to invest, partner or even buy companies of similar interest that might be of help to achieve the company’s goals inside and outside of Kuwait. — KUNA

MUMBAI: India’s factory activity showed its sharpest rise in six months in December, helped by improved demand and growth in new orders for business, according to a survey published yesterday.

The HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 54.2 last month from 51.0 in November-the strongest improvement since June last year-reflecting an improvement in client demand.

A figure above 50 indicates growth while a figure below indicates contraction. “Activity in the manufacturing sector rebounded in December led by higher demand from both domestic and foreign clients,” said

HSBC economist Leif Eskesen. “This suggests that the momentum in the sector is not quite as weak as official and more dated industrial production data would suggest,” he added in a statement.

Employment in the manufacturing sector also rose in December, ending a period of job losses which started in August, the HSBC statement said. Last month the government said that industrial output shrank 5.1 percent year-on-year in October, which was well below expectations and added pressure on the central bank to halt its aggressive cycle of interest rate hikes. — AFP

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 Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2730000 .4270000 .3570000 .2930000 .2690000 .2780000 .0040000 .0020000 .0754720 .7352970 .3810000 .0700000 .7208260 .0040000 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2780000 GB Pound/KD .4297190 Euro .3594540 Swiss francs .2950070 Canadian dollars .2717360 Danish Kroner .0483500 Swedish Kroner .0402280 Australian dlr .2806130 Hong Kong dlr .0357600 Singapore dlr .2135830 Japanese yen .0035750 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0757180 Bahraini dinars .7376940 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0741530 Omani riyals .7223590 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

3.598 5.337 3.154 2.436 3.341 213.250 35.672 3.580 6.336 8.873 0.271 0.273

.2820000 .4390000 .3670000 .3040000 .2790000 .2880000 .0070000 .0035000 .0762300 .7426870 .4020000 .0770000 .7280710 .0072000 .0520000 .2801000 .4329650 .3621690 .2972360 .2737890 .0487150 .0405320 .2827330 .0360300 .2151970 .0036020 .0052750 .0024670 .0031300 .0034390 .0762900 .7432670 .3961810 .0747130 .7278160 .0064320

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 74.150 76.402 722.230 738.540 75.715

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

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 47.500 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.282 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.272 Tunisian Dinar 189.860 Jordanian Dinar 392.670 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.865 Syrian Lier 6.003 Morocco Dirham 33.814 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 277.950 Euro 370.650 Sterling Pound 431.930 Canadian dollar 268.420 Turkish lire 153.940 Swiss Franc 300.620 Australian dollar 277.000 US Dollar Buying 277.750 GOLD 315.500 159.000 81.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

COUNTRY

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 Norwegian krone Omani Riyal

SELL CASH

288.700 742.130 3.870 277.200 548.100 44.500 49.600 167.800 48.100 365.000 36.600 5.640 0.032 0.206 0.243 3.720 395.740 0.189 90.550 46.200 4.290 221.000 1.808 47.800 724.840

SELL DRAFT

287.200 742.130 3.410 275.700

216.000 46.302 363.500 36.450 5.240 0.031

10 Tola

75.980 279.000

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro 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

278.500 275.585 436.990 366.765 298.040 737.505 75.800 76.445 74.225 392.025 46.238 2.441 5.241 3.106 3.401 6.331 683.150 3.675 8.935 5.865 3.370 92.510

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 Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

289.55 278.04 301.54 364.60

438.00 3.70 3.750 5.620 2.660 4.150 3.300 76.65 742.00 48.20 395.50 725.50 77.25 75.00

278.900 3.115 5.250 2.465 3.404 6.410 76.065 74.555 741.700 46.270 438.400 3.190 1.550 396.400 5.750 366.400 279.200 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange

UAE Exchange Center WLL Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro

436.10 3.68 3.427 5.232 2.449 3.284 3.104 75.95 742.13 46.26 396.93 725.10 76.93 74.50

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 435.000 279.000

Sterling Pound US Dollar

Currency

724.660

298.600 5.100 9.040

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

Currency

395.420 0.188 90.550 3.290 219.500

3.110 6.375 76.760 74.510 215.980 37.140 2.447 435.000

GOLD 1,632.090

Rate for Transfer

Bahrain Exchange Company

3.250 6.680 77.190 74.510 216.980 37.140 2.659 437.000 41.600 300.100 5.100 9.250 198.263 76.080 279.400 1.280

289.00 278.00 305.00 366.00

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

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

278.850 363.800 435.800 276.000 3.595 5.245 46.265 2.447 3.362 6.362 3.108 742.400 76.000 74.450

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

business Commodity Update

The year commodities took a breather

Kuwait holding companies face strategic challenges Capital Standards - Industry update

By Ole S Hansen

Senior Commodity Strategist

A

s the rollercoaster ride of 2011 came to an end, I finish off my weekly series of commodity updates for the year by taking a look at what influenced the performance among sectors and some individual commodities and to look though the crystal ball for signs of what lies in store for us during the early parts of 2012.

After a strong performance during the first four months risk adversity returned, giving way to general weakness and the S&P GSCI commodity index headed for the first (small) annual drop since 2008.

Other major indexes such as the DJ UBS ended down more than 13 percent due to its much bigger exposure to the two major sectors suffering the biggest casualties: agriculture and industrial metals.

Meanwhile the Reuters Jefferies CRB index, which we tend to use in our weekly comments, ended around 8 percent lower, much in line with the MSCI world stock index.

The overall loss of one percentage point on the S&P GSCI commodity index hides substantial differences between the four subsectors. Positive returns were seen among energy and precious metals while the hardest hit were industrial metals followed by agriculture.

The relatively decent performance of the overall index can be explained by the fact that the top two sectors comprise 70 percent of the S&P GSCI index. Taking a look at the individual commodities we see big differences in performance with energy related products representing more than half of the profitable markets and gold, which for a long time occupied the top slot before renewed selling during December, saw a modest performance of just 10 percent. At the bottom we find some of the market’s hardest hit: by either slowing economic activity, such as carbon, cotton and copper or oversupply as highlighted by natural gas and cocoa.

Energy 2011 was a year where the global consumer had to get used to oil prices above 100 dollars, with Brent crude averaging 110 dollars during the year, some 37 percent above 2010.This increased “tax” on the global consumer played its part in changing the outlook for 2011 as early expectations about increased economic growth ran into the sand and was replaced by renewed worries about recession.

Brent crude reached a peak of 127 dollars per barrel back in April when worries about the loss of Libyan oil were the main focus. What followed was a steady but very slow decline as focus shifted towards a stronger dollar and the sovereign debt crisis in Europe, which after two years remains unsolved.

As we moved into 2012 heightened geopolitical risk, due to Syria and Iran combined with signs of an improving US economy will support prices while concerns about the overall global economy and the crisis in the euro-zone will pull in the other direction. The dollar will continue to play a very important part in deciding which side to bet on and with speculators already holding a near record short EUR long USD position. Any change in sentiment could trigger dollar selling which in turn would support commodities, at least short term.

We continued to see Brent crude being stuck between 100 and 115 in the months ahead as the opposing factors mentioned above will keep it in a relatively tight range.

Precious metals The combination of strong fundamentals and investor involvement drove gold to a new nominal record back in September. But as the dollar surged and leveraged investment made it more expensive to hold gold, it finally succumbed to a dramatic correction, one that it has struggled to recover from ever since.

The supporting factors, which include buying from central banksmainly in Asia and the Middle East -the prospect of sustained low or negative real interest rates in the US and the potential for a further deterioration of the crisis in Europe will continue and should help gold outperform the dollar in 2012.

For now though the performance very much hinges on when and if “hot money” from speculators and “real money” from money managers will find its way back into the market. The world’s two biggest consumers China and India have scaled back purchases recently as China restricted spot and futures trading to the two main exchanges in Shanghai only in order to clamp down on illegal buying and selling of commodities. India’s imports have been hampered by a plunge in the Rupee which leaves the price of gold in local currency up one third in the year. The failure during the last couple of weeks to move decidedly back above the 200-day moving average, currently at 1,628 could indicate that a further setback is required before the above mentioned buyers return to the market. I will be keeping a close eye on the uptrend from the 2008 low with a weekly close below 1,540 signalling the risk for further losses before proper support can be established. This coincides with 1,537 being the level below what would signal that gold has entered into a technical bear market defined as a 20 percent drop from a recent high.

Silver remains the volatile and temperamental youngster and as such cannot compete as a safe haven. However after having corrected 50 percent of the 2008 to 2011 rally it has moved back to the fiveyear average ratio to gold. On that basis it would become a good relative play once economic activity begins to show signs of bottoming or improving.

Industrial metals As the global economic outlook began to deteriorate during the second half of 2011 so did the outlook for industrial metals. The LME Index of six industrial metals dropped 23 percent, led by declines in tin, nickel and zinc. The price of copper which had more than tripled from the 2009 low went into reverse as doubt about the growth outlook for especially China began to surface. With China consuming close to 40 percent of industrial metals a slowdown would hurt the sector more than ex oil prices (China only consumes around 10 percent of global oil production).

A meltdown as experienced during 2008 however seems remote as several supply problems and disruptions remain and the worry persists that once the economic activity picks up again prices will be supported as the focus will swiftly turn back to supply. The economic outlook for the US, the world’s second-largest consumer, is showing signs of improving and should also help cushion any additional weakness. Copper’s poor performance this year was heavily influenced by a lack of Chinese buying due to high prices, tight monetary policy and not least the drawing down of excess stocks that had been built up over the previous two years. A move from de- to restocking alone could support prices so the outlook for copper looks better than other industrial metals due to its scarce supply.

Agriculture The record high prices of agricultural products in 2010/11 was met by a massive response by farmers across the globe who, assisted by much improved weather conditions, planted record amounts of crop leading to much improved inventory levels and subsequent lower prices. The higher cost of food which saw the UN FAO food price index rise by 68 percent from 2009 to the peak in February 2011 helped trigger the Arab Spring uprising before the above mentioned response from farmers began to lower prices.

Only corn managed to show a positive return on the year with cocoa and sugar suffering the most after increased production failed to be met by higher demand as Europe especially moved towards recession and the dollar strengthened. —Saxo Bank

KUWAIT: Kuwait has the largest number of holding companies listed on the local stock exchange amongst the GCC stock exchanges. This can be mainly attributed to the size of the KSE (largest in terms of listed companies) and the prominence of the investment activities in Kuwait. At the end of October 2011, the number of Kuwaiti holding companies increased to 40, in comparison to 381 listed companies at the end of September 2009. Jeezan Holding Co and Kuwait Invest Holding Co (which were listed in 2010), have now been delisted from the KSE, as they merged with International Finance Company to overcome the difficult global economic conditions. In addition, 4 holding companies, namely Gulf North Africa Holding, Boubyan International Industries Holding, Al Nawadi Holding and Zima Holding, were listed in 2010 and early 2011.

While the services sector has the largest number of listed holding companies, the investment sector has the largest asset base amounting to KD 6.26bn at the end of FY 2010. It is worth noting that, Kuwait Project Company (Holdings) (KIPCO), which is one of the largest holding companies in the region, accounts for 90.4% of the investment sector assets.

Business model - does it need renewed focus?

In general the business models of the holding companies in Kuwait demonstrate characteristics of both an ‘investment holding company’ and ‘operating holding company’, wherein the companies hold majority/wholly owned stakes (and can have a significant influence on the subsidiaries) as well as own minority stakes in companies. However, during the economic boom before the financial crisis, a number of holding companies saw their non-core investments dominate their core operating assets. Since the historical financial performance was driven by buying and selling equity investments, the Kuwaiti holding companies became

more vulnerable to stock market fluctuations and therefore comparatively riskier than a typical holding company which would be reliant on more stable sources of cash flow such as dividends from subsidiaries, interest income and management fees.

The short term focus on capital gains and ambiguity in value creation strategies for the shareholders led to a diversion in the business model of holding companies. The 2008 financial crisis exposed and intensified the inherent risks of the holding companies in Kuwait. The poor governance framework and the opportunistic approach of conducting business led to the downfall of most of the Kuwaiti holding companies, not only undermining their financial strength and creditworthiness, but also the investor confidence in these enterprises.

Major players The below analysis and observations have been drawn based on companies that represent one of the largest holding companies (in terms of assets at the end of FY 2010) in each of the sectors listed on the KSE. It is to be noted that for the financial analysis, the standalone financial statements is crucial in determining the strength of the holding company. However, as this is a nonpublic document, our analysis is based on the consolidated statements of the group. Also, it is important to understand that holding companies are not a homogenous group, and even within the same sector, a peer analysis may not always be comparable. The purpose of CSR’s analysis is to highlight the risks and analytical considerations when evaluating the financial performance and stability of a holding company.

Diversification The ultimate strength and performance of the holding company is the result of the consolidated strength of its subsidiaries and affiliated companies. Therefore, it is important for a holding company to have diversified

Goldman advisor defends $2bn Islamic bond scheme DUBAI: An advisor to Goldman Sachs has defended the US bank’s $2 billion Islamic bond program against criticism it may contravene religious principles, in a controversy that could affect Western banks’ ability to enter the Islamic debt market. In October, Goldman registered the sukuk program with the Irish Stock Exchange. It set up a Cayman Islands-registered special purpose vehicle, Global Sukuk Co Ltd, to issue a sukuk based on murabaha, a cost-plus-profit arrangement which complies with Islamic law.

Some analysts however have suggested Goldman might use the proceeds of the issue to lend money to clients for interest, which would be against Islamic law, and that the issue might not trade at par value on the Irish exchange, which would also contravene sharia law.

Asim Khan, managing director at Islamic finance advisory firm Dar Al Istithmar, said such speculation was groundless. “Bulge-bracket banks such as Goldman Sachs can bring to Islamic finance their sophistication and depth of experience in liquidity management and equity/quasi-equity investment, which can take Islamic finance closer to its true ideals, so long as they adhere to the generally accepted sharia principles,” Khan said.

“So far there is no basis to speculate otherwise,” Khan, whose Londonand Dubai-based company advised Goldman on the sukuk, wrote in a column contributed to Reuters.

As the euro-zone debt crisis poisoned conventional debt markets last year, several big Western banks considered raising money through Islamic finance, which is based on religious principles and bans the payment of interest and pure monetary

speculation. The Arab Gulf, home to billions of dollars of Islamic investment funds, has been relatively untouched by the financial crisis.

HSBC’s Middle East unit became the first Western bank to issue a sukuk last May with a $500 million Islamic bond carrying a maturity of five years. French bank Credit Agricole has said it is considering issuing an Islamic bond or creating a wider sukuk program that could lead to several issues.

Unlike HSBC with its HSBC Amanah brand, however, Goldman does not have an established presence in the Islamic banking sector, and its entry into the market has caused controversy.

Mohammed Khnifer, an Islamic finance analyst in Saudi Arabia, wrote that Goldman might use the proceeds of the sukuk to fund conventional banking activities. He suggested the sukuk might trade on the Irish exchange at levels other than par value, which would be impermissible under sharia law, and that the underlying structure of the sukuk might not be murabaha but reverse tawarruq, which has been ruled unacceptable by some Islamic scholars as an effort to hide the use of interest.

In his column, Khan wrote that the prospectus clearly showed the proceeds of the sukuk would not be used to lend money to Goldman clients for interest.

“Goldman Sachs, as an investment bank and as a proprietary commodity trader, has invested billions of dollars in commodities and will use the murabaha commodities in its commodity trading business, which will partly replace the conventional funding with Islamic finance,” he wrote. — Reuters

holdings in companies operating in uncorrelated geographies and business segments.

During 2010, KIPCO, the largest holding company in Kuwait, invested in the Industrial and Real Estate segment enhancing its business segment diversification and resembling more like a conglomerate. KIPCO is considered one of the most diversified holding companies in Kuwait, as compared to some of the holding companies listed in the other sectors, which have investments focused mainly in one industry. For example, Manazel Holding Company primarily invests in the housing and real estate sector. While the business model in such cases limits industry diversification, a meaningful sub-industry diversification could offset the risk to some extent.

Al-Safwa Group whose holdings are mainly in the food services industry, has investments in business segments which provide adequate diversification, although correlated to some extent.

In terms of geography, even the biggest companies like KIPCO and NIG, have a significant portion of their revenue generated from their Kuwaiti operations. The size and scale of the Kuwaiti companies are relatively smaller in comparison to their global counterparts. Therefore, the geographic presence of investments of Kuwaiti holding companies is generally limited to Kuwait and the region.

The business models of the holding companies to a large extent dictate their risk profile. Majority of the Kuwaiti holding company have limited diversification both in terms of business segments and geographies. In the light of the financial crisis, the holding companies need to re-examine and enhance their business model, and align it with their strategies to define a set of parameters including the target sector, geography, investment size and horizon, stage of company and desired level of ownership and involvement.

Diversification could be used as one of the tools to mitigate to a certain

extent the adverse effects of economic downturns and reduce dependence on a handful of subsidiaries and industries.

Asset composition On a standalone basis, the asset composition of a holding company will mainly be dominated by a sizeable investment portfolio. Depending on the holding company’s strategy and cash flow sources, an analysis is conducted of either the core subsidiaries or the total investment portfolio to ascertain the quality of the assets. CSR has looked at the consolidated assets of the group for the 5 selected companies.

It is important for holding companies to hold high quality and highly liquid assets to compensate for the lack of independent cash generating activities.

An evaluation of the asset composition gives an insight into the strategy, risk tolerance and its related impact on the financial performance of the holding company.

In terms of investment strategy, a number of holding companies lacked a clear strategy and pursued investments in an ad-hoc and opportunistic manner. Also, because of the underdeveloped regional capital market, the investment portfolios of the Kuwaiti holding companies tend to be highly concentrated both in terms of geography and sectors, and have significant unlisted investments. The investment strategies also to some extent exhibit influence of family and business networks, which increases complexity of group structures as well as interlinks performances of investments within the portfolio. The impact of the financial crisis on the holding companies have, however, increased the importance of setting and implementing formal investment strategy and guidelines, and establishing investment committees at board levels to scrutinize investment decisions. This along with a strong risk management framework is needed to support the overall financial strength of the Kuwaiti holding companies going forward.

Spain 2011 public deficit may even top 8%: Govt MADRID: Spain’s public deficit for 2011 may be higher than the 8 percent of GDP forecast by the new government, the economy minister said yesterday, fuelling fears the country faces a prolonged period of tight budgets and economic contraction.

Spain had originally targeted a 2011 deficit of 6 percent of gross domestic product, but the newly elected conservatives said on Friday the deficit would be 8 percent. It said it would now have to work hard to hit this year’s tough deficit-reduction goals in an economy seen tipping back into recession this quarter and announced new tax rises and spending cuts.

“We’ll need to see, but it’s possible that we have gone over the 8 percent mark, though (we) expect that it hasn’t done so by much,” Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said during an interview with Cadena Ser radio, his first since taking the post after the conservatives won the November election. Friday’s announcement that the deficit would be as high as 8 percent of GDP has reignited market concerns about the financing needs of indebted euro-zone countries and put downward pressure on the euro, which hit a decade low versus the yen yesterday.

Guindos said Spain’s economy may contract in the first quarter of 2012 after shrinking in the previous three months, in line with analyst expectations that the euro zone’s fourth-largest economy is already in recession. Spain has been a focal point of the debt crisis as the previous Socialist government fought to deflate one of the highest public deficits in the currency bloc by introducing massive spending cuts and tax hikes.

Spain’s manufacturing slump showed no sign of letting up in December, adding to expectations the battered economy will shrink in the next few quarters, a purchasing managers’ survey showed yesterday.

The government announced additional tax hikes on Friday worth an estimated 6 billion euros ($7.79 billion) a year and spending cuts worth 8.9 billion euros, with which it aims to reduce the deficit by 1 percentage

point in the short term. Treasury Minister Cristobal Montoro, speaking at a separate event in Madrid yesterday, said the government would announce new economic measures on Thursday after the weekly cabinet meeting, but these would not include further spending cuts.

The premium fixed income traders demand to hold Spanish over German debt dropped by 3 basis points to around 329 bps yesterday from settlement on Friday, but trade was thin with London markets closed until today.

“The measures announced by the government don’t seem to have had an effect, for good or bad. Tomorrow will be the test, but I don’t think the market will react much. The tax hikes and cuts have been more or less discounted,” a Madrid-based trader said.

Measures to balance the public accounts will be accompanied by structural reforms which will help restart the stalled economy, Guindos said. “The government has a very aggressive reformist agenda for the next few weeks and months, in the labor market, the financial system, in the goods and services markets and competitiveness,” he said.

The austerity measures announced last week are the first of many, Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said. The government must find savings worth more than 35 billion euros in 2012 to meet its deficit goal of 4.4 percent of GDP. “With these measures, we’re not very optimistic on the growth prospects for this year.

We expect the economy to contract by more than 2 percent, but it all depends on financing costs,” economist at Citi Jose Luis Martinez said.

“If the deficit-cutting measures change the market perception, the economic contraction could be less. If not, probably more.”

The debt crisis and concerns over the health of Spain’s accounts has closed bond markets to all but a few Spanish companies and banks, causing bank loans to dry up and making financing impossible for small and medium-sized companies.— Reuters

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

business

KSE trading lackluster as investors seek direction GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) started the year in red dragged down by declines witnessed in several bank stocks, along with a notable drop in volume, value and number of transactions during the first trading session in 2012.

Global General Index (GGI) ended the day down by 0.80 percent, at 177.88 point. Market capitalization was down for the day, reaching KD29.09bn. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 5,791.7 point, shedding 22.5 points (0.39 percent) to its previous close.

Market breadth During the session, 85 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 45 equities retreated versus 16 that advanced. Yesterday’s retreat came on the lightest trading day since November 20, 2011. Total volume traded was down by 44.63 percent with 74.05mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD14.01mn (55.16 percent lower compared to Thursday’s session). Services sector was the volume leader. The sector accounted for 43.30 percent of total shares exchanges. Trading was intense on the counter of Soor Fuel Marketing Company with investors exchanging 12.37mn shares, with a total value of KD3.34mn. Closing price of the stock was KD0.270. (up 3.85 percent). The same sector was the value leader, having 59.48 percent of total traded value.

In terms of top gainers, Al-Safat Energy Holding Company was the top gainer for the day, adding 5.56 percent to its share value and closing at KWD0.048. On the other hand, Ajial Real Estate & Entertainment Company shed 7.69 percent and closed at KD0.120 making it the biggest decliner in the market.

Sectors Sector wise, all of Global’s sectoral indices ended on a negative note by the end of the say, except for Global Insurance Index which was unchanged. Global Banking Index was the top decliner, down 1.08 percent in line with the decline witnessed in National Bank of Kuwait (NBK). The heavyweight scrip closed down by 1.79 percent at KD1.100. In addition, Gulf Bank, the biggest decliner in the banking sector, shed 2.94 percent and closed at KD0.495.

Four banks in the sector ended on a negative note, with the remaining banks being unchanged except Ahli United Bank that ended in a positive note. The scrip closed up by 1.27 percent at KD0.800.

