11 Jan 2012

CR IP TI ON BS SU

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

Under-fire Romney seeks big win in key US vote

Bomb kills 35 in Pak’s worst attack in months

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Assad vows ‘iron fist’, ridicules Arab League Two Kuwaiti monitors injured in attack conspiracy theories

This is unacceptable

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

T

he other day I went to see off my sister at Kuwait International Airport. She was flying with Jazeera Airways. I am not trying to publicize the airline here. They don’t need my PR. For a budget airline, their services speak for themselves. According to me, a frequent flier with most of the airlines, Jazeera are very professional and simple to book for individuals who are not computer-savvy. Even when you call their customer hotline, they respond immediately unlike big airlines. I am not going to mention names here.

I digress. Sorry, guys! There was a long queue in front of the counter where passengers screen their luggage. There are two screening machines of which only one is working. I don’t know who is responsible for that. Is it that the airline does not want to have it fixed or is this a problem of airport management and Civil Aviation? Whoever has the responsibility, they should know that when there are many passengers, the second screening machine should be open.

That day the queue was reaching outside in the departure lounge where the shops are. You have no other option but to queue. What annoyed me was that few people started coming in and jumping the line as if there was nobody in front of them. As if we were all invisible to them.

They did it with so much courage. They immediately zoomed to the screening machine. The guy at the machine, an Asian, was apparently afraid to argue with them and it was not even his job to do so.

The second interesting part is that some of these jumpers were women who looked sophisticated enough judging by their looks and bags. I am sure they are all educated men and women. It seems looks can deceive. They are not sophisticated enough to know to queue like the rest of us and to wait in the line. Where was the respect for others? Would they dare jump a line at Heathrow, for example, or La Guardia or JFK etc. Except for Kuwait. People here jump the queue and nobody tries to stop them.

One of the guys who impressed me most was a young man accompanied by a lady. He was wearing a half-sleeved shirt showing off muscles and blowing his chest as if he just came off the cover of a macho-man magazine. Dragging his companion, he marched in front of all of us and rushed straight to the screening machine. He looked like an angry wrestler about to meet his sparring partner on the ring. Or he was putting up this expression in order to avoid answering the question why he was skipping the line.

Maybe he wanted to scare us so that nobody would dare question him. This, I must admit, was a good psychological tool.

I ran out of patience after six, seven people did the same while we were standing in the queue, but I didn’t dare argue with the macho-man.

Laughter. The tip of the iceberg came when a young man pushed by me and rushed to throw his bags for screening. My heartbeat quickened and I grabbed my sister’s luggage, put it in front of him and in a Kuwaiti accent said: ‘Enough is enough. Nobody is jumping the line anymore!’

I regret that I was not as courageous in front of the other six or seven people who crossed the line. I noticed that all of them had an attitude problem. Such attitude is unacceptable to me. If you are late for your plane, you can ask the people in the line if you could pass first. But those jumpers know better. They just come in and zoom past everyone in the line. Why can’t we behave in Kuwait exactly the same way we behave when traveling outside of the country?

Our country deserves our respect in the first place and our good manners and attitude.

Attitude is the sign of the culture in the country.

Don’t spoil it!

DAMASCUS: Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad delivers a speech yesterday. Assad firmed up a timetable for promised reform in the face of 10 months of anti-regime protests but vowed to crush “terrorism” with an iron fist. — AFP

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DAMASCUS: Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad blamed foreign plotters yesterday for the deadly 10-month-old protests against his regime and vowed to crush their “terrorism” with an iron fist. The Syrian National Council (SNC), the largest opposition umbrella group, branded Assad’s rare speech an “incitement to violence” that pushes the country closer to a civil war. In the speech just hours before the UN Security Council was to discuss Syria, Assad denied security forces had orders to fire on civilian protesters, even as activists reported regime gunmen killed 13 more civilians.

Meanwhile, two Kuwaiti army officers who are part of the Arab League observer mission in Syria were “slightly hurt” in an attack by “unidentified protesters”, the state’s defence ministry said yesterday. The incident is the first reported case in which Arab League observers in Syria have been wounded. The two soldiers were treated in a hospital following the Monday incident and later discharged in good health, the ministry said in a statement cited by Kuwait’s official KUNA news agency. They have resumed work at the mission’s headquarters in Syria, the statement added. Observers from Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates were attacked while heading to the coastal city of Latakia, said the statement, without providing further details.

Six Kuwaiti army officers are taking part in the League’s observer mission.

In his speech, Assad said the unrest, which the United Nations estimated last month has cost more than 5,000 lives since March, would only come to an end “when the flow of funds and weapons coming from abroad stops”.

Continued on Page 13

MoI disqualifies 14 candidates Juwaihel, Dashti, Hufaiti barred • Bedoons warned against demos

By B Izzak KUWAIT: As the election campaign began to pick up gradually, the interior ministry yesterday surprised all by disqualifying 14 candidates and barred them from taking part in the Feb 2 general elections. Those omitted from the list of hopefuls include controversial personality and former candidate Mohammad AlJuwaihel, who has been campaigning against Kuwaiti tribes and those carrying dual citizenship, which is banned under Kuwaiti law. The ministry said in a statement that a legal committee formed by Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-

Humoud Al-Sabah recommended omitting the 14 candidates because they did not meet the required legal preconditions.

The statement said that interior minister approved the recommendation and issued them in a decision. Others disqualified include leading Shiite businessman and activist Abdulhameed Dashti who has been leading a campaign against the Bahraini government for its crackdown on Shiite protesters. Dashti, a lawyer by profession, charged yesterday that a neighbouring country has been attempting what he called a “soft invasion” of Kuwait to undermine its democratic sys-

tem. Dashti did not name the country but it was clear he meant Saudi Arabia. Both Juwaihel and Dashti have been facing several court cases, and were still waiting for verdicts on some of them.

The list of deleted candidates also include sarcastic hopeful Mohammad AlHufaiti who has promised voters that international singer and dancer Shakira and the best footballer of the year Lionel Messi will attend the launch of his election campaign.

As the ministry issued its decision, the opposition was awaiting a crucial ruling today from the appeals court against former opposition MP Faisal Al-Mislem who

could also face the same fate of being axed from the election race. The lower court has held Mislem guilty for revealing banking secrets when he displayed a copy of a cheque allegedly issued by the former prime minister to a former MP during a secret grilling of the former premier over the issuance of the cheque. But the court only fined him for the crime. If confirmed, Mislem risks being barred from contesting the elections although a number of constitutional experts have said that even if the ruling against Mislem was confirmed, it will not lead to his expulsion from the election.

Continued on Page 13

West edges closer to Iran confrontation US ship again rescues Iranians TEHRAN: Iran’s showdown with the West slid closer to dangerous confrontation yesterday as international alarm over a new uranium enrichment plant and Tehran’s death sentence for a “CIA spy” raised the stakes. Both sides were digging in, with Iran’s defiance hardening and the United States and European Union actively taking steps to fracture the Iranian economy through further sanctions. China, which rejects sanctions, warned of dis-

astrous consequences if the Iranian nuclear row escalated into conflict, while Japan said it was “very concerned”.

The IAEA’s confirmation on Monday that Iran had begun enriching uranium in a new, underground bunker southwest of Tehran was seized upon by the United States, Britain, France and Germany as an unacceptable “violation” of UN Continued on Page 13

MANAMA: Anti-government protesters shout slogans and wave national flags yesterday. Thousands of people participated in the demonstration, organized by several opposition societies, outside of the UN offices in the capital. — AP

Bahrain orders retrial, observer turned back DUBAI: A Bahraini appeal court has ordered the retrial of two men sentenced to death for running over and killing two policemen during pro-democracy protests last year, state media reported.

However, a US rights campaigner said he had been prevented from entering the Gulf state to observe a separate appeal hearing this week for medical workers jailed on charges including incitement to overthrow the government during the protests. Bahrain remains in crisis after the Sunni Muslim monarchy repressed the protests led by majority Shiites by force last year. Demonstrators continue to clash daily with police but in smaller

protests scattered throughout the Gulf island state.

Courts are reviewing many cases after a rights commission, formed by King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa after international criticism of the crackdown, talked of torture and abuse during over two months of martial law. The state news agency BNA said the court of cassation, the kingdom’s highest appeals court, had overturned the death sentences for the two Bahrainis on Monday as well as a life jail sentence for one other. The original verdicts were handed down by a military court in May but the Bahrain Continued on Page 13

CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (right) and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (left) smile at Miraflores presidential palace on Monday. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

local

Voters offer help to ‘trap’ vote buyers KUWAIT: The Kuwait Transparency Society (KTS) tasked with overseeing upcoming elections informed the Ministry of Interior on Monday that seven separate cases of vote buying and selling crimes have taken place in the country. According to an AlQabas report, the KTS added that citizens have approached it, offering assistance to entrap to those offering bribes in exchange of votes.

The report published on the front page of Al-Qabas’s yesterday issue noted that the Interior Ministry is yet to look into the cases received as of Sunday.

And while the Appeals Court is to pass a highly anticipated verdict in a case where former MP Faisal Al-Mislem has been accused of illegally obtaining a bank document, legal sources insist that the authority does not have a say in any candidate’s nomination withdrawal. This process can only be made by the Ministry of Interior based on recommendations put forward by a committee formed with the duty of examining the criminal records of every candidate.

Sources who spoke on condition of anonymity indicate that the committee, led by Attorney General Sultan Bujurwah, completed its report. The ministry is waiting for the ruling in Al-Mislem’s case before making a decision. Al-Mislem is running from the third constituency in the upcoming elections scheduled for February 2, reported Al-Qabas.

Fourth constituency candidate and former MP Musallam Al-Barrak stated during a seminar held on Monday that AlMislem’s case is a trick used by the government to intimidate the opposition. “We hope that the court will pass a ruling that would result in the Constitution’s victory.

They took a difficult decision,” Al-Barrak said. The court is studying if Al-Mislem’s parliamentary immunity protects him from the charge of obtaining a photocopy of a check used during the debate of a grilling motion.

On Monday, second constituency candidate and former MP Marzouq Al-Ghanim attended a gathering organized by a group referring to itself as ‘Al-Sulaibikhat and Al-Doha Youth for Reform,’ during which he pledged to “continue following the concept of assessing grilling motions

based on subjects, rather than the minister they target.” Al-Ghanim addressed a crowd of citizens who he described as “the free people of the second constituency who forced the symbols of corruption, in whom, I have full trust.”

Al-Ghanim mentioned the name of former Minister of Development and Housing Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah who resigned from the Cabinet last year before a scheduled debate for a grilling motion was to be filed by Al-Ghanim’s National Action Bloc over alleged corruption charges. He said on Monday that “[AlFahad] spent millions of dinars of the development plan on his friends rather than on developmental projects.”

“I know that we have hurt Al-Fahad and that he is going to face the reality [during elections]. I have full faith in the free people of the second constituency and AlSulaibikhat,” the liberal candidate said.

Meanwhile, fellow NAB member and third constituency candidate Saleh AlMulla said that the current development plan must be canceled and replaced by another plan “that goes in line with the state’s capabilities.”

The former MP made these statements during a seminar held at Al-Jassem Dewaniya in Al-Surra, in which he also commented on a recently discovered money laundering case in which two former MPs were suspected to have obtained KD 15 million by undertaking ‘fake’ deals on stocks that are not listed in the Kuwait Stock Exchange. Al-Mulla used the word ‘dangerous’ to comment on the case.

First constituency candidates Ahmad Lari and Adnan Al-Abdulsamad inaugurated their joint election campaign headquarters on Monday, during which the latter said that “a wise opposition is required to tackle governmental corruption.” In other news, the Kuwait Municipality reportedly issued an ultimatum to third constituency candidate Mohammad AlJuwaihel, asking him to remove tents by Tuesday in connection with violating the terms of his license. Saleh Al-Eidan, a coordinator of Al-Juwaihel’s campaign, told AlRai that a municipality officer explained that the headquarters, which is located near the Kazma Sports Club in Al-Adailiya, exceeds boundary limits, reported Al-Rai.

Cultural advancement ‘a national priority’ Qurain Festival opens KUWAIT: Educated, informed and intellectually aware Arabs are faced with a great responsibility at present with the Arab World going through unprecedented challenges in all fields, said Minister of Information.

Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali AlSabah was inaugurating the 18th Qurain Cultural Festival.

Organized by the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters (NCCAL), the festival lasts until Jan 28. The minister opened the event as representative of the festival sponsor, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheik h Jaber Al-Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah.

In his address, the minister said the Arab elite must now shoulder the task of helping the masses understand the difficulties in this time of flux. They

must help their communities to realize aspirations and engage in building a prosperous future while preser ving the unique Arab identity. “Fully appreciating the role of culture in society, the State of Kuwait has never spared efforts or expense to support any cultural initiative. It opted to and still maintains its resolve to be an arena for free interaction among intellectuals and creative figures from all Arab countries,” the Minister said.

The Minister added that embedded within the national strategy for overall development is the belief in the need to connect cultural development with efforts in other fields.

“His Highness the Amir, who often stresses the need for cultural activity and interaction, is of the strong belief that without

true cultural renaissance there can be no ultimate development.”

The national strategy for the field is to support existing cultural institutions and activities, establish more, and set up a cultural infrastructure for the future, he said.

There are plans to create cultural centers in all governorates, to build an opera house, to rehabilitate the national museum, to complete the national library project, and supply the latest technology to serve researchers, he stated. All this will benefit the cultural status of Kuwait.

Another unique project is printing all NCCAL publications in braille, in recognition of the requirements of people with special needs and their equal rights of exposure to culture and

art. The Minister mentioned the National Merit Award, which is granted annually to those who make considerable contributions to culture, humanities and art.

This award, he said, is another means through which Kuwait seeks to nur ture cultural advancement and encourage future creativity.

This year ’s winners of the merit award are Jasem AlNabhan, Ghanima Al-Marzouq, Fadha Khalid, Television director Ghafil Fadhil, cinema director Ahmad Al-Khalaf, shor t stor y writer Estabraq Ahmad, Jamilah Sayyid Ali, theatre script writer Intisar Al-Haddad, children’s literature writer Amal Al-Randi, social sciences professor Dr. Yagoub Abdullah, economist Ahmad Al-Rifaei, and Ahmad Shehab. —KUNA

Political stability key to solving Kuwait’s problems KUWAIT: Ahmad Lari and Adnan Abdul Samad, candidates running together in the first constituency, highlighted on Monday the need for political stability as a way to solve all problems in the country.

The country is facing a crucial turning point which concerns everybody. It requires concerted efforts to maintain political stability, the two hopefuls said in a symposium held at their joint campaign premises.” The people make history by active participation in the electoral process in order to rebuild the country as a modern and civilized country and regional beacon,” Lari said. He voiced hope that voters will exercise their democratic rights, enshrined

in the Constitution, and elect more efficient candidates in a transparent way.

Meanwhile, Abdul Samad said the country suffers from misconceptions and political tensions which turned democracy into a scarecrow instead of offering a model for countries in the region.

“Though the country enjoys abundant high-skilled human resources, we face the challenges of corruption in administrative, financial and social domains,” he regretted.

The way to solve our problems is through political stability, the rule of law, a correct approach to Parliamentary action and good governance whether by parliamentarians or in opposition circles. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Information Minister Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah and other dignitaries at the opening of 18th Qurain Cultural Festival. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

News

in brief

Efforts to prevent blackouts KUWAIT: The Ministr y of Health (MoH) has assigned its maintenance and services department to +hold unscheduled inspections to check emergency power generators in public hospitals. This measure follows on the heels of an incident that took place a few days ago when a blackout temporarily hit the Ibn Sina Hospital and Physiotherapy Hospital. According to an MoH insider, Assistant Undersecretary for Services and Maintenance Affairs Sameer Al-Asfour will investigate the reasons behind the unexpected power cut, as well as efforts to prevent such incidents from affecting public medical facilities.

KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait has made a financial contribution to support the annual ceremony to honor retirees, organized

by Public Authority for Industry. The Bank supports social activities as it firmly believes that its role is not limited to offering banking services to its clients, but is also committed toward society. Regional Manager Waleed Hilali handed over the check to Bani Al-Hajiri, Deputy Director for Public Authority for Industry in the presence of Falah Al-Manie, CBK’s Fahaheel Branch Director.

Candidates fined for unlicensed adverts

By Hanan Al Saadoun KUWAIT: Mohammad Jaafar Al Mosawi, Secretary of the supreme committee of elections, said that 160 locations are licensed as election headquarters, in addition to 200 licensed advertisements for candidates.

More than 1,000 advertisements in violation of the law have been removed from the five constituencies. Penalties for violators are at least KD 1,000, but do not exceed KD 3,000. There are different violation fees stipulated by the Municipality and Ministry of Interior in this respect.

He explained that the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister and

Defense Minister have formed a joint committee from the Ministry of Interior and Municipality. It is headed by the Director General of the Municipality to monitor elections and ensure that candidates headquarters are licensed as well as their election adverts. Any violating adverts or election headquarters set up without a license will be removed.

During the coming period participating groups in the committee from the Ministry of Interior and Municipality will double their efforts, especially as the election is soon. They will secure the election and make all formalities simple for candidates to ensure that all abide by the regulations.

Live ammunitions drill KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Coast Guards are to hold a live ammunitions drill in regional waters today morning. The exercises are to be conducted close to the islands of Garoh and Um Al-Maradim from 0800 to 1600 local time, the coastguard directorate of the Ministry of Interior said in a statement yesterday.

The ministry warned sea-goers against approaching the area during the mentioned period, adding that it would be ensuring no one approaches the area during the training.

Al-Shaheen urges national stability KUWAIT: A First Constituency candidate for the Kuwaiti National Assembly elections called on Monday for “restoring stability” in the country, where people are fed up with political tension.

Osama Al-Shaheen said everybody in the country is required to work hard and seriously to restore stability and security. Opening his electoral headquarters, he said this will achieve development and improve services and utilities in Kuwait.

“Kuwait only requires hard-work, especially as it abounds in the constituents of success. It has sincere and aware people, financial sufficiency, a strategic position, stupendous natural resources and a state of Constitution and law,” he said. Al-Shaheen called for setting a timetable for Kuwait’s national development plan, allowing the private sector to join proposed development projects, conduct serious financial and administrative affairs and ensure genuine cooperation between the executive and legislative bodies. —KUNA

Candidate seeks revival of Kuwait KUWAIT: Engineer Barak Fahad AlSabeeh, a third constituency candidate for the upcoming 2012 parliamentary election, seeks to achieve a comprehensive revival in Kuwait to restore its leadership in the region and return it to the ranks of developed countries. At the launch of his campaign, Al-Sabeeh told the audience that to achieve the revival of Kuwait, it must abide by the constitution to transform society into a homogeneous one for all.

“The political tension and conflicts in

the country, in addition to alignments to certain and personal agendas that are detrimental to the nation, led to grumbling by many segments of Kuwaiti society. Therefore it has created a desire to change for the better,” he stressed.

He rejected the idea of amending the Constitution at this time, due to “political tension and bickering among the parties of the democratic process.” He called for an accurate application of the Constitution and to activate all of its articles. —KUNA

Two candidates quit KUWAIT: Two candidates from the second constituency withdrew on Monday from the race for the February 2 parliamentary elections.

Shurooq Essa Abdulwahhab AlRushood and Abdullah Saud Hamad

Ismail filed their official withdrawal documents, reducing the number of candidates in all five constituencies to 369, including 25 women. Candidates have until January 25 if they wish to withdraw. —KUNA

Panel to study Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh’s issues

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A committee to study the issues facing Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh has been formed by the Council of Ministers, said the Minister of Public Works Dr Fadhel Safar.

He pointed out that the committee has put forward three suggestions to develop the area. When questioned about reports

that the minister’s relatives in Khaitan who benefit from the project to develop roads in Khaitan, the minister refused to comment. Regarding suggestions and recommendations with respect to developing the area, the minister said that the recommendations need approval from the Council of Ministers and other concerned authorities.

KPI opens green-friendly petrol station in Sweden KUWAIT: Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI) announced yesterday it will open the first environmentally-friendly petrol station in Sweden.

The new station, in the town of Hajfik, depends entirely on solar power for its lighting and cooling energy needs, the company told KUNA. The only time the station will depend on public electricity will be at sunset

in the country, located in the northern hemisphere. The station will be equipped with batteries which store solar power. The station is also able to equip vehicles with bio-fuels like corn and cane sugar Ethanol, in addition to electricity for hybrids. The station’s leftovers will be recycled, while its office blocks are fitted with state-of-the-art insulation which store high amounts of heat. —KUNA

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

LOCAL kuwait digest

Letters to Muna Al-Fuzai

Kuwaitis at birth

Let me see my parents, please

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

A

ccording to recent reports, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlSabah requested Deputy Prime Minister, Interior Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah to prepare lists of people who are eligible to receive citizenship. The conditions stipulated are as follows: a) stateless residents should be in possession of documents dating back to the 1965 census. b) retired stateless residents from the Army who took part in Kuwait’s Liberation War (1991) and Arab wars in the past century. c) stateless residents whose mothers are Kuwaiti. While I sincerely hope this will be a serious step to end the suffering of bedoons, I don’t agree upon how the conditions are prioritized.

Aside from aspects that place certain residents ahead of others to receive citizenship, I believe that children of Kuwaiti women should receive special treatment. By special treatment, I believe that they should not be considered stateless residents, but rather as Kuwaitis with full rights and duties.

The democratic system of Kuwait provides equal rights and duties to all citizens regardless of their biological or physiological differences. Article 29 of the Constitution specifically states that all people are equal in human dignity and in public rights and duties before the law, without distinction to race, origin, language, or religion. This qualifies female citizens to be entitled to all rights that male citizens enjoy, including bequeathing citizenship to their children, regardless of the nationality of the children’s father - similar to how a child inherits his father’s nationality.

The citizenship law, however, differentiates between Kuwaiti parents as it states that a citizenship is only granted to a child born to a Kuwaiti father. According to the aspect of equality promoted by Article 29 of Constitution, the law should instead state that a citizenship is granted to a child born to a citizen - without gender specifications.

Depriving Kuwaiti women from the right to bequeath citizenship to their children is a clear violation to Kuwaitis’ constitutional right to equality. It was not a coincidence that that children of Kuwaiti women were placed last, behind other conditions in the list mentioned above. This means that they are third in line to be naturalized! Given the fact that the government has said that naturalization will be made on a gradual basis, it means that Kuwaiti women still have a long way to wait before their children are fully naturalized. That is, provided that the government doesn’t change its mind after naturalizing a few batches. It wouldn’t be surprising given the many incidents in which they failed to live up to their promises of putting a prompt end to bedoons crisis. — Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

Let’s not underestimate Hadas

By Mubarak Snaideh

T

oday, as Hadas regains political confidence, it faces an attack from some individuals who claim that it has fallen under foreign influence, and seeks to overthrow the ruling family. This is a clear indication that these forces inject hatred among public, thereby placing the country in a state of political hallucination. This makes the listener laugh in disgust.

You cannot read their thoughts because they are distorted and written in illegible alphabet, and fit each situation.

The Islamic Constitutional Movement solidified its position in front of the occupying ‘invader,’ by finding a footing with (with the social solidarity committees) that personified cooperation between society’s components regardless of affiliations. Its leader Dr Jassim Mihalhil Al-Yaseen did not leave the Friday podium while urging citizen to stay put, while those who are attacking Hadas were relaxing in their hideouts in European hotels and resorts or in basements.

Meanwhile, outside Kuwait, Dr Tariq Swaidan established the (International Authority for Solidarity with Kuwait) and had branches in America, Britain, Egypt and GCC and aiming at supporting the constitutional legitimacy and steadfastness in the homeland. They had played a clear role during the Jeddah popular conference under the leadership of the late chairman of the social reform society, to comply with the constitution and the restoration of the political life with the National Assembly.

Despite this, there are those who want to doubt the patriotism of Hadas, and use it as a scapegoat, and position it as the leader of Irada Square and (NAHJ) forum, although this is an honor it does not claim. They are one of the political entities that participated, and were represented by one member of parliament only.

Hadas aims to Islamize the laws in a constitutional manner. Its guide is a patriotic source with an Islamic direction. It has a legacy of achievements; it works hard to correct by learning from mistakes. It seeks the majority’s opinion in directing a political decision that could be right or wrong.

It is the right of some people to disagree with Hadas’ ideology. Those who direct poisonous arrows, need to be shaken. — Al-Watan

muna@kuwaittimes.net

twitter @munaalfuzai Hi Muna, read your views in Kuwait Times about Kuwaiti women married to non-Kuwaitis. I am visiting Dubai nowadays. At first I was really impressed with the mega structures and everything, but this Arab non-Arab thing really damages the beautiful impression that one has in his mind when he visits this beautiful part of the world. There should be laws for nationality and immigration like the rest of the world in the Arab world as well, like the Canadian or Australian point system. In this regard, a strict system is acceptable or even a very strict system but NO SYSTEM is of course disrespectful and annoying.

Highly skilled people like pilots, doctors, engineers and those with doctorates should have deep respect in the Arab world too. Do we want to come to the rest of the world as a strong nation in next 10 years? No one in 2020 will survive behind closed doors.

Thanks a lot Zia

I

kuwait digest

Sleeping conscience

By Aisha Al-Awadhi

A

lmost half a century has passed since the bedoons’ issue first originated. Since then, the problem was ignored due to lack of attention and delay; affecting generations of stateless residents living in humiliation.

Among the many aspects of suffering that stateless residents have been going through all those years, one stands out : human rights should be protected regardless of ethnic classifications. The central agency set up by the Kuwaiti government to find solutions to their problem, has devised several conditions according to which a bedoon resident no longer becomes eligible to receive treatment in public medical facilities. Among these conditions - or blackmailing moves to describe it more accurately - is that a stateless resident must have a security ID card to receive treatment.

This means that anyone whose card has expired becomes ineligible to receive medical treatment. This card is only issued by the central agency to stateless residents whose names are present in lists. This means that bedoons who are not registered, or are no longer in possession of cards, lose their right to seek medical treatment.

The sad truth about this situa-

tion is that the cards are issued to bedoon children only after they reach six years of age. Therefore, bedoon children below the stip-

The central agency set up by the Kuwaiti government to find solutions to their problem, has devised several conditions according to which a bedoon resident no longer becomes eligible to receive treatment in public medical facilities. Among these conditions - or blackmailing moves to describe it more accurately - is that a stateless resident must have a security ID card to receive treatment.

ulated age limit also find a place among those who have been deprived of treatment.

It is strange that a country is keen on protecting a prisoner’s right to treatment, yet leaves residents to suffer illnesses on their own because they do not obtain a simple card!

That’s not all. Even bedoons who have security IDs are not technically treated by the government. While they can access public medical facilities, their treatment costs are not covered by the state, but by the state’s charity fund which provides medical care to people in need.

Basically, the fate of a bedoon patient hinges on charity that others might or might not make.

There is no excuse to adamantly stating that a person can’t receive treatment for a medical condition unless a card is provided. It is not right when treatment is provided as a privilege to certain people instead of being guaranteed to every living soul. Where is our conscience when people living among us get blackmailed with, and children are deprived of their basic rights?

Our sleeping conscience needs to be awakened to realize that there are bedoon human beings who must be guaranteed complete human rights. — Al-Rai

Dear Muna, With regards to your article on Kuwaiti women concerning their rights for their children ..This is a very sensitive topic . We have to create awareness on this topic . Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar already give rights to their women to pass their citizenship onto their children. Why not Kuwait?

Best Regards, Taimur Dear Muna Al-Fuzai, I was born in Kuwait in 1989. My whole family lives in Kuwait. My father is here for more than 35 years now. I went to Pakistan in 2007 for my graduate studies and, thank God, I have graduated. Last year my visa was cancelled because I sent my passport for renewal and it was returned to me very late from the Pakistan Embassy. Since then my father has been trying to get my family visa again, but in vain. He managed to get my visit visa last September so I visited my family for a month. But now neither family nor visit visas are available because they are closed.

I am 22 years old and there is no way that I can get back to my family now. I appeal and request you to raise this topic so that family visas should not be closed. My father has served your country for over 35 years and what he gets in the end is that he cannot see his daughter. My parents are old and alone and I need to be with them now. Please help me if you can by telling the government to open the family visas or at least give me a visa so I can be with my family. It has been four years now. I am in Pakistan and I just get to see them once a year. Now I cannot even do that.

I request you again to please help me.

Regards, Thank you Rehna

kuwait digest

A glimmer of hope

By Dr Sulaiman Al-Khadari

kuwait digest

‘Complicated’ decision-makers

By Thaar Al-Rashidi

W

hen we were young in school, we used to call the cleverest one in the class a “complicated” person.

He was the one who did not participate in any sporting activity or any social activity and was usually isolated. The Americans call such kinds of students “nerds”.

I remember in school there was no class without at least one “complicated” person. Such complicated persons lived a semi isolated life. They communicated only with their families. The most they did was go once a week to the cooperative society branch, next to their house, to buy a soft drink and some sweets.

In general they were very quiet and shy, controlling most of their behavior. They were not good in communicating with others. Some of them did not know when to say ‘Happy Eid’ and other social greetings.

Those “complicated” ones, I have discovered lately, are the luckiest ones in society. In spite of a bad social life they led during their teenage years, they find a job after university.

They get the best positions, and some of them become leading figures. Without knowing it, I expect that half of the high ranking officials in the ministries were

“complicated” at school.

This does not mean that the other half are better or are ok.

But the other half have either

Those “complicated” ones, I have discovered lately, are the luckiest ones in society. In spite of a bad social life they led during their teenage years, they find a job after university. They get the best positions, and some of them become leading figures. Without knowing it, I expect that half of the high ranking officials in the ministries were “complicated” at school.

reached that position through “wasta” or through the Kuwaiti saying “he is our son”. Very few leaders have reached their positions based on gradual promotion or efficiency.

You find these leaders, both “complicated” and those who reached through some push, make decisions that have nothing to do with reality due to their isolation. As if they have come from different planet!

They are from house to school and back to university, then to the position.

They never went through natural social gates. They did not have direct contact with the public. Those leaders are the kind who run the administration in government. Therefore, we find government organizations are lost because of them.

In the USA, a complicated person, or nerd, mostly becomes a genius in science or computer programming. They serve their society and their country, even though they do not live a full social life.

Here in Kuwait the “complicated” become leaders like Undersecretaries and Assistant Undersecretaries and General Directors and disgust society with decisions that have nothing to do with its needs. — Al-Anbaa

I

received a phone call a few days ago from an old friend who I hadn’t spoken to in a while.

After exchanging Kuwaiti-style greetings, which comprises most of the telephonic conversation, we spoke briefly about the political conditions and upcoming elections. I was glad to speak to him, until the end of the conversation after whispering something to me that left me highly disappointed.

It turned out that the main reason why my friend called is to recommend that I vote for a certain candidate. That probably wouldn’t be a problem if the candidate is not involved in suspicious behavior. On numerous occasions, we recklessly used the thorny dual citizenship issue to boost his political presence, disregarding the harms his arguments would cause to social unity.

My friend and others of the same background share a feeling of concern in the belief that they are targeted by other social categories who believe in trying to take over and enforce their ‘intolerant point of view.’

My friend and others who share his concerns, believe that their social and political rivals strongly push for a reelection. They are determined to ensure success by any means.

I couldn’t hide my displeasure when my friend made the request. We entered into a small debate, during which we failed to convince each other of our points of view.

I call myself one of those citizens who believe that elections still give us a chance to support national projects by electing MPs who place national interest as top priority. This point of view, however, is shared by a minority among Kuwaitis due to the dominance of tribal and sectarian considerations.

The situation is perhaps even more complicated than we can imagine. This is because we need a lot of efforts to eliminate the foundations of fundamentalism that are deep-rooted in our cultural, social, political, and even educational fields.

Amid all these complications, there is still a glimmer of hope. In my opinion, the first step towards achieving a shift in the current situation is when each social category votes their most qualified and aware candidates. — Al-Rai

5

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

Local

Majority of employers to hire new workers in 2012 Kuwait employment market bright

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: Ambassador Frank Baker raised the Olympic flag at the British Embassy in Kuwait on Monday morning to mark 200 days to go till London Olympics 2012. The world’s most extraordinary show will arrive in London for the third time, and London will be welcoming friends from all over the world to experience history in the making. The Olympic Games will be the greenest and most exciting event to happen in 2012. At the British Embassy in Kuwait the flag goes up to mark this special occasion and the start of a number of events to take place at the embassy.

Cabinet must exert efforts to achieve economic reforms KUWAIT: The economic situation in Kuwait has deteriorated and will be subjected to further risks that can only be prevented with effective intervention. This role requires that competent ministers and state officials who can garner public and parliamentary support for enforcing a series of necessary reforms, be appointed.

According to sources, this conclusion is mentioned in the report finalized by the state’s consultative committee for economic development, reviewed during a meeting Monday chaired by Kuwait’s Prime Minister His Highness

Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.

“There are many indications which point out the fact that the state of [Kuwait’s] economy is spiraling downward due to several reasons, mainly the overspending in public sector salaries as well as the general weak performance of the government,” said sources who spoke to Al-Qabas daily on condition of anonymity. “The Cabinet needs to work as a team before seeking public support as they start reconsidering the current role in the state’s economic activity. “

KUWAIT: Some 67 per cent of employers in Kuwait are planning to hire new workers in 2012, says a job expert. Ghassan Mustapha, Business Manager Kuwait with Bayt.com, explains that over 50 percent of employers in Kuwait will be employing new staff. “The unemployment rate in Kuwait was up by four percent last year. The positive response of employers in Kuwait is definitely very encouraging,” Mustapha stated, quoting an October 2011 Index Survey.

“Bayt.com sees a positive and a much brighter state for the job market in Kuwait in 2012,” he added. Bayt.com is a Middle eastbased job website.

Almost half of the respondents in a Bayt.com survey admit that the government sector presents a viable job opportunity.

“The government sector is also seen as an employer of choice by 49 percent of professionals in Kuwait,” he explained.

The global crisis is affecting countries around the world. Kuwait has liquidity which, Mustapha opined, can be invested in training and developing local talent “having been recognized as essential to developing the human resources field and achieving Kuwait’s vision for 2035.”

Based on the Bayt.com December 2011 Consumer Confidence Index survey, which he revealed during the on-line interview, 57 percent of professionals in Kuwait expect business conditions to be better within a year.

“While 35 percent say there will be more jobs available, just 24 percent said there will be fewer jobs available. Only 23 percent stated that the availability of jobs will not change in 2012,” disclosed Mustapha.

Additional data from the Bayt.com Job Index survey showed that 37 percent of employers are looking to hire junior executives, which could be a great advantage to new graduates.

Based on their December 2011 Top Industries Survey, Mustapha said professionals in Kuwait view the following industries to be the most attractive to fresh graduates: Government (21 percent), banking (23 percent), and IT (7 percent).

Industries providing the best salaries in 2012 are oil and gas/petrochemicals (59 percent), banking/finance (27 percent) and IT (14 percent). Bayt.com also suggested the industries that will downsize in 2012 are construction (10

percent), banking/finance (9 percent) and airlines (5 percent).

The three industries retaining top professionals are banking and finance (43 percent), followed by the oil industry (35 percent), and consumer goods (27 percent).

The most favorable and attractive job sectors for expatriates in Kuwait are in construction (17 percent), oil, gas and petrochemicals (13 percent) and education (8 percent).

The same survey also revealed that the top

percent having their policy audited by a government entity,” he added.

There have been high expectations for job creation after the announcement of Kuwait’s 2035 plan for development.

According to Mustapha, it definitely indicates a positive impact on employment rates, as 67 percent of employers in Kuwait plan on hiring this year.

With the Arab Spring unfolding across the region, sectors perceived to have been affected

KUWAIT: In this file photo a construction worker is seen taking a break. The image is used for illustrative purposes only. three most attractive industries to locals are oil, gas and petrochemicals (19 percent), government/civil-services (14 percent) and automotives (6 percent).

Many of the GCC countries are currently implementing localization and it is one of their strategies in hiring new employees.

“Localization Hiring Policies in the GCC” revealed that 49.2 percent of companies in the region plan to hire more local talent, despite 47.5 percent stating that the search for local talent is proving to be difficult. Poll results showed that 48.5 percent of companies in the region adhere to the localization hiring policy, with 43

and downsizing in the Middle East are manufacturing (9 percent), construction (8 percent), and government/civil service (8 percent).

Job seekers from across the region, including countries affected by the Arab Spring, are expected to seek better opportunities in Kuwait.

“Our Top Industries survey showed that the most favorable and attractive for expatriates in Kuwait are construction (17 percent), oil, gas and petrochemicals (13 percent) and education (8 percent). These are open to attract professionals from across the region, not only from Egypt and Syria,” he concluded.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

local

Money, phone stolen from officer’s car Corpse found in Salmiya KUWAIT: A senior Ministry of Interior official lodged a complaint at Jabriya police station after thieves broke into his car. They stole his cell phone and wallet, which contained his police ID and KD120 in cash. The Major General, whose identity is anonymous, told officers that he left his car outside a local market before discovering the theft an hour later.

Investigations are ongoing.

KUWAIT: Kuwait Airport customs officials foiled an attempt to smuggle Tromadol tablets into Kuwait, a prohibited substance in the country. Suspicion fell on an Egyptian expat and upon searching, they found the drugs hidden in his shoes. He was referred to concerned authorities. —Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Man killed by reckless driver

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: An unidentified man died on the spot after a speeding car hit him on the Sixth Ring Road opposite Sabah AlSalem. His body was taken to a medical examiner.

A car accident at the cooperative street opposite Anjafa, resulted in different injuries to a 19 year old Kuwaiti man.

He was taken to Mubarak Hospital.

A car accident between Al-Jleeb and

Abdullah Al-Mubarak resulted in different injuries to a 21 year old male Kuwaiti.

He was taken to Farwaniya Hospital.

A car accident at Al-Mutlaa Road, before Rawdatain cooperative society, resulted in a broken right leg to a 41 year old Kuwaiti man and lesion on his face.

He was taken to Jahra Hospital.

A car accident on Wafra Road near Kilo 5 resulted in broken thigh and facial injuries to a 46 year old Syrian. He was taken to Adan Hospital.

Corpse found Police and paramedics headed to an open location in Salmiya recently where a pedestrian reported finding a dead body.

Paramedics reached the scene minutes later.

They pronounced a male victim dead before calling criminal investigators to the scene.

The victim was identified as a 56-year-old Iranian national before his body was taken for autopsy. A forensic check later confirmed that the victim died of circulatory failure caused by a heart attack. A case was filed at the area police station.

Sexual harassment Police are investigating an Arab man accused by a female resident of sexual harassment. The woman claims that the suspect pretended to want a serious relationship with her, only to assault her. The woman reportedly agreed to go out on a date with the man, who invited her to a Salmiya restaurant to talk about taking the relationship to the next level.

According to the woman’s statements to police, the suspect started talking about future plans after marriage. Soon he started touching her inappropriately, which she interpreted as ill intentions. She left the restaurant immediately and pressed sexual harassment

charges at the nearest police station. A case was filed for investigations.

Interpol catches GCC suspect Local Interpol officers apprehended a native of a GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) country wanted for a major money-related crime in his home country. The arrest reportedly took place after the Interpol division at the Ministr y of Interior ’s Criminal Investigations Department received an official request from a GCC country, calling for the arrest of one of its citizens. The letter indicated that the suspect entered Kuwait after embezzling large amounts of money.

According to a report quoting a local security source, the suspect was arrested following weeks of investigations that eventually enabled officers to locate and ambush him.

Following his arrest, the suspect was placed in police custody pending procedures to hand him over to authorities in his home country.

Contraband smuggling thwarted A Kuwaiti teenager was arrested and is set to face charges after he was caught trying to smuggle a cell phone to his jailed brother. The juvenile was searched after his behavior raised suspicions after he arrived with his father at the Central Jail. The youth admitted that he was planning to hand over the phone, found hidden in his clothes, to his jailed brother. The news report did not provide information on whether his father knew of the smuggling attempt or not.

Like father, like son A Kuwaiti man’s idea of spending quality time with his son led them both to jail. The

pair were arrested recently for drug abuse.

The two, along with the youth’s friend, caught attention of patrol officers. They were spotted inside a car parked suspiciously near a school in Nahdha. As they approached the vehicle, the officers saw a plastic bag tossed from inside. They soon learned it contained drug pills. The three were placed under arrest after admitting they took drugs inside the car. The three were put behind bars to spend some more ‘quality time’ together as they wait for further legal procedures.

Hungry armed thieves Seven armed thieves stormed a local grocery store, but stole only a bag of hamburger patties. Investigations are currently ongoing into the unusual incident, in which they attacked three staff members. Police and paramedics rushed to the co-operative society branch in Fintas following a report about three workers sustaining stab wounds following an armed robbery. The staff were hospitalized, while investigators found out that a bag of frozen burgers was the only item missing from the store. Police are using surveillance tapes to try and identify the thieves.

Shooting Police are currently attempting to identify suspects who shot at a publishing house in Sabhan recently. No human casualties were reported in the incident. Criminal investigators arrived at the scene with police shortly after the incident was reported. They were able to collect bullets, which they identified as being fired from a hunting rifle. A case was filed for investigations at the area police station.—Al-Rai, Al-Anba, Al-Watan

special pages on 2012 candidates abound in press

Dr Hassan Al-Sayyid

Dr Rabeiah Al-Kawari

Academicians hail Kuwaiti democracy, constitution DOHA: Drafted some 50 years ago, the Kuwaiti Constitution serves as a sophisticated example of a document of its type as it entrenched principles such as justice and equality and defined the mechanisms through which the general public takes part in decision-making, a Qatari academician said yesterday.

Former dean of the Faculty of Law at Qatar University Dr. Hassan Al-Sayyid said the pioneering Kuwaiti democratic experience developed and progressed in a manner that reflected the people’s maturity and strong grips on the meaning and spirit of the constitution. Recent political activity is a healthy sign and constitutes another cornerstone for the country’s democracy.

Rather than amended, the text of the Kuwaiti Constitution could be expanded to guarantee more freedoms, which could be a means to avoid issues that cause lack of harmony and dispute between the executive and the legislative authorities, he argued.

“The February polls are different than those before,” he stressed, and it is imperative for all members and groups in the Kuwaiti society to honor the responsibilities of this point in time and chose their representatives with the best interest of their homeland in mind and at heart. The participation of the civil community, represented by the transparency society and the journalists association, would contribute to efforts at ensuring fairness and countering corruption.

As for the so-called “Arab Spring”, these winds of change had an impact on all Arab countries. However, there are no conditions that would foster such flux or dramatic confrontations in Kuwait, a democratic country since inception, and with Kuwaitis pride in their democracy and their loyalty to their rulers and their political system.

By way of recommendation, the academician said it would be prudent to avoid fierce argument and debate that stands to compromise development efforts and projects in the country.

Another academician, Head of the Teaching Faculty at Qatar University Dr. Rabeiah Al-Kawari said Kuwait is a pioneer in democracy and freedom of opinion and an example all Arabs take pride in. The extent of freedoms enjoyed by the many forms of media bodies and the press in particular make the Kuwaiti experience in this regard a unique example, starting half a century and to date.

Though it had no real precedence in the region, the Kuwaiti experience stayed on-course, renewed itself, and overcame the many obstacles and challenges through the care of the leadership. Al-Kawari expressed hope to see special care for the young in particular and to see young blood in the lead and seriously involved and engaged in development in the country. The role and participation of women is also essential to guarantee fairness and equal opportunity and balanced progress. —KUNA

KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti political arena is currently the scene of a dramatic flux that requires an honest, transparent and professional response by the press towards its voting Kuwaiti readers, editors told KUNA on Tuesday.

Majid Al-Ali, Editor in Chief of Al-Rai paper, said each election has unique issues and the focus this time is on countering corruption, graft, vote buying, and criminalized sub-election. The press, he said, is a main tool from a range of media that candidates rely upon to reach the public and rally support.

Mohammad Saleh Al-Salman, Chief editor for political and Parliament affairs at Al-Watan daily, said the agenda this time abounds with issues that used to be considered taboo. The list of topics include amending articles of the Constitution, barring government voting on certain topics, a push for new legislation on supervision, accountability and political reform. There is also a push for a law to determine financial status before and after assuming government positions and a law to protect informants in cases of corruption. Yousef Hajji, Al-Mustaqbal political editor and head of the local news department, said the paper sought to allow young candidates sufficient exposure to communicate their programs and stances to the public. He said freedom of expression and of belief does not override preserving national identity or social fabric.

Other papers in Kuwait also published page after page on candidates’ biographies, programs, constituency statistics, poll histories and new and recurrent concerns ahead of the polls. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah presented a special award to tenth grade student Sara Al-Otaibi of AlMangaf High School. She won a bronze medal during the International Junior Science Olympiad held last month in South Africa.

No soil for Arab spring in Kuwait: Russian experts

Training program on public-private partnership projects KUWAIT: Head of the technical body tasked with studying the development projects and initiatives, Adel Al-Roumi, said yesterday that the apparatus will hold a comprehensive training program for partnership projects between the public and private sectors.

The program aims to study, monitor and implement projects according to international standards that are tailored to the technical body’s staff and public institutions concerned, in cooperation with one of a specialized international firm.

Al-Roumi said the program will provide staff with internationally-recognized certificates proving their specialization in partnership projects, making the technical body tasked with studying the development projects and initiatives the first in the region to receive such a certificate.

He pointed out that the technical body has contracted with one of the leading institutions internationally in the provision of advisory and management services namely Booz and Company, with its international experience specialized in the development of strategies, capacity building and transfer of expertise in order to transfer knowledge and improve the performance of the staff of the technical body and improve their specialty. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s National Guard is following a strategy that corresponds to the country’s objectives of transforming into an international financial and commercial hub in the region, a senior officer said yesterday. Commander of Financial and Administrative Affairs Brig Sabeh Mayouf made the comment in his opening speech of an officers’ service course. He said the strategic deployment of the National Guard is of the highest caliber. On the course, Mayouf said, it aims to underline the importance of manpower, discipline and the fulfillment of responsibilities.

Vladimir Isayev

Yelena Melkumyan

MOSCOW: Arab Spring events will not spread to Kuwait because the people of the country enjoy high standards of living, according to a Russian researcher.

Causes of the Arab Spring events namely poverty and low level of social services do not exist in Kuwait, thus “such events have no soil to grow in Kuwait,” said Vladimir Isayev, an eminent expert in Kuwaiti and Arab affairs.

Such popular uprisings will not take place in Kuwait because of the high standards of living, non-existence of poor segments of the society, high level of social, medical and educational services, he added.

Isayev, making the remarks on the occasion of the upcoming parliamentary elections in Kuwait, due on Feb 2, praised the Kuwaitis’ democratic experience.

The Kuwaiti Constitution regulates the relationship among the legislative, executive and judicial authorities and (His Highness) the Amir enjoys substantial prerogatives, however these jurisdictions are not absolute.

Crucial decisions involve HH the Amir and the National Assembly, he said indicating that the democratic system in Kuwait could be developed further.

Isayev praised the substantial demo-

cratic freedoms in Kuwait, namely the liberty of speech, equality of citizens according to laws and political freedoms enjoyed by women.

Existence of opposition trends in Kuwait is a normal matter, he said, noting that “it is an impossible task to create a political system, accepted by all individuals and forces regardless how democratic it may be.”

For her part, Yelena Melkumyan said the recent decision by HH the Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, of dismissing the government and calling for early elections was in response to demands of the opposition and the civil welfare society.

Melkumyan asserted crucial role played by the National Assembly and the noticeable democratic freedoms such as the freedom of expression and the ability of the opposition to take part in decision making. Tackling political crises in Kuwait through reference to the National Constitution affirms legitimacy and maturity of the political system. Kuwait is immune to events that have taken place in some states of the region due to various factors such as the historic customs of shifting powers and their bolstering with the constitution.— KUNA

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

LOCAL

Time ripe to change Kuwait mindset on mental health An international problem

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The Women’s Cultural and Social Society held a symposium on mental health awareness on Monday at its premises. The keynote speech was delivered by Dr Susannah J Schuilenberg, Clinical Coordinator and Supervising Psychologist at the Soor Center. Also, sisters Dalal and Ala Al-Humaidhi held a joint presentation on psychology, different psychological diseases and treatments. Dr Susannah J Schuilenberg said that at least 80 percent of the audience know a family member, a friend or a colleague who is or has struggled with mental health issues.

“According to global statistics, 8 out of every 10 people has experienced or will experience an episode involving mental or psychological distress. This means that very few people go crazy but many people experience mental health issues. Even if you aren’t aware of it, your friend may be depressed. A work colleague may be on medication to control psychosis, but you don t know it because with proper treatment, she functions normally in her life, just like you do in yours,” she explained.

The foundation of well-being is to strike the right balance. “That is, to function effectively in life, every human being requires physical health, emotional health, and mental health. So it is with the connection between the body, the psyche (emotions), and the mind. The physical body has an impact on the mind and the psyche. The same is true of the psyche and the mind on the body. The key is balance,” she further said.

Most people think that their physical health or fitness is the only thing that matters and pay for it. “Unfortunately, almost no statistics on this issue is available in Kuwait. So I’m going to use Canadian statistics as an illustration. At least one in five Canadians suffer from a serious mental health issue in their lifetime. This has a significant impact not just on the sufferer, but on the family, the healthcare infrastructure,

Bushehr plant damage risks 90% radiation in Kuwait

Dr Susannah J Schuilenberg and indeed the fabric of Canadian society due to lost wages, lost productivity, and cost of social intervention. Only 1 in 4 sufferers will seek help. Mental illness ranks second only to heart attacks in direct health care costs,” stressed Dr Susannah.

It costs everyone just to be able to live physically, mentally, and emotionally. “We are bombarded daily with what it means to be human, and the impact is cumulative.

That means traumas, painful experiences, hectic daily life, and all that goes with living with one another will affect us. When our mental fitness is worn down, we begin to feel the effects in our physical bodies,” she pointed out.

“When we are physically sick, our psyche and mind are affected. The reverse is also true. When our psyche or mind is disturbed or overwhelmed, our physical health is affected. This is easily demonstrated with anxiety disorders. Yet anxiety is not a physical illness. The cure for anxiety is found not with a medical doctor but with a psychologist,” added Dr Susannah.

An untreated psychological issue can become a chronic mental health disorder.

“For example, postnatal depression can

Yemeni premier visiting Kuwait KUWAIT: Yemeni Prime Minister, Mohammed Basindawa, arrived in Kuwait yesterday accompanied by high ranking officials for a two-day official visit.

Basinsawa’s delegation was received at the airport by HH the Prime Minister, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Interior, Sheikh Ahmad AlHomoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and

Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the head of the accompanying honorary delegation, the advisor at the diwan of HH the Prime Minister, Sheikh Dr. Salem Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, sheikhs, ministers, governors, senior commanders of the army, the police, the national guard, senior state officials, the acting dean of the diplomatic corps, the ambassador of Oman and ambassadors of the two countries. —KUNA

IOM hails Kuwaiti contributions KUALA LUMPUR: An International Organization for Migration (IOM) official highly applauded Kuwait’s contribution to the IOM’s anti-human trafficking program in Anyang.

