05 Jan 2012

CR IP TI ON BS SU

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

US presidential hopeful Bachmann ends campaign

Spec-Ops troops study to be part-spy, part-gumshoe

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SAFAR 11, 1433 AH

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Greying Singapore taps robots, games in rehab

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www.kuwaittimes.net

United slump to second straight league defeat

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Opposition bigwigs to meet over Mislem row

Tribes complete primaries • Iraqi fishing boat seized

Max 19º Min 06º High Tide 09:40 & 20:12 Low Tide 02:52 & 14:12

By B Izzak conspiracy theories

Changing the venue!

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

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ore talks, more talks and more talks. This is what the poor Palestinians are getting, I swear. I laughed my head off when I heard the news that the two sides - the Israelis and the Palestinians - met in Jordan to reopen talks which have been on the backburner since 2010. I am not bothered about who hosted the meeting. In the good old days, these meetings used to be held in Egypt. Of course, since the revolution started, Egypt can no longer be the mediator in the prolonged talks.

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DES MOINES, Iowa: Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney waves to supporters with his wife Ann and their sons (left to right) Matt, Josh, Craig and Tagg behind him during a night rally yesterday. — AP (See Page 8)

KUWAIT: Former opposition MPs and leading figures have decided to hold an emergency meeting on Saturday to study possible actions they could undertake if leading opposition candidate and ex-MP Faisal Al-Mislem is disqualified from contesting the election, former opposition MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei said.

Tabtabaei said that the meeting was initially planned for today but several members asked for delaying it until Saturday afternoon. It appears that Mislem’s fate greatly depends on a much-anticipated verdict by the appeals court on Jan 11 that could determine his chances of staying in the election race.

Mislem’s lawyer Abdullah Al-Ahmad meanwhile yesterday filed a petition to the appeals court asking that he should be allowed to make fresh defense arguments in the case, a move seen aimed at delaying the verdict’s date beyond the Feb 2 election. If the court agrees to reopen the case for fresh arguments, it will most certainly postpone the date of issuing its verdict. A lower court fined Mislem KD 200 after convicting him of revealing confidential bank information when he displayed a photocopy of a cheque reportedly issued by the former prime minister to a member of the National Assembly in 2006. Burgan Bank, through which the cheque was issued, sued both Mislem and a former employee of the bank for exposing bank secrets, which is a crime under Kuwaiti law. Candidates who have been convicted in cases related to dishonesty are not allowed to run in general elections unless they have been rehabilitated.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

LOCAL

31% jump in Kuwait road fatalities in 2011 492 killed, 870 hurt in 70,000 accidents

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Four Filipinos were among victims of traffic fatalities reported in early 2011. In March, a reckless truck driver collided into a Japanese made car along the

crash involving two vehicles whicl took place along Four th Ring Road. These stories are just few reported in early 2011 by Kuwait Times.

According to authorities here, the number of traffic-related fatal-

According to official statistics, the figures are glaring, indicating that Kuwait now finds a place among the top countries worldwide in traffic accidents. A security source quoted by an Arabic daily states that as of December 31, 2011, traf-

KUWAIT: The bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Fourth Ring Road. Kuwait recorded a 31 percent rise in traffic fatalities in 2011. —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat Sixth Ring Road and four passengers died instantly, news reports from March stated. On the same day, two Egyptians succumbed to severe injuries and a third person was critically wounded in a car

ities this year has significantly increased to 31 percent when compared to last year. Road fatalities in Kuwait increased compared to the year before, with the entire population of only 3.5 million.

fic fatalities stand at 492 and almost a thousand [870] were injured in around 70,000 traffic accidents that occurred in Kuwait.

By comparison, 374 road fatalities were recorded in 2010. The source

provided the figures from a recent report released by the Information and Statistics Division of the General Traffic Department at the Ministry of Interior. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the ministry has not yet released the statistics officially.

Another accident that took place in early 2011 involved a Filipina housemaid who was confined to the Al-Razi Hospital for almost three months after suffering a spine and head injury. A speeding car hit the private vehicle in which she had been travelling when the driver crossed an intersection in Hawally. She protected her six-year- old ward, but was fatally injured. She underwent series of surgeries at Al-R azi Hospital. Following partial recovery, she was repatriated to Manila by her employer because she could no longer perform regular duties. Kuwait Times had reported her experience early last year.

Roldan is another driver who continues to suffer. He is forbidden from driving since his involvement in a grave traffic accident in 2008.

“I was driving home from a friend’s house when suddenly my car flipped over along the Fourth Ring Road.

“I was hit hard by a speeding car. I survived with only bruises and injuries in my hands. The problem was that my case is still going on in the court and I can’t drive a car now,” he said. “I am ready to drive but the court case that has not been resolved for almost three years, prevents me from doing so,” he claimed.

Two dead of meningitis, nine infected KUWAIT: Well-informed sources said that a total of nine patients infected with meningitis had been admitted to Farwaniya Hospital since December 19 and that two of the patients had already passed away. The sources added that a tenth case of meningitis, an Indian

expatriate, was hospitalized on Monday in a critical condition after he showed symptoms of renal failure, blood poisoning, pneumonia and rashes. According to the sources, all the cases at Farwaniya Hospital are Indian nationals (aging four months to 40

years) except for a 44-year-old Bangladeshi.

The number of patients visiting Farwaniya Hospital has dramatically dropped over the past few days out of fear of the infection, the sources said.

Citizens are going to the hospi-

tal only for critical cases wearing face masks. On the other hand, the sources stressed that the number of expatriates visiting the hospital is still the same, especially since so many of them are still unaware of the presence of the infection cases, Al-Jarida reported.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

LOCAL satire wire

Local Spotlight

Low expectations

Candidates and election gaffes

By Sawsan Kazak

Muna Al-Fuzai

sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

muna@kuwaittimes.net

ray for the best but prepare for the worst’ is one expression that Kuwait’s finance minister seems to take very seriously. The figures for Kuwait’s surplus budget were recently announced, and as usual, the predictions were completely off. Apparently, within the first eight months of this fiscal year, the budget surplus has already doubled to KD 11.6 billion.

Kuwait’s fiscal year runs from April to March, and with a few months left to go, the revenues are already 39.2 percent higher than the full-year estimates. The budget also assumed that only 2.2 million barrels of oil would be produced a day, but apparently Kuwait has been producing 3.0 million bpd (barrels per day) for a few months. And the main reason all the numbers are off is due to the fact that Kuwait still calculates its oil revenue at a very conservative price of $60 per barrel when in reality it has been selling it for over $105 during the whole first eight months period.

I am not an economist nor do I pretend to understand in detail what is going on financially, but these numbers just don’t seem to add up. How can predictions be so off every year? It’s great to have numbers exceed your expectations, but it would also be good to be able to forecast figures that are somewhat a little more realistic than the ones being predicted every year.

It is great that Kuwait, unlike many countries around the world, is enjoying a surplus, but is it so wrong to know it before it happens? Is it bad luck to foresee figures that are somewhat accurate? Is there a superstition that states the day Kuwait forecasts a big surplus, it will experience a shortfall? Maybe Kuwait is just trying to avoid the evil eye from other nations and puts out predictions that are far lower than reality. Or is it just better to be pleasantly surprised due to low expectations than be aware of what is going to happen?

We are not talking about being off by a few millions, but rather the predictions are half of the actual numbers. We all make mistakes and no one can see into the future, but there should be some way to know that this year might be slightly higher than the year before that, or at least be similar to it. The finance minister seems to be expecting the absolute worst outcome possible, or do the predictions only change once every two decades?

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kuwait digest

Democracy cannot be divided

By Nasser Al-Eidan he opposition blocs’ agenda is clear: they seek constitutional reforms that ultimately allows for a system in which the prime minister is elected. They also propose amendments to remove ministers’ ability to vote as parliament members. So far, it appears that the opposition blocs are seeking to transform Kuwait into a full democracy. But they are missing one important aspect, which is calling for adopting a political party system.

This point needs to be kept in mind.

The opposition bloc’s approach is good yet incomplete. It proposes some bold concepts, but eschews a basic element of democratic workpolitical parties. In order for the opposition to live up to the requirements of development and political reform, it must propose a comprehensive reform program. Reform cannot be achieved through a program that doesn’t address all aspects. Even if the opposition blocs get what they want in electing a Parliament with an elected prime minister, this doesn’t mean that Kuwait has moved to full democracy unless political parties are created. This is because democracy cannot be divided.

But let’s go further than that and ask ourselves, was the decision to exclude political parties from the opposition bloc’s demands intentional? The opposition blocs are seek ing a democracy that meets their condition, in a similar manner in which how the ruling family made sure that the Constitution is tailor-made to meet their conditions. The Constitution was created in a way to ensure that the ruling family remains in power. Likewise, the opposition blocs seek to create a political system in which they remain on top.

The opposition blocs are composed of groups that are unorganized in nature. Some groups have dominant tribal influence that generally reject the concept of ‘parties’ which result in tribes losing favor.

This leads us to conclude that the agenda of reform that the blocs are proposing doesn’t necessarily aim at achieving full democracy, but rather would want to create a system that gives them the key to control the decision-making process so that the benefits remain intact.

The opposition blocs feel strong today but it is not utilizing strength at the right place or time. The society is eager today for any radical constitutional or democratic change. It is a great opportunity for constitutional reforms to be proposed. However, these are required to be comprehensive to meet the state’s collective interest. — Al-Rai

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hen a candidate was recently asked about why he was contesting elections, quick came the reply, “I want to fight evil and all devils.” Another woman said that she wanted to fix all the troubles in Kuwait. Another one said that all she cared about was for the handicapped and disabled. Yet another candidate had no clue about what needs to be done in case he won! Of course, all these comments were made by new candidates who are oblivious to the fact that they are now the butt of jokes and that they have damaged the democratic process!

I never thought I would be making such a remark, but I found out that I am not the only one who thinks this way. There are other writers who are as concerned as I am.

These candidates have positioned themselves as frontrunners without even knowing what to say!

Watch out! You are trying to fool many Kuwaitis and that is not fair. After witnessing the gaffe, I’m sure none of the new candidates consulted a media advisor who doled out a few tips before opening their mouths to say stupid things while going live on air!

Also, one woman proved that she really lacked experience. All of them are unaware that the election is a month away and they desperately need to chart out an action plan, start canvassing earnestly, targeting all residents of the district, instead of making pointless appeals through TV. Undoubtedly the TV is a strong medium of communication, but it is not enough to convince people to choose you because the large number of TV channels have clouded people’s tastes and attitudes. Some never watch certain channels because they dislike it. Other social media websites like Twitter are more influential in Kuwait.

The countdown to the big day has begun. We will be flooded by good and bad comments.

kuwait digest

A letter to Kuwait’s youth

By Dr Ahmad Al-Khateeb Dear young people of Kuwait, ou have achieved a most historic accomplishment by organizing mass gatherings at the Irada Square, which ultimately led to the Cabinet’s resignation and Parliament’s dissolution as the first step in the path to reform. This is an achievement that even parliament members couldn’t achieve despite the constitutional tools used.

Your achievement is the fruit of utilizing Article 6 of the Constitution, which states that people are the source of all powers. The people are the highest authority in Kuwait to which the executive, legislative and judicial authorities are subjected. Achieving great victory in utilizing the constitutional article gives you will save Kuwait from the miserable situation it is currently in; created as a result of limited capabilities, restricting the proper utilization of the Constitution, law.

This victory puts the future in your hands and gives you the responsibility to ensure that this future will bring prosperity in our country. Every responsible and patriotic person has the duty today to elect parliament representatives who can live up to your hopes and help Kuwait regain its prominent status in the region it once enjoyed.

Loyal Kuwaitis yearn for the days when the godfather of Kuwait’s democracy, the late Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah ruled. He has embraced the people’s demands and devoted all his powers to meet them.

Allow me to present some opinions and recommendations which I believe will help you in your mission in the current decisive phase of Kuwait’s history: First: National unity. Unity between all parts of the Kuwaiti society is the only way to protect Kuwait from the crushing winds that are sweeping across the Arab World. I believe that speculations about divisions in the society are exaggerated. This is because love and appreciation of fellow citizens has always, and will always remain unchanged.

While the relatively short period before election day doesn’t give much opportunity for active youth groups to unify under a single approach, they can still coordinate with each other to support honorable candidates who back young people’s ambitions - as

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this attribute along with competency should be the standard by which candidates are elected, while all forms sectarianism and tribalism must be shunned.

Second: Proper monitoring of the elections process. This can be achieved through the following steps: 1- Assigning specialized teams to check poll schedules to combat forgery and vote transfer.

2- Efforts to detect attempts to tamper with election results using financial means such as bribery and vote buying. This is where young people can be active by taking footage for any detected case and upload them through social networking websites.

3- Ensuring that records are released for any irregularity detected in order to maintain appeal.

4- After voting is closed and winners are announced, young people must assess the performance of those they supported to ensure whether they live up to the promises they made in serving Kuwait. This process should continue throughout the entire four-year term of the Parliament, as voters are required to keep in touch with MPs so that they will know that their per formance is under watch.

5- Seek help of fellow young activists in countries where the Arab Spring took place. In the meantime, you must maintain individuality of Kuwait.

6- Keep an eye on the candidates lineup because forces of corruption will cause nationalist and reformist candidates to fail. These attempts can be made by pushing candidates at certain constituencies, only to disperse votes in favor of corrupt candidates. Keep a close eye on individuals who suddenly become capable of funding huge election campaigns despite not being known as rich.

7- Young people should be encouraged to cooperate with the government in its efforts to maintain the integrity of the election. The cooperation can be achieved through reporting cases of irregularities detected during the election process.

Dear young people of Kuwait, your cooperation and devotion can guarantee a better future for you and your children. My faith in you is unwavering, so go ahead with your mission. You have with support of all honorable people of Kuwait. — Al-Qabas

Every responsible and patriotic person has the duty today to elect parliament representatives who can live up to your hopes and help Kuwait regain its prominent status in the region it once enjoyed.

kuwait digest

The tricks candidates play

By Dr Shamlan Al-Essa felt disappointed, disgusted, bored and unable to write about the local elections affairs because of the lies, cheating and chaos that are rampant in our country in run up to elections.

Accusations are exchanged between candidates, and each candidate claims he is the best, and the most credible who is capable of preserving the country’s wealth, carrying out reforms. The true situation is apparent in the candidates’ electoral programs. They are trying their best to gain votes by giving promises to improve salaries and advantages.

In other words, they claim to preserve public funds while implementing certain policies that contradict such claims.

Candidates of ‘political Islam’ did not change their old ways of criticizing the government and accusing it of financial and administrative corruption and squandering public funds. Practically, they are the closest to the government because they benefit from the government through charity organizations, Islamic banks and financial institutions that receive all kinds of support from the government whenever it reaches the verge of bankruptcy. The government allows them leeway including exempting their financial establishments from Central Bank supervision.

Those factions, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood are trusted by the government. Do not ask me how. I no longer understand what goes on in this country!

We were disturbed by former tribal MPs, and now candidates who protest and demonstrate demand-

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ing change. With this, we mean ousting the former prime minister, dissolving the National Assembly and calling for new elections. The government acted quickly to meet their demands. We find former MPs and new candidates running helter-skelter to carry out by-elections which are banned.

The irony is that daily papers carry the details of these elections or ‘consultations’ and the government, represented by the Interior Ministry is unable to arrest those who call for and win it because of a lack of sufficient evidence. Tribal individuals and groups, who attended and participated in elections denied that any elections took place in front of the Public Prosecution Department. When they were questioned about the crowds, they answered that they had gathered to attend a lunch, dinner gathering! Strangely, none of the tribe members, gave any statement that admitted that tribal elections or consultations took place.

I feel disgusted because none of the candidates announced an agenda against creating a secular country or that he would abide by the Constitution.

The tragedy is that supporters of the secular state remain silent towards the behavior of the Interior Ministry, when it attacked the camps and flats during New Year’s eve under the pretext of protecting ethics and religion. The truth is that the government is trying to satisfy religious groups, despite the fact that they lead the opposition blocs to the government and the ruler. — Al-Watan

kuwait digest

Intellectual freedom

By Dr Mubarak Al-Therwa hen Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) began spreading the message of Islam in holy Makkah, he asked that people be given freedom to listen to his message, after which they were to make free assessments.

“Leave an open space between people and I,” the Prophet said. We have the opportunity to explain the ideologies the new religion offers as well as solutions to problems. He asked to be allowed to provide answers to people’s questions about creation, life, afterlife, women’s rights, childhood, law, and international relations.

The Prophet Mohammad asked Makkah’s leaders for an opportunity to explain to people the meanings of justice, equality and freedom and let people think and make their own decisions in believing him. However, they never gave him the opportunity to speak freely with people. Not only that, they also launched campaigns to damage his reputation, accusing him of sorcery and insanity.

The Prophet Mohammad wished to introduce people the values of intellectual freedom and liberation of human mind from blindly following elders and leaders. This is exactly what the influential people of Makkah feared. Those who control commercial powers in Makkah did not want to be placed on an equal footing with who they regarded as slaves and commoners.

Social classification was the main strategy in maintaining power and influence. They were quick to realize that a new religion that can help people liberate themselves would lead to their destruction.

But being thirsty for justice and freedom, the people listened to Prophet Mohammad and began to realize that they don’t have to be enslaved anymore.

They chose to enjoy a system where everyone is considered equal in rights and duties.

The definition of pure freedom is enshrined in the message of Islam. People are liberated from having to follow a human being only to submit to the Creator. Humans should only submit to God and liberate themselves from following tyrannical rulers, unjust laws or corrupt entrepreneurs.

Islam eliminated social hierarchies as much as possible. It enforced Zakat or alms paid by the rich to the poor, gave labor forces the right of expression and political participation. It also helped people utilize their capabilities to the best service of their countries.

Creativity cannot be achieved in societies where people’s dignity is violated, and their right of intellectual freedom is not fully protected. This is why the Prophet Mohammad asked to communicate freely with people. He realized that violating intellectual freedom is a violation to the concept of multiculturalism. Islam came to people suffering from slavery and injustice, and gave them the right to have free will. It is built on the concept that the more you deprive people from freedom and its true meaning, the closer they become to slavery. Muslims choose to submit to God because they realize that the other would mean submitting to people, and that there is no third choice. It is their ultimate form of freedom.

There is a saying ‘there is no God but Allah’ (laa ilaha illa Allah). No one should submit themselves to anybody else but the Creator. — Al-Rai

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

local

Scores wounded in road accidents

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A 23-year-old citizen sustained multiple bruises, an 18-year-citizen suffered a head injury, a four- year- old Kuwaiti child suffered a laceration to the scalp, head injury and backbone fracture; a 17-year-old citizen suffered a head injury; an 18-year old citizen sustained injuries; 18-year-old citizen suffered multiple injuries in a traffic accident.

They were admitted to Adan Hospital.

Seven ambulances, 14 paramedics reached the accident scene led by Yousuf Ali and Faisal Al-Enezi.

A 46-year-old citizen suffered a head injury in a car accident that took place on Jamal Abdul Nasser Street. He was admitted to the ICU. A 26-year-old Indian suffered multiple bruises and a 14-yearold female citizen fell unconscious when a car accident took place near Fahaheel Fish Market. They were admitted to Adan Hospital.

Kuwait to receive foreign reporters

Amir heads to Morocco KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah left the country yesterday for Morocco on a private visit. He is accompanied by the Deputy Chief of the National Guard Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. H H the Amir was seen off at Kuwait International Airport by His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Sheikhs, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah AlSabah, ministers, top state officials, top ranking officials of the army, police and National Guard. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait is ready to receive more than 120 foreign reporters who will cover the upcoming parliamentary elections and will offer all help to make their mission successful, said Undersecretary of Information Ministry Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Hamoud Al-Sabah.

During his participation in an exhibition held by the Ministry’s Election Media Center, Sheikh Salman revealed that 120 foreign reporters, from the four corners of the globe, will cover the upcoming

Are candidates ready for lie detector test?

KUWAIT: It’s not a secret that people don’t believe everything politicians say. Politicians struggle to gain people’s trust and convince them about their integrity. The issue of trust between people and politicians in Kuwait came to the limelight following the developments that led to the parliament’s dissolution, including the multimillion-dinar scandal and the National Assembly’s raid episode. As candidates today raise the slogan of fighting corruption in the executive and legislative, what if politicians in Kuwait are put through lie detector machines in order to make it easier for voters to decide who is honest and who is not?

“Kuwaiti voters are smart, and they can tell if the candidate speaking before them have honest intentions or not”, argued third con-

stituency candidate and former MP Roudhan Al-Roudhan. He told Annahar daily that the long experience the citizens have in democratic practice improved their ability to determine which candidates are best for the general interest of the people. Al-Roudhan was asked if he would agree to a lie detector test for candidates he said that such a step would be good in order to give people a better idea about candidates’ intentions. He argued that voters, especially in the third constituency, are already aware of who are lying.

Liberal candidate Mohammad Bushehri admitted that voters have the right to question the veracity of information they get from candidates. However, he insisted that there are candidates who have actions that prove their

integrity as opposed to empty promises.

“There is no such thing that a 100 percent honest [politician]”, admitted Bushehri, adding that a lie detector would at least allow voters to tell who are full of lies, and others who keep lying to a minimum. The hypothetical ‘lie detector’ scenario was also proposed to former MP Naji Al-Abdulhadi, who said that judging from four election campaigns he ran, voters in his third constituency are already smart enough as to demand a proof before believing any rumors spread. Yet, he agreed that a lie detector would be very helpful inside the parliament. One expert believes that candidates’ integrity isn’t the main factor by which citizens determine who they vote for, as much as they look for other factors. “People tend to elect

candidates based on factors such as sectarian, religious or tribal allegiance, as well as the political approach the candidates endorse”, said psychophysiology professor at the Kuwait University Dr Kamal Al-Farraj to Annahar.

In this regard, he added that charisma and a candidate’s ability to reach out to voters in matter-of-fact speech is very effective in influencing voters. “One of the flaws of democracy is that it allows politicians to manipulate people’s opinion by speaking to their emotions instead of their minds”, he said. Dr Al-Farraj said that a lie detector would have limited effect on exposing dishonest politicians, who he said can easily deceive the machine by controlling emotions, something that deft politicians usually master. — Annahar

elections. He noted that the Center will provide local and foreign reporters and correspondents with all required information, statistics and reports. He added that the Center will also organize ten seminars on democracy and elections in Kuwait.

The Media Election Center provides candidates with equal time to talk their voters, about their vision and program. It also offers daily full coverage to all election-related news and events. — KUNA

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

LOCAL

Vote-buyers target female citizens: KTS Call to weed out illegal practices during vote KUWAIT: The Kuwait Transparency Society (KTS) not only monitors the election proceedings, but is also keen on weeding out illegal practices that may be committed in the run up to elections. In a recent interview with a local daily, Salah AlGhazali, President of the Society, urged voters to take part in “achieving successful elections” by voting objectively.

The KTS, handpicked by the Ministry of Interior(MoI) to head a top commission that aims to prevent violations in the upcoming elections

News

in brief

KOTC gets approval to build 5 new tankers KUWAIT: The Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) has obtained the approval of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) for the tender of building five new Jiant oil tankers out of the nine tankers the company is planning to build in the third phase to update the company’s fleet. The tender has been given to the Korean Company Daiwoo at a total value of $556 million.

The sources added that the contract is divided into two parts — the first one consists of four Jiant tankers at the price of $118 million each and the second part is for one medium size tanker at a price of $84 million with a capacity 100,000 metric tons. The remaining four tankers will be awarded following a tender at the beginning of next week after obtaining the approval from KPC and the Central Tender Committee.

Companies law amendments

has already obtained information on verified and yet-to-be verified cases of vote buying. “There have been reports about as much as KD 2,000 being offered to buy votes in certain areas, while in other areas KD 250 was offered,” Al-Ghazali told an Al-Qabas reporter, adding that some candidates offer privileges like travel tickets and ‘wasta’ (influence) to pass transactions in state departments in exchange for citizens’ votes. He added that the highest offers were made in the third constituency and the least were made in

the fourth constituency.

Notably, Al-Ghazali hinted that female voters are targeted more than their male counterparts.

They were lured by gifting cash or presents.

Moreover, he said that there are more female citizens willing to sell votes than men in certain areas. Al-Ghazali commented on the duty his society has been tasked with, “it aims to assure the public that the upcoming elections are going to be fair and that no candidates will receive state-sponsored support.” — Al-Qabas

Malaysian PM praises democracy in Kuwait KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Mohammed Najib Bin Abdul Razak praised yesterday the democratic approach that Kuwait adopts towards all issues and causes, noting its pioneering role in this field within the Middle East region.

Speaking to KUNA, the official also praised the level of public participation and public freedoms in the country, as well as all-encompassing reforms accomplished so far under the leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

He described the relations between Kuwait and Malaysia as “excellent”, and noted consistent and deep-rooted development over the years especially since diplomatic relations between the two countries were established back in the mid 1970s. He called upon those in charge to strengthen relations in the econ-

omy and investment fields in particular, and urged investors to seize the ample opportunities and benefit from the many facilities the Malaysian economy offers.The Malaysian PM noted that Kuala Lumpur and Kuwait share many points of view, opinions, and stances on political issues that involve the Islamic nation, and international issues as well. He added that his country was the first to condemn the Iraqi invasion and occupation of Kuwait in 1990.

The premier also noted that it could easily be seen how His Highness the Amir is seeking more prosperity and political and economic stability for his homeland. He expressed hope to see the nation maintain its democratic and progressive approach under the wise leadership of the Amir, who is a renowned statesman. — KUNA

Farewell to Al-Qattan

Deputy Amir receives PM, Deputy PM KUWAIT: His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheik h Nawaf AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received at Bayan Palace yesterday His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak

Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. His Highness also received the Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. — KUNA

Supreme panel on poll monitoring to meet KUWAIT: A supreme commission formed recently by the Ministry of Interior to oversee the 2012 election campaign and monitor any possible irregularities by candidates and campaigners will hold its second meeting today at the Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA) building.

The commission consists of representatives from the K JA, Kuwait Transparency Society, Kuwait Lawyers Association and the Ministry of Interior.

KJA Secretary General Faisal Al-Qanaei stated in a statement on Tuesday that one police station was allocated in each of the Kuwait’s five constituencies to serve as the headquarters for the commission’s work.

KJA Secretary General Faisal Al-Qanaei

KUWAIT: Ministry of Commerce and Industry Undersecretary Abdul-Aziz AlKhaldi will head a meeting to be convened next week that will be presided over by a commission that studied recommendations to amend Trading Companies Law. Certain recommendations have been proposed by the ministry to amend the law which has not been changed since its enactment nearly fifty years ago. The proposals include changes in controls related to license trading, shareholding and insurance companies that help address some of the controversial situations. According to a source, the ministry will finalize this issue as soon as possible to create a law that attracts foreign investors to Kuwait.

MANAMA: Kuwaiti Ambassador to Bahrain Sheikh Azzam Mubarak Al-Sabah honors diplomat Nawwaf Al-Mawad during the farewell function. — KUNA

Nahj membership KUWAIT: A number of former MPs and a new candidate have officially applied to join Nahj group. Their number is estimated at 30 candidates, informed sources said. The sources added that Nahj put a condition for their membership that they did not participate in primaries if they were former MPs. He also would evaluate their political career in parliament. Regarding the new candidates, he made it clear that they should not have participated in primary elections or consultations.

Envoy to Bahrain extols Kuwaiti diplomats

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: The Nursing Services Department held a farewell party in honor of the Director of the department Awatif AlQattan who is retiring after her meritorious service in the department for over 38 years.

The farewell was accorded to her in the

Biotech Block

presence of Assistant Undersecretary for Technical Affairs Dr Khalid Al-Sahlawi along with health district matrons. Al-Sahlawi thanked Al-Qattan for her efforts during the 38 years she spent at her work, and her role in restructuring the department to become one of the most distinguished in the ministry.

MVJ Engineering College, Bangalore

MANAMA: Kuwaiti Ambassador to Bahrain Sheikh Azzam Mubarak Al-Sabah said yesterday that Kuwait deserves devoted and dedicated representation abroad that would maintain its excellent reputation among nations of the world.

The ambassador was speaking at a farewell reception held in honor of Nawwaf Al-Mawad who ends his tenure at the

embassy. He praised the devotion of the departing diplomat throughout his service.

“Kuwait’s diplomats are its unknown soldiers, and their mission is to serve the nation through cooperation, team spirits, and focus on the state’s best interest in all they do,” the ambassador remarked. “Diplomats, wherever they may serve, are our homeland’s frontline,” he stressed. —KUNA

SRM Auditorium Tech Park

India Education Exhibition 2012 to open tomorrow KUWAIT: The two-day India Education Exhibition 2012, which is set to open on Friday, January 6, at the Ramada Hotel Kuwait, in Al Riggae area, is an ideal opportunity for Indian and foreign students and their parents to meet Indian educational professionals and obtain the latest information on academic opportunities and career guidance. The exhibition, which will be open from 10.30 am to 8.30 pm on both days, is featuring over 15 exhibitors, representing 150 institutions and offering more than 300 courses ranging from preschool to Ph D level.

With more than 17,000 colleges, over 400 universities, 13 institutes of national importance and various vocational institutes, the higher education system in India is one of the largest in the world.

Several of these institutes are considered on par with the best in the world. A look back in history will reveal that India has a long and acclaimed educational precedent, with a tradition of being a center of educational excellence and a lodestone for students from around the world for centuries.

Today, in addition to the high-quality, value education provided at many Indian educational institutions, the fast integrating world economy and corresponding rise of students’ mobility have made studying in India an attractive option. Every

year, in addition to the large numbers of Indian students, there are several thousand foreign students who seek enrollment in 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 universities they would like to apply to and how to go about the application procedures.

For NRI and international students, it is also important to know the accommodation facilities, weather conditions, food habits and cost of living in the city, in which he or she intends to study.

The two-day India Education Exhibition aims to provide detailed information on the variety of learning opportunities and to personally interact with college administrators and faculty members, to know more about the various educational programs available in India. The exhibition will display a variety of attractive options available to NRI and other students in Kuwait, to obtain undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in a range of disciplines, including Medicine, Engineering, Business Management, Marketing & Communications, Arts and Science, Hospitality & Hotel Management and Allied Health Sciences. Among the exhibitors at the show are Peeves Public School from Nilambur,

Kerala, SRM University and Hindusthan University from Chennai, SONA College of Engineering from Salem, Nehru Group of Institutions from Coimbatore, CMR Group of Institutions, Acharya Institutes, MVJ College of Engineering and Jain International Residential School from Bangalore, Ramdeo Baba KN Engineering College and Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences from Nagpur, Vishwakarma Institute of Technology and Vishwashanti Gurukul from Pune and K J Somaiya College of Engineering from Mumbai.

India is fast becoming a growing world economic power and many international students are eager to leverage this growth, and its ensuing potential for employment, by gaining knowledge of the market early on. However, apart from knowing India well, there are other advantages that are attracting students to study in India. Among the attractive features of an Indian education are: Value Education: The cost of education in India is quite competitive when compared to similar education provided by institutes in many other countries.

Quality Education: While the quality of education is not uniform throughout the length and breadth of the country, there are several educational institutes in India that provide world-class

education. The Government of India is also speeding up efforts to establish more institutes that can offer quality education in India.

Infrastructure: The facilities and amenities, including cutting-edge laboratories and latest research technologies, at many educational institutes are comparable to what is on offer at some of the best international campuses.

Financial Assistance: Various scholarships, education loans and other financial aids are now available for higher studies in India.

At the India Education Exhibition 2012, students along with their parents will get an opportunity to interact with leading educational institutions, get updated information, fee structure, eligibility criteria and programs which are currently in high demand from an employment perspective. Some of the institutions are also offering spot admissions as well as information on personality development, communication skills and in-demand IT courses and programs at the venue, for which students would otherwise have to travel long distances and spend time and money.

The India education Exhibition 2012, which is being held for the fifth consecutive year is organized by Indus Group, India, in association with Response Events and Exhibitions, Kuwait.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

LOCAL

Newspaper vows to expose vote-buying Daily urges readers to report cases during poll KUWAIT: A local newspaper has exhorted readers to report any confirmed cases of vote -buying and pledged to publish them as long as concrete evidence to prove accusations are provided.

Annahar daily published a note on the front page of its Wednesday issue, including a phone number and e-mail address to which readers were asked to report any information about vote buying incidents in any of the five constituencies. “This step comes as part of [Annahar’s] contributions to ensure transparent, free and honest elections in Kuwait,” the statement read, adding that the identity of citizens who report illegal activities will be kept confidential. The newspaper further indicated that concrete evidence should be provided before any claims are published, reported Annahar.

The government has assigned the Kuwait Transparency Society (KTS) to oversee the upcoming elections for February 2 to make sure that no violations like forgery, vote buying or vote switching occurs. The Ministry of

Interior also took measures to tackle outlawed tribal primary elections.

Several cases have already been filed to the Public Prosecution Department against citizens who participated in by-elections held in fourth and fifth constituencies.

Major tribal communities tend to select a number of candidates to obtain full support from respective tribesmen. It is a method by which tribes can be represented by members in Parliament. The Constitutional Court issued a verdict weeks ago outlawing by-elections Since then, tribes in fourth and fifth constituencies have been holding meetings which, while being unofficial, still serve the purpose of selecting certain candidates.

One fourth constituency candidate believes, however, that tribes have the right to hold meetings which he further described as “a requirement in the current phase of Kuwait’s political history.” “Political groups can hold talks freely without pressure or prosecution, and announce candidates they select to receive their full endorsement,” said former MP Mubarak Al-

Khurainej to a crowd of voters. “When political groups publically announce the names of candidates they support is called a democratic practice. When tribes consult with each other to select candidates, it violates democracy,” Al-Khurainej argued.

The former lawmaker was speaking during a seminar held before a planned round of meetings for his Rashaidah tribe on Monday. He was not among four candidates reportedly nominated by the tribe to gain tribesmen’s full support, reported Al-Rai. Meanwhile, Al-Qabas reported yesterday that meetings were held Monday night between leaders of tribes, families and religious communities with influential power.

According to sources, the meetings focused on “helping voters elect the best candidates to serve the country.

The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, indicate that around sixty “highly influential social figures” were present at the first meeting, in addition to representatives from some political groups, Al-Qabas.

Al-Rai reported that three leading

Watchman held for raping 6-year-old boy in Salmiya

independent candidates in the first constituency are coordinating to form a coalition to ensure that at least two were elected.

The sources quoted in the report expressed concern that many voters in the multicultural constituency could make their decisions based on sectarian, religious or tribal classifications. Another report also indicates that the situation in the second constituency remains vague, given the case of difference between the two major Islamists groups; the Islamic Constitutional Movement and Islamic Salafist Assembly. In addition, there are some members of the two groups who chose to run as independent candidates against the wish of their respective group leaders, reported AlRai. In other news, third constituency candidate and ex-MP Dr Waleed AlTabtabae criticized the Information Ministry for ‘remaining silent’ on “campaigns launched by media outlets against opposition figures to tarnish the reputation he enjoys among voters.”

Journalism award entries being assessed: Panel KUWAIT: The entries for the fourth Sheikh Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah Journalism Excellence Award are being assessed and finalists are being selected at present, said head of the Higher Committee for the Prizes Ayman Al-Ali yesterday. Al-Ali said actual selection of finalists started upon end of the submission period on December 31, 2011.

The committee had allowed an extension of two weeks for submissions to make up for lost time, as submission period was interrupted by the Hajj and Eid Al-Adha holidays.

The prize is sponsored by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, and merit of entries is judged against set and professional criteria. The ultimate aim is to encourage creativity and improve standards of performance within the journalism and media field in Kuwait. There is a specific interest in supporting and encouraging young talents and aspiring journalists who are then hoped to better serve national causes and defend Kuwaiti issues. Al-Ali seized the opportunity and extended his congratulations to the Kuwaiti leadership and people on the start of a new year and expressed gratitude to the prize sponsor. He also praised a recent decision by the Council of Ministers to form a panel of experts and media and journalism figures to consider means to make media a stronger promoter of values of patriotism and national pride and development. — KUNA

NBK invites Minister to view bank’s new HQ ‘Environmentally friendly and state-of-the-art’

Child falls to death from eighth floor KUWAIT: Criminal investigators arrested a Salmiya building watchman who has been accused of sexually assaulting a six-year-old boy last weekend. The suspect denied accusations and asser ted that he only played with the child whom he allegedly lured into his ground-floor apar tment. The victim had complained to his parents about severe pain which was later discovered to be the result of sexual assault. According to the child’s account, he went into the watchman’s room after being asked to. Unaware of being subjected to sexual assault, the child told his mother that the man had committed acts that caused him pain. A medical check-up confirmed that the child had been sexually assaulted. Investigators traced the suspect down in Maidan Hawally by tracking his cell phone signals. During investigations, he didn’t provide any explanations as to why he had disappeared. Police arrested him and are waiting for a medical report to confirm his involvement in the crime. - Al-Rai Teenager held Meanwhile, a 17-year-old teenager was arrested in Al-Naeem after being accused of raping his neighbor’s 10year-old son. The victim, who was escorted to the area’s police station by his uncle, told officers that the suspect pulled in the victim to the diwaniya of his house and assaulted him sexually and physically. Police reached the suspect’s residence and placed him under arrest. In the meantime, medical reports confirm that assaults had taken place. The suspect faces charges of kidnap, rape and bat-

tery. He remains in custody pending legal action. -Al-Rai. Child negligence charges A child fell to death from the balcony of a Farwaniya apartment. The six-year-old was reportedly alone in the balcony of the eighth floor apartment when he lost balance and fell to the ground. His parents rushed downstairs after a neighbor alerted them about the incident. The child’s mother fell unconscious at the sight of her boy’s motionless and bloody body.

The body was removed for an autopsy after paramedics pronounced the boy dead. His mother was taken in an ambulance to the Farwaniya Hospital.

The Farwaniya police pressed negligence charges against the victim’s parents. - Al-Rai Missing boy Hawally police are on the hunt for a seven-year-old boy who was reported missing by his family. The child was reportedly lost while shopping with family members at a mall in Salmiya.

His parents informed police after failing to locate him in the mall.

Information and picture of the missing boy were provided to all patrol officers. - Al-Rai C- section death A citizen pressed charges against medical staff of a hospital located in the Ahmadi governorate, accusing them of committing a medical error that caused the death of his pregnant wife and their baby. In his complaint registered with Haddiya police station, the grieving man said that his 26-year-old wife was admitted to the

hospital two days before going into labor. He explained that his wife died of complications that arose from a Csection surgical procedure, during which doctors also failed to save the baby’s life. He blamed ‘insufficient medical care’ as the reason behind the incident. Investigations into the case are still ongoing. -Al-Qabas Antique smuggling Kuwait ’s Interpol is currently attempting to return a shipment of antiques worth millions of dinars that was detained in the Kuwait International Airport. The shipment raised customs officials’ suspicion after it was loaded off a cargo plane from an Arab country that still experiences political instability. Police were called after statues, rare coins, books and other relics were found.

Archaeologists confirmed that the smuggled items were genuine.

Coordination is currently in place to return the relics back to the country from where they were smuggled.-AlAnba.

Car thief held Sulaibiya police arrested a suspect who has been accused of selling dismantled parts of stolen cars, and are also searching for two accomplices.

Investigators arrested a bedoon (stateless) man who confessed to being part of a three-member gang that stole vehicles, took them to remote locations and dismantled them, only to sell the parts separately to Amghara Scrapyard. The suspect divulged more details to officials about the two brothers (GCC nationals) who were also involved. — Al-Rai

Three hurt in Hawally fire

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Three persons were injured in a major fire that broke out in a Maidan Hawally building yesterday.

Fire-fighters from Salmiya and Hawally fire-centers rushed to the accident site and extinguished the fire. The fire was noticed on the second floor of a 1,000sq-meter building. The fire-fighters rescued seven persons using fire evacuation ladders. Three people were injured and had to be taken to hospital while two others were treated on spot.

KUWAIT: The gutted remains of a kitchen in an apartment in Maidan Hawally.

KU Information Club seminar

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Sheik h Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah said information, with its developed tools became one of the strongest modern means of communication and helps the citizens to cope with the changes.

Th e s p e e c h w a s d e l i ve re d o n b e h a l f o f t h e information Minister by Assistant Undersecretary for Journalism and Print Media during the closing ceremony of the first school semester of the Kuwait University Information club. The ceremony was held under the patronage of the information minister.

Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah expressed his appreciation to the Information club for its keenness in organizing symposiums and seminars that contribute significantly to the advancement of information and polish the skills of students in different information streams.

KUWAIT: Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipality Affairs Dr Fadhel Safar and the director general of Kuwait Municipality Ahmad Al-Sobaih visited the exhibition held by National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) showcasing the bank’s new headquarters. NBK Deputy Chairman Nasser Al-Sayer, NBK Group CEO Ibrahim Dabdoub, NBK Group Deputy CEO Isam Al Sager and NBK Kuwait CEO Shaikha Al Bahar along with other executives from the bank welcomed Dr Safar and Al-Sobaih in a tour of the exhibition to present the new building’s conceptual design and features.

NBK’s new state-of-the-art headquarters will be located in the heart of Kuwait’s financial district, Sharq and will serve as a new architectural landmark for Kuwait.

The 300m-high headquarters will have 60 floors. It will house NBK’s new archive museum, which will showcase historical items from the bank and Kuwait.

KUWAIT: Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipality Affairs Dr Fadhel Safar and the director general of Kuwait Municipality Ahmad Al-Sobaih visit the exhibition held by National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) at its headquarters.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

Japan PM vows to bring rebirth of Fukushima

Police in Nigeria hit in first attack since emergency decree Page 10

Page 12

IOWA: Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney hugs his wife Ann during a ‘Romney for President’ Iowa Caucus night rally in Des Moines, Iowa Tuesday.—AP

Romney squeaks out win in Iowa Frontrunner Romney wins by eight votes IOWA : Front-running Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney headed to New Hampshire and friendlier territory yesterday for the second state-by-state nominating contest next week, carrying with him the skimpiest of victories in Iowa’s first-inthe-nation vote to pick a challenger to President Barack Obama. Just eight votes separated Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, from former Pennsylvania Sen Rick Santorum.

Santorum staged an abrupt rise from single -digit support in the Midwestern state to become the patrician Romney’s strongest competitor for the Republican nomination, a race that will play out over the next six months in primary elections and caucuses nationwide before the November election.

“I’ve got a big target on me now,” Romney said. “I’ve got broad shoulders. I’m willing to handle it.” Two candidates who did poorly in Iowa may be on their way out of the race - Texas

Gov. Rick Perry and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann. Iowa Republican chairman Matt Strawn appeared hours after the caucuses had ended to report that Romney had 30,015 votes, to 30,007 for Santorum, whose Iowa fortunes were carried by his appeal to the state’s evangelical Christians and social conservatives in a state that is largely farmland and 91 percent white. The chaos that has marked the early months of the Republican race has diverted attention from Obama, who is vulnerable in his bid for a second term because of the stagnant US economy and high unemployment that lingers from the 2007-2009 Great Recession. Before his victory was announced, Romney added to his already-formidable national network by announcing the endorsement of Sen. John McCain, who twice won the New Hampshire primary and was the Republican nominee in 2008.

While the nominal winner in Iowa, Romney ’s campaign has failed to

catch the imagination of a Republican base there or nationwide. Those voters have grown ever more conservative in recent years and view him with grave distrust for having taken moderate positions in the past. But Romney is the favorite of the party establishment, which sees him as the candidate best equipped to defeat Obama.

In a show of force Tuesday, Romney became the first candidate to purchase television advertising in Florida, whose primary is Jan. 31. He is spending $264,000 on television advertising in New Hampshire, $260,000 in South Carolina and $609,000 in Florida, according to figures obtained by The Associated Press. Santorum, meanwhile, struggled to pay for campaign transportation in recent days. He’s spending just $16,000 to air a television ad on New Hampshire cable stations this week.

In a sign of the acrimony ahead, Santorum said the McCain endorsement was to be expected. “John is a

more moderate member of the Republican team, and I think he fits in with Mitt’s view of the world,” he said.

Even before his victor y was announced, Romney looked past his Republican rivals and took aim at Obama. “The gap between his promises four years ago and his performance is as great as anything I’ve ever seen in my life,” he told supporters.

In all, more than 122,000 straw ballots were cast, a record for Iowa Republicans, and the outcome was a fitting conclusion to a race as jumbled as any since Iowa gained the leadoff position in presidential campaigns four decades ago. Returns from all 1,774 precincts showed both Romney with 24.55 percent support and Santorum with 24.54 percent. Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who drew a younger crowd with his libertarian views, drew 21.5 percent of the votes.

The results are nonbinding when it comes to picking delegates to the Republican convention next summer.

But an Associated Press analysis showed Romney would win 13 delegates and Santorum 12 if there were no change in their support as the campaign wears on. Paul ran third, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was fourth after a recent and dramatic rise and fall in the polls. Both men vowed to carry the fight to New Hampshire’s primary next Tuesday and beyond.

Perry, who came in fifth, told supporters he would return home to reassess his candidacy. Bachmann was a distant sixth, and her campaign appeared in disarray. Campaign manager Keith Nahigian told The Associated Press that she planned a news conference late yesterday morning. Nahigian would not say whether Bachmann intends to drop out.

Despite its importance as the leadoff state, Iowa has an uneven record when it comes to predicting national winners. It sent Obama on his way in 2008, but McCain finished a distant

fourth. Romney is heavily favored in New Hampshire, with contests in South Carolina and Florida in the final weeks of the month. Apparently dropping his stance of avoiding a negative campaign after being pummeled by more than $1 million in attack ads in Iowa by Romney supporters, Gingrich is welcoming Romney to New Hampshire with a full-page ad in the state’s largest newspaper that jabs him as a “ Timid Massachusetts Moderate.” The day before, Gingrich called Romney a liar on national television. Speaking to supporters late Tuesday, he made clear that he wouldn’t back down. Paul was joining Santorum and Romney in New Hampshire this week to try to demonstrate his third-place finish in Iowa wasn’t a fluke. The candidates will meet Jon Huntsman, the former Utah governor, who skipped the Iowa caucuses and began ratcheting up Romney criticism of his own in recent days.—AP

Syria accuses US of interfering in Arab affairs DAMASCUS: Syria accused the United States yesterday of interfering in Arab League affairs, as a US envoy travelled to Cairo for talks with the bloc about ending the Damascus regime’s deadly crackdown on dissent. Meanwhile, democracy activists have denounced the 22-member Arab bloc over the “unprofessionalism” of a team of peace observers whose presence in Syria has failed to stem the bloodshed.

“The United States is one of the parties which is seeking to rekindle violence by its mobilisation and incitement (to violence),” foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdisi said in a statement. “The US ... statements are a gross interference in the work of the Arab League and an unjustified attempt to internationalise” the issue of Syria, he said. Arab League observers have been in Syria since last week trying to assess the regime’s implementation of a peace agreement aimed at ending violence in the country.

The US State Department said on Tuesday that Jeffrey Feltman, the assistant secretary of state for Near East Affairs, would travel to Cairo for consultations with the Arab League about Syria. Feltman is due to arrive in the Egyptian capital later yesterday

and is scheduled to hold discussions with the Arab League today. His trip was announced as the White House said it is “past time” for the UN Security Council to act, as “sniper fire, torture and murder” were continuing in Syria and the Arab League conditions for the regime have been dishonored.

“We want to see the international community stand together united in support of the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people,” said White House spokesman Jay Carney. Despite the presence of the monitors, Arab League chief Nabil Al-Arabi has acknowledged that “there are still snipers” in Syria, but defended the mission for securing prisoner releases and removing tanks from the streets. The United Nations estimated last month that more than 5,000 people have been killed in the Syrian government’s crackdown on dissent since March.

There were no signs of the violence abating yesterday, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reporting that three more civilians were killed. In a statement sent to AFP in Nicosia, the Britain-based group said two civilians died and four were wounded in the besieged central city of Homs by gunfire from a car likely belonging to the regime. Another civilian was killed in the city of

Hama, to the north of Homs, where Arab League monitors were sent.

The observers were also touring the flashpoints of Dael in southern Daraa province and Harasta, near Damascus, state television reported. But activists are urging them instead to go to Sabaa Bahrat, in the heart of the capital, where they plan to stage an anti-regime demonstration yesterday.

“We invite the Arab League observers to act responsibly and protect the peaceful demonstrators. Our rights are being violated and we will struggle to recover them,” they said on Facebook.

Hundreds of regime supporters were already gathering on the same square carrying Syrian flags and chanting slogans in support of President Bashar Al-Assad, an AFP correspondent reported.