Global Real Estate Index posted a

0.87 percent drop making it the second biggest decliner after two real estate companies closed as biggest decliners in the market. Ajial Real Estate & Entertainment Company and Alargan International Real Estate Company closed down by 7.69 percent and 6.94 percent respectively.

Furthermore, Heavyweight Mabanee Company posted a 1.16 percent loss to end the day at KD0.850.

Global Industrial Index came in third place, shedding 0.75 percent after heavyweight National Industries Group (Holding) ended the day down by 4.62 percent, closing at KD0.248. Shares of Zain Company reported a 1.11 percent drop, sending the Global Services Index down by 0.72 percent. Fellow telecom provider, National Mobile

Telecommunications Company (NMTC) remained unchanged at KD1.940. Elsewhere, shares of Agility closed down by 1.33 percent at KD0.370.

Oil news Kuwait and China have witnessed steady growth in energy cooperation following an agreement between the two governments in July 2004, when His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah toured China in his capacity as the then prime minister. The world’s seventhlargest oil exporter supplied around 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude to China in 2010, a 11-fold increase from 18,000 bpd in 2004, according to data from the Chinese government.

Maruti sees 7.1% fall in monthly sales MUMBAI: India’s biggest automaker Maruti Suzuki yesterday said that its monthly sales for December fell 7.1 percent year-on-year, as demand for cars weakened due to rising fuel costs and high interest rates. The company, which is majority-owned by Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp, said it sold a total of 92,161 vehicles last month, down from 99,225 in the same period in 2010.

The figure represents the seventh straight year-on-year monthly fall in car sales for Maruti, which has been dogged by a series of crippling labour disputes at one of its plants in the northern Indian state of Haryana. In October, Maruti sales had slumped more than half from their level the previous year-its worst monthly figures in a decade.

The disputes erupted as Maruti battled to boost its market share, which has shrunk in the past four years from 55 per-

cent to 38 percent, as other global auto giants seek a foothold in India’s vehicle market. Car sales have also been slowing in India due to high borrowing costs. Prices have risen on the back of steeper commodity prices and 13 interest rate hikes by the central bank since March 2010 to tame near double -digit inflation, analysts say.

But analysts expect car sales to improve in coming months, with India’s central bank holding rates and inflation showing early signs of moderating. “ The micro factors are improving... interest rates are on hold, production constraints (for Maruti) are over and the industry has a strong backlog of orders to complete,” Mahantesh Sabarad from Fortune Equity Brokers told AFP. “This could mean improved sales data going ahead,” the auto analyst added. — AFP

Hyundai aims to sell 7 million cars in 2012 SEOUL: South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group said yesterday it aims to sell a record seven million cars worldwide in 2012 by strengthening production and sales abroad to outpace competitors amid the global slowdown.

Group chairman Chung Mong-Koo, in a New Year’s message to employees, said the world’s auto industry would see growth stagnate this year and competition intensify as the downturn cuts demand.

“We should lay the groundwork to become a global leading player by firming up management,” he said, calling for

closer cooperation between its sales and production networks abroad.

Hyundai, South Korea’s largest automaker, and its smaller affiliate Kia together form the world’s fifth-largest carmaking group by sales. The group sold 6.6 million cars worldwide in 2011, Chung said, adding its 30 overseas plants in nine countries, including new factories in Beijing and Brazil, would reach full capacity in 2012. “We will continually to expand investment... to develop environmentally-friendly vehicles and secure latest technologies in electronics engineering,” he said. — AFP

25

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

business

Goldman’s sukuk: Is the criticism fair?

DUBAI: Goldman Sachs’ maiden foray into capital-raising utilizing shariacompliant mechanisms has understandably generated a lot of interest.

However, as in the case of some other conventional banks before it, the market reception in certain quarters has been somewhat skeptical, mainly due to the misunderstanding surrounding the nature of the sukuk structure adopted and how this relates to Goldman Sachs’ operations.

This article seeks to address some of the information gaps in the marketplace which seem to have contributed to such misunderstandings.

Some of the broader misconceptions arising from the sukuk issuance process are rooted in the assumption that Goldman Sachs is a conventional bank and will use such funding to lend interest-based money to its clients.

This is far from the truth. Goldman Sachs, as an investment bank and as a proprietary commodity trader, has invested billions of dollars in commodities and will use the murabaha commodities in its commodity trading business, which will partly replace the conventional funding with Islamic finance. The sukuk company (GSCL) is restricted to using proceeds of the sukuk to buy commodities on a spot basis and selling the same to the purchaser (GSI) on a murabaha basis with deferred payment terms. The prospectus is littered with such clarifications. For instance, on page 36, it states: “The proceeds from the issuance of each Series of Certificates will be applied by the Trustee on behalf of the Certificateholders, in accordance with the terms of, inter alia, the Master Murabaha Agreement...”

Therefore, to condemn this sukuk for the alleged unscrupulous use of murabaha proceeds is not fair.

MURABAHA OR TAWARRUQ? The Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) defines murabaha as a sale of goods with an agreedupon profit mark-up on the cost.

There can be two types of murabaha sale. In the first type, the bank purchases the goods and makes them available for sale without any prior promise from a customer to purchase them.

In the second type, the bank purchases the goods ordered by a customer from a third party and then sells these goods to the customer. In this case, the bank purchases the goods only after a customer has made a promise to purchase them.

Once the seller sells the goods, its only entitlement is to the purchase price, either spot or deferred. The purchaser is then at liberty to either hold the goods or, at its sole discretion, sell them at any point of time to an independent third party unrelated to the original supplier, i.e. in the open market.

The Goldman Sachs 1-year murabaha sukuk transaction is a murabaha of the second type where GSCL, a sharia-compliant special purpose entity, is the seller and GSI, a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs Group, is the purchaser. GSCL uses the murabaha sukuk proceeds to purchase on spot from a third party supplier sharia-compliant commodities requested by GSI and is entitled to receipt of the deferred purchase price (defined as the Deferred Payment Price) from GSI for the benefit of the sukuk holders, who are entitled to all of the Trust Assets which include the Deferred Payment Price, all rights and benefits under the Transaction Documents, all cash on account, any other assets, rights, cash or investments as may be specified from time to time, and all proceeds of the foregoing.

For this to be a tawarruq transaction, it would require the presence of additional elements: a) GSI (not GSCL, as above) buying the commodities solely with the intention of immediately selling the commodities to a third party to generate cash, and/or b) GSI must sell the commodities back to the original supplier or its nominee. Neither of these elements is present in the transaction under reference. There is no indication or expression whatsoever of GSI’s intention of immediately selling the commodities to a third party to generate cash. One would have to stretch one’s imagination a bit too far to label such a vanilla murabaha transaction as a tawarruq.

ISE LISTING The sukuk is listed on the Irish Stock Exchange in order to take advantage of regulatory and tax benefits. Such a listing in itself does not constitute an act repugnant to sharia and such interaction between Islamic structures and conventional frameworks is a reality in which Islamic finance currently exists alongside the

broader universe of conventional finance. Though the act of listing theoretically allows the sukuk to be traded, from a sharia perspective there is no prohibition on trading per se of a murabaha sukuk subject to the absolute pre-requisite that it can only be traded at par value.

This renders it impractical in the present context for the sukuk to be traded in a sharia-compliant manner by investors who have been informed that “the Certificates can only be traded in the secondary market at par value (that is, in relation to Certificates of a particular Series, the amount of the pro rata Deferred Payment Price relating to such Certificates) and on a spot basis in order to comply with Shari’a principles”, and have been explicitly forewarned that there is not expected to be a secondary market in the instrument.

APPROVAL It bears repetition that the transaction structure has received approval of leading scholars in the contemporary Islamic finance industry after extensive scrutiny and examination of all aspects of the transaction and a thorough review of the legal documentation involved, as re-confirmed by the following statement recently issued by the Chairman of the Sharia Supervisory Board that approved the structure: “We have reviewed the structure and legal documents of the Goldman Sachs 1 year Sukuk Al Murabaha program, and after carefully reviewing the same found them to be in compliance with the AAOIFI standards and the generally accepted Shari guidelines. I welcome well established conventional industry players such as Goldman Sachs in the Islamic finance world evidencing the growth of the Islamic Finance industry and wish them every success with this product and their future Islamic financial initiatives.”-Dr Hussain Hamid Hassan, Chairman, Dar AlIstithmar Shari Supervisory Board.

DEBATE There is a marginal, albeit louder, section of the community that sees commodity murabaha as a “shallow attempt to mimic conventional debt structures” even though deferredpayment commodity murabaha establishes a clean obligation which qualifies for classification anywhere between a zero and 100 percent risk weighting under Basel and IFSB standards (depending on the rating of the counterparty), while most other sharia-compliant contractual instruments such as wakala, mudaraba and musharaka qualify for up to a 400 percent risk weighting.

Though this presents a conundrum and disincentive for both Islamic and conventional banks engaging in such types of structures, it also explains why murabaha continues to be the most commonly used instrument across the Middle East and southeast Asia, including Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

Ironically, the use of real commodity-based murabaha in the Goldman Sachs sukuk is distinct from traditional commodity murabaha activities (sometimes up to 90 percent of the asset book) conducted by Islamic banks to manage their liquidity or provide corporate/trade financing.

Most investor-depositors in Islamic banks do not necessarily expect the Islamic banks to risk their deposits in equity-based investments but expect protection of their funds from depletion. Without structural changes to the regulatory framework for Islamic banks and the development of a broader-based institutional investor community, one cannot expect equity-like structures to be as prominent as debt-like structures. The broader issue that has crept into this discourse is the issuance of a sukuk by a purely conventional bank. The entry of a bulge-bracket investment bank (not a commercial bank) into the Islamic capital markets is a welcome development, if it is based on the generally accepted sharia guidelines developed by the Islamic finance industry.

The benefits of a large investment bank’s foray into Islamic banking could be significant. For years, the Islamic finance industry has struggled with a few critical issues that affect the structural sustainability of the industry, including issues such as liquidity management and lack of a critical mass of institutional funds.

Bulge -bracket banks such as Goldman Sachs can bring to Islamic finance their sophistication and depth of experience in liquidity management and equity/quasi-equity investment, which can take Islamic finance closer to its true ideals, so long as they adhere to the generally accepted sharia principles. So far there is no basis to speculate otherwise. — Reuters

US consumer in slow lane as growth slows Debt and pessimism hold back spending NEW YORK: It’s up to the consumer to drive the US economy and lift world growth in 2012, and the outlook is far from encouraging.Over the past three and half years, growth in US consumer spending has averaged a paltry 0.2 percent adjusted for inflation, the weakest in the post-World War II period, Morgan Stanley says.

While the employment picture is gradually brightening, wage growth is going in the opposite direction, keeping a lid on consumer behavior. Over the past year, pay for blue-collar workers adjusted for inflation fell 12 cents from the previous year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was the steepest decline since the stagflationary days of 1980.

Pay for all workers has fallen 16 cents this year in real terms. Consumer buying power, modest over the holiday season, remains constrained by heavy debt loads. Total US household debt as a percentage of disposable personal income is down from its 2007 peak at 130 percent, but it remains well above its 1970-2000 average of 75 percent.

As a result, Stephen Roach, non-executive chairman of Morgan Stanley, sees US consumption remaining anemic for years to come. That will place a drag on global growth, especially in Asia, a big manufacturer of US consumer goods.

“With retrenchment and balance-sheet repair only in its early stages, the zombie-like behavior of American consumers should persist,” Roach said.

Consumer spending rose 1.7 percent in the third quarter, far below the 3.6 percent it averaged in the decade before the 2007-2008 recession. So it is hard to see world growth accelerating significantly until the US consumer, who drives over 70 percent of US GDP growth, revives.

There are other factors holding Americans’ spending in check. The Federal Reserve last week reported early signs of tightening credit conditions, and government stimulus spending dries up this year. At the same time, uncertainty persists over the payroll tax cut and jobless benefits, which currently add 0.50-0.75 percentage point to GDP but are set to expire

in February.

On top of that, businesses are pulling back on capital expenditure as tax breaks expire, while exports wane as a growth driver amid the upheavals from Europe. Most economists expect at best only modest US economic growth around 2 percent in 2012 despite a recent batch of encouraging data.

drop in November. But buying intentions remain weak. The Conference Board reported in its US consumer confidence survey for December that even though overall sentiment has improved, those in the market for big-ticket items like cars or houses mostly plan to buy used, not new-a sign of extremely cautious attitudes. That would explain why

WASHINGTON: Over the past three and half years, growth in US consumer spending has averaged a paltry 0.2 percent adjusted for inflation, the weakest in the post-World War II period.

“The year ahead is fraught with risks,” said Tom Porcelli at RBC Capital Markets. “In fact, consumer fundamentals are decidedly weaker than this time last year.”

If the US employment report, due Friday, shows marked improvement, it would lift optimism. But most economists expect only gradual gains of 150,000 new jobs added in December, up from 120,000 the prior month.

Although the average pace of job growth has nearly doubled over the past three months compared with the prior period, it remains well below the 200,000-250,000 mark viewed as healthy labor market conditions.

Wages may rise too. They are forecast to have climbed 0.2 percent in December after a

analysts forecast no acceleration in new car and truck sales data for the United States, due Wednesday. They are seen holding steady at a 13.6 million annualized rate in December.

Likewise, the ISM manufacturing index is expected to have ticked up only a slightly, to 53.2 from 52.7 in November. “Still muddling through,” is how Macroeconomic Advisers summarized the economic outlook for 2012.

A recent growth spurt might have given the US economy some resiliency to withstand a euro-zone recession, weakening stock prices, rising credit costs, fiscal drag and a higher dollar. But the United States, and with it the world economy, remain vulnerable to shocks in the year ahead. — Reuters

Afren oil explorer says output ahead of target

BRUSSELS: A picture taken yesterday shows the Petroplus refinery of Antwerp.

Embattled oil refiner Petroplus began a temporary shutdown of one of its plants in France after lenders froze a $1 billion (765 million euro) credit facility. The Swiss firm will also suspend operations at its Cressier refinery in the Swiss canton of Neuchatel and its Antwerp site in Belgium for the same reason. — AFP

Indonesia inflation slows to 20-mth low JAKARTA: Inflation in Indonesia fell in December to its lowest in 20 months, data showed yesterday, with analysts saying the central bank may cut its benchmark rate in February or March.

The consumer price index rose 3.79 percent year on year last month, slower than the 4.15 percent in November, according to data from the Central Statistics Agency. The index rose 3.43 percent in March 2010 compared to the previous year. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food prices, slowed to 4.34 percent year on year in December, compared with 4.44 percent in November.

For all of 2011, inflation reached 3.79 percent, lower than the central bank’s target range of 4 to 6 percent, and far below the

previous year’s 6.96 percent. Economists said that Bank Indonesia (BI), the country’s central bank, would keep its benchmark rate at 6 percent when its policy board meets on January 12.

“The central bank may refrain from cutting its rate next week partly due to rupiah weakness... (but) the euro-zone crisis will likely continue to deteriorate and BI could cut the rate by 25 basis points in March,” Standard Chartered economist Eric Sugandi told Dow Jones Newswires. “We expect Bank Indonesia to stand pat on Jan. 12, but a tamer inflation outlook this month could prompt the monetary authority to cut rates in February,” Bank Central Asia economist David Sumual told Dow Jones. — AFP

JAKARTA: This handout photo from the presidential office taken and received yesterday shows Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono delivering his speech at the opening of trading at the Indonesia Stock Exchange in Jakarta.

On the first day of trading, the Jakarta Composite Index (JCI), the main price indicator at the IDX, opened at 3,820.91, a slight decrease of 0.02 percent from 3,821.99 on December 30, the last day of trading in 2011. — AFP

BRUSSELS: Energy exploration firm Afren said production at its Ebok field, offshore Nigeria, had reached around 40,000 barrels per day (bpd), taking its end-2011 net output to some 55,400 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), ahead of target.

An output rate above the year-end goal of 50,000 boepd has been sustained since Dec. 19, it said, as a result of operations in Ivory Coast as well as Ebok and Okoro in Nigeria. “The group is in a strong position with aggregate net working interest production of 55,400 boepd going into 2012,” Osman Shahenshah, chief executive of Afren, said in a statement yesterday.

He added the company’s forthcoming drilling campaign in Ghana, Nigeria, the Joint Development Zone of Nigeria Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Kenya and the Kurdistan region of Iraq had the potential “to materially transform and increase our discovered resource base”.

In Nigeria, output at the Ebok field has increased to a stabilized rate of around 40,000 bpd following the commissioning and ramp-up of all production wells associated with the initial phases of the development.

In addition, gross production on the Ogini and Isoko fields, onshore Nigeria, has nearly doubled to around 10,500 bpd from 6,000 bpd following technical changes at the start of December.

Over the course of last year, Afren’s share price lost close to half its value, reaching a low below 75 pence in November. A December rally took it to 85.70 pence by the end of 2011, around 15 percent above the November trough. — Reuters

Record number of Germans worked in 2011 BERLIN: The number of employed people in Germany hit a new record in 2011, said official statistics published yesterday, with more than half a million jobs created last year in Europeís top economy.

There were an average of 41.04 million people working in Germany last year, the national statistics office Destatis said in a statement, a rise of 535,000 people, or 1.3 percent, on the previous 12 months.

It was the first time the number of people working in Germany has risen above the 41-million mark, Destatis said. The population of the country is nearly 82 million. The gains were spread across the economy, with the service sector registering a 1.2-percent rise in people employed and the construction segment up 1.7 percent. The statistics also showed that the German economy is increasingly dependent on services rather than manufacturing. In 2011, 73.8 percent of workers were in the service sector, compared to 60.9 percent two decades ago.

Germany has so far been resilient to the euro-zone crisis surging around it, with low unemployment and relatively solid growth, despite expectations that it cannot remain immune to the chaos forever.

Both Chancellor Angela Merkel and Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble have warned that this year will be tougher for Germany than 2011, but they also insisted that the economy was in good shape for the challenges ahead. — AFP

26

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

BUSINESS

KUWAIT: Naser Mohamed Al-Sayer, Chairman, MNSS and Vice Chairman Faisal Bader Mohamed Al-Sayer, MNSS, and Al-Sayer managers during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Now Open: Al-Sayer’s newest Lexus Center in Ahmadi KUWAIT: Following their well developed expansion plan, Mohamed Naser Al Sayer & Sons is proud to announce the opening of its new fully operational Lexus Center in Al Ahmadi, Kuwait, to provide convenient services for our valued Lexus customers. The ceremony was attended to cut the ribbon by Naser Mohamed AlSayer, Chairman /MNSS and Vice Chairman Faisal Bader Mohamed Al-Sayer, MNSS, and in addition to Al-Sayer’s managers and a number of guests of honor and the press.

Lexus Al-Sayer takes great pride in excelling continuously by providing the highest levels of

Customer Satisfaction thus matching the superior level of Lexus quality standards in motor engineering dominance. To keep up with such a purpose and maintain an even broader and stronger presence in Kuwait, we are increasing the number of our Centers to provide our Lexus Customers with an even higher level of services than ever before.

That is why the new Ahmadi Center will be geared with the latest state of the art advanced technology in car servicing and maintenance equipment.

This latest endeavor is part of the continuous commitment by Al-Sayer of providing the most

convenient locations for Service and Showroom facilities to all their customers.

Faisal Bader Mohamed AlSayer, Vice Chairman, MNSS, reiterated his faith in Kuwait and its economy, saying: We are under the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah, and his good government. We will spare no effort to invest in various different areas that will support Lexus customers at all levels, which in turn will enable us always to beat the expectations and the goodwill of our existing and new customers for life .

The new facilities in the new

center include: lNew Car sales l Luxury Certified Cars sales (soon). lQuick service - Oil change l Follow up the work on your car through viewing window. l Elite VIP waiting Area for Lexus customers, offering cold and hot drinks, and WIFI internet. l Special ladies rest area with a designated female advisor All Lexus cars maintenance are carried out by highly qualified and trained staff. They have been handpicked to meet the elite Lexus advanced, state-of-the-art, technologically advanced standards.

Win 50,000 gold coins and 100% cash refund instantly Malabar Gold Festival Malabar Gold, the perfect jeweller is all set to entice the hearts of jewellery lovers from all around the world once again with Malabar Gold Festival, GCC’s largest jewellery event. The festival, which runs from December 28, 2011 to February 5, 2012 in the entire GCC region, will display distinctive pieces of jewellery from different parts of the world.

Malabar Gold, one of the leading jewellery retailers of the Middle East has unveiled the details of its much-awaited Malabar Gold Festival, offering customers unprecedented opportunities to win up to 50,000 free gold coins and 100 percent cash

refund instantly. A true shopper’s paradise, Malabar Gold Festival will surely delight the customers

by exhibiting eye catching designs in contemporary as well as international style and through special discounts, special offers and attractive gifts.

CBK announces winners of Al-Najma account draw KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al-Najma Account draw on January 2, 2012. The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry represented by Saqer Al-Manaie.

The winners of the Al-Najma daily draw are :Wafa’a Hamed Abdullah Al-Sebeeh — KD 7000, Maryam Essa Habib Abdullah — KD 7000, Afreedei Bahram Khan — KD 7000, Tasawar Abbas Lal Khan— KD 7000, Wasmiya Barrak Owaid Al-Rashedi — KD 7000.

The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account.

Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000 each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha and on June 19 which is the date of the bank’s establishment.

With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or 2 months prior to the mega draw. In addition, for each KD 25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50.

Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

S Korea’s Lee says jobs, inflation top priorities SEOUL: South Korea’s president said yesterday that creating jobs and taming inflation were his top economic priorities this year, vowing to spend more than $8.6 billion on expanding employment. Lee Myung-Bak, in a New Year speech, said his administration would create more than 70,000 quality jobs for young people over the next 12 months. “This year’s budget is focused on creating jobs and we will spend more than 10 trillion won ($8.6 billion) to make more jobs,” he said.

The government would create 14,000 new posts at state agencies and provide more help for small and medium-sized companies to hire new workers, he added.

“As we enter the era of slower growth typical for an advanced economy, there are fewer new jobs available for young people,” Lee said. The jobless rate hovered around 3 to 4 percent last year but youth unemployment, those aged between 15 and 29, remained at about 7 percent. —AFP

On every purchase of ornaments worth KD 400 or above, the customers will get a guaranteed prize of free gold coin and an opportunity to win up to 100 gold coins also through a special ‘Scratch n Win’ promotion. In addition to the free coin offer, there is also a golden chance to win the entire purchase amount (100 percent cash refund) in cash through the ‘Scratch n Win’ promotion for all shoppers of diamond jewellery.

Also, adding to the delight of customers this festive season, the group is introducing a unique exchange scheme through which customers can update their old ornaments to the classic, trendy,

and unique designs of Malabar Gold with zero loss. Any 22 ct old gold can be exchanged with latest Malabar Gold collections by paying only making charges ensuring they do not lose any value on the rate of gold. All these offers are valid at all Malabar Gold outlets in the entire GCC from 28th December, 2011 to 5th February, 2012.

There is no better opportunity to buy jewellery than during the ‘Malabar Gold Festival’. This is the first time we are having a promotion across the GCC and we have tailor-made this promotion to suit the specific needs of our discerning customers.