Trang Nwin was speaking at a meeting with Acting Charge d’Affaires at the Kuwaiti General Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam Abdulrazzaq AlKhalifa in presence of several IOM officials, Al-Khalifa said the program has met the required humanitarian goals and purposes, and has created the sound basis for reincorporating human traffick-

ing victims in the society in spite of relevant hard circumstances.

He said Kuwait’s funding stems from its human constants and keenness to share the international community in view of human trafficking and world humanitarian cooperation.

He cautioned against human trafficking as a worrying scourge to all world countries, given that it contradicts the principles and values of human rights and basic freedoms.

Human trafficking negatively affects economic and social aspects in society, he pointed out. —KUNA

KUWAIT: The Ambassador of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Koko Latt, hosted a reception at his residence for the outgoing Ambassadors of China, Huang Jie Ming, and Bhutan, Dasho Sherub Tenzin. High ranking officials and diplomats attended the reception. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

Dalal Al-Humaidhi and Ala Al-Humaidhi. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat turn into psychosis without proper inter- one else. And in hearing you. I offer the gift vention. An untreated mental illness can of self-understanding. And in the safety of impact physically as well. For example. an the therapeutic relationship you can begin individual in full psychosis may experience to rework your beliefs about yourself and hallucinations which cause her to hurt her- about life.”

Ala Al-Humaidhi, Kuwaiti psychologist self or others.

This is no different than not taking care stated that the Kuwaiti community should of our physical health. The end result of develop an interest in mental health, and neglect to our physical or mental health is that the stigma of being a patient or a professional in this field should disappear. “We negative and painful,” she noted.

She concluded by saying, “When we have already begun supporting mental function effectively in our daily lives, we health awareness in Kuwait with S.P.E.A.K can maintain good relationships; we have campaign. This campaign spreads awarethe emotional and mental capacity to react ness on psychological diseases in Kuwait, appropriately to life’s demands, so we’re and mental health in general. We aim to good. It is when we find life a struggle, provide decent treatment to patients,” she when our ability to think is impacted by said.

When I was studying in the States, I distressing emotions or we recognize that our response to ordinary situations is odd, noticed that we don’t discuss these issues that we need to think about mental fitness. in Kuwait. In Kuwait and other Arab counSpecifically, we need to talk to someone. tries the psychological patient is treated as Someone who is objective, not emotional- a leper, and people think he or she is queer ly invested in the solution, and who knows without a brain. We, as specialists, know how to keep a secret. The psychologist that he is a person like any other. People hears you, supports your effort to find don’t know that there are many individuals solutions to the things in your life that are suffering from psychological diseases. This not working. The therapist listen to the is the reason why we are holding a campainful thing that you haven t said to any- paign,” added Al-Humaidhi.

KUWAIT: Kuwait is not prepared for any negative impact from military action against the Bushehr nuclear power plant, experts say.

“A radiation leak from the Bushehr Plant puts at least 90 percent of Kuwait’s population at risk of being affected by the worst kinds of cancer that affect the brain and kidney”, according to studies mentioned recently by exper ts from inside and outside Kuwait who are following the development of Iran’s nuclear projects.

The expert, quoted in an Al-Dar daily report published yesterday, indicated that Kuwait is not prepared to thwart risks of a radiation leak that could happen as a result of a military strike or natural disaster affecting the plant.

The report quotes the experts as saying that an environmental organization assigned to monitor radiation levels is not equipped to give accurate readings regarding hazardous radiation leaks and spread levels.

Kuwait faces more risk than any other country in the region. Located 17 kilometers (11 miles) southeast of the city of Bushehr in Iran, the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is closest to Kuwait than to any other country in the region.

This gives Kuwait the right to request that the United States refrain from any military action that would put the Iranian plant at risk, the experts believe.

While experts said Kuwait lacks the equipment to detect a radiation leak, they warned that contamination of Arabian Gulf waters could be carried by currents to all Kuwaiti territorial waters, killing marine species there before risking major health problems to the population. “This is enough reason for Kuwait to seek international help in order to prevent escalations from taking place in the region”, they added. —Al-Dar

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

Rain kills at least 8 in Rio de Janeiro

Mob attacks Nigeria mosque as fuel strike chaos grows Page 10

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MANCHESTER: Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney visits polling station at Webster School during the New Hampshire Primary yesterday in Manchester, New Hampshire. Voters in the Granite State headed to the poll in the nation’s first primary election to pick their choice for the Republican US presidential candidate. — AFP

Romney eyes New Hampshire win Voting starts in first primary of 2012 MANCHESTER: With Mitt Romney poised to stride toward the Republican presidential nomination by capturing New Hampshire yesterday, all eyes were on whether he could win big enough to convince his party he is the best candidate to defeat Democrat Barack Obama.

Despite his rivals’ fierce eleventhhour attacks that he is a heartless corporate raider who enjoys cutting jobs, the former governor of neighboring Massachusetts carried a sizeable poll lead into voting day.

With nearly a 20-point edge in opinion polls, Romney’s cushion was sufficient enough to force leading rivals Ron Paul, who appeals to New Hampshire’s anti-government strain, and Jon Huntsman, who has campaigned almost exclusively in the state, into a battle to be a strong runner-up.

But Romney was looking to go beyond the lukewarm endorsement of voters like Dave Searles, 56, a Windham software developer who said he cast

his ballot for Romney because he was most likely to beat Obama. “He wouldn’t have been my first choice, but sometimes you have to make sacrifices,” he said. Rick Santorum, a socially conservative former senator, has trailed in New Hampshire polls despite coming in just behind Romney in Iowa’s caucuses last week. Newt Gingrich, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, is also well behind.

Romney would be the first Republican who is not an incumbent president to win the first two early voting states, after his slim eight-vote victory over former Pennsylvania Senator Santorum a week ago in Iowa. Romney visited a polling station in Manchester and said he hoped the state would make a “big statement” for his candidacy. “You see great enthusiasm,” he said.

A resounding win would provide momentum going into South Carolina on Jan. 21 and Florida on Jan. 31.

Romney leads in polls of both states and victories there could all but sew up

his nomination to face Obama as he seeks re-election on Nov. 6.

It was unclear how much damage had been done by a mess of his own making in which Romney declared “I like being able to fire people who provide services to me,” in discussing the need for greater competition between health insurance companies.

Romney’s opponents seized on the comment as evidence that the former venture capitalist is an out-of-touch politician and coupled it with attacks over his record at Bain Capital, a firm that bought companies and restructured them. “Governor Romney enjoys firing people. I enjoy creating jobs,” Huntsman said.

In a sharp departure for a party known as friendly to business, Republicans seeking to slow Romney bashed his work as a venture capitalist.

Gingrich, brooding over negative attacks from Romney and his backers that knocked him out of the front-runner position, has launched the tough-

est onslaught. “Mitt Romney was not a capitalist during his reign at Bain. He was a predatory corporate raider,” a video produced by a pro-Gingrich group said.

Yet not all voters were swayed. “I saw him work as a businessman. He sees what needs to be done and gets it done,” said nurse Dennis Hamson, 58, as he voted in Londonderry, a southern New Hampshire town where many residents work in Massachusetts.

Results should start flowing in shortly after New Hampshire voting stations close at 7 p.m. EST (midnight GMT).

About 250,000 people are expected to vote in the Republican primary while 75,000 are likely to vote to endorse Obama’s re-election.

In Dixville Notch, the tiny hamlet that traditionally votes at midnight to kick off New Hampshire’s first-in-thenation primary, the nine voters were split. Romney and Huntsman each received two votes and Obama received three. Although polls give him

the best chance of defeating Obama, Romney has struggled to win more than 25 percent support in national surveys on the nomination race. Some Republicans worry he is too moderate on fiscal issues or topics like abortion and gay marriage.

Romney’s rivals were mostly waging a fierce battle to win undecided voters to capture second place. “He’s a homeboy. He’s been here for a whole lot of years... you serve in the neighboring state as governor, you’ve got a lot of advantages in terms of name recognition,” Huntsman said on MSNBC. Both US Representative Paul and Huntsman, a former Utah governor who was the US ambassador to China, have been rising in the polls in recent days. Santorum, who nearly won Iowa by appealing to social conservatives, has not seen that message resonate in New Hampshire.

Luke Breen, 52, a financial analyst who voted for Huntsman in Londonderry, said he would not sup-

port a candidate who seemed intolerant. “He seemed to be more worldly,” he said. “I know gay people and everyone has to have gay rights under our constitution.”

Santorum and Perry, along with Gingrich, are looking ahead and plan to challenge Romney in South Carolina on Jan. 21. Romney leads there for now but Gingrich backers have launched $3.4 million worth of ads in South Carolina to try to slow him down in the more conservative southern state.

A Suffolk University/7 News tracking poll yesterday showed Romney with 37 percent support among New Hampshire voters, versus 18 percent for Paul, 16 percent for Huntsman, 11 percent for Santorum, 9 percent for Gingrich and 1 percent for Texas Governor Rick Perry.

Seven percent of voters were undecided in the telephone survey on Sunday and Monday, which had an error margin of 4.4 percentage points. —Reuters

Bomb kills 35 in Pakistan

PESHAWAR: A man injured in a bomb blast puts on a shoe before being taken to the hospital in the Khyber region, near Peshawar, Pakistan, yesterday. A bomb targeting a tribal militia opposed to the Pakistani Taleban exploded in a market close to the Afghan border yesterday, killing dozens of people in the deadliest blast in the country in several months, officials said. — AP

PESHAWAR: A remote-controlled bomb blast killed 35 people and wounded more than 60 others yesterday in the deadliest attack in months in the Taleban-hit tribal region of northwest Pakistan.

The explosion took place in a market in Jamrud, one of the towns of the troubled Khyber tribal region, which also used to serve as the main supply route for NATO forces operating in Afghanistan. Officials said the dead included two children, aged 9 and 10 years, and three tribal policemen.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing but local residents suggested it was a tribal dispute, as most of the victims were members of the Zaka Khel tribe who oppose the local warlord, Mangal Bagh.

Trails of blood could be seen around the site of the blast, which had left a large crater in the road, an AFP reporter said. “The total number of deaths in the blast is 35 while 69 people were wounded,” a senior administration official, Shakeel Khan Umarzai, told AFP, adding 11 were in critical condition. Another top official in Khyber, Mutahir Zeb, said the target of the attack was not immediately clear. “According to initial information, it was a remote-controlled device planted in a passenger pickup van,” he said.

The burnt out wreckage of at least 15 cars littered the scene next to the shattered glass of at least nine destroyed shopfronts. One of the wounded, 26-year-old Zulfiqar Khan, a van driver with a broken left shoulder, said he had been washing his car when the explosion hit.

“I fell at least three metres away from my car because of the impact of the blast,” he said. “As I fell on the ground with severe pain in my left shoulder, pieces of human flesh hit my body.”

Another man, Ameenullah, 38, who goes by just one name, spoke to AFP from his hospital bed where he was being treated for head wounds and three broken fingers. “I was driving my car when a powerful blast rocked the area which over-turned my car. When I regained consciousness, I found myself on the hospital bed,” he said.

Pakistan’s remote and lawless northwestern region is a stronghold of Taleban and Al-Qaeda operatives and other Islamist militants opposed to the government. Insurgents largely based in the tribal border lands have carried out bomb and gun attacks killing nearly 4,800 people across Pakistan since July 2007. But the market bombing was the first major Islamist militant attack in Pakistan since September 15 when a suicide bomber killed 46 people, targeting anti-Taliban

militia at a funeral in the northwestern district of Lower Dir. Pakistan has battled a homegrown insurgency for years, with more than 3,000 soldiers killed in the battle against militancy.

On Monday Pakistani authorities recovered the bodies of 10 soldiers in an exchange of bodies with Taleban militants following a clash two weeks ago in the tribal belt. An official with the military’s media wing said the soldiers had been missing in Orakzai district since December 21 when rebels attacked a checkpost and killed 13 others.

That exchange came four days after the corpses of 15 members of Pakistan’s paramilitary Frontier Constabulary were found in the northwestern town of Shawa, in North Waziristan tribal region near the Afghan border, almost two weeks after they were kidnapped.

There were about 120 bomb attacks in Pakistan in 2011, up on the 96 bomb blasts in 2010, but far lower than violence in 2009 when there were 203 bombings across Pakistan, according to an AFP tally. The latest attack comes as the northwest border crossing for NATO supplies to foreign troops fighting in neighbouring Afghanistan remains closed, after NATO air strikes on November 26 killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. —AFP

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

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

US defends immunity law for Yemen’s Saleh WASHINGTON: The United States has defended a Yemeni draft law that would grant outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh immunity from prosecution over the killing of protesters during an uprising against his rule, despite criticism from the United Nations.

Yemen’s cabinet proposed the law on Sunday to speed Saleh’s exit from office in line with a Gulf-brokered plan to end protests that paralysed the impoverished Arabian Peninsula state for most of 2011. “ The immunity provisions were negotiated as part of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) deal to get Saleh to leave power. They have to be codified in law,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters at her daily briefing on Monday.

“This is part and parcel of giving these guys confidence that their era is over and it’s time for Yemen to be able to move forward towards a democratic

future,” she added. Rights groups say hundreds of protesters have been killed during the uprising.

More than a month since the Gulf deal was clinched, Yemenis angry at the immunity offer are still taking to the streets, calling for Saleh to be put on trial. The UN high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, said on Friday that a guarantee of immunity to Saleh and his aides may violate international law, undermining the Gulf initiative. Rights group Amnesty International also urged the Yemeni parliament to reject the law. “This is a smack in the face for justice, made all the more glaring by the fact that protesters have been calling for an end to impunity since mass protests began in early 2011. The Yemeni parliament ought to reject this outright,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty’s interim director for the Middle East and North Africa, in a statement.

Under the Gulf deal, Saleh’s General

People’s Congress party (GPC) and the opposition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) agreed to divide up cabinet posts between them, forming a national unity government to lead the country towards presidential elections in February.

The United States and Saudi Arabia are keen for the plan to work, fearing that a power vacuum in Yemen gives Islamist militants suspected of links to al Qaeda space to thrive alongside a key shipping strait, the Red Sea. Saleh signed the deal in November, having backed out of it three times before, but questions remain over the intentions of the veteran leader, who last week said he would stay in Yemen, reversing a pledge to travel to the United States.

“Interestingly, the visa application remains with the embassy, but Saleh and his team have asked to have their passports returned, so not sure what that’s about,” Nuland said. —Reuters

SANAA: Yemeni protesters shout slogans during a demonstration in Sanaa yesterday against the law of immunity pertaining outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh for the transfer of power after the upcoming February presidential elections. — AFP

Schoolboys among 8 dead in Iraq attacks Iraq moves to honour Sunni soldiers amid tensions

JERICHO: Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian woman after blocking the main road leading to the West Bank city of Jericho yesterday as some 60 Palestinians tried to drive in a motorcade on Route 60, the main Jewish settler road in the West Bank, to protest against Israeli curbs on Palestinian movement in the West Bank. — AFP

Israel breaking settlement records, says Peace Now JERUSALEM: Israel’s government broke all its settlement-building records in 2011, diminishing prospects for establishing a viable Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank, Israel’s anti-settlement activist group “Peace Now” said yesterday.

The group’s annual report on building in Arab East Jerusalem and the West Bank - land the Palestinians want for a future state along with the Gaza Strip showed that despite international calls to halt construction, thousands of new homes were being built.

“In 2011 (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu broke his government’s building records and turned it into a very fruitful year for the settlers and a very sad one for the citizens of Israel,” Peace Now director Yariv Oppenheimer said.

“At the current rate of building we will lose the chance for a two-state solution.” A government spokesman said Israel was exercising restraint in settlement building and pointed to a 10month building freeze in 2010.

“The current Israeli government has been attacked by the political leadership of the settler movement for being the worst ... when it comes to building in the settlements ... we have shown great restraint,” spokesman Mark Regev said. Direct peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians broke down over a year ago after Israel refused to bow to demands that it cease all settlement building and extend the freeze which it imposed on building in the West Bank.

Jordan is hosting diplomatic efforts to re-start the talks that have been pro-

moted by the Quartet of peace brokers the United States, European Union, Russia and United Nations. The Palestinians say settlements would deny them a viable state in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in a 1967 war, and in Gaza, which Israel relinquished to Palestinian control in 2005.

Peace Now reported a 20 percent increase in settlement construction during the year and said about 35 percent of 1,850 housing starts were on land beyond a separation barrier Israel is erecting, which is expected to demarcate Palestinian areas. The report added that building was also underway on another 3,500 houses already begun and it listed continuing work in 142 settlements. It said much of the building was intended for religious Jews who cite biblical links to the land.

Since Israel captured the West Bank, home to about 2.6 million Palestinians, around half a million Jews have settled in the territory. They include 200,000 who live around Jerusalem on land Israel annexed in a move not recognised internationally. A Palestinian government spokesman said Peace Now’s figures were proof of the accuracy of their warnings about settlements. “( The report) shows the credibility and seriousness of the Palestinian warnings to world,” spokesman Ghassan Khatib said.

“By allowing Israel to build ... it will destroy all the opportunities to continue the peace process and it will wreck the opportunity for a two-state solution as these settlements are being built on land that will be par t of the future Palestinian state.” —Reuters

CAIRO: Former US president Jimmy Carter (R) is flanked by security guards as he leaves a polling station he inspected in Cairo’s Al-Sahel district during the round of a three-staged election launched in November to choose the first parliament since mass protests forced former president Hosni Mubarak to quit. The Carter Center is one of the few monitoring group to have had a licence to witness the Egyptian elections. — AFP

BAGHDAD: Gun and bomb attacks in Baghdad and north Iraq yesterday killed eight people, including an army colonel and three schoolboys, security officials said, a day after a spate of violence left 17 dead. In the disputed town of Saadiyah, Diyala province, Colonel Hassan Ali was killed when a roadside bomb struck the convoy he was travelling in, Saadiyah mayor Ahmed al-Zarkushi and a provincial security command centre official said.

Three of Ali’s bodyguards were wounded in the 5:00 am (0200 GMT) attack in Saadiyah, which lies in a tract of disputed territory claimed by both the central government in Baghdad and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region.

In another roadside bomb attack in the village of Yathreb, in Salaheddin province around 70 kilometres (45 miles) north of the capital, three boys aged between nine and 11 years old were k illed while going to school, a police officer and a medic at nearby Balad hospital said. Two officials working for the agriculture ministry were k illed by a magnetic “sticky bomb” attached to their car while headed to work in the town of Al-Sharqat, also in Salaheddin 290 kilometres (180 miles) northwest of Baghdad, local police and a security official said. And in the main northern city of Mosul, two Iraqi army soldiers were killed when gunmen opened fire on their checkpoint yesterday evening, according to army First Lieutenant Mohammed al-Juburi and a police officer who declined to be identified. The violence struck a day after attacks across Iraq, many of which targeted Shiites, killed 17 people and wounded dozens.

Yesterday’s unrest comes amid a political standoff in Iraq pitting the Shiite -led government against the main Sunni-backed political bloc, stoking sectarian tensions.

Two Sunni soldiers who died trying to prevent a suicide attack

BAGHDAD: People inspect the scene of a car bomb attack at a predominantly Sunni area in western Baghdad, Iraq, yesterday. Three car bombs exploded Monday evening in the Iraqi capital, killing and wounding scores of people, police said. — AP against Shiite pilgrims have become symbols of efforts to push unity as Iraq grapples with a political row that has stoked sectarian tensions. Iraq’s cabinet backed yesterday plans to provide funds and property to the men’s families and for streets to be named in their honour, while provinces in the country’s Shiite south have made similar moves at a local level. The push to recognise Lieutenant Nazhan Faleh and Corporal Ali Ahmed Sabah, Sunnis from Kirkuk and Diyala provinces, comes amid a standoff that has pitted the Shiite-led government against the main Sunni-backed political bloc. Their commanding officer said Faleh and Sabah tried to wrestle a suicide attacker away from a group of Shiite pilgrims resting on their way to the shrine city of Karbala.

The insurgent was able to blow himself up, killing 47 people, but officials claimed the toll would have been twice as high had it not been for the pair.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Nuri alMaliki awarded the two posthumous double promotions, his spokesman Ali Mussawi told AFP, and ministers agreed to allot plots of land to their families in their home provinces along with a 30 million Iraqi dinar ($25,000) grant, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said.

Ministers also called for Dhi Qar province, where the attack took place, to name streets in the soldiers’ honour. In the predominantly Shiite south, Maysan and Dhi Qar have made their own moves to recognise the pair.

In Maysan, which borders Iraq’s Shiite neighbour Iran, the provincial council has decided to name two streets after Faleh and Sabah in provincial capital Amara.

“They expressed their love for their country with their lives,” said council chief Abdulhussein Abdulridha al-Saidi. Dhi Qar, which held a large funeral for the two the day after the attack, is studying whether to erect stat-

ues in their honour, a local official said. Thursday’s attack was par t of nationwide violence against Shiites that left 70 dead, the worst death toll in Iraq since August, amid raised sectarian tensions due to the political standoff. The row was sparked when, a day after US forces completed their withdrawal from Iraq, authorities issued an arrest warrant for Sunni Arab Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi on charges he ran a death squad.

Hashemi, who is currently holed up in the autonomous Kurdish region, has rejected the accusations and says Iraq’s judiciary is politicised. Since the crisis broke out, two major sets of attacks have been carried out Thursday’s violence, and a wave of shootings and bombings on D e ce m b e r 22 t ha t k i l l e d 67 people across the country. The US and UN have called for calm and urged dialogue, but oftmooted talks featuring all of Iraq’s major leaders have yet to take place. — AFP

Al-Azhar leader proposes bill of rights for Egypt CAIRO: The head of Al-Azhar, the pre-eminent institute of Islamic learning in the Sunni Muslim world, put forward a Bill of Rights yesterday upholding freedom of expression and belief ahead of the drafting of Egypt’s new constitution.

The bill, which was in the works for three months, is a bid by Al-Azhar to assert its role as the voice of moderate Islam in the face of growing political power of more conservative Islamic groups in Egypt following the February ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.

The conservative Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s most organized political force, and the more radical ultraconservative Salafis, have won a majority in the country’s first elected postMubarak parliament. Both call for an Islamic basis for the state, raising worries among Egypt’s liberal and Christian groups that conservative religious teachings will dictate the shape of the new constitution. In theory, parliament is to be in charge of nominating who will draft the document.

The Al-Azhar document appeared aimed at establishing a religious backing for preserving

broader rights that liberals and Christians fear conservatives will try to limit. Al-Azhar’s Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb told reporters the bill of rights, which preserves freedoms of worship, opinion, scientific research and art and creative expression, is drafted to be a basis for the country’s new constitution, according to comments published

by Egypt’s state news agency.

He said that Islamic rulings protect freedom of religion and guarantee equal citizenship rights, in a message to Egypt’s increasingly nervous Christian minorities. Hassan el-Shafei, a senior AlAzhar official, said the document has been passed on to authorities to be considered in writing the constitution.

The document has been drafted in the last three months in consultation with Islamic and Christian thinkers, el-Shafei said.

Al-Azhar once wielded tremendous influence among millions of Sunni Muslim worldwide, offering guidance on issues of faith in Egypt and other Islamic nations through its extensive network of Islamic schools, a university and religious institutes that open their doors to Muslims from

around the world. It lost much of that influence in part because of its close cooperation with Mubarak’s regime, raising criticism that it has become a tool in the hands of autocratic leaders.

The head of Al-Azhar was appointed by the state.

Al-Azhar’s influence was also challenged by the growing more independent religious groups who became the most influential opposition to Egyptian leaders, some of them even espousing violence. Mubarak stepped down after unprecedented popular protests organized by mostly middle-class urban youth groups calling for freedom, justice and improved human rights. Since then, however, the Brotherhood and the Salafis have emerged as the most powerful political players, alongside the ruling military council, which took over from Mubarak.

Since Mubarak’s fall, many in Egypt have looked to Al-Azhar as a way to balance out the more radical groups, and restore its place as the center of Islamic teachings. New proposals discussed currently call for the election of Al-Azhar leader and the core group of scholars to allow them more independence from the state. — AP

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

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

Turkish opposition leader faces prosecution ANKARA: Turkey’s main opposition leader yesterday accused the judiciary of doing the government’s bidding after a prosecutor sought to lift his legal immunity, a step that would clear the way for him to be charged with insulting the judiciary over coup plot trials. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the Republican People’s Party, said that the prosecution of hundreds of alleged coup plotters has been turned into a “blood feud” in which judges are acting at the behest of the government against its political opponents rather than prosecuting real crimes.

“Everyone has the right to freedom and democracy in this country,” Kilicdaroglu said. “We have no confidence at all in this judiciary system, no justice can come out of that trial.” The Turkish government says the prosecution of alleged coup plotters, including military officers, journalists and politicians, is a triumph of transparency.

Kilicdaroglu attracted the attention of prosecutors in November when he referred to the prison where the suspects are being held as a “concentration camp.” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the prosecutor’s

move to prosecute Kilicdaroglu for his remarks was “all the more” justified.

“What needs to be done has been done,” Erdogan said.

Before Kilicdaroglu took his place behind the lectern at his party’s meeting hall in the parliament building, another party member asked legislators to repeat his remarks in chorus that the prison in Silivri, near Istanbul, was a “concentration camp.”

Hundreds of party members also marched in Istanbul to protest the prosecutor’s Monday request to lift Kilicdaroglu’s immunity. “Lift my immunity,” challenged Kilicdaroglu, adding that he will himself ask the Parliament to lift his legal immunity in a petition. “You can’t deter me ... even if you send me to the gallows.”

Yesterday, a court ordered another retired general, Hursit Tolon, to be jailed pending trial in the case. In a separate case, a Turkish court agreed Tuesday to hear the case against the ailing, 94-year-old former Turkish president and another senior general who face life imprisonment for seizing the power in a 1980 military coup. Kenan Evren, who as military chief of staff led the 1980 coup before becoming

Turkey’s president from 1982 to 1989, and former air force commander Tahsin Sahinkaya were charged last week with crimes against the state.

The legal action against Evren and Sahinkaya comes as Prime Minister

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted government, which has won three general elections in a row, is curtailing the military’s clout in Turkey. A court last week jailed a former Turkish military chief for allegedly leading an

ANKARA: Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu addresses the party members at the Parliament in Ankara, Turkey, yesterday. Kilicdaroglu accused the judiciary of doing the government’s bidding after a prosecutor sought to lift his legal immunity, a step that would clear the way for him to be charged with insulting the judiciary over coup plot trials. — AP

Internet campaign to stir revolt against the government. Gen. Ilker Basbug is the most senior military officer accused of plotting to bring down the government to face trial.

Also yesterday, a court sentenced two noncommissioned officers and a Kurdish rebel informant to 39 years and 10 months in prison for attempting to murder a former Kurdish rebel, Seferi Yilmaz, in the southeastern town of Semdinli in 2006.

The officers tossed a grenade into a bookstore owned by Yilmaz, who survived and chased down his attackers, who turned out to be noncommissioned officers with suspected ties to top generals.

The attack set off days of rioting by outraged Kurds, who suspected that security forces may again be assassinating Kurdish rebel supporters - not uncommon in the 1990s when the fight against the rebels was at its height. The fighting between the guerrillas of the autonomy-seeking Kurdistan Workers’ Party and Turkish troops has claimed tens of thousands of lives since 1984. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. — AP

Mob attacks Nigeria mosque as fuel strike chaos grows 10,000 displaced by violence

JOHANNESBURG: Thousands of young students and their parents push their way into the gates causing a stampede at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, yesterday. Prospective students stampeded at the gate of a university yesterday, leaving one person dead and two others seriously injured, officials said. — AP

One killed in S Africa university stampede JOHANNESBURG: One person was killed and about 20 injured in a stampede yesterday by students trying to register at the University of Johannesburg, reflecting desperate demand for higher education among the poor in Africa’s largest economy.

Thousands of potential applicants had lined up for days for about 800 slots at the university, most of them from poor families but who had scored high enough on national exams to be considerated for higher education. The application process has been open for weeks but many poor students do not have Internet access and could not apply online. The crush was caused by students pushing their way into offices on the final day for applications, university officials said.

“What led to the frenzy was a desperation amongst the students because they see entrance into university as their only chance,” said Ruksana Osman, a professor of education at the University of Witwatersrand. The person killed was a mother of a potential applicant, universi-

ty officials said, while emergency services official Nana Radebe said about 20 people had been injured, at least three of them seriously. “When we opened the gates this morning, we had this unfortunate, this very sad situation, where there was simply an unbearable crush on the front entrance, or front gate,” university Vice Chancellor Ihron Rensburg told a news conference. Applicants, often with family members, have camped out by university gates for days hoping to gain entrance to one of the largest schools that allows for last-minute admissions.

Zamantungwa Kumbo, 19, and her mother, clutched the bedding they brought to campus and waited for a decision. “I passed out, and lost my shoes,” Kumbo said. “People were kicking and running over me. “I wanted to leave, but my mother convinced me that it was more important to stay, to try to find out if I was admitted.” Applicants, protected by police, were hoping for a spot at university, seeing it as the only way to escape poverty. — Reuters

Polish prosecutor says he shot himself to protect honour WARSAW: A Polish military prosecutor who survived shooting himself in the head at the end of a news conference said yesterday he had tried to kill himself to protect the honour of his profession after being hounded by accusations and threats.

Colonel Mikolaj Przybyl shot himself after cutting short a news conference on Monday at which he railed against media attacks on military prosecutors and their probe into leaks of an investigation into the plane crash that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski in 2010.

Speaking to state news agency PAP from his hospital bed yesterday, Przybyl said he had wanted to protect the honour and the future of military prosecutors. He said he had faced many threats related to past investigations aimed at intimidating him, and was finally driven to attempt suicide by accusations of wrongdoing. He did not specify who he thought was behind the threats.

“I could accept that they destroyed my car, loosened my wheels so I would kill myself. There was a million zloty ($300,000) bounty on my head. They killed my dog,” Przybyl said. “I could not deal with the attacks related with accusations of illegal actions.”

He survived his suicide attempt because he was interrupted at the last minute by one of the journalists he had ushered out of his office only moments earlier, he said. “I wanted to commit

suicide, but I aimed badly because somebody tried to enter the room,” Przybyl told the state news agency PAP in a brief interview from his hospital bed. “I was afraid that the man who wanted to adjust the camera (left behind in the office) would enter. I was aiming too quickly.”

Przybyl, who shot himself through the cheek, said he had stood by his office window to prevent a ricochet hurting others. Several journalists were waiting outside his office after the agitated prosecutor told them he needed a minute to cool down. The reporters ran into the office after hearing a gunshot and found the army officer slumped in a pool of blood behind his desk with a handgun nearby.

Hospital officials said Przybyl’s life was not in danger and that he could return home as early as Thursday.

Przybyl told the PAP he was about to have an operation to reconstruct his jaw. Some local media have criticised the military prosecutors’ attempts to seek phone records of journalists reporting on their probe of the Smolensk plane crash that killed Kaczynski and 95 others. The disaster remains an emotional issue for many Poles and for relations with Russia.

Przybyl’s dramatic act has also shone a spotlight on a tur f war between Poland’s military and civilian prosecution services, triggering a public spat between their top officials over plans to merge the two. — Reuters

LAGOS: A mob torched an Islamic school in southern Nigeria yesterday as the second day of a national strike over fuel prices locked down the country, fanned religious tensions and unnerved the global oil market.

The two-day old general strike has not yet affected the output of Africa’s top oil producer but it has paralysed the country and sent the government, already battling a brutal campaign by an Islamist group, into crisis mode.

Attackers burnt part of the central mosque complex in the southern city of Benin, where clashes earlier killed five, bringing to 11 the number of people killed since the strike started on Monday. “We have recorded so far five deaths-on both sides, those that have been attacked and the attackers,” said Dan Enowoghomwenwa, secretary general of the Nigerian Red Cross in Edo state, told AFP. He said 10,000 people were also displaced by the violence. Witnesses said an Islamic school adjacent to the mosque was burnt yesterday as was a bus parked next to it. The attacks in Benin city started on Monday amid street protests against soaring fuel prices, when a crowd separated from the main demonstration to attack a mosque and terrorised residents of mainly Hausa neighbourhoods.

Hausas are the largest ethnic group in Nigeria’s north and are overwhelmingly Muslim. The Red Cross official could not specify who was behind the attacks, only saying there were “indigenes” targeting northerners.

Police patrolled the streets and the displaced were evacuated to safety in army barracks and inside the traditional monarch’s palace.

Africa’s most populous nation is roughly divided between a predominantly Christian south and mainly Muslim north. Recent violence targetting Christians in the north and blamed on Islamist group Boko Haram has sparked fears of a wider religious conflict as well as warnings from Christian leaders that they will defend themselves.

Fears run high that the strike will fan sectarian tensions and Nigerian Mobel laureate Wole Soyinka warned in an interview to the BBC that his country was heading towards a conflict akin to the 1960s war. “It’s not an unrealistic comparison-it’s certainly based on many similarities... We see the nation heading towards a civil war,” the writer said. Elsewhere in the country, gangs set up burning roadblocks, police fired tear gas and businesses shut in the many parts as the national strike

over fuel prices paralysed Nigeria.

As thousands took to the streets to protest soaring petrol costs, youth gangs set up roadblocks of burning tyres along major roads in the economic capital Lagos and threw stones at cars while extorting cash from drivers.

Protesters marched through the streets to the sound of blaring afrobeat music, sometimes with soldiers clapping and taking pictures.

One person brought a goat wrapped in a union flag while others carried a mock coffin labelled “Badluck”, a play on the name of President Goodluck Jonathan. Protesters encouraged those watching from the roadside to join in. In the northern city of Bauchi,

reason and rescinds its decision,” said Daniel Ejiofor, a 41-year-old labour activist at the protest in Lagos.

“We appeal to Nigerians to persevere because victory is around the corner.” On Monday, police and protesters clashed and six people were killed as tens of thousands demonstrated nationwide.

Analysts said the tension in Nigeria contributed to rising oil prices, with the barrel of Brent North Sea crude gaining 82 cents to $113.27 in early afternoon trade. Officials said, however, that oil output-the government’s economic lifeblood-had so far not been affected as much of it is offshore.

LAGOS: People protest on the second day of the ongoing strike following the removal of fuel subsidy by the government in Lagos, Nigeria, yesterday. As Nigeria’s nationwide strike starts its second day, angry youths have erected a burning roadblock outside luxury enclaves in Lagos the commercial capital of the west African nation. — AP police fired tear gas and shot into the air to disperse a few thousand protesters at two locations, residents said. No one was reported hurt.

The indefinite strike follows the government’s controversial move to end fuel subsidies on January 1, which caused petrol prices to more than double in a country where most of the 160 million population lives on less than $2 a day. “We will not call off the strike until the government listens to the voice of

But an industry source said exports would likely be affected as the seaports have been shut since Monday. The government says it spent more than $8 billion (6.3 billion euros) on subsidies in 2011 and needs the savings from scrapping the subsidies to improve the country’s woefully inadequate infrastructure.

Nigerians view the subsidies as their only benefit from the nation’s oil wealth and lack any real trust in government after years of deeply rooted corruption. — AFP

Kenya on edge, terror attack threat looms NAIROBI: The security bulletins warning of an impending assault by terrorists are rising in intensity as Kenya’s capital increases security measures in hopes of preventing what would be the first massive attack here since the 1998 US Embassy bombing.

The US Embassy this week put out new rules prohibiting visitors from bringing electronics or laptop computers into the compound. Shopping malls are installing new security rules. And a new, high-end hotel has shuttered its underground parking garage.

Al-Shabab, Somalia’s al-Qaidalinked militant group, has repeatedly promised to attack Kenya in retaliation for Kenyan forces moving into southern Somalia in October. The group’s spokesman threatened to bring Nairobi’s skyscrapers down, and though an attack of that magnitude appears unlikely, intelligence officials fear some attack is imminent. One Western diplomat told The Associated Press that recent intelligence reports show that alShabab is trying to obtain security guard uniforms they can wear while carrying out an attack, a

common tactic used by militants in Afghanistan. The diplomat spoke on condition he was not identified discussing sensitive intelligence matters. One analyst said he is surprised large-scale attacks haven’t happened already.”I don’t think it’s going to be grenade attacks. It’s going to be a massive truck bomb, simulta-

neous attacks. This is a signature of al-Shabab and al-Qaida,” said Rashid Abdi, a former Somalia analyst with the International Crisis Group who is setting up an independent policy forum. “I think they want to make a huge statement.” Al-Shabab carried out simultaneous bombings in Kampala, Uganda last year as the

NAIROBI: Shoppers entering the Yaya Centre shopping mall are searched by security guards in Nairobi, Kenya yesterday.

Authorities in Kenya are increasing security measures in the capital after terror threats, in hopes of preventing what would be the first massive attack there since the 1998 US Embassy bombing. — AP

World Cup final played on T V. Those attacks killed 76 people.

Uganda contributes troops to the African Union force that is fighting al-Shabab.

Last weekend Britain’s Foreign Office warned that terrorists may be “in the final stages of planning attacks,” and Kenyan authorities said they had thwarted attempted attacks by al-Shabab over the holidays. A new al-Shabab video posted last week shows a militant named Ahmad Iman Ali urging Muslims in Kenya to wage jihad.

The US Embassy this week set new security rules saying that no visitors are permitted to bring electronics or laptop computers into the embassy. Guards have been issued new instructions to “stop and diligently screen” all vehicles with diplomatic plates on them, according to a security directive obtained by The Associated Press.

In 1998, a truck bomb that was parked outside the US Embassy in downtown Nairobi killed more than 200 people. A simultaneous explosion detonated in Tanzania’s capital. In total 224 people died, mostly Kenyans, but also including 12 Americans. — AP

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Woman’s quest could mean Medal of Honor for dad LABADIE: It was bravery at the highest level: William Shemin defied German machine gun fire to sprint across a World War I battlefield and pull wounded comrades to safety. And he did so no fewer than three times. Then, with the platoon’s senior soldiers wounded or killed, the 19-year-old American took over command of his unit and led it to safety, even after a bullet pierced his helmet and lodged behind an ear.

Yet Shemin never earned the nation’s highest military citation, the Medal of Honor - a result, many suspected, of the fact that he was Jewish at a time when discrimination ran rampant throughout the US military. Now, nearly four decades after his death, Shemin may finally get that medal, thanks to the tireless efforts of his daughter, whose long quest to see her father decorated also opens the door for other overlooked Jewish veterans of the Great War. “A wrong has been made right here,” said Shemin’s daughter, 82-year-old Elsie SheminRoth of Labadie, Mo., a small town about 40 miles southwest of St. Louis. Last month, President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which contains a tiny provi-

sion known as the William Shemin Jewish World War I Veterans Act. It provides for a Pentagon review of Jewish soldiers and sailors who may have been overlooked for the Medal of Honor simply because of their faith.

Shemin’s daughter was the driving force behind the measure, an effort that began a decade ago when she read news accounts of a similar law that provided for review of Jews possibly denied recognition in World War II. She was horrified there was no similar mechanism for World War I veterans.

So she began gathering military records, photos, commendations and first-hand accounts of her father’s heroism. Eventually, she enlisted the help of her congressman and support from both US senators from Missouri.

Retired Army Col. Erwin Burtnick of Baltimore, who is active in the Jewish War Veterans of the USA, helped get the bill passed. He also reviewed Shemin’s war record and will present the case on his behalf to the Pentagon. “I believe based upon the criteria of World War I, the level of heroism exhibited by Sgt. Shemin will rise to the Medal of Honor,” Burtnick said.

At the time, the enlistment age was 21, but Shemin lied about his age and got in at 18. A tall, strapping athlete who played semi-pro baseball at age 15 and later played college football at Syracuse, Shemin was sent off to France. On a hot day in August 1918, he and his platoon were doing battle near a river in Burgundy.

One of his superiors, Capt. Rubert Purdon, later wrote in support of a Medal of Honor: “With the most utter disregard for his own safety, (Shemin) sprang from his position in his platoon trench, dashed out across the open in full sight of the Germans, who opened and maintained a furious burst of machine gun and rifle fire.”

Shemin didn’t stop there. Casualties were heavy. Many senior platoon leaders had been killed or badly hurt, so the young sergeant led the group out of harm’s way over the next three days. Along the way, a German bullet hit him in the head, went through the steel helmet and lodged behind her father’s left ear.

He eventually collapsed and was hospitalized for three months. The wound left him deaf in that ear. The heroics did not go unnoticed:

Shemin was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second-highest military honor.

He eventually left the military, got a degree from Syracuse and started a greenhouse-andnursery business in the Bronx, where he raised three children. Shemin was satisfied with the medal he got, his daughter recalled, and only occasionally wondered if he was passed over for the Medal of Honor because of antiSemitism.

“My father told me there was a lot of discrimination, but he didn’t dwell on it,” she said.

But once, when another soldier paid a visit, Shemin’s daughter was struck by something the man told her. “He witnessed my father’s actions,” said Shemin-Roth, who was then 12.

“He told me, ‘Your father never got the medal he deserved because he was a Jew.’ I thought to myself how terrible that was.”

Shemin was 78 when he died in 1973. His sense of determination clearly rubbed off on his daughter. Her first husband died when she was just 43 and a mother of five. She went to college and became a nurse.

Since then, she’s done volunteer work in

war-torn areas around the world. Back in Labadie, she heads a nonprofit animal-rescue group, and her property on a rural hilltop is home to dozens of rescued animals, from cats and dogs to donkeys, geese and fish. The new law may have arrived too late to recognize many Jewish heroes from World War I. They’re all gone now - the last surviving American World War I veteran died last year. Even many of their children have died or are well into their 80s and 90s, Burtnick said, making it less likely that surviving relatives will have enough documentation to prove worthiness of the Medal of Honor.

So far, Burtnick said, the only veteran whose case will be presented for review is William Shemin. A decision could come by spring. If the Pentagon approves, the president would present the medal on Shemin’s behalf to his daughter in a White House ceremony. Just the thought chokes her up.

“I try so hard to think of what my father would think of this,” she said. “He was such a humble man. All I can see in my head is this big handsome man sitting down, tears in his eyes.” —AP

Rain kills at least 8 in Rio de Janeiro More than 10,000 flee homes

KINGSTON: Mohammad Shafia, Tooba Mohammad Yahya and their son Hamed Shafia arrive at the Frontenac County Courthouse in Kingston, Ontario, Canada yesterday. The three are charged with first degree murder of Zainab, 19, Sahar, 17, Geeti, 13, and Rona Amir Mohammad, 52, who was Shafia’s first wife. —AP

Four dead in apparent murder-suicide in Ohio LOGAN: A family dispute ended when a man caring for his terminally ill wife apparently shot and killed her two sisters and his son before fatally shooting himself, authorities said. A cousin said the man was upset that the relatives were keeping him from spending time alone with his cancer-stricken wife.

Deputies who stormed the home around 9 p.m. Monday found the man dead on the front porch and the three other bodies on the living room floor, Hocking County Sheriff Lanny North said.

Officers had been waiting outside for hours since being called about a possible hostage situation at the house on a hillside amid an area of rolling wooded hills dotted with farmland near Logan, about 50 miles southeast of Columbus. A person who had been held hostage was able to flee, the sheriff told reporters.

The gunfire erupted after some type of family squabble, North said. It was over jealousy, said Matthew Henderson, 45, a cousin of the man. “They - the two sisters and his son - were staying out there, and he said he couldn’t spend any time with her,” Henderson said.

A sheriff’s dispatcher said yesterday he had no information on the names of the victims and the shooter. The sheriff’s office planned to issue a news release later in the day. The Westerville school district in suburban Columbus identified the slain son as Leroy Gilkey, 38, a high school Spanish teacher.

Gilkey was “a very well loved and well respected teacher among students, among his colleagues and among the families that send their children to Westerville North (High School),” said

Greg Viebranz, a spokesman for the school district. Henderson said his own wife happened to call the home immediately after the shooting and spoke with the ailing woman, who said that her 63year-old husband “shot everybody” and then went outside.

“I said, ‘What’s he doing?’ (She said) ‘I think he’s waiting on more people to come so he could kill them,’” Henderson recounted. The wife was not shot and didn’t say why she’d been spared, Henderson said. “I think he thought if he would kill her he would go to hell,” he said.

Henderson said his cousin had recently bought two or three plots at a cemetery, though it didn’t seem unusual for a man whose wife had terminal cancer. He described his relative as unpredictable and unstable and said that he might have taken some pills and been drinking before the shooting.

“I thought what would happen is that he would wait until she passed away and then he would shoot himself,” he said. “I didn’t think he would shoot other people, I thought he would take his own life.”

Neighbors said they were shocked by the bloodshed. John Poling, who lives about a quarter-mile down the road, said he didn’t know the couple but believed they had moved into their home within the past 10 years. He said he watched from a distance Monday night as law enforcement and SWAT officers closed in.

The killings have rocked the area, the sheriff said. “This is normally a pretty quiet county,” North said. “We have a few major crimes occasionally but nothing of this magnitude.” —AP

NEW YORK: Attorney Gloria Allred listens as her client Alison Fournier, left, announces her lawsuit against the Hotel Kamp, a Starwood Hotel, in Helsinki, Finland, Monday, in New York. Fournier, 31, a former investment banker, says in the lawsuit that she was sexually assaulted at the hotel when a drunk man was able to easily obtain a key to her room from the front desk without providing any identification. —AP

JAMAPARA: Heavy rains caused mudslides that killed at least eight people in Rio de Janeiro state Monday, raising the number of dead in Rio and neighboring Minas Gerais state to 23 so far this year, civil defense officials said. Mud loosened by the rain swallowed about 10 houses in the town of Sapucaia Monday morning. Seven residents were confirmed dead by rescue crews that are still searching for survivors. The eighth victim died when a house collapsed nearby.

Up to 20 other people are still missing, according to Rio state’s civil defense department. Local authorities are still compiling a list of the disappeared. Among the missing are five members of the same family, including a 7-year-old girl, whose car was caught in the mudslide, said officials and a relative of the victims, Maria Lopes.

“They we’re trying to escape, crowded into a car, and were buried by the mud,” Lopes said standing near the scene. “There was not enough time for them to flee.”

Lopes said also in the car were a 15year-old girl, a woman and two men. Last week, torrential rain burst a dam, leading to the evacuation of 4,000 residents of the town of Tres Vendas. Elsewhere in the state, another 4,000 people were forced from their houses and three people were killed by heavy rains and mudslides.

In the neighboring state of Minas Gerais, more than 10,000 people have left their homes, and 12 have died in floodwaters or mudslides, according to the state’s civil defense department. The southern hemisphere summer, which starts in late December, is Brazil’s rainy season. It frequently brings devastation and death to communities perched on hillsides

or near river banks. Nearly 1,000 people died last year around this time when torrential rain unleashed avalanches of mud in Rio’s mountains.

In the capital, Brasilia, president Dilma Rousseff cut short her vacations and met Monday with cabinet members to discuss the relocation of residents of areas hit hard-

states of Rio, Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo. “We’re going to map out the locations to identify the most vulnerable areas and help relocate the families,” said the minister of Science and Technology, Aloizio Mercadante, in a press conference held after meeting with the president.

Meanwhile, a severe drought in

Soy, corn and bean crops in the state have suffered a loss of about $1 billion, the state secretary of rural development, Ivar Pavan, said. A two-month drought has also been hurting crops in countries south of Brazil.

Paraguay’s soy, cotton and corn harvests will be down by 40 percent, the vice minister of agricul-

RIO DE JANEIRO: Relatives mourn as people carry the coffins of their family members out of a church after a deadly mudslide in Jamapara, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, yesterday. —AP est by the storms. “Avoiding deaths is our number one priority,” said Rousseff ’s chief of staff, Gleisi Hoffmann.

The federal government announced the creation of a working group of 35 geologists and 15 hydrologists who will evaluate atrisk areas in Brazil’s southeastern

Appeals court says Texas can enforce abortion law AUSTIN: A Texas abortion law passed last year that requires doctors to show sonograms to patients can be enforced while opponents challenge the measure in court, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday.

A three-judge panel of the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans overturned US District Judge Sam Sparks’ temporary order against enforcing the law, saying Sparks was incorrect to rule that doctors who oppose it had a substantial chance of winning their case. The court’s opinion systematically dismantles the argument that the Texas law infringes on the free speech rights of doctors and patients, one of the key arguments for not enforcing the law.

“The required disclosures of a sonogram, the fetal heartbeat, and their medical descriptions are the epitome of truthful, nonmisleading information,” the opinion concluded. Sparks ruled in August that several provisions of the state law violated the freespeech rights of doctors who perform abortions by requiring that they show and describe the sonogram images and describe the fetal heartbeat, all of which doctors have said is not necessary for good treatment.

The appeals court cited a 1992 US Supreme Court ruling that “upheld an informed-consent statute over precisely the same ‘compelled speech’ challenges made” in the current Texas case.

Earlier rulings have found laws requiring doctors to give “truthful, nonmisleading and relevant” information are reasonable regulation, not ideological speech requiring strict scrutiny under the First Amendment, the appeals court said. “‘Relevant’ informed consent may entail not only the physical and psychological risks to the expectant mother facing this ‘difficult moral decision,’ but also the state’s legitimate interests in ‘protecting the potential life within her,’” Chief Judge Edith H. Jones wrote in the appeals court decision. Jones wrote that the argument against the law only made sense if “that pregnancy is a condition to be terminated.”

“The point of informed consent laws is to allow the patient to evaluate her condition and render her best decision under difficult circumstances,” Jones wrote. “Denying her up to date medical information is more of an abuse to her ability to decide than providing the information.” —AP

Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul led the governor, Beto Grill, to declare a state of emergency Monday. The federal Ministry of Agriculture announced it has alloted $9.7 million to build dams and wells among other public works designed to improve the situation.

ture, Andres Werlhe, said. In Argentina, the drought is eating into the country’s main agricultural exports: soy, beef and corn.

The provinces hit hardest by soaring temperatures and the lack of rain, Santa Fe and Buenos Aires, are the country’s biggest farm producers. —AP

Cops seeking missing boy find bloody clothes COLUMBIA: Columbia police looking for a South Carolina toddler missing since Thanksgiving have found a shovel and what appear to be bloody clothes and blankets in his mother’s home and car, according to search warrants.

Police went to the home of Zinah Jennings home earlier this month after her stepfather told police he had seen her in the backyard with a shovel around the time Amir Jennings disappeared.

Using a cadaver dog to search the house near downtown Columbia, investigators found a shovel. A dog was also used to search Jennings’ car, where investigators say they found blankets and clothes with stains that appear to be blood.

Investigators said the items were being analyzed by state police. Police also obtained surveillance video and records of Jennings’ computer use at the Richland County Public Library after receiving a tip Jan. 5 that the woman was a frequent visitor there.