Making matters worse, Syria’s opposition was in disarray and struggling to present a united front despite repeated calls by Western governments for them to put aside differences and join forces in their bid to oust Assad. A pact agreed on Friday by two of Syria’s main opposition factions-the Syrian National Council (SNC) and National Coordination Body for Democratic Change in Syria (NCB) — now appears to be in tatters.—AFP

DAMASCUS: A pro-Syrian regime protester waves a portrait of Syrian President Bashar Assad as he shouts slogans during a demonstration to show support for their President, in Damascus, Syria, yesterday.—AP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

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

Iraq attacks kill four amid political crisis Two children among dead

BAQUBA: Iraqis inspect a destroyed car following a blast in the central city of Baquba, 60 kms (40 miles) north of Baghdad yesterday. —AFP

BAGHDAD: A series of attacks in Iraq yesterday targeting the homes of police officers and a member of a government-allied militia killed four people, including two children, officials said. Police said six roadside bombs planted near houses belonging to security officers in Baqouba exploded as their families were sleeping. Two children died in the blasts and nine people were wounded. The city, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, is a former stronghold of Al-Qaeda militants.

Also, police said gunmen stormed the house of a leader in the anti Al-Qaeda militia in the predominantly Sunni suburb of Abu Ghraib, west of the capital, killing him and his wife. The man had been active in the Sahwa, or Sons of Iraq, a Sunni militia that was instrumental in turning the tide against Al-Qaeda in the country. Medical officials confirmed the casualty toll. All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.

Iraqi officials have warned of a resurgence of both Sunni and Shiite militants and an increase in violence following the US troop withdrawal, which was completed last month. The latest violence comes during a growing political crisis that erupted after

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s Shiite-dominated government issued an arrest warrant for the country’s top Sunni politician last month.

Al-Maliki’s main political rival, the Sunnibacked Iraqiya bloc, is boycotting parliament sessions and Cabinet meetings to protest what they say are efforts by the government to consolidate power and marginalize them.

Al-Maliki’s spokesman, Ali Al-Moussawi, told reporters that the Cabinet voted Tuesday to declare the missing Iraqiya ministers “on leave.” That decision sidesteps for now the possibility that the boycotting ministers would be replaced.

Al-Moussawi said steps are being taken to try to persuade the Iraqiya lawmakers to return, though he didn’t provide specifics or say how long the government was willing to wait. Also yesterday, the United Nations secretar y-general’s envoy to Iraq met with President Jalal Talabani and expressed his concerns about the political stalemate. The UN official, Martin Kobler, urged Iraqi leaders to work together to solve the political crisis and said the UN is ready to support efforts “to promote confidence and trust” among the various factions.— AP

In final leg of vote, Egypt’s Islamists eye majority CAIRO: The Islamist Muslim Brotherhood looks set for a dominant role in Egypt’s first free parliament in decades and is promising rivals a role in writing a new constitution as military generals face growing pressure to hand power to civilians. Egyptians voted for a second day yesterday in the final stage of the lower-house election, the first free legislative vote since army officers overthrew the monarchy in 1952.

The staggered election is part of the military’s plan to hand power to civilians before July, ending its turbulent interregnum that began with the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak in February last year in a popular uprising. Welcomed then as heroes who helped nudge the autocratic leader from office, the generals now face anger over their handling of protests that have left 59 dead since mid-November and an economic crisis that is worsening the plight of the poor.

Meanwhile, the Brotherhood has surfed a wave of hostility to longtime foe Mubarak. For millions of poor Egyptians, its record of charitable work in areas ignored by his government suggests it would care for their needs if it won pow-

er. In the working class suburb of Shubra Al-Khaima on the northern limits of Cairo, citizens queued to vote in pot-holed streets littered with rubbish.

“I’ve voted for the Muslim Brotherhood. They have experience in running politics and I am convinced they will start implementing serious reforms,” said pensioner Fawzi Mohamed. Its Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) leads after two of the three rounds of voting and the rise of Islamist parties in the poll has prompted Western concern for the future of Egypt’s close ties to Washington and peace with Israel.

Raids last week on non-governmental organizations by police in a judicial probe into foreign funding for political parties have incensed rights activists and drawn a rebuke from Egypt’s longtime ally the United States. The more hardline Islamist al-Nour Party has come second in the voting so far but some analysts believe the Brotherhood may seek to build a coalition with liberal groups.

That could ease concerns at home and in the West about the rise of the Islamists in a country whose economy is propped up by

tourism. “The party’s winning of the majority in the new parliament does not mean going it alone in writing the constitution without consideration for the rights of other Egyptians, or ignoring the political forces which did not get a majority or failed in the parliamentary elections,” said FJP head Mohamed Mursi.

Founded in 1928, the Brotherhood is Egypt’s best organised political force, emerging stronger than others from three decades of Mubarak rule. With so much to gain from its return to mainstream politics, the Brotherhood has insisted that the elections proceed as planned and has shunned recent street protests against the army.

In Shubra Al-Khaima, where many voters are illiterate labourers and factory workers, poll officials said many citizens had turned up just to avoid paying a fine for not voting. However, turnout on Tuesday and yesterday seemed lower than in the first rounds, some poll organisers said, with many voters apparently feeling the result was already decided.

Rania, a 37-year-old housewife, said she had voted for the FJP because they will create more jobs

for the young and provide apartments. “Don’t get confused and mark down the wrong candidate,” she told her elderly mother as they stood in the queue.

Throughout the staggered election, agents for several parties have hustled for votes outside polling stations, flouting a ban on election-day campaigning. “In many districts our members saw people affiliated to al-Nour and FJP telling voters to vote for them, which the election law totally prohibits,” said Ahmed Said of the liberal Free Egyptians party. An official from the liberal Egyptian Bloc, which includes the Free Egyptians, said the electoral alliance should get 15 percent of votes in the third stage, slightly above earlier rounds. Another source in the alliance said it would be lower.

Preliminary third-round results are due to be given on Saturday, the High Elections Committee said. The lower house election concludes with a run-off vote on Jan. 10 and 11, with final results expected on Jan. 13. The new parliament will then pick a 100-member assembly to write a new constitution. Voting for the upper house will be held in January and February. —Reuters

Series of talks planned after Amman: Palestinians RAMALLAH: Talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Amman Tuesday will be followed by “exploratory meetings” up until the end of the month, the Palestinians said yesterday. The talks between Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat and Israeli envoy Yitzhak Molcho, sponsored by Jordan and the peacemaking Quartet, were the first direct discussions between the sides in more than 15 months. A Palestinian official had suggested the meeting, which was described as positive but produced no breakthroughs, would be fol-

lowed by a second round of talks on Friday, also in Amman. But Israeli media reported the next meeting was not expected before next week, and Nabil Abu Rudeina, spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, said only that a series of meetings were expected to follow Tuesday ’s talks.

“Exploratory meetings will be undertaken with the participation of our brothers in Jordan up until end of the month,” he said in a statement. “Yesterday’s one came in the context of these exploratory meetings. “The Palestinian side is ready to make all possible efforts towards a resumption of negotiations,” he said. But he reiterated the Palestinian position that negotiations could not resume without a freeze on settlement construction and a framework for talks based on the lines that existed before the 1967 Six-Day War. He urged the Israeli government “to announce a settlement freeze, including in east Jerusalem, and accept the principle of a two-state solution on the 1967 borders, to give Jordan’s efforts to resume negotiations the chance they deserve.”

Tuesday ’s meeting came in the context of efforts by the Quartet, made up of the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia, to kick-start talks that ground to a halt

shortly after they began in September 2010. The group has called on both sides to present comprehensive proposals on borders and security before January 26, with an eye to resuming direct talks shortly afterwards. — AFP

CAIRO: An Egyptian anti- Mubarak protester displays slippers carrying photos of ousted president Hosni Mubarak, his son Jamal and the jailed interior minister, Habib AlAdly, as he demonstrates outside a courtroom in Cairo, Egypt yesterday. —AP

Mubarak, aides ordered killing: Egypt prosecution CAIRO: The prosecution in the Hosni Mubarak trial said yesterday it has concluded that Egypt’s ousted president, his security chief and six top police officers were the “actual instigators” of the killing of more than 800 protesters during last year’s popular uprising that brought down his regime.

Mubarak and his seven co-defendants are facing charges of complicity in the killings and could face the death penalty if convicted. Yesterday’s hearing coincided with the second day of voting in the third and final round of parliamentary elections that began on Nov 28. Even before the final round, Islamists led by the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s largest

political group, were assured of a majority in the new legislature. They are likely to bolster their gains in the final round, since many of the nine provinces voting have been traditional Islamist strongholds. The elections, the fairest and freest in decades, have attracted a heavy turnout. Final results were due to be announced Jan 13.

The military officers who have taken over from Mubarak when he stepped down on Feb 11 say presidential elections will be held before the end of June, but they are yet to announce an exact date for the vote and for formally handing over power to a civilian administration. — AP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

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

EU reiterates ‘concern’ over Hungary’s controversial reforms BRUSSELS: The EU executive yesterday reiterated its continuing “concern” over Hungary’s controversial constitutional reforms and warned of legal action should the new laws not comply with EU treaties. “Our concerns remain and will remain until the (European) Commission has completed its legal assessment of these new laws” adopted by the Budapest parliament last week, Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly told a news conference. Legal experts in the

Commission were poring over official translations of Hungary’s controversial constitutional reform bills to see if the legislation was compatible both with EU law as well as basic EU values, he said.

Once the analysis is over, the Commission “will decide on the next step,” he added. After tens of thousands of Hungarians poured into the street to protest Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s reforms, Brussels has been under pressure to determine whether

the new constitution, as its detractors say, undermines vital checks and balances on the power of the centre-right government.

Adopted thanks to a two-thirds parliamentar y majority enjoyed by Orban’s Fidesz party, critics say it tightens his grip on state bodies meant to be independent, including the judiciary and the central bank. Bailly said the Commission had been the first to express its concerns over the planned reforms and went into lengthy detail

on potential infringement proceedings should Budapest have failed to take EU notifications into account.

Infringement proceedings, that can include action before the European Court of Justice as well as fines, would take several months if initiated. In December, the Commission and the International Monetary Fund broke off preliminary talks on a financial aid package of between 15 and 20 billion euros ($20-25 billion).

Brussels also called yesterday on

the Hungarian authorities to respect media pluralism after the country’s sole opposition radio, Klubradio, had its broadcasting licence withdrawn in December.

Neelie Kroes, the Digital Agenda Commissioner, “encourages the Hungarian government to consider issuing additional radio licences” and “hopes that any non-successful bidders from recent and future bidding processes will find success as internet radio stations.” — AFP

Police in Nigeria hit in first attack since emergency decree Protests brake out in various cities

LONDON: Neville Lawrence, center, the father of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence, walks through police officers to speak to the media outside the Central Criminal Court in London yesterday. —AP

Men get 14 and 15 years for UK black teen’s murder LONDON: A British judge sentenced two men yesterday to at least 14 years in prison for stabbing a black teenager to death in London almost two decades ago - a crime that exposed racism within the police and set the victim’s family on a long quest for justice. The murder of 18year-old Stephen Lawrence in 1993 shocked the country and came to be seen as a festering racial injustice. It took 19 years before anyone was convicted, and three other suspects remain at large.

Judge Colman Treacy called the murder an evil crime motivated by racial hatred. He sentenced Gary Dobson to a minimum of 15 years and 2 months in jail, and David Norris to 14 years and 3 months. Dobson’s father shouted out “shame on you” from the public gallery after the sentence was announced at London’s Central Criminal Court. As the judge stood up to leave after delivering his sentence, a few people began to clap.

Norris gave a thumbs up sign to his supporters in the public gallery as he was led from court. Both men maintain they are innocent. Treacy said the sentences were shorter than many would have expected as both men were teenagers when the crime took place.

Treacy said that an adult today convicted of a racist knife murder would get a minimum of 30 years in jail, but as Dobson was 17 and Norris just 16 at the time of the crime, he only had to give them a minimum of 12 years.

He added extra time because of the racist nature of their attack and because neither had shown any remorse. Outside court, Lawrence’s mother Doreen Lawrence said the killers had received short sentences but “the judge’s hands were tied.” She said the sentences were “the beginning of starting a new life

because we’ve been in limbo for so long.”

“So today we’re going to start moving on, and it’s time to take control of my life once more,” she said. While sentencing Dobson and Norris, Treacy said the two belonged to a “racist, thuggish gang.”

He said the evidence in the trial could not prove who wielded the knife that killed Lawrence, but he said that whoever used it had done so with Dobson and Norris’s “knowledge and approval.”

Another three men had been initially arrested after Lawrence’s murder but have never been convicted of the crime.

Outside court, Stephen’s father Neville Lawrence said he hoped Dobson and Norris would now identify other members of the gang.

He said they should “go and lay down in their bed and think that they weren’t the only ones who were responsible for the death of my son.” Doreen and Neville Lawrence divorced six years after their son’s murder - Doreen said she felt “alone and unsupported” in the years following her son’s murder. London police chief Bernard Hogan-Howe said the force would not give up trying to prosecute the other killers.

“The other people involved in the murder of Stephen Lawrence should not rest easy in their beds,” he said. Lawrence was killed in April 1993 by five youths who shouted racial insults and then stabbed him in the arm and chest as he waited at a bus stop with a friend. Police arrested five young men including Norris and Dobson and charged two with murder. But the state abandoned the case, saying there was insufficient evidence.

Lawrence’s family won permission in 1994 to mount a private prosecution, and the same five men were named as defendants. — AP

KANO: Gunmen have attacked a police station in northern Nigeria’s Jigawa state, killing a teenage girl and wounding an officer in the first such incident since a state of emergency was declared. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack late Tuesday, though Islamist group Boko Haram has been blamed for scores of such incidents in northern Nigeria.

“The gunmen shot indiscriminately into the police station and engaged our men in a shootout, killing a teenage girl trying to flee and wounding a policeman,” Jigawa state police commissioner Hashimu Argungu said.

“They threw an explosive into the police station but it did not detonate, which saved the police station from being destroyed, although its walls were riddled with bullets from the attack.”President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency last weekend in parts of four states hard hit by attacks blamed on Boko Haram. The decree included parts of Yobe state, which neighbours Jigawa, as well as areas of Borno, Niger and Plateau states.

Some have expressed fears that Boko Haram would shift its attacks to areas not affected by the state of emergency. Tuesday night’s attack targeted a divisional police station in the town of Birniwa on the border with Yobe.

Jonathan’s declaration came in response to a wave of attacks attributed to the group, particularly bombings at Christmas that killed 49 people, most of them in a gruesome blast at a Catholic church as services were ending.

While Boko Haram has been carrying out increasingly deadly attacks for months, including an August suicide bombing of UN headquarters in Abuja that left 25 dead, the Christmas violence sparked intense fear and outrage.

Muslims have frequently been victims of Boko Haram attacks, most of which have occurred in northeastern Nigeria, but the Christmas Day bombings particularly targeting churches set off fears of retaliation from Christians. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and largest oil producer with 160 million people, is roughly divided between a

mainly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south.

On Sunday, a purported spokesman for Boko Haram warned that the group would confront soldiers and threatened Christians living in the country’s north. The threat from the purported spokesman gave southerners living in Nigeria’s north three days to leave the region in the wake of Jonathan’s state of emergency decree. Nigerian authorities said they did not believe militants would follow through on the ultimatum, but added that

KANO: Protesters hold placards outside a besieged TOTAL filling station overlooking the Silver Jubilee Square in the northern Nigerian city of Kano yesterday where hundreds of demonstrators gather on the second day of protest over soaring fuel prices. —AFP they were taking no chances. While the purported spokesman, Abul Qaqa, has claimed to speak on behalf of Boko Haram numerous times in the past, the group is believed to have a number of factions with varying aims and others have also claimed to speak for it.

The spiralling violence blamed on Boko Haram is among a list of major concerns fac-

red card offence. You do not insult the president of the republic.” Interior Minister Claude Gueant branded Hollande’s attack “unacceptable” and several other ministers demanded a public apology from the opposition leader. Sarkozy is reportedly privately very caustic about Hollande, and his career has also been marked by several insulting outbursts. In February 2008 he was caught on camera telling a member of the public who refused to shake his hand at the Paris agricultural show: “Get lost, you stupid bastard.”

Responding to the criticism, Hollande’s spokesman recalled this episode.

“Honestly, if Francois Hollande had said to Nicolas Sarkozy ‘Get lost, you stupid bastard,” he would have had reason to complain,” Bernard Cazeneuve said.

“But that’s not the kind of thing Francois Hollande says and Francois Hollande will not be the president of ‘get lost, you stupid bastard’. “ This stor y is false. Francois Hollande is not in the habit of launching insults. He campaigns on the issues,” he continued. “And as to the way this non-event has been exploited by the UMP, I suppose that when Sarkozy calls Francois Hollande ‘small’ it’s meant as a compliment, or that when he calls his supporters ‘crackpots’ he’s just being friendly?” The alleged epithet caused a storm on Twitter and the comments sections of French news sites, as supporters of both candidates traded insults. — AFP

Kano, northern Nigeria’s largest city, and a mob threatened to burn a newspaper office before police stopped them. A newspaper van was vandalised and a security guard wounded. Unions met yesterday and were expected to announce a date for a national strike to oppose the removal of fuel subsidies.

Jonathan also met with his cabinet. —AFP

High salaries for Italian lawmakers stirs anger

Sarkozy camp outraged by opposition leader insult PARIS: Supporters of France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy demanded that his main opponent in his re-election battle apologise yesterday after he reportedly insulted him at a lunch for political journalists. Socialist flag-bearer Francois Hollande, who will face Sarkozy in April’s election, allegedly called the president a “sale mec”-literally a “dirty guy” and roughly equivalent in force to a term like “nasty piece of work”.

Tuesday’s lunch was supposedly an off-the-record briefing for reporters, including one from AFP, but Hollande’s taunt was partially revealed in the daily Le Parisien, drawing outrage from the right. Le Parisien reported the term as an insult, but other journalists at the lunch interpreted the phrase as part of an imagined dialogue in which Sarkozy described himself in unflattering terms in order to appear tough.

Imagining himself in the mind of Sarkozy, Hollande said: “I’m the president of failure, a nasty piece of work, but in this difficult period I’m the only one capable of handling things. I alone have the bravery. “He’s going to present himself as Captain Courageous, courting unpopularity. He’s a weak candidate because if that’s how he’s beginning his campaign it’s unimpressive. France deserves better,” he continued. Several of Sarkozy’s ministers and supporters in parliament denounced the insult. Valerie Rosso-Debord of Sarkozy’s UMP party said: “Frankly, it’s a

ing Nigeria in the coming days. Protests have also broken out in various cities since the government announced an end to fuel subsidies on Sunday, causing petrol prices to more than double in a country where most people live on less than $2 per day. The protests turned violent on Tuesday, with crowds setting bonfires and police firing tear gas. One of the country’s main unions claimed police shot dead a protester, but police denied it and said he was killed by a mob. Yesterday, hundreds of protesters shut down petrol stations in

KHARTOUM: United Nations humanitarian chief Valerie Amos (R) holds a joint press conference with Sudanese Social Welfare Minister Amira Al-Fadel Mohamed in Khartoum yesterday. —AFP

UN aid boss in Sudan but still no warzone access KHARTOUM: Foreigners are not allowed to distribute aid to two war-ravaged states in Sudan, a government minister affirmed yesterday after talks with the UN’s humanitarian chief. The United Nations says hundreds of thousands of people have become internally displaced or otherwise severely affected since fighting began last June in South Kordofan state, and then in Blue Nile. Refugees fleeing to Ethiopia and South Sudan are reporting food shortages and rising levels of malnutrition, with “particularly alarming” signs coming from rebel-held areas, Valerie Amos, the UN’s top emergency aid official, told reporters.

But Khartoum, citing security concerns, continues to bar UN and foreign aid workers from the warzone. “We welcome support from the UN but the Sudanese government decides on the delivery of aid to people. It must be done by Sudanese aid workers,” Social Welfare Minister Amira alFadel Mohamed told the same news briefing. “There is still a fear that the aid workers may face some security troubles,” she said, adding that the issue of access is under discussion. “And later we can decide when the international aid workers can return to the two states and what are the limits of their movement.”The UN has said that without having its people in the

affected areas it cannot verify what the needs are or how they are being addressed. Mohamed said her government has delivered food and water. “The whole focus of our discussion has been on ways in which the United Nations can support the government’s own effort to meet the needs of people in governmentcontrolled areas, and also how we can access those people in SPLM-North held areas where the indicators are particularly alarming,” Amos said.

The government and UN agreed to discuss the sharing of information and data to help them meet the people’s needs, she added. Fighting in the border state of South Kordofan broke out in early June, between Sudanese forces and SPLMNorth soldiers, who had fought alongside rebels in southern Sudan during a civil war that ended in 2005 and led to South Sudan’s independence in July. The conflict spread in September to Blue Nile state, another area where Khartoum moved to assert its authority in the wake of southern secession. South Kordofan’s governor, Ahmad Harun, is wanted by the Hague-based International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sudan’s Darfur region. — AFP

ROME: A government-mandated report has confirmed what many Italians long suspected: The euro11,000 ($14,300) that Italian lawmakers earn each month far outpaces what their peers in some of Europe’s largest economies get. Italy’s bloated public sector and the privileges of its political elite have come under fire as the country battles its debt crisis with tax hikes, labor market and pension reforms that are hurting ordinary Italians. Premier Mario Monti has vowed to trim the cost of governing as part of his austerity measures, and has renounced his own salary as premier and economy minister. The report, published Tuesday, looked at comparisons between labor costs for lawmakers in Italy compared to France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Austria. It also considered 34 public agencies in Italy to see if there were analogous ones in the other countries. The commission’s president hopes the findings will provide “food for thought” even while stressing the difficulty in comparing data from wildly diverse governments.

International markets have punished Italy in recent months for failing to come up with a coherent strategy to deal with its euro1.9 trillion ($2.5 trillion) debt mountain. That drove up the borrowing rates for the eurozone’s third-largest economy and effectively forced Silvio Berlusconi from office. His replacement, the wellrespected economist, Monti, has formed a government of technocrats to grapple with the problems and has already undertaken a series of unpopular spending cuts and tax hikes. The findings, which the authors freely admit are incomplete and provisional, showed that a lawmaker in Italy’s lower Chamber of Deputies earns euro11,283 a month followed by euro8,503 for a Dutch lawmaker, down to as little as euro2,813 for one in Spain. The Italian salary is fully taxed, but there are perks that are either more generous than, or similarly generous in other countries: euro3,503 a month tax-free in cost of living allowances and free travel on trains, planes, boats and Italian highways. Only German lawmakers have a higher cost of living allowance at nearly euro4,000, while Belgian lawmakers get none.

Adding to the strain on public coffers is the euro3,690 in office expenses the government spends every month for each Italian deputy. Only France spends more, at euro6,412 - though both France and Germany spend much more to pay the deputy’s assistants: a maximum of euro9,138 in France and euro14,712 in Germany, while Italian deputies have to pay their assistants out of the office budget. The findings sparked a new round of calls for an end to the privileges of Italy’s political class, given that ordinary Italians are being asked to make sacrifices including a sales tax that has already increased one percentage point to 21 percent and is due to rise further to 23 percent in September. — AP

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Ecuador court upholds ruling against Chevron QUITO: An appeals court in Ecuador upheld an $18 billion ruling against Chevron Corp. on Tuesday for oil pollution in the Amazon rain forest more than two decades ago. The ruling confirmed a February judgment in the case. The Ecuadorean plaintiffs said in a statement that the decision is based on scientific evidence presented at trial proving that waste had poisoned the

water supply.

“The appellate court relied on a record that proved that Chevron has violated the rights of the communities where it operates,” the plaintiffs said in the emailed statement. The lawsuit deals with pollution of the rain forest by energy company Texaco, which Chevron bought in 2001. Chevron denounced the appeals court’s deci-

sion and said it will continue to seek recourse in other courts outside Ecuador. “Today’s decision is another glaring example of the politicization and corruption of Ecuador’s judiciary that has plagued this fraudulent case from the start,” Chevron said in a statement. The San Ramon, California-based company has previously alleged fraud in the lawsuit. The plaintiffs have also

accused Chevron of defrauding the Ecuadorean court to hide the scale of the oil contamination.

By the time of last year’s judgment, the case had been winding its way through U.S. and Ecuadorean courts for more than 17 years. The suit was originally filed in a New York federal court in 1993 against Texaco and dismissed three years later after the oil company

argued that Ecuador was the proper venue to hear the case. The suit was refiled in Ecuador in 2003.

Though it had only 47 named plaintiffs, the lawsuit sought damages on behalf of 30,000 people for environmental contamination and illnesses that allegedly resulted from Texaco’s operation of an oil consortium from 1972 to 1990 in the rain forest. —AP

Argentine leader undergoes surgery for thyroid cancer VP Boudou put in charge shortly before operation BUENOS AIRES: Argentina’s president underwent surgery yesterday to remove her cancerous thyroid gland. Cristina Fernandez, 58, was found to have papillary thyroid carcinoma shortly after beginning her second four-year

the operation, and will remain as the country’s constitutional leader for 20 more days while Fernandez takes medical leave, the presidency said. Early yesterday, Fernandez flew by helicopter from the presidential residence in Olivos to the

Experts say thyroid removals are about as routine as cancer surgeries can be, although the process is not without risk: surgeons must take care not to damage a nearby nerve that guides the vocal cords, or to remove the

PILAR: Girls hold homemade posters with the image of Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez outside the Hospital Austral where Fernandez will undergo surgery for thyroid cancer, in Pilar, Argentina, Tuesday. —AP term as Argentina’s leader, doctors said. Preoperative tests suggested it had not spread beyond her thyroid, so the condition should be curable without chemotherapy, they added.

Vice President Amado Boudou was put in charge shortly before

Hospital Austral in suburban Pilar, north of the capital. She went under general anesthesia several hours later for the operation led

by Dr Pedro Saco, a veteran Argentine oncologist who specializes in cancers of the head and neck.

adjacent parathyroids, which regulate the body’s calcium supply.

Patients should generally take care to relax their necks after surgery. Temporary hoarseness is common, and in rare cases, permanent voice changes can result.

Patients also must swallow

radioactive iodide for several days to destroy any cancerous remnants and provide for clearer images to detect any additional cancer, according to the US National Institutes of Health.

After surgery, patients take medicine - levothyroxine sodium for the rest of their lives to replace a hormone that the thyroid glands produce. Blood tests every six to 12 months to measure thyroid levels also are recommended.

Fernandez is only the latest sitting South American leader to be diagnosed with cancer. Presidents Fernando Lugo of Paraguay, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Dilma Rousseff of Brazil all have undergone treatments recently.

Supporters waited anxiously outside the hospital for word on the surgery’s results, waving flags, carrying handmade signs that said “Be Strong Cristina” and building small shrines to the populist leader, who won reelection with a 54 percent landslide in October. Many carried pictures showing Fernandez and her late husband, former President Nestor Kirchner, who died of a heart attack in 2010.

Boudou, her former economy minister, is expected to work closely with Fernandez’s other Cabinet members while she recuperates at her home in Calafate, in far-southern Argentina, and make no major policy changes.

Argentina all but shuts down anyway for the summer holidays in January and February, so her diagnosis and surgery came at a relatively calm time. —AP

News

in brief

Lula in hospital for radiation treatment SAO PAULO: Brazil’s ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva returned to hospital yesterday to begin radiation therapy to eliminate a cancerous tumor in his throat, officials said. Sao Paulo’s Sirio-Libanes Hospital and Jose Chrispiniano, a spokesman for the foundation Lula founded after leaving office at the end of 2010, told AFP that the popular 66-yearold former president arrived at the facility yesterday morning. Last month Lula underwent a third chemotherapy session at Sirio-Libanes Hospital which doctors said shrank his cancerous tumor by 75 percent. Doctors have said the radiation treatment, expected to last between five and seen weeks, aims to completely eradicate the tumor, which was first detected last October. Lula is expected to be discharged and return home later in the day. Lula, Brazil’s first leftist president, led the country from January 2003 to December 2010.

He left office with a soaring 80 percent approval rating after two consecutive terms in office.

More than 950 protesters invade Venezuelan prison CARACAS: More than 950 relatives of inmates are refusing to leave a Venezuelan prison in a protest to demand faster trial for inmates. Prisons Minister iris Varela says the relatives decided to “kidnap themselves” at the Yare I and II prison about 40 miles (70 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Caracas. during the New Year holidays. They include 800 women and 150 children and adolescents as well as a few men. Varela says President Hugo Chavez has told authorities to negotiate peacefully. State radio says Varela alleged on Tuesday that human rights groups financed by the CIA are trying to use the occupation “to destabilize the country.”

College students seize radio stations in Mexico ACAPULCO: About 50 college students took over five radio stations in southern Mexico to demand the resignation of Guerrero state’s governor, Angel Aguirre. Guerrero state spokesman Arturo Martinez says the unarmed, masked students burst into the stations Tuesday and broadcast a message that lasted 40 minutes. Martinez said they also demanded an investigation into the killings of two of their fellow students during a Dec. 12 protest. They also denied any responsibility in the death of a gas station attendant who suffered severe burns after shutting off pumps set alight during the protest. Students blocked a highway leading to the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco to demand more funds for the school and battled police trying to clear the highway.

Not guilty plea for man accused in Indiana girl death FORT WAYNE: A northern Indiana magistrate has entered a not guilty plea for a man accused of killing and dismembering a 9-year-old girl and hiding some of her remains in his trailer. Allen Superior Court Magistrate Samuel Keirns advised 39-year-old Michael Plumadore of his legal rights, including his right to an attorney, during yesterday’s initial hearing in Fort Wayne. Keirns said he would assign a public defender for Plumadore, who said he understood the charges against him.

ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE: President Barack Obama returns a salute as he boards Air Force One yesterday at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. —AP

Obama to usher in election year with eye on Republicans WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama will start setting the tone for an election-year strategy that attempts to capitalize on voter frustration with Congress but which could also mean further legislative gridlock as he seeks a second term. Stepping back into the 2012 campaign spotlight just a day after Iowa held the first contest of Republican presidential hopefuls, Obama will travel to Ohio, a state considered crucial to his re-election chances.

The Democratic president, fresh from a 10day Hawaii vacation, will make the case for his economic policies as he tries to draw a contrast with Republican candidates vying to face him on the November ballot. But after a year of bruising legislative battles, he is expected to keep the heat on congressional Republicans who he has accused of obstructing his economic recovery efforts and whom he blames for much of the dysfunction in Washington.

Obama is expected to keep hammering on populist themes, portraying himself as a champion of the middle class, and aides say he will roll out further executive orders to create jobs to show voters he will take steps on his own if necessary.”If Congress refuses to act and if Republicans choose the path of obstruction rather than cooperation, then the president is not going to sit here,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said. President Harry Truman railed against a “do-nothing” Congress on his way to re-election in 1948, but analysts say Obama faces risks if he tries to emulate that. They warn that a go-it-alone approach can only yield smallbore projects of modest benefit and that Obama could alienate some independent and moderate voters if they blame him for increasing partisan

rancour. Republicans, who see Obama’s economic policies as ineffective and his spending plans as wasteful, accuse the president of campaigning instead of governing and have signalled continued resistance to his approach.

William Galston, a senior fellow at Washington’s Brookings Institution, said Obama needed to be seen rolling up his sleeves and engaging directly with his Republican foes instead of distancing himself from them. “There are very serious problems facing the country and I think the people are likely to believe the president out to be part of the solution,” he said.

Despite that, Obama’s aides believe they have a winning strategy after he faced down Republicans in December to gain a two-month extension of expiring payroll tax cuts. The White House now believes the president has the upper hand politically in efforts to turn it into a fullyear extension of the tax breaks, which independent economists say are vital to the U.S. economic recovery. Though public discontent over persistently high unemployment has kept Obama’s approval ratings below 50 percent, public perceptions of Congress are far worse after a bitter summer dispute over debt and government spending. Now, Obama’s aides believe cracks may be forming in Republican opposition to some parts of his long-stalled $447 billion jobs package as lawmakers begin to worry their own re-election prospects may be jeopardized by failure to act on job creation. But Obama will face major challenges in maintaining any momentum in the months ahead, with Republicans reluctant to offer Obama any further legislative successes that might contribute to his re-election. —Reuters

LOS ANGELES: A car owner tries to retrieve possessions from his vehicle as it burns due to arson early Monday in a parking lot in Los Angeles. Eleven more suspected arson fires broke out early Monday in Los Angeles. —AP

Mother unaware son arrested for arson fires LOS ANGELES: Shackled in handcuffs and flanked by three US Marshals, Dorothee Burkhart scanned a Los Angeles courtroom looking for her son. “Can you bring my son inside?” she pleaded with court officials.

“Where is my son?” Apparently the German woman was unaware that her 24-year-old son, Harry Burkhart, also was behind bars suspected of more than 50 arson attacks over New Year’s weekend that caused $3 million in damage. Authorities believe Burkhart, angry over his mother’s legal troubles, went on a nighttime rampage of burning parked cars a day after she made an initial court appearance last week.

On Tuesday, court documents were unsealed that revealed Burkhart’s mother is charged in their native Germany with 19 counts of fraud, including failing to pay for a 2004 breast augmentation surgery and pilfering security deposits from renters. In a brief court appearance, she appeared perplexed, wondering aloud if her son had disappeared or was dead. At one point, she said, he is mentally ill and questioned whether Nazis knew where she and her son lived. “What did you do to my son?” she asked US Magistrate Judge Margaret Nagle.

“I’m not here to address anything related to your son,” Nagle responded. Both mother and son are being held without bail. Her next court hearing was delayed until Friday so she can hire an attorney, and charges could be filed against Burkhart as early as yesterday.

Harry Burkhart was taken into custody after authorities received a tip from federal officials who recognized him in a security video that showed a ponytailed man emerging from a garage where a car was set ablaze.

“When they saw the security footage, they recognized him and they contacted the arson task force,” a State Department official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigations are ongoing. Burkhart arrived in the US in October and his nonimmigrant visa is set to expire Jan. 18, authorities said. His mother last entered the country lawfully in January 2007 and she left four months later, officials said.

A federal law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the case, said Harry Burkhart was present when his mother was arrested Dec. 28 on a provisional arrest warrant. Provisional arrest warrants are normally issued when there are criminal charges pending overseas against someone. Ordinarily, US authorities then obtain an arrest warrant through the State Department and the Justice Department.

Burkhart had been in court Thursday afternoon at his mother’s hearing when he launched into an obscenity-laden tirade, saying “F—- the United States!” said Thom

Mrozek, spokesman at the US attorney’s office in Los Angeles. Mrozek said Burkhart was detained and later escorted out of the courthouse. He said Burkhart did not make any specific threats against anyone or property at his mother’s court hearing.

A law enforcement official, who requested anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said authorities believe Burkhart went on the arson spree because he was angry over his mother’s legal troubles. In May 2010, Burkhart and his mother applied for refugee status in Canada but were denied. The Immigration and Refugee Board determined in November 2009 Burkhart was “not a person in need of protection.”

Outside Burkhart’s Hollywood apartment, some neighbors described him as a loner who loitered around the busy commercial strip at night and could be heard arguing with his mother. But Shlomo Elady, a hair stylist who regularly trimmed Burkhart’s long hair, recalled someone who spoke three languages, dreamed of visiting Jerusalem and cared for a sickly mother who had trouble walking.

Elady said he was stunned that the man who lived with his mother above his Sunset Boulevard shop is suspected of torching vehicles, some just steps from his home.”He loved his mom, the way every son loves his mom,” Elady said. “He’s not a creepy guy.”

Galina Illarionova, who lives in the same apartment complex as the suspect, said through a Russian translator that an agitated Burkhart visited her Sunday and said his mother was having some kind of legal problems. He told her his mother was in trouble with authorities and wanted Illarionova to attend a legal hearing with him, but he later said he didn’t need her help.

A domain name for a website offering appointment-only sensual massage is registered to Dorothee Burkhart. Her name is not mentioned on the website, which states the service is not prostitution. The series of fires appeared to have stopped with Burkhart’s arrest. The onslaught of intentionally set fires kept residents anxious over the holiday weekend in some of the most densely populated areas of the city. One of Saturday’s fires occurred at the Hollywood and Highland entertainment complex, a popular tourist destination bordered by the Walk of Fame in a neighborhood that includes Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Damaged buildings included a former home of Doors singer Jim Morrison. Hundreds of investigators, police officers and firefighters raced to deal with the blazes. Police conducted extra patrols all weekend, and the noise of helicopters and sirens persisted virtually nonstop in Hollywood. The fires forced many apartment dwellers from their homes. There were no serious injuries. —AP

Brazil employers accused of slave-like conditions SAO PAULO: Nearly 300 employers in South America’s biggest country submit workers to slave-like conditions, Brazil’s Labor Ministry said Tuesday. The ministry said in a statement that its “dirty list” increased by 52 and now has a total of 294 employers, from big to small. Reporter Brasil, a non-governmental organization that monitors slave labor in Brazil and efforts to combat it, praised the government’s drive to eradicate slave-like working conditions, but said much remains to be done to eradicate the practice.

Until those employers on the “dirty list” stop the practice, they won’t be able to obtain credit from government and private banks. Their products also will be boycotted by companies that have signed the National Slave Labor Eradication Pact, which according to local media represents 25 percent of Brazil’s Gross Domestic Product. The dirty list was created in 2005

and is updated twice a year. To be taken off the list, an employer must pay a series of fines and unpaid labor-related taxes.

“The biggest penalty they (the blacklisted employers) face is not being able to get credits from the banks,” said Alexandre da Cunha Lyra, head of the Labor Ministry’s inspection service. “They are not worried with how much of a fine they will have to pay, but with possibility of not receiving any financing.”

He said the growth of the “dirty list” was not due to an increase in the number of workers submitted to slave-like conditions but to increased surveillance by ministry inspectors. Reporter Brasil’s coordinator, Leonardo Sakamoto said Brazil has come a long way since it started cracking down on slave labor in 1995, “but we still have a long way to go, especially in terms of eradicating poverty, which is the main reason why slave-like conditions survive.” —AP

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US urges against ‘provocations’ after Kim Jong-Il death BEIJING: US diplomat Kurt Campbell yesterday urged “all parties” to refrain from “any provocations” after North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il’s death, as he left China, where he met foreign ministry officials. Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, is the first US diplomat to visit China-North Korea’s closest ally since Kim died from a heart attack on December 17.

“We both underscored how important it will be over the course of the coming months to maintain very close contact between Washington and Beijing,” said Campbell, who met vice-

foreign ministers Zhang Zhijun and Cui Tiankai. “I indicated that we would be closely monitoring the situation there and that we urged all parties to cautiously deal with the situation and to refrain from any provocations,” he said, according to a US embassy statement.

Kim’s death has sparked concerns over the stability of the isolated, impoverished nation, which has alarmed its neighbors and Washington with its nuclear and missile programs.

South Korea said yesterday that provocations by North Korea were possible during the power succession to Kim’s untested son Jong-Un, who has already

been hailed as “great successor” and appointed military chief.

The two Koreas have remained technically at war since their 1950-53 conflict ended only with a ceasefire. Hopes that cross-border tensions might ease have so far not materialised and some analysts believe Kim Jong-Un, aged in his late 20s, may try to bolster his credentials by staging a limited border incident. The new regime has already vowed retaliation against Seoul for alleged disrespect during the mourning period for their late leader, and vowed never to deal with its current conservative government.

The United States is hoping to work with North Korea, and Washington has made contact with Pyongyang’s UN mission in New York as it tries to determine whether to offer food assistance or schedule future talks with North Korea. Six-nation denuclearisation talks-chaired by China and involving the two Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia-have been at a standstill since the last round in December 2008.

Campbell said both the United States and China-which has already officially endorsed Kim Jong-Un as it seeks to ensure stability in the isolated

nation-shared a “strong determination to maintain peace and stability.” He added he had discussed US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent visit to Myanmar-also a key ally of Chinawhich has made tentative steps at reform by opening talks with the opposition and ethnic minorities. Campbell said he also talked about Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping’s upcoming trip to the United States with Cui-who will be visiting Washington later this year for a US round of Asia-Pacific consultations.

Campbell next goes to South Korea and Japan before he returns to Washington on Saturday. —AFP

Afghan govt agrees to Taleban-US talks Move seen as precursor to end bloody war KABUL: The government of Afghanistan yesterday gave its blessing to talks between Taleban insurgents and the United States and to the opening of an office for the Islamists in Qatar. The hardline Taleban announced on Tuesday that they had come to an “initial agreement with relevant sides including Qatar” to set up their first representative office

Taleban that will end up in creating an office for Taleban in Qatar,” the government said in a statement. The statement said the government “considers negotiations the only way to reach peace and end the war and violence that have been imposed on our people”. It added that the acceptance of the Taleban-US negotiations aimed to “save our country

tank, Afghanistan Analysts Network, told AFP. “Until yesterday the Taleban were not even talking about talks. But now they say they are prepared to open an office in Qatar.” Haroun Mir of Afghanistan’s Centre for Research and Policy Studies said the opening of an office would be “good news for peace” but a setback for Karzai as the Taleban pursued

KANDAHAR: Afghan policemen inspect the scene of an explosion in Kandahar yesterday. Nearly a dozen people were killed and at least 28 others were injured in two separate suicide bomb attacks in the Afghan southern city of Kandahar on Tuesday. —AP outside Afghanistan. The move is seen as a precursor to talks to end the bloody war between the Taleban and the US-backed government of President Hamid Karzai.

“Afghanistan, to save the country from war, conspiracies, the killing of innocent people and to reach peace, agrees with the negotiations between US and

and people from foreigners’ pretexts and servants who are used to continue war in Afghanistan”.

Analysts hailed the move to open an office abroad as a step back from the Taleban ‘s previous refusal to negotiate until all foreign troops have left Afghan soil.

“I think this is positive news for peace in Afghanistan,” Giran Hiwad, of the Kabul-based think-

Police think poisoned cat meat killed China tycoon BEIJING: The sudden death of a billionaire in southern China is causing police to ask: Was it murder by cat meat? Long Liyuan, 49, died on Dec. 23 in wealthy Guangdong province after sharing a dish of slow boiled cat meat stew, a southern delicacy, with two men over a business lunch. One of the men, local official Huang Guang, was arrested by police on Friday on suspicion of poisoning the hotpot with a toxic herb. Police say Huang and Long had economic disputes.

Huang, deputy director of agriculture in Guangdong’s Bajia township, is suspected of poisoning the hotpot with the herb Gelsemium elegans, according to a statement on the microblog of the investigating police. The poisonous plant is found in forests in parts of China. All three men were sickened, but Long died because he consumed more of the herb, the statement said.

Long and Huang had met for lunch to discuss a business contract. Long, who ran a forestry company in Guangdong, wanted to lease a piece of woodland and develop it, the Nanfang Daily, the mouthpiece of the Guangdong Communist Party, reported Tuesday. They had eaten at the hotpot restaurant before, but this time the cat meat dish tasted a little different, the report said. The third man at the table, Huang Wen, a friend of Long’s, was quoted by media as saying he had only eaten a little because it tasted “more bitter” than usual.

Long, who ate more than the others, soon felt dizzy and sick and was taken to a hospital where he went into cardiac arrest and died, according to the Nanfang Daily. Police initially detained the restaurant’s owner on suspicion of serving unsanitary food. But the businessman’s family refused to believe it was a simple case of food poisoning, pressed the police to investigate further and offered a reward of 100,000 yuan ($16,000) for information about his death. —AP

direct talks with Washington.

“This shows that the Taleban are ready for talks, this shows that they are under pressure and now they want to negotiate,” Mir said.

But the Taleban , who were ousted from power by a US-led invasion after the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, wanted “to negotiate directly with the US in order to bypass the govern-

ment in Kabul,” he said. “And finally they were able to convince the US and certainly it’s a big achievement for the Taleban and a setback for the government in Kabul.”

The Karzai government, which had sought to drive any peace process itself within the country, had been outmaneuvered by the Taleban , Mir said. Karzai has said previously that if Washington wants to set up a Taleban address in Qatar to enable peace talks he will not stand in the way, as long as those talks are led by his administration.

A senior member of the government-appointed High Peace Council, Esmael Qasimyar, told AFP: “We welcome and agree that Taleban should have an address, but we still prefer the address to be inside Afghanistan. “We are optimistic and welcome the move, but the talks should be transparent, their office in Qatar should have a legal basis, it should only be for talks between Afghans.” The United States said in reaction to the Taleban statement that the insurgents must abandon violence before any real peace process can begin in Afghanistan.

“We welcome any step along the road... of the Afghan-led process towards reconciliation,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said, while adding that the conditions for that so-called reconciliation “have not changed”.

“We’ve always said that Taleban reconciliation would only come on the condition of breaking from Al-Qaeda, abandoning violence and abiding by the Afghan constitution, and that remains the case.”But in a sign that the killing is unlikely to stop soon despite talk about talks, two suicide bombings killed some 15 people in the southern city of Kandahar on the day the Taleban statement was issued. —AFP

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda reacts during his first news conference of the year at his official residence in Tokyo yesterday. —AP

Japan PM vows to bring rebirth of Fukushima TOKYO: Japan’s prime minister pledged yesterday in his traditional new year’s press conference to bring “rebirth” to the area around the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said authorities would work to decontaminate the region from radioactive fallout, while ensuring compensation and health checks for those affected by the disaster. “These three pillars will bring the rebirth of Fukushima,” he said. Noda gave no timeframe, and government officials have said it may be years or even decades before many of the 100,000 residents displaced by the disaster can return.

The nuclear crisis, the worst since Chernobyl in 1986, was triggered by damage from an earthquake and tsunami in March. It spewed radiation into the surrounding soil, water and forests. A 20 kilometer (12-mile) region around the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant plus some adjacent areas remain off- limits.

On Dec 16, the government declared that the plant had achieved “cold shutdown conditions,” and was essentially stable, but Noda stressed that “the battle against the accident is not over.”

A government-sponsored investigation released last week found the response was confused and riddled with problems, and that authorities delayed disclosing information about dangerous radiation leaks. The interim report criticized officials’ use of the term “soteigai,” meaning “outside our imagination,” implied a shirking of responsibility.

By labeling events as such, officials invited public distrust, it said.

When asked about how he might work to regain public confidence, Noda - who took office in September - said authorities have worked to release accurate information in timely fashion, but if that still needed improving, the government would work to correct that. “This nuclear accident is something that people all around the country are concerned about, so transmitting the information accurately and appropriately is fundamental,” he said.

Noda said he planned to visit Fukushima on Sunday, and wanted to listen to the opinions of those affected by the crisis. He also promised to revive Japan’s weak economy and tackle social security reform as the country’s population rapidly ages. Noda said that this week he planned to complete a final draft of the party’s tax and social reform plan calling for Japan’s sales tax to double, from 5 percent to 10 percent, by 2015. The sales tax would rise to 8 percent in 2014.

Noda said he hoped to hold talks with opposition parties, which control the less powerful upper house of parliament, as early as next week, and to submit the bill to parliament by the end of fiscal year, which ends in March. Noda said the government’s social security costs have been growing steadily and reforms should not be delayed any longer. “We have reached a point where it is even difficult to sustain our current level of social security system,” he said. —AP

Myanmar president reaffirms army role NAYPYIDAW: Myanmar’s nominally-civilian president sought to reaffirm the status of the country’s military yesterday, praising the army and the former junta for recent political reform gestures. On the country’s independence day former general Thein Sein stressed the importance of Myanmar’s “Tatmadaw” military, which relinquished direct control over the impoverished nation last year after controversial elections.

“It was the Tatmadaw that directed the nation towards building a peaceful, modern and developed democratic one,” he said in a message read by Vice President Sai Mauk Kham to mark the commemoration of independence from Britain. The army “took step-by-step measures for writing a constitution in order to practice multi-party democracy,” he added. Thein Sein has adopted a more reformist tone since taking office in March, but the extent of change in the country remains unclear.

Democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy held its own event in Yangon, where she told supporters that with their efforts the country would become democratic “very soon”. “We now have the opportunity to attain the peace that we have failed to get for generations,” said the Nobel laureate, who has vowed to run in an April 1 by-election and could be swept into the army-dominated parliament as a result. “We must use this chance for the benefit of the people. If we proceed with

this attitude, our country will soon become a democratic state which can guarantee peace and human rights,” she said, according to an NLD statement which sidestepped

by other nations and to rail against “evil colonialism”. In remarks mirroring those made by junta strongman Than Shwe in previous years, Myanmar’s new leader credited sol-

essential pillar of the country. “A Tatmadaw of international standard is required for national defence,” said his statement, delivered to a crowd of around 3,000

YANGON: Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi waves to her supporters as she leaves a ceremony to mark the 64th Independence Day at her National League for Democracy party’s headquarters in Yangon, Myanmar yesterday. —AP criticism of the army.