NBK seminar on ‘Global Markets Outlook for 2012’ KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) will organize on Sunday, January 8, 2012, its annual seminar on Global Markets Outlook for 2012 for its Corporate Banking customers.

NBK Group Chief Executive Investment Officer and Global Treasurer George Richani will lead the seminar which will also be attended by several NBK executives.

Richani will present the outlook for the monetary, foreign exchange and debt markets for 2012 as well as the main trends in 2011 in light of the ongoing global financial crisis.

The seminar aims to provide NBK’s Corporate Banking customers insight into the investment opportunities available in 2012.

George Richani

Burgan Bank announces names of winners of Yawmi Account KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday the names of the lucky winners of its Yawmi account draw, each taking home a prize of KD 5,000.

The lucky winners for the five daily draws took home a cash-prize of KD 5000 each, and they are: 1. Mustafa Saeed Ahmed Al-Mousawi 2. Kamal Fuaad AlQasemani 3. Abdel Khoder Mehdi Jwair AlTaher 4. Vasudev Ramavat Kalo Laji Ramavat 5. Omar Ghassan Massouh The newly re -launched Yawmi Account is better, easier and faster than any day before. With its new and enhanced features, the Yawmi Account has become more convenient, easier, and faster for customers to benefit from. Now, customers will be eligible to enter the draw after 48 hours only from opening the account.

Customers are also required to deposit KD 100 or equivalent only to enter the daily draw, and the coupon value to enter the draw stands at KD 10.

The newly designed Yawmi

account has been launched to provide a highly innovative offering along with a higher frequency and incentive of winning for everyone.

Today, the Yawmi account is a well understood product, where its popularity can be seen from the number of increasing account holders.

Burgan Bank encourages everyone to open a Yawmi account and/or increase their deposit to maximize their chances to becoming a daily winner. The more customers deposit, the higher the chances they receive of winning the draw.

Opening a Yawmi account is simple, customers are urged to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch and receive all the details, or simply call the bank’s Call Center at 1804080 where customer service representatives will be delighted to assist with any questions on the Yawmi account or any of the bank’s products and services. Customers can also log on to Burgan Bank’s www.burgan.com for further information.

Nikon unveils new COOLPIX S series Ashraf & Co launches S100 cameras KUWAIT: Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the release of the S100, a ne w CO O LP I X S -s e r i e s m od e l t ha t offers a refined design and advanced functions. The new S100 series of cameras are available at all five showrooms of Ashraf & Company in Kuwait.

As successor to the S80, the S100 is a com p a c t d i gi t a l c a m e r a w i t h a n image sensor offering 16.0-million effective pixels and a widescreen 3.5inch, approximately 820k-dot OLED touch panel monitor with wide viewing angle for high-definition, highcontrast rendering. Various improvements to touch panel operation since the S80 have enabled more stress-free, intuitive operation.

Adoption of a backside illumination C MO S i m a ge s e ns or, w hi c h of fe r s superior performance when shooting at high sensitivities, suppresses the noise that often occurs with capture of night landscapes and dimly lit indoor s ce ne s. I n a d d i t i on, s up p or t for recording of full-HD movies and a new 3D photography scene mode have been adopted to make photography with the camera more fun and the re s ul t i ng i m a ge s m ore b e a ut i f ul.

Despite these new features, the S100 still maintains the slim body and sharp, stylish design emphasizing portability of its predecessor.

COOLPIX S100 Primary Features The S100 is equipped with an 820kdot widescreen 3.5-inch OLED touch panel monitor with a wide viewing angle. The high-resolution Full WVGA OLED monitor makes shooting, viewing and sharing photos more enjoyable.

1. High-contrast reproduction of beautiful night landscapes in which the deepest blacks are faithfully displayed and loss of detail in highlights is kept to the absolute minimum. The OLED monitor enables expression of richer, more vivid colors.

2. With a color gamut approximately 50% broader than the sRGB gamut, subjects are vividly reproduced. This broad color gamut enables high-definition display of not only images, but the user interface as well.

3. The 180-degree viewing angle enables clear viewing of the monitor display from nearly any angle. l An effective pixel count of 16.0-million pixels and adoption of a slim, right-angle optics zoom NIKKOR lens offering 5x optical zoom that begins at the wide-angle 28 mm (equivalent in 35mm [135] format) l Backside illumination CMOS sensor enables capture of images in which noise is suppressed, even with shooting of dimly lit scenes such as night landscapes and indoor scenes.

French auto sales fell 2% in 2011 PARIS: French vehicle sales suffered a two percent drop last year and a dramatic 18-percent fall in December, the CCFA automakers’ association said yesterday, as the auto sector heads into a difficult year. Slightly more than 2.2 million vehicles were sold last year, a 2.1 percent drop in comparison with 2010, the CCFA said.

In December, sales were down 17.8 percent year-on-year, it said, as the industry suffered from the withdrawal of an incentive measure that saw buyers of new cars given cash for scrapping older ones. The annual fall was less than expected, however, after the CCFA had predicted an 8.0 percent drop for 2011.

The association made no prediction for 2012 sales.

French automakers suffered most

from the fall in sales, with PSA Peugeot Citroen seeing sales recede 4.9 percent last year and Renault registering a drop of 9.6 percent. Foreign carmakers however saw sales rise 4.9 percent last year, with sales by Renault’s Japanese partner Nissan up a massive 32.9 percent, South Korea’s Hyundai up 12.4 percent and Germany’s Volkswagen up 12.9 percent.

The French auto sector, which accounts directly or indirectly for a quarter of the national workforce, is expected to face an especially difficult year in 2012 as the euro-zone economic crisis hits consumer spending. Analysts have said they expect overall vehicle sales to fall below two million this year while industry chiefs have warned of significant sales drops and major job cuts. —AFP

A

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

Years

TECHNOLOGY

Targeted attacks, cyber warfare, mobile threats What to expect in 2012: A Kaspersky Lab report KUWAIT: Governments and large corporations all over the world should be wary of a growing cyber menace in 2012, according to experts at Kaspersky Lab. Not only will there be a dramatic increase in the number of targeted attacks on state institutions and large companies, it is also likely that a wider range of organizations will bear the brunt of the expected onslaught. “At the moment, the majority of incidents affect companies and state organizations involved in arms manufacturing, financial operations, or hi-tech and scientific research activities. In 2012 companies in the natural resource extraction, energy, transport, food and pharmaceutical industries will be affected, as well as Internet services and information security companies,” warns Alexander Gostev, the author of the report

‘Cyberthreat Forecast for 2012’. Attacks will range over more of the world than ever before, spreading beyond Western Europe and the US and affecting Eastern Europe, the Middle East and South-East Asia.

Kaspersky Lab experts predict that attackers will have to change their methods in response to the growing competition among the IT security companies that investigate and protect against targeted attacks. Increased public attention to security lapses will also force the attackers to search for new instruments. The conventional method of attacks that involve email attachments with vulnerability exploits will gradually become less effective, while browser attacks will gain in popularity.

The Kaspersky Lab forecast goes on state that

hacktivist attacks on state organizations and businesses will continue in 2012 and will have a predominantly political agenda. Alexander Gostev believes this will be an important trend when compared to similar attacks in 2011. However, hacktivism could well be used as a diversionary tactic to conceal other types of attacks.

Hi-tech malicious programs such as Stuxnet and Duqu created with state support will remain unique phenomena. Their emergence will be dictated by international tensions between specific countries.

In Alexander Gostev’s view, the cyber conflicts in 2012 will revolve around traditional confrontations: the US and Israel versus Iran, and the US and Western Europe versus China. More basic weapons designed to destroy data at a given time, such as kill

switches, logic bombs etc. will become more popular as they are easier to manufacture. The creation of these programs can be outsourced to private contractors used by the military or other government agencies. In many cases the contractor may not be aware of the customer’s aims.

In terms of mobile threats in 2012, Kaspersky Lab expects to see Google Android continue to be the target of choice for the mobile malware market as well as an increase in the numbers of attacks that exploit vulnerabilities. The emergence of the first mobile drive-by attacks and mobile botnets are also forecast. Mobile espionage will become widespread and will most probably include data theft from mobile phones and the tracking of people using their telephones and geolocation services.

LG’s magic remote to enhance Cinema 3D Smart TV experience Four control functions, improved magic remote

Samsung to focus on new products SEOUL: South Korea’s Samsung Electronics will this year focus on developing new products and tapping into new businesses to get ahead of competitors amid the global economic slowdown, its chairman said yesterday.

Lee Kun-Hee, in a New Year’s speech to employees, said existing businesses would experience a stagnation in growth, and that new start-ups would provide the best opportunities even although they will find it increasingly competitive during the downturn. “Samsung’s future lies in new businesses, new products and new technologies,” he said, stressing the need for “increasing investment and jobs and focusing on exports.”

Samsung is the world’s largest technology company by revenue and closely competes with Apple in the fast-growing smartphone market. It is also the world’s leading memory chipmaker and makes a wide range of products from semiconductors to TVs and mobile gadgets. “We should change our corporate culture in ways that are more open, flexible and innovative. We should only think about something new and breaking all existing rules,” he said. — AFP

KUWAIT: LG Electronics (LG) unveiled a new remote control for its CINEMA 3D Smart TVs, the Magic Remote. The new remote control maximizes user convenience with a new set of additional functions, namely Voice Recognition, Wheel, Magic Gesture and Pointing.

“LG has been striving to constantly improve the comfort and convenience with which our customers use the CINEMA 3D Smart TVs,” said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG Home Entertainment Company. “The new Magic Remote is our latest example, incorporating new functions that will make it easier for users to approach and use the CINEMA 3D Smart TVs, particularly our Smart TV function which now has over 1,000 apps and a growing abundance of premium content.”

The Magic Remote’s most obvious difference with conventional remote controls is that push-buttons constitute merely one dimension of the intuitive user experience. By implementing voice recognition technology into Magic Remote, users can enter text - such as search terms - with voice commands, speeding up the overall Smart TV browsing experience.

The Wheel located at the center of the Magic Remote enables users to swiftly scroll up and down various menus and apps, allowing users to make quicker selections.

Meanwhile, the Pointing function (formerly known as Point and Click) allows users to simply point the Magic Remote toward the TV screen and drag the on-screen cursor to make selections. Through Pointing, users can also navigate through LG’s Smart TV ecosystem without having to use multiple buttons and arrow keys. Additionally, physical Magic Gestures can be inputted as commands, enabling users to control CINEMA 3D Smart TVs with simple arm or wrist movements.

In addition to the four control functions, the Magic Remote also offers the 3D button, which undertakes 2D to 3D conversion with a single click of the button. Due to its arched ergonomic design, the new Magic Remote is easier to grip and hold onto, allowing for a more comfortable CINEMA 3D Smart TV experience.

Technology lets citizens become crime fighters The same technology that points gadget geeks to the nearest Starbucks or maps alternate routes to the freeway is now helping them turn the tables on would-be thieves.

Take, for example, Kenneth Gootnick’s decision to install a program on his iPad to help him store contact data online.

It turned out to be a smart move that helped him recover thousands of dollars in goods stolen from his home on Christmas morning.

Gootnick, a business adviser from Westlake Village, had installed a cloud application called MobileMe on the iPad to help him look up his contacts from an online server no matter what device he used. Fortunately, it also helps track the location of hardware that has the program installed.

On Christmas morning, Gootnick found himself staring at a dot on a digital map, which showed that his iPad was stashed two houses down after a burglar broke in and also made off with $10,000 worth of Lakers tickets, a checkbook, a Playstation 3 and an autographed Steve Nash jersey.

He contacted Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies, who went to the nearby home as Gootnick sat at his computer, clicking a button that activated a loud alarm on the iPad. Deputies arrested a 20-year-old man there, also nabbing him with loot from another home burglary.

“I was able to sort of solve the case, if you will, to catch this burglar,” Gootnick said. “And not only that, to get all my stuff back, and to find out later that this guy was tied to another burglary down in Vista.” “I feel great about it,” Gootnick said.

“I’m very happy it ended that way.” The arrest in the burglary highlighted the increasing use of another high-tech tool for law-enforcement.

It also demonstrated that victims themselves are now able to turn the tables and help solve their own cases just by downloading apps onto smartphones or computers to help them locate a misplaced or stolen gadget. In the last five years, with the help of enterprising consumers intent on protecting their property, law enforcement has “significantly increased” the use of technology embedded or installed in

MobileMe on the iPad

devices to track down thieves, often solving other crimes in the process, according to Capt. Mike Parker of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.

“It’s because people keep getting their stuff stolen and we’re trying to help,” Parker said. The technology has given detectives a boost in literally tracking down the thieves, whereas before, once the items were gone, they were likely gone for good. “One detective had handled six or seven or eight (stolen laptop cases) in a year,” Parker said. “And in only one of those cases he didn’t solve multiple burglaries.”

In one case, one laptop stolen in Palmdale helped solve 10 different burglaries-six involving other stolen laptops, and four involving stolen rifles and shotguns, Parker said.

Deputies most often recover the computers through a program called Lojack for Laptops, which according to its manufacturer, is built into most laptops sold today and difficult to remove even by the tech-savvy. Once the laptop is reported stolen to police, consumers pay to activate the service. It begins tracking the activity that occurs on the stolen laptops: monitoring keystrokes and taking screenshots while the computer is in use, and saving images that can lead cops to identify the suspect, such as e-mail and logins to social networking, bank and cell phone accounts.

Sometimes, at the direction of police, the program will display a warning message-complete with the illegitimate user’s name, phone number and email address-on the screen, saying: “This laptop was reported stolen and is now frozen you are strongly advised to return this laptop to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.”

“You don’t want to dump it because it has your name,” Parker said. “You’re already caught.”

Sometimes, police acknowledge, the user could end up being an innocent who merely bought a used laptop without knowing it had been stolen.

Still, the program helps police recover about 500 laptops a year in the L.A. area, according to manufacturer Absolute Software. In Gootnick’s case, the tracking software helped save Christmas for some kids down in San Diego County as well.

As deputies were following the sound of the iPad alarm, they tracked it to a backpack inside the home of Gootnick’s neighbor, whom suspect Patrick Krewson was visiting.

“It’s almost like Hansel and Gretel leaving bread crumbs to where they are,” Parker said.

Deputies also found evidence of other burglaries, leading them to charge Krewson with robbing a home in Vista, in San Diego County, where he allegedly stole two flatscreen TVs, a computer, and more than 40 children’s Christmas presents.

Krewson has been charged with first-degree burglary, grand theft of personal property and forgery, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

“We in law enforcement have a much greater understanding now today of technology,” Parker said. “We’re using it to solve crimes, we’re using it to find suspects, and we’re educating each other on how to do that.”

“We’re telling people that these systems exist,” Parker said.

“And if you would please use them, we would get your stuff back.” — MCT

Virtual learning gains popularity For Ellison Beard, learning a new language online is an experience in expanding horizons and unexpected challenges. To not be interacting in the same room with classmates and a teacher was definitely an unusual experience, the Northwest Whitfield High School junior said, but through video chat sessions, voice recordings and constant feedback, he was able to get the hang of beginner Spanish.

“I still think I was exposed to a larger variety of words than I would have been in a typical classroom,” he added. Beard is one of several local students who take classes at their home schools through Georgia Virtual School, a statewide, online-only public school that offers high school classes to anyone anywhere. The classes are paid for with state funding.

Virtual learning is a small but growing area of academia that many educators are beginning to tap into an unprecedented levels-and not just at Northwest. For the past fall semester, close to 6,000 students were enrolled in classes through Georgia Virtual alone. Of those 12 were at Coahulla Creek High School, 10 were at Northwest, 14 at Southeast Whitfield High School and three at the Whitfield Career Academy. Nine students in Murray County Schools were enrolled in at least one course, and there were 22 at Dalton High School.

Georgia Virtual employs 12 full-time teachers and another 100 to 175 adjunct faculty members. Teachers must meet the same education and certification requirements as regular classroom teachers, said director Cristina Clayton. Still, virtual learning isn’t the best fit for every student, said Rebecca Jenkins, the Georgia Virtual facilitator for Northwest. Students are given all their assignments up front at the beginning of the semester, but they’re responsible for meeting deadlines and seeking help on their own when needed. Students are given a block of time during the day to work on virtual classes, but they ultimately must pace themselves.

“Anyone can use the program... (but) it is not for everyone,” Jenkins said. “You have to be self-motivated.

You have to be someone who can keep up with your assignments.”

Not having personal, face-to-face time with your teacher can be a drawback to virtual school, Northwest junior Kayla Herndon said, but the other benefits outweigh it.

“I think a definite pro is being able to do it on your own time,” added Northwest junior Sarah Kate Fearing.

Morris Innovative High School, a special purpose school originally created for students who had fallen behind in their work, opened with practically all virtual-only classes in 2009, using a different program. Principal Jennifer Phinney said students and teachers quickly discovered online-only school wasn’t practical. So this year, they switched to a combination of methods. Some classes are entirely online. Some classes are led by a teacher on campus. Many students take some of each kind of class.

Virtual classes allow students to quickly get up to speed, work at their own pace, and study subjects their

school might not offer or that might not fit into their schedule. Yet spending an entire school day at a computer can be boring, Phinney said many teachers reported, and students miss out on the opportunity for more real-world, hands-on learning.

Enter “blended learning,” a method designed to draw from the best of both worlds.

Coahulla Creek High School, which issued digital tablets to each of its 750 students when it opened this fall, will begin a pilot blended learning model this spring for Georgia Virtual School.

Coahulla Creek Principal Phillip Brown said he expects between 300 and 500 of the school’s students to be working through the pilot program when spring semester begins. He said the school used some of Georgia Virtual’s resources from the time they opened.

Coahulla Creek faculty will still teach the courses, but they’ll be using lessons, resources, tests and so on the virtual school makes available. Clayton said Georgia Virtual is working toward offering blended learning statewide by fall of 2013.

“We tried it out this past fall and liked a lot of the assignments they had and decided it was something we wanted to pursue a little deeper,” Brown said. “I can’t wait to see the whole breadth of the courses. They’ve done a really good job developing some hard-to-teach concepts.”

Parent Tricia Beazle said her freshman daughter, Victoria Laird, enjoys the school’s use of technology.

Coahulla Creek is the first school in the area to issue students digital tablets instead of hard copy textbooks. “So far, she seems to like it,” Beazle said. “We’ve always been a rather high-tech family, so a lot of it she was already used to.” —MCT

28

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

health & science

The transformative hospital supply chain - balancing costs with quality In light of the escalating costs of healthcare globally, experts from Booz & Company have identified ways in which to alleviate the rising costs through hospital supply chains, while helping to improve patient care.

“In the MENA region, healthcare accounted for 3-5 percent of GDP in 2008 and has been rising rapidly at an average annual rate of approximately 15 percent since 2005. The region’s healthcare systems, like many others around the world, has so far been unable to develop a successful formula for providing high-quality, universally accessible healthcare at a cost that is sustainable over the long-term,” said Jad Bitar, a Principal with Booz &Company.

important to achieving the transformation model.

Ensuring transparency of SCM processes allows supply chain stakeholders to be equipped with the right set of data to react positively to challenges, such as having too many items out of stock or too many suppliers providing similar products. At the same time, a transparent process would inform stakeholders and enable them to participate in making critical decisions based on a set of trade-offs regarding items or services required to provide patient care.

Integrated systems Automating and integrating IT systems will allow hospitals to seamlessly link their governance Containing costs and and SCM processes. An integrated improving care system will establish approval flows Successful hospital supply chain electronically both for ordering and management (SCM) is the capabilipayment processes, ensuring that ty to execute broad functions-from SCM applications comply with govplanning to working capital manernance policies and processes by agement-that are involved in giving logged-in users the authority obtaining any product or service to make decisions only within the that hospital staff needs to care for parameters ascribed to them.

Gaby Chahine a patient. Implementing SCM can Hospitals will need to establish a help to contain costs while improvcommon SCM data architecture as ing care; in hospitals, SCM covers well as a detailed flow for the medical and non-medical items as approval of expenditures, tied to well as operational and capital the delegation of authority. The expenditures. architecture works as the language of the integrated system, facilitatMaturing hospital SCM ing a collaborative environment in “Hospital administrators strive to which buyers and suppliers estabimprove operations in their facilities lish a virtuous circle of SCM inforbecause of the far-reaching, broadly mation flows and provide transpositive impact it can have. parency throughout the entire supAdministrators should look first to ply chain to facilitate the procurestreamline and optimize their hospital’s to-pay process. supply chain, which accounts for Overcoming challenges to between 20 - 30 percent of a hospital’s achieve the transformation modbudget,” said Gaby Chahine, Partner el with Booz &Company. “Hospital SCM Hospitals will face individual diftypically goes through three stages of ficulties in building and maturing maturity, and even in mature markets, its SCM capabilities, however there Jad Bitar few hospitals have made significant are potential solutions to a number of progress toward the most advanced level.” common issues: Defining an SCM strategy with a clear path forThese stages are: ward: Without a documented strategy, hospital SCM Foundation model: The first and most basic model organizations typically revert to a reactive mode in aims simply to ensure supplies are in stock. This often which they aim to fulfil requests from other departis a minimalistic SCM with a focus on operations and ments. To move beyond this basic approach, those materials management and limited strategic capabili- involved in SCM need to recognize that the function ties. At this level, hospitals usually adopt a segment- is not a service provider but a strategic partner in ed approach, fulfilling each department’s needs in a providing quality care, and then act from that pervacuum rather than taking a hospital-wide view, spective. achieving few synergies or efficiencies across departBuilding strategic SCM skill sets: This is a recurrent ments. challenge worldwide, as expert hospital SCM talent is Optimization model: This more advanced model scarce. In particular, hospitals that are still at the uses a hospital-wide approach to reduce costs and foundation level will have a difficult time attracting improve efficiency. Hospitals take a more strategic and retaining top hospital SCM talent, because most approach to SCM, building capabilities that will allow leaders will feel that they can’t play a strategic role in them to improve supply predictability and control. such environments. Hospital boards will need to This model mandates close collaboration among involve clinical leadership and recognize the impordepartments to reduce costs via hospital-wide syner- tance of having SCM as a true partner with the gies and economies of scale; it requires leaders in the administration and physicians to support the efforts supply chain function to analyze expenditures, out- to move toward a transformation model.

Creating a strong governance model: Without a source non-core SCM functions, and push for stanrobust governance model in place, the hospital SCM dardization to improve efficiency.

Transformation model: The most mature SCM organization will lack the necessary mechanism to model is fundamentally different from the optimiza- partner with all stakeholders and involve them in key tion model, aiming to balance cost control with decision making. Therefore, it is essential to establish patient outcomes. Organizations that operate under such a model with senior leadership commitment this model typically have engaged in cost optimiza- from both a clinician and an administrative perspection efforts and now realize the importance of focus- tive. The governance structure becomes a forum for ing on increasing overall value for the hospital. This is dialogue, and the SCM serves as a provider of key a daunting prospect, given the inherent contradic- information that enables hospitals to make careful, tions of reducing costs while improving outcomes balanced decisions.