Warrants show authorities also collected a DNA swab from Jennings’ cheek and her medical records from a visit to the hospital after a Christmas Eve car wreck.

Jennings has been jailed since Dec. 30 after police said she repeatedly lied to them about where her son was. Last week, the boy’s grandmother pleaded with the public to help authorities find the toddler she described as a happy, gap-toothed child who enjoys nursery

rhymes and responds to “Mir Mir” and “AJ.” He was about 18 months old when he was last seen. Jocelyn Jennings Nelson reported her daughter missing in early December, saying she was worried about the boy and Jennings, who she said struggled with depression and started acting erratically after her son’s birth.

Police began looking for the 22-yearold mother but said they also considered that relatives said she had repeatedly left town for days at a time, taking her son to visit friends in neighboring states.Several weeks later, on Christmas Eve, police investigating a one-car wreck just blocks from Jennings’ home were surprised to find the driver was the young mother they’d been looking for. Interviewed at a hospital, police said Jennings gave conflicting statements about where the boy was, first telling authorities she didn’t have any children before saying Amir was with friends and family in cities from Atlanta to Charlotte, NC. After several dead ends, the mother was arrested and charged with lying to police. Authorities say they have stepped up their efforts to find the boy and are hoping a tip line will yield some information. Jennings also took investigators to a Columbia apartment complex where she said she had dropped off her son, later saying she didn’t know the apartment number or location within the complex, according to search warrants. —AP

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Manila prisoners draw knives for ‘Iron Bar Chef’ MANILA: Convicted murderers and rapists in the Philippines faced off against each other in a prison battle using knives, but also aprons, hats, pots and pans. Enter “Iron Bar Chef,” the latest recreational effort at the largest prison in the Philippines-part of a broader programme that officials say has vastly helped tame the mood of the jail’s restive inmates.

Inspired by reality T V cook ing show “Iron Chef,” the version at Manila’s New Bilibid Prison pitted six teams against each other, tasking them to create an appetizer, a main course and a dessert in 60 minutes.

Each three-man team was given a box of ingredients including meat, fish, vegetables and fruits. When the clock started, the inmates began frantically

chopping, frying and steaming.

“This is my passion, that’s why I was really interested in doing this,” said Bienvendio Diaz, who worked as a cook and caterer before receiving a 27-yearsentence for fraud.

The January 7 showdown at the prison, which has 12,000 inmates in maximum security alone, was just the latest venture in a wide-ranging rehabilitation program that aims not only to reform inmates but also to cultivate their skills and prepare them for a possible return to the work force.

“Our ultimate goal is for the inmates to be productive while in prison,” said Chief Superintendent Richard Schwarzkopf. “That’s what we want to give them. So that when the time for their freedom comes, they can be of

benefit to society.”

The densely populated prison has seen its share of gang violence and drug use, but Schwarzkopf said the environment has vastly changed due to a wellrounded reform program. Inmates at New Bilibid prison get to paint, create handicrafts, play tennis, attend church, and now exercise their gourmet talents.

Convicted for crimes ranging from murder and rape to drug peddling and illegal recruitment, the inmates are serving sentences of a few years to life imprisonment. The latest prison population figures are unavailable, but estimated around 17,000.

No strangers to the kitchen, most of the cookoff participants had worked in restaurants and catering businesses before entering prison, and were glad to

put their kitchen skills to use. Maximo Delmo, who worked as a cook in Japan and as chief steward of a cargo ship, is serving multiple life sentences for murder. He hopes his time can be reduced for good behavior.

“Even if we’re here inside, we can use our skills and prepare ourselves. Maybe, if no one will give us jobs, we can open up our own business,” he said. The event also aimed to encourage camaraderie between rival gangs. Other inmates watched the cookoff, and even got to taste the finished products.

After closely watched judging, Delmo’s team tied with Diaz’s for first place. They wowed judges with dishes like roast beef in marinara sauce, squash nuggets with fresh fruits, and Chinesestyle steamed tilapia.

One of the judges, executive chef Mark Crisologo of All Seasons Resort in Katherine, Australia, was impressed. “I was very surprised with the dishes that they created, with the limited time and the limited resources,” he said.

The contestants were delighted with the day, both with their gourmet creations and cash prizes. The top winning team received 15,000 pesos ($340) while runners-up got 5,000 pesos.

But the best rewards were intangible.

“This is a big deal, it helps and encourages our fellow inmates who have lost hope,” said Rommel Chua, a former restaurant cook serving a three-year sentence for illegally recruiting workers for overseas jobs. “Even if you’re behind bars, you can still do what you want to do.” —Reuters

Suicide group storms Afghan government building, 10 dead Attackers blow themselves up KABUL: At least 10 people were killed when a group of suicide bombers stormed a government building in southeastern Afghanistan yesterday, the interior ministry and officials said. Two attackers blew themselves up in the attack, one other was killed in an exchange of fire with police, while one remaining suicide bomber remained at large.

Police had surrounded the building, which houses the directorate of communication in Sharana, the capital city of Paktika province, a ministry statement said. In the course of an ongoing gun battle “two policemen were killed and one wounded”, while two attackers were also killed, said the statement.

“Afghan National Police are engaging in a gun battle with remaining attackers”, it said.

Provincial governor Muhibullah Samim told AFP later that a third attacker had been killed, adding that the group of bombers had planned to target an intelligence office close to the building they had taken over.

The attackers first killed a police guard at

the gate before seizing the building, Paktika provincial spokesman Mokhlis Afghan said.

One bomber was killed in an exchange of fire with the police at the gate and a second blew himself up later in the building, killing another policeman, he added.

Afghan police and intelligence operatives are regular targets of Taleban insurgents fighting the government of President Hamid Karzai, along with national and foreign military forces.

A Taleban bomb attack killed 10 Afghan police returning from a recruitment centre in southern Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province on December 29. The victims were members of the US-funded Afghan Local Police (ALP) set up last year and touted as key to a handover of security control, which will see all foreign combat troops leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

The Taleban, who frequently use roadside bombs to attack Afghan and US-led NATO troops, claimed responsibility for that attack.

There are around 130,000 international troops, mainly from the United States, in Afghanistan helping government forces combat the insurgency.

Paktika province, which borders Pakistan, is one of the main strongholds of the Talebanlinked Haqqani network and one of the main routes for militant infiltration into Afghanistan from sanctuaries across the border. The United States announced last year that it would focus its military operations towards the eastern provinces, where the Taleban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants slipped out of reach of a US-led invading force a decade ago.

The Taleban announced last week that it planned to set up a political office in Qatar, widely seen as a move towards peace negotiations with Washington and its Western allies.

But fighting has not stopped, with six children, five soldiers, three policemen and a civilian dying in another bloody day in Afghanistan’s long war just three days after the Taleban announcement. —AFP

North Korea to pardon convicts

MANILA: A security guard (2nd L) inspects the bags of commuters at a station of Manila’s light railway system yesterday. Police said they were hunting Islamists who may still be planning to attack the capital after a potential target, a massive Catholic procession, went through without incident on January 9. —AFP

Manila alert lifted as parade ends MANILA: The Philippines lifted a terrorist alert in the capital yesterday after millions of Roman Catholic devotees ended a 22-hour parade of a Christ statue that authorities feared was a tempting target for Muslim extremists.

Authorities had deployed a massive police cordon after the president warned over the weekend that terrorists might target the raucous annual procession. After the parade ended, they declared the event a success and lifted the security alert in Manila. The government did not have specific intelligence on a terrorist plot. Still, about 15,000 policemen, backed by hundreds of army troops, secured the three-mile (five-kilometer) procession route for the charred wooden Black Nazarene statue from seaside Rizal Park to a popular church in Manila’s congested Quiapo district.

Air force helicopters stood by and cellphone service was blocked in procession areas to prevent its use to trigger bombs. Despite the president’s warning, huge crowds of devotees wearing maroon shirts surged near the statue, believed to have healing powers.

Devotees waving handkerchiefs and towels let out shouts of “Viva!” as the statue was finally brought inside the church at the end of the grueling procession. The Philippine Red Cross said more than 500 devotees were treated for minor injuries, exhaustion or dehydration.

President Benigno Aquino III announced at a hastily called news conference Sunday that several terrorists had been reported in Manila with plans to disrupt the procession, but that the threat was not high enough to cancel the event and that police would work to keep it safe. Aquino’s warning sparked one of the most elaborate security

deployments for an event in the capital in recent years.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the threat, involving possible bombings by two groups of Muslim militants from the country’s volatile south, prompted police to raid several suspected terrorist hideouts in the Manila area, but without any results. There were suspicions that attackers might come from two radical Muslim groups, including the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf, which is on a US list of terrorist organizations for deadly bombings, kidnappings and beheadings.

“I agree with the assessment of the Manila police district that it was a success, but a bit too long,” Chairman Francis Tolentino of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said yesterday. The procession was delayed for hours because the wheels of the carriage carrying the statue broke.

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim said the government’s warning may have helped kept the event peaceful. The security alert in Manila was lifted after the procession ended, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said. Police said at least 3 million mostly barefoot devotees took part in the event.

The wooden statue of Christ, crowned with thorns and bearing a cross, is believed to have been brought from Mexico to Manila in 1606 by Spanish missionaries. The ship that carried it caught fire, but the charred statue survived and was named the Black Nazarene.

Some believe the statue’s survival of fires and earthquakes through the centuries and intense bombings during World War II is a testament to its powers.

The Philippines is Asia’s largest predominantly Roman Catholic nation. —AP

SEOUL: North Korea said yesterday it will issue special pardons for convicts, a rare move that appeared to be aimed at boosting the popularity of young new leader Kim Jong Un as he attempts to fill his late father’s shoes.

Efforts to show Kim is firmly in control have provided a drumbeat of news reports in state media since his father, Kim Jong Il, died Dec. 17.

Yesterday, North Korea’s state television showed top military officers again swearing fervent pledges of loyalty, vowing to become human “rifles and bombs” to defend Kim Jong Un, who was recently appointed supreme commander of the armed forces.

The amnesty, to be issued beginning Feb. 1, is to commemorate what would have been Kim Jong Il’s 70th birthday in February and the 100th anniversary in April of the birth of his father, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung. The North’s Korean Central News Agency did not say what sorts of crimes would be pardoned or how many inmates would be freed.

The pardons will be the first such dispensations in more than six years. The measure appears aimed at winning public confidence for Kim Jong Un as the country struggles to revive its troubled economy, said Kim Kwang-in, a researcher at the Seoul-based Nor th Korea Strategy Center. A UN envoy on human rights in North Korea said last year that the country is estimated to hold up to 200,000 people in political prison camps. The North has denied the existence of gulags.

North Korea occasionally marks significant holidays by granting amnesties, and Pyongyang has promoted this year’s Kim Il Sung centenary as a significant milestone in the country’s history. North Korea last conducted such a special pardon in August 2005 to mark the 60th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, according to S outh Korea’s Unification Ministry.

Soldiers and top military officers, meanwhile, pledged to “live or die” with Kim Jong Un and shouted slogans such as “Devoted defense of Kim Jong Un,” state television showed. Later M onday, troops later marched outside Kumsusan Memorial Palace, where Kim Il Sung’s body lies in state, as thick haze blanketed the plaza. Neither Kim Jong Un nor senior ruling party officials were seen at the rally.

“We will build a 10,000-fold bulwark for protecting the supreme commander and become rifles and bombs to serve as Kim Jong Un firstline lifeguards and Kim Jong Un first-line deathdefying corps,” Ri Yong Ho, chief of the military’s general staff, said, his voice resonating across the plaza as thousands of troops stood in neat columns.

A large signboard standing from the troops read, “Let’s unite, unite and unite around dear comrade Kim Jong Un,” the footage showed. In a well-choreographed joint pledge of allegiance, nine troops from army, air force and navy stood in a row and vowed “merciless retaliation” should their enemies attack. —AP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ruling party senator and a famous lawyer Baber Awan, center, talks to media at the Supreme Court in Islamabad, Pakistan yesterday. Pakistan Supreme Court has warned it could dismiss the prime minister if he doesn’t initiate corruption proceedings against the president. —AP

Pakistan court ups pressure on govt over Zardari graft cases ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Supreme Court turned up the pressure on the civilian government yesterday by warning the prime minister he could be removed from office if he doesn’t take action on longstanding corruption cases against the president.

The government, already feeling the heat from the military over what has become k nown as the “memogate” scandal, says President Asif Ali Zardari has immunity as head of state and has relied on that argument to fend off previous court orders.

Yesterday’s order is the latest twist in a controversy dating back to 2007, when then-military President Pervez Musharraf agreed to an amnesty for thousands accused of corruption, murder and terrorism. The 2007 amnesty, known as the National Reconciliation Ordinance, was widely seen as the basis for a power-sharing deal between Musharraf and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, assassinated in December 2007 after returning from self-imposed exile.

The Supreme Court threw out the amnesty in December 2009 on the grounds it was unconstitutional and called for the re-opening of corruption cases, with Zardari, Bhutto’s widower, the biggest target. Zardari’s government, run by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, has dragged its feet since then, prompting yesterday’s ruling.

“It is quite clear to us now that the federal government and the National Accountability Bureau are not serious in

the matter at all and those concerned are only interested in delaying and prolonging the matter on one pretext or another,” the five-judge Supreme Court bench wrote in its order.

There is no immediate threat to the government, however. The cour t recessed until Jan 16, when it will reconvene to hear arguments from the attorney-general.

Tension meanwhile runs high between the civilian administration and Pak istan’s power ful generals over “memogate”. Last October, businessman Mansoor Ijaz, writing in a column in the Financial Times, said a senior Pakistani diplomat had asked that a memo be sent to the U.S. Defense Department for help in reining in the military. Ijaz later identified the diplomat as Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States and an ally of Zardari. Haqqani denies involvement. The Supreme Cour t ordered a judicial commission to investigate the scandal, which could lead to treason charges against Haqqani. If Zardari is also found to be linked to the memo, it could lead to his impeachment. The government also faces challenges on the diplomatic front. Ties with the United States hit a low following a Nov 26 cross-border air strike by NATO that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

Mistrust has grown since a unilateral US special forces raid in May that killed Osama bin Laden on Pakistani soil, infuriating the military, government and many Pakistanis. —Reuters

Rushdie shrugs off call for India ‘blasphemy’ ban NEW DELHI: British author Salman Rushdie has dismissed demands by an influential Islamic seminary in India that he should be banned from entering the country to attend a literature festival later this month. Rushdie, who was threatened with death in a “fatwa” order from Iran over his 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses”, is due to speak in the city of Jaipur alongside fellow writers such as Lionel Shriver and Richard Dawkins.

The Darululoom Deoband seminary, one of the world’s most important Islamic universities, is known for its conservative teachings thought to have shaped the views of some radical Islamist groups such as the Taleban. Maulana Qasim Nomani, a seminary official, called for India to cancel Rushdie’s visa, saying that “the man whose blasphemous writings have hurt the sentiments of Muslims all over the world must not be allowed to set foot on Indian soil.”

Rushdie-who was born in Mumbai in 1947 — responded late on Monday by pointing out on Twitter that he did not need a visa to visit India. The novelist spent a decade in hiding after Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued the fatwa in 1989 call-

ing for his death for alleged blasphemy against Islam in “The Satanic Verses”.

The Times of India said yesterday that Rushdie had visited India dozens of times

Salman Rushdie over the last 20 years and it accused the seminary of trying to link the issue to state elections in Uttar Pradesh that begin on February 8. “Whenever Rushdie has come here, we have always condemned it,” Maulana Abdul Khaliq, seminary deputy vice chancellor, told AFP. “People who admire him can go and find him abroad.” —AFP

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

NEWS

HANOVER: A keeper puts a spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides) on a toy balance to illustrate the inventory at the zoo.

During the annual inventory, keepers of the zoo count, weigh and measure more than 3,000 animals living at the zoo. — AFP

Bahrain orders retrial, observer turned back West edges closer to Iran confrontation Continued from Page 1 Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) criticised the military courts in its report issued in November.

The men face a retrial in a civil court, BNA said. The incident happened during an operation to retake control of a traffic roundabout in Manama which had become the centre of the protests in February and March. Bahrain hosts the US Fifth Fleet that patrols the Gulf from where a large portion of world oil supplies are shipped. The government says Shiite power Iran is fomenting the unrest, a charge opposition figures and activists deny. Opposition groups are demanding a retrial or revoking of sentences in other cases. These include that of 21 political figures, rights activists and a blogger accused of leading the protests to change the political system violently. Eight of them received life sentences.

Rick Sollom of the US-based Physicians for Human Rights said in a message on Twitter that he had been held at Manama airport this week for hours and refused entry. Sollom had wanted to attend an appeal by 20 medical workers sentenced to 5 to 15 years on charges including incitement to overthrow the government and attempting to occupy a hospital. “ The Bahrain

Government continues to undermine its stated commitment to human rights reform by holding sham trials, attacking human rights defenders and denying access to international observers,” said Brian Dooley of US group Human Rights First in a statement criticising Sollom’s treatment.

A statement by the human rights ministry said Sollom would be welcome after Feb 22, the deadline the government has set itself for implementing the BICI recommendations, adding that he had ignored a suggestion to stay away until then. The medics’ trial provoked heavy international criticism, prompting prosecutors to order an appeal hearing in a civilian court. A court this week set the next session for March 19.

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) said that the medics’ retrial did not meet government promises, noting that the prosecutor had said at Monday’s hearing that evidence the doctors say was obtained under torture remained valid. “Senior Bahraini cabinet members assured PHR that the doctors would be given a brand new trial in a civilian court, but what happened in court today proves that these were hollow promises and this new trial is merely a continuation of the flawed military trial,” it said.— Reuters

Assad vows ‘iron fist’, ridicules Arab League Continued from Page 1 “Regional and international parties who are trying to destabilise Syria can no longer falsify the facts and events,” the embattled leader said in the televised speech that lasted almost two hours. Assad said restoring security was the “absolute priority” for Syria and pledged his government would tackle terrorism with an “iron fist”, after a Damascus suicide bombing killed 26 people on Friday. “There can be no let-up for terrorism - it must be hit with an iron fist,” he said. “The battle with terrorism is a battle for everyone, a national battle, not only the government’s battle.”

In Istanbul, the head of the opposition SNC, Burhan Ghalioun, expressed alarm about Assad’s “dangerous speech in which he stated his determination to use violence against our own people”. “He has cut short any Arab or other initiative to find a solution to the crisis and avoid the worst,” Ghalioun said, adding that the speech showed Assad’s “determination to divide and push the country towards civil war.”

Ghalioun called on the world community to “work to ensure the international protection of Syrian civilians as soon as possible,” while urging the Arab League to turn to the UN Security Council for help.

Basma Qadmani of the SNC told the same news conference that Assad’s speech was an “incitement to violence” that dismissed the international community and marked a turning point in Syria’s relations with the Arab League.

“This is a turning point, a rupture with its Arab environment,” she said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said security forces

shot dead at least 13 civilians yesterday, including 10 youths at a peaceful demonstration in Deir Ezzor, northeast Syria. “An Observatory activist in Deir Ezzor said what he witnessed today was a real massacre,” the Britain-based group said in a statement sent to AFP in Nicosia. “Most of the martyrs were youths who were demonstrating peacefully and in a civilised manner,” it said, adding regime gunfire killed two more civilians in the central protest hub of Homs and an army deserter in Idlib.

But Assad insisted security personnel had no orders to shoot. “By law, nobody can open fire, except in self-defence.” He said he remained optimistic despite the violence.

“These past 10 months, despite all their hardships, were very beneficial... I am confident about the future,” he said. Assad rejected opposition charges that his regime was a dictatorship. “I rule with the will of the people. If I give up power, I will do so with the will of the people too,” he said. “The largest part of the Syrian people want reform and do not go out and violate laws.”

Assad said a new constitution being drawn up by a committee set up in October to replace the current one, which enshrines his Baath party’s dominant role, could be put to a popular vote as early as March. He hit out at the Arab League, which has had an observer mission in Syria since Dec 26 charged with overseeing a deal to end the violence, involving the withdrawal of troops from urban areas and the opening of talks with the opposition. He asked what right governments whose countries belong to the panArab organisation, including the absolute monarchies of the Gulf,

had to lecture Syria about democracy or reform. “The first parliament in Syria was in 1917. Where were they then?” he asked. “Their situation is like a doctor who smokes and recommends to his patient to give up smoking while he, the doctor, has a cigarette in his mouth.”

Critics say the Arab observer mission has been completely outmanoeuvred by the government in Damascus, with the opposition Muslim Brotherhood accusing it of covering up “crimes of the Syrian regime”. Arab League chief Nabil AlArabi yesterday denounced attacks on Arab observers in Syria, in which some were wounded, and said he was holding the government in Damascus responsible for their mission. “The Arab League denounces the irresponsible action and acts of violence against the League’s observers,” he said. “It considers the Syrian government totally responsible for the protection of the members of the observer mission.”

Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid Muallem insisted his government would continue to guarantee the observers’ safety, in a meeting with the mission’s head, Sudanese general Mohammed Ahmed Mustafa Al-Dabi. Israel said it is preparing to receive Alawite refugees on the occupied Golan Heights if Assad’s regime collapses. The Assad family are Alawites - a Shiite minority strongly represented in the military and ruling Baath party. At the United Nations, Germany led European calls for “serious negotiations” on a Security Council resolution condemning the Assad regime’s crackdown, with Berlin’s envoy Peter Wittig describing Russia’s reluctance as “unsatisfactory”. —Agencies

Continued from Page 1 Security Council resolutions. But Iran’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ali Asghar Soltanieh, yesterday shot back that the stance was “politically motivated”.

The underground Fordo plant had been revealed two years ago and documented, he said. The 20-percent enriched uranium it was to produce would be used for “peaceful and humanitarian” purposes, namely isotopes for cancer treatment, he said.

Both Solatanieh and the IAEA stressed that the UN nuclear watchdog had 24-hour cameras there and inspectors to keep it under watch.

That seemed unlikely to reassure the United States, though, or its chief Middle East ally, Israel, analysts said.

“Israel, which has already warned Iran that it could take militar y action against installations, is very, very worried by this facility ... We are moving into dangerous territory,” said Mark Hibbs of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

But while Iran downplayed the significance of Fordo - and affirmed it was ready to resume nuclear talks with world powers that collapsed a year ago - it continues to send tough signals to its longtime foe, the United States. On Monday, a Revolutionary Cour t in Tehran sentenced an American former Marine, Amir Mirzai Hekmati, to death after convicting him of being a CIA spy. Iran, which last month put on display what it said was a CIA reconnaissance drone it claimed to have captured through cyberwarfare, has also been stepping up military exercises in a show of strength. Its elite Revolutionar y Guards have said they are about to launch new navy manoeuvres in the Strait of Hormuz, at the entrance of the Gulf. The navy drills are aimed at showing Iran can close the Strait of Hormuz, as political and military officials have warned, if the Islamic republic’s oil exports are blocked or

severely curtailed.

Meanwhile, a US ship yesterday rescued six Iranian mariners in the Gulf after their boat broke down, the Pentagon said, in the latest such gesture despite soaring tensions between Washington and Tehran. The Iranian crew used flares to seek help from the passing US ship after flooding in the engine room left their dhow unseaworthy before sunrise some 90 km southeast of the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr, US officials said.

The Coast Guard cutter, the Monomoy, gave the Iranians water, blankets and meals made in accordance with Islamic law and provided medical care for one of the mariners who had suffered non-serious injuries, officials said. A US military statement said that Hakim HamidAwi, the owner of the Iranian dhow named the Ya-Hassan, was thankful.

“Without your help, we were dead.

Thank you for all that you did for us,” the US statement quoted him as saying. In the afternoon, US forces transferred the six mariners on inflatable boats to an Iranian Coast Guard vessel, the Naji 7, the statement said. The captain of the Naji 7 also offered his regards to his US counterparts and “thanks us for our cooperation,” according to the US statement.

Last week, the US Navy rescued 13 Iranians held by pirates. Iran welcomed the gesture, even though it earlier had warned the ships to stay away. The Coast Guard cutter the Monomoy, which carried out the latest rescue, is in the Gulf to assist maritime security, according to the Pentagon.

China, which buys 20-22 percent of Iran’s crude oil, warned yesterday against conflict. “We urge all relevant nations to ... refrain from taking actions that will intensify the situation and make common efforts to prevent war,” Chen Xiaodong, a top Chinese diplomat on Middle East affairs said in an online interview with his country’s state press. “Once war starts in this region not only will the

relevant nations be affected and attacked, it would also ... bring disaster to a world economy deep in crisis,” he said. The United States has said closing the strait would be a “red line” and it will continue deploying its warships to the Gulf. Oil prices stayed high on the threats and counterthreats, amid buoyant US consumer data. West Texas Intermediate crude was over $102 a barrel while Brent North Sea crude was over $113.

US President Barack Obama signed into law on New Year’s Eve sanctions against Iran’s central bank due to come into effect within months. His Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was in Beijing yesterday in an effort to get China to drop its steadfast opposition to new sanctions on Iran and to come on board, at least to some extent. Japan’s foreign minister, on a Gulf tour to seek assurances over oil supplies, also raised the alarm and called for a diplomatic solution. His country buys about 14 percent of Iran’s crude. “Japan is very concerned about the latest developments,” Koichiro Gemba said. “We believe that we should solve the problem diplomatically and peacefully. That is why dialogue with Iran should continue.”

The European Union, meanwhile, is poised to declare a ban on Iranian oil imports. A foreign ministers’ meeting on the issue scheduled for the end of this month has been brought forward a week, to January 23, an EU official in Brussels told AFP. Iran depends on oil sales for 60 percent of its government revenues and last year, it earned around $100 billion from petroleum exports. Existing sanctions have complicated payment, though. Signs of strains on Iran’s economy could be seen in the value of its currency, the rial, which has plummeted around one-third in the past three months. Yesterday, mobile phone text messages containing the word “dollar” were being blocked in Iran. A website that shows the rial’s value against world currencies was also inaccessible. — AFP

MoI disqualifies 14 candidates Continued from Page 1 And a day after the interior ministry insisted that it has been clamping down on irregularities during the election including vote-buying, the Kuwait Transparency Society said it has received a number of “serious” cases of vote-buying in various constituencies. The society, which was formed to monitor the polls, said that it had referred all the reported cases to the interior ministry for a more comprehensive study.

The Interior Ministry also said in a statement it had allowed bedoons to express their demands and “address their voice to the relevant authorities

of the state for days”, affirming great concern by Sheikh Ahmad for their cause. “On the basis of this unwavering stance and practical approach toward the issue of the illegal residents, the ministry will no longer allow holding of protests or gatherings or sit-ins by them, regardless of the nature, goals and message of such action in all the country’s plazas and yards.” The ministry expressed hope its warning would result in cooperation for the sake of maintaining public security, warning offenders would be subject to legal action.

Election campaigns meanwhile started to pick up gradually with more candidates opening their tent diwaniyas as a signal for the start of

their election campaigns. Many candidates open more than one headquarters to cover the vast area.

Several candidates called for key constitutional amendments that would guarantee more freedom and political reforms. Former MP and candidate Jamaan Al-Harbash wondered how under the Kuwaiti democratic system, unelected ministers are allowed to vote and take part in the National Assembly like the 50 elected lawmakers, insisting that this should be changed. Former MPs and candidates Khaled Al-Sultan, Abdulrahman Al-Anjari and Mishari Al-Ossaimi called for legalising political parties in the country and running election on this basis.

14

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

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Issues

Anwar acquittal boosts case for early election

By Liau Y-Sing and Emily Kaiser alaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak may call elections as early as March to stay ahead of a weakening economy and dissension within his own party made worse by Monday’s acquittal of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. It will pit the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) that has ruled since independence in 1957, against Anwar and his promise of sweeping reform, including scrapping a system that gives Malays preference over ethnic Chinese and Indians and which many contend is holding back the southeast Asian nation.

“The focus is not so much on Anwar now but on Najib. He has to move on and keep UMNO loyal to him,” said a senior UMNO official who is involved in party leadership discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media. “I see the elections by March, April, before UMNO party polls. Najib’s biggest worry is not the general election but the UMNO party polls because there is a sense among the hardline UMNO grassroots that Najib has been too lenient and he needs to keep their support to survive,” the official said.

A Malay-language newspaper affiliated with UMNO echoed those concerns when it griped, a day before the verdict acquitting Anwar of sodomy charges, about a police decision to allow the opposition leader’s supporters to protest outside the courthouse. “It is easier to be bad and naughty boys so as to get attention and good treatment,” it said. National elections are not due until 2013, but Najib is widely expected to schedule them this year. One key reason for calling them earlier would be to get in ahead of UMNO’s internal elections most likely starting in the second half of 2012.

Najib is also mindful that he would likely lose votes if he waits until a weakening global economy eventually takes its toll on Malaysia’s export-led growth. His ruling coalition suffered its worst election performance in 2008. Anwar was charged with sodomy about three months after that election, bolstering his contention that the accusation was politically motivated. He was previously convicted of sodomy and jailed, but released in 2004 when the verdict was overturned.

This week’s Anwar acquittal may in fact help Najib. “(It) could prompt a significant number of uncommitted voters, particularly among the urban middle class, to look more favourably on the course being steered by Najib,” Barclays economist Rahul Bajoria said. “More importantly, from a medium-term perspective we think the verdict eliminates a key source of political uncertainty, which has clouded previous elections and the general investment climate,” Bajoria wrote in a note to clients. Many Malaysia watchers said Anwar behind bars might have proved a more powerful unifying force for the opposition - a hodge-podge of social liberals, ethnic and religious minorities and a conservative Islamic party. Prosecutors are still weighing whether to appeal the verdict, which means Anwar cannot put the case completely behind him. “I do not see Anwar destabilising UMNO in the general elections because there is still a mistrust of Anwar among the Malay voters,” the UMNO official said. “Like it or not, he is tarnished.”

The economy may do more to cement opposition than Anwar can. “It comes down to the economy,” a senior government source said, when asked whether the Anwar verdict would have any bearing on the timing of the election. The source asked not to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the issue. Malaysia’s economy has so far weathered the global slowdown better than some neighbours. But it is widely forecast to slow in 2012 and stubbornly high inflation is already pushing down Najib’s popularity.

Malaysia’s exports are roughly as large as the country’s entire annual output, leaving it vulnerable to swings in global demand. A 2011 deficit estimated at 5.4 percent of gross domestic product limits the government’s ability to provide significant stimulus spending.

“The longer you wait, the greater the (economic) uncertainty,” said Lim Kit Siang, a veteran lawmaker with the opposition Democratic Action Party, who said elections would probably be held by June. Data released yesterday showed November industrial production slowed more sharply than economists had predicted, which bodes ill for fourth-quarter growth. — Reuters

M

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.

Divided Iran dissidents elated, wary

By William Maclean rom Los Angeles to Paris to Tehran, disparate opposition groups with little in common but an aversion to Iran’s clerical leaders are struggling to extract political gains from an escalation in Western sanctions. Numerous dissidents have hailed Western agreement on tougher measures to compel the Islamic Republic to rein in its nuclear program, but translating the upbeat mood into renewed opposition activity will not be easy, Iran experts say. Internally, opposition forces are at a low ebb following the bloody suppression of a loose reformist street protest movement they mounted in 2009.

Iran’s factionalised clerical authorities may be riven by their own disputes, but the security apparatus has a tight grip on domestic dissent and its leaders are under house arrest.

Overseas, the complexity of the dissidents’ task has roots in the opposition’s very diversity: The communities of monarchists, communists and liberals and others can agree on little beyond ending the three-decade rule of Islamist clerics.

Discord extends to the utility of sanctions as an instrument of leverage: Exiled groups tend to favour them. But dissidents at home are less enthusiastic, arguing that the measures will hit the middle class from which the 2009 protests sprang.

One thought found among oppositionists on both sides of the internal-external divide is the fear that the curbs could raise regional tensions and trigger a devastating conflict. “If you corner a cat, you should expect it to show its claws,” said a leading reformist politician, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. “If the authorities feel that they have no alternative, they might do anything, including interrupting shipments of oil.” “Don’t forget that some hawks in Iran favour a war, to unify the people and also to divert attentions from their shortcomings. Whether they will reach their aim of unifying people, I have doubts but historically, Iranians never back foreign invaders.”

F

On New Year’s Eve, US President Barack Obama signed into law the toughest financial sanctions yet against Iran, which if fully implemented could make it impossible for most countries to pay for Iranian oil. The European Union, which still buys a fifth of Iran’s 2.6 million barrels per day of exports, is expected to announce an embargo this month. Tehran has responded to the sanctions with threats to international shipping that have frightened oil markets.

Some opposition figures appear elated at the turn of events. “Things are happening which are unbelievable. This is not the same as before, this is something else,” said Manouchehr Ganji, 80, who was a minister of education under the late Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. “The name of the game has changed... In the past, they (Iranians) have become accustomed to having bananas - Iran doesn’t produce bananas - and accustomed to having pineapple, to having all the things you can find in the world. They could have it because of the oil money,” said US-based Ganji.

For the sanctions now to be effective, the governments of the United States and Europe must “make it known to the Iranians that they understand the lot of Iranians, and they understand the harsh situation they are living in,” Ganji said. “It all depends on how they are going to present it to the Iranian people,” he added. The French-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which has followers across Europe and the United States, supports the tougher sanctions but argues that only “regime change” will prove to be an effective policy. The NCRI was responsible for arguably the most influential opposition move in years when it became the first group to expose Iran’s covert nuclear program in 2002. It says it has huge backing within Iran although analysts say its support is very hard to gauge.

Its leader Maryam Rajavi told Reuters the tougher sanctions “should have been undertaken a long time ago.” She suggested the Iranian authorities were bluffing about closing the

Hormuz Strait and only engaged in this tactic “because they are confident of the West’s indecisiveness”. Others, such as US-based Ali Shakeri, 63, are sceptical about the usefulness of economic curbs. The Iranian-born peace campaigner and businessman says sanctions especially hurt the average citizen. He said: “Any society without a middle class, with the oppressed people and the elite of billionaires, is not going to end up to any democracy. It’s going to end up to a dictatorship or chaos.” Shakeri was jailed in Iran on security-related charges in 2007 when he went to visit his ailing mother. He was held in jail for 140 days, and was told that one of the charges against him was that he had hosted Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi at the University of California, Irvine. “The unfortunate situation between the United States and Iran has hurt us more than we can imagine,” Shakeri said.

“That’s why a person like me, I’m pushing for dialogue, diplomacy and an economic relationship.” Shakeri said that he believes Iran will not close the Strait of Hormuz because that is the country’s “lifeline”.

Others disagree, saying if Iran is attacked militarily, all bets are off. Muhammad Sahimi, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Southern California and a frequent media commentator on politics in his native Iran, said that despite Iran’s “sabre rattling”, he does not believe the country will close Hormuz, in part because its major oil customer China gets shipments through that waterway. But if Iran is attacked militarily, it will seek to close the Strait of Hormuz, he said. He said Farsi-language satellite television stations based outside Iran have little political sway within the country itself.

Iranians are more likely to get their news from watching and listening to BBC broadcasts, he said. Sahimi supports Iran’s efforts to obtain nuclear capabilities to generate electricity, but as a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists he said that he would oppose any effort by the country to develop nuclear weapons.—Reuters

Suu Kyi party seeks makeover to grab youth

By Martin Petty ith his walking stick, long white hair and thick spectacles from a bygone age, Win Tin embodies the challenge facing the party that has led the campaign for democracy in Myanmar but now needs new blood to secure its future. The National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi boycotted what it saw as flawed elections in 2010 that signalled the end of half a century of military rule in the former Burma but it will contest by-elections in April. Suu Kyi’s stature alone should ensure it gains a presence in parliament but the party can only live off its role in the fight for democracy for so long. It badly needs to develop policies and then win over voters who come of age in the new parliamentary era.

Win Tin has a mind as sharp as when he was a journalist challenging the brutal army dictatorship, which earned him 19 years in jail, but the longtime aide to Suu Kyi is 82 years old and many other NLD leaders aren’t much younger. “Our party is too old,” Win Tin told Reuters, perched on the edge of his chair and leaning on a walking cane for support.

“No one has suffered oppression like us, but after serving so long in prison, we’ve been rather disconnected. We have youth leaders who are over 50 - one is even a grandfather.

But now that there’s an opening, our party needs new life, new faces, new blood if we want to survive and make a difference. It’s time for us to make way for a new force.”

Suu Kyi has taken the leap of faith needed to commit her party to a political system still controlled by the army and its proxies in parliament, a move welcomed by Western countries cautiously renewing ties with the nominally civilian government. In a landmark visit to Myanmar last week, British Foreign Secretary William Hague told the former junta leaders in charge of the government to ensure the polls were free and fair, making that one of the conditions for lifting sanctions imposed for human rights abuses under the military regime.

To general surprise, since the 2010 election was so carefully arranged to produce a government the former junta wanted, the new leadership moved quickly last year to free some political prisoners, hold peace talks with ethnic rebels, relax media censorship

W

and allow protests and trade unions. Despite the bad blood between the NLD and the old soldiers who had refused to cede power when the party scored a landslide win in 1990 elections for a constituent assembly, Suu Kyi has given President Thein Sein, himself a former junta general, the benefit of the doubt and agreed to join the system. She has called for an overhaul of the NLD and wants to recruit women, ethnic minority groups and educated youngsters to strengthen and rejuvenate the party.

There is much work to be done. The party has limited resources and its headquarters are cramped and crumbling. It doesn’t even know how many members it has. Oxford-educated Suu Kyi also needs to win over the sceptics. Her party is far from united on the need to engage with the people who jailed hundreds of its members and chased much of the country’s intellectual talent into exile.

“There are differences in the party. I personally disagreed with the NLD running for parliament, but she wants to take the initiative and she accepts that without the military’s cooperation, political change isn’t possible,” said Win Tin, who was Myanmar’s longest-serving political prisoner.

Win Tin is perhaps the only NLD member who would dare to discuss openly the troubles within the party. Criticism of the Lady, as Suu Kyi is affectionately known, is almost taboo in Myanmar and despite the differences inside the NLD, party votes have almost always been unanimous and in agreement with her views. Even so, her new direction has drawn mixed reactions. While she has been widely praised for her new-found willingness to compromise, Internet web boards are full of postings by Burmese using pseudonyms criticising her for dealing with what they see as a government of untrustworthy despots.

Undeterred, Suu Kyi has set her sights set on winning a good number of the 48 vacant seats in the 1,158-seat national legislature.

She will be a candidate herself but has said little about what she would do in parliament or whether, as rumoured, she could take a cabinet post or even the vice-presidency.

Many in the pro-democracy camp harbour deep distrust of the new regime and believe she could be walking into a trap, used as a pawn to legitimise a much-derided legislature. Win Tin says she is well aware the former generals may have ulterior motives but she is

willing to gamble. “There’s a lot of mistrust, but she said: ‘why should we wait?’ She sees this as an opening, an opportunity to work for the country. She believes it’s worth the risk,” he said.

Some of the people the NLD needs to recruit agree with her decision to take part in an imperfect political system and work to change it from the inside. They say the priority should be to win enough parliamentary seats in the next general election in 2015 to amend a constitution that enshrines the military’s political power. “The problem is the government really is still military. They still believe it should have special status and that’s dangerous for our future,” said 23-year-old law student Ko Htet. “ We have to prepare, because the military can take back power at any time. We’ve seen positive changes recently and we never want to turn back.”

Sit Maw, 21, wants to work alongside Suu Kyi but said the par ty needed to expand and bring in younger, educated Burmese. One hurdle, he said, could be resistance from its older members. “ There’ll be differences between the old and the new generation, differences in opinions and ideology, but they need educated people,” he said. “I believe in engagement, even if there’s mistrust. Thein Sein has kept most of his promises so far, but there are no guarantees, so we have to be prepared.”

The rifts in the NLD were exposed in the run-up to the 2010 election, when a faction unhappy with the NLD’s boycott which came after Suu Kyi said she “would not dream of taking part” broke away and formed a new party, the National Democratic Force (NDF), for which they were derided as traitors. NDF leader Khin Maung Swe welcomed Suu Kyi’s decision to run for parliament but warned that her expec-

tations should not be too high, since the assembly lacked a real debating culture and proposing legislation was extremely difficult.

He wants his party to work with Suu Kyi but warned against over-optimism if she gets into parliament and expressed reservations about his old party’s ability to change. “She is an inspiration, the people’s leader, but they expect too much of her,” he told Reuters. “She wants the NLD to change, but I can’t really say whether outsiders will be genuinely accepted. There’s so much rivalry for the top positions. There’ll be a lot of challenges ahead.” — Reuters

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

sp orts

Raonic earning his second career title CHENNAI: Milos Raonic beat top-seeded Janko Tipsarevic 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4) in a serve-dominated Chennai Open final, earning his second career title. Fourth-seeded Raonic hit 35 aces in a marathon match that lasted 3 hours, 16 minutes and didn’t include a break of serve. “It is an awesome feeling,” said the 21-year-old Raonic, who won all 48 of his service games during the week to become the first player to win a tournament without dropping serve since Roger Federer at the 2008 grass-court tournament in Halle. Raonic dropped only four points on serve in the first set and had four chances to break in the fourth game before the Serbian stole it in the tiebreaker. “Tipsarevic took it away in the first set,” Raonic said. “But I took my opportunities in the second and third.”

Raonic established a 4-1 lead in the second-set tiebreaker before leveling the match on his second set point. — AP

Bangladesh board chief Ahmed dies DHAKA: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief executive officer Manzur Ahmed has died of a heart attack at the age of 57, his family and the board confirmed yesterday. “We deeply regret to inform you that our chief executive officer died of a cardiac arrest this morning at his home,” BCB doctor Debasish Chowdhury said in a statement. The former cricketer, who played for a Bangladeshi representative side against a visiting MCC team in 1977, took over as CEO of the board in August 2010 following a stint in an identical role for the governing body in Brunei.

International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO Haroon Lorgat said in a statement: “The news of Manzur

Ahmed’s sudden passing away has shocked everyone at the ICC and our thoughts and prayers go out to members of his family and friends.

“His sudden passing away comes as a personal shock and reminds me of the value of time and good relations. I had closely worked with him during the organizing of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.” Asian Cricket Council (ACC) CEO Syed Ashraful Haq paid tribute to Ahmed. “A long-time ACC executive board member, Ahmed played more parts and held more positions in cricket than almost any other administrator in the world and was distinguished by his grace, integrity and good sense,” he said in a statement. — Reuters

Mancini optimistic on Tevez MANCHESTER: Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini was confident yesterday that outcast striker Carlos Tevez would find a new club in the January transfer window. The Argentine, who has not played for the Premier League leaders since refusing to warm up in a Champions League match at Bayern Munich in September, has been linked with Italian clubs AC Milan and Inter Milan.

Milan’s pursuit appears to have hit a brick wall as City have ruled out a loan deal which is favored by the Serie A club, while Inter president Massimo Moratti confirmed his club’s interest in the player on Monday. “I think maybe we can find a good solution in January...also because it is important for Carlos. Now it is three or four months that he hasn’t played,” Mancini told a news conference. “I know that there is Inter maybe that is interested because I read the newspapers, and Milan the same but I don’t know the last news.” — Reuters

Can Djokovic stay ahead of the pack?

SYDNEY: Novak Djokovic says nothing’s impossible as he sets out to repeat his jaw-dropping performances of last season, starting with the Australian Open grand slam from Monday. The Serbian world number one won three of the four grand slams and five Masters titles in 2011, became the top-ranked player, put together a 70-6 winning record and banked a record 12.6 million dollars in prize money. Last year’s Australian Open final triumph over Andy Murray was the first of seven straight tournament wins in a 41-match winning streak that was finally ended by Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the French Open. “My success gives me a reason to believe that I can win again.

Why not?” Djokovic said.

“I think it doesn’t make any sense to be anything other than optimistic. I need to believe in my qualities and my abilities and I need to believe that I can repeat the success. Of course it is going to be an incredibly difficult task to achieve, but you never know, nothing is really impossible.” Djokovic, 24, dominated men’s tennis last year, winning a career-best 10 titles in 11 finals. He defeated world number two Rafael Nadal six times and overall was 21-

4 against top-10 opponents. But his incredible season now marks him as the hunted as his top rivals Nadal, Federer and Murray will be out to prevent Djokovic from sweeping all before him again. “What he (Djokovic) did, (is) very difficult for him to do again,” former US Open champion and world number 11 Juan Martin del Potro said this week. “I think Roger and Rafa (Nadal) will be going after Novak because they don’t want him to repeat the year he just had.” Djokovic’s landmark season took its toll with a combination of back and shoulder trouble, but the Serb said he was now injury-free.

“Injuries are past at this moment,” he said.

“I am happy to announce that it has been a couple of weeks since my last match and I have had enough time to recover physically and mentally and to get back into shape.”

But Nadal finished last season with a sore left shoulder and was not sure whether he would be at his peak during the Australian Open. “I know I am working well, with a much more positive attitude than I had during the second half of last season, especially in the final stretch,” he told Catalan sports daily Sport. “I see

myself capable of having a good tournament but you never know. I am happy with the level of my game, of how I am doing things and I think I am sowing seeds that will bear fruit. But maybe not in Australia.” Ten-time grand slam champion Nadal, 25, has a chequered record at the Australian Open, winning in 2009 but failing to make the semi-finals in three of the last five visits. World number three Federer withdrew from last week’s Qatar Open with back spasms but is confident of playing in Melbourne to continue his remarkable record at the major tournaments. All-time grand slam champion Federer, 30, has played in 48 consecutive slams and won the Australian Open four times, but was beaten in straight sets by Djokovic in last year’s Melbourne semifinal. “Although it’s not very good it’s not crazy-bad,” Federer said of his injury. “I have had bad backs on the past, but this is not very good. “I feel that without play and with the right treatment, I will get through it.”

World number four Andy Murray, 24, bidding to become Britain’s first male major-winner since Fred Perry in 1936, has suffered shattering defeats to Federer and

Venus Williams pulls out of Australian Open MELBOURNE: Venus Williams withdrew from the Australian Open on Monday, prolonging her absence from the tennis tour because of an autoimmune disease that can cause fatigue and joint pain. The seven-time Grand Slam title winner announced on Twitter and her

NEW YORK: In this file photo, Venus Williams serves against Vesna Dolonts, during the first round of the US Open tennis tournament in New York. Williams says she is withdrawing from the Australian Open. — AP

website that she wouldn’t play in the year’s first major tournament, which starts next week. She added, though, that she plans to be back in action next month.

Williams hasn’t played competitively since Aug 29 at the US Open. Two days later, she pulled out of that tournament, revealing that she’d been diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome. “I regret to announce that I am withdrawing from the 2012 Australian Open. After several months of training and treatment, I am making steady progress to top competitive form. My diet and fitness regimen have allowed me to make great strides in terms of my health and I am very close to being ready to return to WTA competition,” Williams said in a posting on her website Monday. “I have every intention to return to the circuit in February.”

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said Williams was “very disappointed” that she was not able to play in Melbourne. “She had hoped she’d be further along in her preparation but is not quite ready for Grand Slam competition,” Tiley said in an email to The Associated Press. “She’s an amazing champion and she’s had a tough year battling illness and injury. We wish her all the best and look forward to seeing her back in Australia soon.” The 31-year-old American is a former No. 1 who is 100th in this week’s WTA rankings. She’s dealt with a series of health problems, including a hip injury that forced her to withdraw from last year’s Australian Open, and a left knee injury that kept her on the sideline between Wimbledon and the US Open in 2010. Since reaching the semifinals at the 2010 US Open, Williams has played only 11 matches. After winning her opener at Flushing Meadows in August - which was Williams’ first match in two months - she withdrew shortly before her second-round match there. At that time, she described the way she’d been feeling this way: “It was just energy-sucking, and I just couldn’t play pro tennis.” Her younger sister Serena, whose 13 Grand Slam titles include five at the Australian Open, badly sprained her left ankle at a tournament in Brisbane this month.

It’s not clear whether Serena will be able to play at the Australian Open. — AP

Djokovic in the last two Australian Open finals. He now has tennis great Ivan Lendl as his coach and got an immediate return with a crushing win over Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov in the final of the Brisbane International last weekend.

Murray will be in the mix again in Melbourne, and will hope to show has the mettle to break his 0-3 record in grand slam finals. “A year wiser, and have a year’s more experience,” he said. “I think I’ve improved a few things in my game.” — AFP

Novak Djokovic

Title-winning trio heads Kooyong Classic field MELBOURNE: Three weekend title winners head the field at the Kooyong Classic, with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Tomas Berdych and Milos Raonic all due on court in the eight-man tournament starting today. Tsonga is fresh from winning the eighth title of his career after beating compatriot and fellow Kooyong competitor Gael Monfils in the final in Doha. The Czech Republic’s Berdych was part of the winning team-along with Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova-at the Hopman Cup mixed teams event in Perth while Canada’s Raonic won his second career title at the Chennai Open.

Tsonga, ranked sixth, will be looking to finetune his preparations for next week’s Australian Open in Kooyong and starts the exhibition tournament against Austrian Jurgen Melzer. Others in action today are Australian teenager Bernard Tomic, facing Berdych, American Mardy Fish against Raonic and US player Andy Roddick playing Monfils. Tsonga, the beaten 2010 Kooyong finalist, said he was ready for the season’s opening Grand Slam in Melbourne, where he lost in the final against Novak Djokovic in 2008.

“I won in Doha, I feel good,” said the powerful Frenchman. “I hope I can play well here. This is such a good preparation for the Australian Open. “Even with the top four players (Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray) all on good form, the rest have chances.

“If I thought that those guys were the only ones who could win major events, I’d stay home and

watch on TV instead of playing. That’s why we come out to the court.” Monfils, ranked 15th, is equally confident. “I’m all right. I had a good offseason and played great last week. I’ve got no worries.”

Three-time former winner Roddick, 29, said: “I worked hard to get healthy and fit. I need to feel good physically to compete with the younger guys. I want to give myself every opportunity to do that this season.” The two young guns of the pack, 21-year-old Raonic and Tomic, 19, are both eager to prove themselves in their first Kooyong appearances. Australian number one Tomic said: “There’s a lot of pressure going around, but I don’t worry about what’s off the court. I just have fun and play my tennis. I don’t worry about anything else.

“Wherever this year takes me, it takes me. I’m not thinking about the ranking,” added Tomic, currently ranked 37th. “It’s one round at a time for me.

It’s not like when you’re younger and think about how far you might go.

You have to just try and beat the guy in front of you on the day,” he said. World Number four Murray, winner of the Brisbane title on Sunday and not in the official field, will play a Friday exhibition at Kooyong, taking on 2002 Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian of Argentina. The tournament in Kooyong, one-time home of the Australian Open, is in a promotion/relegation format, with each player guaranteed three matches over the event’s four days. — AFP

Tough Sydney openers for Wozniacki, Kvitova SYDNEY: World number one Caroline Wozniacki and her chief rankings rival Petra Kvitova had demanding three-set introductions to the Sydney International in their first official matches of the season yesterday. Wozniacki and Kvitova, tuning up for next week’s Australian Open, were on court for more than two hours in warm conditions after beginning their Australian campaigns indoors at last week’s Hopman Cup in Perth. Wozniacki was beaten by world number two Kvitova in three sets in the mixed teams Hopman Cup, after beating American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova in her other singles matches.

