15 Dec 2011

CR IP TI ON BS SU

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

Hamas marks 24th ‘versary with massive Gaza rally

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8New19 Cabinet sworn in, controversy continues Ashour detained • 12 activists surrender • Call for ‘real’ reform

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By B Izzak and Agencies KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah yesterday swore in the new Cabinet which was formed late Tuesday and called on Kuwaiti voters to elect the most qualified candidates away from sectarian, tribal or factional factors. Besides Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, the Cabinet includes 10 ministers, all of them from the previous government with the key ministers retaining their posts. The interior minister in the previous government Sheikh Ahmad AlHumoud Al-Sabah was retained and also given the defence portfolio and made the first deputy prime minister.

The new Cabinet held its first meeting yesterday with Sheikh Jaber vowing to take all necessary actions to fight corruption. The Cabinet was formed in the face of criticism that the previous formation, in which the new prime minister headed the resigned government, breached the constitution. It was initially thought that the new Cabinet would assume its authority by withdrawing the Amiri decree that dissolved the National Assembly last week to avoid a constitutional crisis, but the Cabinet did not include even one MP as required by the law.

By not including an MP, the government acted on the grounds that the decree that dissolved the Assembly was constitutional and the next step will be to approve a new decree to set the date for elections.

That decree will likely be issued either today or early next week with the elections expected to take place late January or earlier February but not beyond Feb 4 as per the law. A number of constitutional experts and former MPs still insisted that dissolving the Assembly on the Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah receive members of the new Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah for the oath-taking ceremony at Bayan Palace yesterday. — KUNA

OPEC oil deal puts Saudis back in charge

DUBAI: Palestinian director Susan Youssef reacts after she won the Fipresci Arab Feature award for her film ‘Habibi’ as she stands next to Sheikh Mansour, son of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, during the Dubai International Film Festival award ceremony yesterday. — AFP

Women filmmakers shine at Dubai fest DUBAI: A tale of forbidden love in the Gaza Strip won the top prize at the eighth Dubai Film Festival yesterday, where a new generation of Arab women directors stole the spotlight. “Habibi” (My Love in Arabic), directed by Susan Youssef, won Best Arab feature film, and the film’s star, Maisa Abdel Hadi, won best actress. The film, which also won the best editor award, tells the story of two

Palestinian lovers, Qais and Leila, growing increasingly religious under the control of the Islamist group Hamas. The couple meet at university in the West Bank, but both are expelled by Israeli authorities to Gaza.

Leila’s brother is a Hamas member, and her relationship with Qais is forbidden. In one scene, the two are arrested Continued on Page 13

VIENNA: OPEC oil producers yesterday sealed their first new output agreement in three years in a deal that settles a 6-month-old argument over supply policy firmly in Saudi Arabia’s favour. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed a target of 30 million barrels daily, ratifying current production near 3-year highs. It did not discuss individual national quotas. The deal vindicates Saudi Arabia after its proposal to raise output in June to stem rising prices was rejected by price hawks led

by Iran, Algeria and Venezuela. “For the Saudis it’s a fantastic decision,” said Jamie Webster of Washington consultancy PFC Energy.

Saudi said it pumped 10 million barrels a day last month, 25 percent above its old OPEC quota, in what Gulf delegates said was a demonstration of strength to the price hawks ahead of the meeting. In theory the agreement caps output for all 12 OPEC members for the first half of 2012 at levels that should permit a modest rebuilding of lean global inventories. “We’re not going to bypass it, we’re going to adhere to it,” promised OPEC Secretary General Abdullah al-Badri of the new supply limit. “Saudi Arabia will abide by this decision for sure.”

That will depend on whether or not Saudi and its Gulf Arab allies decide to ease back supply as postcivil war Libya heads towards full production or keep the taps open to drive oil below $100 a barrel. Saudi Arabia did not allay doubts about its intentions. “If Libya increases it doesn’t necessarily mean Saudi will cut,” said Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi.

Continued on Page 13

Egypt Islamists look to extend poll gains CAIRO: Voters poured into polling stations yesterday in the second round of landmark elections that will shape Egypt’s post-revolution future, with many backing Islamists who have already emerged as front-runners. Some 18.8 million people were eligible to vote in the second round of the three-phase legislative polls, the first since Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February after 30 years in power. The powerful Muslim Brotherhood, whose Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) clinched the most seats in the opening round, was eager to

sustain the momentum. “For a strong parliament, which meets the demands, the concerns and the priorities of the people, let’s continue,” the party said on its Facebook page.

Long queues formed outside polling stations in a third of Egypt’s provinces throughout the day, where voting kicked off at 8:00 am (0600 GMT). Polling was later extended by two hours to 9:00 PM and will continue today. At the Mohammed Qureib school in the Giza working class Bahr Al-Aatham Continued on Page 13

GIZA, Egypt: Egyptians line outside a polling station in front of graffiti showing the pyramids and ‘Egypt’ written in Arabic yesterday.— AP

in the

news ‘The protester’ named Time’s person of year

Iran says Saudi visit to refute US claims

NEW YORK: “The protester” was named Time magazine’s person of the year yesterday, a tribute to those bringing change across the Arab world as well as anti-corporate greed demonstrations in the US and Europe. “There’s this contagion of protest,” Time managing editor Richard Stengel said on NBC television. “These are folks who are changing history already and they will change history in the future.”

The shared honor for protesters beat the traditional individual contenders, who included Admiral William McRaven, commander of the US mission to kill Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden. Last year, Time picked Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, whose competitors included another 21st century communications guru, WikiLeaks maestro Julian Assange. This time, the list centered on heavyweight political figures such as McRaven, Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei, and influential Republican Congressman Paul Ryan. There were also an emotional nod for Kate Middleton, who was credited for putting a spring back in the British monarchy’s step with her wedding to Prince William.