Ensuring data is available and reliable: Foundation and satisfaction. But SCM organizations can rise to this challenge by adopting a collaborative approach, SCM organizations rarely collect comprehensive sets especially with clinicians. The goal is to engage them of data. Few hospitals have invested in designing the in identifying items that offer the best outcomes for necessary data structures, such as taxonomy and patients based on evidence compared to costs. This item master. It is critical for hospital SCM organizacollaborative model hinges on strong governance tions pursuing the transformation model to invest in structures, such as establishing product standardiza- comprehensive IT systems that can automate the tion committees. procure-to-pay processes and enable comprehensive In sum, hospital SCM models can evolve and shift data sets. Integrating SCM processes: When processes focus from simply ensuring required items are in are fragmented or incomplete, SCM will resort to ad stock to developing integrated processes and sys- hoc activities, leading to divergence from existing tems that aim to reduce costs, improve efficiency, policies and procedures. Such systems cause numerand enhance patient safety and clinical outcomes. ous errors, so it is critical for any hospital aiming to achieve the transformation model to reengineer its The transformation procure-to-pay processes comprehensively, complemodel in practice ment them with the proper policies and procedures, Three different enablers are crucial to facilitate the and align those with capable IT systems. development of the transformation SCM model.

In conclusion, Chahine believes that hospitals These are: today have a substantial opportunity-and a signifiCollaborative governance cant challenge-in transforming their supply chains to The right governance structure for SCM allows meet ever-higher standards for patient outcomes hospitals to maintain the balance between reducing and the need to deliver healthcare services in a more costs and providing high-quality care. With increas- efficient manner. ing maturity, SCM governance evolves from focusing “Most hospitals worldwide still operate under the on the SCM team alone to a collaborative approach foundation model, in which the function is essentially involving all stakeholders, without which all other a service provider. As the costs of healthcare continue efforts to move to the transformation model simply to increase, many hospitals can revamp their SCMs will fail.This collaboration requires the appropriate governance structure and processes to support clini- into a more strategic and dynamic collaborative cians in understanding the trade-offs involved in endeavour-one that could help them control costs selecting products. A hospital SCM team needs to and enable them to serve their patients better. engage clinicians; they must establish themselves as Learning that achieving efficient delivery of services partners who appreciate the importance of quality and increasing the quality of care are not mutually care, to win the trust of clinicians. According to Bitar: exclusive can be a strong regional catalyst for supply “To achieve such a mature governance model means chain transformation,” he said. Hospitals eager to moving away from merely executing clinician orders transform their SCM will have to embark on a capabilto engaging with them in an on-going, constructive ities-building mission, ensuring that workers have dialogue and equipping them with the proper infor- strategic SCM skill sets, clearly defining strategies, mation to help them make the right decision for their creating a strong governance model, integrating patients and for the hospital. This is a complex processes, and ensuring availability and robustness process that includes data collection, comparative of data.

Transforming a hospital SCM mandates a change and cost/value analyses, and communication.” in thinking as well as practices as hospitals become lean and efficient, while improving their overall hosStreamlined processes Streamlining processes within core supply chain pital operations, forging long-term partnerships with functions will ensure efficiency of SCM execution, suppliers with whom they can collaborate closely to while supporting transparency and compliance with deliver value year in and year out, and ensuring betthe collaborative governance structure that is so ter outcomes for patients.

French breast implant firm used fuel additive Increased risk of rupture, no proven cancer risk yet MARSEILLE: French breast implant manufacturer PIP used a fuel additive in its now-banned implants which the company knew were defective as early as 2005, it was revealed yesterday. The growing litany of accusations against nowdefunct Poly Implant Prothese has triggered a worldwide scare with several countries, including France, advising thousands of women to have the implants removed. France’s RTL radio said it obtained an exact breakdown of the materials used in the faulty implants, including Baysilone, Silopren and Rhodorsil, all of which are industrial products never tested or approved for clinical use.

The products, used in the oil or rubber industries, allegedly contributed to the silicone gel implants having a high rupture rate. French authorities including health safety agency AFSSAPS already knew that the implants contained industrial rather than medical quality silicone, but this is the first time the use of petroleum industry additives has been reported. “According to the AFSSAPS, it was known that this was an unsuitable gel, usually used in food manufacturing or for computers,” a doctor advising implant wearers, Dominique-Michel Courtois, told AFP. But “there was no way of knowing that the gel contained an additive for fuel. That’s why we want implants removed from patients to be analyzed themselves,” added a lawyer for implant wearers, Philippe Courtois. AFSSAPS previously carried out tests on implants seized at PIP’s factory in the south of France in March 2010. A lawyer for PIP’s 72year-old founder Jean-Claude Mas sought to play down the importance of the use of oil and rubber

FRANCE: A picture taken on January 1, 2012 in Saint Raphael, shows breast implants produced by the implant manufacturer Poly Implant Prothese company (PIP) with PIP identity card. —AFP additives. “These are food products, implant), and therefore a gel leak?”, used to make beauty products, “If a shell problem were to erupt, bought from (chemical giant) you can imagine what would hapRhone-Poulenc and its competitors,” pen,” implant salespeople wrote.

“Sales are more important than Yves Haddad told AFP. Implant wearers’ lawyer Courtois what the shells are made of,” replied called for tests to be carried out on a PIP marketing boss.

Based in the south of France, PIP implants sold abroad, after British media revealed that rupture rates was shut down and its products on the PIP products were seven banned in 2010 after it was revealed times higher than previously to have been using industrial-grade silicone gel that caused abnormally thought.

“The mix (of ingredients) could high rupture rates.

It is alleged that the company vary depending on the deliveries,” he said. It also emerged yesterday improvised its own ingredients that workers at PIP’s sales depart- when it faced financial difficulties. ment sent each other emails indi- Between 300,000 and 400,000 cating they knew there was a prob- women in 65 countries from Europe lem with the implants’ shells as early to Latin America have implants made with the sub-standard gel. as 2005.

“Another one! Another breakage France last month advised 30,000 of the shell from a 2003 implant... women to have their PIP implants Still no explanation?” read one of removed because of an increased the emails obtained by AFP. “How risk of rupture, although officials can it be that on opening a box the have said there is no proven cancer surgeon finds a hole (in the risk. —AFP

Photo shows the awarded doctors .

New Mowasat Hospital holds its first doctors’ recognition awards The New Mowasat Hospital held its very first “Doctors’ Recognition Awards Function” at Al Dana Ballroom in the Holiday Inn Hotel in Salmiya. About hundred guests joined the New Mowasat’s top physicians as they were honored with the official certificates and trophies for their exceptional contribution to various medical categories.

Attending the event was Chairman of Al Mowasat Holding Group Salah Al Wazzan & his son, Al Mowasat Holding Group Counselor Dr Talaa Al Dehanny, Hospital’s Director Nadeem Nazir, Mowasat’s Director of Medical Affairs Dr Eduard Lotz, Mowasat’s Medical Director, Dr Peter C Hirsch, Marketing Manager May Roumani, the Chairman of Board Committee Dr Samer Abdullah, and New Mowasat Hospital Physicians.

In his welcoming speech, Dr Eduard Lotz, New Mowasat’s Director of Medical Affairs, stated that the hospital engages with distinguished physicians who are regarded as essential pillars in delivery of excellent quality patient care.

Afterwards, Nadeem Nazir, New Mowasat Hospital Director, stated that “this event is created to highlight the fact that we value our doctors as essential assets of the New Mowasat Hospital. In recognition of their outstanding contributions to our hospital, their work ethics, and to the whole community; we are here today to acknowledge and award them for such hard work and commitment.”

“Since this will be an annual event, one of the basic purposes behind this function is also to encourage and acknowledge the exceptional contributions made by

those physicians and to drive a sense of motivation in hopes of benefitting our hospital in particular and our society in general,” he added.

Dr Samer Abdullah, Chairman of Medical Advisory Committee, then gave his speech in which he expressed his great pride to be in such occasion. “As a chairman of MAC, along with my colleagues HOD and Director of Medical Affairs, we came up with the idea that it was essential to thank hard working doctors,” Dr Samer explained.

Dr Samer Abdullah presented the awards, certificates and trophies to the awarded doctors honoring them for “working hard and never stopped giving their best, who worked late at night and early in the morning and wouldn’t take no for an answer” explained Dr Samer.

The first of the five awards was the “Hospital Loyalty” which was handed to Dr Mohamed Gamal Al Afghani who has worked in New Mowasat Hospital for over 20 years, as Head of ObGyne Department. Dr Mohamed Saad El Manee, Head of Surgery was awarded for his “Outstanding Contribution to Practice”, as he is a reference in anorectal and laparoscopic surgery.

The “Outstanding Contribution to Performance” award was given to Dr Nahed Hammadieh, Consultant and head of New Mowasat Reproductive Medicine department, for his distinguished performance department’s success rate more than 60% of pregnancy in infertile women.

Dr Mahmoud Omar, Head of Internal medicine, received the “CME” award for his effort in the hospital’s conferences in endoscopy and academic activities. Last but

not least, “Outstanding Contribution to Performance as Registrar” award was given to Dr Akmal Al Sawi, registrar in the department of Emergency Services, for his participation in Emergency services organization for more than 10 years.

“As the main concept behind that function was the recognition of the doctors’ outstanding contributions to the hospital, their work ethics, and to the whole community, they were acknowledged and awarded for their commitments while other physicians were motivated in hopes of benefitting the hospital in particular and the society in general,” added Mr. Nadeem Nazir, Hospital Director. Concluding, Salah Al Wazzan, Chairman of Al Mowasat Holding Group, welcomed the guests and congratulated the awarded doctors saying that he is proud of having such experts in New Mowasat hospital. “This is the first time we hold the doctors recognition awards function but I am sure that many others will be standing here in the future to be honored and awarded as we value the hard work and commitment of our physicians”.

On her side, May Roumani said that the event was organized to emphasize that New Mowasat values its doctors for their hard work and commitment which reflects on the hospital on the society. “The event will be organized on an annual basis to honor those who benefit the hospital to reach higher levels following the international standards that deserves appreciation,” explained Roumani. At the end of the ceremony, a group photo was taken for all the invitees who were then invited to dinner in a domestic atmosphere.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

H E A LT H

Debate over who needs a thyroid check in pregnancy WASHINGTON: Check-ups during pregnancy tend to focus around the waist. But there’s growing debate about which mothers-to-be should have a gland in their neck tested, too. Numerous studies since 1999 have found that an underactive thyroid can raise a woman’s risk of miscarriage, premature birth, or a lower IQ for her baby - even if it’s so mildly sluggish that she feels no symptoms. The problem: While serious cases are treated with a hormone pill, so far there’s little evidence that treating the milder cases makes a difference. So guidelines about who should be tested vary widely.

Now a peek at prenatal testing from one of the country’s largest medical labs suggests that nearly a quarter of pregnant women are getting the simple thyroid blood test regardless of whether they have symptoms. Researchers at Quest Diagnostics examined records for half a million pregnant women. Of those who got tested, a higher-than-expected number - 15 percent - had an underactive thyroid. That’s five-fold higher than some previous estimates, partly because the way in which the condition is diagnosed has changed recently, says the study published by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

The vast majority of those women were in the gray zone, with milder cases where no one knows for sure if a diagnosis helps or wastes money on testing and thyroid medication. The finding adds pressure for science to settle this long-running controversy. “We still don’t have perfect answers,” says Dr. Elizabeth Pearce, a well-known endocrinologist at Boston Medical Center, where a recent survey found widespread prenatal thyroid testing. But, “if it’s my patient in my office, or it’s me or my family member, I’m going to treat every time.”

Obstetricians seem more wary.

“There are studies on both sides of the fence,” says Dr. Dena Goffman

of New York’s Montefiore Medical Center, which tests only women at high risk. “If you don’t know what to do with the results, you probably shouldn’t order the test,” she said. The unassuming thyroid - a small bow tie-shaped gland nestled in the front of the neck - plays a big role in good health for everyone. It produces hormones that regulate metabolism and can affect almost every type of tissue in the body. About 20 million Americans are estimated to have a malfunctioning thyroid that, if serious enough, can contribute to heart disease, bone-thinning osteoporosis and infertility.

An overactive thyroid, called hyperthyroidism, speeds up bodily functions, causing such symptoms as weight loss, nervousness, anxiety and increased heart rate and vision problems. Much more common is an underactive thyroid, called hypothyroidism. It slows body functions, causing such problems as fatigue, weight gain, depression, constipation and dry skin. It even can contribute to high cholesterol, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Thyroid problems increase with age, but they affect far more women than men - and pregnancy puts extra stress on the gland.

Having enough thyroid hormones is important for fetal brain development, especially during the first trimester, when the fetus depends solely on the mother for them. The hormones also play a role in avoiding miscarriage or premature birth.

Mothers also may harbor immune system cells called antibodies that subtly attack the gland and likewise are linked to miscarriage and prematurity. Italian researchers found that treating those women lowered their risk of encountering this problem. There is broad agreement that women with overt hypothyroidism - a seriously underactive gland - should be treated, most likely given a

once-a-day hormone pill long known to be safe in pregnancy. But it takes blood testing to diagnose overt disease because even those women don’t always report the vague symptoms.

Those $25 blood tests are sure to uncover women with mild hypothyroidism, too, the people in the so-called gray zone. Some research has raised questions about whether mild cases really pose a pregnancy risk, and preliminary results from a large British study recently found no overall IQ benefit to the resulting children if their mothers had been treated.

But the damage might already have been done by the time treatment began late in the first trimester, notes Boston’s Pearce. In the U.S., doctors are anxiously awaiting a similar National Institutes of Health study; results aren’t expected until 2015.

What’s the advice until then?

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends testing only pregnant women who have thyroid symptoms, have had previous thyroid problems, or have similar autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes - those considered at risk for overt disease. The American Thyroid Association goes further.

Last summer it advised also testing all pregnant women age 30 and older, and those with enlarged thyroids, previous pregnancy problems or those who are obese, says Pearce, who co-authored the guidelines. Most guidelines cite the lack of evidence for treating mild cases. The thyroid association does urge treatment if those women harbor the worrisome antibodies.

A final tip: Pregnant women should check that their prenatal vitamins contain iodine, important for proper thyroid function, Pearce says. Not all do. Most Americans get enough iodine from dairy products, bread, seafood and iodized table salt. But women need extra during pregnancy.—AP

HONG KONG: File photo shows health workers slaughter all the chickens at the wholesale poultry market after three dead chickens tested positive for bird flu.—AP

China calls for calm after man dies from bird flu BEIJING: Health authorities in southern China are urging residents not to panic after a man who contracted the bird flu virus died at the weekend, the official Xinhua news agency said yesterday. The man, surnamed Chen, died on Saturday in Shenzhen-a boomtown that borders Hong Kong where thousands of chickens have already been culled after three birds tested positive for the H5N1 avian influenza virus in mid-December. The Shenzhen Disease Control Centre confirmed that Chen, a bus driver, had contracted H5N1 from poultry, but they were still trying to find out where he acquired the virus.

Chen is China’s first reported human case of the deadly disease in

18 months. “The virus cannot spread among people” and “there is no need for Shenzhen citizens to panic,” Xinhua said, citing a statement from the centre. Chen developed a fever on December 21 and was taken to hospital four days later, and diagnosed with severe pneumonia, the health department in Shenzhen, a city of more than 10 million people, said in an earlier statement. The 39-year-old had apparently had no direct contact with poultry in the month before he was taken ill, nor had he left the city, the department said. The H5N1 virus is fatal in humans in about 60 percent of cases. However, it does not pass easily among humans, and the World Health Organization says it has nev-

er identified a “sustained human-tohuman spread” of the virus since it re-emerged in 2003. Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have been working closely together since December 21 after live poultry supplies were suspended to the glitzy financial hub following the discovery of infected birds. Authorities in Hong Kong have raised the bird flu alert level to “serious” since they discovered infected chickens, resulting in major disruptions to poultry supplies over the busy Christmas period. China is considered one of the nation’s most at risk of bird flu epidemics because it has the world’s biggest poultry population and many chickens in rural areas are kept close to humans.—AFP

30

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

W H AT ’ S O N Greetings

‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ at KES Many, many happy returns of the day to G Sonia. Best wishes comes from: Father Suresh, Mother - Sushma, Relatives: Raju, Pushpa, Dhanalakshmi, Namdev, Saku Bai, Sudam Seth, Shakuntala, Ram Chandra, Shoba, Ajay, Sarika, Akash.

Happy bithday to our dearest daughter Lena Sara Manoj, who celebrates her 4th birthday today. May God bless her with good health and bright future. Best wishes from father Parimanam Manoj, mother Bini Varughese, brother Leon Manoj, uncle Saji Pallikal, aunt Mini Saji and all relatives and friends.

NSS to celebrate Mannan Jayanthi

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air Service Society (NSS)- Kuwait, an offshoot of NSS Kerala, and a leading Indian Socio-cultural organization in Kuwait, is celebrating Mannam Jayanthi on a grand scale on Friday, 6th Jan, 2012 from 6pm at Marina Hall, Touristic Park, Abbassiya. The celebration is being held to mark the 135th Birth Anniversary of Bharath Kesari Mannathu Padmanabhan, prominent social reformer, freedom fighter and founder leader of NSS. The program for the upcoming celebrations were unveiled at a press briefing by Muralee Krishnan P, the president and Manikandan K P, the general secretary, of Nair Service Society, Kuwait.

His Excellency Satish C Mehta, Indian Ambassador to Kuwait will inaugurate the function and Dr C V Ananda Bose, IAS, and head of the prestigious Supreme Court committee on Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, will be the Guest of Honor delivering the keynote address at the event. Dr Bose is the founder of many innovative movements and institutions in the field of affordable housing, good governance, science and technology, and in other fields such as Nirmithi Kendra (Building Centre) and District Tourism Council.

Leading Advocate and member of the Board of Directors of NSS Kerala, N V Ayyappan Pillai, will preside over the function. Mr. Pillai is the president of NSS taluk union, Karunagappally and the member of Bar Council of Kerala. The Mannam Jayanthi celebrations will also be highlighted by the scintillating performance of leading South Indian cine artist, Remya Nambeesan, who is expected to entertain the audience with her classical dances. Renowned pianist and composer, Steefan Devassy and his team, along with playback singer Nikhil Raj, will lead the musical concerts and fusion program.

Admission to the event is restricted to invitees only and more details can be gathered by contacting the organizers on the following numbers: Riggae / Farwaniya - 97601637 / 99570668; Abbasiya / Hasawi 94067350 / 97909965; AbuHalif / Mahboula - 94067350 / 99865708; Salmiya / Hawally / KuwaitCity -65595479 / 99698168 and Fahaheel / Mangaf / Ahmadi - 66120051 / 99597046.

KERA conducts mass signature campaign

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uwait Ernakulam Residents Association (KERA) conducts mass signature campaign on a memorandum to show the solidarity and support in the Mullaperiyar Dam issue especially to the residents of Idukki, Kottayam, Athanamthitta, Alapuzha and Ernakulam districts of Kerala. The campaign is focusing to obtain signature from minimum 10,000 people from Kerala.

The memorandum is demanding to the authorities to immediately bring down the water level to 120 feet in the dam to ensure safety of 3.5 million people and properties. Approval to construct a new dam as it fears that a strong earthquake might damage the existing dam. Protect the lives and properties of over 3.5 million citizens. Find an amicable solution (preferably outside court) to this Kerala-Tamil Nadu dispute.

Consider the Government of Kerala commitment to undertake ‘water for Tamil Nadu and safety for Kerala’.

The organizers stated in a press release that the signed documents will be submitted to the President, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice, and the Union Minister for Water Resources of India, and the Chief Minister of Kerala.

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ahad Al-Sahli stole the show with a fixating portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow, as a vast audience enjoyed four nights of spectacular performances by Kuwait English School students appearing in Pirates of the Caribbean.

“He was absolutely brilliant” said Helen Searle, Preparatory Department Head Teacher. “He had him down to a tee”, added teacher Lorraine Al-Farhan.

Two years ago KES presented its best ever production of Sweeney Todd. This year even that was excelled with “Pirates of the Caribbean”. The directors proved their canny knack of merging creative visions into reality yet again. Mrs Marie Naylor and Ms Donna Clarke realised most of their outlandish dreams and masterfully adapted to the stage yet another Johhny Depp Hollywood blockbuster.

The thoroughly entertaining theatrical venture followed the antics of the loveable pirate, “charting the trials and tribulations of the incorrigible rogue, Jack Sparrow. Sorry Captain Jack Sparrow, who is with doubt the best pirate we’ve ever heard of”.

The explosive nautical production was action packed with dynamic word play, and thrilling music and dance routines.

The play launched into the first scene with Elizabeth, 12 year old daughter of Governor Swann, hiding a gold medallion worn by the sole survivor of a shipwreck. Eight years later Elizabeth, the delightful Laura Al-Ateeqi, faints into the bay as Captain James Norrington, the eloquent Ali Al-Radaan, proposes. “Our leading lady’s feisty nature and ability to fall off a cliff with panache and seamless-

ly vanish has provided hours of curtain pulling!” noted the Directors.

The medallion touches the sea bed, emitting a pulse to the pirates on the Black Pearl. They besiege Port Royal and capture Elizabeth. Will Turner, played

board. Believing Elizabeth is his daughter, Barbossa drops her blood onto the last coin - without result. Will rescues Elizabeth and they escape on the Interceptor, while Jack agrees with Barbossa to exchange the pearl for the identity of

superbly by Elia Haddad, persuades Jack to rescue her. They commandeer a ship and set sail for the Island of the Dead, which the ghostly pirates are doomed to haunt as skeletal beings until they return stolen loot to the treasure chest.

Barbossa, the dashing Raed Zein, has thrown William “Bootstrap Bill” Turner over-

Bootstrap Bill’s child. They pursue the Interceptor , sinking it in a stunt filled battle and capture the crew .

Will is taken back to Island of the Dead, where Barbossa plans to kill him. Jack and Elizabeth are marooned until Norrington spots a fire set by Elizabeth and, when she accepts his proposal, agrees to rescue Will . The sol-

diers and pirates clash in highly energetic and gruesome combat. Elizabeth once again saves Jack and Will after they are taken to Port Royal. “The 1770’s Setting has been a joy. The floppy hats, foppish shirts, and swashbuckling swords have lead to many classic moments of hilarity”, the Directors noted.

Una Munday created the costumes, which were made by Mr Mohammed and Mr Jameel.

“Our cast and crew have worked tirelessly , with great dedication and flair to produce a show we are truly proud of”, the Directors agreed. “Mrs Ellie Siddiq’s joie de vivre, stage slides and support throughout the journey has been invaluable” “The opportunity to work so intensely and creatively with Mrs Naylor and Ms. Clarke on the school play has provided the usual hilarity . ... I am very grateful to be part of such an amazing team,” Tara Ellie-Siddiq responded. She said she was inspired by the creativity and humour of the students and working on the show was an absolute joy.

“I have thoroughtly enjoyed working with extremely talented students, mastering some classic Michael Jackson moves ....Inspired by the work of an absolute pop legend and incredible dancer , working on the choreography has provided me with hours of fun and laughter” Tara said giving special thanks to Fahad Al-Sahli for his support. “I was ecstatic when I found out I had got the part as it was going to be my last performance in a KES production and I wanted to give everything I’ve got” Fahad Al=Sahli said.