After her two hour and 22 minute match against the 18th-ranked Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova, the Danish world number one said her

7-5, 2-6, 6-4 victory had been a tough contest. “I thought I didn’t have that chance, but I never gave up the fight,” said Wozniacki, whose tenure at the top of the women’s singles rankings comes despite not yet winning a grand slam in 19 attempts. “I’m happy to be through to the next round here. Definitely that I could fight back from that score is satisfying, but I definitely need to step up my game a little bit in the next round.” Wozniacki set up a quarter-final clash against Polish seventh seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who overcame Germany’s Andrea Petkovic in straight sets. Wozniacki leads Radwanska 5-1.

On her much-anticipated contest with Kvitova for the top spot, the Dane said she was looking forward to it. Kvitova trails Wozniacki by 295 rankings points with 470 points up

for grabs to the winner of the Sydney International. “Petra is a great girl. I like her a lot. She’s one of my good friends,” she said. “I’m sure we’ll play against each other and we’ll both do well in the years to come,” Wozniacki said.

“The most important thing is that we’re all healthy and playing well.

The competition on the court will be good fun for the fans as well.” Kvitova also a had tough fight against Romania’s Alexandra Dulgheru, needing two hours and 18 minutes to defeat the world number 66 at the Ken Rosewall Arena.

The powerful left-hander, who became the third Czech woman to win Wimbledon last year, faltered in the heat during the middle set before regaining her form and setting up a quarter-final with Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova. — AFP

MELBOURNE: Tennis players Bernard Tomic of Australia (left), Milos Raonic of Canada (2nd left), Gael Monfils of France (3rd left), Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France (4th left), Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic (4th right), Jurgen Melzer of Austria (3rd right), Andy Roddick of the US (2nd right) and Marty Fish of the US (right) pose for a photo before a public event for the upcoming Kooyong Classic yesterday. —

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Stricker launches season with Kapalua win KAPALUA: Steve Stricker always believed experience would go a long way toward winning the PGA Tour season opener at Kapalua. This wasn’t the kind he was thinking about. No other player is more accustomed to building a big lead, blowing a big lead, and then settling down to win. That’s just what Stricker did Monday on Maui, when he won the Tournament of Champions with a final round that only looked easy on paper. “I’ve been there before. It’s not a great feeling, either,” Stricker said after closing with a 4-under 69 for a three-shot victory over Martin Laird. “It’s just the nature of our game. I realize that, and I’ve gone through it before. It always seems close, and you always have to perform to get it done.”

Ultimately, that’s just what he did. It took only six holes for him to see his five-shot lead dwindle to one. After another mental mistake led to bogey, Stricker stood behind the sixth green staring at the ground, shaking his head, disgusted with himself. It was during that long walk down the seventh fairway, the Pacific Ocean on the horizon, when Stricker reminded himself that at least he was still in the lead. And that’s where he stayed. He buried a 25-foot birdie putt on the par3 eighth, hit a pitch to tap-in range for birdie on the ninth to build his lead back to three, and then it was a matter of hanging on.

It was the fourth time in his last 35 tournaments that he had at least a four-shot lead at some point in the final round. At least they all had the same outcome. Stricker hit sand wedge to 2 feet for birdie on the 16th to keep a two-shot cushion, then birdied the final hole for the best prize he could ever imagine. Along with the winner’s lei draped around his neck, his two daughters - 13-year-old Bobbi Maria and 5-year-old Isabella - rushed onto the green to give him a hug.

“It was tough,” said Stricker, who finished at 23-

under 269. “I never let up today. It’s always tough trying to win, and it’s even more tough when you have a lead like I did. I’m very proud of what I did today. “And it’s always cool to get a hug from your family walking off at the end.” Stricker held back tears - they usually flow freely after a win - perhaps a sign that he’s getting used to this business of winning. It was his ninth PGA Tour win since he turned 40, and his eighth title in his last 50 tournaments. He moved up to No 5 in the world.

Perhaps even more satisfying is that four months ago, Stricker felt weakness in his left arm from a lingering neck injury and contemplated surgery. He decided to treat it with therapy and a few cortisone shots, and it turned out to be a good move. A guy whose goal every year is to get back to Kapalua for the winners-only season opener can already make reservations for next year. Laird, Webb Simpson and Jonathan Byrd each got within one shot of Stricker on the front nine, but not for long. “I think probably the most underrated player in the world is Steve Stricker,” Laird said.

Laird closed with a 67, and his birdie on the last hole put him alone in second place, which at least helps him start building world ranking points toward trying to make Europe’s Ryder Cup team for the first time. Byrd kept most of the pressure on Stricker along the back nine of the Plantation Course. He was two shots behind when he stuffed his wedge into 4 feet on the 16th, but then Stricker followed with his sand wedge to 2 feet. Byrd’s hopes ended when he bogeyed the 17th, then put his approach on the par-5 18th into the bunker and made par. He closed with a 68 and tied for third with Simpson (68).

The PGA Tour got off to a good start, too.

There was so much focus at the start of the week

on who didn’t show up at Kapalua for this winners-only event - three major champions, all of whom live overseas, along with three players who are recovering from injury. Stricker was the highest-ranked American in the field, and played the best golf. It just didn’t always look that way. This was the fourth time in the last two years that Stricker led a big lead turn into some nervous moments on the last day. At the John Deere Classic in July, he watched a five-shot lead with nine holes to play turn into a two-shot deficit with two holes to play before he rallied to beat Kyle Stanley with an exquisite birdie on the last hole.

At the Memorial in June, he had a four-shot lead at the turn and was still three shots clear with five to play. He held on to win by one. At Riviera in 2010, his six-shot lead going into the final round was down to two shots after only six holes. Stricker steadied himself and went on to win by two. Monday on Maui was not much different. Byrd made three straight putts early in the round, two of them for birdie, and Simpson in the group ahead made an eagle at No 5. Stricker settle for pars, which was not a problem as long as he took care of the birdie holes.

But he didn’t. Stricker three-putted for par from just over 30 feet on the fifth, then hit a fluffy pitch that came up short of the sixth green and let to bogey as Byrd made another birdie for a two-shot swing. Stricker stood at the back of the green while Byrd was making his putt, shaking his head, clearly flustered. It only took six holes for his five-shot lead to shrink to a single stroke, with 12 holes ahead of him. His next birdie putt didn’t even come close. But on the hole that has given him fits this week, Stricker hit a pure shot into 25 HAWAII: Steve Stricker holds up his trophy after winning the feet on the par 3 eighth and made it for birdie, Hyundai Tournament of Champions PGA Tour golf tournament in Kapalua. — AP then birdied the ninth to regain control. — AP

Illegal betting investigated at Heineken Open

NEW ORLEANS: Alabama head coach Nick Saban celebrates with his team after the BCS National Championship college football game against LSU, in New Orleans.

Alabama won 21-0. — AP

Alabama thrash LSU in college title game NEW ORLEANS: Alabama romped to another college football title by beating top-ranked Louisiana State 21-0 in the Bowl Championship Series title game Monday, using a smothering defense, a numbing barrage of field goals and one belated touchdown. The Crimson Tide posted the first shutout in the 14-year history of the BCS, relying on Jeremy Shelley ’s right boot for most of the points - he made a bowl record-tying five field goals - and letting its defense do the rest.

While only crimson-clad fans will remember this game fondly, Alabama clinched its second title in three years and erased any doubts that it deserved to be in the decider above candidates like Oklahoma State or Stanford. Then again, one of those teams might have actually scored a touchdown before Alabama finally did, with 4:36 left in the game, long after the game had been decided. These powerhouse teams played each other twice in a span of about two months, and amazingly did not score a single touchdown until Trent Richardson broke off a 34-yard run.

“We certainly didn’t play a perfect game, we got a field goal blocked, we couldn’t find the end zone for a long time, but we just kept playing,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “Our offensive team did a great job. Defensively, we just played well, played the box. Our special teams did a great job.” LSU had beaten eight ranked teams - including Alabama in early November - to establish itself as the clear No 1 going into the bowls, but the Tigers crossed midfield only once, and that was with eight minutes left in a mini-drive that looked like finally breathing some life into the game.

However the Tigers - who were outgained 384-92 in total yards and managed just five first downs - were immediately driven back. The last gasp was appropriately the sight of beleaguered quarterback Jordan Jefferson getting the ball knocked from his hand before he could even get off a fourth-and-18 pass.

Coach Nick Saban has won a pair of BCS titles at Alabama, plus another at LSU in 2003. He’s the first coach to win three BCS titles, denying LSU’s Les Miles his second championship. The Tigers will have to settle for the Southeastern

Conferencetitle, but that’s not likely to ease the sting of this ugly performance.

LSU simply couldn’t do anything - running or passing. Kenny Hilliard led the Tigers with 16 yards rushing, while Jefferson was 11 of 17 passing for 53 yards, usually hurrying away passes before he was sent tumbling to the Superdome turf. He was sacked four times and threw one mystifying interception when he attempted to flip away a desperation pass, only to have it picked off because his intended receiver had already turned upfield looking to block.

Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron was the offensive MVP, completing 23 of 34 for 234 yards. Richardson added 96 yards on 20 carries. But an even bigger cheer went up when the defensive award was presented to linebacker Clayton Upshaw, who had seven tackles, including a sack. “This defense is built on stopping them, and that’s what we did,” Upshaw said. “We wanted to come out and show the world we beat ourselves the first game. We wanted to come out and dominate from start to finish, and that’s what we did.”

With the way his defense was playing, McCarron simply had to avoid mistakes and guide the offense into field-goal range. He did that to perfection. “When you have a great offensive line like I have, and great players around you, it makes your job easy as quarterback,” McCarron said. “I’ve got to give all the credit to them. I wish I could have the whole team up here.”

LSU failed to match its BCS title game victories in 2003 and 2007, the last two times the game was played in New Orleans, about 80 miles from its Baton Rouge campus. “We couldn’t sustain any consistency,” coach Miles said. “The calls became much more difficult.” Miles never considered switching to backup quarterback Jarrett Lee, who started the first eight games for the Tigers - four of those while Jefferson was serving a suspension for his involvement in a bar fight. “We felt like with Jefferson’s feet and the ability to get out of the rush, that it was fair that he finished,” Miles said. “He certainly had a tremendously strong year in any regard. Boy, we wanted to finish this one.

It’s hard to finish a season that was so successful this way.” — AP

AUCKLAND: A spectator was ejected from the Heineken Open tennis tournament yesterday and the Tennis Integrity Unit was investigating possible illegal betting, New Zealand media reported. Radio Sports said the New Zealand man was seen using a handheld device, possibly to bet on specific points and take advantage of the delay of several seconds before other gamblers saw the points played on television. At last week’s women’s tournament at the same venue, a Spanish man who reportedly had been previously ejected from Wimbledon, was asked to leave the event.

Radio Sports said more than 2,500 New Zealand dollars ($2,000) in tickets to the tournament were purchased in London, an unusually large amount. ATP Tour supervisor Tom Barnes said illegal betting, using the time lag that occurred with internet scoring or live television, was a common problem and officials were trained to watch for spectators possibly transmitting information. “(They use) a laptop or a cell phone - these people are very crafty,” Barnes told the New Zealand Herald. “On some of these European betting sites, you can bet for example on a first serve and whether a guy is going to make a fault or not.

“Somebody sitting in the stands with a cell phone can transmit this information to someone in Europe and the guy will bet that the first serve was a fault. And the person who is making the bet will have the information before anybody else so they’re actually cheating in that respect.” Barnes said Auckland police had not been involved in the incidents at the ASB Classic and Heineken Open tournaments.

Richard Palmer, director of both tournaments, said all information around the people ejected was confidential. Criminal charges were not necessarily likely to be laid.

“We see them,” Barnes said. “All of us look for that. The chair umpires, linesman, myself, we all look around.

We’ve been trained in how to spot these people. Most of the time it’s pretty obvious, everybody in the stands is standing up applauding and one guy is sitting there with his hands in his pockets.” Barnes said the two people ejected from the Auckland tournaments were likely known to the ATP Tour. “It’s almost as if it’s a career opportunity for some people. They show up everywhere,” he said.

Though such betting was not fixing results or even influencing the play on court, Barnes said it was important the sport protected its image by stamping out any dishonest gambling. “It’s a tennis issue in the sense that we have a clean sport and we want to keep it that way,” Barnes said. “We don’t want to be tarnished with the brush that people are cheating in that way and people assume that it’s something we’re doing that’s causing that. This is our way of trying to protect the integrity of the sport.” — AP

Kaymer, Schwartzel to tee off in Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR: Germany’s Martin Kaymer and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa will lead the field at the $2.5 million Maybank Malaysian Open in April, organizers said yesterday. Kaymer, world number four and 2010 US PGA Championship winner, and ninth-ranked Schwartzel are among the players who will tee off from April 12 to 15 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.

“We are thrilled to welcome back Martin Kaymer to the Maybank Malaysian Open,” Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohamad Nor, Maybank chairman said. “He was definitely a gallery favorite last year and is a proven winner, and I believe that the spectators will be delighted once again to witness the German’s stellar long game and nifty touches around the greens,” he added. Megat said the presence of Schwartzel was also a boost for the tournament since “his technically solid golf swing” makes

him a great player to watch. The Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, will host the tournament for the fourth time in its history.

The challenging West course, with multiple dogleg fairways and demanding multi-tiered greens will be primed once again for the onslaught of the professionals. The tournament, jointly sanctioned by the Asian and European Tours, is regarded as a breeding ground for young guns aiming to lay their mark against experienced professionals. The premier event has produced young and exciting winners in the form of Korean sensation Noh Seung-yul in 2010 and Matteo Manassero of Italy last year. Asian Tour players have traditionally played well in Malaysia with the likes of Thongchai Jaidee, Charlie Wi and Arjun Atwal prospering.— AFP

China’s Li adjusting to Grand Slam fame SYDNEY: China’s Li Na said yesterday she has adjusted to her off-court demands after becoming the first Asian player to win a Grand Slam last year. World number five Li struggled in the second half of 2011 after her landmark victory in the French Open at Roland Garros, crashing out in the second round at Wimbledon and bundled out of the US Open in the opening round. Her humiliating first round exit to a qualifier at the China Open in Beijing in October was harshly received by local media and fans.

But Li, defending her Sydney International title this week, believes she has now come to terms with the expectations of being a reigning Grand Slam champion. “After the French Open I couldn’t concentrate on the court any more because I had to do so many things off the court,” she said. “I couldn’t just practice or something. Sometimes if I practiced, so many people would come to ask me questions, to do an interview, photo shooting. This was a really tough half year for me. “But now I totally understand what I should be doing on the court.”

Li, 29, said she was getting accustomed to her fame since beating Italy’s Francesca Schiavone at Roland Garros. “Yeah, of course now I’m getting more famous. Many people know who I am,” she said. “Right now I don’t feel any pressure, because right now is the start of the new season and I just look forward to playing,” she added. Li fought back from dropping the opening set to get past South African Chanelle Scheepers 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the second round of the Sydney International yesterday and will face Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals. — AFP

SYDNEY: Li Na from China returns to Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa during their second round match at the Sydney International tennis event yesterday. — AFP

US PGA boss expects strong year for Tiger KAPALUA: Tiger Woods should have a strong 2012 season, one that will help secure US PGA finances and lift golf globally ahead of its 2016 Olympic return, US PGA commissioner Tim Finchem said on Sunday. At the season-opening Tournament of Champions in Hawaii, Finchem said that strong showings by Woods last year in Australia and by ending a two-year win drought at last month’s World Challenge are a good omen for the new season.

“I know how hard his work ethic has been the last year and a half,” Finchem said. “I sense that his confidence is coming back on greens-not that he’s ever said there’s any problem with his confidence, but he’s putting better and striking the ball well. “So I would look for him to have a very solid year this year and that’s a good thing for us.” Woods plans to open his season later this month at Abu Dhabi and play his first US PGA event next month at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Television contract extensions signed last year, a set of rising young stars and commitments to the US

PGA this season by England’s Lee Westwood and reigning US Open champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland will join a return to form by Woods in helping boost the US PGA as well as golf in general. “The two main reasons we are excited about the season are this continuing growth of enthusiasm and excitement about the young players coming up (and) we are close to a point where we can really look out and see our future from a business and sponsorship standpoint for a good number of years,” Finchem said.

“Unless something changes, we seem to be handling a less-than-full-out economic situation, at least in the United States, in reasonably good form. We are making progress and going, maybe not the same rate we were during the great economy but a solid growth rate. “(We have) the opportunity to help grow the game globally leading up to the 2016 Olympics, when golf will re-enter the Olympics in Rio. We are seeing solid growth in the game around the world and certainly the development of golf going to the Olympics is going to help fuel that.”— AFP

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

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Dangerous Saints add ground threat to air supremacy quarterback Drew Brees continued his remarkable season with three touchdowns and 466 yards passing. But while Brees, the cool and composed face of the franchise, led the way once again, there is so much more to this New Orleans team than just a wonderfully talented quarterback and reliable receivers.

Just as in 2009, Payton has assembled a ‘three headed monster’ running back trio. Pierre Thomas remains from the previous version, Reggie Bush has gone but Darren Sproles has been an inspired addition this season and Chris Ivory is powerful and fearless.

The offensive line showed their all-round effectiveness again, helping the Saints to a post-season record 626 yards of total offense.

That line, which largely nullified the threat of the imposing Detroit defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, features Pro Bowl starters Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks at guard and Jermon Bushrod at left tackle. It gives Brees

NEW ORLEANS: If Super Bowl favorites the Green Bay Packers watched ‘wildcard weekend’ they will have seen plenty of exciting football but probably only one team that will be truly worrying them - the New Orleans Saints. Sean Payton’s team look like champions in the air and on the ground and every bit as effective as the 2009 Super Bowl winning class. If they can get past the San Francisco 49ers, an admittedly big ‘if’, they are set for an NFC championship decider, probably against the Packers. Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos provided the story of the weekend with the dramatic overtime upset win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants and Houston Texans both offered evidence of how they were able to make the post-season, but it was New Orleans that provided the real quality.

Facing a tough task against the Detroit Lions, the Saints ran out 45-28 winners and

NEW ORLEANS: New Orleans Saints’ Drew Brees (9) dives over the line for a first down during the second half of an NFL wild card playoff football game against the Detroit Lions. — AP

Tebow-Mania stealing spotlight from Brady DENVER: Long before Tebow-Mania swept across North America, football fans had a fascination for another National Football League (NFL) quarterback with a no less compelling story.

With three Super Bowl titles and a supermodel wife, Tom Brady has been a player fans gravitated to for much of the past decade as the New England Patriots triggerman, with details of his glamorous life and glittering career filling newspapers, magazines and hours of NFL Sunday pregame shows. But when the Patriots host the Denver Broncos in Saturday’s AFC divisional playoff, the seven-time Pro Bowler will concede the spotlight to Tim Tebow, the gridiron miracle worker who has caught the imagination of the American public.

Tebow hysteria hit new levels on Sunday when the unorthodox quarterback, whose shortcomings as an NFL passer have been well documented, tossed an 80-yard touchdown strike on the first play of an overtime win over the

DENVER: Rocky the mascot of the Denver Nuggets wears a Tim Tebow Denver Broncos jersey as he entertains the crowd during a break in the action against the New Orleans Hornets at the Pepsi Center on January 9, 2012.— AFP

defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers. You can count Brady among those impressed by the Denver quarterback’s pluck but he is not about to get swept up in the Tebow-Mania. “He (Tebow) is a good player, and I think it’s a lot for the defense to prepare for,” Brady told Boston radio station WEEI on Monday. “It’s a very different style but they’re very effective. “I know a lot of people make it out to be one player on a lot of teams, but the reason why the Denver Broncos are in this position is their team as a whole.”

Turning many doubters into believers, Tebow’s journey to becoming a starting NFL quarterback is a lesson in self-belief and motivation, but for those who may have forgotten, Brady’s journey to NFL fame and glory is no less inspiring. Taken in the sixth round of the 2000 Draft as an after-thought by the Patriots, Brady’s NFL career is a rags-to-riches Hollywood tale, packed with stunning starlets and achievements and painful setbacks.

Brady began his professional career as New England’s fourth string quarterback holding a clipboard on the sidelines but is likely to end it in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as one of the greatest ever to play the position.

He has amassed a regular season record of 124-35 and is 14-4 in the playoffs. He has led his team to four Super Bowl appearances, helped guide the Patriots to a perfect 16-0 regular season in 2007 and this year became just the fourth quarterback to pass for 5,000 yards or more in a single campaign.

While Tebow arrived in the NFL as a celebrity, Heisman Trophy winner as the top US collegiate player and national champion, Brady spent his college years at Michigan University in relative obscurity and entered the NFL the same way.

“All those opportunities different guys get at different times, whether you are a first round pick and you finally get your chance to play or you’re a late round pick ... everyone has a different story to tell,” explained Brady. “I was a young man, I was an 18-year-old kid who was a long way from home and battling through some challenging situations just in terms of the competition on a daily basis. “If I was getting one rep I was going to try and do the best I could with that one rep.

“That helped my competitive spirit. I treat practice very seriously. If you can’t perform in practice, I don’t buy into this, I’ll just flip a switch on game day. “It’s not the way it works, you have to prove it day in and day out.”— Reuters

Messi needs WCup to be ‘the greatest’ ZURICH: Lionel Messi must win a World Cup with Argentina before he can be considered a contender as the greatest player of all time, according to Michel Platini. Platini hailed 24-year-old Barcelona forward as one of the greats after he won his third straight FIFA world player of the year award on Monday. But the former France star believes Messi must win football’s biggest prize in order to rival Pele and Diego Maradona - the men most often mentioned as the greatest of all time. “Messi will always be great with or without (winning) a World Cup - but the World Cup, it’s something special,” Platini told reporters. “The World Cup will stay in the mind of the people.”

Messi’s record of relative failure at international level is an unsolved myster y.

Argentina has experienced a series of quarterfinal exits at the World Cup and Copa America during Messi’s time, and he has not scored for the Albiceleste at either tournament over the past two years. Platini compared Messi with Maradona, another Argentine icon who carried his national team by sheer force of will and a touch of genius to win the 1986 World Cup. “When you see Maradona, you see what he has done in ‘86,” said Platini, whose France team lost in the semifinals to West Germany that year in Mexico.

Platini suggested that Maradona is more

often remembered for his achievements at World Cups than his similarly impressive achievements at Napoli, where he led the team to its only two Serie A titles. “At the World Cup he was very strong. To score in a World Cup is an important matter,” said Platini, who scored at each major tournament he played from 1978-86. He also was named European Footballer of the Year three times in the spell. Messi was just 19 when making his World Cup debut in 2006 in Germany. He came off the bench to score his first - and only - World Cup goal in a 6-0 rout of Serbia and Montenegro in a groupstage match.

However, coach Jose Pekerman left Messi unused as his team drew 1-1 with the host nation and lost a penalty shootout. In South Africa four years later, Messi was the unquestioned star of a team coached by Maradona with more instinct than method. Messi played well but goals eluded him and Argentina was ousted again, 4-0, by a much classier German team. Platini says Messi’s ability to score is proven, with more than 200 goals already for Barcelona. “He’s a pearl.

He’s a scorer, first of all. He looks very quiet but he is a killer,” Platini praised. “He is the best player but he needs to have the best team. At Barcelona, he has the best team. I hope he has the best team with Argentina. “I know he wants to win the World Cup.”— AP

ideal protection and also opens up holes for the running backs. “Our O-line did as great a job as they have done all year. They did a good job of keeping me clean. They are also versatile and take pride in our ability to be balanced,” said Brees after the game. The result against Detroit was 167 yards rushing to go with Brees’ masterful passing and, while that was an impressive performance, it is not entirely atypical. New Orleans had the sixth best rushing offense in the NFL this season, averaging 132.9 yards a game and 4.9 yards a carry. “I think we have a real good backfield,” said Saints receiver Devery Henderson. “The guys run the ball well. When we get the running game going, good things happen. We can do it either way, running the ball and going through key blocks or with the passing game.” It is a potent combination and one that the 49ers defense will have to be at their very best to overcome.— Reuters

Panthers end 12-year drought Panthers extend division lead to 5 points SUNRISE: The Florida Panthers earned their first regulation victory over Vancouver in more than 12 years on Monday, beating the Western Conference-leading Canucks 2-1 in Sunrise. Dmitry Kulikov and Marcel Goc each scored in the second period to erase a 1-0 deficit and the Panthers (21-13-8) held firm for their first regulation win against the Canucks since October 1999.

Backup goaltender Scott Clemmensen allowed a firstperiod score to Dale Weise just three minutes in, but recovered to make 25 saves as he got his second straight start in three games in place of the injured Jose Theodore. “We believe that we can beat anyone in the league on any given night,” Clemmensen told reporters. “Vancouver is one of the best teams in the League. We think we can beat them. We showed it tonight. It’s the mentality of this team.” Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo had 20 saves as he returned to the place where he spent five seasons before being traded to the Canucks (26-14-3) in 2006.

The loss prevented Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault from becoming the Western Conference coach for the All Star Game in Ottawa. That honor will go instead to San Jose’s Todd McLellan, whose team has the greatest points percentage in the Western Conference through Monday’s games. Coming off an emotional 4-3 victory at Boston Saturday in a rematch of last season’s Stanley Cup Final, the Canucks may have experienced a bit of a letdown. “We’ve got to find the emotions to win this game,” said Vancouver’s Daniel Sedin. “It was there for us and we let it slip away.” The Panthers were able to extend their lead in the Southeast Division to five points with the win.

KINGS 5, CAPITALS 2 In Los Angeles, the hosts emphatically emerged from their scoring slump, putting five past Washington. Kyle Clifford scored the Kings’ first regulation goal in more than 170 minutes and Jack Johnson snapped a personal 17-game goal drought for the Kings. Anze Kopitar, Jarret Stoll and Justin Williams also scored for Los Angeles, which had scored just two goals over the previous three games while dropping to last overall in the NHL with just 88 total goals.

The Kings earned at least a point for the ninth time in 10 games since Darryl Sutter took over as coach on Dec 19. Marcus Johansson scored twice for the Capitals.— Agencies

NHL result / standings NHL results and standings on Monday.

Florida 2, Vancouver 1; Los Angeles 5, Washington 2.

Astern Conference Atlantic Division

NY Rangers Philadelphia New Jersey Pittsburgh NY Islanders

W 26 24 23 21 14

L 9 12 16 15 19

OTL 4 4 2 4 6

GF 116 137 114 123 91

GA 82 121 117 106 125

PTS 56 52 48 46 34

Boston Ottawa Toronto Buffalo Montreal

Northeast Division 26 11 1 141 22 15 6 135 21 15 5 133 18 18 5 107 16 18 7 109

73 143 131 121 114

53 50 47 41 39

Florida Winnipeg Washington Tampa Bay Carolina

Southeast Division 21 13 8 109 20 16 5 109 21 17 2 118 17 20 3 109 14 22 7 112

116 119 120 136 146

50 45 44 37 35

Detroit St. Louis Chicago Nashville Columbus

Western Conference Central Division 26 14 1 134 24 12 5 107 24 13 5 134 22 15 4 111 11 25 5 99

94 89 123 114 137

53 53 53 48 27

Vancouver Minnesota Colorado Calgary Edmonton

Northwest Division 26 14 3 139 21 15 6 96 23 19 1 114 19 19 5 103 16 22 3 111

104 101 120 124 119

55 48 47 43 35

San Jose Los Angeles Dallas Phoenix Anaheim

Pacific Division 23 11 4 21 15 7 23 16 1 20 17 5 12 22 6

89 95 114 109 133

50 49 47 45 30

112 93 112 108 99

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

SUNRISE: Erik Gudbranson #44 of the Florida Panthers looks on as Dale Weise #32 of the Vancouver Canucks scores a first period goal past Goaltender Scott Clemmensen #30 on January 9, 2012 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida. — AFP

Reds’ Larkin elected to Baseball Hall of Fame NEW YORK: Barry Larkin, a Cincinnati k id who became a 12-time All-Star shortstop and won a World Series with his hometown Reds, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in results announced on Monday. The three-time Gold Glove Award winner and 1995 National League Most Valuable Player was the lone player inducted in his third year of eligibility. He received 86.4 percent of the votes cast by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, eclipsing the 75 percent needed for entry. “I am so humbled by the experience and so excited about being the newest member of the Hall of Fame,” Larkin, now a baseball analyst, said on a conference call.

Although he is now a member of baseball’s greatest club, Larkin said he always considered himself a complementary player. “My approach to the game was about how do I help this team win as opposed to how do I get my numbers,” he said. “That, in my opinion, is what I am most proud of.” Larkin, taken fourth overall in the 1985 draft, hit .295 during a 19-year Major League Baseball career spent with the Reds before retiring after the 2004 season at age 40. He received 495 votes from the 573 ballots that were casts, the Hall of Fame said in a statement.

He admitted he may have never become the baseball player that he was without a move by the late University of Michigan American football coach Bo Schembechler. The coach held him out of football during his first year at Michigan, allowing him to fully concentrate on baseball, according to Larkin. “It was an eye-opener because I got so much better,” the infielder said. “(Until then) I was a better football player than a baseball player.” He becomes the 297 person elected to the Hall. Among the notable players finishing outside the 430 votes required for election this year were five -time All-Star pitcher Jack Morris and four-time All-Star first baseman Jeff Bagwell. Larkin and former Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Santo will be inducted into the Hall, based in Cooperstown, New York, during a ceremony on July 22. Santo was elected to the Hall posthumously last month by its Golden Era Committee, which is charged with honoring overlooked players and executives from 1947-72. Santo, who died in 2010 at 70 from complications of bladder cancer, was a nine-time All-Star who belted 342 home runs and won five Gold Glove awards during a 15-year MLB career and became a beloved Cubs broadcaster after his playing days.— Reuters

OHIO: In this file photo, Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin does a flip after the Reds defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 at Riverfront Stadium, to win the NLCS in Cincinnati. Larkin has been elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame. — AP

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

sp orts

Hughes back in management at QPR QPR look to Hughes to provide spark LONDON: Mark Hughes returned to the Premier League after a sevenmonth absence when he was appointed manager of struggling Queens Park Rangers yesterday. The 48-year-old Welshman, replacing Neil Warnock who was sacked on Sunday, has signed a two-and-ahalf-year deal at the Loftus Road club who are hovering one place and one point above the relegation zone. “It’s a great feeling to be back in football and to be the manager of QPR,” former Manchester United and Chelsea striker Hughes, nicknamed Sparky, said on the club website (www.qpr.co.uk). “I’m fully aware of the challenge in the short and long term and I am genuinely excited

about the ambition of the owners.”

Media reports said he has been promised money to spend on new players by Malaysian owner Tony Fernandes, who welcomed his arrival at the west London club who won promotion to the top flight last season. “Mark has a proven track record in the Premier League, bringing a wealth of experience at both club and international level,” Fernandes said.

“His ambitions match those of the board and we are delighted to have him at the helm.” Hughes resigned as manager of Fulham in June after just 43 games in charge, having led the London side to eighth place in the Premier League and a Europa

League spot via the Fair Play League.

BRIGHT FUTURE After taking Wales to the brink of the Euro 2004 finals, Hughes’s first Premier League coaching assignment came with Blackburn Rovers, the club at which he finished his playing career. Hughes spent four years at Rovers before joining Manchester City in 2008 shortly before they were taken over by billionaire Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Tasked with taking City into the Champions League, Hughes was sacked in December 2009 despite them being well-placed in the Premier League. He was replaced

by Roberto Mancini.

in brief

Parma fire Colomba and hire Donadoni ROME: Former Italy coach Roberto Donadoni has been named the new coach of Serie A side Parma after Franco Colomba was unceremoniously dismissed following a heavy defeat. Donadoni, who coached Italy from 2006-2008, had been out of work for six months since being fired by Cagliari during pre-season, straight after a friendly victory. Colomba paid for Saturday ’s 5-0 thrashing at Inter Milan, the third time this season his side had been heavily beaten by a leading contender, following 4-1 defeats against AC Milan and Juventus. It was a sixth game in a row without victory, although they only lost two of those and their last success was a hugely impressive 20 defeat of high-flying Udinese on November 20. Colomba thus became the 11th coach to lose his job in Italy’s Serie A already this season. Cagliari and Palermo lead the way with two coaching changes and both fired coaches before the start of the league season. Inter replaced Gian Piero Gasperini with Claudio Ranieri after just four matches in the most high-profile sacking. Although a former Italy coach, Donadoni has had little success as a club manager. He previously coached Livorno, Genoa and Napoli, as well as Cagliari in the top flight without achieving anything remarkable. He guided Italy to Euro 2008 before losing to eventual winners Spain on penalties in the quarter-finals, after which he was dismissed to allow World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi to return.

Danish fan hit with huge fine COPENHAGEN: A Danish man was yesterday sentenced to pay 1,869,269 kroner (about $320,000, 250,000 euros) in damages to the Danish Football Federation for interrupting a game by rushing the pitch and attacking the referee. Ronni Noervig, 33, who has been nicknamed the “football idiot” by Danish media, had interrupted a European Championship qualification match between Denmark and neighboring Sweden on June 2, 2007. He rushed onto the field with two minutes left of the game tied at 3-3, hitting German referee Herbert Fander in the face after he gave Danish defender Christian Poulsen a red card for punching a Swedish player in the stomach.

Noervig was immediately arrested, and the shaken referee called off the game.

European football’s governing body, UEFA, later awarded Sweden a 3-0 victory. The Appeals Court of Eastern Denmark pointed out that the Danish Football Federation (DBU) had also been blocked by UEFA from playing the two following international games scheduled in the Copenhagen arena, Parken, and had suffered an estimated loss of 2.2 million kroner. Yesterday’s ruling was far harsher than a 2009 lower court ruling ordering Noervig to pay 900,000 kroner in damages. With tears in his eyes, the football fan told the Ritzau news agency in November that he “absolutely did not have the means” to pay the amount ordered by the lower court and that he would be bankrupt along with his wife and two children if he lost the appeals case.

Mark Hughes

Haddin takes swipe at struggling Indians

News

Kompany’s ban upheld LONDON: Manchester City’s bid to overturn Vincent Kompany’s four-match ban following his sending off against Manchester United was dismissed yesterday, the Football Association (FA) confirmed. City had been hopeful that Kompany’s suspension would be scrapped, claiming the defender had not fouled Nani in the tackle that led to his dismissal. However, the FA’s Independent Regulatory Commission rejected City’s claims, meaning Kompany will miss today’s League Cup semi-final with Liverpool. “An Independent Regulatory Commission has today dismissed a claim of wrongful dismissal from Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany following his red card for Serious Foul Play in The FA Cup Third Round tie between Manchester City v Manchester United on 8 January 2012,” said an FA statement. “Kompany will serve a four-match suspension with immediate effect. The suspension consists of a statutory three-match suspension for Serious Foul Play plus one additional game given this is Kompany’s second dismissal of the season.”

He joined Fulham in July 2010 following the depar ture of Roy Hodgson to Liverpool before quitting less than halfway through a two-year contract, citing a desire to “further his experiences”. Hughes’s most pressing task will be to ensure Premier League survival for QPR, who have won only one of their last 12 league matches.

“Now the immediate priority is to consolidate our place ... but beyond that, the future is very bright and fills me with great enthusiasm,” he said.

Hughes will take charge of first-team training later yesterday and his first match will be Sunday ’s Premier League trip to seventh-placed Newcastle United. — Reuters

NEW DELHI: Bayern Munich’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (left) comes out of the penalty box to clear a ball as India’s Jeje Lalpekhlua tries to control it during a soccer friendly in New Delhi yesterday. — AP

Bayern impress Indian fans in Bhutia farewell NEW DELHI: European giants Bayern Munich dazzled nearly 35,000 cheering fans during their impressive 4-0 win over India in an exhibition game yesterday.

The match, played under lights at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi, marked the farewell of India’s soccer hero Baichung Bhutia, who announced his international retirement in August last year after a string of injuries.

The star-studded German outfit were hardly tested during the friendly encounter which was their final outing before the resumption of the Bundesliga following a four-week winter break. Jupp Heynckes’ troupe currently lead the domestic league after having played 17 games so far.

“We allowed our best players to take the field despite coming off a strenuous training session in Qatar,” Heynckes said at the post-match news conference. “We had a good 90-minute outing which was a part of our preparations for the return leg of the Bundesliga which begins next Friday.”

Bayern have also been in impressive form in the Champions League, a tournament they are especially keen on, with the final set to take place at their home ground-the Allianz Arena-in May. The Bavarians took the lead in the 14th

minute through in-form striker Mario Gomez before World Cup Golden Boot winner Thomas Muller slammed in a brace to make it 3-0 for the visitors. Star midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, making a comeback after recovering from a collarbone injury picked in November, netted in neatly two minutes from the half-way mark to take the tally to 4-0. The Indians, placed a lowly 162 in FIFA rankings, tried to put up a spirited fight but were outclassed by their rivals who treated the Indian fans to some high-quality European football.

“Our players got carried away by the big names in Bayern which is one of the best teams in the world at the moment,” said Bhutia. “But it was a great learning experience for our young side. “Bayern are a great club with a great history. So personally, it was a great honor for me to sign off after a game like this. Lot of Indians will get inspired by the kind of football that was dished out by Bayern.”

Part of the proceeds from yesterday’s game will go towards helping earthquake victims in Sikkim, Bhutia’s home state in India’s remote northeast region, which was rocked by a 6.9 magnitude quake in September. Bhutia co-owns and plays for United Sikkim FC in the domestic league. — AFP

Pakistan cricket captain wants scandal forgotten DUBAI: Pakistan cricket captain Misbah-ul Haq yesterday stressed the need for forgetting the 2010 spot-fixing scandal when his team take on England in the first of three Tests here next week.

The Pakistan captain got the first taste of how the series-the first between the two countries since the scandal-will be seen during his press conference after arriving here on Monday.

The scandal, related to the bowling of deliberate no-balls during the Lord’s Test against England, ended in jail terms for then captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer. When asked about the scandal, a visibly upset Misbah said: “That’s the past, we don’t get into that. I am only focusing on what we can do on the ground. I think everybody knows in both teams that we just have to forget the past.”

Since the scandal, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has implemented a strict code of conduct for the players and introduced anti-corruption courses for both international and domestic cricketers. Misbah said corruption in Pakistan cricket was no more a concern.

“It’s not an area of concern for me.

Our area of concern is to play good cricket, fair cricket, and that’s what we can do,” said Misbah, under whom Pakistan have not lost a Test series since the spot-fixing scandal. And since he replaced Shahid Afridi as one-day captain, Misbah has led

Pakistan to wins over Ireland, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Misbah said the credit goes to the players. “I think the credit goes to the team and all the players after that difficult time,” he said. “ They just wanted to collect their thoughts and prove to the world that we are good players, a good team, and I think they just proved it.

“They are really focusing on their cricket and making my job easier.

The players are ready to give their hundred percent and we are concerned with the present and future, not about the past.” Misbah said the series against England will be played in good spirit. “Our target is just to play cricket in the true spirit ... good relations, and play really good and hard cricket,” he said.

Misbah also praised his off-spinner, Saeed Ajmal, who took 50 Test wickets last year. “Ajmal is a fine bowler and has a lot of variations but we are not depending on him only,” said Misbah of Ajmal, who has promised to use a surprise delivery against England.

“England will have to explore themselves. Let’s see how England’s batsmen tackle it. That’s a secret.”

England, who earned a hard-fought three -wicket win against an ICC Combined IX here on Monday, take on a PCB XI in another three-day game here from today. The first Test starts on January 17. Both teams will also play four one-day and three Twenty20 internationals. — AFP

SYDNEY: Australian vice-captain Brad Haddin has taken aim at struggling India, saying the tourists “break quicker than anyone in the world” and turn on each other when things are not going their way.

Wicketkeeper Haddin turned up the heat on India, trailing 2-0 ahead of Friday’s third Test in Perth, by revealing that Australia had discussed the tourists’ mental frailties.

India were crushed by an innings and 68 runs in last week’s second Test in Sydney after losing the series opener in Melbourne by 122 runs.

Australian captain Michael Clarke scored 329 not out, and Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey hit centuries as Australia kept the Indians slaving in the field for almost 11 hours in amassing 659 for four declared in Sydney. “We spoke about a bit of that when we were batting,” Haddin was quoted as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald. “The longer we could keep them out on the field the bigger chance we had of breaking them. “We know this side can be as fragile as any team in the world if things aren’t going their way and they can turn on each other and the media turns on them pretty quick.

“We knew if we could keep them out there and put the numbers like we did on the board we knew we’d get the rewards because they break quicker than anyone in the world.” Fast bowler Ryan Harris, expected to play in Perth for the injured James Pattinson, has also said India were “down and out already” and being torn apart by internal divisions. Former players and captains have criticized the Indian team’s per-

formance with the latest focus on senior batsman VVS Laxman. Former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar believes Laxman, 37, should be dropped at the WACA ground, allowing for a Test debut for Rohit Sharma in the middle order and for Virat Kohli to retain his place.

Haddin also indicated Australia had detected a weakness in Sachin Tendulkar, whose quest for a 100th international hundred will resume in Perth. Tendulkar has been the standout Indian batsman in the first two Tests, making 226 runs at an average of 56.5, but he is still short of that elusive milestone. “What we have found is if we can build enough pressure on him he wants to score and he wants to feel bat on ball and he wants to get into a rhythm,” Haddin said. “We find if we can push him a little wider, make him feel for the ball a bit we can build enough pressure to get a chance and it’s worked in the last two Tests.”

Haddin told a radio sports program that paceman Peter Siddle had the ability to get under Tendulkar’s skin. Siddle dismissed him twice at the MCG before Pattinson and Clarke removed the 38-year-old legend in Sydney. “ We’ve found he can be a bit uncomfortable in the areas Siddle’s been bowling to him,” Haddin said. “I knew if we could build enough pressure we can create a chance to get him. He’s a great player and it’s always a privilege to play against guys like this. “There’s been a lot of talk about his hundredth hundred but from our point of view it’s our job to make sure he doesn’t get it this series.” — AFP

Borriello seeks revenge ROME: Marco Borriello has vowed to take revenge against those who protested against him during Sunday’s 1-0 victory at Lecce and win over Juventus’ fans.

Suppor ters held up a banner saying: “Borriello, a mercenary without honor or dignity.”

That was an allusion to their belief that the 29-year-old turned down the opportunity to join the Old Lady of Turin a year ago when he left AC Milan for Roma. But having now joined the Turin giants on loan, with a permanent eight million euro ($10.2m) deal lined up for the summer, Borriello wants to set the record straight. “I was disappointed to see this banner at Lecce. In my life I’ve always conducted myself with dignity, both on and off the pitch, and I have a lot of respect for the Juve fans,” he said.

“Milan decided to sell me after signing Ibra (Zlatan Ibrahimovic). Roma showed their interest straight away to buy me outright, while Juve were not in a position to do so. “I have never boasted about turning down Juve and if today I have been given the opportunity to wear the black and

white shir t, it ’s because I’ve always behaved in the right way. “I want revenge and I want to show what I can do. I have five months to convince Juve and their fans.” Revenge is not just against those who have doubted him, though, as Borriello also has a point to prove to those who have discarded him.

Although he has played seven times for Italy and long been regarded one of the top forwards in the country, Borriello has twice already found himself surplus to requirements at a big club, first Milan and then Roma. “I have a lot more to give than what I’ve done so far,” he added. “I’ve been a bit unlucky in my footballing life: I started playing seriously at Genoa, scoring 19 goals, but then the next season I was out injured for 10 months. “ Then I scored 15 goals in eight months but when I was establishing myself at Milan, Ibra arrived and two days later I decided to go to Roma with a fiveyear contract. “Then they changed both coach and owners, and from one moment to the next I was no longer part of their project.” — AFP

Marco Borriello

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

S P ORT S

Players could pay ‘ultimate price’ for match-fixing: FIFA ZURICH: Soccer’s governing body FIFA is concerned for the safety of players who are approached by match-fixers, warning that they could pay the “ultimate price” for involvement, security chief Chris Eaton said yesterday. Eaton added that inadequate and incoherent international legislation was hampering the fight against match-fixers. With FIFA due to open a hotline for whistleblowers in February and offer a temporary amnesty for players who own up to match-fixing but come forward with evidence, Eaton said 2012 would be a fundamental year.

High-profile cases have hit Turkey and Italy while FIFA is still trying to contact the referee of last year ’s friendly between Nigeria and Argentina, believing it could have been manipulated. In South Korea, nearly 50 players were arrested last year in connection with the worst scandal to hit the 28-year-old league, prompting government threats of a K-League shutdown. The former coach of South Korean club Sangmu Phoenix was found dead in October in an apparent suicide, three months after being charged as part of the probe.

“We are very concerned about the safety of players (and) officials,” Eaton told reporters. “There is anecdotal evidence that some players have been killed.” “We have evidence of players in

South Korea committing suicide because of the shame of match fixing. There are players who pay the ultimate price for resisting or for the shame of match-fixing. “That’s why it’s incumbent on FIFA and global society to limit access of criminals to it. We certainly have information in some parts of the world...of threats to players who have come forward. “Most are indicating they are under some form of threat; often these are players are under the control of a senior player, or captain, or technical coach, and these are the people we need to support.”

However, Eaton said he did not envisage any danger to Italian second division defender Simone Farina who has been paraded as an example by FIFA after refusing a 200,000-euro ($261,300) offer to fix an Italian Cup match between Cesena and his club Gubbio in November. “He displayed model behavior for young players, he resisted significant money to fix what many players would consider an unimportant fixture,” said Eaton, adding that Farina’s high profile would protect him from danger.

Eaton said a co-ordinated approach among governments was needed, pointing out that Singapore national Wilson Raj Perumal had received only a twoyear prison sentence in Finland for a

match-fixing scandal. Perumal paid players up to 20,000 euros per match and received up to 50,000 euros, in addition to some of the betting profits, each time the results of the Rovaniemi team were fixed. “Wilson Perumal got the maximum penalty under inadequate legislation of two years,” said Eaton. “Had he been caught in Australia, which has very strong match-fixing legislation, he would have got 10 years. This needs to be addressed.”

He said governments should be concerned about the threat of match-fixing.

“Match-fixing is all about stealing money, it destroys the lives and careers of many people. Governments should be interested, because the amount of money is truly staggering. “What are those criminal organizations doing? They are spending it on other criminal activities, they use money for power and power escalation. “Unfortunately, because of the very nature, they can very quickly accumulate a large amount of money.”

Eaton said he still wanted to meet Niger referee Ibrahim Chaibou who awarded two controversial penalties in the Nigeria-Argentina match last June. “He’s high-profile, his name has been suggested in a lot of matches, I have tried to meet him several times, he has resisted,” said Eaton.—Reuters

ZURICH: FIFA President Joseph Blatter and singer Shakira have fun at the FIFA Ballon d’Or soccer player of the year 2011 awarding ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland. — AP

Namibia’s protest rejected Burkina Faso cleared to play at Nations Cup ZURICH: Namibia have lost their attempt to replace Burkina Faso at the African Nations Cup after sport’s highest tribunal rejected their protest that the West Africans had fielded an ineligible player against them.

Namibia, beaten twice by Burkina Faso in the qualifiers, alleged that their opponents had fielded Cameroon-born defender Herve Zengue when he was not qualified to play.

However yesterday the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed Namibia’s appeal against the African confederation’s decision not to sanction Burkina Faso.

The CAS said it was satisfied that Zengue, who plays for Russian-based club Terek Grozny, was eligible to play for the West Africans under FIFA rules. “Herve Zengue was born in Cameroon and took a residency in Burkina Faso in 1994,” it said in a statement. “He got a Burkinabe nationality certificate on 14 September 2006. On March 25, 2011, the player received a five-year passport from Burkina Faso.” CAF had initially rejected Namibia’s protest on a technicality while Burkina Faso said Zengue was eligible to play for them because he was married to a Burkinabe woman.

The Nations Cup, being staged in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, kicks off on Jan 21.

FIFA statutes say that, in addition to being granted nationality, a naturalized player must have lived in his adopted country for at least five years. Zengue was not included in Burkina’s cup squad named last week.

Burkina have been drawn in Group B with Ivory Coast, Sudan and Angola. Namibia lost 4-0 away and 4-1 at home to Burkina in qualifying but wanted to be given 3-0 forfeit wins for each game which would have resulted in them finishing top of the group.— Reuters

Japan goes sweet on Sawa after FIFA award

MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s Micah Richards (right) vies for the ball against Manchester United’s Chris Smalling during their English FA Cup third round soccer match at Etihad Stadium, Manchester on Sunday Jan 8, 2012. —AP

Man City ‘buoyant’ despite Utd defeat MANCHESTER: Costel Pantilimon says Manchester City have emerged from the FA Cup loss to Manchester United with their confidence intact as they prepare to face Liverpool in a League Cup semifinal first-leg clash today. The Premier League leaders saw their four-pronged trophy bid ended with a 3-2 defeat to rivals Manchester United in Sunday’s thrilling FA Cup third-round showdown at the Etihad Stadium.

However, City at least emerged from the contest with their heads held high having fought back from a 3-0 deficit with 10 men following skipper Vincent Kompany’s 12th-minute dismissal. And goalkeeping understudy Pantilimon, who was handed a rare start ahead of Joe Hart, insists their self-belief has not been dented because of the way they fought back. “It has not damaged our confidence,” he said. “It was an interesting game, but losing a player after 10 minutes is not normal. It was a foul but a normal foul and not a direct red card.

“We were surprised that the referee gave a red card after 10 minutes. “At this level it is not normal and when you play a team like United it is important you have 11 men. “But this is football and anything can happen. In the second half we played better, scored two goals and had a chance to get the draw.” City have appealed against Kompany’s red card and will discover whether they have been successful. At present, the Belgium international will be missing for their next four matches having already been sent off once this season, meaning he would miss both legs of the League Cup semi as well as league matches against Wigan and Tottenham.

Having been selected in goal for

City’s domestic cup games, Pantilimon hopes to have done enough to keep his place to face Kenny Dalglish’s team.

“The manager decides which 11 go on the pitch and I hope to be in there,” he said. “ We have both (he and Har t) trained very well, and train for the team, to win trophies. “The team is very good and we all want to be in this team.”

Meanwhile, Craig Bellamy says Liverpool will be out for revenge against his former club following their recent 30 defeat to City in the league. “For me, I didn’t believe the 3-0 scoreline was quite correct and this is not just me with my Liverpool head on, but if I was watching the game as a neutral we had 66 percent of possession, which is a lot for an away side, especially against a team of Man City’s caliber. “It was all about tak ing oppor tunities. Pepe (Reina) made a mistake for the first goal but the other goals came from a corner and a penalty. “We were knocking on the door. Stewart (Downing) had a great chance and in the second half we had one or two chances we could have made more of. “It’s a two-legged match and we have to make sure we are still in the tie. We have the second leg at Anfield and this club knows all about two-legged games, so if we can get it back to Anfield still very much in the tie we will have a great chance of getting to Wembley. “This club is used to getting to semi-finals and finals and all we can do is give it our best and see where it takes us.” Downing has returned to training following his arrest by police on suspicion of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, however his participation is in doubt.