TEHRAN: A rare visit by Iran’s intelligence chief to Saudi Arabia sought to refute US claims that Tehran planned to kill the kingdom’s ambassador to Washington, a senior Iranian official said yesterday. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Iran also wanted to convince Saudi Arabia that the US and Israel are seeking to sow seeds of discord between the two regional powers. Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi was reported to have met the Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdel-Aziz Al Saud during his Tuesday visit. The prince is also the kingdom’s interior minister. Initially, few reports emerged from the meeting. Saudi diplomats said the two discussed regional issues, including developments in Syria and Bahrain. “Definitely, one of the issues for discussion is the misunderstandings that have been raised,” Mehmanparast was quoted by the state Al-Alam TV channel yesterday as saying about the Saudi visit. “The US has leveled baseless charges against Iran,” he said. “Transparent and frank talks are needed to remove suspicions and clarify what objectives are sought behind these scenarios.” But a senior Iranian hardliner criticized the Saudi visit’s attempt to ease strained Iran-Saudi relations. Hossein Shariatmadari, an aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Moslehi’s trip was a “gift” to a regime on the verge of collapse.

KUWAIT: Syrian award-winning cartoonist Ali Farzat poses at his desk at Al-Watan’s offices in Shuwaikh yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

Years

LOCAL

Women work to make voice of silent majority reach NA Symposium discusses challenges

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Aiming to empower women and increase their public participation, the Women’s Cultural Society (WCS) held a symposium titled the ‘Woman in the Decision Maker’s Position, and the Challenges of the Coming Phase’ at its premises on Tuesday. The symposium was attended by former female MPs, former ministers and other political activists. Sheikha Al-Nasif, President of (WCS) noted that for many years, Kuwaiti women have not been allowed to become decision makers. The organization can benefit from her experience. “Also in many cases, the rights of women have been lost although the Constitution does not permit gender discrimination.”

“We have tried, through different workshops and symposiums, to empower women.

In fact, political right was achieved.

Corruption is rampant everywhere and Kuwait’s interest is not of much importance to many people. The MPs, who should act and protect the nation, has changed the Parliament to a corrupt Assembly,” she added.

Dr Moudhi Al-Humoud, former Minister of Education said that the WCS has always adopted the issues of Kuwaiti women during the past half century. “Since 1980s, women have always had to play a visible role in economic, social and political fields. Later, she also proved her effective role when she was in the position of minister or member of parliament. Women qualified to be a minister five times during the previous government. I wonder why the woman is always criticized after being appointed to a key position. This is although HH the Amir trusted her ability at being appointed to the position,” she pointed out.

A brave woman can deal with political crisis. “Resigning from a post doesn’t mean that she is weak. It means she can face problems.

Furthermore she has never been accused of corruption. So is she involved in public corruption? She was also successful as an MP when she attended all the sessions. She has been serious about dealing with issues. She has been independent,” she added.

“Evaluating her performance is a positive measure. She needs support to hold highranking positions that match with her experience and qualification. It’s the time to chose the best,” explained Al-Humoud.

The candidate from the third constituency Dr Aseel Al-Awadhi spoke about the role and achievement of the four female MPs. “Many people, after dissolving the Parliament, accused female MPs of failure to garner any achievements. I assert that she has reaped achievements. The female MPs are more productive than the male MPs. They have registered as members in four or even six committees. Men only registered in one or maximum three committees, although there is no extra payment received for being a member in

these committees,” she stated. “The women MPs are not interested in appearing regularly in the media just to speak about our achievements in the committees. Also, the previous Parliament was the most productive in approving laws, in addition to garnering a record in the number of grilling motions filed.

For example, we worked to change some articles of the Women’s Law and we succeeded in

Al-Awadhi. The female MPs are always subject to attack. They always demand that the political opinions of the female MPs remain the same, while the opinion of the 46 male MPs differ completely. The political opinions differ depending on personal beliefs. It is not based on gender. I had a different opinion on the grilling issue. Some people said that the female MPs all are pro-governmental and this

KUWAIT: Moudhi Al-Humoud, Sheikha Al-Nasif and Dr Aseel Al-Awadhi during the symposium held at the Women’s Cultural Society.

KUWAIT: Safa Al-Hashim, Nabeela Al-Anjeri, Maasouma Al-Mubarak and others. — Photos

by Yasser Al-Zayyat approving the educational and healthcare services for children of a Kuwaiti mother from non-Kuwaiti father. We also approved passing the environmental law, and we participated in investigating some important issues such as the medical treatment abroad and wastage of public budget. This is in addition to the spoiled food case and the Ahmadi gas leak issue, in addition to environmental damages compensations that were frozen,” highlighted

is not true,” Al-Awadhi stressed. “People judged the female MPs and said that they failed in the Parliament although they have been playing the role for two years. Male MPs have been in Parliament since the year 1962.

In the end, we should work to make the third voice reach the Parliament, which is the voice of the silent majority, regardless of whether it is pro-governmental or opposition,” concluded Al-Awadhi.

Legal staff to stage sit-in KUWAIT: Legal staff members from the public sector plan to stage a mass sit-in at 10:00 am on Monday outside the Civil Service Commission(CSC) after holding strikes for over two months.

This announcement was made

by Ahmad Al-Kandari from the union representing legal employees in state departments.

Employees reiterated that they would not stop protesting until demands are met.

The protesting staff demand adjustment of job designations to match with those of their peers at the Fatwa and Legislation Department and Kuwait Municipality. These special classifications allow members of these

two departments to obtain additional financial privileges.

Meanwhile, Al-Kandari argued that the strike also aims to prevent controversies which could be set off once job classifications are upgraded, rendering transactions made under the previous classifications as being illegitimate. He based his argument on

the current duties of legal staff members who are not compatible with current job classifications. Al-Kandari also blamed the CSC for the strikes that hit the public sector in recent months.