The anniversary of Myanmar’s independence in 1948 has traditionally been used by the ruling generals to warn of dangers posed

diers for uniting the country, which has suffered decades of civil war between the military and various armed ethnic rebel groups. He insisted the army will remain an

ministers and civil servants gathered in the capital Naypyidaw.

Thein Sein blamed “disturbances” in 1988 — the year of a failed student uprising that saw the

emergence of Suu Kyi and her prodemocracy movement-for leaving the country in “ruin”. He did not mention the economically disastrous rule of military dictator Ne Win in the preceding decades. But there were elements of the more reformist tone that has marked his leadership, which has included dialogue with Suu Kyi, suspending an unpopular Chinese-backed mega dam and reaching out to the international community.

“Myanmar is marching towards a new modern, developed nation enlisting the strength of human resources like intellectuals,” he said.

Nonetheless the government this week disappointed observers and the opposition when it announced a cut to jail terms for all inmates but failed to issue a much-anticipated amnesty for political prisoners. Washington said Tuesday’s decision fell short of the level of reform expected by the United States to justify a reward in return.

“Even one political prisoner is one political prisoner too many,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. The state mouthpiece The New Light of Myanmar, which referred to the junta as “authoritarian” on Tuesday, ran the president’s statement in full.

It also published a comment piece insisting the new leaders would “never turn back” from reforms. “Hence, the Myanmar government can daringly disclose that there is no way to deviate from its democratic transition,” it said. —AFP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

NEWS

A man takes pictures as Toyota driver Abdulla Alheraiz and co-driver Khalid Ahmad, both of the United Arab Emirates, compete in the third stage of the 2012 Argentina-Chile-Peru Dakar Rally between San Rafael and San Juan in Argentina on Tuesday. — AP

Iran ramps up warning over US navy EU moves to impose oil embargo • US to push sanctions Changing the venue!

Continued from Page 1 Earlier, on daily basis we used to see Mubarak or his assistant Omar Suleiman, the head of the National Security, meeting and handshaking or hugging and talking with the Israeli side over the Palestinian issue. Omar used to be hugging and greeting Tzipi Livni, the Israeli Foreign Minister at the time, or her assistants regularly. He used to be on a shuttle service between Tel Aviv and Sharm Al Sheikh to mediate about the Palestinian case as if nothing worried him domestically. He was fully devoted and on call to the Palestinian cause. And what has been the result for over 15 years of meeting and kissing?

I will tell you what the results were.

More settlements have been built in the West Bank. For instance, 120 settlements and another 12 ‘outposts’ were built since the start of the occupation. An ‘outpost’ is a camouflage for a settlement - a term coined by Ariel Sharon in 2005. These

camouflaged settlements are 10 times more today, numbering around 112.

Well done to the negotiators and mediators. Some big accomplishment. Now as the venue of negotiations has changed, let’s hope and pray to God that at least there will be a freeze if not removal of the outposts, if not the settlements. Let’s also hope that changing the venue will change the stubborn Israeli attitude.

I remember when Obama took office, he sent his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to order Netanyahu to remove the outposts. He told Netanyahu that he does not want to see a single outpost. What happened? We all know the stance of the American president. Last September, they vetoed the Palestinian bid at the UN and boycotted UNESCO’s aid going to Palestine. If the US could not remove a single outpost, I wonder what would be the result of resuming the talks in Amman.

Good luck, Jordan! Good Luck, Mahmoud Abbas!

Opposition bigwigs to meet over...

Continued from Page 1 In a related development, local satellite channel Al-Youm, which is close to the opposition, said yesterday that a special committee formed to study nomination papers of candidates has decided to disqualify former pro-government MP Khalaf Dumaitheer and pro-government activist and former candidate Mohammad Al-Juwaihel over court convictions. The lower court meanwhile sentenced Juwaihel for four months in jail and asked him to pay KD 1,000 to suspend the sentence for making derogatory remarks against ex-opposition MP Musallam Al-Barrak.

The interior ministry meanwhile announced yesterday that it has referred eight cases of illegal tribal primaries to the public prosecution although various Kuwaiti tribes completed their primaries.

The Rasheedi tribe in the fourth constituency held their primaries late Tuesday and the results were announced in the early hours of yesterday in which former pro-government MP Mubarak AlKhrainej failed to get the tribe’s support to contest the elections. The tribe nominated former pro-government MP Saad Al-Khanfour, former Islamist MP Mohammad Al-Hatlani, Islamist activist and lawyer Osama Al-Munawer and Mohammad Al-Musailem.

Khrainej and Khanfour were both among 13 ex-MPs questioned by the public prosecution over allegations millions of dinars of cash were illegally deposited into their bank accounts.

Khrainej is the seventh ex-MP involved in the scandal to fail in tribal primaries or not to bid for re-election. Several other Rasheedi candidates are running on their own after refusing to take part in the tribal primaries. They include ex-opposition MPs Ali Al-Deqbasi and Shuaib AlMuwaizri who are running together.

In the fifth constituency, candidates of four small tribes who won in tribal primaries yesterday formed an alliance to contest the election together to boost their chances against the candidates of the two main tribes - Awazem and Ajman - each of which normally wins four seats out of the 10 available in the electoral district. The tribes are Oteibi, Mutairi, Hawajer and Dossari. In the 2009 elections, two of the alliance’s four candidates won seats.

Separately, Kuwait seized an Iraqi vessel in its territorial waters and deported six fishermen who had been on board, the official KUNA news agency cited a top official as saying yesterday. Assistant undersecretary for border security affairs major-general Mohammad Yussef AlSabah said the Iraqi fishermen were arrested seven nautical miles into Kuwaiti territorial waters. He did not say when the incident took place. The fishermen were later handed over to Iraqi authorities, he added. The incident prompted threats from the chairman of the Basra provincial council, Sabah AlBazuni, who according to Kuwait’s official KUNA news agency warned that “force will be used if Kuwaiti coast guards repeat their attacks on Iraqi fishermen”.

TEHRAN: Iran renewed yesterday its warning to America against keeping a US naval presence in the oil-rich Gulf, underlining a threat that Washington has dismissed as a sign of “weakness” from Tehran. Meanwhile, diplomats said the European Union was on target to impose a threatened embargo on oil imports from Iran, with France saying it could come by the end of January. “The presence of forces from beyond the (Gulf ) region has no result but turbulence. We have said the presence of forces from beyond the region in the Persian Gulf is not needed and is harmful,” Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said, according to state television’s website.

“The long-term presence of the United States in the region increases insecurity and the possibility of tensions and of confrontation,” the deputy chief of Iran’s forces, Masoud Jazayeri, said, according to the Revolutionary Guards website. “As a result ... the United States must leave the region,” Jazayeri said.

Jazayeri noted the exit of the aircraft carrier USS John C Stennis from the Gulf last week and said: “Since you’ve gone, don’t come back, otherwise you’ll be responsible for any problems.”

The comments echoed a Tuesday warning that Iran would unleash its “full force” if a US carrier is redeployed to the Gulf. “We don’t have the intention of repeating our warning, and we warn only once,” Brigadier General Ataollah Salehi, the armed forces chief, said as he told Washington to keep its carrier away.

The White House on Tuesday brushed off the warning, saying it “reflects the fact that Iran is in a position of weakness” as it struggles under international sanctions. The US Defence Department said it would not alter its deployment of warships to the Gulf.

Iran has just finished 10 days of naval exercises near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, at the entrance of the Gulf, meant to show it was capable of controlling the channel and closing it if necessary. Twenty percent of the world’s oil ships through the strait. The exercises climaxed on Monday with the test-firing of three types of anti-warship missile. The head of Iran’s parliamentary national security and foreign policy commission, Aladdin Borujerdi, was quoted by the Fars news agency saying the US description of Iran being weak “is a completely illogical stance.” He added: “The US talks about sanctioning our oil but they should know that if Iran’s oil exports from the Persian Gulf are sanctioned, then no one will have the right to export oil through the Strait of Hormuz.”

The developments helped send oil prices soaring, though they pulled back a little yesterday. New York’s main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in February, spiked to $103.74, a level last touched on May 11. The contract fell back to $102.61, down 35 cents from Tuesday’s closing level. Brent North Sea crude for February jumped to $113.97 per barrel - its highest level since Nov 14. It later stood at $112.82, up 69 cents from Tuesday.

“The situation with Iran remains worrisome,” said Nick Trevethan, a senior commodities strategist at ANZ Research in Asia. “The consequences of any military action in the Middle East will be enormous. A spike in crude prices will kill off any recovery in the US.” In Brussels, diplomats said EU governments had reached a preliminary agreement on an oil embargo against Iran and are now debating when it should come into force. “There is an agreement in principle to forge ahead” with an embargo, a diplomat told AFP, but added “there is still a lot of work” to agree on the tim-

ing of its implementation for a meeting of foreign ministers on Jan 30. Speaking of that meeting, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said in Lisbon: “It’s at this occasion I hope that we can adopt this embargo on Iranian oil exports.”

The US Defence Department said it would continue the rotation of its 11 aircraft carriers to the Gulf to support regional military operations and keep the Strait of Hormuz open. “We are committed to protecting maritime freedoms that are the basis for global prosperity; this is one of the main reasons our military forces operate in the region,” it said in a statement. In other developments, the US Treasury said Secretary Timothy Geithner will travel to China and Japan next week to discuss tougher sanctions against Iran, hours after China said it opposed unilateral US measures.

The increasingly tense situation in the Gulf came as Iran struggled with turmoil on its domestic currency market. Foreign exchange shops were shuttered on Wednesday as traders refused to comply with a central bank order putting an artificial cap on the value of the dollar against the Iranian rial, which has come under intense pressure. The central bank also cut in half, to $1,000, the amount of dollars travellers flying abroad could buy.

Iranian authorities were trying to shore up their currency following its slide to a record low on Monday days after Washington enacted new sanctions targeting Iran’s central bank. The United States and other Western nations have imposed sanctions over Tehran’s controversial nuclear program, which they believe is being used to develop atomic weapons. Iran has repeatedly denied that allegation, saying the program is purely for energy and medical uses. — AFP

Bachmann quits presidential race WEST DES MOINES, Iowa: Michele Bachmann, whose bid for the Republican presidential nomination fizzled after an early boost from Christian conservatives, bowed out of the race yesterday after a poor finish in Iowa. “Last night the people of Iowa spoke with a very clear voice and so I have decided to stand aside,” she said. Bachmann, who came in sixth in the Iowa caucuses, ended her campaign with a vow to fight on against President Barack Obama, insisting the November presidential election might be a last chance “to turn the nation around before we go down the road to socialism.”

But the congresswoman from Minnesota, a Christian evangelical who was an early favorite of the conservative Tea Party movement, gave no indication whether she would throw her support behind another candidate. She won only five percent of the Republican vote in Iowa, the first state-wide party nominating contest, which ended in a virtual tie between former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and dark horse Rick Santorum, a former senator from

Pennsylvania.

Bachmann was born in Iowa, and the heartland state had been the scene of her most important victory, a straw poll in August that served as the first winnowing of the large Republican field. But she was pushed aside almost immediately by the entry into the race of Texas Governor Rick Perry, another loser in Tuesday’s contest, and never regained momentum in a volatile contest that saw nearly every other candidate rise and fall in the polls.

A former tax lawyer and three-term member of Congress, Bachmann, 55, staked out positions against big government, with calls for slashing taxes and debt, while touting her credentials as a Christian evangelical opposed to abortion and same-sex marriage. At times strident in debate and with a taste for right-wing invective, she portrayed herself as an uncompromising legislator who opposed Obama at every turn - on health care reform, the Wall Street bailout and finance reforms, and raising the debt ceiling. — AFP

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa: Republican congresswoman Michele Bachmann waves from her campaign bus as she leaves after giving a press conference yesterday. — AFP

14

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

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Taleban move could help peace drive

By Sardar Ahmad

he Taleban’s move to open a political office abroad ahead of possible peace talks with the US could mark a significant step on the road towards a negotiated end to Afghanistan’s bloody war, analysts say. The hardline Islamists announced on Tuesday that they had come to an “initial agreement with relevant sides including Qatar” to set up their first representative office outside Afghanistan. Analysts said they expected the office to be located in the oil-rich state, and hailed the gesture as a step back from the Taleban’s previous refusal to negotiate until all foreign troops have left Afghan soil.

“I think this is positive news for peace in Afghanistan,” Giran Hiwad, of the Kabul-based think-tank, Afghanistan’s Analyst Network, told AFP yesterday. “Until yesterday the Taleban were not even talking about talks. But now they say they are prepared to open an office in Qatar,” Hiwad said. “ This is definitely a positive step towards peace.” If the move materializes, it could be a landmark in the search for peace after an 11-year war waged by the Taleban against the government of President Hamid Karzai and its US and NATO allies.

Haroun M ir of Afghanistan’s Centre for Research and Policy Studies said the opening of an office would be “good news for peace” but a setback for Karzai as the Taleban pursued direct talks with Washington. “ This shows that the Taleban are ready for talks, this shows that they are under pressure and now they want to negotiate,” Mir said. But the Taleban, who were ousted from power by a US-led invasion after the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, wanted “to negotiate directly with the US in order to bypass the government in Kabul,” he said.

The Karzai government, which had sought to drive any peace process itself within the country, had been outmanoeuvred by the Taleban, Mir said. Karzai has agreed that if Washington wants to set up a Taleban address in Qatar to enable peace talks he will not stand in the way, as long as those talks are led by his administration.

Howe ve r, on the day that the move was announced, two suicide bombings, one of them claimed by the Taleban, killed about 15 people, most of them civilians in the southern city of Kandahar.

The United States said after the Taleban’s statement Tuesday that the insurgents must abandon violence before any real peace process can begin in Afghanistan. “We welcome any step along the road... of the Afghan-led process towards reconciliation,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said, while adding that the conditions for that so - c alled re conciliation “ have not changed”. “We’ve always said that Taleban reconciliation would only come on the condition of breaking from Al-Qaeda, abandoning violence and abiding by the Afghan constitution, and that remains the case.”

Commenting on the Taleban’s move, a senior Pakistani government official said in Islamabad: “Afghanistan is a sovereign country and Pakistan will support any move which can bring peace and stability in Afghanistan”. “We are very clear that any peace initiative should be Afghan-led and Afghan owned”. There are still about 130,000 US-led forces fighting the Taleban-led insurgency across Afghanistan, with coalition combat troops set to leave the country by the end of 2014, handing control for security to Afghan forces. But the US and its NATO allies have been pressing for political solutions to secure an end to the war. —AFP

T

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

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

Etihad push into Europe carries risks

By Praveen Menon tihad Airways may have stolen a march on its Gulf rivals when it took a stake in Germany’s second-biggest airline Air Berlin, obtaining access to the German capital. But the Abu Dhabi carrier could find itself hampered by the airline’s financial troubles. The move by eight-yearold Etihad, one of the United Arab Emirates’ flag carriers and owned by the Abu Dhabi government, is an attempt to gain scale quickly as it bids to catch up to rivals such as Dubai government-owned Emirates and Qatar Airways.

Last month, Etihad raised its stake in Air Berlin to nearly 30 percent from just under 3 percent, paying approximately 73 million euros ($95 million) and lending the carrier $255 million. In return, Etihad received a codeshare agreement giving it access to Air Berlin’s dense European short-haul route network and to the German capital ahead of Emirates, one of the fastest-growing carriers in the world, which has been lobbying for years to get into Berlin.

Industry analyst Sudeep Ghai noted German ownership limits

E

on the industry, which require at least 50 percent of shares to be held by a European Union carrier, mean Etihad will never gain control of decision-making at Air Berlin. “But taking a stake in the No. 2 carrier in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, throws down the gauntlet to Emirates as an Etihad competitor,” said Ghai, partner at London-based airline and airport consulting firm Athena Aviation.

Under the agreement, Air Berlin’s existing Dubai services will be shifted to Etihad’s homebase of Abu Dhabi. The deal has other benefits. It could give the Abu Dhabi carrier access to the Oneworld alliance which Air Berlin is slated to join in 2012. Oneworld, which includes British Airways , American Airlines and Hong Kongbased Cathay Pacific, serves more than 850 airports in nearly 150 countries.

Emirates has been pushing to get landing slots in Berlin and Stuttgart in addition to four other destinations it flies to in Germany, but German officials have rebuffed its requests amid resistance from local carriers. “This is frustrating for Emirates,” said John

Strickland, director of UK-based JLS Consulting. “Emirates is already in Germany in a big way but this deal could make negotiations with Berlin more difficult for Emirates.” Emirates is not part of an airline alliance, preferring to forge its own way. It sold its only stake in another airline, Sri Lankan, back to the operator in 2010. Its growth strategy is to push aggressively into new markets and to this end, it has been building up a fleet of 90 Airbus A380 superjumbos. “ The Air Berlin deal is very much a one-off. I don’t think there are other options available in case the Gulf carriers are looking at similar routes for growth,” said Peter Morris, chief economist at British aviation consultancy Ascend. He said the Gulf carriers are still faced with the question of how they can attract sufficient traffic for their growth. “Emirates would see this move as something containable. But Etihad’s growth is more of a threat to Qatar Airways,” he added.

Doha-based Qatar Airways is stuck between the well-established Emirates and the new-kidon-the-block Etihad, in a heated battle for the No. 2 spot in the

Gulf. The Etihad-Air Berlin deal takes to the next level the race between the three major Gulf carriers to grab traffic in Europe. The three are rapidly boosting route networks globally, on the strength of the Gulf ’s strategic location between East and West and helpful home governments.

By contrast, most European airlines face a bumpy flight path because of the euro zone debt crisis, which has raised fears of a recession in Europe. Shares in European airlines dropped about 12 percent last year and assets have become cheaper, making them more attractive for Gulf carriers inclined to go on the prowl.

Last May, Qatar Airways bought a 35-percent stake in Luxembourgbased freight carrier Cargolux Airlines International . Etihad is the first Gulf airline to have bought a large stake in a European passenger airline, and its chief executive has said it will continue to look at new investment opportunities.

But Etihad will be challenged by the Air Berlin deal as the German airline struggles with its finances, analysts say. “It’s a useful deal for Etihad...but it won’t be a

free ride,” said Strickland. “Airlines have bought stakes before only to realize the mess they got into later. With Etihad now being a significant shareholder, it may be drawn into the problems of Air Berlin.”

Others were not so charitable about Etihad’s move on Air Berlin, which last had a full-year profit in 2007 and has been cutting routes and delaying plane orders in an attempt to become profitable in 2012. “We view this as an irrational move by a very well-funded business, seeking to expand its footprint globally,” Royal Bank of Scotland analysts wrote in a Dec. 20 research note. “Businesses with such outlooks and balance sheets are in need of deep-pocketed backers.

They have found one in Etihad, which itself is owned by the government of Abu Dhabi.” Etihad is taking a more sanguine approach.

When asked if it was worried about Air Berlin’s debt pile, the carrier said in an email that the deal has “has highly attractive prospects”. “Our commercial projections show that the revenue benefits from this deal will have a positive impact very quickly.” It did not elaborate. —Reuters

Fuel test won’t hasten Iran bomb

By Fredrik Dahl ran’s latest claim of a breakthrough in its nuclear programme appears unlikely to bring it any closer to having atomic bombs, but serves rather as another defiant message to the West. This week’s announcement that Iran has successfully made and tested fuel rods for use in nuclear power plants appeared designed to show that sanctions are failing to halt its technical advances and to strengthen its hand in any renewed negotiations with the major powers. “The development itself doesn’t put them any closer to producing weapons,” said Peter Crail of the Arms Control Association, a Washington-based research and advocacy group. It could be a way of telling Tehran’s foes that time is running out if they want to revive an atomic fuel swap deal that collapsed two years ago but is still seen by some experts as offering the best chance to start building badly needed trust. Diplomats believe Iran has in the past overstated its nuclear progress to gain leverage in its standoff with Western capitals, and the testing of domestically made fuel does not mean the country is about to start using it to run reactors. “It is a step in the direction of no longer needing supply from other countries,” said Associate Professor Matthew Bunn of Harvard University’s Kennedy School. “But it will be a good number of months or years before it will be at the point where they no longer need supply from other countries.”

Even if the fuel step is confirmed, it is unlikely to add much to already growing Western suspicions that Iran is seeking the capability to manufacture nuclear arms, a charge it denies.

Western powers fear that Iran’s uranium enrichment program is part of a covert bid to develop the means to build atomic weapons - suspicions that were given independent weight by a detailed UN nuclear watchdog report late last year. The Islamic Republic says it is refining uranium - material which can have both civilian and military purposes - only for a planned network of nuclear power plants and it could point to the development of fuel rods to back this up.

Iran “still needs to pretend” that it is processing uranium in order to make nuclear fuel and not for weapons, a Western diplomat in Vienna said.

Iran’s announcement that it had produced

I

the fuel rods and inserted them in a research reactor core in Tehran coincided with an escalating war of words with the West, in a long-running nuclear row that could spark a wider Middle East conflict. Tehran has threatened to take action if the US Navy moves an aircraft carrier into the Gulf, its most aggressive warning yet after weeks of sabre-rattling as new US and European sanctions take a toll on its economy.

But Iran is also sending out more conciliatory signals: inviting senior UN nuclear inspectors to visit and suggesting a resumption of longstalled talks with the six big powers - the United States, Russia, France, Germany, China and Britain. That may be a sign of nervousness within the leadership - as the Iranian currency tum-

programme its clerical rulers regard as a source of power and prestige. “They announced the fuel rod production and called for talks at the same time, suggesting the fuel rod is intended more as negotiating leverage,” said Crail of the Arms Control Association. The United States says the drive it leads to isolate Iran has slowed Tehran’s nuclear program.

But despite tougher sanctions and suspected sabotage, Iran is pressing ahead with the work and its stockpile of low-enriched uranium would be sufficient for at least two atomic bombs if refined much further. Western experts give different estimates of how quickly Iran could assemble a nuclear weapon if it decides to do so - ranging from as little as six months to

Iranian navy conducts the “Velayat-90” naval war games in the Strait of Hormuz in southern on Jan 1, 2012. Iran defiantly announced that it had tested a new missile and made an advance in its nuclear program after the United States unleashed extra sanctions that sent its currency to a record low. —AFP bles to a record low against the US dollar - that tightening sanctions might hurt the major oil producer’s lifeblood crude exports.

Nevertheless, Sunday’s statement of a fuel breakthrough once again underlined Iran’s determination to press ahead with an atomic

a year or more. In 2010, Iran alarmed the West by starting to enrich uranium to a fissile purity of 20 percent, up from 3.5 percent usually required for power plants, bringing it significantly closer to the 90 percent level required for weapons.

Iran said it was forced to take this step to make fuel for the Tehran research reactor after failing to agree terms for a deal to obtain it from the West. But many analysts doubted it would be able to convert its uranium into special reactor fuel. Harvard’s Bunn described Iran’s reported nuclear advance this week as “an early test” of whether it could make fuel able to withstand the radiation, temperature and pressure conditions that exist in a reactor. “It is a long road yet before you would have fuel that you could actually load in the reactor as the fuel that was going to sustain that reactor’s operation,” he said. In Sunday’s reports, Iranian media talked both of fuel rods, which are used in nuclear power plants like Bushehr - Iran’s only such facility - and fuel plates, which are needed in the Tehran reactor making medical isotopes.

Rods contain small pellets of fuel, usually lowenriched uranium. The research reactor - which is running out of fuel provided by Argentina in the 1990s - uses thin plates with more refined uranium. Russia has delivered rods for Bushehr, and Mark Hibbs of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said the plant was likely to keep using Russian-made fuel for many years.

In some reactors, the spent fuel can be reprocessed to extract plutonium - offering a second pathway for bombs besides highly enriched uranium - but the type at Bushehr on Iran’s Gulf coast is seen as less suitable for this. “A conventional light-water reactor is not very good at producing plutonium for weapons,” said Robin Grimes, head of the centre for nuclear engineering at Imperial College in London. The Tehran research facility also uses light water as coolant but Iran is, however, constructing a heavy water reactor which it hopes to bring on line by the end of 2013, a model which analysts say could be used for plutonium.

Western diplomats said they were waiting to see whether the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog which regularly visits Iranian nuclear sites, could shed more light on Iran’s fuel rod announcement. The IAEA, which has declined to comment on Tehran’s move, is expected to issue its next report on Iran in late February. In November, it said Iran had begun to irradiate, or bombard with neutrons, a prototype fuel rod at the Tehran reactor.—Reuters

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

ANALYSIS

Romney strong, quick knockout unlikely

By Olivier Knox itt Romney is still the favorite to win the US Republican presidential nomination, but a quick knock-out of his more conservative rivals seems out of reach after a near-draw in Iowa, experts said yesterday. “Iowa is a reminder that if Romney wins, it will be because he’s the last guy standing not because he has strong Republican support,” said Matt Dickinson, a political scientist at Middlebury College in Vermont. The former Massachusetts governor and millionaire venture capitalist defeated Christian conservative Rick Santorum by a sliver of just eight votes, according to results announced by a party official early yesterday.

Romney, who spent little time in this mostly rural heartland state until late December, practically writing it off, declared that both he and the former senator had had a “great victory” here and vowed to beat Obama in November elections. Polls in New Hampshire, which votes second, on Jan 11, show Romney on track for a romp there. But Iowa results, at 25 percent each, highlighted a yearlong problem for Romney, who has had to fend off successive challenges from the right while being unable to push his support among Republicans above 30 percent.

“There really is a glass ceiling for

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Romney. He has spent money and time courting conservatives but he just can’t seem to bust through that,” said Bob Oldendick, a political scientist at the University of South Carolina. “If you ask me who, after

had made little secret that he hoped a strong finish in Iowa, a strong victory in New Hampshire, and another success in South Carolina, which could give him a lock on the nomination months before the general elec-

long, drawn-out fight.”

Romney has portrayed himself as the best candidate to beat Obama in an election likely to be decided by middle-of-the-road voters, but he still faces doubts from Republicans

Republican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney greets supporters at his caucus night rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Tuesday. —AP tonight, is the most likely person to win the nomination, I’d still have to say that’s Romney - he has planned for a long-term battle and has a better organization,” he added. Romney

tion. But Oldendick, whose state votes Jan 21, said Iowa “really should give them (Romney’s advisers) some pause, that this is not going to be a quick knockout, it’s going to be a

about his conservative credentials.

“He still hasn’t captured the hearts of the GOP. He may have captured their mind, with electability, but he hasn’t captured their hearts,” said David

Woodard, a political scientist at Clemson University in South Carolina. “Santorum has reached the hearts and minds. He’s told them: ‘Yeah, the economy is a big problem but the culture is a bigger problem. I think it will play well here,” according to Woodard.

That’s not to say it’s a two-candidate race: Former House speaker Newt Gingrich heads into New Hampshire and South Carolina eager to exact payback for attacks ads from Romney allies that doomed him to fourth place in Iowa. Veteran Representative Ron Paul, a smallgovernment champion also known for his fierce opposition to foreign aid and military intervention, came in third here, and his devout following could help him play spoiler elsewhere.

But Romney benefits from seeing more Republicans, like those aligned with the ultra-conservative Tea Party, fractured among several rivals, but if they “decide on an anti-Romney alternative, Romney is in trouble,” Dickinson said. “Gingrich and Paul are going to go after Romney here.

That will potentially be quite damaging,” said Linda Fowler, a politics expert at Dartmouth College.

“Romney still looks strong in the polls in New Hampshire. But it is clear from Iowa that he still hasn’t made the sale with primary voters. The message from Iowa is he still has to work for it,” she said. —AFP

Obama among the winners in Iowa

By Tim Reid and Sam Youngman fter a dramatic, confusing night of suspense in the Republican Party’s Iowa caucuses, the big winner may well have been a Democrat: Barack Obama. The US president’s re-election campaign had reason to smile early Wednesday, as Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum battled to a virtual dead heat in the caucuses that kicked off the campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, emerges from Iowa with his frontrunner status intact, his well-funded campaign ready for a months-long fight.

But his razor-thin margin over Santorum a social conservative who ran a low-budget campaign with little advertising - reinforces persistent doubts about Romney’s ability to win over his party’s conservative base. It also increases the chances that Romney’s still-likely march to the Republican nomination will not be the quick kill Romney has hoped for, analysts and strategists said yesterday. For an Obama campaign that has long operated on the assumption that it will face Romney in the Nov. 6 election, that is good news.

“Democratic heavyweights are quietly celebrating tonight,” David Gergen, a former adviser to two Republican and two Democratic presidents, told Reuters. “They see the presumed (Republican) nominee, Mitt Romney, unable to close the deal and a Republican electorate not only uncertain, but lacking great enthusiasm.” As Romney continues to tussle with Republican foes in upcoming primaries, Gergen said, “Obama’s campaign - which otherwise might be in trouble” amid concerns about the economy and government spending - “has time to raise money

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and hone its message.”

For Romney, the good news in Iowa was that the two candidates who seemed in best position to carry out a long campaign against him - Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry - did not get a boost from the caucuses. Gingrich, a former House of Representatives speaker, finished fourth and leaves Iowa stewing over seeing his status atop public opinion polls toppled by biting TV ads put out by an independent group that supports Romney.

Starting with the New Hampshire primary on Jan 10 and continuing on to contests in South Carolina and Florida, Gingrich has vowed to cast Romney as too moderate for most Republican voters.

Romney is heavily favored to win in New Hampshire, but Gingrich has led recent polls in South Carolina and Florida. Perry, the Texas governor, stumbled to a fifth-place finish in Iowa and is returning home to “assess” his campaign. A key question now is whether Santorum, who has little national campaign structure or money after making Iowa the focus of his effort, can turn himself into a nationally appealing, anti-Romney alternative for conservative voters. Santorum, who peppers his speeches with religious and antiabortion references, will also have to prove that he can stretch his appeal beyond the most conservative elements of the Republican Party.

The Iowa result sets up a fascinating showdown on Jan 21 in South Carolina, another state with a strong Republican conservative electorate. There, Romney - presumably after winning New Hampshire - will face a feisty Gingrich, who is from neighboring Georgia.

Gingrich is buying ads that call Romney a “Massachusetts moderate.” And in two

debates in New Hampshire this weekend, Gingrich will have a chance to take aim at Romney over what Gingrich has characterized at untrue and unfair attacks by Romney supporters.

If Santorum can quickly put together an organization in South Carolina to build support among influential evangelical Christians, he also could be a factor there. His effort could be helped by the withdrawal of Perry, who like Santorum has targeted conservative Christian voters. Otherwise Santorum could fade from contention, as was the case with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, the evangelical-backed winner in Iowa in 2008 who could not sustain the momentum from that victory. Also likely to contend in South Carolina will be Texas Representative Ron Paul, a libertarian with intense support from younger voters and independents who ran a strong third in Iowa. Paul is not widely viewed as a possible winner of the Republican nomination because his positions - which include dramatic defense cuts and an isolationist foreign policy - are opposed by most party members.

When he finished second to Huckabee in Iowa in 2008, Romney won 25 percent of the vote in the state. On Tuesday he received roughly the same percentage of the vote.

Despite being the frontrunner in the Republican race, Romney has not risen above 25 percent in national Republican polls. Many Republican strategists say that is a problem.

“Mitt Romney has flatlined,” said Ford O’Connell, a Republican stategist. “Obviously, he emerges as the odds-on favorite to win the nomination. But (Tuesday) was a good night for him, not a great night.” O’Connell said that for Republicans, “the key question is,

Can Rick Santorum convince South Carolina and beyond that he has general election appeal? Will the anti-Mitt vote consolidate behind one candidate?”

Romney’s team is planning a trip to South Carolina this week, after Romney spends some time campaigning in New Hampshire.

Romney’s team also bought television advertising in Florida on Tuesday. Florida holds its primary on Jan 31. In South Carolina, Romney has the support of the state’s Republican governor, Nikki Haley. Chad Connelly, chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, said Romney’s problems with social conservatives are not as significant as they were four years ago. Romney will have to devote time and energy to doing well in what is called “the first in the South primary,” Connelly said.

Connelly added that he was “pleasantly surprised” to learn that Romney would visit the state before the Jan. 10 New Hampshire primary. “That’s a pretty big deal for our state,” Connelly said.

From Romney’s view, analysts said, the question will be whether conservative Republican primary voters remain divided between his rival candidates - which he would welcome - or one main challenger emerges. Other analysts say Romney has to be prepared for sharp jabs by an inspired Gingrich - attacks that could eventually wind up aiding the Obama campaign’s efforts to define Romney as an opportunist who has changed his positions on a range of issues, including healthcare reform. “What comes out of Iowa is not a clear picture,” said Tad Devine, a Democratic strategist. “Romney is a guy who got 25 percent of the vote four years ago. There is a lot of incentive for the (other Republicans) to keep going .” —Reuters

Spec-Ops troops study to be gumshoes

By Kimberly Dozier he raid to grab Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan took just under 40 minutes roughly 10 to get to bin Laden.

Special operators spent much of the rest of the time gathering evidence: computer files, written notes and thumb drives that pointed to new Al-Qaeda plots and previously secret operatives around the globe. That science is what special operators of all types are learning at Fort Bragg’s Special Warfare Center, with reallife scenarios meant to shock and teach.

In one exercise, a Hollywoodstyle explosion leaves the remains of a fake suicide bomber scattered around a checkpoint. The students must look past the grisly mess for the evidence that could lead to those who built the bomb.

Forging lessons painfully learned in the decade since the Sept 11, 2001, attacks, the formal curriculum is intended to help elite military units track militants across international boundaries and work alongside sometimes competing US agencies.

The coursework is similar to the CIA’s legendary spycraft training center called The Farm, and is at the brainchild of Green Beret Maj Gen Bennet Sacolick, a veteran of elite special operations units and a long stint on loan to the CIA. Among the students at the CIA-approved Fort Bragg course are Army Green Berets, Navy SEALs and Marine Corps special operators. As in the Navy SEAL raid that killed bin Laden, everything from computers to fingerprints can be retrieved from a raid site and quickly analyzed. In some cases the analysis is so fast it can

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lead to several new targets in a single night.

The school is also an illustration of how special operations and intelligence forces have reached a less-contentious coexistence after early clashes in which CIA officers accused the military operators of ineptly trying to run their own spy rings overseas without State Department or CIA knowledge. “As my guys go to Afghanistan and interface with CIA base and station chiefs, they can do it with more credibility than in the past,” Sacolick told The Associated Press in a rare interview.

While many in the public may not be aware that the military is allowed to gather information, and even run its own spy networks, special operations forces have been authorized to do just that since the disastrous Desert One raid meant to rescue the US hostages held in Iran in 1979. The raid went awry because of a helicopter crash, not an intelligence foul-up. But before the raid, military planners had been frustrated that CIA employees working inside the country were unable to provide the tactical intelligence needed to insert a covert force even basic information like which way the streets ran outside the US Embassy in Tehran, where the hostages were held.

That’s why almost a third of every class at the CIA’s Farm has been military, a former senior intelligence official said. The Fort Bragg school means special operators now can get much of that CIA-style training at their home facility. Sacolick said he was shocked at how piecemeal intelligence gathering and sharing was up until a couple of years ago.

Special operations units would know their area but had no established way to pass it on, he said, or any means for reaching out to the CIA to fill in information gaps.

“The CIA will satisfy any information requirement we have,” the agency veteran said. “All we have to do is ask the right person. So

teams’ piecemeal training in those areas, often done previously by contractors rather than at the agency’s Farm, was part of what caused the near-revolt of CIA station chiefs just after Sept 11, when the Pentagon sent scores of such troops overseas. With their short haircuts, obvious military

In this photo taken Oct 27, 2011, a student investigates the scene of a suicide bombing during a mock exercise at the US Army John F Kennedy Special Warfare Center & School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. —AP that’s what we are creating” among the special operations teams training at Fort Bragg, Sacolick said, pointing out troops who “have the vocabulary, have the contacts, know the questions to ask and who to ask.”

The CIA also helped Sacolick design the course to teach special operators the spy-related tradecraft they need for the counterterror fight outside known war zones, such as in Somalia or Southeast Asia. They learn skills like how to evade surveillance by terrorists or a target country’s intelligence service. The elite

bearing and uneven training in tradecraft, they caused more than a few uncomfortable incidents for US ambassadors and CIA chiefs, who sometimes were not even told they were there.

That led to congressional alarm and a clash between the Pentagon, the spies and the diplomats over who should be able to operate where. The White House eventually created an information exchange to allow elite military troops to gather intelligence, while keeping State and the CIA in the loop. To make sure spy did not stumble over spy, the Pentagon’s

top intelligence official, Stephen Cambone, and the CIA’s then-top clandestine representative, Jose Rodriguez, created a mechanism that exists to this day to let each network know who was working for whom.

The next step was to find common ground among those competing tribes of intelligence and military operators - a step embraced by now-retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal. Then heading the military’s Joint Special Operations Command, McChrystal embraced the “hostage swap” of JSOC troops and CIA officers, deploying them to each other’s command centers and forcing collaboration through proximity. But he upgraded the practice, sending his best people, instead of following the unwritten custom of sending one’s least-valuable employee to get them out of the home office.

McChrystal used to lecture his people, Sacolick among them, to forge their own networks of oneon-one relationships in other agencies to counter the enemy network. That’s how Sacolick ended up at the CIA, and why he patterned his school on lessons the agency helped teach him. The idea is to pass on the skills learned in the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan, where special operators have had more intelligence backup and logistical support from the regular military than they will in the remote places where they usually operate, Sacolick said.

“I need to prepare a 12-man team to go anywhere on this planet,” he said. “They need to be every bit as good as they are in Afghanistan, in the middle of Africa somewhere” or wherever the next conflict takes them. —AP

focus

Qatar’s next big purchase: Farming sector

By Martina Fuchs atar’s energy resources have given it one of the world’s highest per capita incomes, a futuristic urban skyline and enough clout to host the 2022 soccer World Cup. But its wealth may not be enough for the arid state to achieve an even more ambitious goal: becoming largely self-sufficient in food. Like other oil-rich, water-poor Gulf states, Qatar has been investing in large areas of farmland overseas to ensure access to food supplies. The agricultural arm of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, Hassad Food, has bought land in Sudan and Australia, and has announced plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on agricultural projects in countries including Kenya, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey and Ukraine.

But in contrast to the other Gulf states, Qatar also aims to produce most of its food domestically, by spending massively to boost crop yields and convert semi-desert into agricultural land. Qatar’s Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani issued a decree this year to organise the Qatar National Food Security Programme (QNFSP), tackling “one of the most pressing challenges that Qatar is facing”. “Today, there are 1,400 farms in Qatar and they will increase to 3,000 farms with the new plan,” said Fahad Bin Mohammed al-Attiya, the QNFSP’s chairman. “We anticipate that domestic food production, if new technologies are applied and the efficiency system enforced, can easily reach 60 percent of our market needs. We anticipate that domestic demand can be met by 60 to 70 percent.”

Qatar, like the five other wealthy Gulf states, imports up to 90 percent of its food requirements. It has a population of about 1.7 million people, an estimated 20 percent of them Qatari citizens and most of the remainder foreign workers.

Attiya said implementation of the food security program would start in January 2014, after a period of preparation.

“The implementation period is 10 years. By 2024 we should have a fully operating system.”

It is a seductive vision, and Qatar’s vast wealth as the world’s top liquefied natural gas exporter will allow it to mobilise the best technology and equipment. But many economists and agricultural experts say Qatar’s plans do not make economic sense - and that there is little need for them, given the small size of the population. “They don’t have that much land they can put into production; much of it is desert. And Qatar has a very small population,” said Abdolreza Abbassian, senior economist at the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome. “They import almost the entire cereals that they need for domestic consumption, something like 200,000 tonnes a year, which they cannot really produce. What they produce domestically is minimal. I don’t really see much prospect.”

Abbassian suggested the country might be better off focusing its investment on agricultural land in more temperate climates. “Given the size of the country and the amount of imports which is rather modest, I would be surprised if it’s really such a need to resort to such an investment, which is far more capital- and labour-intensive,” he said. “Why would they do that rather than purchasing land globally?”

Qatar’s environment is hostile to agriculture, characterised by extreme heat, water scarcity and high soil salinity.

Average precipitation in depth is just 74 mm per year, compared to the United Kingdom’s 1,220 mm, FAO data shows.

Only about 1 percent of Qatar’s total land area of 11,590 sq km is arable, according to the FAO. Also, many experts do not see a strong need for Qatar to increase its food security.

Although it is located in a volatile region of the world, its huge foreign currency reserves and comparatively small population mean it could probably arrange adquate new sources of food imports fairly easily in an emergency.

“When designing their food security strategies, countries with relatively low agricultural potential such as Qatar may be better advised to look beyond fostering domestic agricultural production,” said Clemens Breisinger, research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington. “Given Qatar’s low levels of food insecurity risk and low agricultural potential, it is important to carefully assess the opportunity costs of the investments planned under the QNFSP and to potentially consider alternative options for a food-secure Qatar, and a more food-secure world,” he said.

In 2008, Saudi Arabia abandoned a push to achieve selfsufficiency in wheat, concluding that it was simply too expensive and wasteful in using domestic water resources.

The country now plans to be 100 percent reliant on imports of wheat by 2016. Mahendra Shah, food security advisor to the UN and director of international planning at Aquiess Rainaid, a company which develops rainfall technology to fight drought, said the drive to produce wheat domestically using underground water had caused environmental damage in Saudi Arabia. “The underground water reservoirs are saline and severely depleted. This is an example of an ecological disaster that will take decades to recharge and clean up the aquifers.” But Qatar has shrugged off the example of its larger neighbour, showing the same ambition and faith in its financial power that led it to make other controversial but ultimately successful investments, including its World Cup bid, its creation of international television broadcaster Al Jazeera, and its backing of the rebel side during last year’s Libyan revolution.

Qatar’s farming methods include open-field agriculture, greenhouse production, and hydroponics, a soil-less culture technology which uses less water and land and can yield up to 10 times the crop grown in an open field. “The basket of products has to be diverse,” the QNFSP’s Attiya said. “The products will be mainly fruits and vegetables, and we’re looking at cereals as well, fodder, livestock and fisheries.”

One of the prototype farms, the Al Sulaiteen Agricultural and Industrial Complex (SAIC), is located in the desert a short drive from Qatar’s capital Doha. “We are producers of vegetables, seasonal flowering plants and outdoor plants.

We have one of the largest landscape projects in Qatar, with 40 hectares of land,” said Mahmoud Refaat Shamardal, SAIC’s agriculture sector manager. SAIC, which started vegetable production in 2001, is growing tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants and other vegetables through a combination of greenhouses, hydroponic systems and regular farming. It supplies supermarkets and hotels. “We use artificial soil to produce the vegetables. With this system we can save around 50 percent of water, and water is a very important factor here in Qatar,” said Shamardal.

Qatar now produces around 23 percent of its requirement of vegetables. They are grown by 56 percent of the country’s farmers and take up 11 percent of its cultivated farm area, according to the QNFSP. The country’s aquifers are already severely depleted, Attiya said. But the QNFSP plans to obtain agricultural water from seawater desalination using solar parks, and only keep aquifers as strategic water reserves. “Once we have achieved solar desalination, we will ask the farmers to stop using the aquifers,” he said. —Reuters

Q

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

sp orts Beckham deal not done yet

Pralija detained over bribery

LOS ANGELES: David Beckham may not be heading to Paris SaintGermain, but it’s still not certain he will be back with Major League Soccer champions the Los Angeles Galaxy, The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

Tim Leiweke, chief executive of Galaxy’s owners AEG, told the newspaper that there was still no deal in place for Beckham to stay with the club, although the Galaxy want to keep him. “The stories were all over the front page of every newspaper in Europe that he was going to Paris,” Leiweke told the Times. “I told everyone I would not pay a lot of attention to that. “And now that the stories are that he is going to the Galaxy, I would repeat the same advice: Premature. “We have been talking with David about staying with the Galaxy for three months. And I said back in November, I was confident David would stay here and I still am. — AFP

NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Tuesday. Buffalo 4, Edmonton 3; Toronto 7, Tampa Bay 3; Washington 3, Calgary 1; NY Islanders 4, Carolina 3 (SO); St. Louis 4, Phoenix 1; Detroit 5, Dallas 4. (SO denotes shootout win) Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF GA PTS NY Rangers 24 9 4 110 79 52 Philadelphia 22 11 4 125 109 48 Pittsburgh 21 13 4 121 100 46 New Jersey 21 15 2 105 108 44 NY Islanders 14 17 6 88 116 34 Northeast Division Boston 24 10 1 123 68 49 Ottawa 20 15 5 123 135 45 Toronto 19 15 5 125 128 43 Buffalo 18 17 4 104 115 40 Montreal 14 18 7 99 110 35 Southeast Division Florida 20 12 7 103 107 47 Washington 21 15 2 114 110 44 Winnipeg 19 14 5 104 107 43 Tampa Bay 17 18 3 107 129 37 Carolina 13 21 7 106 139 33 Western Conference Central Division Chicago 24 11 4 128 111 52 Detroit 25 13 1 128 88 51 St. Louis 22 12 5 99 86 49 Nashville 21 14 4 105 108 46 Columbus 10 23 5 93 128 25 Northwest Division Vancouver 24 13 3 131 99 51 Minnesota 21 13 6 95 95 48 Colorado 22 18 1 110 116 45 Calgary 18 18 5 100 114 41 Edmonton 16 20 3 107 111 35 Pacific Division Los Angeles 19 14 7 87 92 45 San Jose 20 11 4 102 85 44 Dallas 21 16 1 104 112 43 Phoenix 19 17 4 103 107 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)

ZAGREB: Nenad Pralija, the exCroatian international midfielder and former official at first division side Split, was detained yesterday in connection with a probe into bribery and match-fixing, media reported. The national anti-graft bureau USKOK has been probing alleged corruption by Pralija, a police spokeswoman told HINA news agency without elaborating.

Pralija’s arrest is part of an ongoing probe into the rigging of matches and bribing referees, national television said. As part of the investigation another three top football officials were detained in the past month. They include Croatia football federation (HNS) vice-president Zeljko Siric and the head of the national refereeing association, Stjepan

Djedovic. Pralija, 41, was detained in the central coastal town of Split and is expected to be transferred to Zagreb later in the day. Pralija started his carrier in his hometown club of Split, joining Hajduk Split in 1993 before leaving after three seasons for La Liga’s Espanyol. He also later played for Reggina in Italy and Maccabi Haifa in Israel, and won 11 caps for the Croatia national side. He resigned as Split’s sports director in August 2011. Last December, a Zagreb court found 15 former players and officials guilty of fixing Croatian first division matches and sentenced them to jail terms of up to 10 months. Croatia launched a probe into suspicious games in late 2009 after receiving information from German police. — AFP

Offside rule explained on back of British coin LONDON: It’s a subject that often triggers long and heated debate amongst confused football fans, but the offside law has now been explained on the back of a British coin. A commemorative 50 pence piece being released as part of the build-up to the 2012 Olympics gives a simple explanation of the offside rule via a diagram. Sports journalist Neil Wolfson designed the coin after entering a public competition two years ago. “I’m a sports journalist by trade and I saw this opportunity as a natural extension of what I do,” said Wolfson. “This design itself is just a case of lateral thinking.

“I’m a football fan, I followed the Premier League since its inception and if I had 50p for every time someone had asked me to explain the offside rule I’d be a very rich man. “When the coin is in circulation I hope people like it and I hope people are able to use it to explain the offside rule.” — AFP

Red Wings outshine Stars Capitals douse Flames for 4th straight victory DALLAS: Detroit’s Jiri Hudler scored twice as the Red Wings closed within a point of the NHL Western Conference lead with a 5-4 win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Hudler’s linemate Valtteri Filppula added a goal and two assists, and the third member of the line Henrik Zetterberg had three assists. Johan Franzen and Cory Emmerton also connected for the Red Wings, who moved within a point of Central Division rival Chicago. Michael Ryder had two goals, Jamie Benn added a goal and two assists, and Loui Eriksson also scored for the injury-ravage Stars, who had to call up rookies Jordie Benn - older brother of Jamie Benn - and Brenden Dillon from the minor leagues.

SABRES 4, OILERS 3 In Buffalo, Drew Stafford and Nathan Gerbe scored 2:04 apart late in the third period to spark slumping Buffalo over road-weary Edmonton. Jordan Leopold and Sabres captain Jason Pominville, who played despite an illness that limited his ice time, also scored for Buffalo. Corey Potter brought the Oilers within 4-3 with 1:50 left, but Edmonton didn’t get off another shot. Sam Gagner had a goal and assist, and Taylor Hall also scored for Edmonton, 1-4 during its seven-game trip.

ISLANDERS 4, HURRICANES 3, SO In Raleigh, North Carolina, Frans

with 1:30 remaining to send the game into overtime. Chad LaRose, Brandon Sutter and Anthony Stewart scored for Carolina.

CAPITALS 3, FLAMES 1 The Washington Capitals won their fourth game in a row and moved into second place in the Southeast division with a 3-1 victory over the road-weary Calgary Flames on Tuesday.