Luis Suarez serves the third game of an eight-match ban.— AFP

TOKYO: Japan captain Homare Sawa’s FIFA women’s Player of the Year award triggered a fresh wave of delight in local newspapers and on television after a big night for the team in Zurich. Sawa, who led Japan’s women to an astonishing World Cup triumph in Germany last year, posed for photos with triple men’s winner Lionel Messi while dressed in a traditional kimono. “My first thought was that the trophy felt so heavy,” Sawa told Japan’s NHK television yesterday.

“It’s humbling to write a new page in Japanese soccer history. “It still hasn’t sunk in,” added the 33-yearold, whose brilliance in Germany last year halted a run of five successive wins for Brazilian hot shot Martha. “Just for making it among the nominees, I wanted to say ‘Well done!’ to myself. When I went up to get the award my hear t was pounding and I was sweating. It was a surprise to win.”

Japan coach Norio Sasaki won the women’s coach of the year at a gala FIFA ceremony on Monday.

Sasaki had shown his team harrowing photos of the devastation wrought by last year ’s deadly earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan before their matches at the World Cup. “This award is a testament to the unity of Japan,” said Sasaki, whose team upset Germany and Sweden before a dramatic victory on penalties over the United States in the final. “It was emotional to accept the award after all the

FRANKFURT: In this file photo, Japan’s Homare Sawa and Sweden’s Therese Sjogran (right) compete for the ball during the semifinal match between Japan and Sweden at the Women’s Soccer World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany. Sawa was awarded the prize for the soccer players of the year 2011 at the FIFA Ballon d’Or awarding ceremony in Zurich. — AP support shown for Japan following the earthquake.”

Japan’s women gave the nation a psychological lift as a nuclear crisis raged back after the giant tsunami, triggered by the quake, destroyed a power plant north of Tokyo. Named after a frilly pink

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

English League Cup City v Liverpool Aljazeera sport +3

22:45

English Premier League Spurs v Everton Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3

22:45

Italian Cup Udinese v Chievo Verona Aljazeera Sport +1 Aljazeera Sport 1 HD Roma v Fiorentina Aljazeera Sport +1 Aljazeera Sport 1 HD

19:30 22:45

Spain Copa del Rey Levante v Alcorcon Aljazeera Sport +4 RCD Espanyol v Cordoba Aljazeera Sport +6

22:00 23:00

Tomorrow Sevilla v Valencia Aljazeera Sport +2 Aljazeera Sport 2 HD

0:00

flower, Japan’s “Nadeshiko” embodied the iron-willed spirit of a nation united in its battle to recover from the March 11 disaster. “I feel blessed,” said Japan Football Association (JFA) president Junji Ogura. “Sawa and Sasaki winning are both firsts for Asia. It’s

amazing. “It also means, however, Japan’s women will now become a target. Everyone will be trying to beat them at the Olympics in London this year. It’s an exciting new challenge.” The JFA capped a special night for Japan by picking up the Fair Play award.—Reuters

Dawson back to boost Tottenham title charge LONDON: Tottenham defender Michael Dawson admits he can’t wait for his first Premier League appearance since August as the north London club bid to gate-crash the title race with a win against Everton today. Spurs boss Harr y Redknapp has been keen to focus on securing the top four finish that would guarantee Champions League action next season, but the possibility of competing for the English title is beginning to ignite passions at White Hart Lane.

Redknapp’s side have lost just one of their last 17 league matches and will move within three points of leaders Manchester City, as well as drawing level on points with second placed Manchester United, if they beat David Moyes’ men at White Hart Lane. Tottenham have only once had a better league record after 19 games in the top flight and that was 1960-61 when they last won the league.

In the circumstances a win today is bound to spark talk of the club’s first sustained challenge for the title since the 1984-85 season when they

finished third behind Everton and Liverpool, and Dawson knows he couldn’t have timed his return from injury any better. “The lads are flying so it’s good to be back. It’s an exciting time here, definitely,” Dawson said. “Long may it continue. The lads have earned the right to be where they are and they deserve it. “I have watched them and they are flying high so I am looking forward to being part of it.”

Dawson was back from a four-month Achilles injury lay-off on Saturday and captained Tottenham to a 3-0 victory over Cheltenham in the FA Cup third round and he is expected to line up at the heart of Redknapp’s defense against Everton. With Ledley King facing yet another spell on the sidelines with a suspected hamstring problem and William Gallas hit by a calf tear, there is no time for Dawson to ease his way back into action. The 28-year-old will play his second game in five days alongside Younes Kaboul and has no qualms about being thrown in at the deep end after such a serious injury.—AFP

Alabama thrash LSU in college title game

Stricker opens season with Kapalua win

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

QPR look to Hughes to provide spark

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LONDON: Arsenal’s French player Thierry Henry, on loan from New York Red Bulls, celebrates scoring a goal during the third round FA Cup football match between Arsenal and Leeds United at The Emirates Stadium in London. (Inset) Henry hugs his French manager Arsene Wenger after scoring the winning goal. —AFP

Henry seals Arsenal return with winner On-loan Frenchman bear hugs Wenger LONDON: With a familiar stroke of the right boot guiding the ball into the net, a celebratory hug with Arsene Wenger and pandemonium amongst ecstatic Arsenal fans, it was as if record goalscorer Thierry Henry had never left North London on Monday night. Substituted into the Premier League club’s third round FA Cup match against Leeds United on 68 minutes with the score at 0-0, the on-loan striker took just 10 minutes to break the deadlock with the winning goal for his beloved Arsenal.

“I’m not coming back here to be a hero or prove anything, I’m coming here to help,” Henry said in the match program. He did. Hero status Henry does not need, he already has that in

spades, as the cheer that greeted his name when it was announced moments before kick off and that which marked his entrance onto the pitch confirmed. Even when he was on the bench, Arsenal fans were voting for Henry as man-of-the-match and, rather sheepishly, the 34-year-old accepted the award. “I think it’s a joke,” he said, looking bemused as he clutched the bottle of champagne.

In trademark style, the French striker calmly slotted the ball into the net from 10 yards out after being found in space on the left side of the penalty area by Alex Song. Henry, who plays for Major League Soccer club New York Red Bulls, made 370 appearances for Arsenal from 1999 to

2007 and scored 226 goals. The Red Bulls agreed to loan him to Arsenal until the end of February before the new MLS season starts in March with Henry saying Wenger had asked him to help out during the absence of Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh at the African Nations Cup. The move had its critics but Henry has already silenced them, not only with his goal but also with his clear passion for the London club.

BLIND LOVE “When I left the club I cried,” Henry said in the program. “I haven’t cried a lot in my career, but when I do it seems that something is happening with Arsenal. I love the club. They say love is

blind right? It’s difficult for me to say no to Arsenal.” On this form, with Arsenal struggling for goals and over-reliant on red-hot captain Robin van Persie, he will be a big help. Arsenal dominated the early stages against their Championship (second division) opponents with Welsh youngster Aaron Ramsey the beating heartbeat of the side. But it was not long after Andrei Arshavin had blasted a good chance over the bar from 15 meters after five minutes that the “ Thierry Henry! Thierry Henry!” chants began. After the restart, the Frenchman immediately emerged from the bench to warm up, again winning rapturous applause.

His first touch was from an offside position,

but the burst into space was Henry of old, leaving his marker for dead with electrifying pace from a standing start. The last time Henry played against Leeds he scored four goals in a Premier League encounter in 2004 but this time around it was just the one strike. Leeds forward Mikael Forssell even had a chance to equalize in the last minute and spoil the party but he was foiled by Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

Moments later and the match was over. Henry stood near the penalty area gazing up into the night sky as the Arsenal fans went crazy around him. No one knew quite what to say, and judging by Henry’s post-match interview, neither did he.—Reuters

76ers trounce Pacers

PHILADELPHIA: Philadelphia’s handy habit of second-half surges continued as the 76ers pulled away in the second half to beat the Indiana Pacers 96-86 in Monday’s NBA action. Andre Iguodala scored 20 points and Lou Williams added 13 for the Sixers, who are dominating in second halves to turn close games into comfortable wins. Against the Pacers, it was a 15-3 run in the third quarter that helped them pull away. The Sixers used a 30-8 run in the third to beat Toronto on Saturday.

The Sixers have made the most of their favorable home stretch, winning in Philadelphia for the third time in four

nights. After an off day Sunday, the Sixers played the first game of a threenight stretch, that includes Sacramento and today’s game at New York.

BULLS 92, PISTONS 68 In Chicago, the hosts beat Detroit for their 13th consecutive victory against the Pistons. Carlos Boozer scored 23 points and Derrick Rose added 22 points and eight assists for Chicago, which bounced back from Saturday night’s lackluster loss at Atlanta. The Bulls improved to 4-1 during their first stretch of nine games in 12 days in 30 years. They play again each of the next

NBA results/standings NBA results and standings on Monday.

Philadelphia 96, Indiana 86; Toronto 97, Minnesota 87; Atlanta 106, New Jersey 101; NY Knicks 91, Charlotte 87; Chicago 92, Detroit 68; New Orleans 94, Denver 81.

Eastern Conference Western Conference Atlantic Division Northwest Division W L OTL PCT GB Oklahoma City 8 2 0 .800 Philadelphia 6 2 0 .750 Portland 6 2 0 .750 1 NY Knicks 5 4 0 .556 1.5 Utah 5 3 0 .625 2 Boston 4 4 0 .500 2 Denver 6 4 0 .600 2 Toronto 4 5 0 .444 2.5 Minnesota 3 6 0 .333 4.5 New Jersey 2 8 0 .200 5 Pacific Division Central Division LA Clippers 4 2 0 .667 Chicago 8 2 0 .800 LA Lakers 6 4 0 .600 Indiana 6 3 0 .667 1.5 Phoenix 4 4 0 .500 1 Cleveland 4 4 1 .500 3 Sacramento 3 6 0 .333 2.5 Milwaukee 2 6 0 .250 5 Golden State 2 6 0 .250 3 Detroit 2 7 0 .222 5.5 Southwest Division Southeast Division San Antonio 6 3 0 .667 Miami 8 1 0 .889 Dallas 4 5 0 .444 2 Atlanta 7 3 1 .700 1.5 Memphis 3 5 0 .375 2.5 Orlando 6 3 0 .667 2 New Orleans 3 6 0 .333 3 Charlotte 2 7 1 .222 6 Houston 2 6 0 .250 3.5 Washington 0 8 0 0 7.5

two nights, hitting the road to face Minnesota on Tuesday before returning home to face Washington today. Greg Monroe had 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for Detroit, which has lost four straight games.

HAWKS 106, NETS 101 In Newark, New Jersey, Josh Smith scored a season-high 26 points and the Hawks shot nearly 54 percent from the field in beating New Jersey for the third time this season.

Joe Johnson added 22 as the Hawks led for all but a few seconds in winning their third straight game overall.

Anthony Morrow had 20 points for the Nets, who remain winless in four games at home.

HORNETS 94, NUGGETS 81 In Denver, Carl Landry scored 21 points as New Orleans avenged a defeat three days earlier and beat Denver. Chris Kaman added 20 for New Orleans, who led by eight at halftime and extended that to 15 in the third quarter. Danilo Gallinari and Ty Lawson had 14 points each for Denver, which lost at home for the first time in five games. The Nuggets shot just 39 percent from the field and 35 percent from behind the 3-point line.

RAPTORS 97, TIMBERWOLVES 87 In Toronto, Andrea Bargnani matched his season-high with 31 points as Toronto downed Minnesota.

Amir Johnson had a season-high 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Raptors - his second straight doubledouble. Jose Barea scored a seasonhigh 16 points for Minnesota, which hasn’t won in Toronto since 2003-04.

The Raptors have won 14 of its past 15

games against the Timberwolves.

KNICKS 91, BOBCATS 87 In New York, Carmelo Anthony swooped in to score eight of his 22 points in the last three minutes and deliver the New York Knicks a 91-87 home victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday. The Knicks had lost a double-digit lead in the second half and the game was tied 82-82 when Anthony made his decisive intervention to lead New York to their third consecutive win. DJ Augustin missed a potential game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds for the Bobcats (2-7) as they fouled Anthony, who added another free throw to the score. “A wide open three from our best shooter? I’ll take that,” Charlotte coach Paul Silas told reporters of Augustin’s miss. “I really love the way we stuck in there and battled.

We really gave ourselves a chance.”

New York (5-4) fell to Charlotte at home last Wednesday before embarking on their current streak. Amar’e Stoudemire finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds despite making just 7-of25 shots in what was a difficult shooting night for both teams. Anthony connected on only six of his 18 field goal attempts but his accuracy improved when his team needed it the most. The scoring forward made two layups to give the Knicks an 86-82 lead then made four free throws in the last 35 seconds to seal the game. “I’m trying to get to the basket every time. And tonight I was able to get there, the shots just wasn’t falling,” Anthony said. “I’m pretty sure I’m capable of making those shots.”

Boris Diaw had a team-high 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Bobcats, who lost their third straight game.

PHILADELPHIA: Philadelphia 76ers’ Elton Brand (right) and Indiana Pacers’ Tyler Hansbrough chase down a loose ball in the first half of an NBA basketball game on Monday, Jan 9, 2012. — AP Charlotte opened the contest on a 10-0 run but it was a short-lived advantage.

The visitors trailed by 11 late in the third before clawing back to make it a nailbiter. New York has regularly struggled defensively under fourth-year coach Mike D’Antoni, but they showed signs of

life for a second straight game. After holding Detroit to 80 points in a win on Sunday, the Knicks restricted the Bobcats to 41 percent shooting. Tyson Chandler led the way with three blocks and three steals to go with his 20 points and 13 rebounds.— Agencies

Egypt regulator readies steps to revive markets Page 22

KSE stocks eke out gains Page 24

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

China 2011 trade surplus shrinks

Dazzling makeovers, concept cars in focus Page 25

Page 23

DETROIT: The Toyota NS4 Concept car on display during the press preview day at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit yesterday. —AFP (See Page 25, 26)

Merkel to meet Lagarde over euro crisis Italy faces Fitch downgrade, France escapes BERLIN: Ratings agency Fitch offered a ray of light for the euro-zone yesterday ahead of talks between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Greece’s struggle to cut its debt.

Fitch, one of three leading ratings agencies, announced it had no plans to downgrade France’s top triple-A credit rating in 2012 unless the country suffered major economic shocks.

The move will come as welcome news to French President Nicholas Sarkozy, who is fighting for re-election, a day after he travelled to Berlin for his first tete-a-tete of 2012 with Merkel.

However, a number of euro countries, including Italy, could see their credit ratings downgraded by the end of this month as they struggle to cope with too much debt, Fitch Ratings said

yesterday. Fitch’s head of sovereign ratings David Riley said the agency will give its verdict on several euro countries by the end of January. Fitch currently has Italy, Spain, Belgium, Ireland, Slovenia and Cyprus on socalled “ratings watch negative” and Riley said the reductions could be up to two notches.

Much interest in the markets centers on Italy, the third-largest eurozone economy and considered too expensive to bail out. Riley says it is the “front line” of Europe’s debt crisis.

With the euro-zone crisis showing little sign of abating, Merkel was due to press on with an intensive threeday diplomatic push, meeting the International Monetary Fund head.

Before Merkel, Lagarde met German Finance Minister Wolfgang

Schaeuble, his ministry said. No press conferences were scheduled. Greece, which is again in the eye of the storm as it races to reduce its debt in a bid to secure more aid, is set to focus minds ahead of a crucial assessment of its latest efforts.

Athens must ensure the “rapid implementation” of reform measures, Merkel told reporters after the talks with Sarkozy, warning that “otherwise it will not be possible to pay the next (aid) tranche to Greece. “But this is what we want and we want Greece to remain in the euro-zone,” she underscored, adding that Greece would feature in her talks with Lagarde.

In a test of market sentiment, Athens paid slightly lower but still high rates to raise 1.6 billion euros ($2.1 billion) in six-month treasury

bills, finding solid demand despite wider concerns over the Greek outlook. Austria, by contrast, paid higher funding costs to sell four-year bonds than at the previous auction, suggesting investors were uneasy over the country’s exposure to Hungary.

Budapest sought help from the IMF and EU in November after its currency, the forint, plunged, but creditors cut short initial talks over central bank reforms which they said would end the Hungarian institution’s independence. Athens is again under intense pressure after the IMF reportedly expressed growing doubts over Greece’s long-term ability to reduce its massive debt mountain of 350 billion euros. International auditors are due back in Greece next week to take stock of the country’s economy after

Global markets rise on hopes for US growth PARIS: Stock markets rose strongly yesterday as investors hoped for strong corporate earnings from the US and looked to a new round of talks in Berlin for progress in solving Europe’s debt crisis.

The US economy has shown new signs of strength recently, and investors are hoping that will boost corporate earnings results due to be announced in coming weeks. In particular, signs that the US labor market is improving has raised the possibility of a recovery in American consumer spending, one of the main motors of global economic growth.

In Europe, Britain’s FTSE 100 index of leading shares was up 1.4 percent at 5,693 while Germany’s DAX rose 2.3 percent to 6,153. France’s CAC-40 was 2.3 percent higher at 3,201. Italy’s main market outperformed its peers, trading 3 percent higher as the country’s biggest bank UniCredit recouped some lost ground. The euro was also fairly well-supported, especially in comparison to last week, trading up around the $1.28 mark. On Monday it had fallen to a 16-month low of $1.2676.

In the US, the Dow Jones industrial average opened strongly, trading 0.7 percent higher at 12,482 while the broader Standard & Poor’s 500 futures rose 0.9 percent to 1,292. Over the coming days, attention is shifting to the US corporate earnings results season, which kicked off, as is traditional, with numbers from aluminum producer Alcoa Inc. The statement encouraged investors as revenues topped expectations and the company suggested the

global economy was improving.

There was less good corporate news in Europe, where Dutch electronics giant Royal Philips Electronics NV warned that its fourth quarter profits were worse than expected due to a weak European market that made it difficult to charge customers as much as it wanted to for light bulbs. Philips shares fell 6 percent to 14.715 euros in early trading in Amsterdam.

Despite the resilience in markets, sentiment remains fragile in light of ongoing worries in Europe ahead of a meeting later between the International Monetary Fund’s head Christine Lagarde is due to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel later this evening. Debtcrippled Greece is expected to be a major point of the discussions.

Neil MacKinnon, global macro strategist at VTB Capital, said “uncertainties” over the European debt crisis as policymakers struggle to come up with “credible policy moves” will continue to weigh on sentiment. Fitch Ratings warned that a number of euro countries, including Italy, could see their credit ratings downgraded by the end of this month as they struggle to cope with too much debt and slowing economic growth.

Its head of sovereign ratings David Riley said the agency will give its verdict on several countries by the end of January. Fitch currently has Italy, Spain, Belgium, Ireland, Slovenia and Cyprus on so-called “ratings watch negative.”

Much interest in the markets centers on Italy, which Riley says is the “front line” of Europe’s debt crisis.

TOKYO: Currency traders work under a TV screen showing the euro quotation against the Japanese yen at a Tokyo foreign currency trading firm yesterday. —AP Meanwhile, the Bank of Portugal said it expects the bailed-out country’s recession to deepen this year under the weight of austerity measures meant to reduce public debt. Portugal went into a double-dip recession last year and the jobless rate has climbed to a record 13.2 percent.

Further signs of stress emerged with figures showing that the amount of overnight deposits that the region’s banks held with the European Central Bank swelled to 481.9 billion euros ($613 billion) on Monday, breaking the record 463.56 billion euros set only a

day before. The high deposits mean banks are keeping spare cash in a safe place even though they earn low interest. They also reflect large amounts of cash put into the banking system from ECB emergency loans of 489 billion euros taken up by more than 500 banks in late December.

Earlier in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index reopened after a three-day holiday weekend, added 0.4 percent to close at 8,422.26. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 0.7 percent to 19,004.28 while South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.5 percent to 1,853.22. — AP

Prime Minister Lucas Papademos warned of an “uncontrolled default” in March if no further aid was forthcoming. Having already received most of a 110-billion-euro rescue package from the EU and IMF in 2010, the euro-zone reached a preliminary accord for a second 130-billion-euro Greek bailout in October. However this rescue package depends on Greece reaching a deal with private investors to accept at least a 50-percent loss on the Greek government bonds they hold, saving Athens another 100 billion euros.

European stocks rallied yesterday and the euro rose against the dollar after it slid to its lowest level since September 2010 as Chinese data and upbeat US company results overshadowed fears over the euro-zone debt crisis. Merkel today is due to host

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti.

Lagarde goes on to Paris to meet Sarkozy, his office said. On a less encouraging note for Sarkozy, new data showed the French economy posted no growth between the third and fourth quarters of 2011 amid fears it is headed into recession. “The situation is tense, very tense,” Sarkozy told reporters after his talks with Merkel in which they both vowed to speed up a raft of measures to combat the debt turmoil. Sarkozy said an accord on tighter fiscal integration for all EU states apart from Britain should be signed by March 1, while Merkel said negotiations on the text were progressing well. Paris and Berlin could also accelerate payments into a permanent bailout fund due to take effect this year, she said.—Agencies

Shuaa to expand credit finance unit into Saudi DUBAI: Dubai-based Shuaa Capital, the investment bank undergoing a broad restructuring, is expanding its profitable credit finance business Gulf Finance Corp (GFC) into Saudi Arabia and may offer a stake in the unit to new investors.

“It is the only business that makes money,” Chief Executive Michael Philipp said in an interview yesterday.

“We are starting Saudi immediately.

The investment will come from outside shareholders. I can bring brand new money at the Abu Dhabi and Saudi level. It is probably hundreds of millions of dollars,” Philipp said.

The company, which helped float ports operator DP World several years ago, is setting up a sharia-compliant credit or lending business in Saudi Arabia based on the UAE model and plans to build an overall lending platform in the Gulf region, Philipp said.

Gulf Finance, which offers credit and financing for small and medium sized enterprises in commercial and consumer markets, contributed a net profit of 10.6 million dirhams ($2.89 million) in the third quarter last year, compared to 6.5 million dirhams in Q3 2010. Shuaa named former Credit Suisse banker Michael Philipp as its new chief executive in October, replacing Sameer Al Ansari. Philipp is shifting the bank’s focus away from retail brokerage to institutional clients and SME credit financing.

Shuaa Capital doesn’t expect

major investment writedowns in the fourth quarter of 2011 and later in 2012, its chairman said. “We were prudent to take write downs in Q3 so there will be no overhangs in 2012,” Sheikh Maktoum bin Hasher AlMaktoum told Reuters at the interview. “There could be some minor write downs in Q4 but they’re negligible,” he added. Shuaa swung to a third-quarter net loss of 156 million dirhams ($43 million) as slumping global markets hit volumes and forced the investment bank into provisions and asset revaluations.

One of the Arab world’s largest investment banks and once a symbol of the sector’s potential in the region, Shuaa was hit by the 2008 global financial downturn, with asset impairments erasing profits. Its stock has fallen 63 percent in the last year.

Shuaa’s chairman ruled out any plans to increase the capital of the company or delist shares from the Dubai financial market. “We are over capitalized. We have $350 million of cash.

What do you need more capital for?” he said. “There are no plans to delist.

It’s not even on the table. We have nothing to hide.”

Shuaa, which fired close to 60 employees by the end of December, plans to lay off another 70 with the majority relating to the retail brokerage business, bringing down overall staff strength to around 100.—Reuters

22

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

business

Egypt regulator readies steps to revive markets Bourse moribund on political uncertainty

MUMBAI: An Indian security guard stands outside the main entrance of The Aditya Birla Centre in Mumbai yesterday. The Aditya Birla Group is evaluating a possible buyout of the South Africa operations of France’s Lafarge SA (LAFP.PA), the world’s largest cement company, India’s Business Standard newspaper reported on January 9, citing unnamed sources. — AFP

Saudi to supply full Feb crude to Asia TOKYO/SINGAPORE: Top crude exporter Saudi Arabia will supply full contracted volumes in February to at least six Asian term buyers, with only one refiner probably taking the maximum volume permissible under contracts to capitalize on lower prices.

The five others contacted by Reuters have not exercised their option to buy a little more Saudi oil despite the threat of a disruption to Iranian supplies under fresh US sanctions.

The spring maintenance season will kick off in February, so refiners will need less crude and this may be why they have requested no more oil from the kingdom, industry sources said.

About 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) of capacity goes into maintenance from next month as winter demand ebbs, according to Reuters data. “Big refiners like Reliance and SK are going into turnaround in the next couple of months, so demand will be lower during this period,” said a Singapore-based trader.

Saudi Arabia is the only major exporter with spare capacity to meet any significant disruption in Iranian supplies, and so the most likely source for those looking for alternative supplies to those from Riyadh’s regional rival Tehran. The six buyers contacted by Reuters are based in north and southeast Asia, and it is not immediately clear if India, another top importer, will seek additional barrels for February.

For January, Indian refiners boosted Saudi supplies by 129,000 barrels per

day, in part to substitute for Iranian oil.

State-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp will double the volume of oil it imports from the kingdom in an annual deal beginning in April.

Crude sales from Saudi Arabia, which has been supplying full contractual volumes to most Asian buyers since late 2009, will remain unchanged this month, industry sources familiar with the matter said yesterday.

A southeast Asian refiner plans to seek extra barrels after Saudi Arabia made a steeper-than-expected cut in the official selling price of its Arab Light crude for February to Asia. The price was set at the Oman/Dubai average plus $2.05 a barrel, down from $4.15 in January-a level that was the upper end of market expectations.“It’s a totally different mood compared with January,” the southeast Asian refiner planning to take more said.

Saudi Arabia made no changes to the operational tolerance in the supply allocation, one of the sources added, giving buyers the option of asking for cargoes to be loaded with up to 10 percent more or less crude than contracted. Saudi Arabia pumped 9.80 million barrels per day (bpd) in December, down from the highest rate in decades of 10.05 million bpd the previous month, an industry source said on Monday.

A Reuters survey of OPEC output estimated a slight drop in Saudi output in December, but overall OPEC’s oil output rose to its highest since October 2008 that month. —Reuters

CAIRO: Egypt’s financial market regulator said he was preparing steps to help companies resume raising money in the country’s moribund capital markets, with active issuance of stocks and bonds still likely to be many months away because of political uncertainty.

“There are two factors for the financial markets: the regulations and the political uncertainty. I can influence one but not the other,” Ashraf El Sharkawy, chairman of the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority, said in an interview.

The EFSA is close to removing the remaining curbs on stock market trading imposed in February during turmoil surrounding the ouster of president Hosni Mubarak, Sharkawy said late on Monday. It is also readying regulations to make it easier for companies to issue bonds.

But many firms may continue to wait to raise money until the nature of Egypt’s next government becomes clear, added Sharkawy, a former academic appointed just after Mubarak’s ouster.

It could be a long wait. Although elections to Egypt’s lower house of parliament are drawing to a close and the lower house will hold its first session on Jan. 23, the military generals who took over from Mubarak plan to rule until the end of June, by which time a new president is to be elected. Key aspects of the new political system, including the balance of power between the presidency and the parliament, have not yet been decided.

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, which is expected to dominate the next government, has said it will respect the financial markets and private business. But with the exact nature of its policies unclear, the prolonged transition to democratic rule has taken a heavy toll on the markets.

Egypt’s main stock index plunged 49 percent last year and is near three-year lows. Daily trading turnover has shrunk to around 200 million pounds ($35 million), a tenth of levels reached during a boom several years ago. Many foreign

investors have fled Egypt’s markets, though Sharkawy said they still owned about 30 percent of the stock market’s capitalization of around $50 billion, approximately the same proportion as before the political turmoil.

Egyptian corporate bond issuance tumbled to 350 million pounds last year from 20 billion pounds in 2010, Sharkawy said. With the economy sluggish and companies’ expansion plans on hold, the weakness of the markets does not matter so much at present because most firms do not need to raise large amounts of money, Sharkawy said. But moribund markets could damage a hoped-for economic recovery later this year.

“When people see the shape of the new government, the new president, the new parliament, they will feel more confident in acting. It does not matter so much what the government is, as long as it is clear,” Sharkawy said.

The EFSA hopes to remove remaining emergency curbs on stocks’ daily price movements in the next few months, and may also restore same-day settlement of trades, which was suspended last February, Sharkawy said. Some traders think same-day settlement could help to revive trading turnover, by reducing risks for investors who could enter and exit positions in a single day.

Sharkawy said two fairly large companies had contacted the EFSA about the possibility of issuing shares, which might happen after their 2011 earnings statements had been compiled; he declined to elaborate.

The stock market has not listed any new companies since Mubarak’s overthrow.In the corporate bond market, Sharkway said the EFSA had been working on rules to allow shelf registration for issues-provisions for bond sales to be prepared far in advance, giving companies flexibility in choosing the timing. It has also been drafting rules allowing special-purpose vehicles to

UK retailers cautious after cut-price Xmas LONDON: Deep discounting tempted cash-strapped Britons to spend over Christmas, squeezing profit margins at retailers who see little sign of business improving as disposable incomes are pressured and the country teeters close to recession.

Bellwether store group Marks & Spencer said yesterday it eked out a 0.5 percent rise in underlying British sales in the 13 weeks ended Dec. 31, as customers treated themselves to its upmarket foods.

Sales of clothing and homewares fell, however, and the 128-year-old group said it was having to find extra cost savings to offset the impact on profit margins from discounting. The picture was broadly similar elsewhere, with department stores group Debenhams reporting flat underlying sales over the 18 weeks to Jan 7.

Industry group the British Retail Consortium said December retail sales rose a stronger-than-expected 2.2 percent, but added the figures were flattered by weak business a year earlier and warned discounting could hit store profits.

“Sadly no-one expects this level of demand to be indicative of the year ahead.” said Helen Dickinson, head of retail at accountants KPMG. Britain’s retailers are mostly struggling as disposable incomes are squeezed by rising prices, muted wages growth and austerity measures, and as shoppers worry about a weak housing market, rising unemployment and the euro zone debt crisis. — Reuters

handle more than one securitization deal each, which would reduce paperwork and costs for companies. In coming weeks the EFSA will prepare regulations facilitating the issue of sukuk, Islamic bonds structured according to religious principles, Sharkawy said. All sukuk will be required to carry credit ratings.

Islamic finance accounted for only a tiny share of Egypt’s financial sector under Mubarak’s rule but is expected to grow under a government dominated by religious parties.

However, Sharkawy said the weakness of the markets and recent downgrades of Egypt by credit rating agencies might deter issues of sukuk or conventional bonds for some time.

“It will be difficult-maybe not this year ...

Companies may not feel it is the right time for expansion,” he said. Sharkawy also acknowledged that pushing through regulatory reforms, some of which required the approval of parliament, was challenging at a time of political change and economic crisis.

He said he had presented reforms to the government three months ago but, apparently distracted by other issues, “they weren’t interested.” When the new government meets after June, “Maybe they will be too occupied with the economic situation.”

With Egypt’s foreign reserves sinking rapidlythey fell to $18.1 billion at the end of December from twice that level a year earlier-there has been speculation that the government might impose full-blown capital controls on flows of money out of the country, in order to support the Egyptian pound.

Sharkawy would not make the final decision, but might be consulted by policymakers. He said he had not heard of any move in the government to impose them and did not expect them.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “In my experience this kind of thing tends to make things worse by making investors more afraid.” — Reuters

India’s HPCL to double Saudi crude imports NEW DELHI: India’s state-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp will double the volume of Saudi crude it imports in an annual deal beginning in April, two industry sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Monday, in a move that could replace some of its Iranian supplies.

Indian refiners are looking for ways to gradually replace their imports of Iranian oil, given that global sanctions could shut a mechanism through Turkey’s Halkbank that allows them to make payments to Tehran. India is Iran’s second-biggest oil client after China, buying 350,000-400,000 barrels per day. Tighter U.S. sanctions require buyers of Iranian oil to reduce imports from the Islamic Republic or face the threat of financial penalties in the United States. Halkbank has already refused to open an account for state-run refiner Bharat Petroleum Corp for oil from Iran. For this month, Saudi Aramco, the national oil company of Saudi Arabia, has agreed to supply extra 4 million barrels of oil, or about 129,000 bpd, to India, industry officials said. The Kingdom will supply 2

million barrels to Indian Oil Corp and 1 million barrels each to BPCL and Hindustan Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL), a joint venture of HPCL and steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.

HMEL, which owns an 180,000 bpd Bathinda refinery in northern India, does not have an annual deal with Saudi Aramco. “BPCL’s additional purchase for January could be due to Iran as they have not been to open an account with Turkey’s Halkbank for payment to Iran,” said one of the sources. The Saudis will also in February supply 1 million barrels to BPCL for its 120,000 bpd Bina refinery in central India. A senior BPCL official said the company has not purchased Iranian oil since November due to payment problems. “Unless the payment issue is resolved, how can we buy oil from Iran?” the official said. Indian refiners and petroleum ministry officials earlier on Monday held a meeting to explore alternatives way to pay for Iranian oil imports.

HPCL is the second Indian refiner after Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd to increase supplies under an annual deal with Saudi Arabia. — 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 .4270000 .3520000 .2890000 .2690000 .2830000 .0040000 .0020000 .0756480 .7370130 .3820000 .0710000 .7225090 .0040000 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2786500 GB Pound/KD .4299570 Euro .3544570 Swiss francs .2917950 Canadian dollars .2711000 Danish Kroner .0476640 Swedish Kroner .0401450 Australian dlr .2850450 Hong Kong dlr .0358840 Singapore dlr .2155070 Japanese yen .0036200 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0758950 Bahraini dinars .7394190 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0743260 Omani riyals .7240480 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

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

3.598 5.337 3.154 2.436 3.341 213.250 35.672 3.580 6.336 8.873 0.271 0.273

.2820000 .4380000 .3630000 .3020000 .2780000 .2920000 .0070000 .0035000 .0764080 .7444200 .4030000 .0780000 .7297700 .0072000 .0530000 .2807500 .4331970 .3571280 .2939940 .2731430 .0480230 .0404470 .2871930 .0361550 .2171310 .0036470 .0053610 .0024730 .0031090 .0034580 .0764670 .7449910 .3971000 .0748870 .7295050 .0064050

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 74.150 76.402 722.230 738.540 75.715

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

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 47.500 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.282 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.272 Tunisian Dinar 189.860 Jordanian Dinar 392.670 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.865 Syrian Lier 6.003 Morocco Dirham 33.814 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 277.950 Euro 370.650 Sterling Pound 431.930 Canadian dollar 268.420 Turkish lire 153.940 Swiss Franc 300.620 Australian dollar 277.000 US Dollar Buying 277.750 GOLD 315.500 159.000 81.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

COUNTRY

SELL CASH

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

292.100 743.720 3.880 275.100 549.200 44.600 49.100 167.800 48.200 361.800 36.690 5.610 0.032 0.207 0.247 3.730 396.590 0.189 91.310 46.200 4.300 225.900 1.812 47.600 726.400

SELL DRAFT

290.600 743.720 3.365 273.600

217.000 46.344 360.300 36.540 5.360 0.031

10 Tola

76.150 279.600

Currency

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 435.200 279.600

Sterling Pound US Dollar

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Selling Rate

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

278.500 275.585 436.990 366.765 298.040 737.505 75.800 76.445 74.225 392.025 46.238 2.441 5.241 3.106 3.401 6.331 683.150 3.675 8.935 5.865 3.370 92.510

435.59 3.70 3.373 5.305 2.458 3.332 3.101 76.22 744.79 46.44 398.35 727.70 77.21 74.76

436.50 3.70 3.750 5.600 2.660 4.250 3.260 76.85 745.00 48.40 397.15 728.00 77.50 75.00

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro

Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

290.55 276.62 299.00 361.03

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

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

279.600 3.097 5.360 2.460 3.365 6.405 76.225 74.715 743.300 46.297 437.000 3.190 1.550 363.400 363.400 279.900 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange

UAE Exchange Center WLL Currency

726.220

297.300 4.900 9.020

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

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

396.270 0.188 91.310 3.360 224.400

3.115 6.360 76.930 74.670 217.020 37.040 2.453 435.200

GOLD 1,693.100

Rate for Transfer

Bahrain Exchange Company

3.250 6.710 77.360 74.670 217.020 37.040 2.652 437.200 41.400 298.800 4.900 9.260 198.263 76.250 280.000 1.290

290.00 280.00 305.00 361.00

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

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

278.550 362.300 436.100 277.000 3.625 5.285 46.196 2.445 3.310 6.315 3.081 741.750 75.850 74.400

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

business

China 2011 trade surplus shrinks Global turmoil hits demand

STRASBOURG: A woman passes by posters reading ‘Sales up to 30%, 40%, 50% off’ in a shop window in Strasbourg, eastern France yesterday on the eve of the official start of winter sales in France.— AFP

Swiss CB board pushed chief out GENEVA: The board of Switzerland’s central bank pushed chairman Philipp Hildebrand to resign after fresh evidence emerged undermining his claim he had been unaware of his wife’s currency trades, the country’s biggest circulation newspaper reported yesterday.

Zurich tabloid Blick cited three unnamed sources saying the Swiss National Bank’s 11- member supervisory council threatened to quit over the weekend unless Hildebrand stepped down, which he did with immediate effec t Monday. Rival daily TagesAnzeiger also cited newly released emails between Hildebrand and his financial adviser as the reason why the bank council withdrew its support for their chairman Saturday.

Bank council members contacted by the AP declined to comment on the reports. The emails released by the central bank upon Hildebrand’s resignation indicate that he had given tacit approval for his wife to conduct dollar deals at a time when he was leading efforts to weaken the Swiss franc.

Hildebrand, 48, had previously denied knowing about his wife’s deal until after it happened, and insisted

last week that he would stay as SNB chairman as long as he had the support of the bank council and the government. His defense rested on an external audit report, which described Kashya Hildebrand’s purchase of more than $500,000 on Aug. 15 as “delicate” but within the rules set by the central bank to prevent insider trading. The deal happened two days before the central bank increased Swiss franc liquidity, thereby boosting the value of her US dollar holdings. Hildebrand’s deputy Thomas Jordan took over as interim chief of the bank Monday, tasked with preventing runaway appreciation of the Swiss franc against other major currencies. Under Hildebrand’s leadership, the SNB set a minimum exchange rate for the euro of 1.20 francs to prevent Swiss exporters from suffering a severe disadvantage compared to their competitors in the neighboring euro-zone.

“Thomas Jordan will resolutely pursue the same exchange rate goals as his predecessor,” said Thomas Buehrer, a member of the bank council and president of the business association economiesuisse. “ The bank won’t budge a centimeter.” — AP

Swatch sales jump to $6bn ZURICH: The world’s biggest watch group Swatch said yesterday it has for the first time exceeded 7.0 billion Swiss francs in annual sales despite the negative impact of the strong local currency.

The group expects 2012 to be a year of “great challenge” but said it is “confident of generating quality growth.” At constant exchange rates, sales last year jump 21.7 percent to 7.1 billion Swiss francs ($5.9 billion), Swatch said in a statement. However, using current exchange rates to reflect the Swiss franc’s

strong gains over the past year, sales were down 10.8 percent.

“Strong brands have registered excellent growth for the group not only in Greater China but also in all other regions and in all price segments,” Swatch said. The group said that despite the negative effects of the exchange rate, it expects a “good” net and operating profit. A strong Swiss franc means that overseas sales in foreign currencies come in lower when converted into the local unit.— AFP

BEIJING: China’s trade surplus shrank in 2011 as import and export growth slowed sharply, official data showed yesterday, after domestic tightening measures and global economic turmoil hit consumption.

The figures add to mounting evidence the economy is slowing and will ratchet up pressure on Beijing to further loosen policies to prevent the world’s second-largest economy from suffering a painful hard landing. The 2011 trade surplus-flagged by Commerce Minister Chen Deming last week-narrowed to $155.14 billion from $181.51 billion in 2010, the customs agency said in a statement, reflecting the turmoil in Europe and the United States.

Exports rose 20.3 percent to $1.899 trillion in 2011, compared with an increase of 31.3 percent in the previous year, while imports climbed 24.9 percent to $1.743 trillion, much slower than the 38.8 percent growth in 2010.

Analysts expected export growth to halve this year from 2011 as European woes and a sluggish US economy drag Chinese economic expansion below nine percent for the first time in more than a decade. Weakening demand for exports will “provide further drag on the Chinese economy at least through the first half of the year,” said IHS Global Insight analysts Alistair Thornton and Ren Xianfang.

Moody’s economist Alaistair Chan said the slowdown in imports would push policymakers to cut the reserve requirement ratio-the portion of deposits banks must set aside-several times in the first half to spur lending.

Gross domestic product growth could ease to 8.5 percent in 2012, a senior government researcher said last month, which would be the slowest pace since 2001 when the economy expanded 8.3 percent. But it would still be within the official annual target of 7-8 percent, a level seen as necessary to create enough jobs to keep a lid on social unrest in the country of more than 1.3 billion people. Chinese shares closed up 2.69 percent, or 59.85 points, at 2,285.74 as reports that the country’s top securities regulator had pledged reforms aimed at the market overshadowed the figures. Despite the grim outlook, Beijing is likely to remain under pres-

sure for a stronger currency-a constant bugbear for China’s trade partners who argue the yuan is too cheap and gives domestic exporters an unfair trade advantage.

Other data released by customs yesterday showed December’s trade surplus widened to $16.52 billion from $14.5 billion in November, while year-on-year growth in

SHANGHAI: Visitors take pictures next to a bronze bull in Shanghai yesterday.

China’s trade surplus shrank last year as import and export growth slowed sharply, official data after domestic tightening measures and global economic turmoil hit consumption.— AFP exports and imports slowed. Exports rose 13.4 percent to $174.72 billion, compared with a rise of 13.8 percent in November. The figure suggested overseas demand was softening but “has not collapsed”, said IHS Global Insight. Imports increased 11.8 percent to $158.2 billion compared with a 22.1 percent rise in the previous month, signaling that tight restrictions on bank lending and the property market had hurt domestic consumption. Bank of America-Merrill Lynch

Irish economy under new EU-IMF review DUBLIN: The latest quarterly review of Ireland’s implementation of economic reforms following a multi-billion-euro bailout gets underway yesterday, the finance ministry said.

The review team of experts from the socalled troika of the European Union, European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be in Ireland until January 19, a ministry spokeswoman said. Prime Minister Enda Kenny said Monday he expected “Ireland will again measure up” following the latest analysis.

In November 2010, Ireland received an 85-billion-euro ($108-billion) EU-IMF bailout as massive debt and deficit problems left the country’s economy on the verge of collapse. The troika experts arrive as new data published by the Irish Exporters’ Association (IEA) indicate that

the international downturn could hit Ireland’s hopes that exports will drive economic recovery.

An IEA review of 2011 and projections for 2012 shows exports slowed substantially in the second half of last year and look set to contract further this year. “We cannot underestimate the challenges ahead for exporters, particularly in the light of continued uncertainty around the resolution of the euro-zone debt crises, and the fragility of the UK’s economic recovery,” IEA chief executive John Whelan said. The IEA is forecasting three percent expor t growth in 2012 and Whelan said that this level of growth “is significantly below the five percent level of export growth needed to meet Irish economic and employment recovery levels implicit in the EU/IMF program targets”. —AFP

In November, China cut the amount of money banks must hold in reserve for the first time in three years to spur lending and counter the turmoil overseas, but policymakers appear to have ruled out any major stimulus packages. Senior Chinese leaders have repeatedly vowed to maintain a “prudent monetary policy and proactive fiscal policy” in 2012, suggesting they will move cautiously to open credit valves to avoid reigniting inflation. — AFP

OPEC to keep out of Iran row: Venezuela CARACAS: OPEC will not get involved in the standoff between Iran and Western powers over its nuclear program, Venezuela’s oil minister said during an official visit

by Iran’s president to Venezuela.

The Islamic Republic is facing toughened sanctions by the United States meant to force a halt to its uranium enrichment program, which Washington says is aimed at creating weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. “OPEC will not get involved in the issue with Iran,”

Ramirez told reporters following a meeting between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. He said the sanctions are “causing instability in the market.”

Ramirez also said Venezuela considered its legal dispute with US oil giant Exxon Mobil to be closed after an arbitration ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce, or ICC, ordered Venezuela to pay $908 million in a commercial dispute over 2007 nationalization of assets.

Debenhams trading better than expected

SEOUL: A currency trader works in front of the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi), left, and the exchange rate between the US dollar and South Korean won at the Korea Exchange Bank headquarters in Seoul yesterday. Asian stocks rose yesterday, tracking slight gains on Wall Street and assisted by an absence of bad financial news.— AP

economist Lu Ting said December imports also may have been hurt by the earlier than usual Lunar New Year holiday, which falls in January this year.

Factories may have cut back production as migrant workers returned home to celebrate the important holiday, also known as Spring Festival, with their families, he said.

LONDON: Debenhams, Britain’s No 2 department store group, posted a better than expected performance in underlying sales in the last 18 weeks, proving it could trade well through even the most difficult of conditions. Shares in the group rose 8 percent after it said it had enjoyed record sales in the final week before Christmas, as its diverse range of products from cosmetics to clothes and homewares appealed to cashstrapped consumers, while its online channels also proved popular.

The group said its level of discounts had been in line with the previous year, despite many rivals increasing their offers, and that due to a pragmatic approach to the promotional and product mix, its guidance for gross margin would remain unchanged at flat.

“We’ve succeeded in a very difficult market and have made a good start to the new year,” Chief Executive Michael Sharp told reporters. “(This) clearly demonstrates that we can trade well in even the most challenging of environments. “2011 was my 36th Christmas as a retailer and it’s no exaggeration to say that it was probably the most difficult of all I’ve traded to call.” In total, sales at stores open over a year excluding VAT sales tax were flat in the 18 weeks to Jan. 7.

That compared with analysts’ consensus forecast of sales down 0.9 percent from a range of flat to down 3.2 percent, according to a Reuters poll of nine.

Sharp said that much of the group’s appeal was based around its wide range of products, meaning that shoppers not willing to spend large sums on new clothes or shoes were perhaps willing to buy lipstick or perfume. He noted however that the group would remain cautious for the rest of 2012 although he said it was difficult at this stage to know whether consumer behavior was being affected by concerns over the economy or the change in the weather compared to last year. Warmer weather throughout October and November hit the sales of seasonal products, meaning that the group chose to discount coats and jumpers in the run up to Christmas.

The news could boost sentiment on the British high street as many retailers appeared to have had a tough Christmas, using sales to lure customers who are struggling with rising prices, muted wages growth and government austerity measures.Many do not expect 2012 to be much better. The strategy by Debenhams, ranked second in the UK after employee-owned department store chain John Lewis , is to drive profits by investing some of its gross margin, through price cuts and promotions, into pushing sales. Shares in Debenhams were up 4.6 pence at 61.6 pence at 0822 GMT. — Reuters

He said there was no longer any reason for Exxon to continue with a separate arbitration proceeding at the World Bank arbitration tribunal known as the ICSID, where Exxon is seeking compensation for the value of assets taken over by the state. “We will not accept any resolution that plans to impose an exorbitant payment on our country,” Ramirez told reporters, reiterating President Hugo Chavez’s statements on Sunday that Venezuela planned to withdraw from the ICSID. But he

added that for the time being, Venezuela will continue litigation of a similar dispute with US oil giant ConocoPhillips, which also sued over the 2007 state takeover of its assets.

The Conoco and Exxon cases are the most advanced of more than 20 arbitration claims against Venezuela at the ICSID. Some experts expect the next ICSID ruling related to Venezuela could come in 2012, though Venezuela’s government does not expect rulings this year. — Reuters

Discounts help M&S lift Christmas sales LONDON: Bellwether British retailer Marks & Spencer posted a small rise in underlying Christmas sales as discounts helped to lure cash-strapped shoppers, and said it expected trading conditions to stay challenging.

Britain’s biggest clothing retailer, which also sells homewares and upmarket foods, said yesterday it was making additional cost savings to offset a fall in profit margins due to the discounting.

Sales at British stores open over a year rose 0.5 percent excluding VAT sales tax in the 13 weeks to Dec. 31, its financial third quarter.

That included a 1.8 percent fall in general merchandise sales and a 3 percent rise in food sales, against forecasts for a fall of 1.5 percent and a rise of 1.5 percent respectively.

In its second quarter, Marks & Spencer (M&S) reported a 0.7 percent fall in underlying British sales.

Britain’s retailers are mostly struggling as disposable incomes are squeezed by rising prices, muted wages growth and austerity measures, and as shoppers worry about a weak housing market, rising unemployment and the euro-zone debt crisis. The British Retail Consortium reported a surprise 2.2 percent rise in December retail sales yesterday, but said weak business a year earlier flattered the figures and warned discounting could hit stores’ profits. Clothing retailers have been at the forefront of that price cutting as mild weather combined with weak demand to leave them with piles of unsold winter garments. “In light of the ongoing macro-economic uncertainty, we expect trading conditions to remain challenging,” said M&S, which serves about 21 million Britons a week from around 700 stores and has over 350 mainly franchised outlets overseas. — Reuters

S Korean shipbuilders eye French group SEOUL: South Korean shipbuilders trying to stay ahead of arch-rival China are considering a joint bid for a French group that provides advanced technology for LNG sea transport, officials said yesterday.

Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) specializes in cargo containment systems for advanced liquefied natural gas carriers.

Delegates from its financial advisers, Lazard, had paid a two-day visit to South Korea to brief potential buyers and would also meet Chinese shipbuilders, the officials said.

“South Korean shipbuilders are interested in the bidding,” an official of Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), the world’s largest shipbuilder by sales, told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The shipyards, including HHI, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) and STX Offshore & Shipbuilding, may form a consortium to make a one-billion-euro ($1.3 billion) bid for the French group, he said. It would be difficult for a South Korean shipyard to make a solo bid at a time when

the global shipbuilding industry is in a downturn, he added. A DSME official said local shipbuilders were worried that if Chinese competitors buy GTT they will close the technology gap with South Korean firms and force them to pay royalties. South Korean shipbuilders pay GTT $10 million for each LNG vessel, about five percent of the total building cost, because GTT has a patent for its LNG containment systems. Last year South Korea received orders for 40 LNG carriers, about 70 percent of total global orders for such ships. It was also the world’s largest builder of all types of ship, according to London-based Clarkson Research Services. The firm said South Korean shipbuilders won a combined 13.55 million compensated gross tons (CGTs) in new orders last year, while Chinese shipbuilders clinched a total of 9.2 million CTGs. It said South Korea accounted for 48.2 percent of the total 28.11 million CGTs worth of deals placed globally, compared with 31.2 percent a year earlier.— AFP

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

business

KSE stocks eke out gains GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) witnessed the first green session in 2012 backed by heavyweight banking and services and investment sectors. Global General Index (GGI) ended the day up by 0.64 percent, at 176.51 point. Market capitalization was up for the day, reaching KD28.88bn. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 5,720.3 point, adding 26.20 points (0.46 percent) from its previous close.