This is with reference to allowances and job classification decisions that have been made exclusively. — Al-Qabas

Youth movements demand fair elections, reform KUWAIT: A group of youth movements released what they described as the ‘2012 Kuwait Charter’ containing a series of demands to be followed during the upcoming elections in order to maintain fair elections and achieve reform.

The charter, which contains 31 demands that the youths hope will be endorsed by candidates in the 2012 elections, calls on the government to maintain fair elections protected from interventions of ruling family members or any other influential parties.

Moreover, it calls for the establishment of a rejuvenated elections system that “...rids the society off tribal and religious sectarianism and puts an end to primary elections.”

Youth groups are largely credited for fueling public pressure, which led to the previous cabinet’s resignation late last month. The groups now feel that it’s their duty to continue working in order to ensure an intact electoral process. Several youth activists are currently under pressure to run for elections following their strong stances during developments preceding the cabinet’s resignation. Sources told Al-Rai that activists Khalid AlFadhalah (1st constituency), Rakan AlNisf and Abdullah Al-Ahmad (2nd constituency), Faisal Al-Yahya (3rd constituency), Dr Mushary Al-Mutairi (4th constituency) and Dr Tariq Al-Mutairi (5th constituency) are currently weighing their options with regards to running for elections. The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, indicated that Abdullah Al-Ahmad, a lawyer, has already decided to run in the 2nd constituency.

Meanwhile, candidates who represent minority groups in constituencies are looking for ways to end the dominance of members from dominant tribal majorities running in their constituencies, according to a recent report. An Al-Qabas report suggests that coalitions could appear between minorities in order to improve their chances against members of dominant tribal majorities who usually depend on their large support base to gain the upper hand in elections.

The report says that the first, fourth and fifth constituencies are coordinating between minorities for potential coalitions. In the fourth constituency, spectators believe that minority coali-

tions may dethrone the dominance of the Mutair and Rashaida tribes, whose large support base leaves little chance for other candidates. The report also indicates that similar activity is featured in the fifth constituency to end the dominance of certain tribes.

The constitutional court recently approved an order rendering primary elections, a process by which tribes would select certain tribesmen to be fully endorsed by all of its members, as illegal. However, this hasn’t stopped tribes from holding ‘consultative talks’ that serve the same function.

Limiting the allegiance of voters to tribesmen elected through primary elections is seen as a violation to principles of patriotism and the constitution, since they force voters to give loyalty to the tribe ahead of the general interest of the country. In the fifth constituency, which has 113,000 voters, the Awazem tribe has 28,000 voters, followed by Al-Ajman, Otaiba, and Mutair as the main tribes in the constituency. An Al-Rai report quoted yesterday anonymous sources who indicated that less dominant tribes in the fifth constituency have already decided to hold primary elections, whereas the dominant tribes will resort to consultative meetings.

Primary elections aren’t the only challenge facing the government to assure fair elections, as bribes and vote-buying remain as persistent obstacles. Al-Rai reported yesterday that speculations have already commenced regarding the issue of votebuying attempts emerging in the third constituency; which is considered less prone to the crime as compared to other constituencies.

Furthermore, the report suggests that some voters are actually looking for the candidate willing to pay the most for their vote.

“Bribery isn’t always paid in cash; it can come in securing other privileges or services to voters unlawfully,” said former MP Naji Al-Abdlhadi, who suggested that the Ministry of Interior pay a gift to every person who reports a bribery case in order to eliminate the problem. Separately, deputy head of the Municipal Council, Shaye’a AlShaye’a, announced on Tuesday that he is running for the 2012 elections in the third constituency. — Al-Rai/Al-Qabas

‘Oman objects to Jordan, Morocco joining GCC’

By A Saleh KUWAIT: Jordan’s government has announced in its parliament that Oman objects to Jordan and Morocco’s decision to join the GCC. Three other countries (Kuwait, Qatar and UAE) have also expressed reservations citing various reasons. The government said that Saudi Arabia changed its stance and advocate gradual inclusion and suggested granting generous financial aid.

In other news, former MP Naji AlAbdelhadi called for discussing the National Assembly’s dissolution issue soon, in light of statements made by constitutional experts doubting its constitutionality. He said, it has become top

priority to review the procedures so as to remove suspicions from members.

Efforts made by the opposition bloc has failed to convince MP Saifi Al-Saifi not to participate in the by-elections of Ajman tribe in the fifth district. Officials said that Al-Saifi has failed to buck under all forms of pressure. Al-Saifi told the opposition bloc that his stance was adopted out of his personal conviction.

Also, Kuwaiti businessman Saud AlBabtain expressed his plans to invest in the agricultural sector at a cost of $15 million in Iraq. The plot of land covers 14, 715 square meters. He made the announcement during his visit to the Basra Investment Commission in southern Iraq.

News

in brief

Kuwaiti passports withdrawal KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry has the authority to withdraw the passport of a Kuwaiti citizen as a disciplinary measure, said General Director of the ministry’s General Department of Citizenship and Passports, Major General Sheikh Faisal Al-Nawaf AlSabah. He discussed the rules recently when reporters asked for clarification of the authority to withdraw passports for differing periods of time as per the state’s general interest and national security. “Citizens convicted of crimes including terrorism, drug trafficking or the trafficking of passports can be subjected to passport withdrawal for a period of time fixed only as per a decision from the Interior Minister, in order to best serve the interests of Kuwait and the reputation of its people,” AlSabah said.

Salary increase plans KUWAIT: Chairman of the Civil Services Commission (CSC), Mohammed Al-Roumi, said that the suggested salary increases for Kuwaiti government employees, who had not received any increments over the past few years, has been extended to the cabinet for discussion. Speaking on the sidelines of the opening of the Job Expo at the Mishref International Fair Grounds, Al-Roumi said that the ball was now in the cabinet’s court.