Washington’s Alex Ovechkin maintained his hot streak with a goal and an assist while netminder Tomas Vokoun stopped 18 shots to raise his career record against the Flames to 14-4-3-1.

BLUES 4, COYOTES 1 In St Louis, Jaroslav Halak made a season-high 34 saves as St Louis snapped its season worst, three-game skid with a win over Phoenix. The Blues improved to 15-3-2 at home. They are tied with Detroit for most home wins. Chris Stewart and Jamie Langenbrunner scored first-period goals for St. Louis, while TJ Oshie and Patrik Berglund added goals for the Blues. Radim Vrbata scored his team-leading 19th goal late in the second period for the Coyotes.

MAPLE LEAFS 7, LIGHTNING 3 In Toronto, the hosts killed four early power plays - including a two-man advantage - in a rout of Tampa Bay. Joffrey Lupul had a goal and three assists, while Carl Gunnarsson, Mikhail Grabovski, Darryl Boyce, Matt Frattin, Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel added goals for Toronto. Vincent Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos and Pavel Kubina scored for the Lightning. Stamkos leads the NHL with 27 goals. It was the beginning of an important stretch for the Maple Leafs, who will play nine of 11 at home heading into the All-Star break.

NEW YORK: Buffalo Sabres’ Matt Ellis (37) shoots the puck on Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Buffalo, NY on Tuesday, Jan 3, 2012. The Sabres won 4-3. — AP Nielsen scored the deciding goal in a shootout as New York earned its third straight victory by downing Carolina in a meeting of the Eastern Conference’s bottom two teams. Kyle Okposo scored

The victory pushed the Capitals past idle Winnipeg in the division and within three points of front-running Florida.

“We just want to win every game,” said Ovechkin, who notched his 17th

goal of the season just 71 seconds into the first period to extend his point streak to seven games. “This is too good of a group to be in the middle (of the standings). We just want to be in the playoffs.” Washington moved into a tie with New Jersey for the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference with Winnipeg knocking on the door just one point behind. “Everybody’s buying into everything and working very hard,” said Capitals forward Marcus Johansson.

“That’s the most important thing. No one is taking it easy.

Everyone is working their hardest every night.” Goals by Ovechkin and Troy Brouwer gave the Capitals a 2-0 lead before Curtis Glencross got the Flames on the board when he beat Vokoun on a short wrist shot to the glove side.

Dennis Wideman padded Washington’s lead to 3-1 late in the second period when he scored from 15 feet against goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff following a crisp assist by Nicklas Backstrom. The loss was Calgary’s fourth in a row and dropped them to 2-4 on a seven-game road swing that concludes on Thursday against the Stanley Cup champions Boston Bruins.

Flames captain Jarome Iginla, who remains one shy of his 500th career goal, conceded his club needed to win away from the Saddledome to reach the postseason. “We know we need to get better on the road,” he said.

“We have a ton of home games left this year but we know we need to win some road games to get back into the playoff race.” Calgary is in 12th place in the West, needing to jump at least four spots to claim a postseason berth.

Flames coach Brent Sutter said: “We played well here tonight,” but added luck was not on his side.” “We had quality chances,” he added with a shrug. “We hit a post in the first shift of the third period. We certainly had really good chances.” — Agencies

Cast of stars is missing from PGA Tour opener

Louis Oosthuizen seen with wife and kid

Oosthuizen has birdies and babies on his mind JOHANNESBURG: Former British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen will have birdies and babies on his mind this week when the 2012 European Tour tees off along the Indian Ocean coast in South Africa. Oosthuizen, whose sevenstroke Major triumph at St Andrews two years ago ranks among the great shocks of the past decade, defends the Africa Open title at East London Golf Club from today. But as the 31-year- old drives, chips and putts his way round the par-73, 6,190-metre part-parkland, part-links course in the Eastern Cape town, his mobile phone will never be far away.

Wife Nel-Marie is expecting their second child soon and Oosthuizen smiled this week while admitting there could be a call from his wife or family doctor telling him to get home quickly. The 1.78-metre South African says he will not be distracted in the search for a first title since winning a play-off against Briton Chris Wood and Spaniard Manuel Quiros in East London 12 months ago.

“Sometimes it is good to have your thoughts elsewhere and not solely on golf. I will be focused on what I have to

do on the course, but in the back of my mind I will be mentally checking on what is going on at home.”

Oosthuizen, nicknamed Shrek after the movie character, respects a layout featuring a tight front nine and a less claustrophobic inward journey, where he returned a 16-under-par 276 last year before winning at the first extra hole. “It is a course where there are not a lot of driver holes and you should try and keep the ball low if you can,” said the winner of three European Tour and six South African Sunshine Tour events.

“There are some tight fairways so you have to be careful, but it is also a course where, if you take it on and succeed, you can shoot really low numbers,” he added. Another former South African Major winner, Retief Goosen, is the other big ‘name’ in a largely local field for the opening tournament on the Road to Dubai with one million euros in prize money at stake.

The ‘Goose’ produced a final-round 65 in 2009 to win the first Africa Open staged in East London and he appreciates the importance of making a good start to the new season. — AFP

KAPALUA: The list of who’s not at the season-opening Tournament of Champions reads more like a “Who’s Who.” Missing are three of the four major champions Charl Schwartzel, Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy, who at 22 already is on the very short list of golfers capable of moving the needle no matter where they play. If that’s not enough, three of the four World Golf Championship winners from last year are not at Kapalua, either. Luke Donald, the No 1 player in the world, recently returned home from a year-end journey that took him from South Africa to Dubai to Australia.

Adam Scott was home in Australia watching his girlfriend, Ana Ivanovic, win her opening match in the Brisbane International as she gets ready for first Grand Slam of the year. Martin Kaymer of Germany is gearing up for his title defense in Abu Dhabi.

A 28-man field of US PGA Tour winners, tying the record for the smallest field to start the tour season on the shores of Maui. With apologies to US PGA champion Keegan Bradley, WGC winner Nick Watney and FedEx Cup champion Bill Haas, the biggest stars at Kapalua might be found in the broadcast booth. Johnny Miller and Nick Faldo have agreed to be co-analysts for the first time. A year ago, the winners-only field at Kapalua had 19 of the top 40 in the world. Now there are 19 of the top 100. The only two players from the top 10 are Steve Stricker and Webb Simpson. The tour no longer starts with trumpets blaring. It’s more like a solo on the ukulele. Then again, this is nothing new.

Phil Mickelson caused a ripple when he stopped coming to Kapalua in 2002. Tiger Woods caused more of a tidal wave when he decided not to play in 2006, and he hasn’t been back since (although he hasn’t been eligible the last two years). The tour has toyed with the idea of expanding the field, either by inviting all past winners at Kapalua (Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Jim Furyk and Geoff Ogilvy) or by offering a two-year exemption to the Tournament of Champions for US PGA Tour winners. That wouldn’t solve the problem. Some would argue that golf has too many exclusive, limited field tournaments already. This one is worth keeping because there’s only one way to stand on the first tee with such splendid, sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. Winning should still mean something.

It would be easy to suggest these guys are spoiled.

How hard is it to fly to a tropical paradise at the start of the year, be treated to a free room at a Ritz-Carlton that hugs the Maui coastline, play in a small field with no cut for a $5.6 million purse and play a course carved out of a mountain that is different from anything they play all year? But there’s more to it than that. — AP

SAN RAFAEL: People run to help France’s biker Jean-Claude Mazet after he fell while Romania’s biker Marcel Butuza (right) and France’s biker Herve Theuriot (left) pass by during the second stage of the 2012 Argentina-Chile-Peru Dakar Rally between Santa Rosa de la Pampa and San Rafael in Argentina. — AP

Despres wins stage SAN JUAN: French rider Cyril Despres won the third stage of the Dakar Rally and also claimed first place in the overall standing for bikes. On Tuesday in cars, Joan Roma of Spain won the stage and Krzysztof Holowczyc of Poland took the overall lead in the category. French motorcyclist Sebastien Coue was in critical condition after crashing during the second stage. Coue was found in sand dunes in western Argentina, and hospital officials it was not clear how long he had been unconscious and exposed to temperatures above 40C (104 F). The rally has already claimed three lives this year.

Argentine rider Jorge Martinez Boero died in a crash in Sunday’s first stage. On the same day, the pilot of an ultralight plane and his son died tracking the race.

Meanwhile, a French motorcyclist was in critical condition Tuesday after being found unconscious in remote sand dunes during the Dakar Rally. The rally, one of the most dangerous in motor sports, already has left three dead.

Sebastien Coue apparently crashed during the second stage in western

Argentina and was exposed to temperatures above 104 degrees, Teodoro J Schestakow Hospital said. His body temperature also exceeded 104. “He entered in critical condition,” hospital director Armando Dauverne said. “We don’t know how long he was exposed to the sun.

Right now he is in intensive care.”

Joan Roma of Spain won the third stage while teammate Krzysztof Holowczyc of Poland led overall. On Sunday, Argentine bike rider Jorge Martinez Boero died in a crash. On the same day, the pilot of an ultralight plane and his son died when the aircraft went down while following the race. This is the fourth consecutive year the race is being held in South America. It had been run in Europe and Africa until the 2008 race was canceled because of fears of terrorism.

The rally moved to South America the next year. The past three years the race consisted of loop courses from Buenos Aires to Chile and back to Buenos Aires.

This year the race began in Argentina, passes through Chile and finishes in Lima, Peru, on Jan 15. — Agencies

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Ankle injury forces Serena out of Brisbane Stosur loses in second round again BRISBANE: Former world number one Serena Williams suffered an injury scare less than two weeks ahead of the Australian Open yesterday when the American was forced out of the Brisbane International with a badly twisted ankle. There was also bad news for home favorite and top seed Samantha Stosur, who was bundled out early for the second successive year. Men’s top seed Andy Murray was in danger of joining Stosur in an early exit when he dropped the first set against Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller before he fought back through a second set tiebreak then blitzed the decider to run out a 4-6 7-6 6-0 winner in just over two hours.

The 24-year-old world number four, who also struggled in the first round on Tuesday before he beat the unheralded Mikhail Kukushkin in three sets, now meets Marcos Baghdatis in the quarter-finals. Williams twisted her left ankle late in her second round match against Serbia’s Bojana Jovanovski and needed about 10 minutes of treatment, including restrapping her ankle, before she

Benesova. It was the second successive year the world number six has been the top seed at Brisbane and lost in the second round. Last year, she lost to compatriot Jarmila Gajdosova. “Hopefully it was just a bad day and I will bounce back next week and the week after,” Stosur said. “Of course it’s disappointing. I never wanted to go out in this round again. I don’t want to dwell on it.

“It’s back to the practice court and keep working hard and do whatever I can to set up myself up for the (Australian) summer. “It’s not the ideal start but I am not going to panic and think it’s all lost.” Benesova, who had never beaten Stosur in their previous four meetings, will now meet Australian Open champion Kim Clijsters in the quarter-finals. Men’s second seed Gilles Simon had few problems dispatching Australia’s James Duckworth 6-3 7-5 to move on to the quarter-finals. The Frenchman joins Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin in the last eight after he advanced with a walkover following the withdrawal of Tommy Haas with a calf injury. — Reuters

went on to secure a 6-2 6-4 victory.

The American had scans later which confirmed she would need to withdraw from the tournament. She had been due to meet Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova in the quarterfinals and the injury will now create some doubt as to whether the 30-year-old will be in top form as she attempts to win her sixth Australian Open title at Melbourne Park. “I’m disappointed to have to pull out of the Brisbane International,” Williams said in a statement. “I have been to hospital and it has been confirmed that I have a left ankle sprain that I probably shouldn’t play on. “I’m going to take a couple of days off, not too many, and see how I feel. “I’m still hopeful of playing the Australian Open.” The first grand slam tournament of the season starts on Jan 16.

NO PANIC Stosur, who beat Williams in the US Open final last year to claim her maiden grand slam title, continued her poor run of form in her home town losing 6-4 6-2 to Czech Iveta

BRISBANE: Serena Williams of the US cries out after injuring her ankle during her second round women’s singles match against Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia at the Brisbane International tennis tournament yesterday. — AFP

Lisicki and Kuznetsova overcome rain delays Five seeds crash in second round

DOHA: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France serves the ball to Malek Jaziri of Tunisia during the Qatar ATP Open Tennis tournament in Doha. — AP

Tsonga has the top four in his sights DOHA: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, whose new year’s ambition is to break up the “big four” who dominate the rankings, revealed one of the weapons which may help him do it as he reached the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open. The world number six from France came to the net more frequently and effectively than usual as he overcame the surprisingly persistent resistance of Flavio Cipolla, the world number 74 from Italy.

“I have to find some new things,” Tsonga said, after a 7-6 (10-8), 6-3 win over Cipolla, in which he trailed 3-5 in the first set, and saved two set points in a tense and fluctuating 18-point tie-breaker. “For sure I have to do that to play against the big four,” he went on, referring to Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray. “I try to improve my game with something. It’s difficult to be better, but I will continue to go to the net more.” Tsonga has also devised a method of ensuring he does not start too slowly - doing his warm-up routine very soon before a match begins - and offering an explanation in which he described himself as “like a diesel”.

“I need to be warm at the beginning, so I don’t get broken early, and then it’s difficult to come back,” explained Tsonga who famously came back from two sets down to beat Federer at Wimbledon in July.

Tsonga was certainly running at a high enough temperature at the start against Cipolla, a tricky opponent who also liked coming to the net and who used plenty of slice in a wind.

This made coping with him even trickier. It also brought problems for

Tsonga in the seventh game, when Cipolla lured the third seed into two mishits and a backhand drive into the net, and duly broke serve.

However, the Italian tightened up when he tried to serve for the set at 5-4, serving a double fault in the process, and in the tie-break he led 76 and 8-7 and still could not finish it.

The second set saw Tsonga generate some momentum and he produced his best spell, appearing to be in control when he was two breaks of serve ahead at 4-1. But Cipolla pulled one of these back before Tsonga played a fine game to break again, finishing with two rampant forehands, a good approach and a thundering smash as the final shot. The Le Mans-born, Switzerland-based 26-year-old also believes he achieved a career high ranking last year because he improved his mental abilities, and this is something he also intends to work more on.

“I continue to work on that because it’s not perfect,” he said candidly.

“Yeah, I need to improve that, you know, to maybe have a chance to win against to win a Grand Slam or to win a big title. “You know, for the moment I don’t expect the first place (in the world rankings), but I expect to win a big title and then the ranking will follow. But, yeah, I have to improve this, to be ready.” He next plays Albert Ramos, the world number 65 from Spain, who gained a walk-over in the last eight when Alex Bogomolov, the sixth seeded American-turnedRussian, withdrew from his second round match with a right ankle injury.

If Tsonga wins that he could have a semi-final with Federer. — AFP

AUCKLAND: Top seed Sabine Lisicki and third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova overcame frustrating rain delays to advance to the quarter-finals of the Auckland Classic yesterday while five seeded players were knocked out. Lisicki endured a 90-minute delay for heavy rain that halted her momentum before she scratched out a 7-6 3-6 6-3 victory over fellow German Mona Barthel. Kuznetsova was forced off for 35 minutes with the score 30-30 while she was leading 5-1 in the second set against American teenager Christina McHale.

When the pair returned they warmed up for nine minutes before some stoic defense by McHale, who saved three match points. They played for another four minutes with the twice grand slam winner sealing the 6-1 6-1 victory when McHale’s forehand floated wide. “It was strange, because it was a few points away and the game could have gone either way and it was difficult to maintain concentration but I think it worked out pretty good for me,” Kuznetsova said in a courtside interview. “I was playing well. I did have some unforced errors but I completed my game plan and I’m happy with my performance,” she added after her demolition of the highly rated American, who had beaten the former world number two twice in the last year.

Lisicki also suffered a weather delay earlier yesterday. The 22-year-old had broken Barthel to take a 6-5 lead in the first set and seemed to be getting on top before rain swept across central Auckland and forced the players off. They returned about 90 minutes later but the momentum the world number 15 had gathered before the rain dissipated and she was broken to force the set into a tie-break, which she won 7-3.

Barthel rallied to overcome a 0-2 deficit in the second set as neither player seemed to able to hold serve, and Lisicki’s swinging second serve on set point down failed to find the centre line, forcing a decider.

Lisicki raced to a 3-0 lead in the final set and sealed victory on her second match point when Barthel’s cross-court backhand smacked into the net.

“I improved from my last match, which I knew I had to,” Lisicki told reporters. “I still didn’t play consistently enough to win in two sets but the most important thing when you don’t play your best tennis is still to find a way to win.” The other seeded players in the

AUCKLAND: Sabine Lisicki of Germany plays a backhand to fellow countrywoman Mona Barthel in their second round singles match yesterday at the ASB Classic women’s tennis tournament in Auckland, New Zealand. — AP

Czech Republic stun US at Hopman Cup PERTH: Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and teammate Tomas Berdych won their singles matches in straight sets yesterday to lead the Czech Republic to a 3-0 win over the United States at the Hopman Cup. Kvitova opened with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Berdych beat Mardy Fish 6-3, 63. Berdych saved four break points while serving for the match before converting his first match point to ensure the Czechs won their second straight match at the eight-country tournament.

Berdych and Kvitova made it a clean sweep when they beat Mattek-Sands and Fish 6-3, 7-5 in mixed doubles. The extra point that the winners earned could help determine the final placings in Group A, where the Czechs are strong favorites to qualify for Saturday’s final. The Americans, which have won the Hopman Cup a record six times, fell to 0-2 after losing to Denmark in their opening match. Both Mattek-Sands and Fish have been part of winning US teams before, but have come up short in the 24th edition of the tournament.

The Czechs and Denmark play each other Friday, featuring a women’s singles encounter

second round were not so lucky with only fourth seed Flavia Pennetta advancing to the quarter-finals after she beat Briton Elena Baltacha 6-4 6-2. Second seed Peng Shuai, fifth seed Julia Goerges, sixth seed Roberta Vinci and eighth seed Monica Niculescu all lost in the day session, while seventh seed and 2010 champion Yanina Wickmayer lost to Italy’s Sara Errani in the night session. — Reuters

between No 1 Caroline Wozniacki and the second-ranked Kvitova, while the US plays Bulgaria. “I’m happy that I won, but first still I have a lot of space for improvement because I didn’t feel very comfortable on the court,” said Kvitova, who could take over the top ranking from Wozniacki before the Australian Open if the Czech player wins the Sydney International next week. Berdych, like Kvitova, has won both singles matches. He beat Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria on Monday. “We are not in the final yet, so we still need to do well one more time,” said Berdych. “We are working well on the court.”

Earlier yesterday, Tsvetana Pironkova and Dimitrov came back from a set down to win the deciding mixed doubles and complete a 2-1 Bulgaria victory over Wozniacki and Frederik Nielsen. The Bulgarians won the mixed doubles 3-6, 6-4, 101 in the tiebreaker, leaving both teams with 1-1 records in Group A. Wozniacki had given Denmark the lead when she beat Pironkova 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 but Dimitrov leveled for Bulgaria, beating Nielsen 7-6 (5), 62. Wozniacki beat Mattek-Sands in straight sets in her first singles match Monday just hours after arriving from Thailand.—AP

Misfiring Wozniacki keeping the faith PERTH: World number one Caroline Wozniacki did little to silence her critics yesterday as she struggled to win her singles match in Denmark’s 2-1 loss to Bulgaria at the mixed teams Hopman Cup in Perth. The Dane, who is clinging to the top ranking in women’s tennis by 115 points and has been much maligned for failing to win a Grand Slam, made a host of unforced errors in her marathon clash against Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova.

Wozniacki’s grinding 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 win in 144 minutes against her 46th-ranked opponent gave Denmark the lead in the Group A tie, but Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov squared the ledger defeating Frederik Nielsen, 7-6 (7/5), 62. The Bulgarians then came from a set down to win the deciding mixed doubles in a match tiebreak, 3-6, 6-4, 10-1, and keep their Hopman Cup hopes alive. Denmark can still reach the final if they beat the Czech Republic

in their final tie tomorrow, when Wozniacki will face her first big test of 2012 against world number two Petra Kvitova.

It was hoped Wozniacki would produce a more compelling singles performance than in her opening outing in Perth, where she had battled from 5-1 down in the first set to beat 55th-ranked American Bethanie MattekSands in straight sets. After the marathon match, the Dane played down her error-riddled performance, saying Pironkova was a tricky opponent. “The most important thing is to win,” she said, adding that she was confident of improving dramatically ahead of the Australian Open. “I always think I am improving, but the first couple of matches of the season are always a bit tough and you need to find your feet out there. “As I keep playing more matches I will improve and start playing better.”—AFP

Raonic blasts into quarters in India CHENNAI: Rising star Milos Raonic of Canada breezed into the quarter-finals of the ATP Chennai Open with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Victor Hanescu of Romania yesterday. The big-serving Raonic blasted nine aces to win his second round encounter in one hour and 14 minutes on the centre court of the Nungambakkam tennis stadium. The 21-year-old Raonic showed glimpses of his power-packed game that made him the ATP’s newcomer of the year in 2011, during which he jumped from num-

ber 156 to 25 before ending the year ranked 31.

Raonic took the first set in 27 minutes as he broke Hanescu twice and then secured another break in the seventh game of the second set to easily wrap up the match.

“I could not have asked for a better start to the year,” said Raonic, who had lost in the qualifiers in Chennai last year. “I know I have a good serve, but in this match I was more focused on improving my returns. I think I returned quite well and am feeling

good about the future. “I am hungry for success and will not cut corners to improve my game. I am ready to rough it out. I have a strong set of legs, but I still need to work on my fitness.” Raonic’s quarterfinal opponent will be Israeli Dudi Sela, who came from behind to overcome Benoit Paire of France 46, 6-2, 6-4. Sela, who had upset sixth seed Fabio Fognini of Italy in the first round, recovered from a hesitant start to beat the Frenchman with fine rallies from the baseline. — AFP

PERTH: Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark hits a return against Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria during their women’s singles session 7 match on day five of the Hopman Cup tennis tournament yesterday. — AFP

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Bulls storm back to edge Hawks Kobe finds shooting touch as Lakers down Rockets CHICAGO: Luol Deng’s layup with 3.7 seconds to play lifted the Chicago Bulls to a nail biting 76-74 comeback victory over the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA on Tuesday. Derrick Rose scored 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to rally the Bulls from a 19-point deficit. Coming out of a timeout with the score tied in the final seconds, Deng cut along the baseline and took a feed from Joakim Noah to put Chicago ahead. Atlanta’s Joe Johnson shot an airball at the buzzer, giving the Bulls the win. Rose had missed a runner with 21 seconds left, but Atlanta’s Jeff Teague then missed two free throws. Rose scored with 9.9 seconds left to put the Bulls up 74-73. Al Horford, who led the Hawks with 16 points, was fouled and split two free throws with 7.7 seconds remaining.

LAKERS 108, ROCKETS 99 In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant rediscovered his scoring touch to tally 37 points and lead the Los Angeles Lakers to top spot in the Pacific division with a 108-99 win over the visiting Houston Rockets on Tuesday.

Bryant, who had connected on just 26 percent of his shots over his previous two games, finally caught fire against the Rockets while team mate Andrew Bynum had 21 points and 22 rebounds as the Lakers got their fourth win in five games. “I just had to make some adjustments,” Bryant told reporters as he continues to play with an injured right wrist. “Some shots (it) hurts, some it doesn’t, so it’s inconsistent. But you have to find a rhythm.”

Los Angeles held an 82-81 lead with about 10 minutes remaining of a previously tight contest but outscored the Rockets 18-8 over the

next eight minutes, led by nine points from Bryant during the stretch.

Bryant made 14-of-29 shots and also

(2-3), meanwhile, have lost all three of their road games this season.

Houston’s Kyle Lowry just missed a

LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (left) fights for a rebound with Houston Rockets’ Luis Scola (center) and Kevin Martin during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Tuesday, Jan 3, 2012. —AP had eight rebounds and six assists.

The win moved the Lakers (4-3) a half-game in front of the cross-town Clippers in the division. The Rockets

triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists while Luis Scola added 20 points.

The visitors stayed in touch with

Scoreboard CAPE TOWN: Scoreboard at the close of the second day of the third and final test between South Africa and Sri Lanka at Newlands yesterday.

South Africa first innings (overnight 347-3) G. Smith b Prasad 16 A. Petersen c Dilshan b Welegedara 109 H. Amla lbw b Prasad 16 J. Kallis c Mathews b Herath 224 A. de Villiers not out 160 J. Rudolph not out 51 Extras (lb-1, w-1, nb-2) 4 Total (for four wickets dec, 139 overs) 580 Fall of wickets: 1-25 2-56 3-261 4-453 Did not bat: M. Boucher, V. Philander, D. Steyn, M. Morkel, I. Tahir.

Bowling: Welegedara 29-7-107-1 (nb-2, w-1), Perera 22-1-131-0, Prasad 30-2-154-2, Mathews 12-0-47-0, Herath 42-4-108-1, Dilshan 4-0-32-0.

Sri Lanka first innings L. Thirimanne b Morkel 23 T. Dilshan c Smith b Tahir 78 K. Sangakkara not out 35 M. Jayawardene not out 7 Extras (b-4, lb-1, nb-1) 6 Total (for two wickets, 39 overs) 149 Fall of wickets: 1-70 2-126 Still to bat: T. Samaraweera, A. Mathews, D. Chandimal, D. Prasad, T. Perera, R. Herath, C. Welegedara.

Bowling: Steyn 12-2-40-0, Philander 10-2-34-0, Morkel 10-2-55-1 (nb-1), Tahir 7-0-15-1.

S Africa’s De Villiers, Kallis pound Lanka CAPE TOWN: Jacques Kallis completed his second test double century and AB de Villiers scored an unbeaten 160 to put South Africa in control of the third and deciding test against Sri Lanka yesterday. Their combined efforts enabled South Africa, seeking their first series win at home in three seasons, to declare 40 minutes before tea on the second day on 580 for four. At the close, Sri Lanka were 149 for two after captain Tillakaratne Dilshan had scored a quickfire 78.

Sri Lanka’s leading batsmen Kumar Sangakkara (35 not out) and Mahela Jayawardene (seven not out) were still at the crease. Kallis, who resumed on 159, had not exceeded 200 in a despite amassing 10,000 test runs until his 201 not out against India at Centurion in December, 2010. The 36-year-old needed just 65 deliveries yesterday to reach his second double century, in 394 minutes and 280 balls, with 29 fours and a six.

He fell on the stroke of lunch when an attempted lofted drive went off the toe of the bat to Angelo Mathews, who took a tumbling

catch at deep mid-on to give persevering leftarm spinner Rangana Herath his only wicket.

Kallis enjoyed some good fortune as two outside edges, on 171 and 183, went through the hands of Jayawardene in the slips, off the bowling of Dhammika Prasad and Mathews respectively. De Villiers helped himself to 160 not out off just 205 balls, with 19 fours and two sixes.

Jacques Rudolph accompanied De Villiers until the declaration, scoring 51 not out as he helped to add an unbeaten 127 for the fifth wicket off just 123 balls. De Villiers’ innings took only 205 balls and included 19 fours and two sixes. When Sri Lanka batted, Dilshan was quickly into his stride. He blasted 12 fours in his runa-ball innings, before falling to leg-spinner Imran Tahir. Dilshan lofted a drive into the outfield but the delivery was a googly that took the inside half of the bat, allowing Graeme Smith to run from deep mid-on and take a superb diving catch. Lahiru Thirimanne had earlier been bowled through the gate, his attempted drive getting nowhere near a Morne Morkel thunderbolt, for 23. —Reuters

VaTech squander Sugar, lose to Michigan 23-20 NEW ORLEANS: Virginia Tech wanted to prove itself worthy of a BCS bid. The Hokies blew it in the Sugar Bowl. After squandering numerous chances to race to a big lead in the first half, No 17 Virginia Tech needed a gutsy comeback just to force overtime. Then, one more miscue third-string placekicker Justin Myer, who made four clutch field goals in regulation, finally missed on his fifth attempt, and Brendan Gibbons knocked through a 37-yarder that gave No 13 Michigan a 23-20 victory Tuesday night.

The Hokies (11-3) outgained the Wolverines 377-184 in total yards, making quarterback Denard Robinson look downright ordinary. But the most disputed team to land a BCS invitation simply made too many mistakes to pull it out.

While Michigan leaped around and even managed to dump a bucket of ice on first-year coach Brady Hoke, Virginia Tech’s players collapsed on the field in anguish. They had a chance to prove all the skeptics wrong. They let it slip away. Myer made the last of his field goals from 25 yards with 2 seconds left in regulation, sending the game to overtime tied at 20. It was quite a performance by a kicker who fell into the job when the top two specialists got in trouble off the

field - one left at home, the other sent home on a bus.

Virginia Tech got the ball first in overtime and appeared to score a touchdown when Danny Coale made a brilliant, one-handed catch as he was tumbling out of bounds. But the replay showed he landed on the line as he pulled the ball in - just a split-second before he dragged his right foot inbounds. On came Myer, whose 37-yard attempt faded wide right.

Michigan (11-2) failed to pick up a first down. It didn’t matter. The Wolverines were already in range for the winning kick. But don’t blame Myer for this one. “ He did a heck of a job,” Coach Frank Beamer said of his fill-in kicker.

There were more than enough mistakes to go around, including all sorts of botched plays

by Virginia Tech’s special teams. The Hokies ran into Michigan’s punter. They fumbled a kickoff return. They turned an ugly pass into a firstdown completion after Michigan messed up a field-goal try. And, finally, a fake punt that failed miserably in the fourth quarter, setting up Gibbons for a 39-yard field goal that put the Wolverines ahead 20-17 with 4 minutes remaining. —AP

the Lakers throughout the game, trailing by four at halftime and just one after three quarters, but they were pounded on the inside. Los Angeles grabbed a 53-38 advantage in rebounds led by 7-footer Bynum.

After being suspended the first four games of the season because of a flagrant foul during the last post-season contest, Bynum has exploded back onto the scene with three straight double-figure games in points and rebounds. “Rebounding the basketball is big. It’s important to us and it’s something I’ve been working on,” Bynum said. “I’ve been doing a lot of work before practice. I’m super confident right now.”

shooting in the second half on an off night for All-Stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Westbrook scored 22 points on 8-for-18 shooting and Durant finished with 19 points while hitting 8 of 26 shots. James Harden made his sixth career start and led the way for the Thunder with 23 points.

GRIZZLIES 113, KINGS 96 In Memphis, Rudy Gay scored 23 points in Memphis’ win over Sacramento. Sam Young added 20 points for the Grizzlies, who outrebounded Sacramento 49-41. With Memphis holding a double-digit lead for a bulk of the second half, the

JAZZ 85, BUCKS 73 In Salt Lake City, Al Jefferson scored a season-high 26 points to lead Utah past undermanned Milwaukee. Paul Millsap had 13 points and 12 rebounds, hitting a jump shot to clinch the game with 1:07 to play. Drew Gooden had 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Bucks, who missed the inside presence of center Andrew Bogut, who was absent for personal reasons, while Mike Dunleavy was out with groin pain. Led by Brandon Jennings’ 4-for-19 performance, the Bucks shot just 31 percent and had 10 shots blocked by the Jazz, including a career-best five by Derrick Favors.

TRAIL BLAZERS 103, THUNDER 93 In Oklahoma City, LaMarcus Aldridge had 30 points and eight rebounds to help Portland beat Oklahoma City. Wesley Matthews added 16 points for the Blazers, who held the Thunder to 34 percent

Kings’ reserves got extended minutes. Rookie Jimmer Fredette scored 17 points to lead Sacramento.

CAVALIERS 115, BOBCATS 101 In Cleveland, Kyrie Irving scored 20 points and fellow rookie Tristan Thompson added 16, leading Cleveland past Charlotte. Cleveland continued its strong 3-point shooting, making 10 of 21 from behind the arc, having shot 16 and come within one longshot of equaling the franchise record on Sunday.Charlotte has lost four straight since opening the season with a win. D.J. Augustin scored a season-high 26 points for the Bobcats. —Agencies

NBA results/standings NBA results and standings on Tuesday.

Cleveland 115, Charlotte 101; Portland Sacramento 96; Chicago 76, Atlanta 74; Houston 99.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT GB Philadelphia 2 2 .500 Boston 3 3 .500 Toronto 2 3 .400 .5 NY Knicks 2 3 .400 .5 New Jersey 1 5 .167 2

103, Oklahoma City 93; Memphis 113, Utah 85, Milwaukee 73; LA Lakers 108, Western Conference Northwest Division Portland 4 1 .800 Oklahoma City 5 2 .714 Denver 4 2 .667 Utah 3 3 .500 Minnesota 2 3 .400

.5 1.5 2

.5 1 1 1.5

1 1 1 1.5

Central Division Chicago 5 1 .833 Indiana 4 1 .800 Cleveland 3 2 .600 Milwaukee 2 3 .400 Detroit 2 3 .400

.5 1.5 2.5 2.5

Pacific Division LA Lakers 4 3 .571 LA Clippers 2 2 .500 Phoenix 2 3 .400 Golden State 2 3 .400 Sacramento 2 4 .333

Southeast Division Miami 5 1 .833 Orlando 4 2 .667 Atlanta 4 2 .667 Charlotte 1 4 .200 Washington 0 5 .000

1 1 3.5 4.5

Southwest Division San Antonio 3 2 .600 Memphis 2 3 .400 New Orleans 2 3 .400 Houston 2 3 .400 Dallas 2 4 .333

Clarke’s double ton lifts Aussies Ponting ends 2-year Test ton drought SYDNEY: Michael Clarke hit a brilliant unbeaten 251 and Ricky Ponting his first hundred in two years as Australia took control of the second test against India yesterday, finishing the second day on an imposing 482 for four.

Clarke batted through the day for his first test double century and the highest score by an Australian at the Sydney Cricket Ground, while Michael Hussey pitching in with 55 not out to give Australia a lead of 291 over India’s first innings 191.

Ponting had departed just before tea for 134 to end the fourth-wicket partnership with Clarke at 288, a record for Australia in tests against India and a potentially match-winning effort from a pair who came together with the score on 37-3. Needing victory to level the four-match series after a 122-run defeat in the opener in Melbourne last week, India’s bowlers had been hoping for some early wickets but instead laboured all day in the heat.

“It’s fantastic to have a score like I do but if you don’t win the test match it means nothing,” Clarke told reporters. “I think the team is in a wonderful position at the moment (but) we’re a long way from being 2-0 up.” Resuming on 116-3, Clarke brought up his fifty on the second ball of the morning and continued to play with composure as he moved towards his third century in his last six tests. The 30-year-old reached his 18th test century, and the first of the series from either side, in the last over of the morning by slapping a Zaheer Khan delivery through the covers. Ponting, who last scored a test century against Pakistan in Hobart in January 2010, matched his successor as captain almost run-for-run throughout the session but endured a nervous wait on 97 through the lunch break.

Three overs into the afternoon, however, the 37-year-old reached his 40th test century with a rushed

SYDNEY: Australia’s Ricky Ponting plays a shot on day 2 of the second test match against India at the SCG yesterday. —AP single off the bowling of Ishant Sharma that could have cost him his wicket. As Zaheer’s throw at the stumps missed, Ponting was able to pick himself up, brush off the dust and take a standing ovation from the 30,000 crowd. “I think over the last few weeks there’s been enough signs to know and have faith that there was a big score just around the corner,” he said. “It was an unbe-

lievable day for us. Michael’s innings was the best I’ve ever seen him bat in any game I’ve played with him.”

WILD CELEBRATIONS It was the first long period of dominance for the bat in a series where bowlers have had the upper hand and India’s attack looked like journeymen until the new ball arrived. Sharma finally broke up the

partnership when he got some bounce into his deliveries and Ponting caught the ball high on the bat to give Sachin Tendulkar an easy catch in the gully. By that time, Clarke had already reached his 150 and continued to hit the bowlers all over the ground to pass his previous best test score of 168 shortly before tea. Sharma could have dismissed him caught and bowled on 182 but just failed to keep hold of the ball and Clarke reached his double century a couple of overs later. The landmark arrived with two runs through square after 365 minutes, 284 balls and included 24 fours and a single six and Clarke celebrated wildly, running around the pitch swinging his bat in the air.

Hussey joined in the run-spree with some gusto and hit his 50 off 70 balls, reaching the mark an over after hitting two fours and a six in successive balls off hapless spinner Ravi Ashwin.

It was undoubtedly Clarke’s day, though. An authoritative cover drive saw him past Doug Walters’ previous Australian record at the ground of 242 and there was still time to raise the 250. “What makes me proud is that I batted the whole day, that’s something I’ve always tried to do and haven’t done very often, so that’s very satisfying to bat out a full day,” he said.

India have never won a test series in Australia and face three days of hard work if they are to keep alive their hopes of doing so this year.

“It’s going to be a catch-up job from now on,” Ashwin said. “We’re going to have to bat long and hard.” —Reuters

Scoreboard SYDNEY: Scorecard at the close on the second day of the second Test between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday.

India 1st innings 191 (M.S. Dhoni 57 not out, S. Tendulkar 41; J. Pattinson 4-43) Australia 1st innings (overnight 116 for 3) D. Warner c Tendulkar b Zaheer Khan E. Cowan lbw b Zaheer Khan S. Marsh c Laxman b Zaheer Khan R. Ponting c Tendulkar b Sharma

8 16 0 134

M. Clarke not out 251 M. Hussey not out 55 Extras (lb12, w3, nb3) 18 Total (for 4 wkts; 116 overs) 482 Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Warner), 2-8 (Marsh), 3-37 (Cowan), 4325 (Ponting) Bowling: Zaheer Khan 26-4-106-3, Yadav 18-2-94-0 (2w), Sharma 22-0-106-1 (1nb), Ashwin 28-4-103-0 (1w), Sehwag 14-1-38-0 (2nb), Kohli 8-0-23-0.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

S P ORT S

Africa Cup of Nations countdown begins JOHANNESBURG: Equatorial Guinea and South Africa kick off a 13-fixture warm-up schedule tomorrow ahead of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations tournament. Sudan have lined up three friendlies, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia two each and Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea and Zambia one apiece. Libya, Mali, Morocco and Niger have not informed world football governing body FIFA of any friendly fixtures they

will play before the African showcase between January 21 and February 12 in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Bafana Bafana (The Boys) travel to the Equatoguinean mainland city of Bata for a match that will officially open the 40,000seat Estadio Bata, one of four venues for the biennial championship. South African officials say they will not award caps for the game or other friendlies at home against Zambia and Ghana because too many

players called up by Coach Pitso Mosimane are unavailable. Europe-based stars like Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Steven Pienaar are ruled out because the matches do not fall on official FIFA friendly dates while several domestic clubs insist players rest during the mid-season league break.

It will be the first match in charge of Equatorial Guinea for Brazilian coach Gilson Paulo, who took over less than a month before the Cup of Nations starts

after Frenchman Henri Michel resigned.

Vastly experienced African campaigner Michel, who had made progress during a year in charge of a national team ranked 42 in Africa, quit a few months earlier but officials persuaded him to carry on. The number of warm-ups is significantly fewer than previous years when many teams indulged in frenetic schedules to try and mould individuals unused to playing together into cohesive units.

Most of the 16 challengers for the biggest prize in African football have chosen to prepare in other countries on the continent with South Africa a popular destination as Botswana, Ghana and Zambia are based there. Ultra-modern facilities near north-west mining town Rustenburg that were used by England during the 2010 World Cup attracted Botswana and Ghana, who make up Group D with Guinea and Mali. —AFP

Spurs set for title bid LONDON: Harr y Redknapp admits Tottenham could be on the verge of mounting the club’s first serious challenge for the Premier League title. Redknapp’s side kept up the pressure on leaders Manchester City and second placed Manchester United with a hard-fought 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion at White Hart Lane on Tuesday. The north Londoners are six points behind City and even if second placed Manchester United win at Newcastle, Spurs can still move within three points of the top two with a victory at home to Everton in their game in hand next Wednesday.

Harry Redknapp Redknapp stopped short of declaring that Tottenham can win the title, but he believes they should be regarded as a threat to the two Manchester clubs. “I don’t know about a title winning team but we are there and thereabouts. We have to keep believing and keep going. You never know, nothing is impossible,” Redknapp said. “It’s been a great first half of the season.

Considering we lost the first two games to have the points we have is great. “We are in there and have a lot to look forward to in the second half of the season.”

After an FA Cup third round tie against League Two minnows Cheltenham,

Redknapp’s team turn their attention to the crucial clash with Everton. If Tottenham are to run City and United close in the title race, that is the kind of fixture they must win and Redknapp-pointing to the surprise results over the Christmas period-warned his players to guard against complacency.

“You aren’t going to rip teams every week.

You’ve only got to look at some of the results over the holidays,” he said.

“Blackburn won at Man United, Sunderland beat Man City and Fulham beat Arsenal. There are no easy games for anyone in this league. “We’ve got some tough games coming up. Everton will come here and be hard to beat, that’s a really difficult one.” Most of the successful sides in Tottenham’s history are better remembered for grace rather than graft but, while Redknapp’s current crop can undoubtedly play a bit, they proved they can also roll their sleeves up and grind out a result against obdurate opposition. They kept cool despite the provocation of some ferocious Albion tackles and pieced together an incisive attack that ended with Jermain Defoe bagging the winner with a typically predatory finish in the 63rd minute.

“It was very important to get the win and keep up there,” Redknapp said. “It was a hard night because they set up to be difficult to beat. “For sure I was worried if we would get a goal. They were sitting in deep.” Redknapp was relieved Defoe was able to break the deadlock and insisted the England striker won’t be sold during the January transfer window even though this was his first league start for a month.

“Jermain has always been a goalscorer.

There’s no chance he will be leaving, he is under contract,” said Redknapp, who could be without William Gallas and Sandro for several weeks after the pair sustained calf injuries.

Albion boss Roy Hodgson showed his respect for Spurs by admitting he sent out his side in defensive mode and he has no doubts Redknapp’s men are good enough to win the title. “They are serious contenders for the title. They have proved that,” Hodgson said. “They win their matches and put pressure on City and United to win their matches. It is a well organized side so I wouldn’t bet against them. “They have some distance between themselves and the pack chasing. If they win their game in hand they will have had a fantastic first half of the season.” Hodgson also revealed Captain Chris Brunt is likely to be out for several months with an ankle injury. “Chris will have a scan on his ankle. It’s very swollen. We know it is a serious injury, it is just a question of the degree of seriousness,” Hodgson said.—AFP

MADRID: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo shoots on goal with an overhead kick during the first leg of a round of 16 Copa del Rey soccer match against Malaga. (Inset) Real Madrid’s coach Jose Mourinho (right) reacts next to Malaga’s Manuel Pellegrini during the Copa del Rey soccer match. — AP

Real beat Malaga 3-2 Mourinho rocket sparks Real comeback MADRID: Holders Real Madrid scored three times in 10 minutes at the Bernabeu on Tuesday to beat Malaga 3-2 in their King’s Cup last 16 first leg, sparked by a furious dressing down from Jose Mourinho. Real coach Mourinho threw caution to the wind with a triple substitution after delivering a withering halftime team talk with his side trailing 2-0, calling them “rubbish.” Two of his replacements, Sami Khedira and Karim Benzema, and Gonzalo Higuain led the fightback, netting between the 68th and 78th minutes to turn the tie and spare Real’s blushes.

“I told the players at halftime I would have changed all 11 if I could have,” Mourinho told reporters. “I had considered making changes before the break but I don’t like to do this. I asked them to clean up the rubbish of the first half.”

Up to that point, the underdogs had held sway in the Cup with three surprise results earli-

er in the evening. Third tier Mirandes, who knocked out Villarreal in the previous round, took a 2-0 lead over Racing Santander while another Segunda B side, Albacete, drew 0-0 with Athletic Bilbao. Second division Alcorcon, who eliminated Real Zaragoza last month, grabbed a 2-1 win at home to high-flying Levante, who lie fourth in La Liga. Qatari-owned Malaga had been thrashed 4-0 and 7-0 in their last two meetings with Real, but took the lead through Sergio Sanchez and Martin Demichelis, both scoring with headers from Santi Cazorla corners.

Mourinho threw on Germany midfielders Khedira and Mesut Ozil and France striker Benzema for the second half to try and shake his side out of their lethargy, and the former barged his way through to start the fightback.

Argentina’s Higuain pounced on a wayward backpass to level two minutes later and

Benzema slotted the third after a wonderful backheel from Higuain as Malaga desperately tried to keep the floodgates closed. “We gave them a goal at a crucial moment,” Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini said referring to Sanchez’s underhit backpass for the equalizer. “We should have come away with a better result. We had the chances to finish them off.”

Pablo Infante was the hero for Mirandes, scoring after 32 minutes and laying on the second for Mikel Martins just after the restart, leaving La Liga’s lowest scoring team Racing with a tough task in the second leg. Alcorcon, who famously dumped city neighbours Real out of the Cup while in the Segunda B two years ago, surprised Levante with Borja Perez and Nagore twice giving them the lead. Last season’s losing finalists Barcelona are at home to Osasuna tomorrow. The second legs will be played next week.—Reuters

KIFF League: AVC, Skynet heading for play-off Rising Stars thrash Sparx KUWAIT: AVC Overseas Association and Skynet Raiders FC both won their matches convincingly but ended level with 7 points each in their group in the Kuwait Indian Football Federation (KIFF) League 2011-12 for P D’Mello Memorial Trophy played at the MOH Grounds, Shuwaikh. In a bid to improve a deficit of goal difference, AVC started the match aggressively only to concede to an own goal early into the match. However, they fought back with an excellent per formance by man-of-the match Anthony, and a fine brace by Ronnie which saw them overcome a nearly toothless Indian Strikers team 4-1.

Anthony and Custodio were the other goal scorers for AVC. Skynet Raiders beat their opponents 2-1. Durvesh Naik netted a brace for the winners. Both AVC and Skynet will eagerly watch DHL take on bottom-rung Real Betalbatim in their final match on Friday. DHL too has 7 points in the group and need a point to top.

A defeat for DHL will leave the 3 teams equal on points in which case goal difference will come into play. The KIFF league consists of 19 clubs affiliated to KIFF drawn into 4 groups; top 2 teams from each group qualify for the knock-out stage of league.

The final is scheduled for 15th June 2012. In group C, United Goans Centre, one of the premier Indian clubs in Kuwait seems to have lost a golden opportunity to make it to the quarters in a long, long time

after succumbing to new entrants Gulf Cable 1-3 without a semblance of a fight. Gulf Cable’s Ashraf proved to be a constant threat for United Goans, he featured on the score-sheet twice, one of which was a beautifully guided header from the edge of the penalty box. Muneer of Gulf Cable was awarded manof-the-match for his dazzling and skilful football display. The man-of-the-match trophies presented at the end of every KIFF league game are sponsored by Kuwait’s Al Muzaini Exchange Co. United Goans ended their group with 6 points from 2 wins and 2 losses.

The group winners could be decided on Friday as former champions United Friends Club (4 points) take on a weak Santos FC, while unbeaten stars Kuwait Goan Association (7 points) play Gulf Cable (4 points) in the last round of the group.

Earlier, Rising Stars thrashed FC Sparx 5-1. Rising Star emerged deserving winners with a double each from man-of-the-match Fajilu and Sumesh. However, the goal of the match came off the boots of Appukuttan Arun who slotted from outside the box.

FC Sparx scored a consolation goal was through Kevin late into the second half to leave the scoreboard at 5-1. The fortunes of Rising Stars (4 points) in group D now depend on group leaders and 6-time champions Navelim YC when the latter takes on Malabar FC (2 points) in the last game.

Navelim have already qualified for the knock-out

phase of the league. Malabar need a victory to advance to the next phase, a draw will see them make an exit from the league without losing a single match. The league consists of 19 clubs affiliated to KIFF. They are AVC Sports & Cultural Association, CRC Chinchinim, Curtorcares United, DHL Sports Club, Don Bosco Orator y, FC Sparx, Goan Overseas Association, Gulf Cable Football Club, Indian Strikers, Kuwait Goan association, Malabar United Football

Club, Navelim Youth Centre, Real Betalbatim Football Club, Santos Football Club, Santos United, Skynet Raiders Soccer Club, United Friends Club, United Goans Center, and YRC Rising Stars.

KIFF League Fixture (06/01/2012): DHL v Real Betalbatim at 6.45am; United Friends Club v Santos FC at 8.00am; Kuwait Goan Association v Gulf Cable at 9.15am and CRC Chinchinim v Don Bosco Oratory at 10.30am.