Market breadth During the session, 99 companies were traded.

Market breadth was skewed towards advancers as 56 equities advanced versus 18 that retreated.

Volume and value of shares traded on the exchange saw a positive note. Total volume traded was up by 21.17 percent with 274.25mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD25.27mn (13.99 percent higher compared to Monday’s session). Investors interest was geared towards the Services and Investment Sector’s stocks where their volume of traded shares respectively accounted for 32.24 percent and 30.87 percent of the total shares traded on the exchange. Investors seem to be interested in Kuwait Business Town Real Estate Company, where its traded volume reached 56.16mn shares.

The scrip ended the day up by 1.85 percent and closed at KD0.0275. Meanwhile, trading was still intense on Hits Telecom Holding Company stock which witnessed 32.40mn shares exchanged for a total value of KD2.24mn. The scrip ended the day up by 7.58 percent at KD0.071 bringing its YTD gain to 31.5 percent since the beginning of 2012.

In terms of top gainers, Al-Salam Group Holding Company was the top gainer for the day, adding 8.06 percent to its share value and closing at KD0.134. On the other hand, share price of Contracting & Marine Services Company retreated by 9.43 percent and closed at KD0.192, making it the biggest decliners in the market.

Sectors On Global’s Sectoral Indices performance, 5 out of the eight indices witnessed daily gains led

by Global Banking Index which witnessed an increase of 0.98 percent on the back of 1.79 percent daily gains registered by heavyweight National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) to close at KD1.140. Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait also registered daily gains by an increase of 1.56 percent to close at KD0.650.

Global Investment Index followed, registering 0.94 percent increase during the day on the back of gains registered in Kuwait Investment Company stock which ended up by 1.92 percent.

The company said that it does not plan to exit its investments in the euro zone. The company is managing assets worth KD2.3bn ($8.23bn) while its own assets totaled KD250mn at the end of 2011, Bader Al-Subaiee, the company’s chairman and chief executive, said. Elsewhere in the sector, Coast Investment and Development Company was the second biggest gainer in the sector, adding 7.07 percent to its share price to close at KD0.053.

Global Real Estate Index witnessed a daily increase of 0.71 percent as many of the real estate stocks witnessed gains. Real Estate Trade Center Company led this sector’s advancers with an increase of 7.27 percent to end the day at KD0.059. Global Services Index registered a daily increase of 0.49 percent. National Cleaning Company (NCC) plans to enter the food and agricultural sectors in 2012 through its units and has set aside KD5mn ($17.9mn) as an initial investment for this purpose. This figure is expected to double to KD10mn as the Company plans an overseas expansion in the second phase due to land shortages in Kuwait and unfavorable weath-

er conditions, Chairman of NCC Fouad Dashti said. The scrip ended the day up by 5.36 percent, at KD0.118. Furthermore, Agility closed up by 2.70 percent at KD0.380. On the other hand, Global Non Kuwaiti Index witnessed the steepest decline of 0.60 percent on the back of the retreat registered in both Ithmaar Bank and Ahli United Bank, ending the day down by 2.63 percent and 1.06 percent, respectively.

Corporate news Gatehouse Bank, a UK-based shariah-compliant unit of Kuwait’s Securities House, has exited a real estate investment in the US state of California for $54.5mn. Gatehouse has achieved a return of 21 percent on this property, used as a medical clinics center, which it bought in June 2010 for $45mn, Chairman of Gatehouse Fahed Boodai said.

Oil news Price of Kuwaiti crude oil increased $0.87 to $112.82pb on Monday compared to $111.95pb on Friday, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said in a statement yesterday. The price rise of the Kuwaiti crude coincided with mounting fears, resulting from threats by Iran to shut the strategic Hormuz strait through which a third of the world’s supplies of crude oil passes.

Oil rises above $113 on Iran tension LONDON: Oil rose towards $113 a barrel yesterday as tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and unrest in Nigeria outweighed persistent concern about the strength of Europe’s economy.

Iran has begun enriching uranium deep inside a mountain and sentenced an American to death for spying, angering the West and undermining expectations that diplomacy could avert further sanctions or war. Brent crude rose 83 cents to $113.28 a barrel by 1010 GMT, following a decline of 61 cents on Monday. US crude was up $1.39 to $102.70.

“Despite demand conditions being relatively weak, oil prices are still above $100 because of the geopolitical tensions. There is a floor on prices at the moment,” said Natalie Robertson of ANZ. The tension over Iran’s nuclear program, which Tehran insists is for peaceful purposes, have included Iran threatening to shut the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most impor tant oil expor t route.

European Union states, which have already agreed in principle to an embargo on Iranian oil to ratchet up pressure on Tehran, are due to hold a meeting to decide on the measure on Jan 23, EU diplomats said on Monday.

Iran produces 3.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude, making it the second largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Expor ting Countries (OPEC) after Saudi Arabia. The EU imports about 500,000 bpd from Iran.

Supply risks were also in focus in Nigeria, where trade unions began a second day of strikes on Tuesday to protest against the removal of fuel subsidies. The strike has so far not affected shipments from Africa’s largest oil exporter.

While threats to supplies supported oil prices, economic weakness in Europe limited gains. The euro stayed under pressure yesterday, with markets nervous about the outlook for the region’s economy and banks, prospects for government debt sales and a slowdown in the export-focused Chinese economy. Even so, figures yesterday showed China’s crude imports rose 5 percent in December year-on-year, and analysts expect steady growth from the world’s second largest consumer in 2012.

In top consumer the United States, crude stocks were expected to have risen last week by 200,000 barrels, a Reuters poll showed. Industry group the American Petroleum Institute issues its inventory report at 2130 GMT. — Reuters

KD drops to 0.278 vs dollar KUWAIT: The exchange rate of the US dollar against the Kuwaiti dinar dropped to KD 0.278, and the euro increased to KD 0.356 against the Kuwaiti dinar on Monday, said the daily bulletin of

the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK).

The sterling pound gained reaching KD 0.431, the Japanese yen was traded at KD 0.003, whereas the Swiss franc exchange increased to KD 0.294. — KUNA

25

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

business DETROIT AUTO SHOW

DETROIT: Mercedes-Benz’s new SL convertible sits alongside one of the company’s first SLs at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. — AFP

DETROIT: The BMW i8 concept is displayed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. —AP

Dazzling makeovers, concept cars in focus DETROIT: Design has taken center stage at the Detroit auto show like it hasn’t in years, with automakers offering dazzling makeovers and concept cars aimed at renewing their brands as markets rebound.

From the humble Smart to supercars, automakers are offering more visually interesting products than ever in recent years, raising their game against increasingly tough competition and cutting the boring quotient. It was evident in Chrysler’s revival of the clunky 1970s Dodge Dart in a small slingback entrylevel car that will please young people hoping for a little sporty pizzazz from the company’s Italian owner Fiat.

And it was evident in the remakes in the luxury class, like Mercedes-Benz’s sixdecade-old SL, where formidable curves and brawn come together in a hefty allaluminum convertible. “The big theme for the show is styling,” Jeremy Anwyl, head of auto industry experts Edmunds.com, told AFP. Styling is a way to differentiate a product “when cars can no longer set themselves apart by safety features or performance or fuel efficiency. You’re seeing styling in segments where it wouldn’t have been a big deal

before. You go back a few years ago, compact cars were pretty boring because the idea was people bought it as an appliance-it’s cheap.”

Now, he said, auto makers want their products to stand out in a crowded field.

Ford has achieved this by sexing up its middle-market mainstay the Fusion with euro-styling designed right at the firm’s home in Dearborn, Michigan. Formerly almost indistinguishable from others in its class-including the best-selling Camry-the Fusion now wears some BMW-like touches, no surprise since Ford vice president of design J. Mays has done stints designing for BMW, Audi and Volkswagen.

“What we wanted was a car that looked visually like a premium car,” he said. Twenty-seven new cars were introduced in Detroit on Monday, some of them more changed inside than out, like Volkswagen’s Jetta with a hybrid engine.

BMW laid out its new 3 Series range, with inches added on in front and back, and sleek design changes to the lights, kidney-grills, and other frills. Porsche meanwhile unveiled the cabriolet version of its new Carrera (the coupe was launched late last year), which, while

unmistakably a member of the venerable 911 family, also came with some aggressive new curves, a wider front and

ness of an American muscle car-almost.

Audi meanwhile shrunk its crossover Q5 into the Q3 compact.

The Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels concept is on display at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. —AP a longer body. Volkswagen took a different approach to its concept car, the electric E-Bugster, by taking out the Beetle’s cuteness, mashing down the top and fattening the sides to give it the stout-

Not to be outdone by their German rivals-who topped the US luxury market last year-Lexus and Acura both introduced racy new concept cars.

Acura’s is a svelte concept revival of

the NSX, while Lexus has designed a hybrid sport coup, the LF-LC, with curves that look like they were painted on in one brush swipe.

While some were trying to get into the small-car niche, diminutive Scion and Smart headed in the other direction, aiming to redefine themselves in a bigger form. Scion, Toyota’s quirky youth market brand, introduced its hungrylooking FR-S sportscar, with one outfitted for professional drift racing. Scion said it had recruited Japanese start Ken Gushi to drive it in Formula Drift events.

Scion vice president Jack Hollis insisted the FR-S had the same DNA as the original boxy xB. It looked more like a Toyota 2000 GT, but at any rate it was likely to catch the eyes of Scion lovers graduating from the earlier models.

Smart meanwhile had a bug-like rockhopper concept car, the Smart-for-Us, that might have come out of Pixar’s “Cars”.

It too had little similarity with its urban-life parent, appearing better suited for the beach or the desert. While still small, it dwarfed the original Smart, but it also gave shoppers another reason to look at the carmaker. — AFP

Honda to boost exports of US-made vehicles

DETORIT: Daimler introduces the “Smart For Us” an “urban pickup” electric concept vehicle during a press preview. — AFP

Smart unveils mini pickup truck DETROIT: Smart unveiled a miniature, all-electric pickup truck at the Detroit auto show amid a German onslaught of urban mini-cars into the US market which had long been dominated by massive trucks and sport utility vehicles. “ The Smart for-Us shows what a car nowadays needs to be great,” Anette Winkler, president of Smart, said at a press conference.

“It’s not size but in fact: high convenience, low emission, safety and lots of driving fun.” The zippy little car-currently a prototype-can accommodate two pas-

sengers and has a flatbed big enough for two electric bicycles, Winkler said.

It also comes with a special recharging port for the electric bicycles. Smart has already sold 100,000 vehicles in the United States to “creative, inspired and forward-thinking people who want to be different,” she added. Daimler, which owns the smart brand, announced last year that it would take over smart sales in the United States from a private distributor. Smart sales stumbled after their initially successful 2008 launch, selling just 5,208 vehicles last year. — AFP

DETROIT: Honda will further boost exports of US-built vehicles and expand its overseas production in order to hedge against an “abnormally high” yen, the Japanese automaker’s chief said. The Japanese automaker aims to increase local production to about 70-80 percent of the vehicles it sells in each region while importing the rest from various plants around the world, Honda chief executive Takanobu Ito said. “That’s the way we can grow, and that will be the ultimate method to hedge against these kind of currency ups and downs,” he said on the sidelines of the Detroit auto show.

“In the US, for example, we have already achieved 87 percent of local North American production, which satisfies me,” Ito said through a translator. “What I’m asking North America or the US to do is to contribute to other regions such as the Mideast by providing North American production to those regions.” The comments come as Honda reels from supply disruptions from the March quake-tsunami-nuclear disaster in Japan and recent flooding in Thailand. Global production will not return to normal levels until March, said Ito, who declined to estimate how badly sales were hit or how long it will take Honda to return to pre-disaster sales level of 3.6 million vehicles worldwide.

“2011 was like a jinx,” Ito said. There is a superstition in Japan that at some point a person hits a year where they have a bad fortune no matter what they do, he explained. The only way to recover is to go to a shrine and

pray. “I went to Nikko shrine on New Year’s and had that bad omen taken away from me,” Ito said. This year will be one of recovery, Ito added. Production in the United States was not as badly hit and the Japanese automaker

DETROIT: Takanobu Ito, President and CEO of Honda Motor Corporation speaks at the launch of the Acura NSX concept car. — AFP plans to boost North American production by 20 percent in 2012, said American Honda president Tetsuo Iwamura. “Last year we had a big handicap for production due to the shortage of the parts, so we have full confidence

Japan carmakers see big US gains DETROIT: Japanese carmakers are looking forward to big US sales gains after introducing a slew of new vehicles at the Detroit auto show, but will face stiff competition from a resurgent Detroit and ambitious Koreans and Germans.

Toyota and Honda saw sales tumble in 2011 after supplies were shattered by the devastating March earthquake-tsunami-nuclear disaster in Japan. It came at a particularly bad time for Toyota, which was finally recovering from a reputation-shattering series of mass safety recalls. The supply shortages also provided an opportunity for Ford, General Motors and Chrysler to capture new customers after years of painful restructuring resulted in radical revamps of their product offerings. “The problem for Toyota and Honda is that some of their market share losses are potentially permanent losses because the competition is so much better,” said Jesse Toprak, an analyst with TrueCar.com.

“Consumers who would have bought a Toyota or Honda ended up getting something else and realized these cars are as good or better.” Asian automakers dethroned the Detroit Three in 2009 as the biggest sellers in the US market as overall industry sales tumbled amidst a deep economic downturn that pushed GM and Chrysler into a government-backed bankruptcy. That trend reversed in 2011, when losses at Toyota and Honda pushed the Asian share down to 43.7 percent while US carmakers captured 46.9 percent, according to Autodata. With total industry sales

forecast to grow to 13.5 million vehicles in 2012 after posting a 10 percent gain to 12.8 million last year, there should be plenty of new customers to go around. “We’re extremely bullish on the market and how we’re going to perform in it,” said Bob Carter, who heads the Toyota division of the group’s US sales team.

Toyota is launching 19 new products this year across its four brands: Toyota, Lexus, Scion and Prius.

“It is a very competitive market without a doubt.

There’s good products coming from numerous auto makers,” Carter told AFP on the sidelines of the show.

“We’ve always had and continue to have a leadership in terms of the safety, reliability and durability.

What you’re starting to see is a new styling direction coming in.” That fresh, sexy styling was on display when Lexus unveiled a prototype of its new hybrid sports car the LF-LC coupe Monday.

Lexus-which introduces nine new products this year-will handily recapture the coveted luxury crown that it lost last year after being overtaken by BMW and Mercedes after 11 years of dominance, said Lexus general manager Mark Templin.

“Our base plan-which we expect to exceed by a wide margin-is 240,000 units which is 21 percent growth” in 2012, Templin told reporters. Honda, which was hit by mass flooding at factories in Thailand just as its production was getting back on line, also has ambitious goals. “This year, 2012 is really the year that we’ll be able to show how Honda is competitive in the

that we’ll be able to sell the incremental part of the production in this market,” he said.

Honda also expects to boost US sales by 25 percent in 2012, after posting a 7.1 percent loss in 2011. Its sales target includes 1.25 mil-

market place,” American Honda president Tetsuo Iwamura said on the sidelines of the Detroit show.

Hondea expects to boost US sales by 25 percent in 2012, after posting a 7.1 percent loss in 2011, Iwamura said. Its sales target includes 1.25 million Hondas and 180,000 luxury Acura vehicles.

Honda introduced three Acura prototypes at the Detroit show Monday which represent the automaker’s focus on “timeless beauty” and sportier styling.

“For Acura, we would consider it an immediate success if we achieve 180,000 sales this year,” Iwamura said prior to the unveiling. “Of course we are much more ambitious for the future.” Nissan, whose suppliers were not badly hit by the Japanese disaster, posted a 14 percent jump in US sales to 1.04 million vehicles in 2011. Its US market share rose 0.4 points to 8.2 percent, edging up against Honda, which holds 5th place in the crowded US market with a nine percent share. “For the first time we have no handicap,” compare to Toyota and Honda,” Nissan-Renault chief executive officer Carlos Ghosn said. Nissan’s former financial troubles are long over and it has a full lineup of vehicles across its global product offerings. It’s also the number one Japanese brand in China, which is the number one market in the world, Ghosn said.

“2011 wasn’t a bad year for us,” he said during a press conference at the Detroit auto show. “The company is moving in the right direction,” he said. “We did not lose market share in one market in which we compete. In 2012, this is going to grow again.” — AFP

lion Hondas and 180,000 luxury Acura vehicles. Honda introduced three Acura prototypes at the Detroit show Monday which represent the automaker’s focus on “timeless beauty” and sportier styling. — AFP

Porsche delivers new drop-top Carrera DETROIT: Porsche wheeled out a new Carrera, a convertible version of its newest update of the venerable 911 that adds both length and subtle trim changes to the line.

Porsche president and chief executive Mattias Mueller rolled out the new drop-top at the annual Detroit auto fest, beaming as he declared the German maker’s 2011 “extremely successful” “The new 911 cabrio is improved from the last model in every aspect,” he said.

The car has a 0-60 miles per hour (100 kph) acceleration of four seconds, but only has to slow down to 31 mph for the roof to be raised or lowered, he said.

It also sports 15 percent better fuel consumption than its predecessors-though fuel costs might be less important to the person who can spend $98,000 for the base model.

“We have built the best 911 in 49 years,” he said. The new car is the convertible version of the 911 coupe introduced first in Germany in September, the seventh redesign of the half-century-old 911 line.

Porsche’s target is to sell about 25,000 of both the coupe and cabriolet this year. Mueller meanwhile cheered 2011 as “one of the most successful years in our company’s history,” with a record 118,000 cars sold, up 22 percent over 2010. In North America sales jumped 15 percent to 29,000 units. China is the company’s second biggest market, with 24,000 in sales last year, and the biggest market for its top-of-the-line Panamera, according to Porsche marketing chief Berhard Maier. — AFP

A

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e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

business

Years

A concept sport coupe

Lexus unveils LF-LC hybrid

DETROIT: Lexus unveiled a sleek, powerful concept sport coupe Monday that the luxury brand said offers a look at how its future offerings might be designed.

The two-door, four-seat LF-LC hybrid, which features an expansive glass roof, was displayed for the first time at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It features tail lamps inspired by the look of jet airplane afterburners.

“We wanted this to be a gorgeous car, but we also wanted everything to be functional with a focus on the driver,” said Lexus general manager Mark Templin.

The LF-LC is packed with technology, including a touch-screen device in the center console that allows the driver to control some of the vehicle’s systems as well as two 12.3-inch LCD display screens. Touch-screen surfaces on each door operate windows, mirrors and seats. The luxury arm of Toyota Motor Corp. said there are currently no plans to produce the LF-LC. The car illustrates what Templin said is the latest phase for Lexus, which is aiming for “emotional and inspirational” vehicles. This year it plans nine new or updated vehicles and three F Sport models. As part of that, Lexus plans to release new versions of the midsize

GS sedan early this year.

“From the GS forward, all our products will have more distinctive designs, more engaging driving dynamics, even better fuel economy and more advanced electronics,” Templin said.

Here’s what’s new: POWER: Lexus expects the LF-LC would kick out

Waheed Ahmad wins 2011 Al-Danah Millionaire Draw

more than 500 horsepower.

SPEED and MILEAGE: Those technical details weren’t released.

LOOKS: A definite head-turner, the LF-LC’s glass roof and flowing lines set it apart. There’s no mistaking the luxury look and feel as well as its powerful appearance.

CHEERS: It’s a beautiful machine, even at rest. It sur-

rounds the driver in the latest technology, and raises the possibility that future Lexus models will draw on the distinctive design.

JEERS: A car like the LF-LC likely would be a pricey addition to the Lexus collection. The rear seating, which sets it apart from the traditional sportscar, looks to be a tight fit.

BEST Al-Yousifi Electronics announces winner of KD 1,000 grand prize draw KUWAIT: Under the supervision of Ministry of Commerce, Kuwait Consumer Protection department and in presence of many customers, BEST Al-Yousifi Electronics conducted their fourth and final raffle draw event where by 25 customers received gift vouchers worth KD100 each and one lucky winner won the grand prize of KD 1,000 in gift vouchers. The campaign had a total of 100 winners of gift vouchers worth KD 100 each and a grand prize winner of KD 1,000 which was given out in the last draw. The customers entered the draw through coupons collected for every KD 50 purchase made during the campaign. 75 winners collected their prizes in the last three weeks and the last group of 25 winners plus the grand prize winner was announced this week. Eleanor, holder

of Coupon No 2654 was the lucky winner of the KD1000 gift vouchers grand prize. The fourth and final draw was conducted at the BEST Electronics Showroom in Hawally, Tunis Street, and here are the names of the lucky winners: Damanval Singh — 2579, Ali Mahmoud H - 678, Elis Edosma-613, Senhal-1305, Alyah - 460, Bader Abdullah - 1038, Muninder Kaur—2739, Saeed - 172, Eynas Rushoud-385, Anis Ahmed - 1066, Mohammad Mohammad-393, Neranjara - 989, Adnan- 717, Habeed Abd Al Nabi - 2588, Vivin Lafenzir - 2425, Ahmed - 2745, Yousef Mohammad — 851, Ismail Mamdouh335, Khaled Saleh — 665, Samira S Al Humaidi - 83, EM Di Sham-281, Soaad Outa Al Enezy-1448, Abdelrehman - 2178, Salih Rashid - 1317, Raliya - 425.

Joyalukkas announces winners of Easy Gold Plan in Kuwait Ambassador of Goodwill and the Gulf Song, Abdallah Al-Ruwaished and the best selling Lebanese Artist, Najwa Karam announce winner

(Left to right): Aly Shalaby, General Manager, Consumer Banking Group, Abdallah Al-Ruwaished, Najwa Karam, Fawzy Al-Thunayan, General Manager, Board Affairs and Renowned Kuwaiti TV Anchor, Barakat Al-Wogayan with the Al-Danah millionaire cheque.

KUWAIT: Gulf Bank announced the long awaited and highly anticipated winner of its latest Al Danah 1 million dinar prize draw. Waheed Ahmad’s name was drawn during a special live event hosted by the Ambassador of Goodwill and the Gulf Song, Abdallah Al-Ruwaished and the Best Selling Lebanese Artist, Najwa Karam at The Avenues Mall on January 5th, in front of a massive cheering crowd.

The event commenced with the famous Kuwaiti TV presenter Barakat Al- Wogayan introducing the celebrity hosts of the evening to an excited crowd. The event was also streamed live through the Bank’s website, making Gulf Bank the first Bank to offer this service to its customers. The ten weekly winners were announced and they are as follows: Musaed Mohammed Abdullah Al- Munayes, Hanan Jawad Abdullah Al- Amer AlSabagh, Fawzi Jassim Fahad Abdullatif Al-Fozan, Fouad Ahmad Ibrahim, Walaa Ibrahim Hassan El-Hamraa, Naser Ali Haider Saraj, Sayyed Hashim Yousef Al-Zelzela, Nawaz Ahmed Mehkri, Abdulaziz Ghanim Mohammed Al-Ghanim and Abdulatif Ahmad Mohammad Al-Kandari. The declaration of the winner of the 1 million dinar draw followed shortly to the great adulation of the jubilant crowd.

Al-Wogayan contacted Waleed Ahmad expressing his great joy and elation over winning the prize draw. Waleed Ahmad shed tears of delight during the call that was broadcasted live throughout the country truly capturing the momentous occasion and emphasizing his deep gratitude at receiving such a life changing prize. Aly Shalaby, Gulf Bank’s General Manager, Consumer Banking Group, said: “We are delighted to have made Waheed Ahmad as the 2011 Al-Danah millionaire and we warmly congratulate him. The Al-Danah account has rap-

idly become one of the most popular accounts in Kuwait and we are very pleased that so many people are now able to benefit from it. No other bank in Kuwait or across the Middle East is offering its customers the opportunity to win KD1 million equivalent in one single draw prize and the Bank is delighted to continue with Al-Danah in 2011.”

The Al-Danah account is the ideal and most practical account for people that want to save money and at the same time, as has happened to our winner today, have the opportunity to win a prize which is truly life changing.

In closing, Shalaby said: “Gulf Bank would also like to place on record its thanks and appreciation to Ambassador of Goodwill and the Gulf Song Abdallah Al-Ruwaished and the Best Selling Lebanese Artist Najwa Karam for being with us at this year’s Al Danah millionaire draw. The presence of these two figures has helped to make the event very special and a pleasant change of pace for all who viewed and attended this year’s Al-Danah prize draw.”

The winner of the single biggest prize draw in the Middle East offered to account holders in Kuwait was announced following a series of events building up to the draw date, including a press conference at the Sheraton Hotel, where senior executives from the Bank’s management highlighted key features about the Al-Danah account.

For information about the Al Danah account or any of the Bank’s other products and services, log on to www.e-gulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s bilingual website. For more information regarding Al Danah or to directly link through for information on the Al Danah account and the names of the past winners, log in to www.e-gulfbank.com/aldanah.

(Starting right): Aly Shalaby, General Manager, Consumer Banking Group, Abdallah Al-Ruwaished, Renowned Kuwaiti TV Anchor, Barakat Al-Wogayan, Najwa Karam, Fawzy Al-Thunayan, General Manager, Board Affairs after announcing the name of the Al Danah 1 million dinar winner for 2011.

KUWAIT: Joyalukkas recently announced winners of their ongoing Easy Gold Plan for the month of December. The Joyalukkas Easy Gold Plan is a unique installment based initiative for customers to save and buy jewelry of their choice in easy installments.

The Joyalukkas Easy Gold Plan assures the customers of more value for their savings, since Gold today is considered one of the safest investment options.

Under the Joyalukkas Easy Gold Plan, customers can choose a monthly payment option starting from KD 10 and retain it for a period of 12, 18 or 24 months. At the end of the period, based on the value saved, customers can pick the jewelry of their choice from Joyalukkas showrooms. Most customers who have participated in the scheme have endorsed that the Joyalukkas Easy Gold Scheme has given them much better returns than Fixed Deposits in banks.

“Joyalukkas is committed to giving customers convenience, value, choice and excellent service. The Easy Gold Scheme is part of our convenience initiative to make purchase of jewelry very easy and secure for our customers. We assure them of good returns and give

them the flexibility of picking the jewelry they like and would love to own,” said Joy Alukkas, Chairman, Joyalukkas Group. The winners for the month of December under the Joyalukkas Easy Gold Scheme are Roy Samuel (EGP Card No.1491002018), Sunil Dominic (EGP Card No.1491004857) Imam Hussain M (EGP Card No.1491005365) and Ambili Ganesh (EGP Card No.1491003790).

They each get to win gold coins from Joyalukkas.

Joyalukkas Jewelry has arranged a special online payment facility for their

Easy Gold Members. Customer can visit Joyalukkas website and login for making their payments through Debit cards issued from Kuwait. Joyalukkas is one of the first ISO certified jewelry retailers in the Middle East and has also recently won the status of Superbrand in the UAE. In addition to this, Joyalukkas has been recognized with the Dubai Quality Awards certificate for its best practices in all aspects of jewelry retailing and has also been awarded with the status of Middle East’s Retailer of the Year by Retail ME.

Burgan Bank sponsors ‘Imagine Cup’ by Microsoft KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced that it is sponsoring for the second time Microsoft’s annual Imagine Cup, an international premier student technology competition that is aimed at encouraging students to use their creativity and passion to present solutions for many of the world’s toughest challenges.

The concept of the ‘Imagine Cup’ competition inspires students from around the world to solve the world’s issues through the use of technology, in which programmers, designers and technologists are called on to rise to the challenge. Through this sponsorship, Burgan Bank will aid in the development and encouragement of young business savvy individuals to creatively search for solutions to real problems affecting the world. This will be accomplished by research, brainstorming, design elements, as well as finding the right

mechanics suitable to tackle the respective issues. Bashir Jaber, Burgan Bank’s Assistant General Manager - Corporate Communications, said, “We believe in

Bashir Jaber, Burgan Bank’s Assistant General Manager - Corporate Communications

nurturing young talents and enabling them to discover their potential in an effort to create a sound world. Keeping in line with our social initiatives, Imagine Cup is an innovative concept that paves the way for top talents to hone their skills as software experts on a common, competitive and productive platform.

The competition will include a round of country finals that will be held in Kuwait, where the winning team will advance to Australia to compete at the worldwide finals.

Burgan Bank continues to establish long lasting footprints within the social fabric of Kuwait with an aim to provide more social support to the society. The bank has been actively involved in a variety of sponsorships and initiatives that demonstrate its commitment to the wider public in education as well as other sectors.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Years

Nokia declares war in US smartphone market AT&T to bring out Nokia phone with Windows

LAS VEGAS: Kevin Packingham, senior vice president of Samsung Telecommunications America introduces the Galaxy Note. — AFP

Samsung bringing super-size smartphone to US LAS VEGAS: South Korean electronics giant Samsung announced plans Monday to bring its super-size smartphone, the Galaxy Note, which also features a stylus for taking notes, to the United States. With a 5.3 inch (13.46centimeter) touchscreen, the Galaxy Note is considerably wider than most smartphones on the market today.

Apple’s latest iPhone, the 4S, for example, has a 3.5-inch (8.85-centimeter) display. In an announcement on the eve of the giant Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Samsung said it will partner with AT&T to sell the Galaxy Note in the United States and it will run on the US telecom carrier’s 4G network.

The Galaxy Note, which Samsung describes as a “new category of smartphone,” went on sale in Asia and Europe in October. Exact pricing and availability for the US market were not announced. The Galaxy Note comes with a stylus, called the “S pen,” which is housed inside the device and which can be used to write notes on the screen as one would on a piece of paper. Handwritten notes from the S Pen can also be captured by the device and shared with others.

Samsung is touting the larger, high-resolution screen of the Galaxy Note as superior to standard smartphones for viewing videos, surfing the Web, running applications or reading electronic books. The Galaxy Note, which is powered by Google’s Android software, also comes with frontand rear-facing cameras. — AFP

LAS VEGAS: Dish unveils their new satellite receiver, Hopper, bottom, and the Joey, which connects the technology in up to four rooms, during a news conference at the International Consumer Electronics Show. — AP

Dish launches DVR that extends to other rooms LAS VEGAS: Satellite broadcaster Dish Network Corp on Monday said it’s launching a high-powered set-top box that can act as the central TV recorder for the whole home.

The “Hopper” box can record six shows simultaneously, and its recordings can be accessed from smaller boxes, called “Joeys,” that can be distributed around the house.

Other TV providers have so-called “whole-home digital video recorders,” but Englewood, Colo.-based Dish is taking the concept a bit further. The Hopper, for instance, will record each day’s lineup of primetime shows on the major broadcast networks.

The box will be free with a two-year contract, said Vivek Khemka, Dish’s vice president of product management. The company will start shipping it in January, and it should be in consumer hands shortly thereafter. Dish gave the press a preview of the Hopper ahead of the International Consumer Electronics Show, which started yesterday in Las Vegas. — AP

LAS VEGAS: Nokia has declared war in the US smartphone market, with a Microsoftpowered handset tailored to take on Apple iPhones and Google-backed Android devices. Microsoft chief executive Steven Ballmer joined Nokia boss Stephen Elop on Monday to unveil the new Lumia 900 smartphone, which will run on Windows mobile software and tap into a growing trove of popular mini-applications. The two firms did not disclose the price or release date for the Lumia 900, but said it will be offered exclusively on the latest generation 4G LTE network of US telecom giant AT&T. “We believe the industry has shifted from a battle of devices to a war of ecosystems,” Elop said, in a presentation laden with martial metaphors. “Clearly there are strong contenders on the field in this war of ecosystems,” he told a room packed with press on the eve of the opening of the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a massive gadgets fair in Las Vegas. The Finland-based Nokia in October introduced the Lumia line, which Elop described as the “first real Windows phones,” which had established “beachheads” in Europe, India, and Hong Kong. The company planned to start the US invasion yesterday with a Lumia 710 model that will be priced at $49 when bought with T-Mobile service contracts. “The work Nokia is doing around Windows phone and this third ecosystem is really going to pay off,” Ballmer said, caressing a sleek Lumia 900 touchscreen handset.

“When you pick it up and love and touch and feel your Lumia,” he said-making a playful “mmmmm” sound that drew laughs-”it really is quite fantastic.” Ballmer praised Nokia for getting the phones to market less than a year

after striking a deal with Microsoft to use its mobile software and link to its online applications shop, which boasts a fast-growing bank of 50,000 apps. “The reviews have been fantastic,” Ballmer said of Windows-powered phones, which have been late-comers to a

la Vega said at a press conference. “We are big fans of Windows phones.” Nokia showed off an array of applications made just for Lumia 900, including 20 videogames made by console industry colossus Electronic Arts.

Elop said Nokia planned to price Lumia

get that fly wheel spinning; our principle competition is the other ecosystems.” Nokia plans to eventually extend Windows across its full range of mobile phones and was working with Microsoft on getting mobile gadgets and computers to share pictures and other

LAS VEGAS: Host Ryan Seacrest holds the new Nokia Lumia 900 windows phone during a Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s keynote address at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center . — AFP booming market increasingly dominated by Apple and Android handsets.

Lumia 900 has front and rear facing cameras with Carl Zeiss photo technology and 4.3-inch high-definition displays. “I think Nokia is going to be back in the US in a very big way,” AT&T president of mobility Ralph de

900 “aggressively” to establish a strong beachhead on the US smartphone battlefield. He said that Lumia would then land in China and Latin America to fight for market share. “I am so happy that companies like Samsung, HTC and others are all introducing Windows devices,” Elop said. “We all need to

content using the Internet “cloud.” While declining to comment specifically on Research In Motion (RIM), Elop said that Nokia sees opportunity to compete in the business smartphone market, which has long been a stronghold for RIM’s popular BlackBerry handset. — AFP

Kuwait’s students to solve world’s problems using technology KUWAIT: Microsoft yesterday announced the launch of the Kuwait round of the world’s premier student technology competition, Imagine Cup 2012. Now in its tenth year, Imagine Cup 2012 will give students in Kuwait an opportunity to “Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems”. The competition, which is supported by Zain, the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) and Burgan Bank, is open to students between the age of 16 years and 26 years, empowering them to use their creative and technical abilities to make a positive impact on society. The first place winning team in the Software Design category in the Kuwait finals will participate in the Imagine Cup worldwide finals which will be held in Sydney, Australia in July 2012.

“As a global company Microsoft firmly believes in the ability of technology to make a difference to our world.

Combining technology with the innovation and creativity of young people around the globe is a powerful force for change that we aim to tap into with the Imagine Cup,” said Ehab Mostafa, Country Manager, Microsoft Kuwait. “The Kuwait round of this competition will give students a chance to take their ideas to a global forum and an audience of the best young programmers, technologists and designers in the world. We also hope that the Imagine Cup will continue to inspire the next generation of technology and business innovators in Kuwait.”

A number of students from Kuwait have participated at previous editions of the Microsoft Imagine Cup. In 2010, a three member team from the American University of Kuwait (AUK) represented Kuwait at the global Imagine Cup finals with their Multi-Touch Tutoring System which used markers and webcams as tools for disabled consumers to interact with technology. More recently, students from AUK won second place at the 2011 Imagine Cup Gulf s regional finals and went on to represent Kuwait in the Imagine Cup 2011 finals in New York City, USA. The team’s “Revolutionary Reporting System” project used geographic location tagging on images to make reporting more efficient.

“We are very happy to partner with Microsoft for Kuwait Imagine Cup in 2012 and are excited about the opportunities that this initiative will foster for this initiative will foster for young innovators in Kuwait,” said Waleed AlKhashti - Corporate Communications & Relations Department Manager at Zain. “Imagine Cup Kuwait is one of few platforms that provide students a chance to showcase their technology innovation, and we believe this is set to inspire the next generation of leaders in Kuwait,” continued AlKhashti. Additional supporters to the Imagine Cup Kuwait are Asus and Wamda.

Students between the ages of 16 years and 26 years are invited to apply online at http://www. imaqinecupqulf.com /Kuwait.aspx by February 28, 2012 to secure a place in the Kuwait round of the competition.

KUWAIT: Microsoft and Burgan Bank officials in the conference — Photo by yasser al-Zayyat

LAS VEGAS: A Samsung ES8000 TV is displayed during a press event at The Venetian for the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show. — AFP

TVs you can talk to, without sounding crazy LAS VEGAS: Talking to the TV is usually a sign of extreme agitation, mental instability or loneliness. TV manufacturers are set to make it a more rational behavior this year, with a range of sets that respond to speech. LG Electronics on Monday said it will sell a remote with its high-end flat-panel TVs that contains a microphone. You’ll be able to speak into the microphone to enter text on the TV for Twitter updates and Web searches. You still won’t be able to change the channel or control the volume by yelling at the TV. Samsung Electronics also said it would have TVs that responded to voice commands. In addition, it’s launching its first TV with a built-in camera. As you watch the ES8000 set, it will watch your back, looking for hand gestures that prompt it to move the onscreen cursor or launch apps. The two Korean rivals were the first to show new models at a preview day ahead of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which opens Tuesday. The show will feature many variations of so-called “smart” or Web-connected TVs. “Smart” TVs have been around since 2008, but two things are holding them back. One is that the conventional TV remote is a hopeless tool for Web browsing, typing, and other PC-like behaviors. “Anyone who’s actually checked email on a 50-inch TV knows it’s not a good experience,” said Shawn Dubravac, head of research at the Consumer Electronics Association, which puts on the show. As TVs become increasingly complex, more buttons are popping up on remotes. But that’s a trend that can’t continue, Dubravac said. TV makers are now looking for alternatives. Last year, LG introduced a “Magic Wand” remote that’s motion-sensitive, much like a game-console controller. This year, it’s taking another page from Microsoft Corp.’s Kinect game console and introducing a 3D camera that perches on top of a TV and interprets viewers’ motions, letting them control the on-screen cursor with hand movements.—AP

Intel backs ultra-light laptops with new age controls

LAS VEGAS: IntelCorp Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the PC Client Group Shmuel “Mooly” Eden demonstrates an Nikishki clamshell that features a touchpad interface when closed. — AFP

LAS VEGAS: US chip giant Intel on Monday heralded a coming wave of affordable high-powered, thin laptops that could double as tablet computers and be controlled by gestures or spoken commands. Intel vice president Mooly Eden showed off coming “ultrabooks” by Lenovo, Acer, Asus, Samsung, Toshiba, LG and Hewlett Packard as well as a curiously innovative prototype Nikiski laptop powered by yet-to-be-released Windows 8 software.

The Nikiski had a transparent touch pad panel below a standard keyboard. When closed the panel provided a window to the laptop screen and allowed it to be controlled with touches or swipes in a tablet style. “We started six months ago to deliver ultrabooks and are ramping as we speak,” Eden told reporters packed into a ballroom for a press conference on the eve of the official opening of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on Tuesday. “We would like average people to be able to enjoy the ultrabook experience, because you know the first ones were $999 or more,” he continued in a veiled reference to Apple’s popular MacBook Air line.

“Our target is to pull the price down and make ultrabooks mainstream.” About 50 ultrabooks were expected to debut at CES in one of the defining trends of this year’s show. Mooly said the power of computer chips has finally enabled laptop makers to deliver sleek and slim, yet powerful, ultrabooks with the potential to be controlled by gestures or voice and to eventually serve as spoken language interpreters. Intel revealed collaboration with Nuance Communications to bring voice controls to ultrabooks. “Now that we have relationships with devices like ultrabooks, why not talk to them?”

Nuance marketing officer Peter Mahoney said while joining Mooly on stage.

“You speak and it will be answered,” he added.

“The more you use it; it will learn your accent and better understand you.” Nuance voice recognition to be embedded in Intel-powered ultrabooks this year will recognize nine languages including French, Spanish, Mandarin and English.

Mooly also demonstrated a test model Windows 8 ultrabook built with sensors to allow it to control on-screen game play by being tilted, then

pointed out it was designed so the touch-screen could be folded to face outward tablet-computer style.

“People today talk about loving their computers,” Mooly said. “There is nothing wrong with loving our computer, if it is a great computer.”

Ultrabooks being powered by Intel chips were also built with embedded security features and could read data from NFC (near-fieldcommunication) chips built into credit cards Mooly said components from screens to batteries need to be redesigned to give ultrabooks “sexy” slim bodies along with beautiful viewing experiences and enduring power supplies.

Mooly showed off research projects already incorporating gesture controls into concept ultrabooks.

“This is going to be a totally new world of gesture recognition,” Mooly predicted. More than 75 Intel-based ultrabooks, many of them “hybrids” that can double as tablet computers are in design. Intel planned an April kick-off of its biggest advertising campaign in nearly a decade to spur demand for ultrabooks.—AFP

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

B vitamins may modestly boost memory SYDNEY: Older adults who took vitamin B12 and folic acid supplements for two years had greater improvements on short- and long-term memory tests than adults who did not take the vitamins, according to an Australian study. The benefits were modest but encouraging, said author Janine Walker, a researcher at Australian National University, of the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. “(Vitamins) may have an important role in promoting healthy ageing and mental wellbeing, as well as sustaining good cognitive functioning for longer on a community-wide scale,” said Walker in an email to Reuters Health.

The researchers asked more than 700 people aged 60 to 74 years to take a daily dose of folic acid and vitamin B12, or placebo pills that resembled

the vitamins. The vitamin dose included 400 micrograms of folic acid and 100 micrograms of vitamin B12, and participants didn’t know which they were assigned to take. The people taking part in the study showed signs of depression, but none had been diagnosed with clinical depression, the researchers said. “We felt that older people with elevated depressive symptoms were an important cohort to target given evidence that late-life depression is associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment,” Walker said.

After 12 months, there seemed to be no difference between the groups in how well people scored on mental tests, including memory, attention and speed. But after two years, those who took the vitamins showed more, if modest,

improvement in their scores on the memor y tasks. For instance, on a short term memory test, those who took the fake pills improved their score from about 5.2 to about 5.5 over two years.

Those who took the vitamins increased their test scores from 5.16 to about 5.6.

Short term memory is used to dial a number someone has just told you, while long term memory comes into play when you try to call that number a day or week later. It’s not yet clear how taking vitamins might work to boost brain functioning, and not all studies have agreed on their benefits.

One idea is that the vitamins reduce the body’s levels of a molecule called homocysteine, which is linked to cardiovascular disease and poor cognitive function. The thinking goes that lowering homo-

cysteine could perhaps reduce the cardiovascular risk, and in turn affect mental functioning.

Joshua Miller, a professor at the University of California, Davis, said it’s difficult to translate the memory improvement on the tests into real life benefits, with some people likely having larger memory improvements and others much less. “For any given individual, there may or may not be an effect,” he said. “But on a population level, a small increase in cognitive function can have very real ramifications on the functioning of the population as a whole, and on the costs of healthcare.” Further tests are needed, including whether other groups of people, especially those older than people in the new study, would also benefit from taking vitamins, Walker said. — Reuters

India’s malnutrition ‘national shame’: PM Indian milk often adulterated: Govt study

MUARA AMAN, Indonesia: This handout picture taken on Monday shows a trapped Sumatran tiger in Bengkulu province on Sumatra island. – AFP

Sumatran tiger rescued from trap in Indonesia JAKARTA: An endangered Sumatran tiger found with serious arrow wounds all over its body was rescued from a wire trap in protected Indonesian jungle, officials said yesterday. The five-year-old male tiger was found on Monday in Bengkulu province on the lush island of Sumatra with nine arrow wounds estimated to be four days old, Bengkulu’s conservation agency chief Supartono told AFP. “When we found him, he was lying weak on the ground with his front left leg held up in the air, entangled in a wire trap attached to a tree branch,” Supartono said.

The trap was likely set up by poachers looking to sell the rare animal’s body parts on illegal markets, Supartono said.

“They use steel wire to trap it by the leg so it doesn’t destroy its body. These traps are designed for tigers, not the wild boars that the community here hunt.”

Supartono said it was likely local people

had shot the arrows at the tiger out of fear after finding it trapped in the forest.

The conservation agency found several similar traps in the province last year and was working with police to find a suspected group of poachers.

There are fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers left and environmental activists say the animals are increasingly coming into conflict with people as their natural habitat is rapidly deforested. Earlier this month, Thai customs officials seized four boxes of smuggled tiger skins and bones worth $60,000 believed to be en route from Indonesia to China. Bangkok-based antitrafficking group Freeland said that poaching and trafficking of tiger meat, bones and skin was a key cause of a precipitous decline in Asia’s wild tiger populations.

Numbers are estimated to have fallen to only 3,200 tigers worldwide, from approximately 100,000 a century ago. — AFP

How to shop smart at your local co-op main rule of thumb is to focus most of your grocery shopping at the outer aisles of the supermarket, where you can find fresh fruits and vegetables, breads, cheese and meat counters. Dimashkieh even recommends you splurge there. “The more you splurge at the outer aisles, the less likely you will do it with the unhealthy items,” she explains.

By Sarah Dimashkieh

Y

ou may find it difficult to shop healthy at your local supermarket with hundreds of products to choose from. But dropping the right items into your grocery cart is actually much easier than you think. Sarah Dimashkieh, expert dietitian at Diet Care, Kuwait’s leading nutritional service provider, put together an easy guide to help all Kuwaitis shop quick, smart, and tasty. “You don’t need to be a whiz at reading fact labels or with the label lingos. Just use the following rules of thumb every time you grocery shop to ensure you are selecting healthier food items,” says Dimashkieh.

1. Don’t shop hungry How could that ever get me to make the right choices? Dimahskieh says that a hungry stomach will make you crave all the wrong stuff. “When you need food, your mind is thinking of the quickest way to get it,” explains Dimashkieh. So, make sure you eat a healthy snack or meal before you do your grocery shopping so you don’t grab the ready-to-eat, processed, junk food and sweet treats.

2. Select from the outer aisles Most of the unhealthy items are located in the inner aisles and shelves. “This is a fact for most supermarket and co-ops in Kuwait,” says Dimashkieh. “ The inner shelves are where you can find all the oils, packaged, canned foods and treats.” The

3. Go whole grain White breads are more fattening than the rest. Wrong! Dimashkieh says this is a major misconception among Kuwaitis.

Breads have the same calories, but Dimashkieh recommends choosing the least processed kinds that are made from 100 percent whole grains. “The difference: whole grains have the fiber, vitamins, and minerals that are good for your health and body. “It also helps to keep you fuller for longer.” What is the easiest way to know you’ve picked up the healthier bread? Give it a gentle squeeze with your fingers, if it compresses too easily then it’s processed.

“The denser the bread, the closer you’re getting to the whole grains,” explains Dimashkieh. Then, check all over the bread to see if you can spot actual grains - not just at the top. And if you can, also check inside the bread to make sure it contain the grains.

4. Get ‘em fresh Though frozen and canned foods are convenient, choose fresh foods always as a first option. “This is the simplest, easiest, healthiest measure to follow,” says Dimashkieh. By picking your produce fresh, you are avoiding too much added sugar and artificial ingredients. Fresh also means you are avoiding the unhealthy ingredients that you can’t pronounce. This goes for fruits, vegetables, cheese, meats, and seafood. “Pick them up from the parameters of the supermarket or fresh off the deli or dairy counters,” recommends Dimashkieh.

5. Pick up desserts Desserts are the trickiest to buy when you’re looking for the healthy-delicious combination. “It’s not harmful to grab small amounts of your favorite treats,” says Dimashkieh. But if you think you might overindulge, then stick to these healthier alternatives: Buy dark chocolates, granola bars, low-fat puddings, sorbet ice-cream and fat-free popcorn instead of milky or white chocolates, sweets and candy with high sugar, cheesy and creamy cakes, regular milk-based ice-cream and potato chips respectively.

NEW DELHI: India’s Premier Manmohan Singh called malnutrition in the country “a national shame” yesterday as he released a major survey that found 42 percent of children under five were underweight. “The problem of malnutrition is a matter of national shame,” Singh said at the launch of the HUNGaMA (Hunger and Malnutrition) Report, which surveyed 73,000 households across nine states. “Despite impressive growth in our GDP, the level of under-nutrition in the country is unacceptably high. We have also not succeeded in reducing this rate fast enough,” the 79-year-old prime minister added.

Singh said the findings of the report by an alliance of non-government organisations were both “worrying and encouraging” for India - a fast-growing country of 1.2 billion people with the highest number of children worldwide. The research found the proportion of under-fives who are underweight had declined 11 percentage points in seven years, but Singh said it remained “unacceptably high” at 42 percent. “We cannot hope for a healthy future with a large number of malnourished children,” he said.

India’s economy has boomed in the last 20 years since a liberalisation wave began in 1991, with GDP growth rates of nearly 10 percent in the last decade helping to change perceptions of the country. Foreign companies and India’s powerful conglomerates have invested heavily, selling vast quantities of cars, luxury goods and Western lifestyle products to the growing middle classes. Rohini Mukherjee, from the Naadi Foundation, one of NGOs that produced the report, said the wealth created in a country estimated to have 57 billionaires last year had not trickled down fast enough to the impoverished masses. Measured by the prevalence of malnutrition, India is “doing worse than sub-Saharan Africa,” she told AFP, echoing observations made

by UN children’s agency UNICEF. This is despite the world’s biggest government program for early childhood development, called the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme, which is seen as riddled with corruption and inefficiency. Data from UNICEF shows that one in three malnourished children worldwide is found in India, with 47 percent of under-threes underweight. The survey by Naandi and its partners was the “first of its kind” in its scope and methodology, Mukherjee said.

The last government audit at a district level was carried out in 2004.

One of the findings in the new research was that malnourished children in India were rarely hungry, merely badly fed due to widespread ignorance about nutrition among Indian parents. “It is very clear that in Africa (malnutrition) is a result of absolute poverty. They are starving,”

Mukherjee said. “In our case, to me it seems it is about eating and feeding practices. We have a big gap there. Most children we measured have never been hungry, but what the child is eating is almost all carbohydrate.”

Far too few Indian women understood the importance of breastfeeding an infant for the first six months, and colostrums - the vital highprotein form of milk produced just prior to birth - is often seen as impure and discarded. “In some places in UP (Uttar Pradesh, northern India) it’s a

from salt to detergent and may not be safe to drink, according to a survey by an Indian government watchdog. The survey across 33 states by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India found that 68.4 percent of 1,791 milk samples contained adulterants. Among the substances found in milk were skimmed milk powder, fat, glucose and added water.

In urban India, 68.9 percent of samples were found to be contaminated, compared with 31 percent of samples in rural areas. Only two

HYDERABAD: An Indian boy feeds his sister at their home in a slum yesterday. — AFP fertility issue,” she explained. “The colostrum has to be offered to a local goddess.”