“Running around for Thriller was fun because I could run

around with my bloomers underneath! I want to thank my wonderful mother who was really happy for me and always there after every endless rehearsal” said Laura Al-Ateeqi.

“Enjoy the show ye land lubbers,” exclaimed Raed Zein thanking his parents for their support. “It has been an excellent experience” added Elia Haddad.

School Chairman Mohammed Jassim Al-Saddah, Mme Naela Al-Saddah and Mme Rula Al-Saddah were thanked for making it all possible and Mr and Mrs Muhmood for their consistent passion for the arts.

Thanks went out to the cast, crew and parents for their unwavering goodwill and enthusiasm throughout the rehearsal process and performances. Mr Sherwood was thanked for his support and good humour throughout. “these youngsters have worked so hard”, he said, “I guarantee you will really enjoy this performance. It is fantastic” .

Artist Lewis Chapman and the Lost Lizards produced an amazing backdrop. Ahmed Rashdan Sifar led the organised, patient and professional Saif El Kholy and Bethel Embai working on lighting. Sound was perfected by David Abi Hanna and Hagop Moumjian. Faye Morgan and Ahmed Al Awadhi procured the props. Nick Veitch and Chris Laken became adept at “suspending disbelief” and brought to life an amazing set - worthy of an Oscar.

Cinemagic schedule

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inemagic Kuwait, is organizing these events as part of its efforts to contribute to the development of an internationally competitive Kuwaiti audio-visual production industry, partly by bringing the filmmakers and audiences together and by Increasing the public’s interest in - and appreciation for - the art of film-making. Cinemagic movies are screened in the old Salmiya, on the roof top of Alghanim Electronics and LG. Entrance is free of charge Thursday, January 5th at 7:30pm AMERICAN SPLENDOR An original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero Harvey Pekar.

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hief Minister Oommen Chandy presents the Bharat Seva Samaj National award to TKA Nair in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. M A Yousuf Ali, C K Menon, MM Hassan, KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala and former minister M Vijaya Kumar are also seen.

Carnatic lovers rejoice!

Aware Diwaniya

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ou are cordially invited to our diwaniya presentation entitled, “Bedouin Tents and desert customs,” tomorrow January 3dr, 2012 by Maziad Al-Khaldi at 7:00pm.

Modern day Kuwaitis are the descendants of several nomadic tribes and clans who ultimately settled on the coast of the Arabian Gulf during the eighteenth century to avoid the persistent drought of the desert. When they arrived at the coast, the clans built forts to protect themselves from other nomadic tribes who still traversed the desert. Society in Kuwait in known for strong ties between its members. Families, neighbors, and friends maintain close relationships, and everyone is ready to share and celebrate special occasions with others. Until now, ethnic Kuwaitis are still struggling to maintain their cultural heritage in an increasingly complex society. One of the aspects in which they strive to maintain their culture is living in tents in Winter.

Do you know how many types of tents exist?

What is the different between tents of today and those of the past? In his 25-minute presentation, Maziad will answer all these questions and many more. He will also share a Bedouin recipe on the screen. All those interested are welcome on January 3rd, 2012 at 7pm.

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uwait Carnatic Music Forum proudly announces Saint Satguru Thyagaraja Aaradhana 2012 on 12th and 13th January at Indian Community School, senior branch Salmiyah. The two days program will feature famous musicians from India and around Kuwait.

The inaugural day 12th January Time : 6.30pm Vocal : Innissai Banu Shri Trichy S Ganesan.

Violin : Karunagapilly S Balamurali Mrudangam : Perunna G Harikumar Ghatom : Kottyam B Unnikrishnan 13th January: The program will start in the morning 9.00 am. The day long program will have Sangeethaarchana by students and devotees around Kuwait. The objective of the program is to provide a platform for the local artists to perform their skills to the local enthusiastic public. The program will have a grand finale with Ghanaraga Pancharatna Keerathan Aapapanam by eminent musicians around Kuwait. The Pancharatna Aalapanam will be led by Trichy S Ganesan. Ganesan is a leading Carnatic vocalist from South India working with All India Radio Madhurai as a staff artist. He is also conferred with many awards. He has 35 years of experience as a performing artist.

Kottayam B Unnikrishnan is a leading Ghatom artist from Kerala. He is an assistant professor in mrudangam with Swathi Thirunal Music College, Trivandrum. He has many concerts to his credits in India and abroad with top most leading artist from Carnatic music world.

Saturday, January 7th at 7:30pm DON’T LOOK BACK Documentary covering Bob Dylan’s 1965 tour of England, which includes appearances by Joan Baez and Donovan.

Thursday, January 12th at 7:30pm THE DINNER GAME Each week, Pierre and his friends organize what is called as “un diner de cons”. Everyone brings the dumbest guy he could find as a guest. Pierre thinks his champ -FranÁois Pignon- will steal the show.

Saturday, January 14th at 7:30pm THE GREAT DICTATOR In Chaplin’s satire on Nazi Germany, dictator Adenoid Hynkel has a double... a poor Jewish barber... who one day is mistaken for Hynkel.

Thursday, January 19th at 7:30pm THE BEAT THAT MY HEART SKIPPED Should Tom (Duris) make like his thuggish father or pursue his dream of becoming a pianist?

Saturday, January 21st at 7:30pm THRONE OF BLOOD A ruthlessly ambitious lord, egged on by his wife, works to fulfill a prophecy that he would become Emperor.

Thursday, January 26th at 7:30pm GREASE Good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. But when they unexpectedly discover they’re now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance?

Saturday, January 28th at 7:30pm AKIRA A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psionic psychopath that only two kids and a group of psionics can stop.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF BRAZIL The Embassy of Brazil requests all Brazilian citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the website www.brazil.org.kw (Contact Us Form / Fale Conosco) in order to register or update contact information. The Embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the Embassy. The registration process helps the Brazilian Government to contact and assist Brazilians living abroad in case of any emergency. nnnnnnn

Open bowling tourney ends at the ‘Bowl Room’

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Mousawi won the championship in the Single team - Group A; whereas Salem AlHajras took the second place. Third and fourth places were respectively awarded to Ali Al-Baloushi and Agapito Cuadrazal.

On the other hand, Ali Al-Baloushi, Abdelrahman Suweid, Salem Al-Hajras and Lukman King were Champion for the Team Event tournament, while Yaqoub Al-

he “Bowl Room” celebrated the ending of the open bowling tournament held from Nov 28th to Dec 23rd, 2011. The tournament witnessed the presence of many professionals and enthusiasts bowlers who competed in different rounds in a thrilling and adventurous atmosphere. Former player of Kuwait National Bowling League Fadel Al-

Shati and Jhun Hosmilo won the Championship of Double team tournament. Jhun Hosmilo won first place in the Single Team - Group B, followed by Mohamad Ashour in second place and Abdel Rahman Suweid in third place.

The closing ceremony witnessed an unprecedented excitement among professionals and enthusiasts bowlers who

eagerly awaited final results, as the competition was getting fierce among participants who were all striving for first place.

At the end, valuable awards were handed out to the participants for their efforts over the last 25 days of the championship.

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 12:30 to 01:00 pm for lunch break. Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday.

Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca.

The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF GERMANY

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kuwait wishes to announce that as of 1 May 2011, the external service provider Al Qabas Assurex is operating a Visa Application Centre in support of the German Embassy. Short-term visa applications for travels to Germany (e.g. for tourism, visits, business) are to be submitted to the service provider Al Qabas who for your convenience will ensure that all relevant documents are included in your application. Your personal appearance at the Application Centre is not required. Address of the Visa Application Centre: Al Qabas Assurex Sanabel Tower (AlBabtain) Mezzanine (M3) opposite Sharq Mall Kuwait 22924444 Fax: 22924442 Further information are available on the following websites: www.kuwait.diplo.de www.qavisa.com nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF FRANCE The French Embassy in Kuwait will be closed today for the New Year. Best Wishes for the New Year! nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF INDONESIA On the occasion of the New Year holiday, the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Kuwait will be closed on 29 December 2011 and will resume its activities on 2 January 2012. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform the general public that, it will be closed on the Sunday 1st and Monday 2nd January 2012 on the occasion of the New Year. Normal work will resume on Tuesday 3rd January 2012. nnnnnnn

ICSK Amman holds Christmas celebration

T

tions started with the special assembly of the primary section.-classes I-V followed by the senior and the senior secondary sections.

The assembly began with the recitals from the Holy Quran, followed by the school prayer, and the National Anthems of Kuwait and India. An interesting and entertaining array of programs had been organized to mark the celebrations. It included Christmas gift suggestions as thought for the day, Christmas special vocabulary, primary choir carols, Santa dance, Christmas story PowerPoint presentation, instrumental music (carols), and the Coming of Santa. The

ime to rejoice with Santa Claus.

Christmas brings with it a lot of enjoyment, love, laughter, brotherhood, merriment and feasts. The Indian Community School Amman Branch was adorned with a festive look with lots of activities focusing on the season’s joy and bliss, decorations and the associated buzz. A lovely feeling mesmerized everyone in the school.

Dec 22, 2011 was an unforgettable day for ICSK Amman branch when the school celebrated Christmas with great passion. The festival of joy, hope and peace was celebrated with all the fervor and fun. The celebra-

choir made the day remarkable by singing many of the all-time favorite carols like “Silent night”, “Jingle bells”, “Come all ye faithful”, “We three kings”, “and “ Joy to the world”.

The audience was spellbound by the soulful renditions of the choir.

Nirmala Kumari and Reeba Chacko, shared special messages of Christmas highlighting the importance of realizing the presence of god in each one of us. The highlight of the show was undoubtedly the Nativity Scene presented by the class X students ably assisted by Mrs Sumitra. The cast, the set and the costume were highly appreciated by the audience with a huge round of applause

which kept echoing for a long time. The appearance of Angels and the Santa on stage made the children go delirious with happiness and joy. The Principal Sridevi Pradeep lauded the efforts of the students and teachers in staging a wonderful assembly true to the Amman tradition of setting high standards and also encouraged and motivated the students to follow the path of brotherhood, love and peace which is the true message of Christmas and achieve happiness and prosperity in life.

F

Oxford University’s official website for his contribution in the field of memory training. He has conducted more than 2,000 seminars internationally addressing more than one million people. He holds worldwide patent for his inventions - memory ball, mnemonic pen, happiness machine and animated cosmic energy cord.

This enriching seminar is specially to help children to perform better in academics and always stay ahead in competitions. The highlights of the proposed seminar include how to recall quickly and avoid mistakes in examination, mind control techniques, how to overcome examination phobia, the science of interest, how to use mind-body-medicine principle to gain extra energy instantly, measurement of happiness index and

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EMBASSY OF PERU Peruvian Permanent Expo will be temporarily closed from December 2lst 2011 to January 21st 2012. The Expo will reopen on January 22nd 2012 and offer once again “Peruvian Private Gastronomy Tasting Lunches” and much more like Peruvian culture, tourism, trade and great possibilities of investment. nnnnnnn

Free seminar on effective use of memory techniques irst of its kind, an exclusive Super Memory Seminar is being conducted in Kuwait by world renowned memory management guru Dr Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury. The Seminar on “How to Double your Memory” will be held on Friday, 6th Jan 2012 at Jabriya Kuwait Medical Association Hall auditorium. This seminar is an event for improving memory covering all aspects of memory, mind and body by using scientific tips and techniques. It has a good record of success in more than 150 cities internationally in less than 10 years.

Chowdhury, holder of two World Records in memory management and push-ups, is the author of 25 books on mind and memory. His biography is included in 2012 edition of Who’s Who In The World and his name is mentioned in

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax- 25387719.

Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk

how to improve the power of concentration.

The seminar will be also beneficial for the parents to mentor their children to excel in life and to use the techniques taught during the seminar in their own personal and professional life. This exclusive seminar is presented by Indiansinkuwait.com (IIK). The gold sponsor for this seminar is Zahem & Malhotra C0. (VLCC). Entry to this seminar is free for those who register through the web portal IndiansinKuwait.com.

EMBASSY OF RUSSIA Embassy of the Russian Federation invites all the Russian residents in Kuwait to visit the Consulate for registration and updating your database. This information is necessary for prompt notice, assistance and warning in case of emergency. The consulate reception hours: 10:00 13:00, Sunday - Wednesday. The Embassy is located in Kuwait City, Daiya, Block 5, Diplomatic campus, Plot 17. Tel: (+965) 22560427, 22560428. Fax: (+965) 22524969, e-mail: rusposkuw@mail.ru, consdepkuw@mail.ru Information also available on the website: www.kuwait.mid.ru nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF SOUTH AFRICA On the occasion of the New Year, the Embassy will be closed on Sunday, January 1, 2012. Please note on Thursday, December 29, 2011, working hours will be from 8:00 to 10:00. The Embassy will resume its normal working hours on Monday, January 2, 2012, as follows: Please note that the working hours will be from 8:00 to 16:00 & the Consular Section operation hours will from 8:30 to 12:30.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:50 01:45 02:40 03:35 04:30 05:25 06:20 07:10 07:35 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:10 11:05 12:00 12:55 13:20 13:50 14:45 15:40 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:25 19:20 20:15 20:40 21:10 22:05 23:00 23:55

Human Prey Animal Cops Houston Wildest Africa Must Love Cats Human Prey Dogs 101 Animal Cops Houston Monkey Life Wildlife SOS Monkey Life Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Talk To The Animals Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife Breed All About It My Cat From Hell Dogs 101 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Bondi Vet Wildlife SOS Miami Animal Police Animal Cops Houston Wildest Africa Monkey Life Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Talk To The Animals Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife Dogs 101 Dogs 101 Bondi Vet Breed All About It Dogs 101 Wildest Africa Big Five Challenge Untamed & Uncut

00:40 Last Of The Summer Wine 01:10 Last Of The Summer Wine 01:50 The Large Family 05:00 Buzz & Tell 05:05 Tweenies 05:25 Charlie and Lola 05:35 Nina And The Neurons 05:50 Balamory 06:10 Jackanory Junior 06:25 Penelope K, By The Way 06:35 The Large Family 06:45 Buzz & Tell 06:50 Tweenies 07:10 Charlie and Lola 07:20 Nina And The Neurons 07:35 My Family 08:05 After You’ve Gone 08:35 The Weakest Link 09:20 EastEnders 09:50 Doctors 10:20 Holby City 11:10 Mutual Friends 12:00 As Time Goes By 12:30 My Family 13:00 The Weakest Link 13:45 EastEnders 14:15 Doctors 14:45 Holby City 15:35 Mutual Friends 16:25 The Weakest Link 17:10 EastEnders 17:40 Doctors 18:10 Holby City 19:00 My Family 19:30 Blackadder the Third 20:00 New Tricks 20:50 After You’ve Gone 21:20 As Time Goes By 21:50 The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister 23:00 As Time Goes By 23:30 As Time Goes By

00:05 00:55 02:45 03:15 04:05 04:50 05:35 06:20 07:15 08:00 08:20 08:40 09:30

Antiques Roadshow Masterchef Masterchef 10 Years Younger Celebrity Fantasy Homes House Swap Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Bargain Hunt Cash In The Attic USA Cash In The Attic USA Masterchef Australia Masterchef Australia

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

Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Come Dine With Me 10 Years Younger The Boss Is Coming To Dinner The Boss Is Coming To Dinner Celebrity Fantasy Homes House Swap Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Cash In The Attic USA James Martin’s Brittany James Martin’s Brittany Indian Food Made Easy Indian Food Made Easy Cash In The Attic USA Cash In The Attic USA The Boss Is Coming To Dinner The Boss Is Coming To Dinner Bargain Hunt

00:40 Samurai Jack 01:05 Samurai Jack 01:30 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 02:20 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 02:45 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 03:10 Best Ed 04:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:25 Adventure Time 04:50 Generator Rex 05:15 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 05:40 Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 05:55 I Am Weasel 06:55 Powerpuff Girls 07:45 Angelo Rules 08:00 Casper’s Scare School 08:30 The Amazing World Of Gumball 08:45 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 09:15 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 09:40 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 10:05 Angelo Rules 10:30 Chowder 10:55 Adventure Time 11:20 Eliot Kid 11:35 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 12:00 Ben 10 12:25 Sym-Bionic Titan 12:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog 13:15 I Am Weasel 13:40 Best Ed 14:05 Cow & Chicken 14:30 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 14:50 Eliot Kid 15:15 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 15:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 16:05 Courage The Cowardly Dog 16:30 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 16:55 The Amazing World Of Gumball 17:10 Adventure Time 17:35 Regular Show 18:00 Cow & Chicken 18:25 Generator Rex 18:50 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 19:15 Angelo Rules 19:30 Total Drama World Tour 19:55 Hero 108 20:25 Sym-Bionic Titan 20:50 Adventure Time 21:25 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 21:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog 22:25 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 22:50 Cow & Chicken 23:00 Ben 10 23:25 Ben 10 23:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00

Connect The World Backstory World Sport The Situation Room World Report Anderson Cooper 360 Piers Morgan Tonight Quest Means Business Erin Burnett Outfront

08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00

World Sport African Voices World Report World Report World Sport Talk Asia World Business Today Backstory News Special World One Piers Morgan Tonight News Stream World Business Today International Desk Global Exchange World Sport News Special International Desk Quest Means Business Piers Morgan Tonight

00:15 00:40 01:35 02:30 03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 15:05 16:00 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Destroyed In Seconds Animal Cops South Africa Dirty Jobs Overhaulin’ Ultimate Survival Mythbusters How It’s Made How It’s Made Dirty Jobs Mythbusters Wreckreation Nation One Man Army How It’s Made Cake Boss Border Security Auction Hunters Building The Biggest Building The Biggest Overhaulin’ Ultimate Survival Mythbusters Cash Cab Us Border Security Auction Hunters How It’s Made How It’s Made Cake Boss One Man Army An Idiot Abroad Freddie Flintoff vs The World

00:40 The Gadget Show 01:35 The Colony 02:25 The Tech Show 02:50 Building The Biggest 03:40 Mighty Ships 04:35 How Does That Work?

05:00 How Stuff’s Made 05:25 Superships 06:20 Scrapheap Challenge 07:10 The Future Of...

08:00 Bad Universe 08:50 How Does That Work?

09:15 How Stuff’s Made 09:40 Building The Biggest 10:35 Mighty Ships 11:25 Superships 12:20 Scrapheap Challenge 13:15 The Gadget Show 13:40 The Gadget Show 14:05 The Future Of...

14:55 How Does That Work?

15:20 How Stuff’s Made 15:50 Bad Universe 16:40 The Tech Show 17:05 Scrapheap Challenge 18:00 The Gadget Show 18:25 The Gadget Show 18:50 Superships 19:40 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 20:30 Nasa’s Greatest Missions 21:20 Da Vinci’s Machines 22:10 Bad Universe 23:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 23:50 Nasa’s Greatest Missions

00:00 00:25 01:15 02:00 02:25

KIM POSSIBLE Fairly Odd Parents STITCH REPLACEMENTS REPLACEMENTS

PATRIOT GAMES ON OSN ACTION HD

02:50 03:15 03:35 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:20 06:45 CODY 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:10 08:35 09:00 10:30 10:36 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:00 12:25 12:45 13:10 13:30 13:55 14:20 14:45 15:00 16:30 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:15 18:35 18:41 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:25 20:50 21:15 CODY 21:35 CODY 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:35

EMPEROR’S NEW SCHOOL EMPEROR’S NEW SCHOOL STITCH STITCH REPLACEMENTS REPLACEMENTS Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents HANNAH MONTANA RECESS THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK AND Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie PHINEAS AND FERB WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE PIXEL PERFECT HAVE A LAUGH HAVE A LAUGH SUITE LIFE ON DECK SUITE LIFE ON DECK SUITE LIFE ON DECK SUITE LIFE ON DECK WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie SHAKE IT UP SHAKE IT UP WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE FISH HOOKS CHEETAH GIRLS: ONE WORLD HAVE A LAUGH WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE Good Luck Charlie FISH HOOKS SHAKE IT UP HAVE A LAUGH MY BABYSITTER’S A VAMPIRE MY BABYSITTER’S A VAMPIRE MY BABYSITTER’S A VAMPIRE Good Luck Charlie HANNAH MONTANA HANNAH MONTANA THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK AND THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK AND SONNY WITH A CHANCE SHAKE IT UP SHAKE IT UP WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE

00:20 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 00:35 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 00:50 JUNGLE JUNCTION 01:15 LITTLE EINSTEINS 01:40 HIGGLYTOWN HEROES 01:55 HIGGLYTOWN HEROES 02:10 JO JO’S CIRCUS 02:30 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 02:45 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 03:00 JUNGLE JUNCTION 03:15 JUNGLE JUNCTION 03:25 LITTLE EINSTEINS 03:50 HIGGLYTOWN HEROES 04:05 HIGGLYTOWN HEROES 04:20 JO JO’S CIRCUS 04:40 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 04:55 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 05:10 JUNGLE JUNCTION 05:25 JUNGLE JUNCTION 05:35 LITTLE EINSTEINS 06:00 HIGGLYTOWN HEROES 06:15 HIGGLYTOWN HEROES 06:30 JO JO’S CIRCUS 06:50 JUNGLE JUNCTION 07:00 JUNGLE JUNCTION 07:15 HIGGLYTOWN HEROES 07:30 HIGGLYTOWN HEROES 07:45 HANDY MANNY 08:00 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 08:15 JUNGLE JUNCTION 08:30 JUNGLE JUNCTION 08:45 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE 09:10 THE HIVE 09:20 HANDY MANNY 09:35 JAKE & THE NEVERLAND PIRATES 09:50 JAKE & THE NEVERLAND PIRATES 10:05 THE HIVE 10:15 MINI ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH 10:25 TIMON AND PUMBAA 10:45 THE HIVE 10:55 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE 11:20 IMAGINATION MOVERS 11:45 ART ATTACK 12:10 IMAGINATION MOVERS 12:30 JUNGLE JUNCTION 12:45 LazyTown 13:10 HANDY MANNY 13:25 JUNGLE JUNCTION 13:40 IMAGINATION MOVERS 14:05 THE HIVE 14:15 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 14:25 LITTLE EINSTEINS 14:50 LazyTown 15:15 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE 15:40 JAKE & THE NEVERLAND PIRATES 15:55 JAKE & THE NEVERLAND PIRATES 16:05 HANDY MANNY 16:20 HANDY MANNY 16:30 THE HIVE 16:40 JAKE & THE NEVERLAND PIRATES 16:55 IMAGINATION MOVERS 17:20 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 17:30 HANDY MANNY 17:45 ART ATTACK 18:10 THE HIVE 18:20 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 18:30 JUNGLE JUNCTION 18:45 HANDY MANNY 18:55 JAKE & THE NEVERLAND PIRATES 19:10 JAKE & THE NEVERLAND PIRATES 19:25 THE HIVE 19:35 LITTLE EINSTEINS 20:00 MINI ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH 20:05 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE 20:30 ANIMATED STORIES 20:35 HANDY MANNY 20:50 JAKE & THE NEVERLAND PIRATES 21:05 JAKE & THE NEVERLAND PIRATES 21:20 THE HIVE 21:30 MINI ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH 21:33 A POEM IS...