Kobe finds shooting touch as Lakers down Rockets

Ankle injury forces Serena out of Brisbane

18

17

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

VaTech squander Sugar, lose to Michigan 23-20

Page 18

NEWCASTLE: Newcastle United’s Demba Ba, celebrates his goal with his teammates during their English Premier League soccer match against Manchester United yesterday. (Inset) Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs (left) Michael Carrick (center) and Wayne Rooney stand dejected after Newcastle United’s Yohan Cabaye, scores his goal. — AP

Newcastle embarrass Manchester Utd 3-0 United slump to second straight league defeat Newcastle 3

Man Utd 0

NEWCASTLE: Manchester United missed a chance to draw level with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League as they slumped to a stunning 3-0 defeat to Newcastle United. The returning Wayne Rooney couldn’t inspire Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, as they suffered back-to-back league defeats for the first time in 10 months to leave them in second place, three points adrift of leaders City, who they face in the FA Cup at the weekend.

Newcastle, who pull to within a point of sixth-placed Liverpool, savored their first victory over the defending Champions for a decade at the 19th

attempt thanks to stunning goals in each half. The first, came predictably, from their in-form striker, Demba Ba, the second expertly curled home by their French midfielder Yohan Cabaye barely 90 seconds after the re-start.

United’s misery was capped in stoppage time by Phil Jones’ own goal. It proved to be a frustrating return to action for England forward Rooney.

He had been restored to the side after reputedly incurring a £200,00 fine for breaking a club curfew over the Christmas period but he failed to add to his impressive record against these opponents, his streak of six goals in as many games at St James’ Park coming to a halt. Perhaps it’s something to do with the North-East of England when it comes to upsetting the title contenders, with Manchester City having been beaten by neighbouring Sunderland in their recent trip to Wearside. Where Martin O’Neill’s side had been somewhat fortunate to inflict a single goal defeat on the blue half of

Manchester, Newcastle were good value for their victory.

Crucially they gained an interval lead, as Ba signed off in style in his last appearance for at least a month as the 26-year-old heads off on African Cup of Nations duty for Senegal. In front of a near-capacity crowd of 52,299, the hosts produced plenty of eye-catching football prior to deservedly breaking the deadlock, but Ba’s 15th of the season in the 32nd minute owed everything to route one. Goalkeeper Tim Krul launched a booming free-kick from the edge of his box, which was flicked on

by Shola Ameobi as the Newcastle forward beat Jones’ leap outside the visitors’ area.

Ba reacted first, turning in an instant to send a looping first-time volley into the top corner from 18 yards. It was the first Premier League goal conceded in six appearances this season by Anders Lindegaard, the Manchester United keeper who came in for young Spaniard, David De Gea, one of four

changes made by the visitors from the side to suffer a shock 3-2 defeat to Blackburn Rovers in their previous game. Having been caught out for Newcastle’s first goal, Jones was again at fault as the hosts earned themselves valuable breathing space, doubling their advantage in memorable style immediately after the re-start.

On a largely forgettable evening for the England defender, he was caught flat-footed to foul Ba’s surge towards goal 30 yards out. Cabaye did the rest, with a sumptuous free-kick which found the net via the underside of the bar. It might have been different had not Simpson cleared off the line from Rooney before the hour, the forward’s last significant contribution before his substitution. The third goal duly arrived, in somewhat comical fashion, as the contest edged into stoppage time, Jones rounding off a wretched personal display by heading another long Krul free-kick past Lindegaard into his own net.—AFP

Federer and Nadal breeze into last 8 DOHA: Roger Federer extended his winning run to 19 matches with an easy victory at the Qatar Open yesterday while longtime rival Rafael Nadal was equally impressive in reaching the quarter-finals. Federer, seeded second, routed Slovenia’s Grega Zemlja 6-2 6-3 in an hour, dropping just 11 points in nine service games. “I’m happy to come through matches easily at the beginning of the season, because it can be tricky when you enter the first tournament and right away you play an incredibly tough three setter,” Federer said in a postmatch news conference.

Top seed Nadal, who took two and a half hours to battle past first-round opponent Philipp Kohlschreiber on Tuesday, was more assured against qualifier Denis Gremelmayr as he strolled to a 6-2 6-2 win. The unfancied German had won a solitary game in their only previous meeting and fared little better in windy Doha, Nadal pounding his fellow left-hander from the outset.

Like Federer, Nadal is looking to reclaim the world number one spot from Novak Djokovic. The Qatar tournament is seen by both players as important preparation for this month’s Australian Open, the first grand slam of the season, and the Spaniard has changed his approach to try to recapture top form. “I went to the net a lot of times, that’s important. It’s something we are trying to do more often,” said Nadal. “I’m trying to return a little bit better, because for me the worst thing that I did last year was the return, especially the second half of the year. My return was worse than usual.” Nadal had been troubled by a shoulder injury for several weeks but there was little sign of this as Gremelmayr, ranked 189 in the world, was forced to save a break point in the

opening game. The German lost his next service game, a poor forehand into the net putting Nadal 2-1 ahead and a break up. Serving at 1-3 down, Gremelmayr saved three break points in a game of seven deuces, but the 30-year-old then stabbed a forehand passing shot into the net to give Nadal a fourth opportunity. The 10times grand slam winner took it with a thumping forehand the despairing German could only shovel into the net for a double break and a 4-1 lead. The second set was similar, Nadal breaking immediately as he raced into a 4-0 lead before serving out the set. French duo Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, seeded third, and Gael Monfils joined them in the last eight. Tsonga came from a break down and also saved two set points in a first set tiebreak against Flavio Cipolla, eventually defeating the Italian outsider 7-6 6-3 as he tried a new serve and volley approach he hopes can win him his first grand slam title. “My goal is to win against the best players in the world,” Tsonga said. “To beat these guys you need to have something different. They all have: Rafa runs a lot, plays with a lot of spin, Roger takes the ball early, Novak too. Andy Murray is an incredible defender and his passing shots are just amazing. “You need something different to be the best player on court and I think my way is to be really offensive, to play my serve and also volley too.” Fourth seed Monfils overcame Benjamin Becker 7-5 4-6 7-5 in a marathon encounter. The lanky Frenchman, who has slipped to 16th in the world from seventh in September, squandered two match points before overcoming the German. Monfils took nine attempts to bag the first set, eventually winning it with an audacious curling lob. —Reuters

DOHA: Roger Federer of Switzerland returns the ball to Gerga Zemlja of Slovenia during their ATP Qatar Open tennis match at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha yesterday. — AFP

EPL results/standings LONDON: English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Manchester City ManUnited Tottenham Chelsea Arsenal Liverpool Newcastle Stoke City Norwich City Sunderland

20 20 19 20 20 20 20 20 20 20

15 14 13 11 11 9 9 8 6 6

3 3 3 4 3 7 6 5 7 6

2 3 3 5 6 4 5 7 7 8

56 49 36 39 36 24 29 22 30 27

16 20 20 25 28 18 25 31 35 23

48 45 42 37 36 34 33 29 25 24

Everton Swansea City Aston Villa Fulham West Bromwich Wolverhampton Queens Bolton Wigan Blackburn

19 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20

7 5 5 5 6 4 4 5 3 3

3 8 8 8 4 5 5 1 6 5

9 7 7 7 10 11 11 14 11 12

20 20 22 22 19 22 19 25 18 29

22 23 26 26 28 36 35 43 41 43

24 23 23 23 22 17 17 16 15 14

Everton lose 2-1 as goalkeeper shines Everton 1

Bolton 2

LONDON: Gary Cahill hit a dramatic winner in what could be his final league appearance for Bolton to lift his side off the foot of the Premier League table in a match which will be best remembered by Tim Howard’s freak goal.

Howard, the Everton goalkeeper, found the net with a wind-assisted 80-yard clearance which left Bolton staring at another defeat. But Everton’s joy was short-lived as David Ngog, the former Liverpool forward, marked his return to Merseyside with a delightful equalizer before Cahill, who is closing in on a move to Chelsea, scored a 78th-minute winner.

Twenty-two months since he was last seen in action for Everton, when he replaced Yakubu for the final 23 minutes at Birmingham, Landon Donovan received a rousing reception on his first appearance after returning on loan.

Donovan had won every Premier League match he played at Goodison during his first spell two years ago, including victories over Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City. Moyes was hoping for a similar impact from David Beckham’s LA Galaxy team-mate, and Donovan was clearly in the mood to carry on from where he left off in 2010.

Having forced Bolton’s stand-in goalkeeper Adam Bogan, starting in place of injured firstchoice Jussi Jaaskelainen, into an early save, Donovan then provided a fine cross which saw Denis Stracqualursi fire narrowly wide in the 12th minute. With Kevin Davies on the bench, Cahill wore the captain’s armband on his 130th, and possibly final, league start in a Bolton shirt.

The defender’s highly-publicized £7?million move to Chelsea has stalled over personal terms although the 26 year-old’s future is likely to be ironed out by the time Coyle’s side return to Premier League action at Manchester United on Jan 14.

His departure will be a worry, particularly if Zat Knight continues to make the kind of sloppy error which allowed Louis Saha a clear sight on goal in the 15th minute. However, the French striker was unable to take advantage after the defender made a complete hash of attempting to clear a cross by Leighton Baines. Everton required a moment of inspiration to lift their fans in what was a disappointing crowd of 29,561, Goodison’s lowest Premier League gate since Moyes took charge in 2002.

Leon Osman forced a rare save from Bogdan before flashing another effort narrowly wide before the break. Everton’s frustrations grew when Phil Jagielka went off injured three minutes before half-time, Jack Rodwell replacing his England team-mate. Donovan thought he had won a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Sam Ricketts but referee Phil Dowd was not interested and waved away the home side’s strong appeals. Then, right on halftime, Howard rescued Everton when he denied Ngog after a defense-splitting pass by Nigel Reo-Coker.

With the gale-like conditions worsening by the minute, Everton continued to torment Bolton’s overworked defense. Rodwell screwed a fine opportunity into the side netting after the visitors had failed to deal with Baines’s corner before Howard once again rescued Moyes’s side. Bolton had won one of their previous nine league games yet they would have been within sight of a rare three points had Howard not used his left leg to deny Mark Davies after the Everton defense had gone to sleep. Everton desperately required some inspiration from somewhere. —Agencies

Hungary currency at new low on lack of IMF deal Page 23

Ford opens new dealership in India ‘every 10 days’ Page 23

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

Kuwait stock slumps, Gulf markets mixed Page 22

Uproar over Swiss central bank chief’s dollar deal Page 25

TOKYO: Kimono-clad Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) workers pose in a photo session during the first trading day at the TSE in Tokyo yesterday. Tokyo stocks opened 1.11 percent higher yesterday, starting the new year in upbeat mood following an overnight surge on Wall Street. —AFP

Crude up on Iran worries US stocks fall on euro zone worries NEW YORK: Oil hit a seven-week high yesterday on worries about a European Union ban on Iranian oil sales, while investors dumped stocks and the euro on fears Europe’s debt crisis will make it harder for sovereigns and banks to tap markets this year.

EU diplomats said they have reached a preliminary agreement to ban imports of Iranian crude but have yet to decide when such an embargo would be put in place. The news sent crude futures higher. Brent Februar y crude reached as high $113.97 per barrel, its highest since Nov. 14, before paring gains to trade up 0.82 percent at $113.05 per barrel.

US crude oil futures slipped 0.04 percent to $102.92 per barrel.

Analysts said the move was relatively restrained as there was no detail on when any such sanctions would be implemented, and some said that the sanctions’ potential to affect the oil price may be exaggerated. “ There’s an anticipation that it might lead to an escalation of military activity in the region, but we think this is overplayed,” said Gareth, Lewis-Davies, energy strategist at BNP Paribas.

“You have to look at whether it has an immediate impact on purchases and it seems it does not. Also most Iranian oil is purchased outside the EU and United States, with India and China big buyers.”

Iran has ready alternatives to an EU embargo and intends to keep up

exports of some 2.3 million barrels per day this year, a senior Iranian oil official told Reuters. The news of the EU agreement came after Iran Tuesday threatened to take action if the US Navy moves an aircraft carrier into the Gulf, which sent crude prices up more than 4 percent to settle at their highest since Nov. 15. Spot gold also rose as crude rallied, reversing losses to edge up 0.7 percent to $1,613.19 an ounce.

Stocks and the euro struggled after Italy’s biggest bank, UniCredit, priced a 7.5 billion euro capital hike at a massive discount. That level, in turn, could discourage other lenders from tapping the market to raise money.

Data also suggested the region’s

banks remain war y of lending to each other, with commercial lenders’ overnight deposits at the European Central Bank hitting a new record high of 453 billion euros. “ The market is pressured by European banks today, but this could change once again once we get a good set of economic data,” said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital in New York. Analysts expect euro-zone funding pressures to intensify this year, with 230 billion euros of bank bonds, up to 300 billion euros in government bonds and more than 200 billion euros in collateralized debt maturing in the first quarter.

A subdued German bond auction underscored those worries. The euro

zone’s largest economy sold 4.057 billion euros of 10-year government bonds. Bids for the Bunds amounted to 1.3 times the amount offered, an improvement over a previous November sale that was one of the country’s least successful since the introduction of the euro.

The debt sold at an average yield of 1.93 percent, lower than the 1.98 percent from November. The sale was “much better than November’s auction, but not particularly great either,” said Peter Chatwell, rate strategist at Credit Agricole.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares fell 0.61 percent after hitting a five-month high on Tuesday, boosted by manufacturing data from the United States and

China. The STOXX Europe 600 Banking euro zone index, which has many constituents exposed to the euro-zone debt crisis, fell 3.6 percent.

US stocks also fell, with the Dow Jones industrial average off 0.21 percent, the Nasdaq Composite Index down 0.32 percent and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index sliding 0.37 percent. The single currency slipped 0.96 percent to $1.2925, within striking distance of its 2011 trough of $1.2858, hit in the last week of December.

The declines came after a stock market rally on Tuesday sparked by a better-than-expected US manufacturing report. At the same time, the euro reached its highest in a week at $1.3077. — Reuters

Bond market gives eurozone brief respite

LISBON: Spanish broker Cristina Garcia talks with a colleague in a trading room of a Portuguese bank, yesterday, in Lisbon. Portugal has paid a markedly lower interest rate to borrow amidst a government austerity program aimed at winning back market confidence. Portugal’s government debt agency said it sold 3-month Treasury bills following a similar auction last month. — AP

LISBON: Europe won some further modest respite from its debt crisis yesterday as Germany and Portugal became the latest countries to borrow with relative ease ahead of a hazard-filled few weeks for the 17-nation eurozone.

But news that a major Italian bank had to offer an unexpectedly large discount to raise new capital and strengthen its finances was a reminder of how the crisis is weighing on banks, as well as governments.

Germany, the biggest contributor in Europe’s bailouts, managed to sell euro4.06 billion ($5.3 billion) in its benchmark ten-year bonds Wednesday at an average yield of 1.93 percent, down on the previous 1.98 percent it had to pay.

But demand barely covered the bonds on offer. And Portugal, which was bailed out last April after being locked out of international markets, paid a markedly lower interest rate to borrow euro1 billion ($1.3 billion) in three-month treasury bills. Though Germany and Portugal enjoyed modest successes, Italian bank UniCredit saw its share price tumble by over 10 percent on the news it was selling new shares at a large 69 percent discount to Tuesday’s closing price.

UniCredit is trying to raise euro7.5 billion ($9.8 billion) to meet new European requirements for banks to thicken their financial cushions against possible losses. Banks are an integral part of the debt

crisis because they hold government bonds. A default or steep fall in the value of bonds issued by an indebted government could inflict heavy losses on banks and choke off credit to the economy.

That’s why the regulatory authorities want Europe’s banks to raise their buffers by euro115 billion ($150 billion) over the next few months.

The German and Portuguese auctions come ahead of severe tests for eurozone leaders as they try to navigate their way out of their crisis over too much debt in some countries. Eurozone governments are struggling to convince financial markets that indebted governments will not default and should be able to borrow at affordable rates to repay debts as they come due. Greece, Ireland and Portugal have needed bailouts, while much larger Italy and Spain have seen their borrowing costs rise ominously.

Italy, the recent focus of the crisis, must borrow to cover euro53 billion ($69 billion) in expiring debt in the first quarter alone in a series of debt auctions beginning Jan. 13. They will test whether the government of new Prime Minister Mario Monti is making progress in regaining market confidence through budget cuts and efforts to improve weak economic growth.

Further trouble could come from a slowing eurozone economy that may already have shrunk in the fourth quar-

ter. Additionally, Greece must also win approval of a second, euro130 billion ($169 billion) bailout, without which it can’t pay its debts. As part of that, the government must strike a deal with creditors for a 50 percent reduction in their holdings of Greek debt to try to put the country back on its feet.

Fellow bailout recipient Portugal looks like it’s in better shape at the moment. The rate it had to pay at its auction earlier fell to an eight-month low of 4.346 percent. Though Portugal cannot tap long- term bond markets at a reasonable price, it has sought to maintain a market presence by issuing shorter-term debt. Analysts said the improvement may represent a sign that Portugal is regaining the markets’ confidence as it carries out spending cuts and revenue increases in return for its euro78 billion ($102 billion) bailout. “There’s been an improvement in the risk perception of Portuguese debt, which has driven rates down” said Filipe Silva, debt manager at Portuguese financial group Banco Carregosa. “Now we just need to see whether it holds.”

Germany’s auction was better than one in November which raised fears that Europe’s debt crisis was spiraling out of control when the government sold only 65 percent of debt on offer.

Still, there was some concern voiced over the amount of German bunds

investors actually wanted yesterday. Bids for euro5.14 billion ($6.7 billion) worth of bonds exceeded the full amount on offer of euro5 billion ($6.5 billion), but only barely, counting euro943 million ($1.23 billion) the government kept back for secondary market operations.

“Yes, it was covered, so that’s a relief,” said Marc Ostwald, a markets strategist at Monument Securities. “On the other hand, the coverage was poor.” Germany can borrow cheaply and for longer because its finances are among the strongest in the eurozone but concerns about the costs of bailing out other countries have raised questions about its finances too. Wednesday’s auction results follow a recent trend somewhat. On Tuesday, the Netherlands saw its borrowing rates fell to near zero percent in a pair of short-term auctions, in a sign that investors are searching out what they consider to be Europe’s safer assets. Italy also sold large chunks of debt last week and analysts say the run of smooth auctions may be largely due to a massive euro489 billion ($636 billion) infusion of cheap, 3-year credit to eurozone banks by the European Central Bank. Some of that cheap money may be being used by some banks to buy higher-yielding shortterm debt, though Italy’s longer-term borrowing rate in the markets remain at dangerously elevated levels near 7 percent. — AP

22

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

BUSINESS

Markets focus on Saudi Q4 petchem earnings Egyptian stocks rebound DUBAI/CAIRO: Gulf stock investors will focus on Saudi Arabia next week as its companies begin posting their 2011 earnings, with heavily weighted petrochemical firms likely to announce strong profit growth. But analysts say the profit figures may not be enough to support further rises in the stocks for now.

Sleiman Aboulhosn, assistant fund manager at Al Masah Capital, said the market’s general expectations at the end of the third quarter were for a more pronounced drop in oil product prices than has actually happened, so petrochemical makers probably outperformed earnings expectations in the fourth quarter.

But he added that strong product prices “are largely priced in to Saudi petchems”.

Other analysts said fourth-quarter earnings, while healthy, were unlikely to be quite as spectacular as they were in previous quarters.

Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC), the biggest petrochemical stock, posted record earnings for two consecutive quarters in 2011; profit surged 54 percent from a year earlier to 8.2 billion riyals ($2.2 billion) in the third quarter. For the fourth quarter, Bakheet Investment Group expects SABIC to post slower year-on-year growth of 29 percent.

One moderately negative sign for the sector came on Wednesday when Advanced Petrochemical Co said it expected fourthquarter net profit of 91 million riyals, a 2 percent increase over the same period of 2010.

Bakheet had previously estimated APC would post a quarterly profit of 121 million riyals.

Investors’ caution over the sector is shown by the fact that despite the recent strength of the Saudi stock market, where the benchmark index rose 5.0 percent in the fourth quarter, the petrochemical index gained only 1.3 percent.

Saudi petrochemical stocks are not expensive; SABIC is at 9.4 times estimated 2011 earnings and 9.8 times projected 2012 earnings, according to Thomson Reuters data. That is much cheaper than 15 times in 2010 and 26 times in 2009. The Thomson Reuters global chemicals index is at 11.8 times estimated 2011 earnings.

But there are uncertainties ahead. Staterun Saudi Aramco has not announced any change in its gas subsidies to Saudi petrochemical firms for this year, indicating their costs will remain minimal for now, but investors are uncertain about contract prices after 2012 — especially if Saudi Arabia decides to reform its wasteful energy system, which could involve reducing subsidies.

Another source of uncertainty is the euro zone debt crisis, and the possibility that it will hurt global economic growth severely this year.

“Anyone who wants to invest in these companies wants a future view,” said Hesham AboJamee, chief executive officer at Bakheet.

Egyptian equities could gain in the coming

week as local institutions take tentative positions in a market which many say must surely gain in 2012, after halving in value last year when the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak sent the economy reeling.

But with trading activity near multi-year lows, caution is the watchword among investors, especially before a march being called for Jan. 25 by pro-democracy groups.

Protests against the ruling military council left 17 people dead in Cairo last month. The benchmark EGX30 index slid to its lowest level since March 2009 last week. “There are concerns over Jan. 25. People, mainly local investors, are waiting to see what will happen before taking action. They do not want to risk a re-run of what happened last time,” said Ahmed Abu Taleb at brokerage Pharos.

However, he said the index could rise to around 3,900 points next week from around 3,650 now if the political backdrop did not worsen. Egyptians are voting this week in the third and final round of an election to the lower house of parliament.

“We should see a break-out on the upside with local institutions building positions,” Abu Taleb said, although foreign portfolio investors who have mostly exited Egypt were likely to stay away. “Stocks are at attractive levels but there’s the risk of an Egyptian pound devaluation, so maybe foreigners don’t want to keep their money in equities.” — Reuters

Kuwait stock slumps, Gulf markets mixed DUBAI: Kuwait’s stock index fell to a seven-year low yesterday as foreign investors exited on political uncertainty in the Gulf Arab state, while other regional markets were mixed. Heavyweight telecom operator Zain fell 1.1 percent, Commercial Bank of Kuwait shed 2.5 percent and Ahli United Bank dipped 1.2 percent.

The index slipped 0.5 percent, its largest one-day loss in six weeks, to end at its lowest close since August 2004 . “Surprisingly, there was a strong exit from foreigners today on what little liquidity we have from them-they don’t like the instability,” said a Kuwait-based trader who asked not to be identified.

Kuwait’s Amir has called an early parliamentary election for Feb. 2, nearly two weeks after he dissolved the chamber after a long-running dispute with the cabinet that has paralysed politics in the oil-exporting country. “We’re less than a month away from elections and the market will continue moving sideways - 20 points up or down,” the trader said.

In the UAE, markets ended mixed with Dubai’s benchmark slipping 0.3 percent and Abu Dhabi’s index climbing 0.3 percent. Emaar Properties shed 0.8 percent and logistics operator Aramex dipped 1.6 percent. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank was the main support to the index, rising 2.5

percent.“Abu Dhabi’s bank performance in 2011 was better than people expected and it’s a good buying opportunity at these levels,” said Samer al-Jaouni, general manager of Middle East Financial Brokerage Co. “We might see some buying appetite for the banking sector but if we are talking about price movement, we have to see institutional funds coming into the market, which have been absent.”

In Qatar, the benchmark ticked up 0.1 percent to a fresh 11-month closing high on local buying interest. Barwa Real Estate rose 1 percent, Qatar Gas Transpor t climbed 0.7 percent and Qatar National Bank gained 0.1 percent.

Saudi Arabia’s index eased 0.09 percent, down for a second session in five.

Petrochemical stocks were the main drag.

Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) and National Industrialization slipped 0.5 percent each.

Sentiment was downbeat after Advanced Petrochemical Company (APC) said it expected a fourth-quarter net profit of 91 million riyals ($27 million), a 2 percent increase over the same period of 2010.

Bakheet Investment Group had estimated APC to post a quarterly profit of 121.1 million riyals.

Hesham Abo-Jamee, chief executive officer at Bakheet Investment Group, said he

expected petrochemical companies to post an annual growth of about 20 percent, but little growth for the fourth-quarter, compared to the earlier quarter. In Oman, the bourse snapped a five-session rally, easing 0.1 percent.

YESTERDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS KUWAIT The measure fell 0.5 percent to 5,754 points.

DUBAI The index slipped 0.3 percent to 1,347 points.

ABU DHABI The index advanced 0.3 percent to 2,417 points.

QATAR The benchmark gained 0.1 percent to 8,892 points.

SAUDI ARABIA The index eased 0.09 percent to 6,408 points.

EGYPT The measure eased 0.02 percent to 3,655 points.

OMAN The index eased 0.1 percent to 5,714 points.

BAHRAIN The measure climbed 0.1 percent to 1,136 points. — Reuters

SINGAPORE: This photo taken in Singapore yesterday shows the Marina Bay Sands hotels and sky garden near the Garden by the Bay (foreground).

Singapore’s trade-driven economy shrank in the last quarter of 2011, government figures showed January 3, raising the prospect of a technical recession as Europe grapples with its debt crisis. — AFP

Iran is CB bolsters rial after sanctions plunge TEHRAN: The Iranian rial strengthened by around 20 percent against the dollar yesterday after the central bank intervened to prop up the currency, Iranian media reported, recovering some of the sharp losses seen after imposition of new US sanctions.

The rial dropped to a record low after US President Barack Obama signed a bill on imposing fresh restrictions on the country’s central bank on Saturday. The sanctions, if fully implemented, could hamper the major oil producer’s ability to sell oil on international markets.

Iranian authorities have played down any link between the weakening exchange rate and the imposition of the US ban, saying necessary measures will be taken to maintain the value of the country’s currency. “The exchange rate of US dollar, which was around 18,000 rials on Tuesday, has dropped to 14,000 on Wednesday,” said the Jahan-e Eqtesad daily.

The dollar was traded at about 10,500 rials to the US dollar last month. The head of Iran’s central bank Mahmoud Bahmani said the fluctuation in the foreign exchange market was a “psychological war”, created by Iran’s enemies, the daily Kayhan reported. “The central bank is trying to use appealing financial and monitory tools ... to encourage people to save their money in banks,” Bahmani said.

Rising inflation, a reduction in bank interest for savers and concerns over potential military strike by the United States and Israel have all pushed Iranians to seek hard currency as a safe haven for their wealth.

“The central Bank has been asked to inject more foreign currency into the market if necessary,” said Minister of Industry, Mine and Commerce Mehdi Ghazanfari. He did not elaborate. Some analysts suggest that the government is making profit out of the soaring price of dollars but the domestic currency’s drop has created concerns among ordinary

Iranians.

The price of staple foods has increased by up to 40 percent in recent months and many critics have put the blame on increasing isolation brought about by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s economic and foreign policies. Tension has increased between Iran and the West over the country’s nuclear programme, which Washington and its allies say is a cover to build bombs.

Iran has been hit by foreign sanctions, including four rounds of UN sanctions over its refusal to halt its sensitive nuclear work as demanded by the UN Security Council. Iran has repeatedly said it will not change its nuclear course because of sanctions, warning that it will close off the vital crude shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf if sanctions were imposed on its oil exports.

Tehran’s 10 days of naval wargames in the Gulf, that ended on Monday, and threats made by Iranian officials over the Strait rattled oil markets and pushed up the price of crude. The United States and Israel have not ruled out military option if diplomacy fails to resolve Iran’s nuclear dispute. Tehran denies the West’s claim that it is after nuclear bomb, saying its response to any military strike will be firm.

Iran’s economy is 60 percent reliant on petrodollars and any sanctions imposed on its oil income will put further pressure on the country’s ailing economy. Iranian top military officials said Tehran will take action if a US aircraft carrier, which left the Gulf because of Iranian naval exercises, returned to the area.

“We have repeatedly said that not only there is no need for the presence of the foreign forces in the Persian Gulf but it is also harmful,” the Semi-official Fars news agenc y quoted Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi as saying yesterday. — Reuters

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 .4280000 .3570000 .2930000 .2700000 .2810000 .0040000 .0020000 .0754170 .7347690 .3810000 .0700000 .7203090 .0040000 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2788000 GB Pound/KD .4308960 Euro .35990980 Swiss francs .2951710 Canadian dollars .2725400 Danish Kroner .0483110 Swedish Kroner .0402860 Australian dlr .2839370 Hong Kong dlr .0357670 Singapore dlr .2142200 Japanese yen .0036110 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0756640 Bahraini dinars .7371630 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0741000 Omani riyals .7218400 Philippine Peso .0000000

.2810000 .4390000 .3660000 .3030000 .2790000 .2910000 .0070000 .0035000 .0761750 .7421540 .4020000 .0770000 .7275480 .0072000 .0520000 .2799000 .4341530 .3618130 .2974020 .2746000 .0486760 .0405910 .2861140 .0360380 .2158390 .0036380 .0052810 .0024680 .0031310 .0034390 .0762360 .7427360 .3958980 .0746600 .7272960 .0064490

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

GCC COUNTRIES Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

74.150 76.402 722.230 738.540 75.715 ARAB COUNTRIES

Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

47.500 46.282 1.272 189.860 392.670 1.865 6.003 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 277.750 315.500 159.000 81.500

Bahrain Exchange Company 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

SELL CASH 292.000 740.670 3.860 278.700 547.000 44.500 49.500 167.800 48.000 367.500 36.530 5.630 0.032 0.206 0.242 3.730 394.970 0.188 90.090 46.100 4.280 223.400 1.804

47.700 723.410 3.250 6.690 77.040 74.360 216.880 37.160 2.654 439.500 41.500 302.400 5.100 9.240 198.263 75.930 278.900 1.280

723.230 3.100 6.370 76.610 74.360 216.880 37.160 2.442 437.500 300.900 5.100 9.050 75.830 278.500

10 Tola Sterling Pound US Dollar

SELL DRAFT 290.500 740.670 3.390 277.200

216.900 46.210 366.000 36.380 5.240 0.031

COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro 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

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 437.500 278.500

SELL DRAFT 289.55 278.04 301.54 364.60 436.10 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

SELL CASH 289.00 278.00 305.00 366.00 438.00 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

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 394.640 0.187 91.090 3.290 221.900

Rate for Transfer 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

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

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

GOLD 1,670.520

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

GOLD 20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

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

Selling Rate 278.500 275.585 436.990 366.765 298.040 737.505

Currency 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

Rate per 1000 (Tran) 278.400 3.085 5.230 2.455 3.390 6.405 75.895 74.395 740.100 46.165 442.000 3.190 1.550 395.500 5.750 368.700 280.600 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 278.650 Euro 363.300 Pound Sterling 434.800 Canadian Dollar 275.500 Japanese Yen 3.625 Indian Rupee 5.234 Egyptian Pound 46.235 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.447 Bangladesh Taka 3.367 Philippines Peso 6.375 Pakistan Rupee 3.108 Bahraini Dinar 742.000 UAE Dirham 75.850 Saudi Riyal 74.450 *Rates are subject to change

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

BUSINESS

Pakistan buys Feb-March fuel oil at higher premiums SINGAPORE: Pakistan State Oil (PSO) bought about 900,000 tonnes of fuel oil for February-March delivery via tender at higher price levels for high-sulphur cargoes, amid a tight market that has seen premiums at double-digit levels for 3-4 months, traders said yesterday.

It bought six parcels of 180-centistoke (cst) at premiums of $44.00-$46.00 a tonne and four 125-cst lots at $51.00-$53.00, all to Middle East spot quotes on a cost-and-freight (C&F) Karachi basis, from Bakri, Trafigura and Vitol, up from $46.00-$50.00 previously. It also bought another four low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) parcels from Gunvor at premiums of $106.00-

$108.00 a tonne to Middle East spot quotes, C&F, down from $114.00-$126.00 previously. “The market has been tight here in East Asia, and has been pulling cargoes from the Middle East, Pakistan’s main supply source, that has also been having problems with the new, lower-sulphur specifications for its marine fuels,” a Middle East-based fuel oil trader said.

“This is causing some supply issues over there, and that’s probably why the HSFO premiums are higher.” Traders said demand from Pakistan has been lacklustre for the past 3-4 months, mainly due to surplus supplies, when heavy floods in the third quarter disrupted deliveries of fuel oil cargoes to its northern

region. This is the second tender exercise that PSO has bought below-average volumes, Reuters data showed. However, its average monthly imports for 2011, up till November, remain at all-time high levels of about 600,000 tonnes, up about 10 percent from 2010, official data showed.

The higher volumes are in line with expectations of rising demand for fuel oil, used mainly for power generation, as the country struggles to generate enough power for its growing needs. Most of Pakistan’s requirements are supplied by traders based in the Middle East, due to freight advantages resulting from their proximity to the country, versus

East Asian players.

Traders said Pakistan’s buying could also be curbed by a very strong fuel oil market, particularly in East Asia, for the past 3-4 months, which has seen cash differentials soaring to record-high double-digit premiums and prompt timespreads surging steep backwardation. At yesterday’s Asian close, the prompt January/February timespread was valued at $19.75 a tonne, a second consecutive three-year high, while cash premiums for the benchmark 180cst grade held at month-high levels of above $15.00 a tonne to Singapore spot quotes for a second straight session. — Reuters

Asian markets mixed after US, Europe rally ‘Traders seem to have entered 2012 recharged’

NEW DELHI: President and CEO, Ford Motor Company Alan Mullaly (C) poses during the preview of the new Ford EcoSport car in New Delhi yesterday along with Ford India President and Managing Director Michael Bonham (L) and Group Vice-President Ford Asia-Pacific and Africa Joe Henrichs (R). Ford previewed its new EcoSport compact SUV car on the eve of India Auto Expo 2012. US car giant Ford said yesterday it was opening a new dealership in India every 10 days to feed demand in a market it expects to be the third-biggest worldwide by the end of the decade. — AFP

Ford opens new dealership in India ‘every 10 days’ NEW DELHI: US car giant Ford said yesterday it was opening a new dealership in India every 10 days to feed demand in a market it expects to be the third-biggest worldwide by the end of the decade. The group has tripled its sales in India over the last three years to about 96,000 units in 2011, up from 29,000 in 2009, largely due to the success of its Figo small car.

Despite the strong growth, Ford remains one of the smaller players in a country dominated by Indian-Japanese manufacturer Maruti Suzuki, Mumbai-based Tata Motors and the South Korean auto giant Hyundai. Ford has ambitious plans for expansion, however, and in September it began building a $1.0 billion second production plant in the western state of Gujarat, adding to its existing factory in the southern port of Chennai.

“Every 10 days we’ve launched a new dealer in India since June last year,” Michael

Boneham, head of Ford’s India operations, told reporters in New Delhi ahead of the start of the India Auto Expo today.

“That to us is a single vote of confidence in our brand,” he added, saying there were now 220 Ford outlets country-wide. The number of dealers in the capital alone has more than doubled to 11 in the last 15 months.

Ford is in the midst of a huge investment programme in the Asia-Pacific region as it bets on the future growth of car markets in the booming economies of the east, led by China, India and other regional economies.

Seven new Ford production facilities are under construction in Asia, said Joe Hinrichs, the company’s president for AsiaPacific and Africa. India is expected to be the third-biggest national market in the world by 2020 after China and the United States, he added. There were 1.87 million vehicles sold in India in 2010. — AFP

BRICS nations stronger, but not always in unison SAO PAULO: A slow but steady shift in the global balance of power toward the China-led BRICS club of emerging nations was confirmed in 2011, but it will take some time before its members can speak with one voice, experts say.

The BRICS-Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa-now account for roughly 18 percent of the world’s GDP, 40 percent of its population, 15 percent of global trade and hold 40 percent of global currency reserves. With a combined GDP totaling nearly $14 trillion, their economies have accounted for 30 percent of global economic growth since Goldman Sachs coined the BRIC acronym in 2001.

Intra-BRICS trade, which stood at 230 billion dollars in 2010, now amounts to eight percent of global trade. The London-based Center for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said in a report last month that Brazil has supplanted Britain as the sixth largest economy behind the United States, China, Japan, Germany and France.

And before the end of the decade, Russia and India are expected to move into fourth and fifth place respectively ahead of Brazil, according to CEBR and the International Monetar y Fund.

Rubens Barbosa, a former Brazilian ambassador to the United States and Britain, believes that BRICS did reasonably well in 2011.

“I think that individually BRICS member countries fared well considering the economic crisis and compared with developed countries in Europe and USA and Japan,” he told AFP Monday. Barbosa thinks Brazil, which will host the 2014 soccer World Cup and the 2016 summer Olympics, has benefited enormously from membership.

Brazil, he noted, is now perceived as being “on an equal footing with the other three (China, India and Russia).” With 50 million people and an economy worth only around 500 billion dollars, South Africa, Africa’s leading economy which joined BRICS only last year, is the junior partner, dwarfed by its more powerful and more populous partners.

But with foreign investors increasingly looking to mineral-rich Africa as the next frontier, South Africa has positioning itself as both the gateway to one of the world’s fastest-growing regions and the voice of its one billion people.

While critics see BRICS as riven by rivalry and conflicting interests, the club

has shown resilience and thrived on the complementarity of its members. China and India get access to the huge mineral, energy and farm resources of Russia, Brazil and South Africa to meet the needs of their people and fast-growing economies.

And China supplies cheap consumer goods for the expanding middle class of partner countries. But their interests sometimes conflict. “Brazil favors agriculture liberalization while China and India are more protectionist,” said Lia Valls Pereira, an analyst with the Rio-based Brazilian Institute of Economics.

“China undercuts Brazilian exports in third-country markets and (its dumping) has undermined some Brazilian industrial sectors such as textiles and garments,” he added.

All five members are united in their quest for a truly multipolar world order, including greater clout in international financial institutions such as the IMF. But they have yet to speak with one voice.

“It is a gradual and slow process,” said Barbosa. “I think that gradually BRICS will be able to speak with one voice on specific matters in international fora ... when their interests coincide.” Barbosa said the next BRICS summit in New Delhi in March will have to tackle “how to increase economic, financial and trade cooperation and also start discussing how to expand their action in order to speak with one voice in specific issues.”

That gathering will be the fourth since the maiden summit held in Russia in 2009. Brazil subsequently hosted one in 2010, followed by China last year.

Adriana Abdenur, general coordinator of the Rio-based BRICS Policy Center, sees the New Delhi summit as “an important opportunity to see how much of the rhetoric of cooperation is translated into concrete initiatives, and to identify any new joint positions.”

She told AFP that the group’s credibility and cohesion also depends on whether they will be able to help solve the eurozone debt crisis.

On the diplomatic front, Brazil, India and South Africa have been lobbying to secure permanent seats on the UN Security Council. Yet despite the BRICS’s increased clout, exper ts see little chance of that happening soon, given the lack of consensus among Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, the Council’s veto -wielding members. — AFP

HONG KONG: Asian shares were mixed in the region’s first full day of trade yesterday as investors took a strong lead from Wall Street and Europe thanks to upbeat economic data on both sides of the Atlantic. However, confidence remained fragile as Europe’s debt woes continued to linger, with the euro under pressure and the dollar also struggling against the safe-haven yen.

Tokyo’s first session of 2012 saw it gain 1.92 percent, or 161.22 points, to 8,560.11 and Sydney shot up 2.11 percent, or 86.6 points, to 4,187.8. But Seoul gave up 0.49 percent, or 9.19 points, to finish at 1,866.22. Hong Kong slipped 0.80 percent, or 150.10 points, to 18,727.31 and Shanghai shed 1.37 percent, or 30.03 points, to 2,169.39. Sentiment had been given a lift by manufacturing data from the United States and Europe.

The US Institute for Supply Management said Tuesday its manufacturing index hit 53.9 percent in December, an increase of 1.2 points from November and the fastest rate in six months, surpassing expectations. Any figure over 50 indicates growth.

Meanwhile, the Commerce Department reported construction spending increased 1.2 percent in November, above forecasts. US stocks surged on the news, with the Dow up 1.47 percent, the tech-rich Nasdaq 1.67 percent higher and the S&P 500 rising 1.55 percent.

The US data followed positive consumer spending and manufacturing figures in Germany, as well as the best unemployment figures for 20 years, which confirmed recent upward trends in Europe’s biggest economy. On New Year’s Day, China announced the official index of manufacturing activity unexpectedly rose to 50.3 in December, rebounding from a 33month low of 49 in November.

“Investors like the fact that we had betterthan-expected December manufacturing data around the world,” said Macquarie Private Wealth division director Martin Lakos. “I don’t think we (can hang) our hats on one month of data, but it’s nice to see markets reacting positively to good news,” he told Dow Jones Newswires.

Chris Weston from IG Markets institutional dealing in Sydney said: “Traders seem to have entered 2012 recharged, optimistic and seemingly ready to see the world through fresh eyes.”

However the eurozone debt crisis has not gone away, with weak Spanish employment and public deficit figures weighing.

Jahanzeb Naseer, research analyst at Credit Suisse, said there were still a number of concerns for the new year. “Signs in China and Europe signal global industrial production growth to be in negative territory in 1Q,” he said.

“Coupled with the European debt crisis and US debt policy, 2012 looks set to be volatile and unpredictable for investors around the world.”

SHANGHAI: An investor gestures as she looks at the stock price monitor at a private securities company yesterday in Shanghai, China. Mainland Chinese shares lost ground yesterday, the first trading day in 2012 with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index lost 1.37 percent, or 30.03 points, to 2,169.36 after gaining almost 1 percent earlier in the day. — AP European stock markets fell in early trade yesterday, with London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index down 0.15 percent, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 dropping 0.41 percent and the CAC 40 in Paris losing 0.55 percent.

On currency markets, the euro weakened after enjoying a strong rise Tuesday thanks to the economic data. It bought $1.3026 and 99.87 yen, from $1.3051 and 100.10 yen in New York late Tuesday. The dollar stayed weak against the Japanese yen, trading at 76.66 yen compared with 76.68 yen in New York.

World crude prices were mixed after soaring late Tuesday over tensions between major oil producer Iran and the United States. New York’s main contract, West Texas Intermediate for delivery in February, dipped 16 cents to $102.58 per barrel, while Brent North Sea crude for February gained six cents to $111.92.Gold stood at $1,602.40 an ounce at 1050 GMT compared with $1,590.00 late Tuesday.

In other markets: Taipei closed 0.42 percent higher, adding 29.59 points, to 7,082.97. HTC rose 0.61 percent to Tw$495.5 while TSMC was 0.13 percent up at Tw$75.8.

Singapore closed up 0.84 percent, or 22.66 points, to 2,711.02. Container shipping firm Neptune Orient Lines gained 0.85 percent to Sg$1.19 and Olam International Ltd was up 3.23

percent to Sg$2.24.

Indian shares slid 0.36 percent, or 56.72 points, at 15,882.64. Motorcycle giant Bajaj Auto fell 4.7 percent to 1,426.3 rupees, auto and farm equipment maker Mahindra and Mahindra slid 4.25 percent to 638.2 rupees and India’s top property firm DLF ended down 2.25 percent to 187.10 rupees.

Indonesian shares gained 1.3 percent, or 49.54 points, to 3,907.42. Telco Indosat jumped 5.4 percent to Rp 5,850, while car maker Astra International gained 2.9 percent to Rp 77,150.

Kuala Lumpur shares fell 0.62 percent, or 9.32 points, at 1,504.22. Telecommunications giant Axiata slid 2.2 percent at 4.89 ringgit while state petroleum firm Petronas saw its trading arm drop 2.5 percent at 17.00 ringgit.

Manila jumped 1.48 percent, or 65.55 points, to 4,487.77. Philippine Long Distance Telephone rose 2.3 percent to 2,640 pesos, Ayala Land added 0.5 percent to 15.30 pesos and geothermal power producer Energy Development was up 0.6 percent at 6.35 pesos.

Bangkok rose 1.06 percent, or 10.89 points, to 1,036.21. PTT gained 1.89 percent to 324.00 baht, while Banpu added 1.10 percent to 552.00 baht. Wellington ended 0.41 percent, or 13.40 points, higher at 3,288.11. Air New Zealand gained 1.11 percent to NZ$0.91, Contact Energy slipped 0.95 percent to NZ$5.22 and Telecom fell 2.90 percent to NZ$2.01. — AFP

Hungary currency at new low on lack of IMF deal

BEIJING: An Indian businessman (R) talks to a Chinese dealer at a wholesale market in Yiwu, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province yesterday. The Indian embassy in Beijing urged its nationals not to do business in the eastern Chinese city of Yiwu after reports that two Indians there were “mistreated” over allegedly unpaid bills.

The incident triggered an official complaint from India after a diplomat called S. Balachandran was injured in a dispute between Chinese and Indian traders. — AFP

SEC sues life settlements firm WACO: Federal securities regulators filed suit against a Texas-based provider of so-called “life settlements,” accusing it and three top executives of defrauding shareholders by overvaluing the life insurance policies it buys from its customers.

In a statement, the Securities and Exchange Commission said Life Partners Holdings Inc. and its top management lowballed life-expectancy estimates used to price the settlements they pay customers.

With life settlements, policyholders sell their life insurance policies in return for a lump-sum payment. Investors buy the right to collect the policy’s death benefits, but must continue to pay premiums until the original policyholder dies.

The lawsuit the SEC filed in federal court in Waco, Texas, also names as defendants the

company’s founder, chairman and chief executive, Brian Pardo, its president and general counsel, R. Scott Peden, and Chief Financial Officer David Martin.

In its civil complaint, the SEC alleges that Life Partners and its executives engaged in deceptive disclosures and improper accounting to overvalue its assets and exaggerate its revenue stream from brokering life settlements. The SEC also accused Pardo and Peden of insider trading. “Life Partners duped its shareholders by employing an unqualified medical doctor to assign baseless lifeexpectancy estimates to the underlying insurance policies,” said Robert Khuzami, head of the SEC’s enforcement division. “This deception misled shareholders into thinking that the company’s revenue model was sustainable when in fact it was illusory.” —AP

BUDAPEST: Hungary’s currency, the forint, fell to all-time lows against the euro yesterday amid growing uncertainty over a new financial aid deal for financial aid with the International Monetary Fund and concerns over the government’s economic policies.

The euro rose to 320.18 forints shortly after midday (1100 GMT), surpassing the peak above 317 reached two months ago. Hungary is seeking a financial “safety net” from the IMF and the European Union, but preliminary talks ended prematurely in December as the government pushed ahead with new laws seen as infringing on the independence of the National Bank of Hungary. Talks with the IMF are due to restart next week in Washington.

Investors are also skeptical about the sustainability of the government’s economic policy, which has drawn on “unorthodox” methods to ensure that the state budget deficit stays within EU guidelines. Windfall taxes on banks, and other sectors such as energy, telecommunications and retail, as well as the nationalization of some $14 billion in assets managed by private pension funds were meant to avoid direct austerity measures and buy the government time until economic growth kicked in.

But the effects of the eurozone crisis and weak domestic consumption could cause a recession this year and Economy Minister Gyorgy Matolcsy was forced to revise the 2012 budget plan just days after it was presented to parliament near the end of last year. Under the previous, Socialist-led government, Hungary received a bailout of ?20 billion ($26 billion) in 2008 as investors shied away from buying Hungarian debt. A similar situation could be playing out now, with yields on long-term Hungarian bonds rising to above 10 percent this week and the price of insuring Hungarian debt escalating to new highs.

“With problems likely to deepen in the eurozone and no sign that Hungary’s policy credibility is improving, Hungarian assets look set to be in for a bumpy ride,” said William Jackson, an emerging markets economist at Capital Economics in London. Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government decided not to extend the IMF deal in 2010 to keep its economic policies away from the IMF control, but carried out an astonishing U-turn in November saying it would seek aid, but no new loans, from the Fund. Orban has remained defiant, saying last week that IMF negotiations were “important but not crucial” and that the country would be able to “stand on our own feet” if a deal was not reached. —AP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

business

Main indexes of KSE close in red GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended yesterday’s session registering a marginal decline, led by the service sector. The spotlight is currently on banking sector, which entered the profits declaration period for the fiscal year ended on December 31, 2011. The sector managed to close with the first gain of the New Year.

Market Indices Global General Index (GGI) ended the day down by 0.02 percent, at 177.24 point. Market Capitalization was down for the day, reaching KWD28.98bn. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 5,754.2 point, shedding 26.70 points (0.46 percent) from its previous close, reaching its lowest close since August 2004.

X-cite by Alghanim Electronics announces 4th winner of $250,000

Market Breadth During the session, 93 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 45 equities retreated versus 21 that advanced.

Daily Trading Activity Volume and value of shares traded on the exchange ended the day on a positive note. Total volume traded was up by 56.53 percent with 157.51mn shares changing hands at a total value of KWD13.17mn (3.06 percent higher compared to Tuesday’s session). Services sector was the volume leader. The sector accounted for 36.42 percent of total shares exchanges. Trading was intense on the counter of Kuwait Business Town Real Estate Company with investors exchanging 35.12mn shares, with a total value of KWD0.95mn. The same sector was the value leader, having 41.04 percent of total traded value.