As well as malnourishment, the survey of more than 100,000 children and 73,000 mothers measured stunting, when children are short in height for their age. A total of 58 percent of children under five surveyed were stunted, the survey found, a result of inadequate nutrition for the mother during pregnancy and the child in its early years. Food prices have soared in India over the last six years, causing increased hardship for the 455 million people estimated by the World Bank to live below the poverty line. Last month, the Indian cabinet approved the Food Security Bill, a landmark piece of legislation that would provide subsidised food for up to 64 percent of India’s population if passed by parliament.

Separately, more than two-thirds of Indian milk is contaminated with substances ranging

states - Goa and Pondicherry - sold unadulterated milk, while all 250 samples from four eastern states were found to be contaminated with detergent. Fat and non-edible solids were the top offenders nationwide, followed by skimmed milk powder. Detergent was found in 8.4 percent of all samples.

Despite being the world’s biggest milk producer, India is no stranger to adulterated milk.

“Addition of water not only reduces the nutritional value of milk but contaminated water may also pose health risks,” the study said, adding that the presence of detergent “indicates lack of hygiene and sanitation in the milk handling.” In Nov 2008, six tribal children died and dozens were hospitalised after drinking milk provided to their school by a dairy in eastern India. State officials blamed the deaths on adulterated milk.— AFP

Hormone aids obese people shed weight PARIS: An appetite-curbing hormone found in the gut may help overweight and obese people shed weight, lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol levels, according to a study released today. Known as glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1, the hormone is naturally secreted from the intestine when we eat. Recently, doctors have begun to use GLP-1 to treat patients with type 2 diabetes due to the molecule’s ability to regulate sugar levels in the blood. But they also noticed that the hormone appeared to make patients less hungry, raising the question of whether it could work as a treatment for obesity.

A team of researchers led by Tina Vilsboll of the University of Copenhagen designed a study to find out.

Reviewing medical literature, they analysed the results of 25 clinical trials involving over 6,000 patients who had been given GLP-1. Patients with and without diabetes who received a minimum dosage for at least 20 weeks showed greater weight loss than control groups, they reported in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

There was also improvement in blood pressure, cholesterol and glycaemic control, the process by which the body adjusts the impact of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels.

The findings provide “convincing evidence” that GLP-1 “results in clinically relevant beneficial effects on body weight” for obese patients, the researchers concluded.

“Additional beneficial effects on blood pressure and total cholesterol might also be achieved.”

The treatment had side-effects in some patients, including vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea. But this did not seems to effect the number of people dropping out of the trials, suggesting that, overall, GLP-1 was well tolerated, they said. Vilsboll and colleagues recommended that the hormone be “considered” for obese patients suffering from diabetes, and called for further trials to test its efficacy for obese people who are not diabetic. In a commentary, also in the BMJ, Raj Padwal from the University of Alberta argued that -despite its weight-reducing powers - GLP-1 should not alter current medical practice. “Modification of diet and lifestyle remain the cornerstone of the treatment of type 2 diabetes,” he said. The hormone’s long term safety is still unknown, he added. —AFP

JAKARTA: A vendor holds pigeons for sale yesterday. — AFP

Man dies from bird flu in Indonesia JAKARTA: A 24-year-old Indonesian man infected with bird flu died in the capital Jakarta, the health ministry said yesterday, in the country’s third fatal case in three months.

“Test results from the man who died confirmed that he was infected with bird flu,” health ministry head of communicable diseases Tjandra Yoga Aditama told AFP. The man likely contracted the H5N1 avian influenza virus from birds living around his house, Aditama said. “We have taken samples from birds around his home and are waiting for lab results to determine if they were infected with the virus,” he said.

The Jakarta Post reported that the man died Saturday after being rejected by a hospital specialising in bird flu, and had on New Year’s Eve been misdiagnosed by two other hospitals with a gastric infection and dengue fever. The man died on his way to another

hospital on the capital’s northeastern outskirts, reports said. The report quoted neighbours as saying the man’s family kept pet pigeons in their home.

Indonesia has been the hardest-hit by bird flu, with 150 deaths reported between 2003 and 2011, according to the World Health Organisation. Nine Indonesians died from the virus last year, including two children on the resort island of Bali in October. Vietnam culled more than 2,500 chickens this week on bird flu fears after several animals were found dead on a farm in the Mekong Delta, and China reported its first human fatality from the disease in 18 months late December. The virus typically spreads from birds to humans through direct contact, but experts fear it could mutate into a form easily transmissible between humans, with the potential to kill millions in a pandemic. — AFP

H E A LT H

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

DNA reader to bring promise, perils NEW YORK: New DNA reader could bring genetics to medical clinics After years of predictions that the “$1,000 genome” - a read-out of a person’s complete genetic information for about the cost of a dental crown - was just around the corner, a US company is announcing yesterday that it has achieved that milestone and taken the technology several steps ahead.

The new genome-sequencing machine from Ion Torrent, a division of Life Technologies Corp, in Guilford, Connecticut, is 1,000 times more powerful than existing technology, says CEO and chairman Jonathan Rothberg.

Taking up about as much space as an office printer, it can sequence an entire genome in a single day rather than six to eight weeks required only a few years ago. The new sequencer, says cardiologist Eric Topol, chief academic officer of private California hospital and doctor network Scripps Health, “represents an exceptional advance and can change medicine.”

Ion Torrent will sell the tabletop machine, called the Ion Proton Sequencer, for $99,000 to $149,000, making it affordable for large medical practices or clinics; existing sequencers cost up to $750,000. The computer chip and biochemicals to sequence a genome will cost $1,000, compared to, for example, $3,000 to test for mutations just in the BRCA genes that raise the risk of breast and ovarian cancer and $5,000 for a complete genome sequencing by Ion Torrent competitor Illumina Inc. For now, Rothberg expects research labs to be his main customers, using Proton to obtain the complete genome sequence of people with cancer or autism, for instance, and thereby elucidate a disease’s underlying genetic causes as well as possible ways to treat it. The company has signed on Baylor College of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine and the Broad Institute as its first customers.

Other scientists and physicians, however, say the long-awaited arrival of the $1,000 genome opens the door to widespread whole-genome sequencing even of people who are not ill. And that raises ethical, legal, and medical issues that experts are only beginning to grapple with. “I’m a big proponent of bringing genetics into the clinic,” says Thomas Quertermous, chief of the division of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University and an expert in the genetics of heart disease. “But it has to be done in a timely way, and not before its time.”

Babies might be first in line for whole-genome sequencing. Every state requires newborns to be screened for at least 29 genetic diseases. “If the cost of whole-genome sequencing gets sufficiently low, you could sequence all the genes in a newborn” for less than the individual tests and follow-ups required when one comes back positive, says Richard Lifton, chairman of the genetics department at Yale University. “I’m increasingly confident that’s going to happen. But we need to be careful how we utilize this information. Do you tell a newborn’s parents his apoE status” - that is, whether he has the form of a gene that raises the risk of Alzheimer’s disease?

The cost of whole-genome sequencing will continue to plummet. Lifton foresees a “zero-dollar genome,” making it likely that “we will just do it as part of routine clinical care” for children and adults. A Yale team led by Murat Gunel has already used partial genome sequencing of the 1.5 percent of the genome, called the exome, that codes for proteins to determine the cause of a mysterious and still unnamed genetic disease that results in severe brain malformations.

Because no genes had been identified as causing the malformation, it was not possible to do a standard genetic test, which reveals whether a particular gene is normal or mutated. But exome sequencing showed

that a previously unknown gene on chromosome 19 is responsible, he and colleagues reported in 2010. “The new Proton instrument is a big step up,” says Lifton. “It promises to markedly increase the speed and reduce the cost of genome-level sequencing.”

The discovery of the mutation behind the mysterious genetic disorder demonstrated the advantage of whole-genome sequencing compared to single-gene tests, as scientists can’t test for a gene they don’t know exists. Beyond such uses, say experts, whole-genome sequencing might not be the medical miracle that proponents forecast. One problem is that the costs only start with the actual sequencing. “The cost of understanding the sequence will be much, much higher,” says bioethicist Hank Greely of Stanford University. He participated in a 2010 project that sequenced the full genome of Stanford bioengineer Stephen Quake. The sequencing cost $48,000.

But because it found 2.6 million DNA misspellings and 752 other genetic glitches, says Greely, “it took a few hundred thousand dollars worth of labor from Ph.D. students and faculty working 4,000 to 5,000 hours to understand what the sequence meant”-that Quake had a higher-than-average risk of sudden cardiac death, a lower risk of Alzheimer’s, and a higher risk of prostate cancer.

Another challenge is that whole - genome sequencing generates a tsunami of data. It would take a genetic counselor some five hours to explain what a typical genome means, further adding to the true cost. The United States has about 2,500 genetic counselors, not nearly enough to meet the need if whole-genome sequencing becomes widespread. Might doctors take up the slack? “Surveys show that 90 percent of patients trust their physician to explain genomics data to them,” says Scripps’ Topol. “And 90 percent of physicians say

they don’t feel comfortable with genomics data.”

Although many bioethicists focus on the psychological harm patients might suffer when DNA tests show an elevated risk of cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s, and other diseases, genomics information could also threaten patients’ physical health if it is misconstrued. A woman whose DNA sequencing shows she does not carry BRCA mutations that raise her risk of breast cancer “might say, great, I don’t need mammograms,” says Stanford’s Greely.

“But a negative BRCA test reduces her risk of breast cancer from 12 percent to 11.96 percent. My dread is less that patients will be damaged psychologically and more that they will misunderstand (genome sequence data) and do stupid things.”

Unlike tests that detect glitches in genes that a patient or physician asks to have checked (those that raise the risk of, say, colon cancer if that disease runs in the family), and unlike the dozens of genes that “personal genetics” companies test for, wholegenome sequencing reveals every bit of information the genome contains about diseases or traits. Given the ubiquity of mutations, everyone carries genes that predispose them to more than one serious or lethal disease. Bioethicists are only beginning to study how that knowledge might affect someone’s decisions, from marrying or having children to saving for retirement.

Another challenge is that although a person’s genome doesn’t change, its meaning will. As scientists uncover more DNA variants that protect against disease and variants that make it more likely, a genome sequence that meant one thing in 2012 will have a different meaning in 2013, not to mention 2020. A DNA variant that was once thought to be dangerous “might turn out to be benign if countered by another,” says Greely. —Reuters

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

W H AT ’ S O N Greetings Happy first birthday to our little angel Shiana Aliya Z. De Leon. Today is a very special day, and not just because it is your birthday, but because it is the day when we first saw our 2nd angel. We love you.

Love: Daddy, mommy, Ate Cia, family & friends.

Upcoming events Comedy workshop A free short-form improv comedy workshop will be held at the ASK teachers’ apartments for laughter and food. Come join us if you like “Whose Line is it Anyway?” and want to play similar improv games.

Drinks and snacks will be provided on Friday, January 13 mankerb@ask.edu.kw at 4pm at the ASK teacher apartments which is located at the Dina/Dana Building off Route 30, behind the Platinum Gym and near the Alia Hospital in Mahboulah.

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.

AWARE Arabic courses highlight: l Introductory to Level 4 Arabic language basics l Better prepare you for speaking, reading and writing Arabic l Combine language learning with cultural insights l Taught in multi-nationality group settings l 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.

Mohammad Bassam Barakat celebrated his wedding recently in Kuwait. The ceremony was attended by family and friends of the newlyweds.

PGA football 2012 program kicks off

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he 2012 New Year Premier GOAL Academy (PGA) five week coaching course at Shaab Park, begins this weekend. There are over 250 enthusiastic young players already enrolled in the programme which is sponsored by Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company.

There are coaching courses on Fridays 09:00-11:00, Saturdays 15:00-17:00 and Wednesdays 17:00-19:00 for players of all ability levels from 3 years of age upwards and Centre of Excellence teams for advanced players between 8 and 18 years that train three times a week in addition to

playing regular fixtures and tournaments.

There wilt be a tour to Dubai in February and to the UK in April. Everton Football Club of the English Premier League are official partners of the PGA and provide fully qualified British coaches following the proven evertonway coaching programme which

facilitates the development of promising young players, but most of all, puts the fun into football. There are still a limited number of places available in certain age groups and interested players are invited to contact for further details. email, premier_fa_Kuwait@yahoo.com

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.

Vichar Bharati seminar on Swami Vivekananda On the occasion of Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary, Vichar Bharati, an affiliate of Seva Darshan Kuwait, will hold a seminar on Swami Vivekananda on Friday, January 20, 2012 at the Indian Central School, Abbasiya. Vivekananda is regarded as the patriot saint of modern India and an inspirer of her dormant national consciousness.

His Philosophy and vision became the eye-opener for millions across the world. Vivekananda’s unique message still remains as “an unopened gift” to mankind and Vichar Bharati aims to enlighten its members and well wishers with the message of this great visionary. Eminent speakers from the Indian community in Kuwait will deliver thoughts on various aspects of Vivekananda’s life. Suresh V Balakrishnan, HOD, English Department at Bharatheeya Vidhya Bhavan will deliver a speech on Swami Vivekananda and Man-making. Sajeev K Peter, Business Editor, Kuwait Times will speak on the role of Swami Vivekananda in propagating Indian culture and heritage. Dr Srikumar T S, Scientific Consultant, Kuwait Foundation For The Advancement of Science, will deliver a speech on ‘Swami Vivekananda, the Patriot and the Voice of India.’ Krishno Sarkar (Planning Engineer, KNPC) will talk on ‘Swami Vivekananda - The Role model of the Youth’ while Satyanarayanan S, Electrical Supervisor, Al Julaih Petroleum Company, will speak on Spiritual Perceptiveness of Swami Vivekananda. For more details and information please contact vbkuwait@gmail.com KERA Winter Fest on Jan 13 Kuwait 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

India International School talent shines at Ingenia 2011

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OCYM free medical camp

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s part of yearly program, Orthodox Christian Youth Movement (OCYM), the spiritual organization of St Gregorios Indian Orthodox Maha Edavaka, Kuwait, is arranging a Free Medical Camp on Friday 13th January 2012 in Kuwait at Indian Central School, Jleeb Al Shuyoukh, Abbassiya, in coordination with Kuwait Heart Foundation. KHF is providing their Mobile Cardiology Unit for testing blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol for this camp. This camp is mainly for the welfare of the expatriate working community in Kuwait, specially from labor camps.

Those who are interested to avail this facility, please contact at ocym@iocq8.org on or before 10/1/2010.

ahaheel Al-Wataniya Indian Private School, Kuwait conducted Ingenia celebrating talent, a four days interschool festival in December 2011. About 8 schools participated in this 4 day event which showcased the children’s talents in various artistic fields.

India International School, Mangaf clinched the 1st prize for the Indian Folk Dance competition. The students who brought home the cup in this category are: Priyanka Prakash (X-B); Tanvi Chitnis (X-B); Parul Malhotra (X-B); Sowmini Bharathi (X-B); Agarba Saroj (IX-A); Kavya Shibu (VIII-B); Aparna Anil Kumar (VII-A); Adithya Kishor Kumar (VII-B) and Megha Suresh (VT-B).

Shajeea Bashir (IX-A) secured the second prize for the painting competition.

The Director Moosa Koya and the Principal F.M. Basheer Ahmed appreciated and congratulated the students for bringing laurels to the institution.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF BRAZIL The Embassy of Brazil requests all Brazilian citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the website www.brazil.org.kw (Contact Us Form / Fale Conosco) in order to register or update contact information. The Embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the Embassy. The registration process helps the Brazilian Government to contact and assist Brazilians living abroad in case of any emergency. nnnnnnn

IIS organises 4th Sports Meet

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ndia International School’s banner fluttered majestically in the cool winter breeze reflecting the lively and enthusiastic mood of all the students as they participated in the various programmes and athletic events at their 4th Sports Meet. IIS had organized its Sports Meet at the sprawling grounds of Kaifan Stadium on December 17. The stadium posed a picturesque sight as it was filled with jubilant children and cheerful, proud parents.

The opening ceremony was initiated with a soulful recitation from the Holy Quran by Master Rashid of class X followed by its translation by Miss Munazza Sharaffuddin of class XI. The Principal, F.M. Basheer Ahmed warmly welcomed the august gathering comprising the Chief Guest Vidhu P. Nair, the First Secretary, Indian Embassy, Kuwait, the special guest, Sayed Mohammad Al-Rifai, Judge High Court, Kuwait, distinguished guests, principals, vice principal Mrs Narinder Kaur, KG H.O.S Mrs Shifana, parents, teachers and students.

Moosa Koya, director, presented a bouquet to the Chief Guest Vidhu P.Nair and the special guest Sayyed Mohammed Al Rafai. In his speech, the principal also expressed his immense pride and happiness that five of our school students have qualified at the Kuwait Cluster level to participate in the National CBSE Lawn Tennis Tournament and Athletic Tournament in India. He acknowledged the students haul of accolades throughout this year and focused on their progress on the road map of excellence.

The Director, Moosa Koya, Principal of Indian International School, Mrs Susan Roy, Principal of United Indian School, Kenneth Rodriquez, Kuwait Chapter Convener and Principal of Indian Public School, T.Prem Kumar, Principal of Indian Educational School, Mrs Sreedevi, Principal of Indian Community School (Amman Branch), Baldwin Antony, Principal of Al Amal Indian School, Mrs Namritha Narayan, Principal of Integrated Indian School and Mrs Cathy Thomas, Integrated Indian School, Mrs Narinder Kaur (Vice Principal) and Mrs Shifana K.G H.O.S of IIS graced the event with their venerable presence. The flag hoisting ceremony brought about an atmosphere of unity and loyalty. The Indian National flag, the Kuwait National flag and the School flag were hoisted by the Chief Guest Vidhu P.Nair the special guest Sayyed Mohammed Al- Rafai and the Director Moosa Koya respectively. This was followed by a joyous celebration of nationalities by the singing of the Kuwait National Anthem and the Indian National Anthem.

The organized and energetic March Past by the contingent of the four houses exhibited the discipline and orderliness of the students. Following this stately display, the chief guest addressed the gathering. He expressed his gratitude on being invited for the second consecutive year. He encouraged the children to concentrate on their talents and develop their innate strength. He shared his view that nurturing inherent talents would enable the country to shine in the international arena. Vidhu P. Nair then

declared the 4th sports meet open with the release of doves and balloons.

The school’s student Sports Secretary, Master Ibrahim administered the oath, promising to adhere to the spirit of sportsmanship. In keeping with the Olympic tradition, the school torch was lit by the chief guest and passed on to the prominent athletes of the school before being placed on its stand.

The kaleidoscopic cultural programme enthralled the spectators proving to be mesmerizing performances with a blend of beauty, color, vigor and patriotic fervor. It was a vibrant journey that took everyone in the stream of imagination to the colorful world of blooming blossoms via symphony of spectrum and finally reached the grand finale. During this journey the spectators were spell-bound.

The Blooming Blossoms performed by the primary section depicted the formation of a colorful~ flower. The children s brisk and lively movements enlivened the performance. It was a feast to the eyes while the little children gracefully waved their props to the sanguine music.

The Symphony of Spectrum performed by the middle school children was elegant and graceful revealing their hard work, mettle and spirit. Their heartravishing performance stirred the patriotic fervor among everyone. The incredible pyramid formation demonstrated by the energetic students proved their strength, flexibility and agility. The IIS formation, India Map formation and patriotic dance received a lot of

applause.

The highlight of the cultural programme was the Grand Finale. The spectators were amazed by the dazzling performance of the students. Their performance was invigorating and sprightly as they moved to the beat of toe-tapping, rejuvenating songs that endorsed the theme of positivity and good wishes for the future. All the dignitaries participated in the grand finale and added glory to the programme.

The Athletic events which followed revealed the dexterity and physical prowess of the students. Several promising young athletes shined brightly.

Cheered on by their friends and spectators they excelled to bring laurels, honor and glory to their respective houses. The highlight of the athletic events was the parent’s race. It was indeed awe-inspiring to watch the parents participating with zeal and enthusiasm.

Moosa Koya, welcomed T.A. Razzed, Director and Producer of many award winning movies and P.B.Salim, collector Kozhikode district, Kerala. The overall championship was won by Nalanda House & Homi Bhaba House. Sarabhai House was declared as runners-up. For excellence in march past performance, Homi Bhaba house was declared as winners and Sarabhai house was declared as runners-up. The overall Trophy, medals and certificates were awarded to the winners by our special guests.

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 12:30 to 01:00 pm for lunch break. Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday. Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca.

The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS The Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus requests Cypriot citizens living in Kuwait to register with the Embassy. This registration service is provided so that the Embassy can update its contact list and assist Cypriot citizens in cases of emergencies.

Registration information can be emailed to cyprusembassykwt@gmail.com or faxed to 22253227 or given by phone to 65906048 (Mrs Christine). nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF GERMANY The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kuwait wishes to announce that as of 1 May 2011, the external service provider Al Qabas Assurex is operating a Visa Application Centre in support of the German Embassy. Short-term visa applications for travels to Germany (e.g. for tourism, visits, business) are to be submitted to the service provider Al Qabas who for your convenience will ensure that all relevant documents are included in your application.

Your personal appearance at the Application Centre is not required. Address of the Visa Application Centre: Al Qabas Assurex Sanabel Tower (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 nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF KENYA 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. nnnnnnn

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 nnnnnnn

NSS Kuwait celebrates Mannam Jayanthi

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air Service Society (NSS)-Kuwait celebrated Mannam Jayanthi for the 11th consecutive year on January 6, 2012 at Marina Hall, Touristic Park, Abbasiya to commemorate 135th birth anniversary of Bharata Kesari Padmabhushan Mannathu Padmanabhan, the great social reformer and founder of the Nair Service Society.

Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta inaugurated the function, which was presided over by Muralee Krishnan P, the president, Nair service Society Kuwait.

Dr C V Ananda Bose, Chairman, UN expert committee on Housing, delivered the keynote address, who kept the audi-

K

uwait Malayalee Catholic Association celebrated Christmas-New Year last week, during which a caricature was presented to the Ambassador of Vatican to Kuwait.

ence captivated with his profound knowledge and oratory skills.

Malayil Moosa Koya and K G Abraham spoke on the occasion. A souvenir was released in connection with the Jayanthi celebrations by R K Nair (Kuwait International Bank) by giving a copy to M R Raveendran Nair, the vice president of NSS Kuwait. Calendar 2012 was released by Vijayan Karayil (Indian Community School) giving a copy to Smitha Sumod, the Vanitha Samajom convener.

In the Annual Award Ceremony held on the occasion, Mannam Jayanti gold medals and Mannam Puruskarams for

outstanding academic performances for students of Class XII and X were also presented by Dr Bose.

Best Karayogam Award for outstanding community work was awarded to Mangaf/Fahahee/Ahmadi Karayogam which was received by Saji Kumar ,the area coordinator. Two books authored

by Dr C V Ananda Bose, Nokkium Kandum and Unnam Thettathe, released on the occasion by Indian Ambassador Sathish C Mehta which were received by Dr C G Suresh and Sunil Menon.

The celebrations went on with cultural extravaganza, commenced with

the classical dance of Remya Nambeesan, renowned Bharathanatyam exponent and leading south Indian cine actress. She also performed “Tandava Nritya” a fusion along with budding talents of Nair Service Society Kuwait.

The signature event of the celebrations was musical concert by Stephen Devassy, renowned pianist and composer accompanied by Nikhil Raj, a playback singer. K P Manikandan, the general secretary of NSS, Kuwait delivered the welcome speech and Prasad Padmanabhan, the treasurer, rendered a vote of thanks.

EMBASSY OF PERU Peruvian Permanent Expo will be temporarily closed from December 2lst 2011 to January 21st 2012. The Expo will reopen on January 22nd 2012 and offer once again “Peruvian Private Gastronomy Tasting Lunches” and much more like Peruvian culture, tourism, trade and great possibilities of investment. nnnnnnn

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.

Chrisccaa get-together

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hrisccaa’s (Christian College Chengannur - Alumni Association, Kuwait Chapter) executive committee have decided to conduct its annual family get together on January 12, Thursday, from 7.30 pm at United Indian School, Abbassia.

Variety of entertainment programmes

by Chrisccaa family members and magic show by a professional magician are the highlights of the event. We are glad

to invite all our members and their families to attend and make the event a grand success. All the alumnae s in Kuwait who are not yet members can also attend the function. Please contact any of the following office bearers for further details. George Mathew, President (94060522), ldicula Mathew, Vice President (66900538), Alex A Chacko, Gen. Secretary (97589611) Aji Kuriakose, Treasurer (97607456).

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

ANIMAL PLANET 00:50 I’m Alive 01:45 Animal Cops Houston 02:40 Wildest Africa 03:35 Big Five Challenge 04:30 I’m Alive 05:25 Dogs 101 06:20 Animal Cops Houston 07:10 Monkey Life 07:35 Wildlife SOS 08:00 Gorilla School 08:25 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 08:50 Talk To The Animals 09:15 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 09:40 Breed All About It 10:10 America’s Cutest...

11:05 Dogs 101 12:00 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 12:55 Bondi Vet 13:20 Wildlife SOS 13:50 Animal Cops Specials 2009 14:45 Animal Cops Houston 15:40 Wildest Africa 16:30 Monkey Life 17:00 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 17:30 Talk To The Animals 18:00 The Really Wild Show 18:25 Dogs 101 19:20 Dogs 101 20:15 Bondi Vet 20:40 Breed All About It 21:10 Dogs 101 22:05 Wildest Africa 23:00 Wild France 23:55 Untamed & Uncut

00:45 01:15 01:45 02:45 03:30 04:00 04:20 04:35 04:45 05:00 05:05 05:25 05:35 05:50 06:10 06:20 06:30 06:45 06:50 07:10 07:20 07:35 08:05 08:35 09:20 09:50 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:45 14:15 14:45 15:35 16:25 17:10 17:40 18:10 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 Tests 23:20

00:15 01:05 01:30 01:55 02:15 02:40 03:30 04:20

Eastenders Doctors Waking The Dead The Weakest Link Big Top Balamory Tellytales Penelope K, By The Way The Roly Mo Show Buzz & Tell Tweenies 3rd & Bird Nina And The Neurons Balamory Tellytales Penelope K, By The Way The Roly Mo Show Buzz & Tell Tweenies 3rd & Bird Nina And The Neurons Big Top After You’ve Gone The Weakest Link Eastenders Doctors Holby City New Tricks The Green Green Grass Big Top The Weakest Link Eastenders Doctors Holby City New Tricks The Weakest Link Eastenders Doctors Casualty Big Top As Time Goes By Small Island After You’ve Gone The Green Green Grass The World’s Toughest Driving The Weakest Link

Antiques Roadshow James Martin’s Brittany James Martin’s Brittany James Martin’s Champagne James Martin’s Champagne Come Dine With Me 10 Years Younger Celebrity Fantasy Homes

05:05 06:00 06:45 07:35 08:00 08:40 09:10 10:25 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:40 16:15 17:00 17:45 18:30 18:55 19:50 20:45 21:30 22:15

Antiques Roadshow James Martin’s Brittany James Martin’s Champagne The Boss Is Coming To Dinner Cash In The Attic USA Indian Food Made Easy Masterchef Australia Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Come Dine With Me 10 Years Younger What Not To Wear Fantasy Homes By The Sea House Swap Bargain Hunt Cash In The Attic USA Indian Food Made Easy What To Eat Now - Autumn Bargain Hunt Bargain Hunt What Not To Wear

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:20 01:45 02:10 02:35 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:15 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:00 09:25 09:50 10:15 10:40 11:05 11:30 11:55 12:20 12:35 13:00 13:15 13:40 13:55 14:20 14:45 15:15 15:40 16:05 16:30 16:55 17:45 18:20 18:45 Doo 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:15 20:40 21:05 21:30 21:45 22:10 22:35 23:00 23:25 23:55

Johnny Bravo Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Droopy: Master Detective The Flintstones Johnny Bravo Duck Dodgers King Arthur’s Disasters The Scooby Doo Show Popeye Classics Tom & Jerry Popeye The Jetsons The Flintstones Looney Tunes Pink Panther & Pals Tex Avery Duck Dodgers The Garfield Show Pink Panther And Pals Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Jelly Jamm New Yogi Bear Show Puppy In My Pocket The Garfield Show Pink Panther And Pals The Scooby Doo Show Tom & Jerry Dastardly And Muttley Top Cat New Yogi Bear Show Puppy In My Pocket Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Bananas In Pyjamas The Jetsons Duck Dodgers Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Garfield Show Pink Panther And Pals The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Puppy In My Pocket Looney Tunes Tom & Jerry The Scooby Doo Show Scooby-Doo And ScrappyScooby Doo Where Are You! A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas New Yogi Bear Show Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show Dastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Dexters Laboratory

00:40 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 Ben 10: Ultimate Challenge 08:30 The Amazing World Of Gumball 08:45 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 09:15 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 09:40 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 10:05 Angelo Rules 10:30 Chowder 10:55 Adventure Time 11:20 Eliot Kid 11:35 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 12:00 Ben 10 12:25 Sym-Bionic Titan 12:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog 13:15 I Am Weasel 13:40 Best Ed 14:05 Cow & Chicken 14:30 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 14:50 Eliot Kid 15:15 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 15:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 16:05 Courage The Cowardly Dog 16:30 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 16:55 The Amazing World Of Gumball 17:10 Adventure Time 17:35 Regular Show 18:00 Cow & Chicken 18:25 Generator Rex 18:50 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 19:15 Angelo Rules 19:30 Total Drama World Tour 19:55 Hero 108 20:25 Sym-Bionic Titan 20:50 Adventure Time 21:25 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 21:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog 22:25 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 22:50 Cow & Chicken 23:00 Ben 10 23:25 Ben 10 23:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00

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 News Special World Report World Report World Sport Inside Africa World Business Today Backstory Cnngo World One Piers Morgan Tonight News Stream World Business Today International Desk Global Exchange World Sport Cnngo International Desk Quest Means Business Piers Morgan Tonight

00:15 00:40 01:35 02:30 03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50

Destroyed In Seconds Animal Cops South Africa Dirty Jobs Overhaulin’ Ultimate Survival Mythbusters How It’s Made How It’s Made Dirty Jobs Mythbusters Curiosity

CARRIERS ON OSN ACTION HD

08:45 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 15:30 16:00 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Mythbusters How It’s Made Cake Boss Border Security Auction Hunters Danger Coast Danger Coast Overhaulin’ Ultimate Survival Mythbusters Cash Cab Us Border Security Auction Hunters How It’s Made How It’s Made Cake Boss Penn & Teller Tell A Lie Mythbusters Curiosity

00:40 The Gadget Show 01:05 The Gadget Show 01:35 The Colony 02:25 The Tech Show 02:50 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 03:40 Nasa’s Greatest Missions 04:35 How Does That Work?

05:00 How Stuff’s Made 05:25 Engineered 06:20 Da Vinci’s Machines 07:10 The Future Of...

08:00 The World’s Strangest UFO Stories 08:50 How Does That Work?

09:15 How Stuff’s Made 09:40 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 10:35 Nasa’s Greatest Missions 11:25 Engineered 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 The World’s Strangest UFO Stories 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 Weird Or What?

20:30 What’s That About?

21:20 Da Vinci’s Machines 22:10 The World’s Strangest UFO Stories 23:00 Weird Or What?

23:50 What’s That About?

00:00 KIM POSSIBLE 00:25 FAIRLY ODD PARENTS 00:50 FAIRLY ODD PARENTS 01:15 STITCH 02:00 REPLACEMENTS 02:50 EMPEROR’S NEW SCHOOL 03:35 STITCH 04:25 REPLACEMENTS 05:15 FAIRLY ODD PARENTS 06:00 HANNAH MONTANA 06:20 RECESS 06:45 THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK AND CODY 07:05 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE 07:30 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE 07:55 PHINEAS AND FERB 08:10 SHAKE IT UP 08:35 SHAKE IT UP 09:00 High School Musical 2 10:30 HAVE A LAUGH 10:36 HAVE A LAUGH 10:45 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE 12:00 SHAKE IT UP 12:25 SHAKE IT UP 12:45 Good Luck Charlie 13:10 Good Luck Charlie 13:30 SUITE LIFE ON DECK 13:55 SUITE LIFE ON DECK 14:20 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE 14:45 FISH HOOKS 15:00 SHARPAY’S FABULOUS ADVENTURE 16:30 HAVE A LAUGH 16:35 SUITE LIFE ON DECK 17:00 FAIRLY ODD PARENTS 17:25 Good Luck Charlie 17:50 SHAKE IT UP 18:15 SHAKE IT UP 18:35 HAVE A LAUGH 18:41 A.N.T. FARM 20:00 Good Luck Charlie 20:25 HANNAH MONTANA 20:50 HANNAH MONTANA 21:15 SUITE LIFE ON DECK 22:00 SONNY WITH A CHANCE 22:25 SHAKE IT UP 23:15 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE 23:35 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE

00:20 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 00:50 JUNGLE JUNCTION 01:15 LITTLE EINSTEINS 01:40 HIGGLYTOWN HEROES 02:10 JO JO’S CIRCUS 02:30 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 02:45 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 03:00 JUNGLE JUNCTION 03:25 LITTLE EINSTEINS 03:50 HIGGLYTOWN HEROES 04:20 JO JO’S CIRCUS 04:40 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 05:10 JUNGLE JUNCTION 05:35 LITTLE EINSTEINS 06:00 HIGGLYTOWN HEROES 06:30 JO JO’S CIRCUS 06:50 JUNGLE JUNCTION 07:15 HIGGLYTOWN HEROES 07:45 HANDY MANNY 08:00 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 08:15 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 HANDY MANNY 12:05 JUNGLE JUNCTION

12:20 IMAGINATION MOVERS 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 HANDY MANNY 18:00 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

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Style Star 01:25 40 Smokin’ On Set Hookups 03:15 25 Most Stylish 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 50 Most Insane Celebrity Oops 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Bridalplasty 10:15 E!es 12:05 E! News 13:05 Ice Loves Coco 13:35 Ice Loves Coco 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 15:00 Style Star 15:30 THS 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Dirty Soap 17:55 E! News 18:55 E!es 19:55 THS 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:25 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:40 01:30 02:15 03:05 03:50 04:40 05:25 06:15 07:10 08:00 08:50 09:40 10:25 11:10 11:35 11:55 Jones 12:40 13:25 14:15 15:00 15:25 15:50 16:35 17:20 18:10 19:00 19:45 20:10 20:55 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 03:30 03:30 04:00 04:30 04:30 05:30 05:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 09:30 10:00 10:30 10:30 11:30 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00

Extreme Forensics Ghost Lab Psychic Witness Couples Who Kill Deadly Women Extreme Forensics Ghost Lab Psychic Witness Killer Outbreaks FBI Files Forensic Detectives Undercover Killer Outbreaks Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

True Crime With Aphrodite Disappeared Undercover Killer Outbreaks Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared FBI Files Forensic Detectives FBI Case Files Real Emergency Calls Killer Outbreaks Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared I Almost Got Away With It FBI Case Files

Meet The Natives: USA Inside Extreme Tourist Afghanistan Lockdown Treks In A Wild World Hunter Hunted Racing Around The Clock Deadliest Journeys Lockdown Eccentric Uk Air Crash Investigation Which Way To Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Graham’s World Meet The Natives: USA Naked Science Extreme Tourist Afghanistan Inside Treks In A Wild World Lockdown Racing Around The Clock Air Crash Investigation Deadliest Journeys Eccentric Uk Hunter Hunted Which Way To Graham’s World Lockdown Meet The Natives: USA Air Crash Investigation On The Camino De Santiago

LAST RIDE ON OSN CINEMA 13:30 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30

Buffalo Warrior Word Travels Cruise Ship Diaries Megastructures Pressure Cook Inside Pressure Cook Around The World For Free Lockdown Nomads Air Crash Investigation Treks In A Wild World Buffalo Warrior On The Camino De Santiago Killer Dragons Word Travels Cruise Ship Diaries Master of Disaster Pressure Cook Megastructures Pressure Cook Around The World For Free The Border Nomads Naked Science 2.5

00:00 Carriers-PG15 02:00 Homecoming-18 04:00 Returner-PG15 06:00 Universal Soldier: Regeneration-PG15 08:00 The Warlords-PG15 10:00 Rocky III-PG15 12:00 The Haunting Of Molly Hartley-18 14:00 The Warlords-PG15 16:00 The Manchurian CandidatePG15 18:15 The Haunting Of Molly Hartley-18 20:00 A Lonely Place For DyingPG15 22:00 Snow White: A Tale Of Terror18

01:00 Last Ride-18 03:00 I Am Number Four-PG15 05:00 The Open Road-PG15 07:00 The Flyboys-PG15 09:00 Adventures Of A Teenage Dragonslayer-PG 11:00 Slipstream-PG15 13:00 Love The Beast-PG 15:00 Alabama Moon-PG15 17:00 Slipstream-PG15 18:45 Burlesque-PG15 21:00 How Do You Know-PG15 23:00 The Answer Man-PG15

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 Friends With Benefits 19:30 Parks And Recreation 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 American Dad 22:30 The Ricky Gervais Show 23:00 The Cleveland Show

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Private Practice Royal Pains Terriers Grey’s Anatomy White Collar Good Morning America Law & Order: Los Angeles Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View Private Practice Grey’s Anatomy Law & Order: Los Angeles Live Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Once Upon A Time Strikeback Terriers White Collar

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

C.S.I. Off The Map Royal Pains Grey’s Anatomy Surface C.S.I. How I Met Your Mother Coronation Street House Off The Map Grey’s Anatomy Royal Pains How I Met Your Mother Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show House C.S.I. How I Met Your Mother Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show House Strikeback Off The Map In Plain Sight

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Fear Island-PG15 Returner-PG15 Dead Snow-PG15 Staten Island-PG15 Citizen Jane-PG Ballistica-PG15 Altitude-PG15 Citizen Jane-PG Collateral-PG15 The Gene Generation-18 Perrier’s Bounty-18 Child’s Play 2-18

00:00 Lower Learning-PG15 02:00 Love Hurts-PG15 04:00 Coming & Going-PG15 06:00 Nanny Mcphee And The Big Bang-PG 08:00 A Lot Like Love-PG15 10:00 A Film With Me In It-PG15 12:00 Miami Rhapsody-PG15 14:00 Chasing Papi-PG 16:00 Lower Learning-PG15 18:00 Roommates-PG15 20:00 For Richer Or Poorer-U 22:00 Couples Retreat-18

01:00 03:15 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 16:45 19:00 21:00 23:00

Wolf-18 One Hour Photo-18 Guilty As Sin-PG15 Le Code A Change-PG15 Timeline-PG15 Preacher’s Kid-PG Flying By-PG15 Don’t Fade Away-PG15 Invictus-PG15 Patch Adams-PG15 Taking Woodstock-18 Gal-18

01:00 Somewhere-18 03:00 Big Fat Liar-PG 04:30 Forrest Gump-PG15 07:00 Up In The Air-PG15 09:00 A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song-PG15 11:00 Ramona And Beezus-PG 13:00 The Wronged Man-PG15 15:00 I, Robot-PG15 17:00 A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song-PG15 19:00 Clash Of The Titans-PG15 21:00 How Do You Know-PG15 23:00 The Messenger-18

01:45 Gladiators: The TournamentPG 04:00 Dennis The Menace: Cruise Control-FAM 06:00 Legend Of Sleeping BeautyPG 08:00 Toy Story 3-FAM 10:00 The Country Bears-PG 12:00 Marmaduke-PG 14:00 Christmas In New York-PG 16:00 The Adventures Of Don Quixote-PG15 18:00 The Country Bears-PG 20:00 Dork Hunters And The Pirates Of Tortuga Island-PG15 22:00 Christmas In New York-PG

00:00 Across The Hall-PG15 02:00 The Other Guys-PG15 04:00 Double Wedding-PG15 05:45 South Solitary-PG15 08:00 Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader-PG 10:00 Ways To Live Forever-PG15 12:00 Remember Me-PG15 14:00 Fly Me To The Moon-PG 16:00 Ways To Live Forever-PG15 18:00 Legendary-PG15 20:00 Super-18 22:00 Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans-PG15

02:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 11:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 18:00 19:00 22:00 23:00

Cricket Twenty20 UFC Countdown Trans World Sport WWE Vintage Collection Cricket Twenty20 Live Cricket Twenty20 UFC Countdown Volvo Ocean Race Highlights WWE SmackDown Trans World Sport Cricket Twenty20 Trans World Sport UFC Countdown

01:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 02:00 European PGA Tour 06:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 07:00 Pro 12 Celtic League 09:00 Scottish Cup 11:00 Live Cricket Twenty20 14:00 PDC World Darts Championship 18:00 Trans World Sport 19:00 Cricket Twenty20 22:00 World Hockey 22:30 European Tour Weekly 23:00 Pro 12 Celtic League

02:30 Futbol Mundial 03:00 World Cup of Pool 04:00 World Pool Masters 06:00 FIVB Beach Volley Ball 06:30 FIVB Beach Volley Ball 07:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 08:00 Futbol Mundial 08:30 SPL Highlights 09:00 FIVB Beach Volley Ball 09:30 FIVB Beach Volley Ball 10:00 World Cup of Pool 11:00 World Pool Masters 12:00 US Bass Fishing 13:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 14:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 15:00 Scottish Cup 17:00 Scottish Cup 18:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 19:00 European Tour Weekly 20:00 Trans World Sport 21:00 Scottish Cup 23:00 Futbol Mundial

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 23:00

WWE Bottom Line V8 Supercars Championship V8 Supercars Championship Speedway Intercontinental Le Mans Cup UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed WWE Vintage Collection WWE NXT Speedway FIM World Intercontinental Le Mans Cup V8 Supercars Championship V8 Supercars Championship WWE SmackDown Intercontinental Le Mans Cup Speedway Aquabike World Aquabike World WWE Bottom Line WWE Vintage Collection UFC 141 WWE SmackDown

Classifieds WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 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 Wednesday 11/1/2012 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

Departure Flights on Wednesday 11/1/2012 Airlines Flt Route UAL 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES AXB 390 MANGALORE/KOZHIKODE BBC 44 DHAKA AIC 982 AHMEDABAD/HYDERABAD/ DLH 637 FRANKFURT PIA 206 LAHORE ETH 2621 ADDIS ABABA MEA 401 BEIRUT KAC 283 DHAKA ETH 621 ADDIS ABABA QTR 6131 DOHA THY 773 ISTANBUL GRF 94 DUBAI/KANDAHAR KAC 381 DELHI FDB 68 DUBAI UAE 854 DUBAI DHX 371 BAHRAIN MSR 613 CAIRO ETD 306 ABU DHABI MSR 613 CAIRO QTR 139 DOHA THY 771 ISTANBUL JZR 164 DUBAI GFA 212 BAHRAIN JZR 200 DAMASCUS FDB 54 DUBAI KAC 545 ALEXANDRIA BAW 156 LONDON AFR 6702 DUBAI/HONG KONG KAC 671 DUBAI JZR 256 BEIRUT KAC 549 SHARM EL SHEIKH/SOHAG KAC 789 MEDINAH JZR 560 SOHAG JZR 212 ALEPPO/DEIREZZOR UAE 856 DUBAI ABY 126 SHARJAH ETD 302 ABU DHABI KAC 117 NEW YORK FDB 56 DUBAI QTR 133 DOHA KAC 177 FRANKFURT/GENEVA GFA 214 BAHRAIN RBG 3563 ASSIUT JZR 268 BEIRUT IRA 602 SHIRAZ FCX 204 DUBAI KNE 840 MEDINAH/JEDDAH KAC 541 CAIRO JZR 776 JEDDAH KAC 103 LONDON RKM 311 RAS ALKHAIMAH MEA 405 BEIRUT IRM 5065 MASHAD KAC 785 JEDDAH JZR 176 DUBAI MSR 611 CAIRO SVA 2321 JEDDAH GFA 220 BAHRAIN MSR 622 ASSIUT FDB 58 DUBAI SYR 342 DAMASCUS CLX 792 VIETNAM KAC 673 DUBAI KNE 746 JEDDAH UAL 982 BAHRAIN IRC 6792 MASHAD ABY 124 SHARJAH RJA 641 AMMAN KAC 617 DOHA SVA 503 MEDINAH/JEDDAH JZR 786 RIYADH KAC 613 BAHRAIN KAC 773 RIYADH QTR 141 DOHA JZR 238 AMMAN IYE 824 SANAA ETD 304 ABU DHABI JZR 538 CAIRO QTR 135 DOHA UAE 858 DUBAI GFA 216 BAHRAIN RBG 3556 ALEXANDRIA ABY 128 SHARJAH KAC 153 ISTANBUL SVA 511 RIYADH JZR 266 BEIRUT JZR 134 BAHRAIN ALK 228 DUBAI/COLOMBO FDB 64 DUBAI JZR 184 DUBAI KAC 361 COLOMBO FDB 62 DUBAI DHX 171 BAHRAIN KAC 331 TRIVANDRUM KAC 351 COCHIN JAI 571 MUMBAI OMA 648 MUSCAT KAC 543 CAIRO DHX 373 BAHRAIN MEA 403 BEIRUT GFA 218 BAHRAIN FAH 102 DUBAI QTR 137 DOHA JZR 554 ALEXANDRIA KAC 301 MUMBAI UAE 860 DUBAI KAC 205 ISLAMABAD JZR 502 LUXOR KAC 415 KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA SAI 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)

and boiler. 66980123 FOR SALE Toyota Corolla 2012 model, gray color, alloys wheel, sensor, mileage 5000km, under warranty 3 years, price KD 4,950/-. Contact: 55522942. (C 3818) Mitsubishi Lancer 2004 GLX, Price KD 850/-, Mitsubishi Box 2006, Price KD 2,000/-. Contact: 66052331. (C 3820) Jeep GMC Envoy 2004, black color, very good condition, Price KD 2,200/-.

Contact: 50699345.

(C 3821) 10-1-2012

SITUATION VACANT A Kuwaiti family looks to hire a driver (full time).

Contact: 99774658.

(C 3823) Required house cook, Indian nationality - male, attractive salary. Contact: 99062666. (C 3822) 11-1-2012 Required two drivers for a Kuwaiti family at monthly salary KD 100 and must be having at least five years experience. Call 97554010.

(C 3815) 7-1-2012

FOR RENT

CHANGE OF NAME I, MARTHA ANGELINA LAWRENCE, holder of Indian Passport No: H5962906 hereby change my name to MARTA ANGELINA RAMOS. (C 3816) 8-1-2012 CATARINA JOSEFINA DE SOUZA Passport No: E0787712 would like to state that I am known as CATARINA JOSEFINA DE SOUZA and in all my dealings and documents I am known by name CATARINA JOSEFINA DE SOUZA only.

(C 3814) 7-1-2012

MATRIMONIAL Proposal invited for Sunni Muslim Pakistani daughter age 25, tall, smart, Dr. Pharmacy, on job in Kuwait, from suitable matching data boy through parents.

Contact email: ahmeedk555@gmail.com (C 3824) 11-1-2012

BABY SITTING Baby sitting available in Khaitan area, Kuwait.

Contact: 66436924.

(C 3819) 10-1-2012

A park in Wafra animal pens, very clean, over an area of 2500m, very large fenced yard in front (5) rooms, saloons, separate diwaniyas and swimming pool, fountain, children games tent.

94426116 For rent in Farwaniya, basement 700m, car parking.

66920123 Flat in Maidan Hawally, one room, living room, bathroom, super deluxe finished kitchen, outstanding location. Rent KD 195.

Foreigners and expatriates only. Central satellite, C-A/C

No: 15325

A floor in Dasman, 300m, outstanding location, on main street can be sued by lawyer, consultations, clinics, health club, saloon, workshop, training center.

66980123 For rent in Salmiya, an apartment 3 rooms + 2 baths + saloon + swimming pool + DSL + Gym + Security + children games + other features.

Rent start from KD 475.

Foreigners and expats only.

66297171 For rent in Salmiya, an apartment 3 rooms + 3 baths + Saloon + Kitchen + Satellite.

Outstanding location.

Foreigners and expatriates only, no brokers. 66060299 For rent, basements in Jabriya and Hawally, good location, plastic floors, C-A/C, serious only call: 66980123 For rent or investment, complete floors with a basement in Salmiya, good location, licensed for clinics, no brokers. 66060299 For rent, flat in Bneid Al-Qar (2 rooms, maid rooms, 3 baths, kitchen) deluxe finishing good location. 55117226 For rent in Fahaheel.

Complete building for companies (2 rooms, 2 baths, living room, kitchen) good location, car parking.

66233230 For rent, one floor in a villa in Salmiya, (3 rooms, 4 baths, large living room, maid room, driver’s room, diwaniya) parking. Centeral satellite. Rent KD 750.

67750024 A park for rent to families. 4 bed rooms + 4 bathrooms + living room + Diwaniya + rides in the garden + Isolated diwaniya. Fully furnished, A/C units, domestic help rooms. 99825160 For rent 1600m warehouse, can be used for ceramics, marble, electric or sanitary fittings, has electricity + 2 rooms + kitchen + bathroom. 99825160 An entire building for rent for companies, 30 flats in Kheitan (2 rooms, maid room, 2 baths + living room + kitchen) central satellite.

60658811

34

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 554

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) You have a desire to succeed—financially and personally. Your creative mind is inspired and it is a good time to lead the way on a project. You show a propensity to engage in hard work to obtain financial security. You can refurbish your energy by finding a pleasant spot in the country or gaze at a spectacular view from a hill. Find ways to lighten a conversation when it seems to be turning too serious. Your awareness of the needs of a loved one may become more acute.

You may feel you finally have found a soul mate. Go with the flow—and be thankful!

Helping friends and relating to their true feelings can be accomplished with little effort on your part. Hold fast to friends and family now, for they are a great source of strength.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) The practical use of your time and energy will most certainly pay off in positive ways. You should take note to rely on your natural abilities and talents to succeed. Interactions with the opposite sex on the professional level may occur a great deal during this time. You may feel pleased to be invited to business meetings and conferences. This may not happen all year long but for now, certain projects may need your insight. You are wise to take a serious attitude about this advantage but you would be wiser to take notes of each meeting, think first before giving your input and keep your regular work up to date. You may feel the urge to break out of monotonous patterns at home and enjoy socializing more with a variety of people.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. Thickening of tissue in the motor tracts of the lateral columns and anterior horns of the spinal cord.

4. Smeared thickly.

10. A guided missile fired from shipboard against an airborne target.

13. A case for containing a set of articles.

14. Refuse to acknowledge.

15. (prefix) Coming before or being preliminary or preparatory.

16. Gone by.

17. A device that, on receiving radar signals, transmits coded signals in response to help navigators determine their position.

19. God of wealth and love.

21. (informal) Being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition.

23. Cause to be attached.

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

29. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

34. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event.

35. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

37. A telegram sent abroad.

39. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

42. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

44. The lean flesh of a fish similar to cod.

45. A French abbot.

48. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

50. A member of the Caddo people who formerly lived in the Dakotas west of the Missouri river.

53. Lower in esteem.

57. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

58. Smother or suppress.

61. A coenzyme derived from the B vitamin nicotinic acid.

62. Rare (usually fatal) brain disease (usually in middle age) caused by an unidentified slow virus.

63. Growing old.

64. One of the five major classes of immunoglobulins.

65. Thigh of a hog (usually smoked).

66. Speak in a nasal voice.

67. A unit of length of thread or yarn.

DOWN 1. Jordan's port.