Violation of international agreements KUWAIT: Following recent news about the cancellation of national health committees at the Ministry of Health, health sources stressed that the violation of Kuwait’s commitment to international agreements it had signed with the World Health Organization (WHO) has embarrassed the state before the international community. They added that such action may result in the WHO reacting by isolating Kuwait, despite the millions of dinars contributed to the WHO budget.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

local

‘Things turn out best for those that make the best’ Al-Corniche Club holds fitness seminar

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Fire Services Directorate participated in the preparation and evaluation of disasters and crises management courses held in Abu Dhabi this week. The course was held under the supervision of United Nations. —Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

New Cabinet must submit dissolution request KUWAIT: The new Cabinet should take a number of steps to correct constitutional errors that were committed when the Parliament was dissolved. These remarks were made by two experts on Tuesday, a day before the new Cabinet of Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah swore in.

After the new Cabinet is formed, it needs to withdraw the request made by the caretaker Cabinet, based on which HH the Amir dissolved the Parliament, said constitutional expert Dr Mohammad Al-Muqatea to Al-Rai. “After that, the Cabinet will make a new request for a new dissolution decree to be issued,” he said, insisting that this is the only

way to correct the error committed.

Controversy has emerged following the Parliament’s dissolution last week. It indicates that the dissolution request must be submitted by a functioning Cabinet. HH Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlSabah submitted the request after swearing in as new premier. Before he formed a new Cabinet, a controversial situation was created.

Constitutional expert and Kuwait University Prof Mohammad Al-Feeli also agreed that a decree calling for fresh elections must be issued after an Amiri decision to dissolve the Parliament based on a request forwarded by the new Cabinet. — Al-Rai

Kuwait ‘important regional center in trade, logistics’ KUWAIT: Assistant Undersecretary for Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Communications Abdul-Mohsen Al-Mutairi said yesterday that Kuwait is one of the most important centers in the area of international trade and logistics in the Middle East. Al-Mutairi said in a speech at the opening of the first Kuwait Conference and Exhibition for supply networks and logistics operations on behalf of the Minister of Electricity and Water and Minister of Communications Salem Al-Uthaina that logistics operations play a pivotal role as whole nations may be affected as a result of the non-arrival of supplies through their territories or territories adjacent to them.

He added that the construction of new ports in Kuwait or those under construction is a successful indication for the future of the country, pointing to the significance of building integrated rail networks in the Arab countries. He also stressed the importance of stiff-

ening controls on goods traded in the border areas between the Arab countries to keep pace with global requirements and in line with the global free market mechanisms.

He said that the competition between the logistics companies is no longer limited to the product, however, the value of the services is now a factor due to the current most sophisticated and advanced technology. He said the Port of Mubarak Al-Kabir on the island of Bubiyan is of great strategic and economic importance as it is located in the corner serving Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey through road transport. Al-Mutairi said that the road transport sector is the largest in the logistics market, followed by maritime transport, as statistics indicate that the size of the global market for marine containers will reach 730 million by 2017, while warehousing represents an important aspect in the storage, preservation and safety. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Al-Corniche Club in Shaab is currently hosting a twoday seminar dedicated to developing fitness of health, mind, body and soul of their members.

The seminar, which kicked off yesterday, is organized by IHRSA, the ‘International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association,’ in cooperation with Al-Corniche Club. IHRSA’s mission is to grow, protect and promote the health and fitness industry, and to provide its members with benefits to help them succeed in their goals.

Speakers were invited to discuss their experiences and share their expertise on subjects ranging from career development, obesity, and inspiring kids to exercises that may help develop fitness.

IHRSA members represent health and fitness facilities, gyms, spas, sports clubs, and suppliers worldwide including Al-Corniche club.

Fred Hoffman was the first speaker and shared his experiences ranging from career to life lessons and successes. Hoffman completed a masters degree in education but eventually found himself in the fitness and health industry, and was named as the 2007’s Ideal Fitness Instructor of the Year. He said success is not measured by how many countries you’ve visited or how much money you’ve accumulated, but how many friends you’ve made and how you were able to share and impart positive influences with others.

Hoffman shared a range of tips

and suggestions, with his first message being: Seize the moment. “Life is short. An extraordinary event could turn into a real opportunity...seize the moment,” he said. Hoffman recalled the early years of his career, where he was asked to deliver a lecture in front of the Indian cricket team’s coaches and trainers.

“I don’t really know anything about cricket, but I said yes because I wanted to go to India and experience their culture. I have basic knowledge about fitness and some athletics methodologies. But I have no knowledge about cricket itself. So I dedicated time and effort to learn more about it and found myself lectur-

ing coaches in India. They found it very interesting and I was able to inspire many people on my lecture,” he added.

“I did enjoy India, the Taj Mahal, and many other places there and I never regretted seizing the moment. Had I not, I could have missed such great opportunities,” he continued.

Hoffman also advised attendees to move out of their comfort zone and try something new and unique. Being true to yourself is also an important quality that successful people must have. He advised attendees to avoid making negative comments and assumptions. “Avoid taking negative comments too personally.

Life is a series of exchanges and

the exchanges could be in the form of material blessings, or they could be physical or career based,” he said.

He added, “ We don’t really know what are the circumstances of people around us, but laughter and smiling are universal. So give them away freely. We always face adversities, but we all have our individual journey to face life and our role is to radiate a positive impact on others.” As his final message, Hoffman said: “Things turn out best for those that make the best.”

Other speakers include Lexie Griffiths, Tamara Bennett, Mark Slavin and Doug Miller. Today’s seminar will run from 9am-5pm at Al-Corniche club.

KUWAIT: Members of the Al-Corniche Club pictured during the fitness seminar in Shaab yesterday.