21:40 JUNGLE JUNCTION 21:55 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE 22:20 JAKE & THE NEVERLAND PIRATES 22:35 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 22:50 LITTLE EINSTEINS 23:15 TIMMY TIME 23:25 HANDY MANNY 23:40 JUNGLE JUNCTION 23:55 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:20 01:45 02:10 02:35 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:15 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:00 09:25 09:50 10:15 10:40 11:05 11:30 11:55 12:20 12:35 13:00 13:15 13:40 13:55 14:20 14:45 15:15 15:40 16:05 16:30 16:55 17:45 18:20 18:45 Doo 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:15 20:40 21:05 21:30 21:45 22:10 22:35 23:00 23:25 23:55

Johnny Bravo Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Droopy: Master Detective The Flintstones Johnny Bravo Duck Dodgers King Arthur’s Disasters The Scooby Doo Show Popeye Classics Tom & Jerry Popeye The Jetsons The Flintstones Looney Tunes Pink Panther & Pals Tex Avery Duck Dodgers The Garfield Show Pink Panther And Pals Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Jelly Jamm New Yogi Bear Show Puppy In My Pocket The Garfield Show Pink Panther And Pals The Scooby Doo Show Tom & Jerry Dastardly And Muttley Top Cat New Yogi Bear Show Puppy In My Pocket Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Bananas In Pyjamas The Jetsons Duck Dodgers Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Garfield Show Pink Panther And Pals The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Puppy In My Pocket Looney Tunes Tom & Jerry The Scooby Doo Show Scooby-Doo And ScrappyScooby Doo Where Are You! A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas New Yogi Bear Show Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show Dastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Dexters Laboratory

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Style Star 01:25 20 Best & Worst Celebrity Plastic...

03:15 25 Most Stylish 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 THS 10:15 THS 12:05 E! News 13:05 Kendra 13:35 Kendra 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 15:00 Style Star 15:30 E!es 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Khloe And Lamar 17:25 Khloe And Lamar 17:55 E! News 18:55 E!es 19:55 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:25 Kendra 21:55 Kendra 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:00 Racing To America 00:30 Blowdown 01:00 Banged Up Abroad 01:30 What Would Happen If 02:00 Banged Up Abroad 02:00 What Would Happen If 02:30 Nat Geo’s Most Amazing Photos 03:00 Finding Genghis 03:00 Nat Geo’s Most Amazing Photos 03:30 Deadliest Journeys 03:30 What Would Happen If 04:00 Ultimate Traveller 04:00 What Would Happen If 04:30 Brilliant Beasts 05:00 Long Way Down 05:30 Dino Autopsy 06:00 Racing To America 06:30 Naked Science 2.5 07:00 Banged Up Abroad 07:30 Blowdown 08:00 Banged Up Abroad 08:30 What Would Happen If 09:00 Finding Genghis 09:00 What Would Happen If 09:30 Brilliant Beasts 09:30 Deadliest Journeys 10:00 Ultimate Traveller 10:30 Nat Geo’s Most Amazing Photos 11:00 Long Way Down 11:00 Nat Geo’s Most Amazing Photos 11:30 Is It Real?

12:00 Racing To America 12:30 Brilliant Beasts 13:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 13:30 Shark Nicole 14:00 Treks In A Wild World 14:30 Great Migrations 15:00 Cycling Home From Siberia With Rob Lilwall 15:30 Deadliest Journeys 15:30 Master of Disaster 16:00 Eccentric Uk 16:30 Is It Real?

16:30 Which Way To 17:30 Brilliant Beasts 17:30 Graham’s World 18:00 Meet The Natives: USA 18:30 Shark Nicole

GASLAND ON OSN CINEMA 19:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 19:30 Hunter Hunted 20:00 Treks In A Wild World 20:30 Lockdown 21:00 Cycling Home From Siberia With Rob Lilwall 21:30 Air Crash Investigation 21:30 Deadliest Journeys 22:00 Eccentric Uk 22:30 Dino Death Trap 22:30 Which Way To 23:30 Graham’s World 23:30 Naked Science 2.5

00:00 Child’s Play 3-18 02:00 Reykjavik: Whale Watching Massacre-18 04:00 Fade To Black-18 06:00 Ballistica-PG15 08:00 Patriot Games-PG15 10:00 The Karate Kid II-PG 12:00 Last Breath-PG15 14:00 Patriot Games-PG15 16:00 The Karate Kid III-PG 18:00 Last Breath-PG15 20:00 4.3.2.1.-18 22:00 Sniper: Reloaded-18

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

The Killer Inside Me-18 The Tempest-PG15 Gasland-PG15 The Client List-PG15 The Tempest-PG15 Due Date-PG15 Stone Of Destiny-PG15 Certified Copy-PG15 Jonah Hex-PG15 Nine Dead-PG15 The 19th Wife-PG15 The Burning Plain-18

00:00 Curb Your Enthusiasm 00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 02:30 The Cleveland Show 03:30 Friends 12:00 Two And A Half Men 12:30 Will And Grace 13:00 Melissa And Joey 13:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 14:00 Friends 15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 16:30 Happy Endings 18:00 Friends 18:30 Friends 19:00 Modern Family 19:30 Parks And Recreation 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Weeds 22:30 Neighbors From Hell 23:00 The Cleveland Show

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Desperate Housewives Breaking Bad Top Gear (US) Revenge White Collar Good Morning America The Cape Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View Desperate Housewives Revenge The Cape Live Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice Royal Pains Terriers White Collar

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00

Drop Dead Diva Top Gear (US) Breaking Bad Desperate Housewives Revenge

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

The Chicago Code Drop Dead Diva Modern Family Coronation Street Law & Order: Los Angeles Top Gear (US) Desperate Housewives Revenge Modern Family Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Law & Order: Los Angeles C.S.I. Modern Family Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Law & Order: Los Angeles Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice Royal Pains Off The Map In Plain Sight

01:00 The Payback-18 03:00 Fade To Black-18 05:00 Universal Soldier: Regeneration-PG15 07:00 Bad Girls-PG15 09:00 Dragon: The Bruce Lee StoryPG15 11:00 Armored-18 13:00 The Thirteenth Floor-18 15:00 Dragon: The Bruce Lee StoryPG15 17:00 Alive-PG15 19:15 From Within-PG15 21:00 Sniper: Reloaded-18 23:00 The Devil’s Tomb-PG15

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 PG 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Happy Ever Afters-PG15 Tank Girl-PG15 Finding Lenny-PG15 Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Jr.-

01:15 03:00 PG15 05:00 07:15 09:00 11:00 PG15 13:00 15:00 17:00 18:45 21:00 23:00

Stand By Me-18 Oscar And The Lady In Pink-

01:00 02:45 05:00 06:45 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 PG15 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Post Grad-PG15 Addams Family Values-PG Saved!-PG15 That Old Feeling-PG15 Happy Ever Afters-PG15 The Dukes-PG15 Love Happens-PG15 Palo Alto-18

Funny Bones-PG15 Witch Hunt-PG15 Coco Before Chanel-PG15 Squanto: A Warrior’s TaleThe Hudsucker Proxy-PG15 Parlez-Moi De LA Pluie-PG15 Private-PG15 Paris-PG15 Courage Under Fire-PG15 The Clearing-18

Hot Tub Time Machine-18 Dance With Me-PG Ways To Live Forever-PG15 Invictus-PG15 Too Big To Fail-PG15 Lottery Ticket-PG15 From Justin To Kelly-PG The Sorcerer’s ApprenticeToo Big To Fail-PG15 The Slammin’ Salmon-18 The 19th Wife-PG15 The Hurt Locker-18

00:00 Kong: Return To The JunglePG15 02:00 My Fair Madeline-FAM 04:00 The Little Engine That CouldPG15 06:00 Kong: Return To The JunglePG15 08:00 Christopher Columbus-PG 10:00 Planet 51-PG 12:00 A Venetian Rascal Goes To America-PG15 14:00 Christopher Columbus-PG 16:00 Zorro And The Scarlett Whip Revealed-PG15 18:00 Planet 51-PG

20:00 How To Train Your Dragon-PG 22:00 A Venetian Rascal Goes To America-PG15

00:00 Goodbye Solo-PG15 02:00 Frenemy-18 03:45 Triassic Attack-PG15 05:45 Made In Dagenham-PG15 08:00 Sounds Like Teen Spirit-PG15 10:00 Triassic Attack-PG15 12:00 Made In Dagenham-PG15 14:00 St. Trinian’s 2: The Legend Of Fritton’s Gold-PG15 16:00 Sounds Like Teen Spirit-PG15 18:00 The Fourth Kind-PG15 20:00 Knight And Day-PG15 22:00 The Last House On The Left18

02:30 09:30 11:30 14:30

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02:00 02:30 09:30 10:30 11:30 14:30 21:30

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00:00 Scottish Premier League 02:00 Trans World Sport 03:00 Pro 12 Celtic League 05:00 Scottish Premier League 07:00 Trans World Sport 08:00 Scottish Premier League 10:00 Scottish Premier League 12:00 US Bass Fishing 13:00 PDC World Darts Championship 17:00 Scottish Premier League 19:30 SPL Highlights 20:00 PDC World Darts Championship

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 16:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00

WWE Experience V8 Supercars Championship V8 Supercars Championship Speedway Intercontinental Le Mans Cup UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed WWE NXT WWE Bottom Line Speedway Le Mans Series Highlights V8 Supercars Championship V8 Supercars Championship WWE Bottom Line WWE Vintage Collection Le Mans Series Highlights Speedway Powerboats Powerboats WWE NXT WWE Experience UFC Unleashed UFC 141 Prelims UFC 141

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 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30

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Classifieds TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR JZR JZR ETH THY UAE QTR OMA DHX MSR FDB ETD RJA MEA GFA MEA KAC DHX FAH JZR JZR KAC BAW KAC JZR KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD FDB IRA GFA IRA JZR RKM MEA MSR MSR JZR KAC GFA KAC FDB UAL GRF QTR KAC SVA RJA KAC KAC JZR QTR KAC JZR ETD UAE GFA SVA JZR ABY JZR ALK JZR KAC FDB KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC JAI OMA MLR DHX MEA GFA QTR UAE JZR KAC KLM AIC JZR UAL AXB BBC DLH

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 3/1/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 620 ADDIS ABABA 772 ISTANBUL 853 DUBAI 138 DOHA 641 MUSCAT 370 BAHRAIN 612 CAIRO 67 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 642 AMMAN 408 BEIRUT 211 BAHRAIN 400 BEIRUT 544 CAIRO 170 BAHRAIN 201 DUBAI 555 ALEXANDRIA 529 ASSIUT 416 JAKARTA/KUALA LUMPUR 157 LONDON 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 503 LUXOR 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 301 ABU DHABI 55 DUBAI 605 ISFAHAN 213 BAHRAIN 619 LAR 165 DUBAI 310 RAS ALKHAIMAH 404 BEIRUT 623 SOHAG 610 CAIRO 201 DAMASCUS 672 DUBAI 219 BAHRAIN 512 TEHRAN 57 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 93 KANDAHAR/DUBAI 140 DOHA 546 ALEXANDRIA 500 JEDDAH 640 AMMAN 562 AMMAN 284 DHAKA 257 BEIRUT 134 DOHA 678 ABU DHABI/MUSCAT 561 SOHAG 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 269 BEIRUT 127 SHARJAH 777 JEDDAH 227 COLOMBO/DUBAI 177 DUBAI 614 BAHRAIN 63 DUBAI 542 CAIRO 787 RIYADH 786 JEDDAH 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 744 DAMMAM 166 PARIS/ROME 104 LONDON 774 RIYADH 61 DUBAI 552 DAMASCUS 572 MUMBAI 647 MUSCAT 1405 COLOMBO/DUBAI 372 BAHRAIN 402 BEIRUT 217 BAHRAIN 136 DOHA 859 DUBAI 135 BAHRAIN 502 BEIRUT 443 AMSTERDAM 981 CHENNAI/HYDERABAD 239 AMMAN 981 BAHRAIN 389 KOZHIKODE/MANGALORE 43 DHAKA 636 FRANKFURT

Time 0:20 0:45 0:50 1:45 2:15 2:35 2:40 2:50 2:55 3:00 3:05 3:10 3:10 3:15 3:15 3:15 4:40 5:15 5:30 6:00 6:20 6:25 6:40 6:45 7:25 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:30 9:00 9:05 9:15 9:20 9:45 9:55 10:50 11:20 11:45 11:55 12:30 12:55 13:00 13:20 13:25 13:40 13:50 14:05 14:15 14:20 14:30 14:30 14:40 14:45 15:00 15:00 15:25 15:30 16:10 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:15 18:35 18:40 18:50 19:05 19:10 19:15 19:25 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:40 20:00 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:50 21:00 21:20 21:25 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:00 22:05 22:05 22:45 23:00 23:35 23:45 23:50

Airlines UAL AIC BBC JZR PIA DLH KAC ETH THY FDB UAE OMA DHX MSR ETD MEA MEA QTR JZR GFA RJA JZR KAC FDB BAW KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC JZR KAC UAE ABY ETD FDB QTR GFA IRA JZR KAC IRA KAC JZR RKM MEA MSR KAC JZR MSR GFA FDB KAC KAC UAL KAC RJA SVA KAC JZR KAC KAC QTR KAC JZR ETD JZR QTR GRF UAE GFA ABY SVA JZR JZR ALK FDB JZR KAC FDB KAC DHX KAC JAI OMA MLR KAC DHX MEA GFA FAH QTR JZR KAC UAE KAC KLM JZR KAC

Departure Flights on Tuesday 3/1/2012 Flt Route 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 976 GOA/CHENNAI 44 DHAKA 502 LUXOR 240 SIALKOT 637 FRANKFURT 283 DHAKA 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 642 MUSCAT 371 BAHRAIN 613 CAIRO 306 ABU DHABI 409 BEIRUT 401 BEIRUT 139 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 643 AMMAN 200 DAMASCUS 545 ALEXANDRIA 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 677 ABU DHABI/MUSCAT 671 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 511 TEHRAN 561 AMMAN 560 SOHAG 101 LONDON/NEW YORK 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 302 ABU DHABI 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 604 ISFAHAN 268 BEIRUT 165 ROME/PARIS 618 LAR 541 CAIRO 776 JEDDAH 311 RAS ALKHAIMAH 405 BEIRUT 624 SOHAG 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 551 DAMASCUS 673 DUBAI 982 BAHRAIN 613 BAHRAIN 641 AMMAN 501 JEDDAH 617 DOHA 786 RIYADH 501 BEIRUT 773 RIYADH 141 DOHA 743 DAMMAM 238 AMMAN 304 ABU DHABI 538 CAIRO 135 DOHA 82 BAGHDAD 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 511 RIYADH 266 BEIRUT 134 BAHRAIN 228 DUBAI/COLOMBO 64 DUBAI 184 DUBAI 361 COLOMBO 62 DUBAI 343 CHENNAI 171 BAHRAIN 351 COCHIN 571 MUMBAI 648 MUSCAT 1405 COLOMBO 543 CAIRO 373 BAHRAIN 403 BEIRUT 218 BAHRAIN 102 DUBAI 137 DOHA 554 ALEXANDRIA 301 MUMBAI 860 DUBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 443 BAHRAIN/AMSTERDAM 528 ASSIUT 411 BANGKOK/MANILA

Time 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:05 1:10 1:20 2:40 2:45 3:15 3:45 3:50 3:55 3:55 4:00 4:00 4:10 4:10 4:55 6:55 7:00 7:10 7:30 7:40 8:25 8:40 8:55 9:00 9:00 9:15 9:20 9:30 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:05 10:10 10:40 10:45 11:25 11:45 11:50 12:00 12:15 12:50 12:55 13:30 13:40 13:50 13:55 14:20 14:35 14:40 15:05 15:20 15:35 15:35 15:45 15:50 15:50 16:15 16:25 16:30 16:40 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:10 18:15 18:25 18:35 18:45 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:55 20:20 20:40 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:05 23:35 23:55

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

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available for a single person in a fully furnished C-A/C building, in Farwaniya near Burger King with kitchen & parking facilities, if interested please contact: 99038601. (C 3803) 1-1-2012 Sharing accommodation available for two decent executive Muslim bachelor in Sharq near Amiri Hospital.

Contact: 55238110 or tajtoyota@gmail.com New super deluxe apartment in Al-Fintas, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room with parquet floor, parking spaces. Furnished KD 360 per month, unfurnished KD 260 per month, rent covers internet service. Tel: 50167793, 55919978.

Wanted villa for a foreign family. South Surra, Salwa, Bayan, Mishrif, Rumaithiya, Jabriya, Yarmouk, and all internal area.

66653402 Wanted villa for a small foreign family in Aqaila, Mangaf, Fintas, Abu Al-Hasaniya, Maseila, Qurain and internal areas. 66653402 Wanted a one floor flat, in South Surra, Jabriya and Surra, Yarmouk, Salwa, Shamiya and all internal areas. (3) months payment. 66653402 27-12-2011

FOR SALE For sale Sony TV 21”, two wall fan, 8’ Dish for TV, small table. Contact: 66625253.

(C 3805) 3-1-2012 Chalet for sale at Almohana in Khieran. Contact: 66352426.

30-12-2011 Toyota Corolla 2009, white color, 77,000 km, Excellent condition, Price KD 3,150/-.

Contact: 66729295.

(C 3800) Underground Gold discovery device. New type, works by direct photography at a depth of 20 meters, determines the type, depth and size. Already tried with guarantee. 66145558 A farm in Abdaly, covering 50 thousand meters squared, one street. Fenced with chicken wire, workers residence + electricity + treated water. 55555235 Electric generator 3700 Watts, Astra brand, 2011 model, 1st grade Chinese made + pressure and gas gauges + 2 sockets, smooth noise, yellow, new in a carton. Price KD 85. 60066891 27-12-2011

TRANSORT Ready to transport employees for all areas and all times. Payment in advance.

66678633 27-12-2011

SITUATION VACANT Required cook for house, good experience, all kinds of food, professional cook, good salary + good accommodation + Air ticket, full time & part time. Contact: 23901053 / 55828597.

(C 3802) 28-12-2011

CHANGE OF NAME I, Orsu Vijaya Laxmi, holder of Indian Passport No. F1883273 hereby change my name to ORUCHU VIJAYAMMA. (C 3804) 1-1-2012 I, Mohamad Quaid s/o Baquar Contractor, holder of Indian Passport No. Z1479667 change my name to Mohamad Quaid Baquar Contractor for all purposes.

(C 3799) 27-12-2011

FOR RENT A park in Wafra animal pens, very clean, over an area of 2500m, very large fenced yard in front (5) rooms, saloons, separate diwaniyas and swimming pool, fountain, children games tent.

94426116 For rent in Farwaniya, basement 700m, car parking.

66920123 Flat in Maidan Hawally, one room, living room, bathroom, super deluxe finished kitchen, outstanding location. Rent KD 195.

Foreigners and expatriates only. Central satellite, C-A/C and boiler. 66980123 A floor in Dasman, 300m, outstanding location, on main street can be sued by lawyer, consultations, clinics, health club, saloon, work-

No: 15317

shop, training 66980123

center.

For rent in Salmiya, an apartment 3 rooms + 2 baths + saloon + swimming pool + DSL + Gym + Security + children games + other features.

Rent start from KD 475.

Foreigners and expats only.

66297171 For rent in Salmiya, an apartment 3 rooms + 3 baths + Saloon + Kitchen + Satellite.

Outstanding location.

Foreigners and expatriates only, no brokers. 66060299 For rent, basements in Jabriya and Hawally, good location, plastic floors, C-A/C, serious only call: 66980123 For rent or investment, complete floors with a basement in Salmiya, good location, licensed for clinics, no brokers. 66060299 For rent, flat in Bneid Al-Qar (2 rooms, maid rooms, 3 baths, kitchen) deluxe finishing good location. 55117226 For rent in Fahaheel.

Complete building for companies (2 rooms, 2 baths, living room, kitchen) good location, car parking.

66233230 For rent, one floor in a villa in Salmiya, (3 rooms, 4 baths, large living room, maid room, driver’s room, diwaniya) parking. Centeral satellite. Rent KD 750.

67750024

TUITION Mathematics teacher, Intermediate and secondar y Exams models, Easy method, Exams from past years with solutions.

97301901 English teacher (3) years experience, looking for a job and ready to start with all educational stages.

55963993 Mathematics teacher for Universities, Institutions, Foreign Schools, Administrative, American, English, Australian, Bahrain, Electric and Gulf Sciences, Algbra Prel, Mathematics, intermediate, gmat, sat college, math98, 110 pre calculus geometry. 97619261 Senior Biology teacher for secondary stage. Biology for University students and foreign schools, sciences of intermediate stage and 10th grade physics.

A Syrian Arabic language teacher. Masters in methods of teaching and follow up of 10th grade and 11th grade students. 97934291 A Syrian Arabic Language teacher. Masters, for secondary, intermediate, religious institution, universities, and establishment of the elementary stage using the Aleppo method “the alphabet then the word”.

50513599

34

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 546

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Imagination soars! Awareness and insight into other people’s minds and into spiritual matters are especially acute. You could be a great detective and if you are interested in law enforcement, or legal work, now is a good time to check out the possibilities that are available to you. The library may have books on this type of work and the requirements involved. Any sort of work today that requires strategy is where others will find you. Co-workers will thank you for your ability to take control—some of your suggestions have been needed at work for a long time. This could involve new computers, computer software, electronic telephone equipment, etc. Escape the rigors of the daily grind with dinner out, a movie or a good fantasy or romance novel this evening.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) If you are at home and you are not sick, you will find this a good day to prepare the garden, clean up your desk or wash the car. Stick to the routine tasks and avoid starting new projects or heading out in new directions. If you are in the workplace, the pressure could be pressing in to make an outrageous sales quota, deal with a cranky customer or make that presentation that you feel may need more work. Continual discovery, persistent search and transformation keep you on the move and growing. This evening is a good time for surrounding yourself with family and having a relaxed evening. You appreciate your particular situation and enjoy support from those around you. Unexpected but pleasant surprises come to you this evening.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. Experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness.

4. (used especially of meats) Preserved in salt.

10. Of southern Europe.

13. Electronic equipment that provides visual images of varying electrical quantities.

14. (psychology) Characterized by avoidance or withdrawal.

15. (computer science) A measure of how densely information is packed on a storage medium.

16. The month following July and preceding September.

17. A port city in western France on the Loire estuary.

18. An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.

19. A disease of plants characterized by the gradual dying of the young shoots starting at the tips and progressing to the larger branches.

22. A body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land.

23. An honorary degree in science.

24. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

27. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

29. Tropical starchy tuberous root.

33. In a state of sleep.

35. A genus of the family Droseraceae.

36. The 17th letter of the Greek alphabet.

37. The basic unit of electric current adopted under the System International d'Unites.

39. The probability of a specified outcome.

40. (Old Testament) Wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau.