Top Gainers and Biggest Decliners In terms of top gainers, Gulf Investment House was the top gainer for the day, adding 6.98 percent to its share value and closing at

KWD0.023. On the other hand, share price of Industrial & Financial Investments Company retreated by 13.89 percent and closed at KWD0.031, making it the biggest decliner in the market.

Sectors Wise Regarding Global’s sectoral indices, they ended on a mixed note, with Global Insurance Index being the top decliner. The index ended the day down 2.30 percent due to the poor performance of 1st Takaful Insurance Company, which was the second biggest decliner in the market and the biggest decliner in the sector. The scrip ended the day down 8.06 percent and closed at KWD0.114. Al Ahleia Insurance

Company followed, shedding 6.73 percent to close at KWD0.485. Global Services Index came in second place, shedding 0.56 percent. Heavyweight Zain Company ended the day down 1.14 percent and closed at KWD0.870. Other telecom operator closed on positive note. National Mobile Telecommunications Company (NMTC) closed up by 1.04 percent at KWD1.940. Furthermore, Soor Fuel Marketing Company ended in the red by posting a 3.70 decline and ended the day at KWD0.260.

On the other hand, Global Industrial Index was the top gainer, up 0.42 percent backed by Kuwait Cement Company being the biggest gainer in the sector and one of three stocks within the sector that wit-

nessed gain. The scrip closed up by 3.30 percent at KWD0.470. National Industries Company was also a notable gainer, adding 1.79 percent at KWD0.285. Global Banking Index came in second place, adding 0.36 percent.

Two banks in the sector ended on a positive note. Share price of National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) and Gulf Bank ended up by 1.82 and 1.02 percent, respectively.

Oil News Price of Kuwaiti crude oil increased by USD2.17 to USD108.22pb on Tuesday compared to USD106.05pb on Friday, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said in a statement yesterday.

KUWAIT: The second of January, 2012 was the happiest day in the life of Amro Younis Mohamed Al-Kabariti who has purchased a BlackBerry 9900 from X-cite’s showroom in Hawally to become the fourth and last lucky winner in X-cite

by Alghanim’s December campaign.

The $1 million-worth December campaign, which is comprised of four consecutive draws, is a clear indication of Xcite dominant presence in the Kuwaiti market. X-cite by Alghanim Electronics, which is the largest electronics store network in Kuwait and the Middle East region, is totally committed to introducing innovative and unique approaches in the electronics retail industry. The company offers its customers the opportunity to be involved in an extremely interactive and dynamic shopping experience, with the main goal being customers ultimate satisfaction”.

Commenting on this occasion, Samer Al-Sayegh, Vice President of X-cite by Alghanim

Electronics, said, We at X-cite would like to thank our loyal customers whose trust and loyalty have always enabled us to provide the best offers on the latest electronic products in the market. X-cite is totally committed to providing its customers with an interactive and extremely convenient shopping experience that adds extra value and comfort to their lifestyle.”

On his part, Hilal Farhat, Promotions and Advertising Manager at X-cite by Alghanim Electronics, said, “First, we would like to congratulate the winners of our December campaign. We avail this opportunity to announce that the year 2012 will witness the launch of more and more exciting offers, products by X-cite”.

Starting on December 1, 2011, X-cite by Alghanim Electronics expanded its electronics shopping experience with the launch of its online store, www.xcite.com, a move that furthers X-cite’s pioneering nature in conveniently offering its many products and services.

25

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

business

Copper slips as euro zone debt caution prevails LONDON: Copper prices fell yesterday, with a rally from the previous session dissipating as concerns about the euro zone debt crisis eroded confidence and prompted worries about the demand outlook for industrial metals.

Three -month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) slipped to $7,665 a tonne in official rings, down from a close of $7,790 in the previous session when it hit a three-week high. The outlook for the market remained shaky due to worries about the euro zone debt crisis, with a round of bond auctions likely to be closely watched by investors. “Worries about the euro zone will be with us for some time to come. The fundamental problems

have yet to be solved, and at some stage this year the politicians really do need to offer a longer-lasting solution,” said Nic Brown, head of commodity research at Natixis.

“It ’s not clear that any of the measures that have been taken so far are addressing the fiscal problems.” Germany sold 4.06 billion euros of government bonds, drawing greater demand from investors than at the bond’s launch in November. France will hold a debt sale today, followed by Spain and Italy next week.

The downturn in the euro zone’s vast private sector economy eased slightly towards the new year, thanks to an upturn in Germany, although the region still looks firmly on course

for recession, surveys showed yesterday. All eyes will be on a meeting between France’s Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Jan. 9 for talks that are likely to centre on new rules to enforce budget discipline across the European Union. Copper posted its first annual decline in three years in 2011 when it lost a fifth of its value on fears related to the euro zone debt crisis and the global economic slowdown.

The US Federal Reserve said it would begin publishing forecasts on the path of interest rates later this month, a move that could suggest rates will be on hold for longer than previously expected. “Clearly investors should not see this as a

cast iron guarantee. All this is going to be is the collective wisdom of the various FOMC members and their expectations for where interest rates will be and when the first moves will come,” Brown said. “In no way does it tie the Fed down to any long-term strategy.” In other metals, aluminium slipped to $2,068.50 in official rings, from Tuesday’s close of $2,076 a tonne, while battery material lead slipped to $2,068 from $2,100 a tonne. Aluminium stocks in LMEregistered warehouses rose by 4,425 tonnes to a fresh record high of 4,983,175 tonnes, data showed.

“The LME’s aluminium inventories.. are now just 16.8 thousand tonnes or 0.3 percent from the magic 5 million tonne threshold,” Commerzbank

analysts said in a note. “That this should be happening despite the fact that the number of cancelled warrants is currently incredibly high at around 660 thousand tonnes is indicative of continuing production surpluses.” Soldering metal tin was untraded in rings, but bid at $19,700 from $19,995, while zinc was also untraded in rings, but bid at $1,862 from $1,878. Nickel was untraded, but bid at $18,675 fell from Tuesday’s close of $18,900. In industr y news, China’s large copper smelters and global miner BHP Billiton BHP.AX BLT.L have settled 2012 term copper concentrate treatment and refining charges at $60 a tonne and 6 US cents a pound, smelter sources said. — Reuters

Uproar over Swiss central bank chief’s dollar deal Swiss publishes audit on its chief GENEVA: Switzerland’s central bank sought yesterday to quash criticism of its president by releasing an independent auditors’ report which concluded that currency deals from his private account were “delicate” but did not break the bank’s internal guidelines.

The Swiss National Bank published the report by auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers amid growing pressure on bank chief Philipp Hildebrand to reveal details of the deals that saw his family earn 75,000 Swiss francs ($83,000) from dollar currency swaps at a time when his central bank was acting to depress the value of the Swiss franc.

The central bank also released its previously secret guidelines for senior officials and said Hildebrand would hold a news conference today. The publication of the documents came hours after the Swiss political weekly Weltwoche claimed Hildebrand had personally authorized the currency deals previously thought to have been conducted by his wife.

“The report by PWC shows that recent reports in certain media about the transactions of the Hildebrand family are partly incorrect and contain no information that wasn’t already known to the controlling authorities,” the central bank said in a statement.

The Swiss National Bank said last month that Hildebrand’s wife Kashya, a former currency trader who now runs an art gallery in Zurich, bought an unspecified amount of US dollars for herself and her daughter. The central bank didn’t say who authorized the sale, but said its oversight body had concluded Dec. 22 there had been no inappropriate transactions nor any abuse of privileged information by those involved.

The PWC report cites emails indicating that Hildebrand learned of his wife’s decision to purchase 504,000 U.S. dollars for 400,000 SPRINGFIELD: This photo taken Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011, shows 2012 Chrysler Jeep Wranglers for sale at an auto dealership in Springfield, Ill. The company ended the year with a 37 percent increase in December sales on strong demand for the Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler 200 sedan. — AP

Chrysler caps turnaround year with strong December DETROIT: Chrysler’s US sales jumped 26 percent last year, capping a remarkable turnaround for a company that nearly collapsed in 2009. Chrysler Group LLC, now majority owned by Fiat SpA, sold 1.37 million vehicles last year, about 284,000 more than in 2010. It has introduced 16 new or revamped models in the past two years, vehicles that have fueled its recovery.

Nissan Motor Co. also reported a strong 2011 as sales rose nearly 15 percent. Chrysler and Nissan are among the first carmakers to report sales yesterday.

Chrysler ended the year with a 37 percent increase in December sales on strong demand for the Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler 200 sedan.

Analysts expect December to be a strong sales month for the entire US industry. Americans felt more confident about the economy and there was pentup demand. The average age of a car on US roads is now approaching 11 years.

Analysts expect sales of new cars and trucks to reach around 12.7 million, up

from 11.5 million in 2010. Chrysler’s strong December shows how well it’s fared under new Italian ownership. Many thought the company wouldn’t survive 2010, but now Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Chrysler and Fiat, has predicted a 2011 net profit of $600 million, up from a range of $200 million to $500 million.

“Over the past 12 months, we successfully changed the conversation from Chrysler’s survival to products and service that consumers expect and want from a great American automaker,” Marchionne said in an e-mail to employees. Chrysler nearly ran out of cash in 2009 and needed government help to survive. Chrysler is now expected to jump ahead of Honda as the No. 4 US automaker in 2011.

Nissan sold just over one million cars and trucks last year, its best calendar year ever. The company said it sold 944,000 Nissans and more than 98,000 of its Infiniti luxur y cars and SUVs. Previously, 2007 had been the company’s best year. — AP

Treasury’s Geithner to travel to China, Japan WASHINGTON: US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will travel to China and Japan next week to discuss the state of the global economy and US sanctions on Iran with top government officials, the Treasury Department said yesterday.

Geithner will meet with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan on Jan. 10 and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Jan 11.

He will travel to Japan on Jan. 12 to meet with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Finance Minister Jun Azumi.

President Barack Obama signed into law on Saturday new sanctions against financial institutions dealing with Iranís central bank, the latest step aimed at crippling Iranís oil supply and forcing the country to curb its nuclear program China, the No. 1 customer for Iranís oil,

and Russia have both resisted additional sanctions on Tehran and are unlikely to be swayed by the new US law, analysts have said.

During his trip, Geithner will also discuss policies to promote global economic growth and efforts to support a level playing field for global trade, the Treasury said. The United States contends an undervalued currency has given China a competitive trade edge, but the Obama administration, in a semi-annual report on currency practices last week, declined to name China a currency manipulator. In the report, it said a faster appreciation of the Chinese yuan was needed. It also chided Japan for stepping into the currency market to stem the yen’s rise. — Reuters

francs on Aug. 16 - a day after the transaction occurred. The audit report doesn’t say whether it was Hildebrand or his wife who, less than two months later, sold $516,000 for 475,000 Swiss francs.

However, between the purchase and the sale of US currency, the Swiss National Bank increased franc liquidity and set the minimum exchange rate of the euro at 1.20 francs. The two actions helped to sharply raise the value

before he hadn’t breached any rules.

On the sale of US dollars, the auditors concluded that it was part of a property deal that began in March. Because Hildebrand had held almost $1.2 million resulting from the deal for over six months, he also didn’t breach SNB rules with Oct. 4 sale.

But public furor over the currency deals has grown in recent days, with media commentators and lawmakers demanding greater

BERN: A photo taken on June 16, 2011 in Bern shows the President of the Swiss National Bank Philipp Hildebrand looking on during a news conference. Swiss central bank chief Philipp Hildebrand yesterday faced fresh claims about his personal currency transactions in a scandal that has shaken the Swiss banking industry. — AFP of major currencies against the franc.

Auditors concluded that the purchase of US dollars two days before the SNB’s liquidity decision Aug. 17 was “delicate,” but since Hildebrand had declared the purchase a day

UniCredit shares plunge on rights issue discount ROME: Shares in UniCredit, Italy’s largest bank, slid yesterday after the company priced its euro7.5 billion ($9.8 billion) cash call from shareholders at the bottom end of market expectations. UniCredit shares fell by 13.2 percent to euro5.49, as investors were spooked by the scale of the discount in the companyís rights issue. Other European banks, many of which are looking to raise money to plug financial holes, also saw their share prices take a hit amid concerns that they too would be forced to price their cash calls at low levels too.

The aim of UniCredit’s rights issue - shareholders have been asked to buy two new shares for every one they hold - is to help the bank shore up its capital reserves, in line with European regulatory demands. Last month, industry regulator, the European Banking Authority, said the bank needed to raise around euro8 billion.

Earlier in the day, UniCredit shares were briefly suspended after the cash call was priced at a 69 percent discount to Tuesday’s close, much lower than most predictions. So far, only 24 percent of the shares on offer have been taken.

The discount was bigger than those that have been offered by UniCredit’s peers recently and knocked sentiment in Europe’s banking sector as a whole, notably of Germany’s Commerzbank AG, which has been asked to raise euro5.3 billion ($6.9 billion) by the European Banking Authority. Its share price fell 4 percent.

Last month, the EBA said European banks have to raise about euro115 billion ($150 billion) to meet a new standard meant to inoculate the lenders against market turmoil, including bad government debt.

European banks have billions of euros of risky government bonds on their books, and, as the continentís crisis has deepened, investors have become increasingly concerned the lenders won’t be able weather all of the expected losses on those loans.

That, in turn, has made banks wary of lending to one another - since they worry that one of their number could go under at any moment. When banks stop lending to one another and businesses, the entire economy seizes up.

Much of the current focus in Europeís debt crisis has centered on Italy, the third-largest economy in the eurozone. International markets have punished Italy in recent months for failing to come up with a coherent strategy to deal with its euro1.9 trillion ($2.5 trillion) debt mountain. That drove up the borrowing rates for the eurozoneís third-largest economy and effectively forced Silvio Berlusconi from office. — AP

transparency from the SNB and from Hildebrand, whose unblemished image is considered crucial to the credibility of Switzerland’s small but powerful central bank. — AP

Nigeria unions to decide on fuel subsidy strike ABUJA: Nigeria’s umbrella trade union will meet later yesterday to decide whether to call a nationwide strike in response to the government’s lifting of fuel subsidies, which has already triggered a wave of protests.

Protesters shut petrol stations, formed human barriers along motorways and hijacked buses in Nigeria’s biggest city Lagos on Tuesday in anger at the shock doubling of fuel prices, and one demonstrator was reported shot dead in the country’s west.

The fuel regulator announced the end of fuel subsidies on Sunday under sweeping economic reforms meant to improve fiscal discipline in Africa’s biggest oil-producer. Most Nigerians see the subsidy as the only benefit they derive from living in an oil rich nation, which nevertheless has to import most of its refined petroleum at great cost to the Treasury. “We are meeting this morning on the fuel subsidy removal. We’ll hold a press conference by 2 p.m. (1300 GMT ) to announce our decision to Nigerians,” said Owei Lakemfa, general secretary of the National Labour Congress (NLC), which has threatened mass demonstrations.

Protests also occurred in other parts

of Nigeria on Tuesday, including Kano in the north, the Niger Delta in the southeast and in Ilorin, Kwara State, in the west, where the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) said one man was shot dead, but police did not confirm or deny it. There were no further reports of demonstrations yesterday. Economists say the subsidy filled the fuel tanks of middle-class motorists at the expense of the poor, encouraged corruption and waste, and handed over billions of dollars of government cash to a cartel of wealthy fuel importers.

But removing it pushed pump prices to 150 naira ($0.92) per litre from 65 naira overnight. “Look at my fuel tank,” said taxi driver David John, pointing at a half full fuel metre in his green Toyota Camri.

“That was 3,500 naira. Last week that was enough to fill the whole tank.” The subsidy removal is part of an effort to cut Nigeria’s exorbitant cost of government, a flagship policy of Jonathan and his economic management team, alongside fixing the broken power sector and reducing waiting times for goods at ports. The government estimates it will save 1 trillion naira ($6.21 billion) this year. The International Monetary Fund has backed the move. — Reuters

TOKYO: A Shinto priest hands sprigs of the sacred tree to businessmen during a ceremony on the first business day of New Year, wishing for the prosperous business year, at Kanda Myojin in Tokyo, yesterday. Kanda Myojin is known as the shrine of commerce and industry. — AP

26

THURS DAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

business

Lexus LFA Nurburgring package edition sets new record of 7 min 14 seconds NURBURGRING: On, August 31, Lexus test-drove the LFA Nurburgring Package, a two-seater-sport car, at the Nurburgring (Rhineland-Pfalz, Germany). Scheduled for production in 2012, the LFA Nurburgring Package has been optimized to deliver higher performance on the track, with a number of modifications made to the standard LFA. The LFA Nurburgring package is included in the limited production run of the LFA. The Nurburgring package includes a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) front spoiler and fixed rear wing to enhance aerodynamic per formance. The LFA Nurburgring Package also comes with a suspension designed for circuit racing and custom wheels to improve maneuverability and stability.

Compared to the standard LFA’s output of 412 kW (560 PS), the output of the LFA Nurburgring Package has been raised to 420 kW (571 PS).

In the test drive on the Nurburgring North Loop, where the LFA was developed, professional race driver and LFA

test driver Akira Iida recorded a lap time of 7 minutes 14 seconds.

Lexus is offering the Nurburgring package to a maximum 50 customers and its production will start in 2012.

Available only in Matte Black, Black, White or Orange, the Nurburgring package-equipped LFA’s exterior is complimented by a choice of three interior color schemes -Black and Red, Black and Purple, and all Black. All feature a carbon fiber centre console and door trims, whilst the carbon fiber bucket seats are trimmed in Alcantara.

LFA customers specifying the Nurburgring package will be offered individual instruction on the Nordschleife by one of the Nurburgring chief instructors, and will also receive a one year pass for Nordschleife driving.

The Nurburgring Package adds an additional 10 horsepower for the V10 engine, bringing the total to 562 horsepower. The package also adds modifications, such as a larger front spoiler, fin-type side spoilers, a canard fin and a fixed rear wing.

Al-Ruwaished, Najwa Karam to announce Al Danah winner KUWAIT: Gulf Bank announced yesterday at a press conference held at the Sheraton Hotel that the draw for the Al Danah Millionaire will be held live at the Avenues Mall today, January 5th 2012. In addition, the ten Al Danah weekly winners, each awarded with prizes of KD 1,000 will also be announced live at the event.

The draw will be the high point of an extraordinary celebration event, starting at 7 pm and hosted

by Ambassador of Goodwill and the Gulf Song, Abdallah AlRuwaished and Best Selling Lebanese Artist Najwa Karam. The draw itself will be conducted under the super vision of the Ministr y of Commerce and Industry.

In addition to the Al Danah draw, the public will also be able to enjoy some entertainment as the evening’s proceedings will serve as a platform to inform the public about the Bank’s 2012 Al

Danah draw lineup, as well as the benefits of opening an Al Danah account.

Aly Shalaby, Gulf Bank ’s General Manager-Consumer Banking Group said: “This year’s final Al Danah draw brings together two of the region’s greatest performers to announce the winner

of the largest single draw prize in the region. We are very proud to have Abdallah Al-Ruwaished and Najwa Karam jointly hosting this event, which I know will be an exciting time for everyone. It’s not often that someone, picked at random, wins 1 Million Dinars. At Gulf Bank, we take pride in our com-

Abdallah Al-Ruwaished and Lebanese artist Najwa Karam with Gulf Bank officials. — Photo by Yasser Al Zayyat

mitment to making a difference in people’s lives and helping them become financially secure. Our Al Danah account is a great example of this, providing a very convenient and valuable banking service as well as automatically enrolling customers into multiple unique prize draws each year, providing them with opportunities to win large cash prizes and the possibility of financial security for life.”

Customers can open an Al Danah account or increase their deposits through various convenient channels. Deposits can be made by using any Gulf Bank ATM, through online banking, calling the Customer Contact Center on 1805805, visiting one of the Bank’s 55 branches or logging on to www.e-gulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s bilingual website, to find all the information regarding Al Danah or any of the Bank s products and services. Customers are invited to visit the Gulf Bank stand at the Avenues Mall today.

Easa Husain Al-Yousifi & Sons launches Lumix G series Panasonic compact KUWAIT: Easa Husain Al-Yousifi & Sons co is pleased to announce the launch of the new Panasonic DMC-GX1 digital interchangeable lens system camera in Kuwait, featuring high image quality and stunning performance in both response and function.

The LUMIX G Micro System realizes high-quality photo images with real-to-life details through excellent resolution, image rendering and color reproduction. “Professional photographers and amateur enthusiasts will benefit from the DMCGX1 cameras digital interchangeable lens system which produces superb image quality and performance, and is combined with a premium design,” commented Wael Deeb, Sales General Manager of Easa Hussian Al Yousifi & Sons co, Kuwait.

Precision Contrast AF system of LUMIX G Micro System gains even higher speed realizing approx.

0.09 second of Light Speed AF.* Consecutive shooting is also improved for 4.2 fps in 16.0megapixel full resolution.

The DMC-GX1 records 1920 x 1080 full-HD video with stereo sound in AVCHD format which is superior in both compression efficiency and friendliness with AV equipment for playback.

Advanced AF system including practical full-time AF and tracking AF is available in video recording so that every photographer can enjoy high quality video recording with minimum ease. As a camera from the new premium line of LUMIX G Micro System, the external design of the camera has been developed with no compromising on grip, dial, coating - everything to detail. The hot shoe on the top lets you attach the optional tilt-shift Live View Finder (DMW-LVF2) of approx. 1.4x (approx.

0.7x**), 1,440,000-dot equivalent, 100% field of view. It is now compatible with UHS-I standard for the SDXC/SDHC Memory Card taking its advantage to extend performance.

Available in silver and black, the DMC-GX1 offers luxurious comfort in shooting experience with a stunning performance and a host of functions, to be a great partner that is always in your sight, in your mind.

1. High Image Quality for an Interchangeable Lens System Camera LUMIX G Micro System realizes high-quality photo images with real-to-life details through excellent resolution, image rendering and color reproduction; high-grade lens and precision AF achieves high resolution, optimal balance of resolution and noise reduction achieves lifelike image rendering and high precision auto exposure and white balance with live light metering results in the faithful color reproduction.

2. Advanced AF System All cameras of LUMIX G Micro System adopt Contrast AF for its focus system. The Phase-difference AF system is susceptible to mechanical margin of error. However, in Contrast AF system, focusing is controlled by the image sensor so that no mechanical margin of error occurs to achieve precise focusing. Compared with the Phase difference

system AF, the Contrast AF boasts higher accuracy especially in shooting with bright lens with small F value. (e.g. the accuracy of Contrast AF is approx.

90% while Phase difference AF is approx. 60% at F1.4.)

3. Easy Manual Control with a Variety of Shooting Assist Functions Despite its outstanding compactness, the operation on DMC-GX1 is smooth and easy with optimum layout of control buttons and the mode dial, turn-and-press dial and dedicated function buttons.

4. Finest Tuning in Every Part of the Camera As a camera from the new premium GX line of LUMIX G Micro System, the external design of the camera has been developed with no compromising in every detail. The ergonomically designed grip fits the DMC-GX1’s flat profile yet easy to hold.

Its tactile feeling offers more comfort thanks to the casting material resin and elastomer. The mode dial is machined with finest tuning on its pitch of spin, form of plate and shininess. Characters are sharply printed by laser so that they are easy to see and they last long. The buttons on the back also have style in the coating, spin, stamp and color.

5. 1920 x 1080 Full-HD High Quality Video Recording LUMIX G Micro System is the camera that records not only high quality photo but also stunning video. The AVCHD format features almost twice the recording time in HD quality than the conventional Motion JPEG. A special, dedicated button on the top lets the user instantly start recording videos while shooting photos without any having to make any extra settings. Now the DMC-GX1 can record high-resolution full-HD videos 1920 x 1080 at 60i (NTSC) / 50i (PAL) in AVCHD (Sensor output is 30p [NTSC] / 25p [PAL])*.

Image recording is more flexible fun with the DMC-GX1. In addition to the practical full-time AF, the Touch AF in video recording also lets users enjoy professional-like rack focusing. Just by pointing the subject, the focus is shifted to it and let it stand out to attract attention.

6. Outstanding Performance in Power, Speed

and Image Processing With further optimization and rationalization in electric design, the DMC-GX1 excels in energy consumption and features approx. 11%* longer battery life than the DMC-G3 which complies with the same battery pack DMW-BLD10. The DMC-GX1 is now capable of 4.2 fps consecutive shooting in 16.0-megapixel full resolution with mechanical shutter. High speed burst shooting at 20 fps with electronic shutter is also selectable according to the shooting fast-moving subject and it is possible to select the best shot later**. ●Based on a CIPA Standard. ● In the high speed burst shooting at 20 fps, the picture size is fixed to S-size in all aspects.

7. Artistic Color Control Functions and iA (Intelligent Auto) Plus mode The DMC-GX1 is artistic not only in form, but also in function. It provides an array of features that let users capture precisely true-to-life images and create their own beautifully expressive images. The Creative Control offers a variety of color modes; Expressive, Retro, High Key, Sepia, High Dynamic, Miniature Effect* and newly added Low Key and Toy Effect mode. Effect parameter of each mode is also adjustable.

8. Enjoy Watching High Quality Photos and Videos on Large HDTV - VIERA Link Networking Even in 3D With the world’s first* introduction of digital interchangeable lens to make 3D photo shooting possible with an interchangeable lens system camera, Panasonic proposes to enjoy high-quality shooting in 3D with DMC-GX1.

9. Rich Options for Further Expandability The Micro Four Thirds System products are joining today’s Four Thirds System products to provide customers with even higher levels of performance in a digital interchangeable lens camera. In addition to LUMIX G lenses, the LUMIX DMC-GX1 can use any interchangeable lens that complies with the Four Thirds System standard via an optional Mount Adaptor for the unlimited number of lens properties.

Ideas worth spreading: VIVA KUWAIT: Keeping in line with Kuwait Telecommunication Company VIVA’s commitment in being the pioneer to support the various intellectual and cultural activities aimed to develop new fingerprint in the Kuwaiti society, VIVA has announced its main sponsorship of TEDxSafat, the conference organized by WAY Communications under the slogan “Ideas Wor th Spreading” that will take place on the stage of Babtain Central Library for Arabic Poetry on 18 January.

Commenting on this occasion; VIVA CEO, Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Badran stated that “VIVA is always keen to support such events, which aim to create intellectual cultural awareness within the society out of its social responsibility towards the community we live in.”

Al Badran added that TEDxSafat will be held for the first time in Kuwait as it is the Kuwaiti version of the TED International Conference which is being held annually in the United States for more than 25 years, with the aim of spreading new ideas about technology, design and entertainment.

He emphasized, “One of the most important reasons behind our sponsorship of TEDxSafat is the fact that its goals come into line with the values of VIVA, based on engaging, energetic and fulfilling in order to let its customer enjoy a better life, besides the vision to do a radical change in everything it offers to enrich the lives of its customers through communication, entertainment, and data transfer, thus how the word VIVA originated, which means “to live.”!”

Al Badran continued “this event attracts a large number of individuals and agencies interested in coexistence with the international experience of TED and those who believe in the importance of exchanging the old rigid ideas, with innovative inspiring ideas that deserve recognition and attention instead, in order to build a better future for all.”

He explained that TEDxSafat would contribute to grab attention for the innovative, inspiring thoughts, success stories, and encourage them to create new and inspiring ideas, where it is expected to be attended by a group of valuable speakers who have a passion for innovative ideas, which will revolve around technical, design, entertain-

ment, science, arts, architecture, global issues and many others. Al Badran concluded “Having a Kuwaiti version of TED is a real and a rare opportunity to benefit and apply the experience of TED world locally, particularly in the present time where we need to com-

Salman Al-Badran municate with the thinkers and to highlight the Kuwaiti creative and encourage them to create ideas that make a difference in our lives. “ He also mentioned that VIVA’s contribution to the society is endless as it aims in playing a key role by investing in long term projects aimed at the development and enrichment of the community where we operate and live.

It is noteworthy to mention that The WAY Communications is the organizer of TEDxSafat in Kuwait after the success of the Conference of the TED regionally and internationally in various countries around the world, besides it has been hosted in many countries of the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Ramallah, Muscat, Beirut, Cairo and Baghdad. Moreover, the name TED stands for “Technology Entertainment - Design” whereby the X means that the event is organized independently.

Burgan Bank’s ‘BuBa’ kids account offers two trips to Ferrari World theme park KUWAIT: “BuBa” Kids Account holders will receive a chance to experience one of the world’s most recognized theme parks in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island Burgan Bank announced yesterday that it will offer its “BuBa” Kids Account holders the chance to travel to one of the most internationally recognized spectacular theme parks, the Abu Dhabi Ferrari World.

The bank will host t wo draws, which will be held in February and May 2012, with an aim to grant account holders a family trip to Abu Dhabi in collaboration with R itz Travel, and experience the excitement of Ferrari World at the Yas Island. For every KD20 deposited in their accounts, customers will receive one chance to enter the draw.

Haneen Al Rumaihi, Head O f Marketing at Burgan Bank, said: “Our new “BuBa” Kids Account” aims at providing creative solutions for parents who want to earn more from their savings for their children and at the same time enjoy a wide range of benefits. The Ferrari World

at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island is one of the world’s most recognized theme parks, and one that presents a thrilling experience for children as well as the family. We continue to tailor our banking products and services with an aim to assist our customers with their financial requirements at ever y stage of their life.” “Winners of the draw will receive airline tickets, hotel accommodation for two days and one day admission to Ferrari World Abu Dhabi for the winner children and their parents,” added Al Rumaihi.

The minimum opening balance of the “BuBa Kids Account” is KD 10.

Children will also be entitled to a free branded ATM VISA Electron card that can be used at any ATM or point of sale (POS) in Kuwait and around the world.

To find out more about Burgan Bank’s newly launched “BuBa” Kids Account, customers are urged to visit any of Burgan Bank’s conveniently located branches, or call the bank’s call center on 180408, or log on to Burgan Bank ’s website at www.burgan.com.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Wikipedia gets $20 million in annual fundraising drive About 474 million people visited Wikipedia in November SAN FRANCISCO: Wik ipedia has raised $20 million in its annual plea for donations to help expand and improve the Internet’s leading encyclopedia. More than 1 million people throughout the world contributed the money during a 46-day fundraising drive, which concluded Sunday.

The amount pledged to the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit group that oversees the volunteerdriven Wikipedia, is a third more than the $15 million donated during the previous year ’s fundraising campaign. The year-end financial push accounts for most of Wikimedia’s rev-

enue. The foundation also gets money from grants and other donations spread throughout the year.

Wikipedia relies on the foundation to provide one of the world’s most popular reference tools. Its 10-year-old website has amassed an index of more than 20 million entries in 280 languages on subjects ranging from the history of Howdy Doody to the origins of Einstein’s Theor y of Relativity. The free articles are compiled and maintained by about 90,000 editors who volunteer to share their research and knowledge.

About 474 million people visited

Wikipedia in November, according to the most recent data from the research firm comScore Inc. Even as Wikipedia has become more influential, Wikimedia’s management has been fretting over whether the online encyclopedia will be able to afford the technology upgrades it needs to stay relevant.

Wikipedia has been investing heavily to make its website more accessible and compelling on mobile devices, which are gradually replacing desktop and laptop computers as the main way people look up information on the Internet. Attracting and

retaining editors has become more difficult, a problem that Wikipedia blames on its reliance on outdated software for editing its entries. The number of editors contributing to Wikipedia has dropped from a peak of 100,000 during the past year or so.

Wikipedia believes it can reach 200,000 editors and 50 million articles by pouring more money into software upgrades, hiring more engineers and upgrading its mobile tools Wikimedia, which is based in San Francisco, is striving for revenue of $29.5 million in its fiscal year ending June 30. That would be a 19 percent

increase from revenue of nearly $25 million in the previous year.

Bolstered by the success of its recent fundraising, Wikimedia is confident that it can hit its revenue target for the current fiscal year, foundation spokesman Jay Walsh said Tuesday.

He declined to say how much more money Wikimedia needs reach the goal. Wikimedia expects to spend $28.3 million in the current fiscal year, with nearly half the money going toward employee salaries and other staffing costs. The foundation currently employs about 90 workers.—AP

Canadian man uses iPad to enter US

CALIFORNIA: In this March 2, 2011 photo Apple CEO Steve Jobs appears at Apple’s special media event to introduce the second generation iPad at Moscone Center in San Francisco.—AFP

Firm defends made-in-China Steve Jobs doll SHANGHAI: The company behind a made-in-China Steve Jobs action figure insisted yesterday it was not a toy, but a realistic depiction of the Apple founder designed for fans of his iconic products.

The 30.4-centimetre (one foot) tall dolls, which will go on sale next month with a price tag of $99, are being manufactured for Hong Kong-based DiD Corp. “We are making the figures for Apple fans who really admire Steve Jobs and feel pity over his death,” a company official, who declined to be named, told AFP by telephone.

“That’s our aim, to make it a real collectible-not a toy-so we put much care into every single detail in design and manufacturing.” DiD Corp is producing and distributing the figures while another company, In Icons, helped design them and will sell the product worldwide. The In Icons website features

images of the jointed figure accompanied by quotes including “The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

Jobs died on October at the age of 56 after a years-long battle with cancer.

Apple-maker of iPhones, iPads, iPods and Macintosh computers-has previously blocked the sale of unauthorised Steve Jobs dolls, and the official said legal advice was sought before going ahead with the project. “We didn’t put anything related to the Apple brand or Apple products, nor did we smear the image of Jobs,” the DiD Corp official said. “We are making this for Apple fans.” The figures will be produced at factories in China’s southern province of Guangdong, a major manufacturing centre. DiD Corp also offers military action figures and one of US President Barack Obama, according to its website.—AFP

Yahoo names PayPal exec as its CEO NEW YORK: Yahoo Inc has named Scott Thompson, president of eBay Inc.’s PayPal division, as its new CEO. The struggling Internet company, which announced its choice yesterday, has been without a permanent CEO since early September. It fired Carol Bartz after losing patience with her attempts to turn around the company during her 2 1/2 years on the job. Tim Morse, Yahoo’s chief financial officer, has been interim CEO since Bartz’s ouster.

Thompson has served as president of PayPal, eBay’s online payment service, since January 2008. He previously served as PayPal’s senior vice president and chief technology officer. Sunnyvale, Califbased Yahoo said Thompson’s new job starts on Jan 9. Morse will return to his CFO post. Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock said Thompson’s track record of building on existing resources “to reignite innovation and drive growth” is “precisely the formula we need at Yahoo.”

It will be a big task. Yahoo has been losing ground in the fast-growing Internet advertising market to Google Inc. and Facebook Inc for years. Mainly for this reason, its stock price has not topped $20 for the past three years.

Yahoo’s board has been reviewing a possible sale of all or part of the company since Bartz’s ouster last fall. There are several potential suitors, including China’s Alibaba Group, which may join up with

SAN FRANCISCO: In this Nov 15, 2010 file photo, PayPal president Scott Thompson fields a question at the Web 2.0 Summit.—AP

private equity firms in a joint bid. Yahoo shares fell 28 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $16 in morning trading.—AP

TORONTO: A Canadian man who realized he forgot his passport as he approached the US border found a new way to gain entry his iPad. Mar tin Reisch said Tuesday a slightly annoyed US border officer let him cross into the United States from Quebec after he presented a scanned copy of his passport on his Apple iPad. Reisch was a half hour from the border when he decided to try to gain entry rather than turn back and make a two-hour trek back home to Montreal to fetch his passport.

He told the officer he was heading to the US to drop off Christmas gifts for his friend’s kids. He said that true story, the scanned passport and his driver’s license helped him get through last week. He said the officer seemed mildly annoyed when he handed him the iPad. “I thought I’d at least give it a try,” Reisch said. “He took the iPad into the little border hut. He was in there a good five, six minutes. It seemed like an eternity. When he came back he took a good long pause before wishing me a Merry Christmas.”

Reisch said the officer made an exception. Canadians began needing more than a driver ’s license for identification for US

MONTREAL: Martin Reisch holds up his iPad displaying his passport .—AP

land border crossings in 2009.

US Customs and Border Protection says it only accepts a passport, an enhanced driver’s license or a Nexus pass from Canadian citizens entering at land crossings. The list doesn’t mention facsimiles, like scans and photocopies. A spokesman for the depar tment did not immediately respond to questions on whether scanned pass-

ports are also commonly accepted at US points of entry. Reisch, 33, said he took a scanned photo of his passport years ago in case it was over lost or stolen while traveling. He said he also successfully used the passport on his iPad to get through Canadian Customs on the way home later that day.

He said he doubts he’d get away with it again and will bring

his passport next time. But he hopes border officials will eventually make digital identification an official form of travel document. He noted that many airlines now accept digital boarding passes stored on smar tphones. “I see the future as 100 percent being able to cross with your identity on a digital device it ’s just a matter of time,” he said.—AP

Ultrabooks, HDTV could steal the electronics show VIENNA : The world’s biggest and best consumer electronics trade show kicks off in Las Vegas next week, and tech junkies from around the globe are already drooling over the latest wave of gadgets and gizmos. The 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show will feature more than 2,700 global technology companies across 15 major product categories including the latest in audio, automotive electronics, connected home technologies and entertainment.

Sin City will be the epicenter of innovation from January 10-13, with most events taking place at the sprawling Las Vegas Convention Center. Sony, Samsung, Ford, and LG are among the companies that have recently made impressive product launches at the CE extravaganza.

LG could be the big winner this year. The company is expected to unveil a major breakthrough in television tech with its 55-inch OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) HDTV, which uses the company’s Triple XD Engine.

The ultra-thin, super-stylish television uses no

backlighting. “The OLED TV is the ultimate display device, a culmination of the sophisticated technological advances made by LG,” said James Fishler, senior vice president, marketing and goto-market operations, LG Electronics USA. “This next-generation display will further strengthen LG’s position as a true leader and trend-setter of the home entertainment industry. It is the TV of dreams.”

Expert Reviews says the OLED HDTV “boasts a startling contrast ratio and a refresh rate some one thousand times faster than that of a traditional liquid-crystal HDTV set for zero motion blur.” Pricing remains a mystery, but LG is expected to make details public at its press conference at the Venetian on Monday.

Another buzzword for 2012 is “ultrabook.”

These small, light laptops could boost flagging PC sales in 2012. CES reps expect as many as 50 new Ultrabooks to be launched in Vegas, with competitors lining up to challenge the supremacy of Apple’s popular MacBook Air. Intel, which introduced the ultrabook in May, will be a major

presence at this year’s CES. Paul Otellini, president and chief executive officer of Intel, will deliver a keynote address on Tuesday.

Microsoft says it is making its final appearance at CES, but analysts doubt the company will go out with much of a bang. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer will once again mark the official start of the trade show with a keynote address, where he is expected to focus on the evolution of the Windows Phone and Xbox video game platform. Moving forward, the computing giant will make product announcements on its own terms rather than sharing the spotlight at CES. “Both CEA and Microsoft have agreed that the time has come to end this great run, and so Microsoft will not have a keynote at the 2013 CES,” said CEA. The absence of Apple and Microsoft could allow some of the world’s biggest consumer electronics makers to emerge as the biggest player at CES. Apple is rumored to be planning a press event in New York City later this month to reveal its product pipeline.—dpa

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Years

Calories, not protein, matter most for fat gain NEW YORK: When it comes to packing on body fat, the volume of calories you ingest seems to count more than whether those calories come from lots of protein, or very little. Researchers found that people who ate high-calorie diets all gained about the same amount of fat. Those whose diets were low in protein gained less weight overall than people on high- and moderate-protein diets, but that’s because the low-protein group also lost muscle. “Huge swings in protein intake do not result in huge swings in body fat gain,” said Dr James Levine, who studies obesity at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota but wasn’t involved in the new study. “It really is the calories that count.”

Previous research has suggested that when people over-eat, the amount of weight they gain varies from person to person. Whether the make-

up of individuals’ diets might be affecting how their body stores the extra calories has remained unclear. For the current study, researchers led by Dr. George Bray from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, recruited 25 young, healthy volunteers to live in their lab and eat a prescribed diet for two to three months.

During the first couple of weeks, the researchers tinkered with participants’ diets to determine exactly how many calories they needed to maintain their body weight. Then, for eight weeks, they piled on about 1,000 extra calories to those daily diets. One-third of the participants were fed a standard diet with 15 percent of their calories coming from protein, while the others ate low- or high-protein diets with either five or 25 percent of calories from protein. That worked out to volunteers eating an average of 47 gm, 139 gm

or 228 gm of protein per day. The diets led to weight gains for all participants, but not equally.

The low-protein diet group put on about seven pounds per person, compared to 13 or 14 pounds in the normal- and high-protein groups. But people in the low-protein group stored more than 90 percent of their extra calories as fat and lost body protein (muscle mass), while other participants gained both fat and healthier lean muscle, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. So the groups all gained a similar amount of total excess fat.

Donald Layman, a food science researcher at the University of Illinois in Urbana, said it’s difficult to see how the findings apply to a general population that isn’t being overfed such a protein-deficient diet, in the case of the low-protein group. “It’s an interesting scientific study, but from an obesity

standpoint, I don’t think it tells us anything,” he told Reuters Health. Levine said there are a couple of messages people outside a strict scientific study can take away from the findings - especially that weight gain or loss might not be the best way to track how healthy a person’s diet is.

Bray agreed. “The scale that you step on isn’t necessarily a good guide to the kind of weight you’re gaining,” he told Reuters Health. “People who had the low protein gained about half as much weight as those that had normal or high protein, but the weight was different in one major component: they lost body protein, which is not healthy,” Bray said. “The scale can fool you into thinking that you’re winning when you aren’t.” Regardless of that number, he concluded, “If you over-eat extra calories, no matter what the composition of the diet is, you’ll put down more fat.” — Reuters

Greying Singapore taps robots, games in rehab New gadgets designed to make rehab fun

PALAWAN, Philippines: An environment officer marks packs of seized pangolin meat at the Puerto Princesa city airport in western Philippines yesterday. — AP

Philippines seizes meat of endangered anteaters MANILA: Philippine authorities have seized large shipments of anteater and turtle parts in a sign that the illegal trade in the endangered animals is booming, officials said yesterday. Fifty-eight pounds (26.5 kilograms) of Philippine pangolin, or anteater, about to be smuggled to Manila as goat meat was confiscated yesterday at the Puerto Princesa city airport in southwestern Palawan province, said Alex Marcaida, an environment official.

On Monday, 95 kg of pangolin scales and 90.5 kg of scutes from endangered hawksbill and green turtles were seized at the same airport, he said. That shipment, which had a market value of nearly 1 million pesos ($23,000), was declared as dried fish.

Pangolin is a Chinese delicacy. Its scales are used in Chinese traditional medicine.

Turtle scutes - the plates that cover the shells - are used to decorate guitars and other products. Marcaida said it’s possible traders are increasingly turning their attention to Palawan, home to many exotic wildlife, for pangolin meat because the animal’s population has been vanishing in other parts of Southeast Asia due to hunting and deforestation.

The International Union of Conservation

of Nature said rising demand for pangolins, mostly from mainland China, and lax laws are wiping out the unique toothless anteaters from their forest habitat in Southeast Asia. The animals are protected by laws in many Asian nations, and an international ban on their trade has been in effect since 2002. But these measures have had little impact on the illicit trade, the IUCN said.

The IUCN lists the Philippine pangolin, which is endemic to Palawan, as close to becoming a threatened species.

But Marcaida, who is from the government’s Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, said the Philippines considers the mammal a threatened species because of the continuing illegal trade. He said the strict monitoring of trading in live pangolin may have prompted traders to try to smuggle them as meat and scales. A kilogram of pangolin scales sells for 5,000 pesos ($114). The same traders may be behind the two shipments, Marcaida said, adding that no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing. The shipper of yesterday’s haul left the cargo with an airport porter, while Monday’s shipment, which was bound for central Cebu city, went through a courier company, he said. — AP

HYDERABAD: Visually impaired Indian students write using the Braille system at the Sai Junior College for Blind yesterday on the 203rd birth anniversary of its French inventor Louis Braille. The Braille system is a worldwide system used by blind and visually impaired people for reading and writing. India counts about one third of the world’s total blind population. — AFP

NASA starts new year with mission to moon LOS ANGELES: The cruise to the moon took 3 1/2 months and covered 2 1/2 million miles far longer than the direct three-day flight by Apollo astronauts. Over the New Year’s weekend, a pair of NASA spacecraft arrived back-toback at their destination in the first mission devoted to studying lunar gravity. Mission controllers at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory did not toast champagne - there’s a no alcohol policy on campus - but several belatedly heralded the new year by with noisemakers.

“We can start celebrating the new year now,” project manager David Lehman said Sunday after attending a post-mission fete where cake and sparkling cider were served.

The tricky arrivals occurred 24 hours apart. The drama unfolded on New Year’s Eve when GrailA flew over the south pole, fired its engine and dropped into lunar orbit. Its twin Grail-B repeated the maneuvers on New Year’s Day. Cheers and applause filled mission control when each probe signaled it was healthy and circling the moon. “Everything worked much better than I hoped,” Lehman said. The moon has long been an object of fascination. Galileo spotted mountains and craters when he peered at it through a telescope. Poets and songwriters looked to the moon as a muse. Since the late 1950s, more than 100 missions launched by the United

States, Soviet Union, Japan, China and India have targeted Earth’s companion. NASA flew six Apollo missions that landed twelve men on the lunar surface and brought back more than 800 pounds of rock and soil samples.

Despite all the visits, the moon remains mysterious. Mission chief scientist Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said researchers know more about Mars, which is farther away from the Earth, than the moon.

One of the enduring puzzles is its lopsided shape with the far side more hilly than the side that always faces Earth. Research published earlier this year suggested that our planet once had two moons that crashed early in the solar system’s history and created the moon that hangs in the sky today. Scientists expect to learn more about how the celestial body formed using Grail’s gravity measurements that will indicate what’s below the surface.

Since the washing machine-size Grail probes short for Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory - were squeezed on a small rocket to save on costs, it lengthened the trip and took them 30 times longer to reach the moon than the Apollo astronauts. Previous spacecraft have attempted to study the moon’s gravity - about one sixth Earth’s pull - with mixed success. —AP

SINGAPORE: Six months ago, Singaporean retiree Soon Eng Sam, 70, suffered a stroke that paralysed the left side of his body. Bedridden for three months, he has regained some limb functions on the affected side through conventional physical therapy but now hopes to hasten his recovery with the help of new gadgets designed to make rehabilitation fun. “This therapy is not so boring, not so painful as physical therapy, because the machine is assisting me to move my arm up and down and laterally,” he said after a recent hour-long session with the “Armeo” robotic arm.

A therapist had to tell Soon to slow down as the former civil servant enthusiastically used his left hand, partly supported by the robotic arm, to catch virtual water droplets with a teacup on a colour monitor. The machine is among the high-tech exercise stations now being used at the Centre for Advanced Rehabilitation Therapeutics (CART), described by its administrators as the most advanced facility of its kind in Asia.

Medical authorities are deploying the latest technology as fast-greying Singapore prepares for a “silver tsunami” of elderly people as a result of longer life spans and low birth rates. In two decades, an estimated 20 percent of the population will be 65 years or older, compared to 9.3 percent at present. To better prepare themselves for the demographic explosion, hospitals in the affluent city-state of five million people are using the latest available technology to augment its limited pool of health personnel.

Chan Kay Fei, head of Rehabilitation Medicine at the government-run Tan Tock Seng Hospital, which houses CART, said therapists on their own “cannot meet this rising need of the ageing population”. “So technology, I feel, could be the multiplier,” Chan said, adding that both therapists and patients benefit from the increasing use of robotic equipment and videogame-inspired software. “Robotics reduce or eliminate physical loading upon our therapists. It creates an interesting and interactive environment which offers consistency and objectivity to the treatment programme,” he said.

Using the machines, therapists are able to precisely monitor the patient’s progress and calibrate the machines accordingly. The “Lokomat” gait trainer shows a movie-like avatar, controlled by the patient’s movements, walking around a virtual world collecting medals. Such machines are particularly suited

for countries with rapidly ageing populations, said Bala Rajaratnam, a lecturer at the School of Health Sciences at Nanyang Polytechnic. “It allows therapists to use smart technology to both empower clients to take control over their recovery as well as maximise therapy time,” he said.

Future physical therapists at Bala’s school also use videogame machines such as the Nintendo Wii to help patients recover more quickly than they would using conventional methods. Other medical institutions in Singapore such as KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital as well as Changi General Hospital are also using videogames as part of their repertoire of therapy. “The targeted patient population includes people with neurological conditions such as stroke, acquired brain injury and Parkinson’s Disease,” said Jean Tan, a senior

physiotherapist at Changi. “Any patients with balance deficits and decreased arm function will also benefit from these games.”