MEW tackles organized theft KUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity and Water admitted Tuesday that organized electricity thefts are being committed in Kuwait, in which power is connected illegally to newly constructed buildings. “[The MEW] takes immediate legal action against violators as soon as electricity theft is detected,” said Undersecretary Assistant for

Electricity Distribution Networks, Abdulwahab Al-Terki, who added that such cases are usually detected either by chance or through periodic inspection missions carried out by MEW personnel. The senior MEW officials made these statements during a press conference held to announce the budget of the Electricity Distribution Networks Department’s projects,

which he estimated at more than KD 285 million. Al-Terki also indicated that the department operates more than 7,000 electricity distribution substations in Kuwait, which are connected to 38,000 transformers. He added that all stations are subjected to annual periodic maintenance from October through May of the following year. — Al-Qabas

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

LOCAL

kuwait digest

kuwait digest

Pessimism!

Source of chaos

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij uwait is currently going through a state of chaos following the recent developments which divided people and society between those that approved of what happened and others who questioned the constitutionality of the decisions taken. While this situation might easily be corrected through new regulations, it remains a source of problems, added to the list of issues which hindered development and reforms in Kuwait.

This problem pertains with a ‘constitutional vacuum’ which a lot of people believe was created as a result of the Cabinet’s resignation and the subsequent dissolution of the Parliament. However, these developments, in my opinion, weren’t the cause of the current problem, rather the result of a bigger issue. When the cash deposits case emerged, I refused to jump into the opposition’s bandwagon and accept accusations or even admit that a crime took place.

Unless new developments emerge and can prove otherwise, I still believe that no violations or criminal actions were taken in this case. First of all, it’s important to notice that winning other parties’ allegiance is nothing new in Kuwaiti culture. What’s the difference between a candidate who helps citizens obtain privileges illegally to win their votes and those who pay direct bribes in cash? Why is it that the ‘oh so trusty guardians of social values’ strongly criticize candidates who buy votes directly with cash, yet fail to do the same against candidates that help appoint unqualified personnel in state departments in exchange for votes?

Before the graft scandal emerged, campaigns were launched against the so called ‘corrupt media.’

Unfortunately, MPs and political activists rode the wave against media outlets who were accused of adopting a corruptive approach without even providing proof to support their claim or press charges. The same thing happened with the graft scandal - pro-government MPs and the Cabinet were accused without proof and labeled as criminals before authorities could even confirm that a crime actually took place. Not only that, but pro-opposition media outlets launched vigorous campaigns against pro-government MPs whose bank accounts were never investigated.

Soon enough, the whole Parliament was deemed corrupt, dysfunctional and needed to be dissolved.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened. This served as a true blow to democratic principles. The Constitution stipulates that the Amir has the authority to either dismiss the Cabinet or dissolve the Parliament as a way out of a struggle between the two authorities. Instead, the opposition blocs disregarded these constitutional regulations and pushed for both authorities to be dissolved. Eventually, the opposition got what it wanted. This is exactly the reason behind the chaotic situation we are in. Article 96 of the Constitution states that the Parliament has the sole authority to look into resignation of its own members. Despite that, demands were made for the entire Parliament to be dissolved because fifteen MPs are believed to be no longer qualified to retain their membership. Instead, judgment of the allegedly corrupt MPs was supposed to be left to voters.

The Parliament was supposed to legislate regulations that prevents corruption in the Parliament. Now it’s too late to do anything regarding the Cabinet’s resignation or the Parliament’s dissolution. We desperately need laws and constitutional regulations to be followed strictly in the future, instead of shaping the fate of the entire political scene based on demands of certain parties. — Al-Qabas

By Hamad Nayef Al-Enezi

K

ome people believe that optimism has changed the ideologies of Kuwaiti voters. They have become more aware and are capable of telling the difference between candidates running for parliamentary elections and those that are determined to serve Kuwait and citizens. Therefore, they are sure that the Parliament is capable of ending the state of tension by representing people’s true will and aspiration for change in the presence of the new PM. This party is very optimistic!

Optimism of these ‘good’ people originally stems from the recent youth movements that led to the resignation of former PM Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah which, according to them, indicates an overwhelming public wish for change that is manifested by voters in the coming elections. They predict that all MPs who are bribed will never make it back to the Parliament. They will be substituted by a group of new angelic youth who are dedicated to public service with opposition MPs! Unfortunately, I have none of that optimism. In fact, I’m too realistic that some friends consider me pessimistic. In my opinion, what recently happened was the personal wish of a group of MPs who are on bad terms with the PM to get rid of him. They are assisted by a growing public dissatisfaction with the PM and his successive Cabinets’ performance and failure to accomplish any part of the state’s development plan or other public service projects that have been going on sluggishly. All this is in addition to the millions deposited in certain MPs bank accounts that was ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’ and facilitated opposition MPs’ victory by addressing public opinion to turn against angry citizens, those that aspire for NA membership. Some curious people and ‘Twitter’ reporters are against the government!

In fact, I’m not sure of this pessimistic view. What I’m sure of is that we have not yet reached a state of is full social and communal awareness enabling us to make better choices. This change anticipated by so many will soon prove to be a ‘mirage.’ Tribalism, sectarianism and class differences will eventually prevail. We are already getting daily news about tribal by-elections being run every day, confirming that the majority of us have not perceived the lesson yet. They seek to prioritize their own personal interests as they adapt Samson’s view that corruption will prevail.

Why not place a follower in Parliament to serve during times of distress even if he turns into a yielding follower or even Satan’s son. It makes no difference to them!

Some of you might inquire about the opposition bloc’s MPs who said that they will not take part in a by-election.

This indicates voters growing awareness. Well, I believe that they did so out of their ‘pride and joy’ in victory and out of their belief that they need not run by-elections. Otherwise, most will take part in by-elections. Who knows, some of them might be sorry about this decision when they find out the real support they receive.