44. Sluggish tailless Australian arboreal marsupial with gray furry ears and coat.

46. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds.

50. (informal) Exceptionally good.

53. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

55. Having any of numerous bright or strong colors reminiscent of the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies.

56. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

59. A small cake leavened with yeast.

60. A benevolent aspect of Devi.

61. The capital of Eritrea.

63. A conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures.

64. A light touch or stroke.

65. (British) Seating in the forward part of the main level of a theater.

66. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

DOWN 1. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

2. Wild sheep of northern Africa.

3. Formerly the chief magistrate in the republics of Venice and Genoa.

4. The capital and largest city of Yemen.

5. Having the wind against the forward side of the sails.

6. Connected by a link, as railway cars or trailer trucks.

7. Vietnamese New Year.

8. The Uralic language spoken by the Yeniseian people.

9. Acute delirium caused by alcohol poisoning.

10. Norwegian mathematician (1802-1829).

11. A detailed description of design criteria for a piece of work.

12. A linear unit (1/6 inch) used in printing.

20. (Scottish) Bluish-black or gray-blue.

21. A benign epithelial tumor of glandular origin.

25. United States tennis player who was the first Black to win United States and English singles championships (19431993).

26. An indistinct shapeless form.

28. An ester of adenosine that is converted to ATP for energy storage.

30. An informal term for a father.

31. A doctor's degree in education.

32. An associate degree in applied science.

34. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

38. One species.

39. Vietnamese New Year.

41. A graphical recording of the cardiac cycle produced by an electrocardiograph.

42. A heavy odorless colorless gas formed during respiration and by the decomposition of organic substances.

43. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

45. Strike with disgust or revulsion.

47. An ancient city in northern Portugal.

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

49. (Babylonian) A demigod or first man.

51. Avatar of Vishnu.

52. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

54. A British peer ranking below a Marquess and above a Viscount.

57. A tube in which a body fluid circulates.

58. Standard time in the 5th time zone west of Greenwich, reckoned at the 75th meridian.

62. A very poisonous metallic element that has three allotropic forms.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) This is a period when you take your work more seriously than usual; there is fun in the process of elimination, so to speak. A lot of energy goes into getting things scheduled and organized. A clear-minded insight into your own plans and methods is available. You may be asked to put your goals into words. This is a good time for decisions. Making your mark on the world has special significance for you. Achievement, ambition and authority are the things that take on a great deal of importance, now and in the future. Organizing and administering to people and projects will become central to your lifestyle, perhaps through a volunteer group. This volunteer work may be after work but could have a tendency to weave its way through your work contacts.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

Artistic and abstract thinking takes the lead over emotions today. A conference to find new and far reaching ideas to put your company on the map or raise the interest of the public will take the energies of all that are present. A new invention, color, style or a revision of something very, very old will be the topic of conversation the rest of this week. Together with another person you may be able to create a masterpiece presentation. Somehow you can perceive a kinship between various aspects of the universe that seemed unrelated before. It is a good day for clearheaded business dealings or scientific research. Sensitivity to beauty through the arts is heightened. This evening is a good time to declare your love without fear!

Leo (July 23-August 22) There are visions and opportunities coming your way this whole month. You make a great effort to always keep yourself up to date with all that is happening in your work-related world; timing is everything. Your acute sensitivity to other people’s moods could enable you to fine-tune those moods as you would a violin. It is almost as though you could hypnotize other people with your thoughts. You encourage cooperation and organization. Authority and discipline, responsibility—and all the things it takes to get you where you know you must go— are the actions of the day. Do not push anyone but yourself—you will see some positive results soon. All work and no play made Jack a dull boy—enjoy some form of recreation this evening.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Others may seem to make it difficult for you to express yourself.

You could find that the day is better spent in finishing up unfinished business. Your career and life direction are putting some real pressure on your home and emotional life but everyone will have acceptable end results. Some kind of selfcontrol and patience is needed on your part and you will do well. Later this month, you may have to stay focused with the help of list-making. Do not exclude the business lunches from your activities as you are a natural salesperson and can sway many to your way of thinking—without even trying. Pay attention and read carefully anything that you have to sign at this time. Some form of sports will balance out your energies this afternoon.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) There could be some pushing and shoving between various facets of your life that normally should be in balance. This could involve your home and professional life, your logical mind and emotions, or your conscious and subconscious mind. If these are in line, you should have the energy to get a lot accomplished. If not, there could be problems. Now through tomorrow, professional advice can bring you much input and comfort. Your creative energy is high and many areas of your life will gain improvement or growth—an open mind and a determination to become focused is the pathway. If you should meet a new love interest soon, it will probably be because . . . opposites attract. Today and tomorrow could be challenging days—get plenty of rest.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

You should find no problem in communicating with regar Don’t be afraid to project your image and make those dreams real. Ideas of group cooperation and communion could further your career. You should be in very close touch with your feelings today, making it easy to express your own emotions or be a sympathetic listener to others. Your logic is not clouded and you can give sound advice or make thoughtful decisions. There may be a bit of unrest from other people around you, however. This could be co-workers, people on a bus or family members or friends at the dinner table, etc. You are able to calm most situations, even though there are usually plenty of interruptions that seem to slow your progress. Your patience is commendable. After dinner this evening you could tend to a little letter writing or pay bills.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Yesterday’s Solution

Your practical and intuitive side is on target all day.

Cooperation from others—at home or in the workplace—is important. To get that cooperation, you must be prepared to make your presentation. The secret here is motivation and preparation—now! The door of opportunity will open for you, particularly if you remain alert and aware. Though you may prefer to be around old friends, you certainly will not close the door on making new ones this afternoon. However you deal with people, you will be successful because all will feel the warmth of your understanding, which is genuine and appreciated. Instead of complaining, you have an opportunity to express your appreciation to those that live near and around you this evening.

If you are looking for a job, all this week is a positive time to present yourself to a future employer. Get your resume updated and printed professionally whether you are looking or not; it is good to have it on file. Your energy is high! You feel vital—you feel good—you feel in harmony with yourself, the entire world and everybody in it. Others can feel this, so they in turn are drawn to you, making this a successful day for any kind of group endeavor. Best of all, relations with a mate or loved one are at a peak. Any time this month is good for repairs or cleansing of the body. The window-of-time on any sort of healing happens now. Treatments that are medicinal or therapeutic will be very positive now and in the near future.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Careful—today could be a turning point with a friend. If you join in the gossip or whatever else is a negative behavior of others, you may be headed for some big disappointments. If you stand up for what you believe in—you will be where you want to be—standing tall. You may have to walk away from this friend for a while. When you wonder why you feel as though you are exhausted emotionally, you are probably having daily problems that go against your acceptance of how you want your life to become. This is good in that these feelings help a person stop and scrutinize and change for the positive. Stop moving in the direction that you know will harm you in some way and make positive changes that help you. Become courageous.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

A surge of intellectual energy today can help you accomplish a lot. Do not let competition draw you into any debates unless the outcome is very important to protecting your integrity. Use restraint. If you are thinking about changing residence, now through the end of this month is the perfect time.

Pay close attention to your schedule this year by starting now to acquire a planning notebook or a calendar that is big enough to make notes for each day. When your activities for the week fit into the category of the realistically balanced, your emotional well-being will stay upbeat and balanced as well. An exercise program will help you find relief from the stress of your professional life. Problem-solving techniques from work could be valuable at home.

A

y

e niv rsar n

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

Years

i n f o r m at i o n FIRE BRIGADE STATE ST TAT TE OF KUW KUWAIT K WA AIT

112

Tel.: T el.: 161 e

DIRECTORA DIRECTORATE AT TE GEN GENERAL NERAL OF CIVIL AVIATION AV VIA AT TION METEOROLOGICAL L DEP DEPARTMENT PA ARTMENT

Ministry of Interior

Ext.: 26 2627 627 - 2630

Fax: 24348714 WWW .MET.GOV V..KW W WWW.MET.GOV.KW

Expected Weather Weeather for the Next 24 2 Hours

website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

BY Y NIGHT: NIGHT:

Partly y cloudy with moderate to fr fresh resh north westerly wind, wi with ith speed of 20 - 40 km/h

DAY: BY Y DA AY:

Mosttly sunny with moderate to fresh Mostly fr north westerly wind, wi with ith speed of 22 - 42 km/h cau causing using raising d t over dust o open areas

WARNING W ARNING A

No Current W Warnings aarnin ngs

STATION ST TAT TION

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

MAX. REC.

MIN. MIN N. EXP EXP. P.

Al-Mangaf

23711183

KUWAIT KUW WA AIT CITY

20 °C

1 °C 10

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

KUWAIT KUW WA AIT AIRPOR AIRPORT RT

21 °C

09 0 °C

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

NUWAISEEB NUW WAISEEB A

20 °C

10 1 °C

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

W A AFRA WAFRA

21 °C

09 0 °C

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

SALMI

19 °C

06 0 °C

Chest Hospital

24849400

ABDALY ABDAL LY

21 °C

07 0 °C

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

JAL ALIY YAH A ALIYAH

21 °C

07 0 °C

Adan Hospital

23940620

F AILAKA A FAILAKA

20 °C

08 0 °C

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

11 11 °C

24846000

PORT AHMADI POR RT

18 °C

Al-Razi Hospital Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

AL-MARADEM UMM AL-MARAD DEM

20 °C

12 1 °C

W A ARBA A - BUBYAN BUBY YAN A WARBA

21 °C

07 0 °C

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

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22517733

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22517144

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24848075

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24849807

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24848913

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24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

SFC. CHAR CHART RT

02/01/2012 120 1200 00 UTC

POLICE STATION

4 DA DAYS AY YS FORECAST Temperatures T emperatures DAY DA AY

DATE DA AT TE

WEATHER WEA AT THER R

T uesday Tuesday

03/01

Wednesday W ednesday e

04/01

Thursday Friday

W Wind ind Speed

W ind Dir ection Wind Direction

MAX.

MIN.

Mustly sunny + rai ising dust raising

19 °C

09 °C

NW

22 - 42 km/h

sunny + raising g dust

18 °C

07 °C

NW

25 - 45 km/h

05/01

sunny

18 °C

05 °C

NW-N NW-N

08 - 30 km/h

06/01

sunn ny Mustly sunny

21 °C

07 °C

SE

15 - 40 km/h

PRAYER P PRA AY YER TIMES

RECORDED RECORDE ED YESTERDAY YESTERDA AY AT AT KUW KUWAIT WA AIT AIRPORT AIRPOR RT

Fajr

05:18

MAX. Temp.

M Temp.

24 °C

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Sunrise

06:43

MIN. Temp.

M Temp.

13 °C

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Zuhr

11:52 11:52

MAX. M RH

70 %

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

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22518752

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22459381

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22451082

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22456536

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22465401

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25746401

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25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

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25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

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24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

Asr

14:43

MIN. RH

18 %

Sunset

17:02

MAX. Wind M Wind

S 68 km/h

Isha

18:23

TOTAL RAINFALL TOT TA AL L RA AINF FA ALL L IN 24 HR.

.03 mm

Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

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24334282

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y

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36

e niv rsar n

Years

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

lifest yle G o s s i p

aty Perry is being supported by Rihanna following the breakdown of her marriage. The ‘Firework’ hitmaker who spent the festive period in Hawaii with friends has shared a number of heart-to-heart phone calls with her pal as she deals with her split from British comic Russell Brand after 14 months of marriage and the ‘We Found Love’ singer has been a “great support” in helping her cope. A source told The Sun newspaper: “Katy is hardly speaking to anyone right now, but she called Rihanna as soon as she heard Russell was filing for divorce. “Katy was embarrassed about calling her parents as they’d been so against Russell in the first place, but Rihanna was a great support for her and she really helped to calm her down.” Rihanna is now said to be planning a holiday to Mexico with Katy to help her get over Russell. An insider told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “”Rihanna has been there for Katy, texting her from

K

Miami where she’s on holiday. Now they are planning a girlie getaway so Katy can clear her head.” While Russell - who is rumored to be moving back to the UK following the split from Katy - is entitled to half of the singer’s estimated $70 million fortune under Californian law, the pair have vowed to part as “friends” and want the split to remain amicable.

The former couple experienced problems very soon after getting married, as they rowed constantly and rarely saw one another due to their hectic schedules. The main point of contention is said to have been former drug addict Russell’s hatred of the party scene, which led to many arguments when he wanted to leave nights out early and his spouse didn’t. However, insiders sources there is no animosity between them, with one telling website TMZ: “It was just a bad pairing.”

ate Winslet loves red polish on her toenails. The ‘Titanic’ actress says she doesn’t really get time to pamper her feet but thinks putting on a bright red shade can help them look in better condition than they are. She said: “There’s nothing like red polish on toes. I don’t have much time for pedicures, but if I haven’t done anything to my feet for months and I look like a Neanderthal woman, a coat of red means you can somehow get away with anything.”

As well as brightening up her toes, Kate also has tips for making eyes look better. She

K

Streep

advised: “A great trick I’ve learnt with mascara is to put it on the back of your hand and York it into the tips of a flat stipple brush. Lift up your eyelid ever so slightly and paint a line on the underside of the roots, extremely close to the lashes and then go over the lashes with mascara. It doesn’t show as much as a liner, but can really define the eye. It also makes the whites of your eyes look whiter.”

eryl Streep is to be honored for her wide-ranging career at this year’s Berlin film festival. Festival organizers said yesterday that the 62-year-old Streep will be presented with an honorary Golden Bear, the event’s top award, on Feb 14. Festival director Dieter Kosslick says that “Meryl Streep is a brilliant, versatile performer who moves with ease between dramatic and comedic roles.” The two-time Oscar winner will be honored at a screening of her latest movie, “The Iron Lady,” in which she plays former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The festival also will screen older Streep films, including “Kramer vs. Kramer” and “Sophie’s Choice.” The Berlin event, the first of the year’s major European film festivals, takes place Feb 9-19.

M

Eastwood’s squirrel love

arah Harding has claimed she was injured in a holiday bust-up with her new boyfriend. The Girls Aloud singer made a formal complaint to police in Innsbruck, Austria after she and her latest lover, known only as Theo, had a huge fight at the four star hotel Schloss Matzen on New Year’s Eve , which resulted in Sarah being brought to hospital where she had to have a bandage put on her arm. A guest at the hotel told The Sun: “There was banging and screaming and a few guests came out into the corridor. “It sounded like a terrible fight. By the early hours people had had enough and someone called the police. “It was obviously a very serious tiff indeed. There was a lot of screaming and shouting.” A source at the hospital where Sarah - who spent time in rehab last year for alcohol and depression issues - was treated said her lips were “swollen” and she had “puffy eyes”. The source added: “Sarah was taken to hospital because she was hysterical after the row. She was crying and screaming and clearly in a lot

S avid Tennant has tied the knot with Georgia Moffett.

The former ‘Doctor Who’ co-stars - who have a ninemonth-old daughter Olive together - got married in an intimate ceremony in London before throwing a huge party at the Globe Theatre overlooking the river Thames on New Year’s Eve to celebrate with friends including Stephen Fry and Will Mellor. David, 40 and 27-year-old Georgia - who has a nine-year-old son called Tyler from a previous relationship - first met in 2008, when Georgia had a guest role in ‘Doctor Who’ as the daughter of David’s character the Doctor.

They announced their engagement at Christmas 2010 after it was revealed Georgia was expecting their first child together and friends revealed they were “madly in love”. A source said before the wedding: “David and Georgia can’t wait to get married, they are madly in love. They have tried to keep everything quiet and the wedding is for family and closest friends only.” While David played the tenth Time Lord, Georgia’s father Peter Davison has previously played the fifth incarnation of the famous character and he believes this is one of the reasons they first hit it off.

D

he ‘Toxic’ singer says exercising on a regular basis and eating healthily is very important to her and wants to take good care of her body. She said: “I’m very big on being healthy and working out three times a week. I go to bed early and get my beauty sleep. I also drink lots of water to keep my body hydrated.” The 30-year-old star also revealed how she loves getting ready for a glamorous night out. She said: “It takes me an hour-and-a-half to get ready for a red carpet

T

event. I usually take a shower, wash my hair, blow my hair out and have a cup of coffee.

Then I’ll have my make-up artist come in and we’ll decided on what we want to go for - a soft or sinister style! From there we look at the wardrobe and see if it makes sense, And then we through the process of getting ready, which is the funniest part.”

of distress.” Sarah is believed to have cut short her week long break by three days to fly home to Britain, arriving at her Buckinghamshire mansion last night , while Theo remains in Austria. Speaking on her arrival at the house, she said: “I’ve had a week from hell.” Sarah and fiance DJ Tom Crane called off their engagement in September and finalized their split in November with the singer spotted with Theo not long after. A pal who has warned her to “be careful” with Theo said: “She has been through a lot and met Theo when she was getting her life back on track after rehab. But it’s difficult telling Sarah what to do.”

lint Eastwood is obsessed with a squirrel called Lola. The ‘J Edgar’ director came across his furry friend on the Warner Bros. movie lot in Los Angeles, California, and now insists on leaving the door of his office open when he is working so that Lola can stop by whenever she wants. A source said: “Clint leaves the front door open whenever he’s inside working so Lola can come and go. He gets a kick out of watching her and always keeps a

C

bag of shelled peanuts on the bottom shelf of a bookcase in case she gets hungry. Clint would be so upset if Lola disappeared. He enjoys her company.” Clint is not the only celebrity to love animals, Paris Hilton ordered a petting zoo for her birthday party last year. The miniature menagerie featured a lynx, porcupine, squirrel monkey and sloth for guests to meet and was the blonde beauty’s first stop when she arrived at 11pm. A source said: “Paris loved the animals and made sure that the handlers were humane before she worked with them. She asked a lot of questions about their care.”

37

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

LIFESTYLE M u s i c

&

M o v i e s

India airs edgier TV shows-but cuts out the edge ould the sex, drugs and rock-nroll fueled TV show “Californication” be worth watching without the sex, drugs and rock-n- roll? What about serial killer series “Dexter” without the gore? In an effort to attract younger viewers without offending the older ones, Indian TV is now showing some of America’s edgiest shows - but cutting out the edge.

As India urbanizes and its middle class grows, a delicate dilemma has hit a media culture long dominated by local TV shows aimed at rural audiences, such as the soap opera “Baalika Vadhu” or “Child Bride,” about a girl married off at age 10. While the young and hip audiences that attract advertising dollars want foreign imports, no broadcaster wants to upset conservative viewers or attract government ire. “This is a very sensitive time for the media in India,” said TV critic Shailaja Bajpai. “Many stations are afraid of government banning orders,” but at the same time, output needs refreshing to bring in audiences.”

So TV channels resort to inconsistent and clumsy self-censorship, snipping scenes that are central to a show’s plot with abandon. While they bleep out profanities, they will also cut a reference

W

to the drug “crack” from one part of a show, while letting it slide a few minutes later.

Even more absurd are the imports that have English subtitles to assist those with a shaky grasp of the language. Censors often let the spoken word slide through, but change it or strike it completely from the subtitles.

So while a character on “The Big Bang Theory” is allowed to say the word “intimate,” the subtitles only showed “int —.”

One incident turned an episode of “Friends” into a legend of unwatchable TV. The show hinged on the gag that two pages in a cookbook got stuck together and the character Rachel mistakenly made a fruit pastry with beef.

The station bleeped out the word “beef,” a show of sensitivity for Hindus’ reverence for cows, leaving viewers to guess why her diners were so disgusted.

It’s just as perplexing for the suddenly chaste vampires of HBO’s lusty “True Blood” and for the serial killer star of “Dexter,” who is constantly changing blood-splattered clothes for no apparent reason on Indian TV. Or for David Duchovny’s “Californication” lech Hank Moody, who disappears into a bedroom

with a beautiful women and then suddenly appears in a disjointed scene from later in the episode.

Nevertheless, young Indians, who have embraced Levis, McDonalds and MTV, are hungering for Western television. “I no longer want to watch the stupid shows I watched with my family growing up, I want entertainment and there is very little on Hindi-language television,” said Abhinav Mohan, a 22-yearold mass-communication student, who watches the disjointed imports instead.

“Though heavily censored, I can still follow them.”

Broadcasting the shows, while editing them into confusion, underscores the fine line entertainment companies like the NewsCorp-owned Star and FX are trying to walk to attract urban youth while not angering their more traditional parents.

Bollywood actors only began kissing onscreen in the last decade. As recently as 2007, an arrest warrant was briefly issued for Hollywood star Richard Gere after he kissed the cheek of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty at an AIDS awareness rally.

“Indian produced movies and TV are very formulaic, you always know what

you are going to get,” said Rahul Gupta, a media company owner in New Delhi.

“Today’s youth are more likely to get what they want from Hollywood than Bollywood and TV companies are starting to realize it and hope to cash in.”

In an effort to head off government interference, the industry created its own regulatory body in June to deal with complaints. Now, in addition to the odd censoring, viewers must also suffer a banner that repeatedly scrolls across the screen, advising viewers how to complain to the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council. More than 3,000 have. The complaints range from “scantily and vulgarly dressed women” on MTV’s “Grind” to a scene “misguiding children to kill,” on the southern Indian family melodrama “Muddu Bidda,” or “Cute Girl.” So far, only six channels have been called in for a hearing. Their apologies have been enough to satisfy the council and prevent it from referring the cases to the government, which has the power to ban shows. —AP

In this March 15, 2007 file photo, Hollywood actor Richard Gere, left, hugs and kisses Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty during an event for HIV-AIDS awareness in New Delhi, India. —AP

Hugh Jackman on Broadway translates into cold cash ugh Jackman has left Broadway with a lot of broken hearts - and records. The hunky Australian actor’s one-man Broadway concert show closed on Sunday afternoon at the Broadhurst Theatre after having earned $2,057,354 in its final week, the highest weekly gross recorded by the Shubert Organization, which owns the Broadhurst and 16 other Broadway theaters. Over its 10week run, Jackman earned a whopping $14,638,428, producers said.

He now owns 10 of the 11 top grossing weeks at the Broadhurst..

Jackman, best known for being the hairy Wolverine in “The X-Men” franchise, routinely sold out the 1,176-seat theater and usually posted weekly grosses of $1.5 million, often higher than rival musicals such as “Jersey Boys,” “Mama Mia!” “How to Succeed in Business,” “Anything Goes” and “Follies.” Only “Wicked” and “The Lion King,” produced by other organizations, consistently outdid Jackman. But those shows also had much higher overhead costs.

The previous record at the Broadhurst was held by the Al Pacino-led “The Merchant of Venice,” which took in $1,175,750 earlier this year. Until now, the

H Romanian film director Cristi Puiu gestures during an interview with AFP in Bucharest. —AFP photos

Romanian cinema struggles despite international fame A new wave of Romanian cinema came to fame at the Cannes film festival a decade ago, but many prizes later, filmmakers still struggle to win the box office in their homeland. Directors Cristi Puiu and Corneliu Porumboiu, who have won recognition in Europe and the United States, say they know what is lacking: not enough theatres and not much interest in local productions by Romanian moviegoers. Puiu’s 2001 “Stuff and Dough” marked a new beginning for the Romanian cinema, “a new way of making movies,” said Porumboiu, whose first feature film “12:08 East of Bucharest” won the Cannes Camera d’Or prize in 2006.