2. Of comparatively little physical weight or density.

3. The ermine in its brown summer coat with black-tipped tail.

4. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984).

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

6. Beyond what is natural.

7. A copy of a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together).

8. Bulky grayish-brown eagle with a short wedge-shaped white tail.

9. A Mid-Atlantic state.

10. Optical instrument consisting of a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision.

11. Any of several tall tropical palms native to southeastern Asia having egg-shaped nuts.

12. An award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event.

18. Ancient Italian deity in human shape, with horns, pointed ears and a goat's tail.

20. (Greek mythology) Goddess of the earth and mother of Cronus and the Titans in ancient mythology.

22. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

24. An accountant certified by the state.

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

27. A cgs unit of work or energy.

28. The cry made by sheep.

30. Being ten more than one hundred ninety.

31. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

32. A kind of person.

33. Towards the side away from the wind.

36. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

38. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

40. (British) A waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric.

41. A port city in southwestern Iran.

42. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element.

43. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

46. An ancient city in northern Portugal.

47. United States designer noted for an innovative series of chairs (1907-1978).

48. (informal) Being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition.

49. United States photographer remembered for her portraits of rural workers during the Depression (1895-1965).

51. A Hindu prince or king in India.

52. Severe diabetes mellitus with an early onset.

54. A blue dye obtained from plants or made synthetically.

55. Having wisdom that comes with age and experience.

56. Tropical starchy tuberous root.

59. Perennial herb of East India to Polynesia and Australia cultivated for its large edible root yielding Otaheite arrowroot starch.

60. An inflammatory complication of leprosy that results in painful skin lesions on the arms and legs and face.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Any need for negotiation or persuasion has found its day. Your mind is clear and alert and anyone should be able to grasp your point of view. It is also a good time to plan, write or expand your intellectual horizons.

This is an excellent time to get many things accomplished. Today is for new ventures.

Also, you are very expressive and sociable. Artistic activities are favored as well as just going out to have fun. Your personal magnetism is high, making you attractive to the opposite sex and popular in general. You are in touch with your feelings now and very loving—this evening is a good time to call old friends or spend time with loved ones.

The love you give will be returned tenfold. The romantic dreamier side of you is in full blossom now.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

This is a great day to get things done, whether you are alone or with others, especially if you take the lead. State your agenda logically and even those who may disagree will respect you. Strong-minded persons are attracted to you and you to them. However, it is most important to exert control over your feelings. Do not let anyone mislead you or distract you from the job at hand! Discussions with relatives should flow smoothly and you can expect sudden benefits from a family member. You create pleasant surroundings in the home and in the workplace. Joint activities that take place at this time should be both well-attended and successful. This evening, you may attract or be attracted to a stranger. This is a time of rejuvenation.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Use the confidence you feel to get the most pressing projects completed—this could bring considerable success. There may be an air of seriousness to all your dealings. Also, you are concerned more about the future of business and romantic associates now than at any other time.

Be sure to keep an open mind about all ideas or proposals—pay attention to the details. Restlessness and a desire for change in career are best appeased by peeling away things that distract you from seeing your true self. If you maintain a realistic outlook at this time, you may help a loved one greatly. If you are looking for a new romance you will find it while you are involved in some sort of volunteer or social activity, at the least expected time.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Others value you for your ability to make practical decisions concerning group issues. You have a natural sense of what the public wants at this time. Clear decisions affecting others could be made now. Relations with a spouse or business partner are on a solid ground. You display an urge to be recognized by co-workers for your hard work. There is a possibility that during this period, work as a whole will come under scrutiny and you definitely need to feel secure in the professional realm of life. Do not fear; business dealings are fruitful now—particularly if you give one hundred percent. Expressing affections should come easily at this time and can do much good for your disposition. Be sure you follow through with any prior commitments tonight.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) There could be some misunderstandings at work, particularly with members of the opposite sex. Be kind to yourself and think positive—try to avoid disruptive events and troubled people. If there is any indication of a problem on the horizon, you have a breather, at least for now. People are your best friends so surround yourself with good people. You communicate well and may become interested in a new intellectual pursuit. You may find yourself in a library this afternoon. You become aware of petty problems with friends more than usual. Do not try to force an issue during the next few days. This is also a good time to practice discretion with any romantic advances—you should exhibit self-control. This is a good evening for correspondence.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

You should find no problem in communicating with regar Your emotions are sometimes very close to the surface and you are learning to have awareness so that you keep the sensitive areas close to your heart until you have time to sort out the day. This also means that restraint of criticism is important. Your sensitivity to the needs of others is keen and your desire to help is strong; this should be one super day to find what is needed in a situation that has been lacking in attention before now. If you are a manager, you will help your team excel! At home this evening, the time is ripe for some sudden change in the normal routine of family life. You may have a change of scenery in living arrangements or perhaps a long trip is being planned. There is much intimacy with your love relationship now.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Yesterday’s Solution

However you deal with people, interacting one-on-one, leading a group toward a common goal or convincing others in a sales or public relations effort will have positive results. All will feel the warmth of your understanding. Your efforts will be genuinely appreciated. You are apt to spend a considerable amount of time and effort finding ways to improve finances. This may include part-time work. The desire for material success and considerable monetary gain is great. Your power of creativity is good and if you concentrate on the budget this afternoon, you will find many helpful ways to create a balance. Put off engaging in social activity for now. While socializing is fun but you may decide to wait until you are not so worried about money matters.

You see what is wrong and you know what to do: the time has come to make corrections or changes. This means cooperation and organization, authority and discipline, responsibility—and all these things are what it takes to get you where you know you must go. You may feel the need to secure your own feelings about yourself through another person. You may try to increase your power of attraction whether consciously or subconsciously. You face great responsibilities in relationships with loved ones and are apt to have difficulty expressing wants and desires openly to others. You should try during this time to loosen up and enjoy your companions without being afraid to voice true feelings. Ask your loved ones about their goals; you will find insight.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Business dealings may be particularly fruitful now if you give one hundred percent. There is much reflective thinking about your work. There is energy available all day that is best applied in your work or in accomplishing your goals. This is a most favorable time to work with a group of close associates. You are very energetic and could use some vigorous exercise to properly channel your thinking and your energy. You feel particularly independent and may find that profound insights are easy to come by just now. The universal power gives you a love of life that manifests itself in good cheer and generosity. This is a time when relationships, especially with women, are good. This is an aspect of good fortune. A love relationship deepens.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

This is not a good time to make any concrete decisions about a relationship or a business deal. There could be a collision of powerful energies, spilling into your life in unpredictable ways. The decisions and actions of today will have ongoing effects; take time to think through your decisions. You might say that this would be a good time for much consideration.

Rise above any jealous action from a co-worker today. This afternoon, you may seek out friends who are eccentric or unconventional in their social behavior, seeking release from the strictures you may see in the workplace. This could also be a good time for solitude and self-discovery. You attract a new love interest today—the rest of this month you may feel like dancing.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE STATE ST TAT TE OF KUW K KUWAIT WA AIT

112

Tel.: T el.: e 161

DIRECTORA DIRECTORATE ATE T GEN GENERAL NERAL OF CIVIL A AVIATION V VIA ATION T DEPARTMENT METEOROLOGICAL L DEP PA ARTMENT DA AY: Y T DAY: Tuesday uesday

WWW .MET.GOV V.KW . W WWW.MET.GOV.KW

10/01/2012

Ministry of Interior

Ext.: 26 2627 627 - 2630

Fax: 24348714

19:00

Issue Time Time

Expected W Weather eeather 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:

Partly y cloudy to cloudy with ligh light ht to moderate northerly to no north orth easterly wind, with spee speed ed of 15 - 38 km/h h with a chance for scattered rain that might be thundery at times

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

BY Y DAY: DA AY:

Cloud Cloudy dy to partly cloudy with ligh light ht to moderate north easterly y becoming south easterly wi wind, ind, with speed off 12 2 - 35 km/h k /h with ith a chance h for f r scattered tt d rain i

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

WARNING W ARNING A

No Current Warnings Warnin a ngs

STATION ST TATION T

MAX. REC.

MIN. MIN N. EXP. EXP P.

KUWAIT KUW WA AIT CITY

20 °C

1 °C 12

24812000

KUWAIT KUW WA AIT AIRPORT AIRPOR RT

21 °C

1 °C 13

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

NUWAISEEB NUW WAISEEB A

21 °C

1 °C 12

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

WAFRA W A AFRA

21 °C

10 1 °C

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

SALMI

20 °C

06 0 °C

Chest Hospital

24849400

ABDALY ABDAL LY

21 °C

0 °C 07

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

ALIYAH JAL ALIY YA AH

21 °C

0 °C 08

Adan Hospital

23940620

FAILAKA F AILAKA A

21 °C

11 °C 11

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

PORT AHMADI POR RT

18 °C

1 °C 14

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

AL-MARADEM UMM AL-MARAD DEM

19 °C

1 °C 16

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

WARBA BUBYAN W A ARBA A - BUBY YA AN

21 °C

0 °C 09

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

SFC. CHAR CHART RT

10/01/2012 120 1200 00 UTC

POLICE STATION

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

4 DAYS DA AY YS FORECAST Temperatures T emperatures DAY DA AY

DA DATE AT TE

WEA WEATHER AT THER R

W eednesday Wednesday

1 11/01 1/01

Thursday

12/01

24849807

Friday

Shamiya

24848913

Saturday

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

Wind Wind Speed

Wind W ind Direction Direction

MAX.

MIN.

cloudy + scattere ed rain scattered

22 °C

13 °C

NE-SE

12 - 35 km/h

cool + raising dust

19 °C

14 °C

NW

20 - 40 km/h

13/01

cold + scattered clouds

17 °C

08 °C

NW

15 - 35 km/h

14/01

cold + raising dust

16 °C

04 °C

NW

20 - 40 km/h

PRAYER P PRA AYER Y TIMES

RECORDED RECORDE ED YESTERDA YESTERDAY AY AT AT KUW KUWAIT WA AIT AIRPORT AIRPOR RT

Fajr

05:20

Temp.

MAX. T M emp.

20 °C

22526804

Sunrise

06:44

Temp.

MIN. T M emp.

14 °C

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Zuhr

11:56 1 1:56

MAX. RH M

94 %

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

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry

Asr

14:49

MIN. RH

41 %

Sunset

17:08

MAX. Wind M Wind

N 39 km/h

Isha

18:30

TOT TA AL L RA AINF FALL A L IN 24 HR. TOTAL RAINFALL

about the Civil ID card is 1889988

1.78 mm

10/01/12 14:09 UTC

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

V1.00

T1.06

PHARMACIES

AIRLINES

ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines Aeroflot

171 177 22924455 22414400 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22921555 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/ 2433141 22456700 22958787 22453820/1 22404838/9

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Dr. Salem soso

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands

0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345

Central African Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK) Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia

00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044 00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689

y

A

36

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

lifest yle G o s s i p

apper Snoop Dogg is facing a minor drug charge in Texas after border agents say they found several joints on his tour bus. Hudspeth County sheriff’s office said in a statement that Snoop Dogg, whose name is Calvin Broadus, was arrested Saturday at the Sierra Blanca highway checkpoint and cited for possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor typical in cases involving small amounts of marijuana. According to the sheriff’s office, a border agent smelled marijuana smoke coming from the bus and ordered everyone off so that a dog could inspect

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op singer Katy Perry on Monday pulled out of this week’s People’s Choice Awards show and what would have been her first major public appearance since her split with husband Russell Brand. Perry, 27, one of the leading nominees in the first big Hollywood awards show of the year, said in a Twitter message; “Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the People’s Choice Awards. I want to thank u all for voting for me, fingers crossed!”. Perry, who has enjoyed a string of hits with songs like “Teenage Dream” and “Firework”, is up for favorite pop artist and favorite female pop artist and had been listed as attending the ceremony, which takes place on Wednesday in Los Angeles. But the awards show, to be shown live on US tel-

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rreverent British comedian Russell Brand has signed up for a new late night TV comedy showon the FX network, starting later this year, FX said on Monday. The brash “Get Him to the Greek” star, who last month split with singer Katy Perry after 14 months of marriage, will give US audiences his take on politics, news and pop culture in a six episode show shot before a live audience. The as yet untitled venture is Brand’s foray into US television following movie roles in Hollywood comedies “Arthur” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” Brand, 36, began his career as a stand-up comic in Britain and went on to prove a lively if controversial voice on British radio and television. He hosted a short-lived UK talk show in 2006 and was forced to resign as a BBC radio host in 2008 after making lewd, prank phone calls.” We’re very excited to add Russell Brand’s bracingly funny, original, and honest voice to the FX comedy line-up,” Nick Grad, original programming chief at FX, said in a statement.

Grad said the show aimed to “strip down the hosted comedy format to its most fundamental elements and to create something daring and unfiltered for the FX audience.” FX, the cable TV arm of Fox television, said the 30-minute show would draw heavily on audience interaction. Brand, a self-confessed former sex, drug and alcohol addict, said he was “excited” about the new venture. Brand in December filed for divorce from “Teenage Dream” singer Perry, citing irreconcilable differences. The pair married in October 2010 in a lavish wedding in India.

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the vehicle. A prescription bottle with several marijuana cigarettes was found in a trashcan, and more marijuana was found in two other containers. In all, 0.13 pounds (0.06 kilograms) of the drug were found.

Broadus admitted the drug was his and was released, the sheriff’s office said. Broadus’ agent didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. In interviews, the rapper has said he has a license to use medical marijuana in his home state of California because he suffers from migraines and blurred vision.

County Judge Becky Dean Walker says paraphernalia

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citations are typically handled by justices of the peace in the county and that they are resolved by a no contest plea and a mailed-in fine of up to $500. Country singer Willie Nelson was arrested in November 2010 for marijuana possession at that same checkpoint.

evision, comes 10 days after Brand filed divorce papers to end their 14 monthold marriage. Bubbly singer Perry and British comedian Brand wed in 2010 and became a power couple in showbusiness. But they spent Christmas thousands of miles apart, confirming weeks of media speculation that their marriage was on the rocks. Perry has since kept a low profile and has said little about the split apart from a Twitter message on Saturday in which she urged fans not to trust gossip. “Concerning the gossip, I want to be clear that NO ONE speaks for me. Not a blog, magazine, “close sources” or my family,” she said in a tweet.

lashes out at The Artistfilmmakers

ertigo” leading lady Kim Novak isn’t keeping quiet about her disdain for “The Artist.” The 78-year-old actress said in a statement released by her manager Monday that she feels violated because music from the Alfred Hitchcock film is used in the French black-and-white homage to the silent-film era. Novak said “The Artist” filmmakers had no reason “to depend on Bernard Herrmann’s score from ‘Vertigo’ to provide more drama.” “My body of work has been violated by ‘The Artist,’” Novak said. “This film took the love theme music from ‘Vertigo’ and used the emotions it engenders as its own. Alfred Hitchcock and Jimmy Stewart can’t speak for themselves, but I can. It was our work that unconsciously or consciously evoked the memories and feelings to the audience that were used for the climax of ‘The Artist.’” Novak, who played the dual role of both a suicidal trophy wife of a rich San Franciscan and a morose working girl opposite Stewart in in the 1958 thriller directed by Hitchcock, said that even though Herrmann was given “a small credit at the end,” she believed “this kind of filmmaking trick to be cheating.” “The Artist,” which was written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius and stars Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo as silent film actors, leads Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony with six nominations and is expected to be a frontrunner at this year’s Academy Awards. The wordless film combines a mostly original jazzy score, sound effects and old-fashioned title cards which display dialogue. “‘The Artist’ was made as a love letter to cinema, and grew out of my (and all of my cast and crew’s) admiration and respect for movies throughout history,” Hazanavicius responded in a statement. “It was inspired by the work of Hitchcock, (Fritz) Lang, (John) Ford, (Ernst) Lubitsch, (F.W.) Murnau and (Billy) Wilder. I love Bernard Herrmann and his music has been used in many different films and I’m very pleased to have it in mine. I respect Kim Novak greatly, and I’m sorry to hear she disagrees.”

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ennifer Hudson was furious when she was Photoshopped to look slimmer than she was. The singerand-actress - who has lost over 80lbs over the last two years - was upset that images of her when she was bigger were altered by a publication to make her appear thinner as she felt it was sending out the wrong message to her fans. She told Dateline: “It’s like, ‘Where’s the rest of me?’ They Photoshopped me probably to the size I am now on that cover, when we all know I was nowhere near that. “To me, it did not send out a good message. And it did not represent me well. Did I not just prove that talent is enough if I made it this far? Being who I am, being the size that I am?”

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Last year, Jennifer opened her own weight loss centre. The ‘Dreamgirls’ star - who has lost over five dress sizes following the birth of her son David in August 2009 - launched the Weight Watchers Jennifer Hudson Center in September in her native Chicago. The actress - who is engaged to WWE wrestler David Otunga - said: “I never thought I would make it to have my own centre. I’m so honoured to be here and see this day.” A portion of the facility’s profits will go to children’s charity the Julian D King Gift Foundation, which was set up by Jennifer in memory of her late nephew, Julian King.

US judge extended for three years Monday a restraining order against a French fan of Kirsten Dunst, saying he must keep away and not contact the US actress or her mother. The “Spiderman” star was granted a temporary order against Jean Christophe Prudhon, 51, last month after he allegedly sent her more than 50 love letters and confronted her mother at her home. The order was extended later in December, and was due to run out on Monday, but Los Angeles Judge Carol Boas Goodson extended it for three years, until January 9, 2015.

Specifically Prudhon must stay at least 100 yards away from Dunst and her mother and

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stop trying to contact the actress, who was not in court for the ruling. “Tell Ms Dunst we’re doing the most we can for her,” Goodson told Dunst’s lawyers, adding: “It’s one of the costs of being a celebrity but it shouldn’t have to be.” The 29-year-old, who won best actress in Cannes last May, is known for films ranging from Woody Allen to the blockbuster “Spider Man” franchise, in which she plays Peter Parker’s love interest Mary Jane Watson.

— Agencies

enise Darcel, the French-born actress known for vampy roles in such films as “Vera Cruz” and “Thunder in the Pines,” has died. She was 87.

Darcel’s son, Craig, said Monday that she died Dec. 23 at a Los Angeles hospital from complications from an emergency surgery to repair a ruptured aneurysm.

After coming to the US in 1947, Darcel starred opposite several leading men in a string of films in the ‘50s, including “Battleground” with Van Johnson, “Tarzan and the Slave Girl” with Lex Barker, “Westward the Women” with Robert Taylor and “Young Man with Ideas” with Glenn Ford. She most famously played a vivacious double-crossing countess in 1954’s “Vera Cruz” opposite Burt Lancaster and Gary Cooper.

Darcel is also survived by another son, Chris.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Japanese business eyes making soy sauce cakes a specialty roll cake flavored with soy sauce made by a company with old roots in the city of Kamaishi has become a popular symbol of reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake in Iwate Prefecture and around the nation. The Shoyu Roll cake is a collaboration between soy sauce producer Fujiyu Jozo and semipublic company Kamaishi Shinko Kaihatsu.

Before the March 11 disaster, the company sold local specialties at its Kamaishi Tokusanhinten shop in the city. One-fourth of the company’s business partners were directly affected by the disaster. Yuji Takahashi, a 55year-old man from the city of Sapporo who came to Kamaishi as a volunteer, proposed in late June that the company develop a new original product to represent the city. The company’ asked the soy sauce manufacturer, one of its existing business partners, to cooperate with the project.

Fujiyu, established in 1902, resumed shipments of its products in June after its factory was damaged by tsunami. When approached about the project, the soy sauce company agreed to participate “for the sake of our hometown.” After Takahashi introduced a pastry chef he was acquainted with to Kamaishi Shinko Kaihatsu, the company decided to produce a sponge cake flavored with Fujiyu’s soy sauce to sell as the Shoyu Roll.

Determining how much soy sauce to mix into the batter by trial and error, they were able to introduce the roll cake on a commercial basis in

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November. The aroma of soy sauce from the rice-flour sponge cake complements the sweetness of the cream filling-a combination that has won

59, a senior official of the company, said: “We want to make the roll cake into a new specialty of Kamaishi. We’re planning to set up a cake factory cor-

A clerk displays a Shoyu Roll cake at a shop in the city of Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. —MCT favorable reactions from a rapidly growing number of consumers.

By late December, about 1,900 roll cakes had been sold and the company was taking orders from consumers living in other parts of Japan, such as Tokyo and Osaka. Toshinori Kikuchi,

ner inside our shop to create new employment.” Next, the company plans to sell another new roll cake made with Hamachidori, a local daiginjo sake, around February. —MCT

Ted Fehn’s home in Santa Cruz, California, is filled with wood art and furniture, much of it from found wood. —MCT Photos

‘Rustic chic’ pioneer makes art out of wood destined for trash ed Fehn could be called an artistic pioneer, popularizing a new home decor called “rustic chic.” But instead of major alterations of the wood, Fehn lets the rugged uniqueness tell its own story. “If I have a rough piece of wood, I like to retain its original charm,” he said.

“Something can be both creative and have character. I’m trying to bring nature and the outside inside.”

Fehn, 47, is a Santa Cruz, Calif., native and has been a general contractor since the age of 22. He said he got the idea several years ago to make decorative home pieces from simple discards at project sites. “Seeing the stuff wasted bothered me,” he said.

A graduate of Harbor High School in Santa Cruz, he followed family members into the construction business, but said he also inherited an artistic bent from his parents. “My grandfather was in construction,” Fehn said. “I come from bakers, cooks, chefs and musicians on my father’s side, artists on my mother’s side.”

An enthusiastic outdoorsman, surfer, cyclist, as well as a musician who plays guitar and an upright base with a local band, Fehn said that during housing remodels, he would often find materials headed for the dump. He said he felt this wood could be salvaged and milled into items such as custom made wine cabinets, spice racks, picture frames, bird houses, jewelry boxes, furniture and entertainment centers.

“I started doing furniture pieces

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for a few friends,” he said. “One piece was made from wood that came from an old beetle-killed tree.

Another project was made from wood that came from a disintegrating water tower.” Fehn has a small woodworking shop in the back of his home, which is decorated with his work. He said eyeing the shape and texture of a piece of wood often

gives him an idea for what it might become.

“It’s almost like the wood is talking to you, pulling you in a direction,” he said. One piece, a depiction of a tree carved in cameo relief, is titled “Solitude.” “The wood for this came from a lemon tree on my aunt’s property in Soquel,” Fehn said.

Another is a faucet dripping water as a decorative fountain with a rough

board background and a shelf in front for storing household items.

Titled “Circulate,” a similar version was made for the Linda’s Seabreeze Cafe in Santa Cruz.

“People love the sound of flowing water,” Fehn said. “I like to keep a project as natural as I can so it retains its original charm.” He explained that he likes to keep to a minimum any major changes to the wood. But accidents do happen.

When a project breaks during creation, Fehn said he tries to use the mishap to his advantage.

“On one carving, also a picture of a tree, the top border broke,” he said.

“So I smoothed it off and now have the tree growing out of the top of the picture. I titled it, ‘Out of the Box.’ Sometimes when a project goes wrong, I can get an entirely new idea for what it should become.” At a private showing last month, 60 people came to Fehn’s house to view his works and he sold four pieces. A future showing will be held in February. He said he hopes to grow the rustic chic look. “Working and creating with wood is my passion,” Fehn said. “We’ll see where it takes me.” Wood creations by Ted Fehn, rustic art decor pieces and furniture for the home made from salvaged wood. —MCT

(From left) Green Goddess dressing, warm and creamy bacon dip, and spinach avocado dip are crowd pleasers. —MCT

DIPS: ave you ever been to a party where dips weren’t served? Me, neither. They’re mainstays at gatherings, and they’ve come a long way from the days of sour cream mixed with packaged soup or salad dressing mixes. We’re sticking with creamy dips with a few twists. Dips often taste rich because they’re based on ingredients such as mayonnaise, cream cheese and sour cream-all of which add fat and calories. Simply substituting reduced-fat versions can lighten the fat and calorie load considerably.

You can reduce it further by substituting nonfat Greek-style yogurt in place of sour cream. Greek-style yogurt’s custard-like texture makes it a great stand-in. The recipe for Spinach Avocado Dip calls for nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt. It’s pureed with ripe avocados and mixed with a sauteed spinach mixture, making a creamy and slightly tangy dip.

For an appetizers spread, it’s nice to have a selection of warm, cold, savory and spicy dips, plus plenty of options for dipping, including vegetables, baked pita chips and whole-grain crackers. Mini red, orange and yellow bell peppers sold in 1-pound bags also make great dippers. They are small, can be cut in half (there are few seeds) and are not terribly expensive.

Jim Bologna, executive chef at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, Mich, offers this idea for an easy Chickpea Aioli Dip, which is a cross between hummus and aioli: Mash cooked chickpeas in a blender until smooth with some olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, Dijon mustard, roasted garlic and mint. If the mixture is too thick, add more olive oil. “This works great as a veggie dip served with pita bread, pita chips or grilled veggies,” Bologna said.

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Crudites with green goddess dressing Makes: 3 cups dip / Preparation time: 10 minutes / Total time: 10 minutes For dressing 1 cup low-fat mayonnaise 1 cup low-fat sour cream or crema Mexicana 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar

Get the scoop on a party staple 1 tablespoon lime juice Zest of lime 2 green onions, roughly chopped (green and white parts) 1 cup chopped cilantro 1 pickled jalapeno pepper, seeded, optional Salt and pepper to taste lFor serving

Assorted small sliced vegetables on skewers To make the dressing, put all the ingredients in a blender and puree on high for about 1 minute; pour into a serving bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 3 days. This is best served cold or at room temperature.

Serve with small vegetables threaded on skewers, such as grape tomatoes, raw green beans, little carrots, celery cut on the diagonal, radishes cut in half, cauliflower, cucumbers, raw or slightly blanched asparagus, yellow or red bell peppers. Adapted from “On a Stick” by Matt Armendariz . Tested by Susan M Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

Analysis per 2 tablespoon serving. 30 calories (63 percent from fat ), 2 grams fat (1 gram sat fat ), 2 grams carbohydrates, 0 grams protein, 80 mg sodium, 6 mg cholesterol, 0 grams fiber .

Warm and creamy bacon dip Makes: 4 cups / Preparation time: 10 minutes / Total time: 40 minutes 8 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened 2 cups low-fat sour cream 6 slices cooked and crumbled bacon 1 cups shredded reduced-fat Mexicanstyle cheese blend 1 cup chopped green onion lFor serving

Toasted bread slices Vegetables on skewers Whole-grain crackers Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Place the mixture in a 1-quart baking dish. Cover.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbling and hot. Instead of a baking dish, you can slice about a \-inch piece off the top of a round sourdough loaf; set the piece aside. Hollow out the loaf; cut up the bread to serve with the dip. Spoon the dip into the hollowed-out crust.

Replace the top slice. Wrap the bread

bowl in foil and bake in the preheated 400-degree oven for 30 minutes.

Adapted from Daisy Sour Cream recipes. Tested by Susan M Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. Analysis per 2 tablespoons of dip. 57 calories (66 percent from fat ), 4 grams fat (2 grams sat fat ), 2 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 100 mg sodium, 13 mg cholesterol, 0 grams fiber .

Spinach avocado dip Makes: 2 cups dip / Preparation time: 15 minutes / Total time: 40 minutes 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup finely chopped shallots 1 tablespoon minced garlic 10 ounces spinach, rinsed well, tough stems removed Coarse salt and ground pepper 2 medium-ripe Hass avocados 1 cup nonfat Greek-style yogurt 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoons fresh lemon juice lFor serving 12 ounces sugar snap peas 9 small slices pumpernickel bread, cut into triangles In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Add shallots and garlic, stirring often; cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add spinach and about teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, until spinach is wilted, about 4 minutes. Uncover.

Cook until liquid evaporates, about 7 minutes. Refrigerate until cooled, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, puree avocadoes, yogurt, lemon juice and\teaspoon salt in a food processor until smooth.

Season with pepper. Finely chop the cooled spinach mixture. Stir into the avocado puree. Serve with snap peas and bread for dipping. From Martha Stewart Living magazine, December 2011 issue. Tested by Susan M Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. Analysis per 2 tablespoons of dip. 46 calories (57 percent from fat), 3 grams fat (0 grams sat fat), 3 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein, 46 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 grams fiber. —MCT

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File photo shows Beyonce is joined by husband Jay-Z, as she arrives at the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. — AP

hrough a rap verse, Jay-Z has confirmed the birth of “the most beautiful” girl in the world - his newborn daughter. The song “Glory” made its debut on his social website Life and Times on Monday - two days after he and wife Beyonce gave birth to daughter Blue Ivy. An official statement from the couple came Monday afternoon, as both said: “We are happy to announce the arrival of our beautiful daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.” The couple said the baby was delivered naturally and weighed seven pounds. “Her birth was emotional and extremely peaceful, we are in heaven. ... It was the best experience of both of our lives. We are thankful to everyone for all your prayers, well wishes, love and support.”

Jay-Z’s sweet song, in which he says “you’re my child with a child from Destiny’s Child,” gives more revelations. In the song, Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, talks about where the child was conceived (in Paris) and even reveals that Beyonce had a miscarriage at one point. “Last time the miscarriage was so tragic/We was afraid you’d disappear/But nah baby you magic.”

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teven Spielberg caught the filmmaking bug as a 12year-old boy, and half a century on still goes “crazy” when he doesn’t have a story to tell, he admitted to fans packing a masterclass in Paris Monday night.

Greeted with a standing ovation, the US director-whose works from “E.T” to “Indiana Jones” are the focus of a retrospective at Paris’ Cinematheque film centre-told the room in French, hand on his heart: “Je t’aime!” “I’m a storyteller,” the 65-year-old told the filmmaking masterclass between screenings of his new film “War Horse”. “For a long time movies were everything in my life-and if I don’t have a story to tell I go crazy.”

“Ask my wife and my kids what’s it’s like to have me without a movie in my immediate future to direct!” he quipped. “I’m a terrible person to live with!” “I mope, I walk around the house in a terrible state, I’m miserable!”

Spielberg joked. “So my family is the first to call my company and say ‘Is there anything in the files he can direct?

Please help us!’” Revealed to film buffs with the 1971 car chase thriller “Duel”, then to the mainstream with “Jaws” in 1975, Spielberg has shot more than 30 feature films as well as a string of productions for television, from episodes of “Columbo” to the hit series “Band of Brothers” in 2001.

“I got starting making movies as a kid because I couldn’t think of anything more fun to do,” Spielberg recalled. “When I was 13 there was absolutely nothing that interested me more than to take a movie camera and tell a three, four minute story.” “And when I make a movie today, I get that same energy, the same excitement,” he said. “I remember the same feeling at 12, 13 years old, as the feeling I still had as I turned 65. That has never gone away.” The director has been something of a work horse of late, directing the 3D blockbuster “Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn”, which hit screens in late 2011, before launching straight into “War Horse”.

When in the grip of a story-as was the case for “War Horse” which he based on a children’s book by British writer Michael Morpurgo, and a play adaptation by Nick Stafford-Spielberg works non-stop. “From the time we started working on the script, to the time I called action for the first time in Devon (in southwestern England), was seven months,” he said, “which as you know is a very, very short time.” “That’s an ‘E.T.’ sort of record, since ‘E.T.’ took seven months from the time the script was written to the time we shot.”

“War Horse” tells the story of Joey, a horse raised in the bucolic English countryside who is torn away from his home-and stable lad Albert-and sent to France to the battlefields of World War I. Almost deliberately old-fashioned, the movie pits noble beast against the horrors of war with sweeping, emotional set pieces that earned it a Golden Globe nomination for best dramatic film, but has divided critics. “I cried when I saw it on stage,” Spielberg said of the work. “It’s a straight narrative story. It’s completely clear: I like stories that are not encumbered by excessive symbolism or metaphor.” Asked by the event host, the filmmaker Costa Gavras, to offer a tip to the aspiring filmmakers packing the audience, Spielberg said casting was key. “First of all, the best thing you can do is to cast the right actor. If not, you have to work ten times more later. —AFP

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The song’s refrain is: “The most amazing feeling I feel/Words can’t describe what I’m feeling for real/ Maybe I paint the sky blue/My greatest creation was you. You. Glory.”

The sound of a baby’s cries - perhaps Blue’s - ends the song. The song says it features “B.I.C.” - Blue’s initials. It’s the first child for the power couple, who wed in 2008 in a private ceremony after a yearslong courtship. Beyonce announced her pregnancy to the world last August at the MTV Video Music Awards with a simple rub of her swollen belly. Celebs close to the couple have tweeted congrats. Beyonce’s sister, Solange Knowles, tweeted Sunday morning: “The most beautiful girl in the world,” while Beyonce’s close friend Gwyneth Paltrow also tweeted: “Welcome to the world Blue! We love you already.”

The couple gave birth at Lenox Hill Hospital on New York’s Upper East Side on Saturday. The hospital’s executive director, Frank Danza, said in a statement Monday that the hospital was “delighted” to have the couple deliver their child there, but its staff is “troubled by the misinformation

being circulated in some news media reports.” The statement shot down reports that the couple paid more than $1 million to rent a floor of the hospital for the birth, and said that the couple was in an executive suite and was “billed the standard rate for those accommodations. Our executive suites are available for any patient, including the food service and amenities provided to the Carter family.”

One new mother, Rozz Nash-Coulon, told The Associated Press that her twins, born Dec. 28, were in the neonatal unit, and starting Friday, intense security measures made it a struggle to see her own children as guards directed hallway traffic.

“Once they checked in there was high security everywhere. It looked like the president was on our floor. The hospital’s security cameras were taped over. Internal windows from the hallways into the ward were blacked out,” 38-year-old Nash-Coulon said.

She said she and other parents are trying to mobilize to protest their treatment, which she called “disgusting.”

A New York state senator, Eric Adams, said that he has asked the hospital to inves-

tigate and take “appropriate action to restore faith in the delivery of quality medical service without socioeconomic status.”

He said that Neil Coulon, the father, was allegedly denied access to see his children.

But Danza said although Beyonce and JayZ had their own security, “the hospital has been and still continues to be in control of managing all security at the facility. We have made every effort to ensure minimal disruption to other families experiencing the births of their own children over the past three days.”

He also added that no security would have prevented a parent from gaining access to the neonatal intensive unit and no family complained to the hospital about it. “Lenox Hill Hospital takes patient privacy and safety very seriously,” he added. “And while we congratulate the Carter family on the birth of their child, we value the loyalty of ALL our patients and always strive to ensure a positive experience, knowing that the birth of a child is a wonderful moment producing memories of a lifetime.”—AP

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f the US Supreme Court is willing to listen, rocker Steven Tyler has something “old school” to say about nudity and profanity on broadcast TV. “There’s a certain charm and passion and magic in not showing full-frontal nudity” or using constant profanity, Tyler said, as the high court prepared to take up a First Amendment case on the regulation of the airwaves. “It’s really hot when you only show a little,” he said.

Granted, the Aerosmith singer tossed off a bleeped strong expletive or two on Fox’s live “American Idol” after joining it as a judge last season.

“I have (cursed on air) a couple times, because it is 2012,” Tyler said. But an occasional swear word is different than a stream of them, which he suggested could happen without rules and wouldn’t be something he welcomes. “If you start surfing channel to channel and you’re on NBC and it’s (expletive) and channel 4 and it’s (expletive) and channel 7 and it’s (expletive), it wouldn’t be fun to surf,” he said. Besides, he said, where’s the creativity? A pun about an “American Idol” contestant’s revealingly short outfit may be fun - “Here’s to looking up your old address,” offered Tyler - but the use of blunt language “turns it into something crass.”

“Why would I say that? I would say it to show off, I think,” he added. There are pejorative terms, such as those involving race and gender, that never should be heard on TV, said Tyler. He returns to “Idol” with fellow judges Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson for the singing contest’s 11th season, starting Jan 18.In 2010, the federal appeals court in New York threw out the Federal Communications Commission’s rules affecting the hours children are likely

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American Director Steven Spielberg poses for a photo as he arrives for the French pre-premiere of ‘War Horse’ in Paris, Monday. — AP

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ew York City Opera shut its doors Monday after a contract dispute brought a company known for daring modern productions, as well as for nurturing greats such as Placido Domingo, to a halt. “Rehearsals are canceled until we have a deal. We are taking this one day at a time,” Risa Heller, a spokeswoman for New York City Opera, told AFP in an email. The opera was meant to be rehearsing Verdi’s “La Traviata.” City Opera, already struggling to escape mounting expenses and falling ticket sales, was brought to its knees over the weekend after failed negotiations between unionized musicians and management.

The drama added to fears for the future of the 69-year-old company long distinguished from its bigger rival, the Metropolitan Opera, for its innovative productions, including a focus on challenging-and not always crowd-pleasing 20th century works. George Steel, the general manager and artistic director, said the unions failed to understand the company could only be saved if employee contracts were radically pared back. “For New York City Opera to survive, we must transition to the model that most opera companies use: paying people only for the work that they do,” Steel said in a statement. He said management had gone to “extraordinary lengths” to accommodate musicians’ demands.

However, unions representing the musicians threatened to strike

viewers. That includes a ban on the use of even a single curse word on live TV as well as fines against broadcasters who showed a woman’s nude buttocks on a 2003 episode of ABC’s “NYPD Blue.”

The Obama administration has objected that the appeals court stripped the FCC of its ability to police the airwaves, and the commission is appealing the ruling. The FCC’s policy against fleeting expletives was set after a January 2003 NBC broadcast of the Golden Globes awards show, in which U2 lead singer Bono uttered the phrase “brilliant.” The FCC found its ban was also violated by a December 2002 broadcast of the Billboard Music Awards in which Cher used the phrase “em” and a December 2003 Billboard awards show in which reality show star Nicole Richie said, “Have you ever tried to get cow s—- out of a Prada purse?

to protest the company’s attempt to force through “destructive” conditions. Musicians told Steel in a letter that they were trying to find “a way to keep City Opera as a significant New York cultural icon” and had made “concession after concession.” “Instead,” the letter said, “when City Opera’s lawyers walked out of negotiations they imposed their own, destructive contract.” The American Guild of Musical Artists, which represents singers and directors, and Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, which represents the orchestra, have voted to authorize a strike.

Heller said there was no plan to hire non-union replacement workers. City Opera has been on life support since last year when it announced a cost-saving move out of its home in the prestigious Lincoln Center and shortened the schedule. The financial decline set in years ago, compounded by the weak US economy, an expensive theater renovation, and plummeting ticket sales. City Opera was founded in 1943 and helped launch the careers of Domingo, Jose Carreras and Beverly Sills, among others. —AFP

It’s not so simple.”

The commission’s stepped-up broadcast indecency enforcement in recent years, including record fines for violations, was spurred in part by public outrage over Janet Jackson’s breast-baring performance during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show.

TV networks - including Tyler’s home base, Fox - argue that the FCC’s policy is vague, irregularly applied and outdated, affecting only broadcast television while leaving unregulated the same content if it’s delivered on cable TV or over the Internet. Tyler predicted Monday the Supreme Court will allow “certain words, and that’s that.” — AP

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ow here’s a competition that even noted layabout Homer Simpson could get behind. In celebration of the upcoming 500th episode of “The Simpsons,” Fox is challenging fans of the show to break a Guinness world record for continuous television watching by participating in The Simpsons Ultimate Fan Marathon Challenge. The “Simpsons” view-athon will kick off Feb 8 at the Hollywood & Highland complex in Los Angeles. Participants will attempt to break the current record of 86 hours, 6 minutes and 41 seconds while watching up to 500 continuous episodes of the long-running

Fox

American Idol Judge and musician Jennifer Lopez, right, plays with the hair of fellow judge Steven Tyler of Aerosmith as they participate in the American Idol panel at the Fox Broadcasting Company Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour on Sunday.

— AP

hit.

Whoever manages to watch the longest will have more than a dramatically expanded posterior to show for his or her efforts-the winner of the competition will receive $10,500 plus a collection of Simpsons merchandise, some of which was specifically designed for the 500th episode. The 500th episode of “The Simpsons” will air Feb 19. In the meantime, those wishing to participate in the Ultimate Fan Marathon Challenge can “like” the show on its Facebook page or visit TheSimpsons.com for updates on the event.-Reuters

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rad Pitt added to his trophy cabinet on Monday night by scooping the coveted Best Actor prize at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards. The Hollywood hunk, who also landed a best actor honour at California’s Palm Springs International Film Festival on Saturday , attended the Manhattan ceremony with his partner Angelina Jolie and picked up the trophy for his roles in Moneyball and The Tree of Life.

Silent movie The Artist also continued its success, being named Best Picture, while its maker, Michel Hazanavicius, landed the Best Director nod. Meryl Streep was named Best Actress for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, and Pitt’s The Tree of Life co-star Jessica Chastain garnered the Best Supporting Actress award.

Best Supporting Actor went to Albert Brooks for his role in Drive. Other winners included Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin (Best Screenplay for Moneyball), Emmanuel Lubezki (Best Cinematographer for The Tree of Life) and Raoul Ruiz, who landed the night’s Special Award.

—www.contactmusic.com Brad Pitt, winner of the best actor award, right, and actress Angelina Jolie attend the New York Film Critics Circle Awards at the Crimson Club on Monday in New York. — AP photos

French actor Jean Dujardin attends the New York Film Critics Circle Awards.

Jessica Chastain, winner of the best supporting actress award.

Best Supporting Actress winner Jessica Chastain.

Meryl Streep, winner of the best actress award.

Director Michel Hazanavicius, left, winner of the best director award, and actress Berenice Bejo from “The Artist.”

Michel Hazanavicius, winner of best director.

Albert Brooks, winner of the best supporting actor award for his role in “Drive.”

Shelton returns to co-host ACM Awards with Reba G

et ready for another dose of Blake Shelton as country’s hottest leading man joins Reba McEntire again this year as co-host of The Academy of Country Music Awards. The 47th annual show will be held Sunday, April 1, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Like Shelton, the ACM’s Fan Jam also will return for a second year. This time Zac Brown Band will host the parallel event at the Mandalay Events Center. The academy also announced Lionel Richie will host “ACM Presents: Lionel Richie and Friends - A Lifetime of Hits,” its annual television special taped the day after the awards and

Actress Viola Davis attends the New York Film Critics Circle Awards.

aired later on CBS. Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Kenny Rogers, Rascal Flatts, Martina McBride and others will join Richie on the show.

The appearance will continue country music’s love affair with Richie, who is preparing to release a country duets album this spring called “Tuskegee.” Most of today’s top country stars have said recently that Richie is an influence and his recent appearances at celebrity events have drawn crowds of star-struck celebrities. Shelton was an easy-going foil for his good friend Reba last year in his first extended television appearance.

It turned out to be a sign of things to come as Shelton rode his appearance on singing contest reality show “The Voice” as a coach later that month to a new level of popularity.

Sugarland hosted the new Fan Jam event and after party at Mandalay Bay in 2010 with occasional live remotes that appeared on the broadcast, including a duet featuring Jennifer Nettles and Rihanna. Zac Brown Band, known for its kinetic live shows, will be joined by special guests that will be announced later. — AP

File photo shows hosts Blake Shelton and Reba McEntire speak onstage at the 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. — AP

Jay-Z raps about birth of daughter with Beyonce

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012

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Every detail is carefully arranged, from the sinks of Moroccan brass to a bathtub of Swahili plasterwork.

The African Heritage House, which overlooks the great, still plain of Nairobi National Park, is both a trove of a continent’s aesthetic richness and a mausoleum of its extinct wonders. —MCT photos

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o find the house that Alan Donovan built, drive a few miles southeast from the heart of Kenya’s traffic-snarled capital and pull onto an abruptly quiet road toward the savanna. The African Heritage House, which overlooks the great, still plain of Nairobi National Park, is both a trove of a continent’s aesthetic richness and a mausoleum of its extinct wonders. Donovan, 70, was born in Colorado and attended the University of California-Los Angeles but has lived in Africa since the US State Department sent him to Nigeria as a relief officer in 1967. His home, billed as the most photographed on the continent, has a turreted facade echoing the mosques of Mali and a tower bearing the geometric designs of a Nigerian emir’s palace.

Inside are a garden courtyard, nine distinct rooms and 6,000 pieces of arts and crafts reflecting a lifetime’s immersion in Africana as a collector, dealer and patron. Every detail is carefully arranged, from the sinks of Moroccan brass to a bathtub of Swahili plasterwork. Donovan shows the house by appointment and takes reservations for overnight guests.

Tour the place with the owner, and the recurring theme is loss. Here is a wall of exquisite beadwork from the Kamba of Kenya. “They’ve become modern, globalized,” Donovan says. “So they’re no longer interested in beadwork.”

Here are appliqued masquerade costumes from the Ibo of Nigeria. “You couldn’t get these anymore,” he says. An elegant wooden grave marker from Madagascar. “They’re all gone.” Ceremonial daggers from the Bakuba people of the Congo. “You can’t find these anymore.”“There’s hardly anywhere to buy this stuff now,” says Donovan, sounding more than a little crestfallen. “They’ve all stopped. It’s all coming to an abrupt halt. Especially the young Kenyans.

They don’t have any idea of their culture at all.”

In the early 1970s, soon after leaving the State Department, Donovan opened the African Heritage Gallery in Nairobi, and tourists lined up to buy treasures he’d collected or commissioned. His business partner was Joseph Murumbi, former vice president of Kenya and a collector. By Donovan’s reckoning, the company became the largest exporter of panAfrican crafts in the world, with some 500 full-time employees in Nairobi and 51 worldwide outlets, including one in Palo Alto, Calif. He toured 20 African countries a year on buying trips.

The decline of the business began in the early 1990s, abetted by Kenya’s political volatility and what Donovan calls “poor governance” under thenPresident Daniel arap Moi. Ethnic violence raged, crime spiraled out of control, and hotel guests were advised-with good reason-that it was dangerous to stroll the streets of Nairobi. Walk-in traffic vanished.

The Al Qaeda bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi in 1998 scuttled a long-planned sale of his business, and in 2003, amid fears of further terrorism, British Airways temporarily suspended flights to Kenya. “That ended me. That pushed me into bankruptcy,” Donovan says. “I went through a terrible depression.” Liquidators shut him out of his shop.

Gesturing around his home, he says, “This is a fraction of what we had.”

Donovan is deeply ambivalent about the Western influence on Africa, which he blames in part for the decline of traditional African arts. “The missionaries came in and told Africans these things were devil worship, so a lot of Africans think these things are witchcraft and bad,” he says. “Everywhere in Africa, they want to be Americans. This is like the 51st state.”

He speaks of a Kenyan boy who emerged from four years of public-school education despising his family’s goat-herder lifestyle and coveting emblems of the West. He was eventually jailed for stealing a radio from a Peace Corps volunteer. “It was too big a temptation,” Donovan says. “I thought, ‘If you’re just half in one world, and half in another, you’re really

nowhere.’”

William Bellamy, US ambassador to Kenya from 2003 to 2006, says he became aware of Donovan when he got “an indignant letter” in which Donovan complained about travel warnings the State Department had issued regarding Kenya, amid fears of terrorism. The warnings were crippling tourism. “I remember being slightly irritated by this,” Bellamy says of the letter, though he came to like Donovan and share his frustration. When Bellamy left as ambassador, he held his party at Donovan’s house.

They sat on the roof at sunset overlooking the

national park. “My friend turned to me and said, ‘This is the most magical moment of our lives,’” Bellamy says. “That house, it’s like being in a dream.”

Donovan’s challenges have been compounded, Bellamy says, by the relatively small investment Kenya has made in the arts. “His love of African art really didn’t have much of an official echo,” Bellamy says. “I’m sure there were times Alan thought he was fighting kind of a lonely battle.” Michael Ranneberger, who recently departed as U.S. ambassador to Kenya, says the amount of money the Kenyan government spends on the arts is “woefully

inadequate,” adding: “In general, East African artists are a bit underappreciated.” He has been a guest at Donovan’s home many times. “He’s maintained an incredible spirit, despite the troubles he’s faced,” Ranneberger says. “To me, that’s a triumphant thing.”

Herbert “Skip” Cole, a specialist in African art who taught art history at the University of CaliforniaSanta Barbara for 35 years, says there remains a thriving market in African crafts, with workshops across the continent. “A lot of African people have been saved from starvation by turning out these artifacts,” says Cole, crediting Donovan as a catalyst

The master bedroom in Alan Donovan’s home.

Alan Donovan’s home, contains some 6,000 pieces of arts and crafts reflecting a lifetime’s immersion in Africana as a collector, dealer and patron.

Exquisite beadwork from the Kambas of Kenya at the African Heritage House. “They’ve become modern, globalized,” Alan Donovan says of the Kambas. “So they’re no longer interested in beadwork.” Donovan shows the house by appointment.

One of Alan Donovan’s staff members at the African Heritage House, both a trove of a continent’s aesthetic richness and a mausoleum of its extinct wonders.

Alan Donovan, 70, has lived in Africa since the US State Department sent him to Nigeria as a relief officer in 1967. His home in Nairobi, Kenya, is billed as the most photographed on the continent, owes its architectural flourishes to sources ranging from Nigerian mud palaces to Timbuktu mosques.

“Mass Communications II” by John Odochameny, created from the debris of the technological age, is on display at Alan Donovan’s home.

in the industry. But with the waning of traditional African culture, he says, craftspeople often make the products for the market rather than for their own communities.

“It leads to the diminution of quality. It leads to the paucity of what can be called authentic pieces,” Cole says. In the case of a beaded Kamba earring, for example, “it may be made by a Kamba woman, but she’s not going to put as many pieces on the earring as if she’s making it for her daughter,” he says. “She’s going to move toward what will sell.”

Apart from the Heritage House, Donovan has helped upgrade the art collection in Kenya’s national archives and preserved the collection of the late Murumbi. He also launched a program to save the lion population in the national park. The goal is to persuade Masai pastoralists - with cash compensation - not to kill the lions when their cows and goats are mauled.

Donovan would like to add more suites to his house, but he isn’t sure he has the stamina to complete it. Nor is he sure what will happen to the house when he’s gone. He has no children. “I was going to will it to a foundation before I die, so I can live here,” he says.

Recently, thieves tried to abscond with a massive statue, “Woman at the Gate” by Ugandan sculptor Francis Nnaggenda, who is sometimes called the dean of East African artists, that stands at the Murumbi Peace Memorial that Donovan fought to establish in Nairobi. The thieves knocked it off its base and ripped off an arm but were unable to drag it away.

Their goal, Donovan is sure, was not to sell the sculpture on the black market but to dismantle it as scrap metal for sale to China. Donovan says he would like to see a renaissance of traditional African arts and crafts, but he’s skeptical of the chances: “It’s too late. Everything’s disappearing.” —MCT

Alan Donovan’s living room.