The recent incident is nothing more than public dissatisfaction with the PM’s performance mixed with the wish of some extremist MPs to settle scores. They suddenly discovered their share of bonuses were nothing but ‘crumbs falling off the table.’ Hope I’m wrong! —Aljarida

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kuwait digest

The need for coordinated meeting

By Dr Ahmad Al-Duaij here are different names that are pronounced differently but have the same meaning. If byelections are banned by law, then it is okay to hold coordinated meetings between members of the same sect, tribe or group. This should be done so that the votes of the sect, tribe or group are not lost. The by-elections, consultations, name it whatever you like, are fought by minorities in each constituency. This is so that the votes of the majority are scattered. All sects and groups and blocs agree over certain candidates’ representatives. These are agreed upon according to certain procedures - only tribal by-elections are held, they force their members to vote for the one they select. Whoever attempts to break this commitment and runs on his own will face a fierce war under the pretext that he divided the tribe, group or bloc.

Despite the right of the tribe, group and sect to coordinate their stands and the selection of certain candidates to represent them in the elections, the by-

T

election process in tribes are not done the correct way. This is because the issue depends on the strength of the branch. The stronger the branch, the better the chances to win by-elections. Tribe members reach the Parliament because of their branch’s strength. They do not represent the branch. The person who represents the entire tribe deserves it.

Residents from the fourth constituency, especially those in Jahra governorate should coordinate among themselves. This is because it is not realistic or accepted, some people are selfish and have a myopic vision. In a large governorate like Jahra, its people will coordinate among themselves and be represented by four MPs. At least not just one, three of them from tribes have good numbers. The fourth forms an alliance with the rest of the tribes. Jahra residents are committed to vote for them. This way, they will guarantee four MPs that agree with their number.— Al-Watan

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

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LOCAL

stem cells storage introduced KUWAIT: Future Health Biobank — Britain’s and Europe’s first accredited family cord blood and cord tissue bank — has launched three new cell banking services in Kuwait through an exclusive partnership with DanMedical Ltd, a world leader in the provision of unique state-of-the-art telemedicine and remote healthcare products and services.

In addition to cord blood and cord tissue storage, Future Health Biobank’s clients in Kuwait will now be able to arrange with the company to store stem cells from teeth and from

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receiving former US President Bill Clinton at Bayan Palace yesterday.

Kuwait, Japan pledge to cement economic ties Tokyo thankful for oil donation TOKYO: Kuwaiti and Japanese businessmen yesterday pledged more active economic ties and explored future cooperation between the two countries in various fields, including infrastructure projects. In his congratulatory speech addressing the 16th Kuwaiti-Japanese Businessmen’s Committee here, Japanese Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Keiro Kitagami renewed Japan’s gratitude for unstinted assistance, and expressions of condolences and sympathies from Kuwait in the wake of the March disasters, especially the donation of 5 million barrels of crude oil.

“On behalf of the Japanese government and the people, I would like to extend sincere thanks to HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, the Kuwaiti government and people for their sense of solidarity and generosity, which deeply touched us,” Kitagami said.

Kuwait’s contribution of 5 million barrels of crude oil, equivalent to some $500 million, was decided in April upon directives of HH the Amir in the wake of a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsuna-

mi on March 11 that left nearly 21, 000 people dead or missing.

“We have already received all 5 million barrels of oil by last month and the donation is used for recovery efforts in the disaster-hit area,” said Kitagami.

He also highlighted Japanese firms’ interests in participation and technical cooperation in Kuwait’s Five-Year Development Plan running through 2014, such as water system, railway, oil refinery, seaport and environment.

Noting that the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year, Kitagami said the committee will further promote Kuwait-Japan friendship and comprehensive cooperation. Kuwaiti outgoing Minister of State for Planning and Development Affairs Abdulwahab Al-Haroun welcomed Japan’s active engagement in various projects under the development plan, in which the Kuwaiti government will spend $102 billion in the next four years in order to transform the country into an international economic hub.

Al-Haroun also commended a role played by the committee in the development of bilateral commercial and

economic relations between the two countries, underlining the committee’s significant assistance in conducting a feasibility study for introduction of Integrated Solar Combined Cycle technology to Kuwait that could ease its severe electricity shortage every summer.

The one-day talks, which brought together some 120 government officials and businessmen from various sectors of both countries, will be followed by a seminar on investment opportunities in Kuwait today.

The Kuwaiti delegation included officials from Supreme Council for Planning and Development, Partnerships Technical Bureau, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Researches, Kuwait Metro Rapid Transportation Co., Kuwait Foreign Investment Bureau and other government sectors.

For his part, Japanese Ambassador to Kuwait Yasuyoshi Komizo thanked major support from the Kuwaiti leadership and the people after the March disasters, adding that many Kuwaiti friends have offered support and held charity concerts. — KUNA

body as fat removed in liposuction as well as create a unique back-up of their health immune T cells, according to statement by the company.

Through the partnership, the two firms will introduce to Kuwait the three services of tooth cell storage, lipo cell storage and immune system banking, DanMedical Director General Dr. Marawan Nassar said yesterday. A person’s stem cell can be stored for 25 years until they need the cell to recover from a disease, he told reporters at the UK Embassy here. —KUNA

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

local

KUWAIT: Members of the Interior Ministry delegation pictured during their visit to the Kuwaiti National Guard at Al-Sumoud camp yesterday.

National Guard to enhance personnel skills KUWAIT: Kuwaiti National Guard (KNG) Military Education Commander Brig Hashem Abdulrazag Al-Refaei said the it exerts all possible efforts to improve level of education of personnel at levels of security sciences and latest technology. He was speaking during a meeting, held at Al-Sumoud camp yesterday, with a

delegation from the educational affairs department of the Ministry of Interior.