Puiu’s movie, which paved the way to Cannes for young Romanian directors, seemed doomed to die in a drawer, as Romania’s national centre for cinematography wanted to ban it for being “immoral, rife with unacceptable language”. “MariePierre Macias, director of the Quinzaine des Realisateurs (Directors’ Fortnight), saw the movie and took it to Cannes. That saved it, they could not ban it anymore,” said Puiu.

Romanian cinema even took home the top prize at Cannes, the Palme d’Or in 2007 for Cristian Mungiu’s “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.”

These awards have given young filmmakers confidence and despite difficulties, “new directors appear in Romania each year, as well as good movies. An emulation was created,” Porumboiu said. But the young directors’ passion is not enough to win the public’s hearts back home.

“Romanian moviegoers seem to think that we are trying to make American-style movies but do not succeed,” Puiu said.

“When you go to see a movie at the mall, the ticket seller warns you that it’s a Romanian movie.”

At the same time some Romanians can-

not even get to the movies. There are about 200 cinema screens across the country, with many towns having no movie house at all. For those without access to a theatre Porumboiu regrets the “disappearance of this form of socializing,” but Puiu thinks Romanians may still be living “in the inertia of the VCR (videotape) era.” Back in the 1980s former communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu “decided not to import movies any more. So people used to meet at someone’s house, pay some money and watch five movies in a row,” Puiu said.

“That was giving us the impression of escaping from gloomy Romania.” “It wasn’t even about an interest in the cinema, we often talked more about the cars or the clothes in the movie,” he added. Today he laments that people seem addicted to drinking beer and watching TV at home, while also not denying that going to the cinema is quite expensive. “Where can the Romanian cinema find its place in all this?

Nowhere. It is a fiction,” Puiu said. All this despite Romanian filmmakers scooping more awards at Cannes in the past few years: Palme d’or for short film to Catalin Mitulescu, Un Certain Regard prizes for Puiu’s “The Death of Mr Lazarescu” and for Cristian Nemescu’s “California Dreamin’”; and Jury’s Prize in the Un Certain Regard section for Porumboiu’s “Police, Adjective” in 2009.

But Puiu said despite this success abroad, Romanian movies have important nuances that are only perceptible to a local audience. “The Romanian cinema cannot survive elsewhere than in Romania, where it was born,” he said. Without support at home his fear is that “the fire of filmmaking would soon dwindle.” —AFP

Romanian film director Corneliu Porumboiu gesturing during an interview.

Shubert Organization’s one-week biggest haul was “Billy Elliot,” which earned $1,663,895 during an eightshow stretch last year. During the run, Jackman raised a record $1,789,580 for the charity

said.

Backed by an 18-piece orchestra and six leggy dancers, a charming Jackman belted out about two dozen musical theater songs in “Hugh Jackman, Back on

File photo shows Hugh Jackman onstage at the curtain call for the opening night performance of “Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway”, in New York. —AP Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The run “not only confirms him as one of the most bankable stars in Broadway’s history but also as a fundraiser,” producer Robert Fox

The show featured his interpretations of songs ranging from the sexy R&B tune “Fever” to “Rock Island,” from “The Music Man” to a medley of classic movie songs such as “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Luck Be a Lady.” The average ticket went for $160, with top premiums going for $350.

Some of the highlights included the eight-minute “Soliloquy” from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Carousel,” and a collection of songs from his Tony Award-winning turn in “The Boy From Oz” while wearing Peter Allen-inspired matching gold lame pants and jacket, and gold shoes.

Jackman’s other stage credits include Australian productions of “Sunset Boulevard” and “Beauty and the Beast.” In London he starred as Curly in Trevor Nunn’s staging of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” Next year, he plans to star in a version of the musical “Les Miserables.” —AP

Broadway.” It was his third time on the Great White Way, following “The Boy From Oz” in 2003 and the play “A Steady Rain” with Daniel Craig in 2009.

Rebecca Black conquered the world in 2011 ebecca Black walks down the hallway of a Los Angeles TV studio, a small entourage trailing her leopard-print stiletto heels, when suddenly the sound of “Friday”-the song that turned this Orange County, Calif., teen into the Internet sensation of 2011 — drifts through the open door of the studio control room.

Rebecca seems not to notice, her mind on the interview ahead with the KTLA Morning News team on Thursday. And on some level, why would she? She’s certainly heard her song and seen her video countless times in the year since she recorded it as something of an expensive lark, a project she figured only her family and friends would likely ever see.

But beyond that, it also must feel like “Friday” happened in some other lifetime, given the whirlwind that swept her out of middle-school obscurity to worldwide fame-or infamy, depending on your point of view-since the video went viral in March and exploded into the love-it-or-hate-it song of the year.

How much has happened in the nine months since then? A few highlights: Rebecca co-starred in Katy Perry’s video for “Last Friday Night” and later popped up on stage with Perry to sing “Friday” with her at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. She appeared as a presenter at the Teen Choice Awardsand won the Choice Award as Web Star of the yearand also popped up at the MTV Video Music Awards. She released two more singles and videos, “My Moment” and “Person Of Interest.” Lady Gaga tweeted words of support. She posed for a photograph in the No H8 campaign.

Then, just within the last week or so, Rebecca won the online equivalent of a pair of Oscars, when “Rebecca Black” placed No. 1 on the Google Zeitgeist, the list of the fastest rising searches of the year, and “Friday” being named the most-watched YouTube video of the 2011.

“They’re definitely great lists to be on,” Rebecca says. “I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet that this little kid from Orange County is on the top of Google Zeitgeist and YouTube.”

Those year-end honors brought a new rush of requests for interviews, so last Thursday we caught up with Rebecca in Los Angeles, as she set out for interviews with KTLA, E! and Hollywoodlife.com, to watch how she handles the media spotlight and catch up with her about all that she experienced in

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the nine months after she burst onto the pop culture landscape, “It doesn’t feel real at all,” she says as she starts to talk about how life has changed. “I try to think, ‘Why haven’t I freaked out over some of the things that have happened?’“ On the set at KTLA, Rebecca looks comfortable.

She’s done interviews with reporter Sam Rubin before, but she says she seldom gets nervous anymore in the public eye. “I assume you got paid?”

Rubin asks her at one point. “Yeah, yeah, I got paid,”

Rebecca Black cracks up as she tapes a bit for the “Golden Globes” at E! News studios in Hollywood, on December 2, 2011. —MCT photo Rebecca tells him, smiling. “But a lot of the money goes to pay for things.”

When we met Rebecca in March, it was just days after “Friday” had gone viral and she had just gotten home from school when we arrived at her house for the first interview she’d ever done with anyone. At the time, she and family seemed almost in shock over all the YouTube views for “Friday,” which at the time had only — ”only” — 13 million of the nearly 200 million it would eventually reach.

She talked about sticking to her normal routines, school and friends and trips to the mall, while also seeing where all this attention might lead, but in the

weeks that followed, the bright glare of her newfound fame overran any semblance of normalcy.

Soon, demands for her time outside of school-interviews with everyone from Ryan Seacrest to Jay Leno and that offer to work in Katy Perry’s video-as well as continued verbal abuse from other kids prompted her to leave her school for studies at home.

“There was one morning when I woke up and said, ‘Mom, we have to try it, because it’s really hard,’” says Rebecca of home schooling, which she’s continued for her ninth-grade studies this year. “You can try to make up tests but you can only miss so many lessons.” As for bullying by other kids, which was reported earlier this year as the cause for her leaving school, that was more of a secondary reason, she says. “I’d not ever really been picked on until the ‘Friday’ thing started,” Rebecca says. “They would chat me on Facebook and say, ‘Your song sucks,’ or ‘People only buy your song because it sucks.’

“Being a teenage girl, words hurt.”

It was weird, she says, not going to school every day and not being around her friends and other kids at first. And she says she lost her best friend during that time, too. “When she told me that I don’t care about our friendship, I got mad,” Rebecca says.

At the same time, she and her parents, Dr. Georgina Marquez and Dr. John Black, were trying to figure out how to take her fame and see what kind of career it might lead to.

“I don’t have parents who are specialists in the (entertainment) industry,” Rebecca says. “They are veterinarians who are used to set salaries and set hours. “So it was kind of overwhelming.” Across town at the offices of the E! network, Rebecca tapes a comic bit to air during red carpet coverage of the Golden Globes next month, and then sits for an interview with E! News reporter Kristina Guerrero, who asks her why she thinks “Friday” took off the way it did. “I think (because) it’s an anthem,” Rebecca says. “And it’s one of those things where you either loved it or hated it. So you would tell your friends to watch the video to see what they think.” —MCT

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oday, like every year for nearly two decades, Barbara Taylor-Rosser of Hackensack, NJ, will light the first of seven candles in observance of Kwanzaa.

The retired Paterson, NJ, teacher says she has taught the significance of the weeklong celebration of African-American culture to her children and former students, organized Kwanzaa events for community groups and even helped others begin the tradition in their homes.

“For me it’s so rich and exciting,” said Taylor-Rosser. “I always light my candles, and my candle holder stays up all year long, because we live by the principles of Kwanzaa all year long.” Town libraries, schools and churches in many areas have already held various Kwanzaa events. The seven-day holiday is observed every year from Dec 26 to Jan 1 and celebrates family, community and culture. During these days, families who observe the holiday light candles, talk about the seven principles the red, green and black candles represent, and exchange handmade gifts.

“It’s something to look forward to,” said Lois Braithwaite, who used to organize the Kwanzaa event at the Johnson Public Library in Hackensack, NJ, and who is celebrating the holiday at her nephew’s house this year. “It’s not elaborate, it’s something simplistic but it’s meaningful and it gives children a sense of belonging, and sense of pride.”

Kwanzaa dates back to 1966, and was created by Maulana Ron Karenga, who is a professor and the chairman of the department of Africana studies at California State University, Long Beach.

The holiday was created 45 years ago for African-Americans to honor and celebrate their heritage.

The word “Kwanzaa” comes from the Swahili matunda ya kwanza, which means “first fruits.” Kwanzaa celebrates the Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles.

The principles are umoja or unity, kujichagulia or self-determination, ujima or collective work and responsibility, ujamaa or cooperative economics, nia or purpose, kuumba or creativity and imani or faith.

As part of the candle-lighting ceremony, a kinara-a candle holder similar to a menorah-contains seven candles, three red ones, three green ones, and a black one in the center. During the seven days, a candle is lit to recognize each of the principles. Each day, a different principle is celebrated.

When first observed, Kwanzaa was part of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. “At the time, it addressed and was part of the surge in black identity politics and culture,” wrote Clement Price, director of the Rutgers University Institute on Ethnicity, Culture and the Modern Experience, in an email last week. “It placed the complicated identity of American blacks within a sentimentalized view of African culture.” He said that over time, Kwanzaa was popularized by the black-oriented media and ultimately became an “example of America’s mass culture ability to absorb and co-opt just about everything.”

Kwanzaa, he said, is now celebrated by a cross section of Americans, and not only blacks. Millions observe the holiday annually, according to Kwanzaa’s official website. “Kwanzaa brings a cultural message which speaks to the best of what it means to be African and human in the fullest sense,” the website states.

In northern New Jersey, some organizations that have held Kwanzaa celebrations in the past are not organizing events this year. At Mount Olive Baptist Church in Hackensack, the Rev. Gregory Jackson said the church has had Kwanzaa celebrations, but this year no one approached him about organizing one.

“The absence of lifting up Kwanzaa in the name of Kwanzaa doesn’t mean those principles are not lifted up,” he said.

“I think they are valuable principles that we want our children to know, live and believe.” Over at the Community Baptist Church in Englewood, leaders of the church’s youth group will not celebrate Kwanzaa this year, but next, said Shantel Williams, director of the youth program.

“We make sure that every year teens have the Kwanzaa celebration, and we have them make things, invite families, and if they have a particular talent we have a little talent show,” Williams said.

“We also have someone come in and talk about Kwanzaa and what each symbol is for, but we couldn’t get the people to do it this year.” During the youth group’s winter workshop, to be held this week, Williams said, Kwanzaa will be talked about.

Braithwaite of Hackensack blames the economy partly for why some people and organizations are not hosting Kwanzaa events this week. “People are losing their jobs, and more people are unemployed,” she said. “I don’t think it’s a lack of interest, I think it’s a lack of exposure, because once you are exposed to it, it becomes a part of you and a part of our culture.”—MCT

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Pictured planking, bottom to top, are Olivia Rodriguez, Carl Thompson, Chris Moser and Molly May.

Pictured owling is Li Zeng.

(From left) Pictured horsemanning, Christian Moser, Molly May, Carl Thompson and Olivia Rodriguez.

—MCT photos

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t started with planking, and now there’s a Tebowing epidemic going on. Planking, in case you’ve managed to remain unaware, is the practice of lying down, board-stiff, in an unexpected place, having someone snap a picture of you, then posting that photo online for the presumable enjoyment of others. It’s been around for years at various spots around the world, first known as “the lying down game,” but really didn’t catch fire in the United States until last year.

“I thought it was kind of dumb,” said Carl Thompson, a student at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

“These Internet fads, when one person does it, it’s funny. Then everybody does, and it gets kind of annoying.”

Since then, planking has spawned a host of variations on a “look at me” theme. The appeal is a mix of being silly for silliness’ sake and one-upmanship. Now that he’s tried it, Thompson sees things differently.

“It’s not about originality,” he said. “It’s about fun, and connecting people from around the world in a positive way.” Fellow student Olivia Rodriguez thinks the trend will continue “as people constantly try to upstage the last one. It’s a way for younger people to get attention and have their moment online.”

Planking: Lying down in as stiff and straight a line as possible, ideally in an unexpected place.

Owling: Crouching from a high perch while staring into space (can be hard on the thighs). Owling was the first widespread offshoot of planking.

Horsemanning: A modern revival of an old 1920s photo trick involving two people that makes one look like the head and body have been separated.

Batmanning: Hanging upside down with your feet hooked over a wall or door frame and arms flat against your sides or front, like a sleeping bat. Not recommended for the unfit.

Tebowing: Getting down on one knee and pretending to pray like overexposed Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, recently parodied on “SNL.” — MCT

Pictured batmanning is Carl Thompson.

Pictured tebowing is Molly May.

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mily Green’s Los Angeles home is all about art and childhood. “It’s a house where you can play with everything,” Green said. “I want kids to feel like they can be themselves here.” The playful interior of her small apartment is filled with handmade objects. A puppet hanging in the kitchen has coffee cup lids for eyes, a Gatorade cap nose and forks for legs and hands. In the bedroom of daughter Daisy, 10, tooth fairy boxes have

Green’s childhood-”Madeline” books, a cash register, board games and Richard Scarry titles. There is no TV set, only her “imagination bucket” filled with scraps of fabric, toilet paper rolls, pipe cleaners-you name it.

Upstairs, a basket of Madame Alexander dolls rests in the hallway. Letterpress keys in a bowl await use in some future project. In the bathroom, vintage alphabet blocks from a Michigan flea market sit atop the medicine

The bedroom of Daisy Green, daughter of illustrator Emily Green, is featured. been crafted from tinfoil, bright paper scraps and other throwaway items. In Green’s bedroom, a portrait of her was painted by a former student on the back of a ukulele.

“My house is filled with things that inspire me,” Green said. “These are my resources. I want to make heirlooms using things that are simple to have around.” That also means pieces of nostalgia as decoration. A bookcase in the living room is stacked with relics from

cabinet, while another set of miniature colored blocks in the hallway looks like an abstract artwork. The living room triples as an office and artist studio for Green, whose children’s line includes melamine dinnerware, place mats and wooden puzzles sold in boutiques nationwide. Tools of her trade-paint, pens and paper-sit on an enormous white laminate desk that’s used as a buffet for parties.

Green hangs the holiday daisy chain on her bedroom wall.

Green started her business six years ago, making place mats for friends out of her artworks. “I laminated them myself at Kinko’s,” she said. Soon, she was selling pieces at school bazaars and cold-calling businesses on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica (“Like a peddler,” she says, laughing).

Green’s mantra is that you don’t need money to be creative. “I want to live simply,” she says, so she edits carefully, keeping only what is important and deploying those personal belongings as mini installations. Daisy’s little cowboy boots were important, so Green didn’t throw them out. Instead, she accumulated the ever-growing sizes on a bookshelf.

“I’ve worked really hard to make it a house of love and spirit and creativity. It’s OK to make a mess,” Green said before adding slyly, “but I wouldn’t mind a dishwasher one day.”

There’s joy in the daisy chain A classic holiday craft got a modern update this week when artist Emily Green hosted a children’s daisy chain party at her Los Angeles home. “I always go back to my childhood feelings,” Green said, citing Christmas and Hanukkah parties of her youth, when she and friends made paper chainssome blue and white, some red and greenthen mixed them all up and decorated one another’s homes.

This time, Green (not to be confused with Los Angeles Times Home section garden columnist Emily Green) led daughter Daisy and Daisy’s friends in making nondenominational chains from unconventional, often recycled materials: tinfoil, doilies, duct tape, oilcloth, vintage fabric, cut-up plastic flowers, party toothpicks, pipe cleaners and scalloped Bordette, the corrugated trim that teachers often use around bulletin boards.

The artist, who has her own line of housewares and accessories for children, assembled the materials into interlocking strips with a hot glue gun, and the kids added costume jewelry beads and other details. Green sug-

A collection of tooth fairy boxes is displayed. gested personalizing the chains with family pictures, written wishes or prayers, or kids’ art cut into strips.

“Use things that you don’t know what to do with,” she said. During the party, older kids preferred to write wishes and other sentiments, which were attached as little offshoots to the chain links. Other kids preferred using only pipe cleaners. Whatever the style, the project provided not only colorful decoration but also a way for the kids to interact.

“Families can sit around and do it together,” Green said, adding, “You can put it away and take it out again next year.”And did she mention it’s practically free?—MCT

A craft shelf displays paintings.

(From left) Ava Seefried, Daisy Green and Emma Mele are wrapped in a holiday daisy chain. — MCT photos

Perry supported

by Rihanna

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2012

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People participate in the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia, on Sunday. The parade, often compared to Mardi Gras, is a century-old tradition featuring elaborately festooned musicians, comics and other performers. —AP

Golden year for Kli

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A file picture taken on January 17, 2006 shows visitors in front of Austrian art nouveau painter Gustav Klimt’s “Adele Blocher-Bauer II” at the Belvedere palace in Vienna. —AFP photos

A file picture shows Austrian art nouveau painter Gustav Klimt’s “Adele Blocher-Bauer I”.

is golden “The Kiss” adorns scarves and coffee mugs worldwide, while his portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer sparked a decades-long restitution battle: in 2012, Austria celebrates 150 years since Klimt’s birth. Gustav Klimt, born on July 14, 1862, is one of the best known figures of the Jugendstil art period. In honor of this milestone anniversary, Vienna’s biggest museums-led by the Belvedere, the Albertina and the Leopold Museum-are proposing no less than nine exhibits during the course of the year, all promising new insights into the artist’s life.”More works by Gustav Klimt will be on display in Vienna in 2012 than ever before: from his decoration work in the Burgtheater and the Kunsthistorisches Museum to his largely unknown drawings and world-renowned paintings like ‘The Kiss’,” Vienna’s tourism board has already advertised.

Klimt, the co-founder of the turn-of-the-century Secession movement and one of Austria’s key modern artists alongside Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka, was the second of seven children born to a gold engraver and his wife in Baumgarten, near Vienna. Already

as an art student, he founded an artists’ company with his brother Ernst and a friend, taking on major commissions to decorate luxurious salons and create theatre sets.

Although his work adorns the walls and ceilings of prestigious Viennese institutions like the Burgtheater and Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum, KHM), Klimt is best known for his later “Golden Period” paintings.

One of them, the 1907 “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I” briefly became the most expensive painting ever sold when it changed hands in the United States in 2006 for 135 million dollars (104 million euros). Earlier, it had made headlines due to a lengthy dispute between the Belvedere-home to the world’s largest collection of Klimt paintings, including “The Kiss”-and the family of the portrait’s previous Jewish owner, who said it had been stolen by the Nazis. The “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I” was eventually handed back to the family after the Austrian state refused to buy it.

To celebrate Klimt’s 150th birthday, the Belvedere has planned an extraordinary exhibit, with its entire collection of Klimt

paintings going on display from June 15 until January 2013. A separate exposition on the artist’s collaboration with architect Josef Hoffmann, another Secession co-

founder, is already running until March 4.The Albertina will focus on Klimt’s drawings, while the Leopold museum is promising “Gustav Klimt - Up Close and

Personal,” exploring his private life through his letters.

Further exhibits are planned in four more museums including the Wien Museum the city’s history museum-and the KHM, which will also offer special guided tours in the grand stairwell which Klimt worked on with his artists’ company. Moreover, his last workshop in a swanky Viennese district, now recreated, will open to the public in mid2012, although the villa has been entirely remodeled on the exterior. Klimt died on February 6, 1918 of a stroke. His paintings recall a heyday in Viennese cultural life when the capital of the Austro-Hungarian empire bustled with the greatest artists and intellectuals of the day, from Sigmund Freud to Otto Wagner, Egon Schiele and Adolf Loos. The Vienna Ballet presented the first tribute of the year to Klimt on Sunday as dancers performed live among his works at the Belvedere during the traditional New Year’s Concert. —AFP

A file picture shows a painting by Gustav Klimt untitled “The Kiss”.

Hockney jokes about appointment to Order of Merit

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A file picture shows a painting by Gustav Klimt untitled “Ria Munk III”.

ritish artist David Hockney has responded to his appointment to the Order of Merit with typical humor, saying he was glad his controversial campaign for smokers’ rights had not worked against him. Hockney, who came to prominence during the British pop art movement in the 1960s, was named as a member of the exclusive order on Sunday by Queen Elizabeth II. Accepting the royal honor is a turnaround for the 74-yearold who famously turned down a knighthood in 1990, has refused to paint the queen and once said he sees no value in prizes.

Asked for a response to his appointment to the Order of Merit, Hockney told the Guardian newspaper: “No comment-other

than it’s nice to know they are not prejudiced against the older smoker.” Hockney is a protobacco campaigner who has regularly spoken out in favor of smokers’ rights. The Order of Merit has 24 members as well as additional foreign recipients, who are recognized for great achievement in the fields of the arts, learning, literature, science and other areas like public service.

The honor is a personal gift from the sovereign and is restricted to the living, meaning new inclusions can only be made following the death of an existing member. Other members of the order include former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and architect Norman Foster. After bursting on to the art

scene in the ‘60s, Hockney extended his talents to work as a photographer, draughtsman, printmaker and stage designer.

He spent many years in California and is probably best known for his paintings based on his adopted home. In recent years he has returned to his home county of Yorkshire in northern England and embraced new technology, composing works on an iPad. Some of the iPad works will feature in a new exhibition, “David Hockney: a Bigger Picture”, at London’s Royal Academy of Arts, which opens on January 21. —AFP

A file picture taken on June 11, 2007 shows British artist David Hockney attending a photocall at the Tate Britain gallery in central London. —AFP