Younger patients, including accident victims and those with congenital motor problems, also benefit from therapy robots and videogames. Kankipati Rajan Raju, 45, an Indian banker who was paralysed from the neck down after being hit by a bus during a business trip to France in May, said technology is a boon to people like him but the human factor is still more crucial than machines. Six months after the accident, Raju can walk on his own, shake hands and even do short jumps, a “miracle” he attributes to medical personnel as well as a healthy dose of robotics and virtual reality. “The technology assists you, but the therapists have made the difference,” he said after a session at CART. — AFP

SINGAPORE: A patient recovering from stroke trains her hand-eye coordination by carrying a virtual egg to a frying pan using the Armeo robotic arm at the Centre for Advanced Rehabilitation Therapeutics (CART) in Singapore’s Tan Tock Seng Hospital on Nov 18, 2011.

She is guided by CART principal physiotherapist Wee Seng Kwee. — AFP

2 die from Death Cap mushrooms SYDNEY: Two people have died in Australia while a third remains in hospital after eating poisonous Death Cap mushrooms, a Sydney hospital said yesterday. Four people were initially hospitalised after eating the fungi, unaware of its deadly properties, reportedly at a New Year’s Eve dinner party in Canberra. One recovered and was released from a Canberra hospital but the other three were transferred to Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) for treatment. “Two people at RPA have passed away. The third, however, is still receiving treatment,” a spokeswoman for the hospital said yesterday. The hospital said it would not be releasing any details about the patients or their treatments out of respect for their privacy, but state media reported that the victims had been awaiting liver transplants.

It is believed that the deadly poisonous mushrooms were mistaken for an edible fungi known as the Paddy Straw mushroom, which is commonly found in Southeast Asia and considered a delicacy.

All parts of the Death Cap mushroom are poisonous and eating just one of the silky white-to-greenish-brown capped, white-gilled fungi can be fatal.

Eating the mushrooms, an introduced species that grows in southeast Australia, causes vomiting within hours and is potentially fatal within days because the toxin they contain is particularly damaging to the liver. “So you will eventually go into a liver failure and that’s how these individuals would have succumbed to death,” director of the New South Wales Poisons Information Centre Dr Naren Gunja told the ABC. — AFP

Want your kids to do better? Try exercise AMSTERDAM: Children who get more exercise also tend to do better in school, whether the exercise comes as recess, physical education classes or getting exercise on the way to school, according to an international study. The findings, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, come as US schools in general cut physical activity time in favor of more academic test preparation. Amika Singh, who worked on the study, said the findings meant that schools should prioritise both academics and exercise and that families could have the same attitude at home.

“Maybe it’s an activity break, stand up every half an hour in class and do something,” said Singh, from VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam. “It might mean going to school by bike ... Any kind of physical activity you can think of. It doesn’t mean only the physical education standard class.” Singh and her colleagues reviewed 14 studies that compared kids’ physical activity with their grades or scores on math, language and general thinking and memory tests.

Those included two types of reports, such as 10 so-called “observational studies” in which researchers asked parents, teachers or students themselves how active they were, then followed them for a few months to a few years to track their academic performance.

In the four other studies, one group of kids was given extra time for physical education classes and other health and fitness exercises, and their test scores were later compared against a group of

kids who didn’t get extra exercise. When researchers asked students how much time they spent exercising, they found that those with higher rates of physical activity did better in the classroom. Three of the four studies involving an exercise intervention found that students given more exercise time scored higher on measures of academic performance.

In one report from the United States, second and third graders who got an extra 90 minutes of physical activity per week did better on a test of spelling, reading and math, along with gaining less weight over the next three years.

That may be because children are better behaved and can concentrate better when they get enough exercise, or because physical activity improves blood flow to the brain and boosts mood, the researchers wrote.

“There’s obviously the long-term links between physical activity and health,” said Sandy Slater, who has studied recess and physical education at the University of Illinois at Chicago but wasn’t involved in the latest study. “But this is another reason to try to continue to keep some dedicated amount of time for physical education or recess or some other types of physical activity in the school day.”

Recent research has suggested that many US children are not getting the recommended amount of physical education and recess endorsed by the American Heart Association, which includes two and a half hours of physical education a week and 20 minutes of recess every day. — Reuters

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H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

Counting the critters

Keeper Adrian Walls tries to count the penguins at London Zoo yesterday. The zoo is undertaking its annual animal count, as keepers individually count every animal and species at the zoo. The compulsory count is required as part of London Zoo’s license. — AP and AFP photos Maggie the Red Kneed tarantula is counted.

Keeper Caroline Westlake counts the meerkats.

A squirrel monkey eats as he is counted.

A keeper counts penguins.

Zookeeper Dave Clarke poses for photographers with a Jungle Nymph stick insect.

Zookeeper Sarah Dempsey poses for photographers with a waxy tree frog.

A camel spits at zookeeper Tom Lowry during the annual stocktake.

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W H AT ’ S O N

Upcoming events

CBSE Kuwait Cluster Tournament

Aware Center Arabic lessons The AWARE Management is glad to inform you that Winter 1 Arabic language courses will be on until January 12th, 2012. AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed and courses are designed for those wanting to learn Arabic for travel, cultural understanding, and conducting business or simply to become more involved in the community. We cater to teachers, travelers & those working in the private business sector. Arabic classes at the AWARE Center are unique because students are provided with the chance to practice their Arabic through various social activities that aim at bringing Arabs and Westerners together.

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armel school recently conducted a Table Tennis tournament for the under-14 girls. Also the Indian Community School hosted the under-19 boys tourney. All the players played with great zeal and spirit.

The capability in every student was tested at the ping pong table. In the girl’s category, Indian Public School bettered the other schools and took the winner’s trophy. Fahaheel Al-Watanieh Indian Pvt School were the runners-up. In the boy’s category FAIPS bettered IPS and landed the first position. Indian Public School took the second position. The Indian Public School players did exceptionally well and it is indeed another feather in the Indian Public School cap!

AWARE Arabic courses highlight: ● Introductory to Level 4 Arabic language basics ● Better prepare you for speaking, reading and writing Arabic ● Combine language learning with cultural insights ● Taught in multi-nationality group settings ● Provide opportunities to interact with Western expatriates and native Kuwaitis/Arabs.

For more information or registration, call 25335260/80 ext 105/104/0 or log onto: www.aware.com.kw.

Get ready get set - RunQ8 Registrations are now open for RunQ8, the annual 10km charity race to be held on January 21, 2012. Organized by the Fawzia Sultan Rehabilitation Institute (FSRI) and Agility, the race route will run from Marina Crescent in Salmiya along the Gulf Road up to the Third Ring Road and back. The race is aimed at supporting health issues affecting our community and raising awareness around them. In its second year, RunQ8 is promoting road traffic safety. 2011-2021 has been named the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety with a goal to stabilize and then reduce global road traffic fatalities by 2021. In Kuwait, traffic accidents are the third leading cause of mortality and a large number of people and their families are affected by the debilitating effects of injuries caused by road accidents. Last year, the race raised over KWD 50,000 for the Kuwait University’s Community Eye Health Care Initiative that supports Vision 2020, a joint initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). RunQ8 invites all members of the community to join in this initiative and help support road traffic safety in Kuwait. To register contact the FSRI office 25720338 or visit the race websitewww.Runq8.org for more details. There are also pre-race articles and videos produced

by FSRI’s specialized sports trainers, physiotherapists, nutritionists and psychologists to help get you ready for the race. Please see our website www.runQ8.org and our Facebook page for updates on our running and walking clinic, race events, and other initiatives.

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uravilangad Deva Matha College Alumni Association, (KDMCA) Kuwait chapter has released its 2012 calendar. The KDMCA president Johnson Sebastian in a ceremony held recently, handed over the calendar to Pancily Varkey.

KERA Winter Fest on Jan 13

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uwait Ernakulam Residents Association (KERA) is conducting a Winter Fest on Friday, January 13, 2012 at Mangaf Auditorium from 5pm onwards. KERA family members will present cultural programs. For more details call Jomy Augustine (General Convener) 66874364, 66900455

KTMCC marks its 60th anniversary

Dr Bose to speak at NSS celebration

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uwait Town Malayalee Christian Congregation (KTMCC) is an inter-denominational Christian Congregation consisting of five Congregations viz; Marthoma Church, Church of South India (CSI), St Thomas Evangelical Church of India, Pentecostal Church and Brethren Assembly. The 60th year of celebrations will start off with an inaugural function at National Evangelical Church & Parish Hall (NECK) today at 7 pm. The meeting will be chaired by K P Koshy, President of KTMCC. National Evangelical Church President Rev Immanuel Gareeb, English Language Congregation (ELC) representatives Pastor Warrons Reeve, Pastor David Peacock, Jacky Zanstra, George Christostom who was an active member from Kerala, Arab Language Congregation representatives, Priests, Pastors, Leaders, and Elders will also be attending the meeting. This event will be graced by the presence of the renowned famous Christian singer & musician V J Traven who will lead the Praise & Worship session. A special photo exhibition displaying all the golden memorable events of the past 60 years in the history of KTMCC will also be held on this occasion. All are welcome! For more details contact 22435753. Web: www.ktmcc.com E-mail: secretary@ktmcc.com

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top Indian civil service official and eminent orator Dr C V Ananda Bose IAS will be the guest of honor at the Nair Service Society (NSS) Kuwait’s Mannam Jayanthi celebration on Jan 6.

Dr Bose, who is also the head of the prestigious Supreme Court Committee on Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, will deliver a keynote speech during the grand celebration to be held on Friday from 6 pm at Marina Hall, Touristic Park, Abbassiya. Dr Bose is the founder of many innovative movements and institutions such as affordable housing, good governance, science and technology, and in other fields such as Nirmithi Kendra (Building Centre) and District Tourism Council.

NSS Kuwait, the official affiliate of NSS Kerala, is a leading Indian sociocultural organization in Kuwait.

The celebration is held to mark the 135th birth anniversary of Bharatha Kesari Mannathu Padmanabhan, a prominent social reformer, freedomfighter and founder leader of NSS. Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta will inaugurate the function. A leading advocate and member of the Board of Directors of NSS Kerala, N V Ayyappan Pillai, will preside over the function. Pillai is the president of NSS taluk union, Karunagappally and the member of Bar Council of Kerala.

A dazzling classical dance performance by leading South Indian actress Remya Nambeesan will be one of the key attractions of the event. World renowned pianist and composer Stephen Devassy and his band along with playback singer Nikhil Raj will lead a musical concert and fusion on the occasion. Addressing a press conference to announce the Mannam Jayanti celebration, NSS Kuwait President Muralee Krishnan P said NSS Kuwait is one of the largest socio-cultural organization in Kuwait with more than 3,500 people as their members. Others who attended the press briefing included general secretary Manikandan K P, Prasad, Mohana Kaimal and Ravindran Nair.

Admission to the event is restricted to invitees only. For more details, contact: Riggae/Farwaniya 97601637 / 99570668; Abbasiya / Hasawi 94067350/97909965; Abu Halifa/Mahboula 94067350/99865708; Salmiya/Hawally/Kuwait City 65595479/99698168 and Fahaheel/Mangaf/ Ahmadi 66120051/99597046.

SMCA Christmas-New Year celebration

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yro Malabar Cultural Association (SMCA) Christmas New Year celebration will be held tomorrow, January 6 at Delhi Public School, Auditorium, Ahmadi from 3pm till 10pm. Visiting singers Sicily and Antony will lead the concert.

Many other cultural programs are also arranged.

Kala-Kuwait winners

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uwait St James Mar Thoma Church celebrated Parish Day on Jan 1st at National Evangelical Church (NECK) under the helm of Dr Abraham Mar Paulose, Bishop of Delhi dioceses. The program attracted a lot of dignitaries including Rev KG Koshy, Rev A Varughese, Rev Emmanuel Ghareeb, Rev Chacko Thomas, Rev Thomas Koshy and Rev Genil Abraham.

Carnatic lovers rejoice!

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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.

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erala Art Lovers Association (Kala Kuwait) winners of the literary competitions.In poetry competition the first place was secured by Varkey Mathew Eraviperoor, second place went to Parameswaran and third place was shared by Peethan K. Vayanad and Anil Attuva.

In short story competition the first place went to A.P Sajeev, second place was shared by Abdul Lateef Neeleshwaram, Anil Attuva, Seena Rajavikraman and third place went to Shobha Chandran. Literary competitions was judged by Bessy Kadavil, Joyce Davies and Habeeb Rahman. The first prize is RS 5000, second prize RS 3000 and third prize is RS 2000 respectively along with memento prepared by Kala-Kuwait.

PDA family meet

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athanamthitta District Association, Kuwait will be holding a New Year Family Get-together on Thursday 12th January, 2012 at 6.30 for members and families. All members of Pathanamthitta District Association and residents of Pathanamthitta District who are interested to become Association members are hereby invited to attend the Event.† For more details, contact any of the following Office Bearers:- President (99722437), General Secretary ( 66501482). Those who are interested in performing Cultural programs at the event may contact Biju Kumbazha at 66540813

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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.

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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.

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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 (Al-Babtain) Mezzanine (M3) opposite Sharq Mall Kuwait 22924444 Fax: 22924442 Further information are available on the following websites: www.kuwait.diplo.de www.qavisa.com ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF KENYA

GUST honors sports teams

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he Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) Athletic Department held a ceremony to honor all sports teams for their achievements in the year 2010-2011.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr Abdulrahman Al-Muhailan, Dean of Student Life, Dr Mesfer Mesfer and Head of the Athletic Department,

Ahmed Al-Majed, offered some words of encouragement to the teams and praised their achievements.

Following the formal introductions, the teams were honored one by one with a brief introduction of the place they medaled during the 2010/2011 UCC Tournament. The team coaches and members were called up and

each received a medal for their participation in the sports team they belonged to. After the ceremony, students and faculty alike signed the sports ceremony backdrop as a reminder of the achievements and to create a collage of signed memories of all parties involved within the sports tournaments.

The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to request all Kenyans resident in or training through Kuwait to register with the Embassy. We are updating our database. This information is necessary in order to facilitate quick assistance and advise in times of emergency. Kindly visit in person or register through our website www.kenyaembkuwait.com. The Embassy is located in: Surra Area - Block 6 - Street 9 Villa 3 Tel: 25353362 - 25353314; Fax: 25353316.

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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 ■■■■■■■

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.

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Awami League mourns Abdur Razzak’s death

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he Awami League Kuwait mourns the death of a former Awami League Leader and an ex-minister, Abdur Razzak, who died in London recently.

Bangladesh Awami League Kuwait Branch organized a Dwa mahfil on 29th December 2011 at Rajdhani hotel.

The function was presided over by the President of ALK

PDCC Kuwait celebrates 126th ’versary of INC (I)

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ravasee Deseeya Cultural Congress (I) (PDCC) Kuwait celebrated 126th birth anniversary of Indian Nanational Congress (I) (Parent organization India). Central committee president Jacob Channapetta cut the cake and inaugurated the birthday function in Kuwait.

Mohd Sadeq Hossain. Asrak Ali Ferdous conducted the program while Mawlana Qamaruddin Jalalabadi recited the verses from the Quran, followed by a one minute silence for all the great Martyrs of the independence war of 1971.

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 ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF UKRAINE We’d like to inform you that in response to the increasing number of our citizens who work in the state and the need for 24-hour operational telephone in case of emergency the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait has opened “hotline telephone number” (+ 965) 972-79-206.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

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

I’m Alive Animal Cops Houston Wildest Africa Wildest India I’m Alive Dogs 101 Animal Cops Houston Monkey Life Wildlife SOS Gorilla School Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Talk To The Animals The Really Wild Show Breed All About It Dogs 101 Dogs 101 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Bondi Vet Wildlife SOS RSPCA: On The Frontline RSPCA: On The Frontline Animal Cops Houston Wildest Africa Monkey Life Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Talk To The Animals The Really Wild Show Dogs 101 Extraordinary Dogs Extraordinary Dogs Bondi Vet Breed All About It Dogs 101 Wildest Africa Animal Kingdom Animal Kingdom Untamed & Uncut

00:30 Holby City 01:25 EastEnders 01:55 Doctors 02:30 My Family 03:05 After You’ve Gone 03:30 The Green Green Grass 04:00 Balamory 04:20 Jackanory Junior 04:35 Penelope K, By The Way 04:50 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 Casualty 11:10 Untold Stories Of A Royal Bridesmaid 12:00 The Green Green Grass 12:30 My Family 13:00 The Weakest Link 13:45 Eastenders 14:15 Doctors 14:45 Casualty 15:35 Untold Stories Of A Royal Bridesmaid 16:25 The Weakest Link 17:10 Eastenders 17:40 Doctors 18:10 My Family 18:40 dinnerladies 19:10 Elephant Diaries 20:00 The World’s Toughest Driving Tests 20:50 After You’ve Gone 21:20 The Green Green Grass 21:50 Married, Single, Other 22:40 dinnerladies 23:20 Gavin & Stacey 23:50 Casualty

00:25 01:15 01:40 02:00 02:30 02:55 03:45 04:30 05:15 06:05 06:30 06:55 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:55 10:25 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:40 15:30 16:00 16:45 17:30 18:15 18:35 19:00 19:25 19:50 20:20 20:45 21:05 21:55 23:45

Antiques Roadshow James Martin’s Brittany James Martin’s Brittany Indian Food Made Easy Indian Food Made Easy 10 Years Younger Celebrity Fantasy Homes Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow James Martin’s Brittany James Martin’s Brittany Indian Food Made Easy Indian Food Made Easy James Martin’s Brittany Indian Food Made Easy Masterchef Australia Masterchef Australia Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Come Dine With Me 10 Years Younger Masterchef Masterchef Celebrity Fantasy Homes House Swap Bargain Hunt Cash In The Attic USA 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 Antiques Roadshow Masterchef Masterchef

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

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

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

Years

22:35 23:00 23:25 23:55

Dastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Dexters Laboratory

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 T h e 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 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 19:45

THE EAGLE ON OSN ACTION HD

Connect The World Backstory World Sport The Situation Room World Report Anderson Cooper 360 Piers Morgan Tonight Quest Means Business Erin Burnett Outfront World Sport Talk Asia World Report World Report World Sport Eco Solutions World Business Today Backstory Living Golf World One Piers Morgan Tonight News Stream World Business Today International Desk Global Exchange CNN Marketplace Middle East

20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 22:45 23:00

World Sport Living Golf International Desk Quest Means Business CNN Marketplace Europe 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 Gold Rush: Alaska Coal How It’s Made Cake Boss Border Security Auction Hunters Decoding Disaster Decoding Disaster Overhaulin’ Ultimate Survival Mythbusters Cash Cab Us Border Security Auction Hunters How It’s Made How It’s Made Cake Boss Surviving The Cut Miami SWAT Texas Drug Wars

00:40 The Gadget Show 01:05 The Gadget Show 01:35 The Colony 02:25 The Tech Show 02:50 Weird Or What?

03:40 What’s That About?

04:35 How Does That Work?

05:00 How Stuff’s Made 05:25 Superships 06:20 Da Vinci’s Machines 07:10 The Future Of...

08:00 Bad Universe 08:50 How Does That Work?

09:15 How Stuff’s Made 09:40 Weird Or What?

10:35 What’s That About?

11:25 Superships 12:20 Da Vinci’s Machines 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 Da Vinci’s Machines 18:00 The Gadget Show 18:25 The Gadget Show 18:50 Engineered 19:40 Bang Goes The Theory 20:05 Bang Goes The Theory 20:30 Science Of The Movies 21:20 Da Vinci’s Machines 22:10 The World’s Strangest UFO Stories 23:00 Bang Goes The Theory 23:25 Bang Goes The Theory 23:50 Science Of The Movies

00:00 00:25 00:50 01:15 01:35 02:00 02:25 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

00:20 00:35 00:50 01:05 01:15 01:40 01:55 02:10 02:30 02:45

KIM POSSIBLE FAIRLY ODD PARENTS FAIRLY ODD PARENTS STITCH STITCH REPLACEMENTS REPLACEMENTS 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 READ IT AND WEEP HAVE A LAUGH HAVE A LAUGH GOOD LUCK CHARLIE GOOD LUCK CHARLIE GOOD LUCK CHARLIE 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 AVALON HIGH HAVE A LAUGH WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE Good Luck Charlie FISH HOOKS SHAKE IT UP HAVE A LAUGH SHAKE IT UP SHAKE IT UP SHAKE IT UP 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

SPECIAL AGENT OSO SPECIAL AGENT OSO JUNGLE JUNCTION JUNGLE JUNCTION LITTLE EINSTEINS HIGGLYTOWN HEROES HIGGLYTOWN HEROES JO JO’S CIRCUS SPECIAL AGENT OSO 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

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Style Star 01:25 15 Most Shocking Political Sex Scandals 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 Kendra 09:45 Kendra 10:15 THS 12:05 E! News 13:05 Fashion Police 13:35 Extreme Close-Up 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 Ice Loves Coco 17:25 Ice Loves Coco 17:55 E! News 18:55 E!es 19:55 Style Star 20:25 Style Star 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:25 Scouted 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 03:30 03:30 04:00 04:30 05:00 05:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:30 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30

Treks In A Wild World Eye of The Leopard Bluelist Australia Word Travels Cruise Ship Diaries Sharkville Pressure Cook Blowdown Pressure Cook Around The World For Free Megastructures Nomads Sharkville Treks In A Wild World Naked Science Bluelist Australia Eye of The Leopard Word Travels Cruise Ship Diaries Pressure Cook Megastructures Pressure Cook Around The World For Free Killer Dragons Nomads Master of Disaster Treks In A Wild World Megastructures

THE KINGʼS SPEECH ON OSN CINEMA 13:00 13:30 13:30 14:00 14:30 14:30 15:00 15:30 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 19:30 20:00 20:30 20:30 21:00 21:00 21:30 21:30 22:00 22:30 22:30 23:00 23:30 23:30

Bondi Rescue: Bali Bondi Rescue The Border Bondi Rescue Naked Science 2.5 Travel Madness First Ascent Stonehenge Decoded The Best Job In The World David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita David Rocco’s Dolce Vita Megastructures Departures Killer Dragons Bondi Rescue: Bali Bondi Rescue Super Factories Bondi Rescue The Best Job In The World Travel Madness First Ascent The Best Job In The World The Best Job In The World World’s Toughest Fixes David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 Rhino Rescue David Rocco’s Dolce Vita David Rocco’s Dolce Vita Naked Science

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 PG15 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Chicago Overcoat-18 Ninja Assassin-18 The Eagle-PG15 The Morgue-18 Rocky v-PG15 Stonehenge Apocalypse-

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:15 13:15 15:00 17:00 19:15 21:00 23:15

Goodbye Baby-18 Love N’ Dancing-PG15 The Tender Hook-PG15 Hachiko: A Dog’s Story-PG15 Tron: Legacy-PG15 The Eagle-PG15 Make It Happen-PG15 Easy A-PG15 Tron: Legacy-PG15 Brotherhood-PG15 The King’s Speech-PG15 Going The Distance-18

Walled In-PG15 Rocky v-PG15 Arlington Road-PG15 Walled In-PG15 Dead Presidents-18 The Alphabet Killer-18

02:30 The Cleveland Show 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 16:30 The Office 18:00 Friends 18:30 Friends 19:00 30 Rock 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 The Big C 22:30 The Ricky Gervais Show 23:00 The Cleveland Show

01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

True Blood Terriers Once Upon A Time White Collar Good Morning America Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View Once Upon A Time Law & Order: Los Angeles Live Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Psych Love Bites Love Bites Rescue Me White Collar

00:00 01:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

C.S.I. Off The Map True Blood Once Upon A Time Surface C.S.I. How I Met Your Mother Coronation Street Law & Order: Los Angeles Off The Map Once Upon A Time How I Met Your Mother Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Law & Order: Los Angeles C.S.I. Tower Prep The Ellen DeGeneres Show House Psych Love Bites Love Bites Rescue Me Supernatural

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 18 21:00 23:00

Mindhunters-18 Deadtime Stories-R Blood Out-18 Ransom-PG15 The Box-PG15 Fast Lane-PG15 The Three Musketeers-PG15 The Box-PG15 StreetDance-PG15 Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassin’s BallKalifornia-18 Dorothy Mills-18

00:00 Bad News Bears-PG 02:00 Out Cold-PG15 04:00 Big Fat Liar-PG 06:00 Rat-PG 08:00 Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star-PG15 10:00 My Sassy Girl-PG15 12:00 What’s The Worst That Could Happen?-PG15 14:00 A Guy Thing-PG15 16:00 Bad News Bears-PG 18:00 Cop Out-PG15 20:00 Spud-PG15 22:00 Funny People-18

01:30 03:30 05:30 PG15 07:15 09:30 11:15 13:00 14:45 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Midnight Cowboy-18 American History X-18 Moonlight And Valentino-

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 12:45 15:00 17:15 19:00 21:00 23:00

The Rookie-PG15 Unstrung Heroes-PG15 Witness To Jonestown-PG15 On Broadway-PG15 The Remains Of The Day-PG15 Not Since You-PG15 Fierce Creatures-PG15 New York I Love You-18 The Fog Of War-PG15

16:00 The Nutty Professor-FAM 18:00 Lego: The Adventures Of Clutch Powers-FAM 20:00 The Enchanted Mountain-PG 22:00 The Nutty Professor-FAM

02:00 04:15 06:15 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:15 16:15 18:15 20:00 22:15

Jane Eyre-PG15 The Joneses-PG15 Winnie The Pooh-FAM Strength And Honour-PG15 The Chaperone-PG15 Jane Eyre-PG15 Tangled-FAM The Chaperone-PG15 My Last Five Girlfriends-PG15 Ironclad-18 Saint John Of Las Vegas-18

00:00 01:00 02:00 02:30 09:30 10:00 13:00 20:00 21:00

Trans World Sport WWE Bottom Line Volvo Ocean Race Highlights Live Test Cricket Aquabikes Cricket Twenty20 Test Cricket UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC 141

00:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 00:30 European Tour Weekly 01:30 Trans World Sport 02:30 Live Test Cricket 09:30 European Tour Weekly 10:00 World Cup of Pool 11:00 World Pool Masters 12:00 US Bass Fishing 13:00 Test Cricket 20:00 Futbol Mundial 20:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 21:00 European Tour Weekly 21:30 Trans World Sport 22:30 Dubai World Cup

00:00 Trans World Sport 01:00 Scottish Premier League 03:00 World Cup of Pool 04:00 World Pool Masters 05:00 US Bass Fishing 06:00 Futbol Mundial 06:30 SPL Highlights 07:00 Trans World Sport 08:00 PDC World Darts Championship 12:00 European Tour Weekly 13:00 Trans World Sport 14:00 ICC Cricket World 14:30 World Hockey 15:00 SPL Highlights 15:30 Futbol Mundial 16:00 European Tour Weekly 16:30 Trans World Sport 17:30 Horse Racing 21:30 European PGA Tour

The Dry Land-18 One Hot Summer-PG15 Who Is Clark Rockefeller-PG The Making Of Plus One-PG15 Prom-PG15 Astro Boy-FAM The Parent Trap-PG The Lovely Bones-PG15 Prom-PG15 Shanghai-PG15 The King’s Speech-PG15 Somewhere-18

01:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 14:30 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00

V8 Supercars Championship Speedway Intercontinental Le Mans Cup UFC Unleashed WWE SmackDown Speedway FIM World Intercontinental Le Mans Cup V8 Supercars Championship Euro Tour Review of the Year Euro Tour Weekly Live PGA European Tour WWE This Week WWE NXT UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC 141

00:00 Micropolis-PG15 02:00 Winner & The Golden Child: Part I-PG15 04:00 How The Grinch Stole Christmas-PG15 06:00 Winner & The Golden Child: Part II-PG15 08:00 Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore-PG 10:00 Lego: The Adventures Of Clutch Powers-FAM 12:00 Turtle Hero: Part I-FAM 14:00 Winner & The Golden Child: Part II-PG15

00:40 02:30 04:25 05:55 08:00 09:40 11:10 12:40 14:20 16:00 17:55 19:50 21:25 23:00

All Fall Down Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid Never Let Me Go-FAM Little Women-FAM Adam’s Rib-FAM Invitation To The Dance-FAM Lassie Come Home-FAM Jezebel-FAM Three Little Words-FAM Logan’s Run-PG Boom Town-PG Flipper’s New Adventure-FAM Manhattan Melodrama-PG My Favorite Year-PG

Classifieds THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR PIA JZR QTR ETH MEA ETH THY UAE QTR DHX MSR FDB ETD GFA KAC THY DHX FAH JZR JZR BAW KAC AFR KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD FDB GFA FCX IRA RBG KNE JZR RKM IRM MEA KAC MSR JZR SVA CLX KAC GFA MSR SYR FDB KAC UAL IRC QTR KNE SVA RJA ABY KAC JZR KAC QTR JZR IYE JZR ETD UAE KAC GFA SVA JZR RBG ABY JZR ALK JZR FDB KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC AIC KAC KAC KAC FDB JAI OMA DHX GRF MEA GFA QTR UAE JZR SAI JZR UAL AXB DLH

Arrival Flights on Thursday 5/1/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 205 LAHORE/PESHAWER 539 CAIRO 6130 DOHA 2620 ADDIS ABABA 400 BEIRUT 620 ADDIS ABABA 772 ISTANBUL 853 DUBAI 138 DOHA 370 BAHRAIN 612 CAIRO 67 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 211 BAHRAIN 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 201 DUBAI 555 ALEXANDRIA 529 ASSIUT 157 LONDON 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 6702 PARIS 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 302 MUMBAI 362 COLOMBO 344 CHENNAI 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 301 ABU DHABI 55 DUBAI 213 BAHRAIN 203 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 3555 ALEXANDRIA 839 JEDDAH 165 DUBAI 310 RAS ALKHAIMAH 5066 MASHAD 404 BEIRUT 382 DELHI 610 CAIRO 201 DAMASCUS 9421 JEDDAH 792 LUXEMBOURG 672 DUBAI 219 BAHRAIN 621 ASSIUT 341 DAMASCUS 57 DUBAI 790 MEDINAH 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 6791 MASHAD 140 DOHA 745 JEDDAH 500 JEDDAH 640 AMMAN 123 SHARJAH 284 DHAKA 257 BEIRUT 546 ALEXANDRIA 134 DOHA 561 SOHAG 824 SANAA/DOHA 213 DEIREZZOR/ALEPPO 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 550 SHARM EL SHEIKH/SOHAG 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 269 BEIRUT 3564 ASSIUT 127 SHARJAH 777 JEDDAH 227 COLOMBO/DUBAI 177 DUBAI 63 DUBAI 542 CAIRO 618 DOHA 787 RIYADH 786 JEDDAH 614 BAHRAIN 674 DUBAI 975 CHENNAI/GOA 166 PARIS/ROME 102 NEW YORK/LONDON 774 RIYADH 61 DUBAI 572 MUMBAI 647 MUSCAT 372 BAHRAIN 81 BAGHDAD 402 BEIRUT 217 BAHRAIN 136 DOHA 859 DUBAI 135 BAHRAIN 441 LAHORE 239 AMMAN 981 BAHRAIN 393 KOZHIKODE/COCHIN 636 FRANKFURT

Time 0:20 0:25 0:50 1:15 1:15 1:40 1:45 2:15 2:35 2:40 2:55 3:00 3:05 3:10 3:15 4:40 4:50 5:15 5:30 6:00 6:20 6:40 6:45 7:00 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:20 8:25 8:30 9:00 9:05 9:15 9:20 9:55 10:30 10:40 10:45 11:05 11:20 11:45 11:50 11:55 12:45 12:55 13:00 13:05 13:15 13:20 13:25 13:30 13:45 13:50 14:00 14:05 14:20 14:20 14:25 14:30 14:40 14:45 15:00 15:00 15:20 15:25 16:10 16:35 16:45 16:50 16:55 17:10 17:15 17:20 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:15 18:40 18:50 18:55 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:35 19:40 20:00 20:10 20:15 21:00 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:40 23:50

Airlines UAL AXB BBC AIC DLH PIA ETH MEA KAC ETH QTR THY GRF KAC FDB UAE DHX MSR ETD MSR QTR THY JZR GFA JZR FDB KAC BAW AFR KAC JZR KAC KAC JZR JZR UAE ABY ETD KAC FDB QTR KAC GFA RBG JZR IRA FCX KNE KAC JZR KAC RKM MEA IRM KAC JZR MSR SVA GFA MSR FDB SYR CLX KAC KNE UAL IRC ABY RJA KAC SVA JZR KAC KAC QTR JZR IYE ETD JZR QTR UAE GFA RBG ABY KAC SVA JZR JZR ALK FDB JZR KAC FDB DHX KAC KAC JAI OMA KAC DHX MEA GFA FAH QTR JZR KAC UAE KAC JZR KAC SAI

Departure Flights on Thursday 5/1/2012 Flt Route 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 390 MANGALORE/KOZHIKODE 44 DHAKA 982 AHMEDABAD/HYDERABAD/ 637 FRANKFURT 206 LAHORE 2621 ADDIS ABABA 401 BEIRUT 283 DHAKA 621 ADDIS ABABA 6131 DOHA 773 ISTANBUL 94 DUBAI/KANDAHAR 381 DELHI 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 613 CAIRO 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 771 ISTANBUL 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 200 DAMASCUS 54 DUBAI 545 ALEXANDRIA 156 LONDON 6702 DUBAI/HONG KONG 671 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 549 SHARM EL SHEIKH/SOHAG 789 MEDINAH 560 SOHAG 212 ALEPPO/DEIREZZOR 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 302 ABU DHABI 117 NEW YORK 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 177 FRANKFURT/GENEVA 214 BAHRAIN 3563 ASSIUT 268 BEIRUT 602 SHIRAZ 204 DUBAI 840 MEDINAH/JEDDAH 541 CAIRO 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 311 RAS ALKHAIMAH 405 BEIRUT 5065 MASHAD 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 2321 JEDDAH 220 BAHRAIN 622 ASSIUT 58 DUBAI 342 DAMASCUS 792 VIETNAM 673 DUBAI 746 JEDDAH 982 BAHRAIN 6792 MASHAD 124 SHARJAH 641 AMMAN 617 DOHA 503 MEDINAH/JEDDAH 786 RIYADH 613 BAHRAIN 773 RIYADH 141 DOHA 238 AMMAN 824 SANAA 304 ABU DHABI 538 CAIRO 135 DOHA 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 3556 ALEXANDRIA 128 SHARJAH 153 ISTANBUL 511 RIYADH 266 BEIRUT 134 BAHRAIN 228 DUBAI/COLOMBO 64 DUBAI 184 DUBAI 361 COLOMBO 62 DUBAI 171 BAHRAIN 331 TRIVANDRUM 351 COCHIN 571 MUMBAI 648 MUSCAT 543 CAIRO 373 BAHRAIN 403 BEIRUT 218 BAHRAIN 102 DUBAI 137 DOHA 554 ALEXANDRIA 301 MUMBAI 860 DUBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 502 LUXOR 415 KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA 442 LAHORE

Time 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:05 1:20 1:25 2:15 2:40 2:40 2:45 2:45 3:15 3:30 3:30 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 4:00 4:00 4:55 5:50 6:55 7:00 7:30 8:25 8:30 8:40 8:45 9:00 9:00 9:15 9:25 9:30 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:10 10:35 10:40 11:25 11:25 11:40 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:15 12:30 12:50 12:55 13:20 13:40 13:50 13:55 14:05 14:20 14:30 14:35 14:45 14:45 15:05 15:10 15:20 15:20 15:25 15:35 15:40 15:45 15:50 16:20 16:25 16:30 17:15 17:35 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:10 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:45 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:55 20:20 20:40 21:00 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:55 22:00 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:35 23:45 23:50

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

50513599 ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available, Gnadeer Clinic, Bahrain street, Salmiya, near big jamiya. Contact: 66792392, 66047295, 60625120. (C 3807) 4-1-2012 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

FOR SALE Used furniture for immediate sale, Salmiya, wardrobe, bed (queen size without mattress) with 2 side drawers, TV table and computer table. Please contact 66589044. (C 3810) 5-1-2012 For sale Sony TV 21”, two wall fan, 8’ Dish for TV, small table. Contact: 66625253.

(C 3805) 3-1-2012

CHANGE OF NAME I, Pokala Eswara Reddy, Passport No: E1090304, hereby declare that with my free consent I have embraced Islam on 22-52006 in the state of Kuwait and I have changed my name as MUHAMMED ISLAM. (C 3811) I, Modem Ramanjaneyulu, Passport No: J5550040, hereby declare that with my free consent I have embraced Islam on 26-72010 in the State of Kuwait and I have changed my name as SUHAIL. (C 3812) I, Balla Yedu Kondalu, Passport No: E2221790, hereby declare that with my free consent I have embraced Islam on 02-62003 in the State of Kuwait and I have changed my name as AHMED. (C 3813) 5-1-2012

TUITION Mathematics teacher, Intermediate and secondary Exams models, Easy method, Exams from past years with solutions. 97301901

Islamic education teacher for elementary and intermediate stages. Experienced in Kuwait curricula. Easy explanation, and summary of the subject, training for exams.

66292985

LOST It is notified for information that my original certificate of secondary school exam year 2001 roll no. 6101726 pass out from CBSE, Delhi has been actually lost.

Saima Niamatullah. Mobile: 96566495067.

(C 3808)

English teacher (3) years experience, looking for a job and ready to start with all educational stages.

55963993

Syrian Arabic language teacher for elementary and intermediate stages.

Experienced in following learning difficulties, and those weak in reading and writing. 97264100

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

Female senior Mathematics teacher with more that 30 years experience in Kuwait, to teach secondary, intermediate and elementary stages.

Religious and applied, communications and navigation institutions, special courses and secretariat institution.

97926737

Senior Biology teacher for secondary stage. Biology for University students and foreign schools, sciences of intermediate stage and 10th grade physics.

Computer teacher for secondary and intermediate.

Practical on laptop, power point projects, front page, visual basic data, universities and applied institutions.

50603063

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

SITUATION VACANT

For rent in Farwaniya, basement 700m, car parking.

66920123

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

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 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”.

No: 15319

It is notified for information that my original certificate of Sr Sec exam year 2003 roll 620116 pass out from CBSE Delhi has been lost.

Saima Niamatuallah. Mobile 96566495067. (C 3809) 5-1-2012

FOR RENT

34

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 547

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Procrastination is not all bad. Sometimes that extra push on the throttle just floods the engine or spins the wheels. Let it rest a bit. A good plan of action will emerge soon. There is a natural tendency to experience some delays at this time, which may be the cause of some frustration.

However, like the little train that climbed the mountain—you can see this day through to the end and walk away with many accomplishments. You may find yourself in deep discussions about the world and the progress of different countries or technologies. Taxes, investments and other financial ties or obligations may grab your attention as well. Get outside, weather permitting of course, and enjoy some fresh air this evening.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Allow for delays today—exercise patience. Some people do not care for challenges, but if you did not have challenges in your life it would be easy for you to become bored. Today you will be able to show off your problem-solving abilities. If you are humble in your attempt to help others, you will make many friends. If you are looking for the answer to a haunting problem from the past, you will find it now. This can be a lucrative time for you, but there are risks as well as rewards. A good example of this might be an investment in the stock market that looks as though it may be on an upswing.

You are motivated to give some personal time to a family member this evening.

A healing of emotions may take place tonight.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. The sign language used in the United States.

4. An ancient Hebrew unit of dry measure equal to about a bushel.

9. United States labor organizer who ran for President as a socialist (1855-1926).

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

14. Poor enough to need help from others.

15. A feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause).

16. An ugly evil-looking old woman.

17. An Arab country on the peninsula of Qatar.

18. A river in central Europe that arises in northwestern Czechoslovakia and flows northward through Germany to empty into the North Sea. 19. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

21. Plant bearing large mild thick-walled usually bell-shaped fruits.

24. An edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle.

25. A state in northwestern North America.

26. Small pointed structure serving as a skeletal element in various marine and freshwater invertebrates e.g. sponges and corals.

30. A unit of heat equal to the amount of heat required to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit at one atmosphere pressure.

33. A cord that is drawn through eyelets or around hooks in order to draw together two edges (as of a shoe or garment).

34. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

38. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

40. A federal agency that supervises carriers that transport goods and people between states.

41. A genus of Ploceidae.

44. A metrical unit with unstressed-stressed syllables.

47. Large west African tree having large palmately lobed leaves and axillary cymose panicles of small white flowers and onewinged seeds.

50. (Irish) Chief god of the Tuatha De Danann.

54. A state in the southeastern United States on the Gulf of Mexico.

57. (sociology) The conventions that embody the fundamental values of a group.

58. A rule made by a local authority to regulate its own affairs.

60. The universal time coordinated when an event is received on Earth.

61. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

64. A primeval personification of air and breath.

65. Of or relating to a member of the Buddhist people inhabiting the Mekong river in Laos and Thailand.

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

67. A small cake leavened with yeast.

DOWN 1. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

2. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

3. The act of slowing down or falling behind.

4. (Sumerian) Legendary friend of Gilgamish.

5. Small beads made from polished shells and formerly used as money by native Americans.

6. Made warm or hot.

7. (Babylonian) A demigod or first man.

8. Any of several small ungulate mammals of Africa and Asia with rodent-like incisors and feet with hooflike toes.

9. Distinguished from Bovidae by the male's having solid deciduous antlers.

10. (Norse mythology) Goddess of old age who defeated Thor in a wrestling match.

11. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds.

12. Marked by quiet and caution and secrecy.

20. Small European freshwater fish with a slender bluish-green body.

22. Having nine hinged bands of bony plates.

23. A rechargeable battery with a nickel cathode and a cadmium anode.

27. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

28. A digital display that uses liquid crystal cells that change reflectivity in an applied electric field.

29. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

31. A soft gray malleable metallic element that resembles tin but discolors on exposure to air.

32. A type of submachine gun that is designed and manufactured in Israel.

35. The cry made by sheep.

36. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

37. Being ten more than one hundred ninety.

39. Small cubes with 1 to 6 spots on the faces.

42. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

43. A member of a widespread group of Amerindians living in northeastern South America.

45. Designer drug designed to have the effects of amphetamines (it floods the brain with serotonin) but to avoid the drug laws.

46. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

48. The square of a body of any size of type.

49. The seventh month of the Moslem calendar.

51. Pasture grass of plains of South America and western North America.

52. The brightest star in Cygnus.

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

55. A small constellation in the northern hemisphere near Cygnus and Draco.

56. Of or being the lowest female voice.

59. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

62. A Mid-Atlantic state.

63. A silvery soft waxy metallic element of the alkali metal group.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You feel very good about yourself today—others tend to support your self-confidence. If you enjoy your work, this is a good day to expand your horizons. If you consider your job little more than drudgery, this is a good time to begin a vacation or to make vacation plans. You may find yourself reviewing some sales technique or some old project this afternoon. This is the best time to clear away the debris. You may insist that whatever does not contribute to security and other long-term goals are trivial. Your ambition is intensified. This evening you may enjoy a good movie, book or perhaps a computer game that you have not had a chance to investigate. You enjoy sharing your game with a family member and may have to keep track of the time.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

You make all the moves and seem to have the last say in situations today. This is fun for a while but carries a lot of responsibility.

Everything points to your taking the initiative. This is a great time to be with others and to work together. You may be sought after as just the person for a particular job.

You could feel great support from those around you. You are very aware of other people and their needs. Your receptiveness to the input from others may encourage them to ask for your help. Doing so should give you a great sense of satisfaction. Spiritual matters are highlighted and it is not enough merely to understand what something is—you need to know what it means. You may be able to feel especially kind toward a friend or loved one this afternoon.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Ambition, practicality and achievement are admirable, but they are means to an end—not ends in themselves. It is important that you share the responsibilities to complete an old project now. If you can be a bit flexible, you will see successful results from most anything you try to involve yourself with now. Your focus and self-discipline are admirable and others may want some advice on how to do what you do. It is time to build a solid foundation for yourself. This may mean in the workplace, home or in a volunteer organization. Whatever the case, a spirit of cooperation is the most important asset. There may be a little scattered energy today but you will come across as very organized. You can relax with friends tonight.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You may be reminded of your various responsibilities at this time. You are able to cut through the red tape and find exactly what is needed to solve most problems. In-depth discussions and probing conversations find you at your mental best. Your analytical abilities are at a high point.

Lunchtime is a good time to get down to the basics and take care of some personal business you had set aside. Past obligations may come to your attention. A meeting with someone older or in authority is insightful. Harmony with friends and loved ones is the order of the day. A healing between neighbors is possible this afternoon. You will enjoy socializing or just spending time with a loved one tonight. This is a good time to try to improve your love life.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Spend some extra time to study a special problem today.

There is much too much rushing and the time is not right to move on a special project just yet. Contracts and ventures need to be analyzed carefully, making sure that all signatures, dates and addresses are correct. You are very aware of other people and their needs. Your receptivity to input from others may encourage them to ask for your help. Doing so should give you a great sense of satisfaction. Spiritual matters are highlighted—it is not enough merely to understand what something is; you need to know what it means. You may decide to join a choir or take some sort of creative lessons in the evening. This could also involve you and another member of your family.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Work moves along well today, although there could be a few delays. This may be an important time to change a delivery company, particularly if this is one of many times a delay has happened. A massage set up for later in the day will help to alleviate some of the stress you have recently been experiencing. This afternoon you may find that groups have gathered for ideas on how to help people in need. There is talk of needing a senior math or reading mentor program, recruiting retirees as volunteers would actually be benefiting many. This volunteer work is for helping young people learn the basics or helping the elderly maintain a sharp mind. This volunteer work is within your expertise and will fill you with a great deal of satisfaction.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

You should find no problem in communicating with regar This is a productive day. Your creativity is called on and you are full of ideas that are helpful and bring quick results. You could come up with new solutions. Your schedule was so full last year there was hardly time to refurbish your energies. Consider cutting some of your work and study activities to leave some open time for relaxation. A luncheon will help you find some helpful hints and advice. There is a tendency to be too strict and to insist that whatever does not contribute to security and other long-term goals is trivial. The current flow of energies is upbeat and now is the time to blend in a fitness routine. This will improve your stamina and help your endurance on the job and in the lecture hall—whether you are listening or teaching.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

A perfect balance between your career needs and personal needs should bring about an inner peace today that you rarely get a chance to enjoy. The lighter side of you usually has to struggle with the more serious side of you. In addition, you have a super-sensitive awareness of the moods and needs of others; making this an excellent time to run seminars or work with groups. Do not skip any breaks—take this allotted time to recharge your energy. You may find yourself serving to guide someone younger than you in matters of importance this afternoon. You could also perceive how to precede with plans and decisions in regard to your life goals. Any problems you encounter should have easy solutions. You socialize with friends this evening.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Negotiations and persuasions to change or update an old technical way of doing things are met with success this morning. This clarity is a bit unusual just now. You do not have to draw a picture to get your message over to others—communications are clear. In-depth thinking brings success with work of a mental nature. Your intuition will prove valuable in a business meeting after lunch. Work is definitely on the back burner this afternoon, although you could be inspired to do something to beautify your home or surroundings. You enjoy being around people in general, but the rapport between you and your significant other is especially strong at this time. With this understanding, you both can be nurturing without being pushy.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

Today is an easy, relaxing day if you avoid extremes. You are inclined to expect that the world will come to you; do not expect too much. It is important to pay attention to the way you handle stress. You are more successful in the workplace than most when it comes to sharp minds. It is important that you have an awareness of your stress level and positive ways to balance it. Begin to develop and increase the time you are in-touch with the spiritual side of yourself.

Moneymaking ideas do not interest you but substantial ways to increase your income or investments is where you are focused this afternoon. A friend’s scheme may actually turn you in a direction that will help you to increase your savings. You enjoy the family this evening.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

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 ATE T GEN GENERAL NERAL OF CIVIL AVIATION AV VIA ATION T METEOROLOGICAL L DEP DEPARTMENT PARTMENT A DA AY: Y W DAY: Wednesday ednesday e

WWW .MET.GOV V.KW . W WWW.MET.GOV.KW

04/01/2012

Ministry of Interior

Ext.: 26 2627 627 - 2630

Fax: 24348714

Time Issue T ime

19:00

Expected Weather Weeather for the Next 24 2 Hours

website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

BY Y NIGHT: NIGHT:

Cold with light to moderate north h westerly wind, with speed of 12 - 32 km/h and some sc scattered cattered clouds will appear a

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

BY Y DAY: DA AY:

Mostly Most tly sunny with light to moder moderate rate north westerly wind, wi with th speed of 08 - 28 km/h

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

WARNING W ARNING A

No Current W Warnings aarnin ngs

STATION ST TAT TION

MAX. REC.

MIN. MIN N. EXP. EXP P.