The delegation included Dalal Khaled AlRuwaished, the assistant director general of Saad Al-Abdullah Academy for Security Sciences for Administrative Affairs and other ranking figures. Discussions dealt with a num-

Maternity Hospital planned for Jahra KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health has plans to build an integrated maternity hospital at the Jahra governorate with a total capacity of 500 beds. The new structure would be adjacent to Jahra Hospital and is hoped to be inaugurated within three years.

“The new hospital will provide top quality medical services for women during pregnancy and after childbirth,

before the ser vices are gradually expanded to include gynecological treatment,” said the head of the obstetrics and gynecology sector at the Jahra Hospital, Dr Sami Al-Tahir, in a recent press statement. Dr Al-Tahir further indicated that doctors hired from abroad will join a team of Kuwaiti physicians at the in vitro fertilization (IVF) unit at the new hospital. — Al-Rai

VIVA launches iPhone 4S with unique packages KUWAIT: Kuwait Telecommunication Company VIVA announced yesterday the launch of the latest and eagerly awaited iPhone 4S to customers in Kuwait with various competitive packages. iPhone 4S will be available in several models ranging from 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB in all VIVA Branches and authorized dealers showrooms, starting Thursday midnight. iPhone 4S is the most amazing iPhone yet, packed with incredible new features including Apple’s dual-core A5 chip for blazing fast performance and stunning

graphics; an all new camera with advanced optics and full 1080p HD resolution video recording. With the launch of iPhone 4S also comes the launch of iOS 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features; and iCloud, a breakthrough set of free cloud services that work with your

iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices.

VIVA CEO, Salman Bin Abdulaziz AlBadran stated that “VIVA offers for this luxurious phone are the fruit of the cooperation with Apple to offer the best quality services for the subscribers through VIVA, and that the company is keen to offer the latest telecommunication technologies with unique packages that add value to the services of this high quality phone. The iPhone 4S has marvelous features that transfer its user from the world of common communication to a new and different world characterized with the ability to treasure the beautiful moments. We are excited to be bringing iPhone 4S to Kuwait and we have developed a portfolio of tailored price plans just for iPhone 4S”.

VIVA is the newest, most advanced mobile telecommunications service provider in Kuwait. Launched in December 2008, VIVA makes things Possible for our customers by transforming communication, information and entertainment experiences. The company has rapidly established an unrivalled position in the market through our customer and employee centric approach.

VIVA’s quest is to be the mobile brand of choice for Kuwait by being transparent, engaging, energetic and fulfilling.

VIVA continues to take a considerable share of the market by offering an innovative range of best value products, services and content propositions; a state of the art, nationwide network and worldclass service. VIVA offers Internet speed up to 42.2Mbps due to the implementation of the most advanced third generation (3G and HSDPA) network in Kuwait resulting in superior coverage, performance and reliability.

IBS honors graduates KUWAIT: The I nstitute of Bank ing Studies held an annual graduation ceremony for the academic year (2010/2011) at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Monday. The graduates of training programs include credit management, risk management and banking services.

The event started with a speech delivered by the Institute’s Director Prof Yaqoub Al-Refaei, asserting the role played in providing opportunities to thousands of bank-

ing sector employees to improve their skills since establishment in 1970. Al-Refaei also expressed appreciation for the relationship shared between the institute and the banking sector over the past 40 years.

A graduation speech was delivered by trainee Faisal Al-Shamali on behalf of his colleagues, in which he expressed gratitude for the opportunities given, while also asserting the efforts made to establish a balance between studies and work at local banks.

KOC freezes negotiations with Exxon mobile KUWAIT: Sources at KOC revealed that the company has frozen the negotiations it had been working on with Exxon mobile to develop heavy oil wells North of Kuwait. Sources said that a halt to the negotiations came after an objection was made by an official leader in the state about the contracting draft with Shell to develop gas fields and the accusation of the company of making violations in the

contracting mechanism.

Sources explained that KOC had come a long way in its negotiations with Exxon mobile, but that the formation of enquiry committees in the Shell contract stopped the negotiations as the highlighted the point that the Company’s experience in heavy oil is very limited and that it had always depended on light oil. — Al-Anbaa

ber of KNG’s promising future projects, including establishment of a specialized military faculty, that uses modern training methods, applied at elite international military institutions. The delegation toured training classes and a number of educational buildings, praising the remarkable leap of education for per-

sonnel. He hailed recognizable development in KNG facilities, especially concerning use of technology. The delegation stressed on importance of exchanging expertise between the two sides to obtain further cooperation and coordination in the educating and training fields.—KUNA

Two domestic workers attack ailing woman Teenage girl commits suicide KUWAIT: A citizen pressed charges against two domestic helpers who accused them of attacking his ailing mother. The woman who suffers from a mental disability sustained a broken left hand and severe swelling, and was admitted to Adan Hospital. After that, her son headed to the Riqqa police station and pressed negligence charges against the Indian and Indonesian housemaids.

His accomplice was arrested shortly with possession of the same number of bottles. The two were referred to the higher authorities. - Al-Rai Fatal accident A teenager died after being run over by a vehicle while trying to cross Al-Ghous Street in Mubarak Al-Kabeer. The victim’s body was removed from the scene after being pronounced dead. Meanwhile, police who escorted paramedics to the scene apprehended a 20-year-old citizen. - Al-Rai

Upset girl A Kuwaiti teenager committed suicide at an Umm Al-Haiman home after failing her school exams. The family of the 14-year-old found her body hanging from the ceiling of her room.

However, she was already dead. Criminal investigators reached the scene and retrieved the rope used to commit suicide. Preliminary investigations revealed that the girl suffered from academic failure. - Al-Anba

Prisoners charged A security guard at the Central Jail lodged a complaint against two inmates who verbally assaulted him while attempting to break up a fight.

In statements made to Sulaibiyia police station officers, the guard explained that the two prisoners began insulting after he tried to intervene. - Al-Rai

Smugglers in custody Two staff members at Shuwaikh port were arrested in connection with misusing their jobs to help smuggle alcohol into the country.