Al-Mangaf

23711183

KUWAIT KUW WA AIT CITY

18 °C

1 °C 10

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

KUWAIT KUW WA AIT AIRPORT AIRPOR RT

18 °C

0 °C 06

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

NUWAISEEB NUW WAISEEB A

20 °C

0 °C 06

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

WAFRA W A AFRA

19 °C

06 0 °C

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

SALMI

16 °C

05 0 °C

Chest Hospital

24849400

ABDALY ABDAL LY

18 °C

0 °C 06

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

ALIYAH JAL ALIY YA AH

17 °C

0 °C 05

Adan Hospital

23940620

FAILAKA F AILAKA A

19 °C

0 °C 09

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

11 °C 11

24846000

PORT AHMADI POR RT

18 °C

Al-Razi Hospital Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

AL-MARADEM UMM AL-MARAD DEM

17 °C

1 °C 14

W A ARBA A - BUBY YA AN WARBA BUBYAN

19 °C

0 °C 06

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

SFC. CHAR CHART RT

04/01/2012 120 1200 00 UTC

POLICE STATION

4 DAYS DA AY YS FORECAST Temperatures T emperatures DAY DA AY

DA DATE AT TE

WEA WEATHER AT THER R

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Wind Speed

Wind Direction Direction Wind

Thursday

05/01

sunny

19 °C

06 °C

NW

08 - 28 km/h

Friday

06/01

cloudy partly cloud dy

23 °C

12 °C

SE

15 - 40 km/h

Saturday

07/01

partly cloudy + scat ttered rain scattered

24 °C

15 °C

SE-NW

12 - 32 km/h

Sunday

08/01

partly cloudy + scattered d thunder rain

25 °C

16 °C

SE

15 - 40 km/h

PRAYER P PRA AYER Y TIMES

RECORDED RECORDE ED YESTERDAY YESTERDA AY AT AT KUW KUWAIT WAIT A AIRPORT AIRPOR RT

Fajr

05:19

MAX. Temp.

M Temp.

20 °C

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Sunrise

06:43

MIN. Temp.

M Temp.

08 °C

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Zuhr

1 1:53 11:53

MAX. M RH

74 %

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

lifestyle G O S S I P

‘Oprah’s Next Chapter’ premiere gives OWN ratings boost s there hope for Oprah Winfrey’s floundering OWN yet? The two-hour premiere of Winfrey’s new series “Oprah’s Next Chapter” gave OWN its highest ratings for a Sunday premiere since the network’s January 2011 launch weekend, scoring a 1.1 rating in the network’s target women 25-54 demographic and 1.1 million total viewers. Sunday night’s debut of the series, which aired from 9 to 11 pm, featured Winfrey interviewing Aerosmith rocker-turned-”American Idol” judge Steven Tyler at his Lake Sunapee, NH, residence. To put Sunday night’s numbers in context, the “Oprah’s Next Chapter” premiere represented a 463 percent increase in the demo over the network’s December 2011 average in that time period. Only the premiere of “Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes,” which aired on Jan 1, 2011, has scored better than the “Next Chapter” premiere, drawing a 1.11 in the demo and 1.2 million total viewers. Upcoming episodes of the interview series will find Winfrey touring Skywalker Ranch with “Star Wars” maestro George Lucas, taking part in a slumber party at celebrity cook Paula Deen’s estate in Georgia, and visiting Haiti with Sean Penn to survey how the nation is faring since the devastating 2010 earthquake.

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‘American Idol’ finalist James Durbin marries

merican Idol” finalist James Durbin has married longtime girlfriend Heidi Lowe in a New Year’s Eve ceremony at the edge of a California redwood forest. The couple says in a statement that the wedding in a Santa Cruz Mountains chapel was a perfect way to kick off 2012. The Contra Costa Times (http://bit.ly/vOxulV ) reports the 85 guests

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included their 2-year-old son, Hunter, who was the ring bearer.

Other guests included fellow “American Idol” alums Haley Reinhart, Stefano Langone and Casey Abrams. The “Idol” season 10 finalist turns 23 on Friday. His debut album, “Memories of a Beautiful Disaster,” was released in November. Durbin is from nearby Santa Cruz.

Murray asked to return California medical license ichael Jackson’s former doctor, convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the singer’s 2009 death, has been asked by the California Medical Board to return his license, an official said on Tuesday. Dr Conrad Murray was formally asked on Dec 29 to surrender the medical certificate as a result of his felony conviction, said Dan Wood, a spokesman for the medical board. The physician was convicted in November of causing Jackson’s death in a manslaughter case that cen-

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tered on Murray’s use of the powerful anesthetic propofol to help the singer sleep. Authorities said the propofol combined with sedatives caused Jackson, 50, to stop breathing and die at his Los Angeles mansion. Murray, who was sentenced to four years behind bars, remains in jail and has until the middle of this month to return the certificates, Wood said. Following that, the California Medical Board will at a later date move to revoke Murray’s medical license, Wood said.

Arquette to play Buckley’s mother

atricia Arquette will play the mother of Jeff Buckley in Jake Scott’s biopic, “Mystery White Boy,” TheWrap has confirmed. Arquette will play Mary Guibert, the widow of singer/songwriter Tim Buckley, Jeff Buckley’s father. The size of her role has not been made known. The film is currently in preproduction in Memphis, where Jeff Buckley accidentally drowned in May 1997. He was 30. Jeff Buckley will be played by Reeve Carney, star of “Snow Falling on Cedars” and the Broadway musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.” Carney is also a skilled musician; his band, Carney, opened for U2 and the Arcade Fire at a concert earlier this year. The cast also features John Patrick Amedori as Michael Tighe, a singer/songwriter who performed and wrote songs with Jeff Buckley. Like Carney, Jake Scott-the son of Ridley Scott-has music-industry affiliations. He previously directed videos by U2, R.E.M. and Radiohead. “Mystery White Boy”-which is the name of a 2000 collection of Jeff Buckley’s live recordings-is written

by Ryan Jaffe (“The Rocker”) and based off David Browne’s book “Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley.” It is being produced by Michelle Sy and Orian Williams, co-executive produced by Amy Vaughan King and executive produced by Guibert. “Mystery White Boy” is not to be confused with the biopic “Greetings From Tim Buckley,” which is also in the works. The news about her casting as Guibert was originally reported by Variety.

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‘Skyfall’ launches with new images of 007 t’s time to spy some fresh images of 007. A new James Bond site, www.007.com, was launched Tuesday in anticipation of the release of “Skyfall,” the franchise’s 23rd movie. The site also celebrates the 50th anniversary of Bond movies. (The first one, “Dr No,” came out in 1962.) The site features a brief introductory video with co-producer Michael G Wilson, who thanks fans for their continued support of the franchise. It also contains some brief glimpses of Bond aiming a huge gun. The site promises exclusive content, to be rolled out over the course of the year. “Skyfall,” which is set to debut in the US on Nov 9, stars Daniel Craig in his third go-’round as James Bond. It also stars Javier Bardem, Albert Finney, Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Ralph Fiennes.

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Franco is publishing his first novel

Scorsese to receive UK’s BAFTA fellowship “R

aging Bull” director Martin Scorsese will be honored with a fellowship by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) at the organization’s annual awards ceremony on Feb 12.

The fellowship, BAFTA’s highest honor, recognizes a lifetime’s contribution to film, and previous recipients include Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg and Laurence Olivier. “Martin Scorsese is a legend in his lifetime; a true inspiration to all young directors the world over,” said BAFTA chairman Tim Corrie.

Scorsese, also a producer and screenwriter who made acclaimed movies including “Taxi Driver” and “Gangs of New York”, has been nominated nine times for a BAFTA, Britain’s equivalent of the Oscars. The 69-year-old has won three times, all in 1991 for “Goodfellas”. He also had a string of Oscar nominations before finally winning a statuette for his 2006 picture “The Departed”. As well as adult dramas, Scorsese is behind several documentaries about music and musicians and his last film was the 3D family adventure “Hugo”. Nominations for the 2012 BAFTAs will be announced on Jan 17 with the winners unveiled at London’s Royal Opera House on Feb 12.

he ‘127 Hours’ star has sold the book ‘Actors Anonymous’, which is said to be loosely on his life, to online retailer Amazon, eschewing the normal publishing route. Although the tome is his debut novel, it is not his first book - he previously released a collection of short stories entitled ‘Palo Alto’. The new deal was brokered by his literary agent Richard Abate of 3 Arts. James is well renowned for his love of changing his work constantly, in addition to his acting career, he also hosted the Academy Awards in 2010 with

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Anne Hathaway - amid much criticism and in November announced he was planning to shoot and direct a fashion campaign for Seven For All Mankind. He has also previously made an amateur sex tape, although he was not happy with the results. He said: “When I was young, it’s not like I went down to Van Nuys and tried to break into the porn industry, I got a video camera and my girlfriend and I decided to film ourselves. And we watched it back and said, ‘Yeah, let’s never watch that again.’ “— Agencies

Cannon hospitalized with ‘ mild kidney failure’ ick Cannon has been hospitalized with “mild kidney failure”. The ‘America’s Got Talent’ presenter was taken to a hospital in Aspen Colorado yesterday with abdominal pains and is now being treated by medical staff for the condition. Writing on her official website, Mariah revealed: “We’re trying to be as festive as possible under the circumstances but please keep Nick in your thoughts because this is very painful. They tried to kick me out of the hospital but here I am pon de bed with Mr C (sic)” “We’re doing OK but we’re stranded in Aspen. I know, we could be in a lot worse places, but the truth is as long as we’re together, we’re OK.” The 41-year-old singer’s post was accompanied by a photograph of her nursing Nick, 31, and giving him a drink as he lay in his hospital bed. Mariah - who has eight-month-old twins Moroccan and Monroe with her husband - has asked her fans to pray for Nick to make a speedy recovery. She added: “I’m not trying to make light out of the situation because it’s a serious moment that’s very tough on all of us. So please keep us and our family in your prayers.”

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

lifestyle M U S I C

&

M O V I E S

Why Daniel Craig is the real ‘girl’ in ‘Dragon Tattoo’ W

hat happened to 007? In “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” the swaggering, ladykilling Daniel Craig is practically a damsel in distress. As investigative reporter Mikael Blomkvist, Craig leaves the gun-slinging and bareknuckle beating to his sleuthing partner, Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara).

In a pivotal scene, it is Craig who is tied up by a serial killer. The film implies that he would join a long list of victims were it not for a golf club wielded by Salander. Throughout the ordeal, he barely puts up a fight. It’s left to Salander to ask as the villain escapes from his torture chamber, “May I kill him?” Over the course of the nearly three-hour mystery, Salander will also beat up a hapless mugger and exact gruesome revenge on a rapist. In contrast, Craig’s Blomkvist is shot at, nearly vomits at the sight of a mutilated pet, and never lifts anything more dangerous than a pen-which in David Fincher’s adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s crime novel is a lot less mighty than the sword or even Salander’s cursor.

In a refreshing change of pace, Craig’s female cohort is physically and mentally superior. Too often, it seems, mainstream movies force actresses to twiddle their thumbs until their male costars can save or seduce them. Not this time. As David Denby notes in his New Yorker review of the film, “In this movie, [Craig] is modest, quiet, even rather recessive. It’s Mara’s shot at stardom, and he lets her have it.” It’s as if he’s playing, in sexist movie

Look who’s sporting a big smile behind his mask on

File photo shows people line up to enter the Foxwoods Theatre for a matinee showing of ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,’ in New York. —AP

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roadway - none other than the once-mocked Spider-Man. The Broadway League reported Tuesday that “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” took in a whopping $2,941,790 over nine performances last week, which is the highest single-week gross of any show in Broadway history. The musical shattered the old record held by “Wicked,” which last January recorded the then-highest one -week take on Broadway with a $2,228,235 haul, though over an eight-show week.

“We knew the possibility,” said Michael Cohl, one of the lead producers of “Spider-Man” along with Jeremiah “Jere” Harris. “I don’t think that Jere or I really thought we’d ever get there but we’re ecstatic that we did.” While the eight-versus-nine show disparity gives “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” something of an asterisk, the Spider-Man producers pointed out that headto-head last week with “Wicked” over nine shows each, their musical handily won. “Wicked” took in $2,712,535 last week. Both shows’ haul reflect the use of premium seating, in which producers charge higher prices for certain days and certain seats. Also, “Wicked,” which is performed at the Gershwin Theatre, has about 100 seats less than the 1,930-seat Foxwoods Theatre, home of the superhero musical.

The stunt-heavy Spider-Man show, which at $75 million makes it the costliest ever on Broadway, muscled to the top despite a turbulent history, including injuries to actors, delays in opening night, poor reviews and a record-breaking preview period. Many professional critics predicted its quick death. While pleased by the success, the producers on Tuesday weren’t doing a victory dance just yet. “The time to crow is when we have sustained longevity and we’ve returned the money to our investors,” Harris said. Many shows this holiday season added a ninth show to their regular eight-show week, and most had a happy holiday as a result, including “The Book of Mormon” with $1,752,601 over nine shows and “The Lion King” at $2,444,132 over nine performances. About a dozen shows were at or near full capacity.

“How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” with Daniel Radcliffe ending his Broadway run broke the box office record at the Hirschfield Theatre the week ending Sunday, grossing $1,910,224 over nine performances. Hugh Jackman also ended his 10-week concert show run at the Broadhurst Theatre on Sunday after having earned $2,057,354 in its final nine performances, the highest weekly gross recorded by the Shubert Organization, which owns the Broadhurst and 16 other Broadway theaters. And Broadway’s “Mary Poppins” grossed $2,444,032 at the Minskoff Theatre during its nine performance week, which is a house record and the highest weekly gross in the show’s 14year run.

The news wasn’t all good for everyone. Producers of the musical “Lysistrata Jones” said Tuesday that they’re pulling the plug on the Douglas Carter Beane-written comedy, and its last performance will be Sunday. It is the first Broadway casualty of the year, The enduring financial success of the “Spider-Man” musical came despite a spring shake- up that led to the firing of Julie Taymor - the original co-book writer and director - and an overhaul of the plot and songs by U2’s Bono and the Edge. Harris and Cohl jumped aboard the show relatively late on and had to make hard choices.

“We came into a very difficult situation. We’ve changed the team. We added players when we needed to. We’ve moved some players around to different positions. And the success we’ve had here is the culmination of all those people working hard to get done what we’ve gotten done,” Harris said. Cohl and Harris have said that their data on the audiences for “SpiderMan” indicate that half of all attendees had never been to a Broadway show before and more than half were from outside New York. They say it has been seen by more than 600,000 people during the past year. —AP

terms, “the girl.” The frequently shirtless Craig almost seems to be doing penance for all of his chasing after women as James Bond. This time, the British actor allows himself to be the object of desire. In a twist that would be unimaginable for

say, Sean Connery, Craig lets Mara drive the love train when it comes to their between-the-sheets encounters. It’s she who seduces him, while he raises a few mild objections about his age and the impact a hook up might have on their working

(From left) US film director David Fincher , US actress Rooney Mara, and British actor Daniel Craig pose during a photo call to promote the Spanish release of the movie ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ in Madrid, yesterday. — AP

relationship. That differs from Larsson’s portrayal of Blomkvist. In the book, the journalist is much more sexually promiscuous. Although the movie retains Blomkvist’s affair with his editor Erika Berger (Robin Wright), it jettisons his other sexual liaisons.

That was a deliberate choice, screenwriter Steven Zaillian said in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. “I’m a fan of the book-I like it very much-but when I was reading it at a certain point I thought, am I reading ‘Shampoo?”“ Zaillian told the magazine. “Is this Warren Beatty or is this Mikael Blomkvist? I didn’t drop those things in order to make him more sympathetic. It was really just that they were unnecessary to the story.”

Carnal relations aside, Craig does piece together some important clues early in the mystery, but his investigation is more or less at a dead-end until he enlists the computer hacking, motorcycle straddling Salander. In short order, Salander is able to link a series of apparently disconnected murders with a few clicks of the cursor and a couple of visits to Swedish police stations. In one scene, a kindly police officer asks Salander if she’s had anything to eat before she looks at photos of a savage murder scene. He’s concerned, he says, that she might be sick. As Mara’s butt-kicking Salander demonstrates throughout the Nordic thriller, there’s no reason to worry. Craig’s Blomkvist, on the other hand, better look at those pictures on an empty stomach. —AP

Review

‘Separation’ subtly nudges notion of truth T

he title, “A Separation,” is an apt encapsulation of the film as a whole: It may sound simple, but its results are devastating. Writer-director Asghar Farhadi’s tale begins life as a domestic disagreement in contemporary Iran and morphs into a legal thriller, one that will have you questioning the characters - and your own perception of them - again and again. This transformation occurs intimately, organically, and seemingly so effortlessly that you may not recognize it right before your eyes. But the lasting effect will linger; while this story is incredibly detailed in the specificity of its setting, its themes resonate universally.

Farhadi sets the tense tone right off the top with a long, single take in which middle-class husband and wife Simin (Leila Hatami) and Nader (Peyman Moadi) sit before a judge to explain their dispute. She wants the family to leave Tehran to provide their studious daughter, Termeh (the director’s daughter, Sarina Farhadi), with better educational opportunities. He wants to stay and care for his aging father, who’s suffering from Alzheimer’s. And so Simin is asking for a divorce. When that request is rejected, she moves out and returns to her parents’ home; while the daughter stays, Nader still needs help watching his father, who tends to stray and needs assistance with basic daily functions.

Nader hires a young, devout Muslim wife and mother named Razieh (Sareh Bayat) to serve as housekeeper and caretaker while he’s at work and Termeh is at school. He thinks he has everything back under control. But one fateful decision leads to another, and then another and another, until finally, serious criminal charges are at stake. The situation explodes with the introduction of Razieh’s volatile husband into the mix (Shahab Hosseini, who may be a bit too over the top), a man who’s as steadfastly protective of his wife as he is unstable emotionally. “A Separation” honestly addresses the notions of trust and respect, loyalty and religious devotion. And while it revisits a pivotal moment with hints of “Rashomon”-style shifts in perspective, it has a structure and narrative style that’s confidently its own. Who knew what about whom, and when, is crucial - and here’s a friendly suggestion to pay attention, because these essential nuggets of information may slip past you, as well, upon initial viewing.Farhadi lets

In this film image released by Sony Pictures Classics, Shahab Hosseini is shown in a scene from ‘A Separation.’ —AP resentments simmer naturally, lets scenes escalate on their own without overhyping the melodrama with needlessly overwrought music and the like. Similarly, he never takes sides, which means we can’t either - which sucks us in further. Each time we may think we understand someone’s motivations, more information is revealed which forces us to re-evaluate the character as well as his or her place within this increasingly complicated scenario. You could easily imagine this sort of dispute erupting and bursting out of control. And the fact that the naturalistic performances are, for the most part, so precisely calibrated makes “A Separation” even more believable and engrossing.

Movies with this kind of moral complexity are rare, so not only is it worth seeking out, it’s one you need to see with friends because it invites - or rather demands debate afterward. “A Separation,” a Sony Pictures Classics release, is rated PG-13 for mature thematic material.

In Persian with English subtitles. Running time: 123 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four. —AP

Tom Cruise rings in New Year at top of box office

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om Cruise’s latest “Mission: Impossible” film topped the North American box office for a second week, ringing up $38.2 million over the long New Year weekend, industr y data showed Tuesday. “Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol,” the actor’s fourth outing in the action film series, made $29.4 over three days to Sunday, and the rest Monday, bringing its total take so far to $141.2 million, Exhibitor Relations said. In second was “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” a sequel to the 2009 film about the detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It took in $20.9 million on the third weekend since its release, or

$26.9 including Monday.

In third place with $16.4 million for Friday to Sunday, or $21.5 million over four days, was “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked,” the third animated film about the adorable singing critters. Fourth place went to “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” Hollywood’s adaptation of the wildly popular Stieg Larsson novel, starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara-which took in $14.8 million or $19.2 million including Monday. Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse,” about the bond between a boy and his horse during World War I, cantered into fifth place with $14.4 million, or $18.1 including the extra day. —AFP

Streep hits red carpet for British premiere of Thatcher film

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eryl Streep, whose portrayal of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady” is tipped for an Oscar, took to the red carpet yesterday for the film’s European premiere in London. Streep’s performance as the grocer’s daughter who changed the face of Britain has earned her a Golden Globe nomination, putting her in line to win the third Oscar of her career next month. The film has already opened in Australia and the United States, but its premiere at the BFI Southbank along the Thames from the Houses of Parliament which Thatcher dominated for more than a decade, has special resonance.

Few of Thatcher’s cabinet colleagues or rivals have seen the film, which only opens in Britain on Friday, yet many who have say Streep has captured the essence of the woman whose legacy is still the subject of intense debate. Charles Moore, who is writing Thatcher’s authorised biography, said: “She captures the intense, uneasy, passionate woman rising to greatness, the Gloriana figure at the height of her power, and the rather touching old lady known to her intimates as ‘Lady T’.”

Film critics have pointed to Streep’s bouffant hair and trademark blue outfits as near-perfect, and the distinctive voice which she worked so hard to perfect pierces through the dialogue. Streep has confessed she knew little about Thatcher’s policies before accepting the role but said she saw

the film as less about politics and more about “what was the cost of her political decisions on her as a human being”.

Director Phyllida Lloyd-the woman behind the Abba smash hit “Mamma Mia!” starts the action in the present day, with an elderly Thatcher clearing out her late husband Denis’s clothes.

The ghost of Denis, played by Jim Broadbent, himself an Oscar winner in 2002, is ever present as his wife looks back on her career as she rises from modest beginnings to become Britain’s first and still only woman premier. Thatcher took over a country whose economy was sorely in need of modernization, yet the often ruthless way she achieved her goals continues to divide opinion, as does her rush to war over the Falklands.

Yet Streep also shows her undoubted toughness as she brushes off the IRA’s attempt to kill her in the bombing of a Brighton hotel in 1984. While Streep’s acting has won acclaim, the film overall has not met with unanimous critical acclaim.

Some critics say it brushes over important issues such as her deep and bitter dispute with the coal miners, which gripped Britain in the mid-1980s, and some of her supporters have responded negatively to her portrayal. Bernard Ingham, Thatcher’s loyal press secretary when she was in office, has taken issue with the film showing his old boss, who at the age of 86 is rarely seen in public, as “demented”.

A combination of a picture taken on May 27, 1986 in Jerusalem and of a handout image obtained on February 9, 2011 from Pathe Productions Ltd shows former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and US actress Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in the film ‘The Iron Lady’. — AFP “She is not demented when I see her,” Ingham wrote in the Yorkshire Post. “She takes a lively interest in what I have to tell her about the latest follies and, while prevented by loss of short-term memory from cross-examining and arguing with me, she clearly shows her frustration in wishing to do so.” Norman Tebbit, a hardline Conservative who served in Thatcher’s government from 1979 to 1987, condemned the “half-hysterical, over-emotional” woman portrayed by Streep, saying it bore little resemblance to the Thatcher he knew.—AFP

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Amoeba Music store on Sunset Blvd.

— MCT photos

By Christopher Reynolds

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ity the rubes. Those wayward tourists who dawdle in their cars and tour buses along Beachwood Drive, enraging the locals as they haltingly seek that perfect Hollywood sign photo opthey know not what they do. Maybe you’re not from this neighborhood either, but you have savvier Hollywood plans.

They involve horse trails, hidden hotels, a magic castle, a monastery-and that’s just a start. To close out our yearlong series of Southern California Close-Ups, here is a set of 10 Hollywood micro-itineraries, suitable for visitors from across town or across the planet.

Get thee to a nunnery More specifically, head for the Monastery of the Angels (1977 Carmen Ave, a mile from the Hollywood sign), where 17 cloistered nuns spend their days praying, eating, sleeping and making desserts. Hand $10 to the gift-shop volunteer for a hefty loaf of pumpkin bread-a fine souvenir. Then head two blocks east to Beachwood Drive, turn north toward the famous sign and keep going even after the road dwindles to dirt.

You’ll find Sunset Ranch (3400 Beachwood Drive), where horses can be rented for guided rides (ages 8

Stairs.htm or buy Charles Fleming’s 2010 paperback “Secret Stairs: A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles.” And in the interest of full disclosure: Fleming is an LA Times editor.) When you’re done, you may want a nap in your room at the handy Best Western Plus Hollywood Hills Hotel (6141 Franklin Ave), a mid-range, retro-mod affair.

The Bowl, the Greek The Hollywood Bowl (2301 N Highland Ave) is such a prime city asset that it’s a wonder nobody has proposed selling it to reduce municipal debt. It was carved into the hills in the 1920s and programmed by the LA Philharmonic, seats about 17,000 people and stages mostly jazz, classical works and show-tune performances, June through September. By long tradition, audiences can bring their own picnics, beer and wine. The city’s other prime summer pop-concert option, the Greek Theatre, four miles east at 2700 Vermont Ave., is more intimate, with room for just 5,800 and a season that runs from late April through late October. The Greek will not let you bring in your own food or drink.

Hip strip You’re not in a hurry. So you patiently seek one of the rare parking spots off Franklin Avenue near Tamarind Avenue, then meander past the trendy row of shops and restaurants between Tamarind and Bronson avenues. Browse Counterpoint Records & Books (5911 Franklin Ave), scan magazines at the Daily Planet (5931{ Franklin Ave). The casual Victor’s restaurant (1917 N Bronson Ave) will seat you beneath old photos of the hills. The Oaks Gourmet Market (1915 N Bronson Ave) will sell you fancy wines and beers, make you a lunch to take away or feed you at the shop’s one communal table.

A man dressed in a Spider Man outfit poses for tourists along Hollywood Blvd.

Musso, Frank and Co Sit down to an early dinner at Musso & Frank Grill (6667 Hollywood Blvd), the oldest restaurant in Hollywood (opened 1919), for old-world service, setting and menu, with juicy steaks and the option of JellO for dessert. Then nip out back for a high-end cocktail ($14) at the Writer’s Room (6685 Hollywood Blvd), which feels pre-Elvis but opened next door a couple months ago. Now you’re ready for a show at the Pantages Theatre (6233 Hollywood Blvd), whose 1930 Art Deco lobby is one of the greatest rooms in the city.

Admire the vintage sign announcing the Frolic Room (6245 Hollywood Blvd). You’ll sleep around the corner at the Redbury Hotel (1717 Vine St), whose 57 rooms are about twice the size of those at the W Hotel (6250 Hollywood Blvd) and sometimes more affordable. The Redbury has no pool, but every room has a washer, dryer and turntable. after having kids of their own. As for the W, it’s for those who can’t resist a slice o’ Vegas-a party hotel where scene-makers rage into the wee hours at Drai’s nightclub next to the rooftop pool.

and older). For $30 you get an hour. Start about 4 pm on a clear day and you’ll get a different angle of the Hollywood sign, but better still, a Technicolor panorama with setting sun, a distant sliver of the Pacific, city lights at your feet and a whiff of horse manure.

The ranch is also the starting point for the Hollyridge Trail hike, which takes you near the fencedoff Hollywood sign, or you can explore the half-dozen public staircases threaded among the hillside homes.

(Plot your route at www.beachwoodcanyon.org/

Curtain raisers If you can handle $56 a person and up, there’s no better place than Hollywood to see a sort-of play about movies-Cirque du Soleil’s “Iris,” which shares the Kodak Theatre (6801 Hollywood Blvd.) with the annual Oscars ceremony. “Iris,” which premiered in mid-2011, is a mix of gymnastics, dancing, live music, cinematic effects and trapeze work, held together by a slender plot. The evening is still a great showcase for performers with stupendous skills. Because the

A couple walks on a bridge at the Hollywood & Highland Center next to the Kodak Theater.

theater is enveloped by the Hollywood & Highland mall, you can check the shops and it’s ridiculous highflying concrete elephants. If you have kids younger than 8 or so-or a tighter budget-skip the Kodak. Cross the street and see a movie in Disney’s exuberantly restored El Capitan Theatre (6838 Hollywood Blvd).

This venue, built in 1926, premiered “Citizen Kane” in 1941 and kicked off Hollywood’s revival with its reopening 50 years later. If you’re a screen history geek or in a celebratory mood, you might like the Spanishstyle Roosevelt Hotel (7000 Hollywood Blvd), where the first Academy Awards were held in 1929 and where there are several busy bars and restaurants, including the well-regarded burger joint Twenty-Five Degrees, which stays open all night. The Renaissance Hollywood Hotel (1755 N Highland Ave), comparably priced, twice the size, only 10 years old and right next to Hollywood & Highland, will suit some travelers better.

Stars underfoot Don’t worry about the Hollywood Walk of Fameyou’ll cover it in the course of meandering among other sites. But for the record, its 2,400-plus terrazzo stars, the first of which were laid in 1960, now cover 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and a few neighboring streets too. To see who’s where, check projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk. As for the emblematic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (6925 Hollywood Blvd), by all means browse the names and handprints, but be careful with your camera. Celebrity impersonators swarm here, some charming, some not, and they’ll be quick to ask for a dollar tip if you snap a picture that includes them.

You’ll see that Starline Tours, the 800-pound gorilla of the Hollywood and homes-of-the-stars bus tour business, has a kiosk in front of Grauman’s. Maybe you can’t bring yourself to do such a tourist thing yourself, but maybe you have a friend. Send that friend on a Monday or Tuesday to catch the hourlong doubledecker bus tour with guide Brian Donnelly, who has quick wit, good facts and a lot of them. (Donnelly also works for Dearly Departed Tours, specializing in crime scenes and celebrity graves.) Elsewhere on Hollywood Boulevard, brace yourself for residual squalor, T-shirt

Tourists take pictures on top of the Kodak Theatre. emporiums, vendors of cheap suits, and enough trashy lingerie shops to outfit all the ex-wives of Hugh Hefner and Charlie Sheen. It’s a relief to spot an independent such as the Larry Edmunds Bookshop (6644 Hollywood Blvd), where the proprietor keeps about 1,000 old movie posters behind the counter.

Stars at work and at rest Like Universal and Warner Bros. studios in the San Fernando Valley and Sony in Culver City, Paramount Pictures (5555 Melrose Ave) opens its lot to paying visitors, offering a two-hour guided weekday tour ($45 a person) by foot and golf cart. The Warner Bros. tour is best at giving outsiders a sense of working Hollywood, including glimpses of prop inventories and soundeffects tools. But Paramount is where “Glee” is shot, where Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made musicals (Stage 29), where “Citizen Kane” and “Rear Window” were shot (Stages 19 and 18, respectively), where Kelsey Grammer spent 20 years on the sets of “Cheers” and “Frasier” (Stage 25, 1984-2004).

Your guide will pull out a tablet computer to show movie and TV scenes shot on the premises, and you’ll probably get a peek at sets from some current shows.

After the tour, drive slightly east, stroll prosperous, pedestrian-friendly Larchmont Village and have a great ham sandwich at Larchmont Bungalow (107 N

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lifestyle T r a v e l Larchmont Blvd). Then hop in the car again, head up to Santa Monica Boulevard and turn south into Hollywood Forever (6000 Santa Monica Blvd), where you’ll find Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone, actresses Hattie McDaniel and Fay Wray and many others. In 2011, the cemetery added a memorial to Toto-the dog, not the rock band. Unlike Forest Lawn and others, Hollywood Forever eagerly offers maps to celebrity graves and hosts parties and DJs. From midMay through mid-September, there are outdoor movie screenings (www.cinespia.org), where you can recline “above and below the stars.”

Abracadabra!

The bad news: You probably aren’t among the 5,000 worldwide members of the Academy for Magical Arts. The good news: You can still get into its clubhouse, the Magic Castle (7001 Franklin Ave.). It’s a 1908 Victorian mansion a few blocks north of Hollywood Boulevard. Since 1963, the castle has served dinners and brunches to members and guests, who enjoy the magicians who work the castle’s intimate rooms-usually nine performers a night in three rooms-flashing

Ave), a restaurant and bar that features a 600-year-old Japanese pagoda and wide, twinkling views of the inexhaustible city.

Time to head east For years, Palm’s Thai restaurant (5900 Hollywood Blvd.) has had a not-so-secret weapon: Kavee Thongpreecha, better known as Thai Elvis, who serenaded diners with the King’s hits while they dug into boar, deep-fried frog, fish maw salad and more conventional Thai dishes. Lately, Thai Elvis has been sidelined by poor health, but Palm’s Thai is still an emblematic LA experience. While diners fill the long line of tables in the big, airy dining room, pop performers typically do half-hour sets at 7:30, 9 and 10 pm daily.

But you may move on sooner. Drawing on the many aspiring actors in town, the Hudson Theatres (6539 Santa Monica Blvd) and several other venues have grown to make up a Hollywood Theater Row along Santa Monica between La Brea Boulevard and El Centro Street. Most have 99 or fewer seats and ticket prices less than $30. The work can be outstanding, and that ought to be enough to fill your night. But some people want an edgier, only-in-LA sort of adventure.

you’re a musician, peruse the vast collection of instruments. If not, scrutinize the sidewalk in front, where Guitar Center has established a Rock Walk with handprints from more than 400 rock stars. You’ll notice several other music shops on the block, along with Aroma Cafe (7373 W Sunset Blvd), a good place for a bite.

Later you’ll catch live music somewhere-maybe the tiny Hotel Cafe (a club at 1623{ N Cahuenga Blvd) — and you’ll cruise past the Highland Gardens Hotel (7047 Franklin Ave), where in October 1970 Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose in room 105.

Eventually, it will be 3 am on a Saturday or Sunday, and you or someone you love will suddenly feel the need for chicken and waffles. No problem. This is why Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘n Waffles (1514 N Gower St) stays open until 4 am on weekdays. It’s not healthy, but hey, it’s not heroin. Eat heavy, sleep deep.

Men dressed as Star Wars characters wait for the elevator at the Kodak Theatre.

If you go

A view of the Melrose entrance to Paramount Pictures.

Where to stay Magic Castle Hotel, 7025 Franklin Ave, Los Angeles 90028; (323) 851-0800, www.magiccastlehotel.com.

Doubles from $194. Also receives guests for its sibling, the Hollywood Hills Hotel, same address; (323) 8745089, www.hollywoodhillshotel.com, just up the hill.

Doubles from $134 Redbury Hotel, 1717 Vine St, Los Angeles 90028; (323) 962-1717, www.theredbury.com. Doubles from $250.

Best Western Plus Hollywood Hills, 6141 Franklin Ave, Los Angeles 90028; (323) 464-5181; www.bestwestern.com/hollywoodhillshotel. Doubles from $99.

Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, 1755 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles 90028; (323) 856-1200, www.renaissancehollywood.com. Doubles from $259.

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles 90028; (323) 466-7000, www.thompsonhotels.com/TheRoosevelt. Doubles from $189.

Replica Academy Award statues are sold at a souvenir shop along Hollywood Blvd. cards, reading minds, creating illusions. Though a fire in October closed the club briefly, the adjoining annex soon reopened Wednesdays through Sundays, and management is hoping for a full reopening in January or February. If you don’t know a member, you can buy a 30-day membership ($100). Or-attention, please-you can book a room at the neighboring Magic Castle Hotel (7025 Franklin Ave).

In fact, this low-profile, 30-room hotel (a converted apartment building with a central pool) would be a great value even without access to the castle-low rates, pleasant grounds, sky-high TripAdvisor scores.

Check in, take a swim, don the tie and jacket or little black dress (the castle has a formal dress code) and catch the hotel’s free shuttle to the clubhouse. There you’ll step into a world where secret doorways lead to shadowy bars, where Cary Grant and Johnny Carson once were insiders and Neil Patrick Harris sits on the board of directors. When the last trick is done, catch that shuttle again and close out the night with a $12 martini at neighboring Yamashiro (1999 N Sycamore

For them, there’s Jumbo’s Clown Room (5153 Hollywood Blvd), a smallish, strip-mall, retro-burlesque joint that features pole-dancers who keep on their bikinis and whose ages and shapes vary considerably.

The bouncer looks like just another 163-pound unproduced screenwriter, and sometimes the drinkers are so happy chatting that the dancers seem an afterthought. What does it all mean? This much is sure: There’s no cover charge, tipping is encouraged and there’s a two-drink minimum.

Pedestrians walk outside Mann’s Chinese Theatre.

Where to eat Musso & Frank Grill, 6667 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles 90028; (323) 467-7788, www.mussoandfrank.com. Lunch and dinner, main dishes, $15-$44. Larchmont Bungalow, 107 N Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles 90004; (323) 461-1528, www.larchmontbungalow.com. Lunch and dinner main dishes, $12.95-$24.95.

Victor’s, 1917 N Bronson Ave, Los Angeles 90068; (323) 464-0276, www.victorssquare.com. Breakfast combos mostly $6.50-$15, lunch and dinner main dishes usually up to $18. — MCT

Replica Academy Award statues are sold at a souvenir shop along Hollywood Blvd.

Bricks, mortar, music Start by scavenging for new and used music and videos in cavernous Amoeba Music (6400 Sunset Blvd). Cross Sunset to Space 15 Twenty (1520 N Cahuenga Blvd), a little alt-mall that includes Umami Burger and Hennessey & Ingalls bookstore, which specializes in art and design volumes. For fortification, head to Stout (1544 N Cahuenga Blvd), which specializes in burgers and has more than 20 beers on tap.

Then drive to the Guitar Center (7425 Sunset Blvd). If

Street performer Walter Gray break dances for a crowd in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Cinerama Dome/Arclight is shown on Sunset Blvd.

The Johnny Ramone memorial at the Hollywood Forever cemetery on Santa Monica Blvd.

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tuck in a dreary staff meeting this summer, the new president of the third-biggest US amusement park chain decided to shake things up by taking everyone for a spin on one of the world’s fastest roller coasters. As they neared the coaster, a young woman noticed an executive wearing a tie and somewhat jokingly asked if he could get her group to the front of the line. “As a matter of fact, I can,” Cedar Fair Entertainment Co.’s Matthew Ouimet told her. “It just made my day, and it made theirs,” he said.

Ouimet, who was named Cedar Fair’s president this summer and adds the chief executive post this week, wants to bring more such magical moments to the company’s parks in the Midwest and along both coasts. He knows how to do it after spending 17 years managing Walt Disney Co’s resorts, theme parks and cruise line. He sees adding more rides that entire families can enjoy together and using technology to better connect with guests before they arrive and once they’re inside the parks. And there might be a few surprises added along the way.

“We’ve always got to be known for great thrills,” Ouimet said in a recent interview. “It has served us well.

But I also want to be known for great connections, and that this is where families come together.” Once a regional amusement park chain, Cedar Fair has become an industry giant with 17 amusement and water parks, including Cedar Point and Kings Island in Ohio and

Knott’s Berry Farm near Los Angeles. It also has five hotels near its parks. Its parks are known for big roller coasters and kiddie rides themed to the “Peanuts” comic strip characters.

Cedar Fair drew a record 22 million visitors in 2010 and is expected to announce even larger numbers for 2011, mainly because more people are looking for fun close to home. “If during a recession were doing record attendance, there’s still something very solid about the product,” Ouimet said. He came to the company in June to replace Richard Kinzel, who retired after running Cedar Fair for 25 years. He’s spent the last six months getting to know the Sandusky, Ohio-based company’s staff and its properties. “The vast majority of our guests come from within 300 miles (500 kilometers),” he said.

“They grew up with these parks. They want it to be as good as they remember when they were kids.”

His philosophy is fairly simple: Open the gates and rides on time; keep the park clean; and make sure the employees are friendly. “You never lose focus that it’s the people who work in the park who are most important to your success,” Ouimet said. “If it’s a choice between having a great roller coaster or a great team, I’ll take a great team.” One of the first new moves under his direction will come in January when a new online platform will make it easier to buy tickets and daily parking passes and find information for Cedar Fair’s four biggest parks.

Sites for the rest of the parks will go live before their sea-

sons open.

The company also is looking at how to reach visitors through their smartphones while they are in the park. “I can tell you which lines are shorter, where Snoopy is,” Ouimet said. “You will have a better experience if we can get you better information.” Cedar Fair’s formula in recent years has been to develop its parks by adding big steel coasters to bring in crowds. The drawback, Ouimet said, is that they aren’t attractions an entire family can ride.

“The biggest gap we have, or opportunity, is to find rides or shows that everybody enjoys,” he said. “That’s what Disney pulls off very well.” Focusing on more than big thrills is a smart move, said Dennis Spiegel, a themepark consultant who is president of Cincinnati-based International Theme Park Services Inc. “There’s more to this business than roller coasters,” he said. “Because when you attend as a family, you spend as a family.”

Spiegel, who helped build several of the parks Cedar Fair now owns, said Ouimet will bring a broad vision to Cedar Fair and expects him to emphasize “doing the little things nobody does better than Disney.”

Ouimet wants to create some surprises in the parks, starting this summer. That might mean seeing more costumed characters or finding unexpected performers pop up in the parks. Some will be announced while others will be hidden finds. “It’s not always what you expected that you remember. It’s what you came across,”

Ouimet said. While with Disney, he oversaw the financial management of its resort, theme park and corporate real estate projects in California, Florida and France. He later became president of the cruise line and Disneyland Resort.

Ouimet also spent two years as president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts before leaving the company in 2008. It’s doubtful that Cedar Fair will be building any hotels soon, he said, even though it has plenty of room around several parks, including Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri; Kings Dominion, near Richmond, Virginia; and Carowinds, in Charlotte, North Carolina. That’s mainly because the company still has a heavy debt of about $1.5 billion lingering from its acquisition of Paramount Parks Inc. in 2006.

Instead, Ouimet would rather partner with existing hotels and develop the company’s land with campgrounds and other attractions. The goal is to get people to stay a second day, making for more spending and a more relaxed visit. “The world is more complicated and stressful than we want it to be,” Ouimet said. “I’m successful if you’re smiling and laughing.” — AP

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Photos taken on December 28, 2011 show Myanmar women displaying dresses with a vegetable theme at the “Miss Dr’s Secret Fashion” beauty competition in Yangon. — AFP photos

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his time of year, hats are a practical affair, but that doesn’t mean they can’t also be stylish.

The Albertus Swanepoel for Target collection will keep your head warm and chic. The critically acclaimed milliner started his career as a fashion designer in his native South Africa.

After coming to the United States, he worked as a glove designer and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Now his custom collaborations are showing up on the runways of Carolina Herrera, Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler and Tommy Hilfiger.

A far more accessible collection featuring Swanepoel’s signature flair is in Target stores, priced at $20. “They’re just so visually appealing and wearable,” said Trish Adams, Target’s senior vice president of apparel and accessories, citing the faux furs and colors. “It’s an opportunity to buy an accessory that makes an outfit current.” Swanepoel spoke to us from his studio in New York.

Q: What was the inspiration behind this collection?

A: Being from South Africa, I try to keep some of my heritage alive with some leopard-print hats, oversized flowers and feathers. There’s a hat for every girl to wear, so there’s a broad spectrum: fedoras, cloches and floppys.

Q: Have you been to Minnesota?

A: Yes! I went to Minneapolis a few times during my collaboration with Target. I didn’t see major snow, but because I’m from South Africa and even though I’ve been here 22 years, I get super excited about snow.

Q: I loved to see the attention to detail, like the linings.

A: When you turn the hat over, you have this fun sort of thing inside. I like the unexpectedness of a hat. I like over-applying things to it, to make it more individual. It’s one of my trademarks.

Q: What are your tips for finding the perfect hat?

A: For me personally, it’s a law of contrasts. Say you have a rounder face, I feel you’re better off with a squarish shape. If you have an upturned nose, you should wear a downward brim. The hat should cancel out your features. You should wear a hat with a carelessness in a way. You should wear it in the house and wear it to the deli. Then, if you feel more comfortable, wear it out. Hats are so great because you hide behind them, but they’re also a conversation piece.

Q: What’s your style?

A: For me, it’s really important that hats are recognizable in shape. When you look at a hat, it has to remind you of something your father or mother wore. What I did for Target was take shapes people can relate to, update them and make them more modern. People must be stricken by a hat. It’s personal because it’s so close to your face. It’s like a perfume a little bit-you really have to bond with your hat.

Q: Any tips on matching them to outerwear?

A: For me, these hats go with everything. I say this all the time: Christian LaCroix is one of my favorite designers, and he said, “A hat is a dot on an I.” It’s an exclamation mark that finishes off an outfit.

— MCT

Q: What are current trends?

A: I think there’s definitely a trend toward a slightly wider brim. There’s a ‘70s feel. In the Target collection, there are a few hats with slightly wider brims, so there’s more to cover up; it keeps you warm. I feel that there’s a thing coming next year with the (Elsa) Schiaparelli exhibit (at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute) with surrealistic hats, influenced by Salvador Dali.

Nikki Goergen dons a hat from a far more accessible collection featuring Swanepoel’s signature flair available in Target stores. — MCT photos

Abby VanVleet says, “This hat reminds me of one that my grandmother brought me from Russia”.

Temi Famodu says, “I don’t usually wear hats, because I’m scared that they won’t look good with my curly hair, but I was surprised that this one looked OK.”

Alix Hennen dons a hat from a far more accessible collection featuring Swanepoel’s signature flair available in Target stores,.

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nce a month, you can automatically receive in the mail, a bottle of oil, a box of organic fruit and now, a pair of sequined stilettos. In a cyber twist to the traditional monthly sales clubs, shoe membership websites have become a hit among fashion-forward women, who say they bring together the convenience and affordability of shopping online with the personalized experience offered in a boutique. “This is fashion of the future,” said celebrity fashion designer Kimora Lee Simmons, who recently signed on as president, creative director and an investor of JustFabulous Inc, an El Segundo, Calif, membership club. “It speaks to the modern-day woman’s budget and lifestyle.”

Members register on sites such as ShoeDazzle.com Inc. or JustFabulous for free and take a fashion personality quiz-What outfit are you most likely to wear on a first date? Which celebrity’s closet would you most like to raid? —to determine their unique style preferences.

On the first of each month, members log in to their accounts to view a limited, customized showroom of shoes: five-inch gold platform heels for the Hollywood clubgoer, conservative flats for the girl next door, studded leather boots for the rocker chick. The shoes are designed in-house, often by a team of high-profile celebrities and stylists, and customers receive the pair of their choice starting at $39.95, including shipping. Members can skip a month if they don’t feel like receiving a new pair of shoes, provided they opt out (usually by the fifth of the month).

The member-only programs have quickly attracted hordes of loyal shoppers. The sites, subscribers say, are easy to use, are customer-friendly when it comes to returns and exchanges, and usually do a good job identifying what styles they like. “It’s very addicting. I have a heel collection now; before, I probably had maybe like one or two pairs that lasted me years,” said Yucaipa, Calif., resident Amber Venturina, 26, who joined ShoeDazzle in June and also became a member of JustFabulous. Now “I have to have shoes in every color.”

Shoe club officials say the websites make the process of buying shoes less overwhelming while bringing the elite service of a personal shopper to the masses. “Not everyone has access to a stylist, but we can be a stylist through that technology and hopefully recommend the right products,” said Josh Berman, chief executive of BeachMint Inc., which operates newly launched shoe club ShoeMint.

“Rather than going to an Amazon or Google and typing ‘shoes’ and having thousands of things to choose from, what we’re learning is consumers like to be curated and shown what is hot.”

But as fashion memberships surge in popularity, they’re adding to the increasing pressures on bricksand-mortar merchants. Because shoe clubs sell directly to customers and don’t operate physical stores, they’re able to save on overhead costs such as staffing and rent, enabling the brands to price the shoes for about half of what they would cost at the mall, company officials estimated.

“We are in the midst of a reinvention of retail,” said Kasey Lobaugh, a principal at Deloitte Consulting who follows online shopping trends.

“Retailers are being forced to innovate the business model. If they don’t, there is now a long list of nontraditional competitors who will.”

Another problem for old-school retailers: Many members are flocking to the shoe clubs’ Facebook pages and other social media sites to ask other shop-

pers for help choosing a style or pairing their latest purchase with the right outfit. That high level of interaction is creating tight-knit Web communities of shoe aficionados and replicating the in-store experience of shopping with a group of girlfriends, historically something that couldn’t be found online.

Joyce Moore is an avid shoe shopper and member of shoe clubs.

She shows off her collection on December 21, 2011, in Palmdale, California. — MCT “I’ve made a lot of good friends from the shoe clubs. We keep in touch in real life: We email, we text, we call,” said Joyce Moore, 33, a Palmdale, Calif, stayat-home mom who has bought dozens of shoes through the membership programs. “We understand our love of shoes, that it’s not weird to have so many shoes, and you can never get enough.”

The clubs have more in common than monthly delivery of cute shoes: Four of the companiesShoeDazzle, JustFabulous, Sole Society Inc and ShoeMint-are headquartered in Los Angeles County, part of a growing crop of e-commerce fashion brands that is helping to raise the profile of the region’s fledgling start-up scene. Many are garnering big sales and investment dollars and have their sights set on adding more product categories and expanding internationally.—MCT