Investigations were launched after police received a tip off about two officers’ suspicious activities. One of the suspects was arrested first after six imported liquor bottles were found in a suitcase he carried.

Reckless driver A fishmonger was arrested for committing serious traffic violations while driving without a license, as well as insulting a police officer. A police officer chased down a driver who jumped three red lights after driving off the fish market in Sharq. The officer, who was off-duty at the time, intercepted the reckless driver. When asked about the violations com-

mitted, the suspect replied rudely, “it’s none of your business.” Police reached the scene shortly and arrested the suspect. He was admitted to the Salhiya police station to face charges. - Al-Rai Farwaniya accident A driver was hospitalized following an accident that took place in Farwaniya after he lost control over his vehicle. Police and paramedical staff rushed to the scene af ter receiving a report about a car that crashed into a house and destroyed the kitchen. The Arab driver was admitted to the Farwaniya hospital with injuries sustained in the accident. Investigations into the incident are underway. - Al-Rai Pedestrian mugged Police are on the hunt for a suspect who mugged a pedestrian in Salmiya by forcing him to hand over his credit card and reveal a pin code. In a statement made to the area’s local police, the company manager explained that he was forced to give up his credit card because he wasn’t carrying the amount that the suspect demanded. It was later revealed that the suspect withdrew KD 480 from the man’s bank account. — Al-Rai

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti and Saudi Coast Guards pictured during the joint exercise yesterday.

‘Gulf Peace 3’ exercise held KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti Coast Guard and counterparts from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain held a joint exercise yesterday dubbed as ‘Gulf Peace 3’ as part of the GCC’s aims

to bolster security amongst its nations. The three-day event, which concluded today, was held in the marine neutral zone between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait

and focused on intercepting any threats against GCC nations. A briefing was provided after the end of the exercise highlighting the successes of efforts made.

Proposals on future endeavors were sent to the GCC Secretariat so that they may be featured in the upcoming meeting of Gulf Security leaderships. — KUNA

Drug peddler arrested

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: The General Department for Drug Control detectives arrested a citizen with possession of five joints of opium. The man was arrested from his Daiya home after police was tipped off on his activities.

The suspect confessed to abusing drugs and trading in them. He was referred to higher authorities.

Smoke inhalation Two Egyptians aged 35 and 48 years respectively suffered smoke inhalation at the site where a car accident took place.

Street fight A 37-year-old Indian suffered a lacerated forehead in a fight that took place in Kheitan. He was admitted to Farwaniya Hospital.

Motorbike accident A 42-year-old Indian suffered a fractured left leg and a head injury in a motorcycle accident that took place in Khaldiya. He was admitted to Sabah Hospital.

Car accidents A 26-year-old Sudanese woman was injured and a 26 -year-old citizen suffered bruises during a car accident that took place in Salmiya. They were admitted to

Mubarak Hospital. In another incident, a 28-year-old Kuwaiti lost the fingers on his left hand, as well as his left ear during a car accident on the end of Subbiya road. He was taken to Jahra hospital.

A 45-year-old Egyptian woman suffered multiple lacerations and bruises following a car accident near Lulu Hypermarket on airport road. She was admitted to Sabah hospital.

A 33-year-old Pakistani suffered from high blood pressure, and a 36-year-old Kuwaiti suffered a lacerated left leg following a car accident that took place on Jahra road. They were admitted to Jahra hospital.

A 32-year-old Indian sustained an open fracture in his right leg during a car accident that took place in Hawally. He was admitted to Mubarak hospital.

Street fights A 28-year-old Syrian suffered a head injury in a fight that took place in Egaila. He was admitted to Adan Hospital. In another incident, a 37-year-old expatriate from the Comoros Islands sustained a lacerated scalp during a fight in Mahboula. He was taken to Adan hospital.

Stolen car parts An Egyptian expatriate was caught selling stolen car spare parts and has been sent to the concerned authorities.

KUWAIT: The drug trader pictured after his arrest yesterday.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

EU parliament celebrates Arab Spring with Sakharov prize

US winning in Afghanistan: Panetta Page 11

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13 die as Syria defectors retaliate Violence comes as West seek tough action DAMASCUS: Army defectors killed at least eight Syrian troops yesterday in an act of revenge after security forces shot dead five civilians, activists said, while strikes were observed in several areas. “At least eight soldiers were killed in an ambush on four military jeeps travelling in the village of AlAsharna on the outskirts of (the central city of ) Hama,” said the Britainbased Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The violence comes as Western nations seek tough action against Syria at the UN Security Council, where President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has support from his vetowielding ally Russia. Yesterday ’s ambush marked the second such insurgent attack in as many days. It was carried out by “army defectors in response to the death of five... civilians who were killed (yesterday) morning when their car was hit by security forces” near Al-Khataab, the Observatory said in a statement.

Three army “defec tors” were wounded when they clashed with regular troops at Lujat in southern Daraa province, cradle of the revolt against Assad’s 11-year rule, said the statement received in Nicosia. “Heavy gunfire was heard in the town of Hirak,” also in Daraa, which came under assault by military forces backed by tanks and troop carriers, said the rights group. In Douma, to the north of Damascus, telephone lines were completely cut off at dawn while heavy gunfire could be heard near a state security office.

In Harasta, a suburb on the out-

skirts of the capital, security forces conducted raids and arrests in an assault coupled with “power-cuts in some neighborhoods,” said the Observatory. The reports cannot be independently verified as most foreign reporters cannot enter or move freely in Syria. They come a day after activists reported the deaths of at least 23 civilians across Syria at the hands of security forces seeking to crush the unprecedented protest movement that erupted mid-March.

Also on Tuesday, army defectors ambushed a Syrian security patrol, killing seven in revenge for a raid that cost 11 civilian lives, they said, while state media reported Syrian border guards shot dead two “terrorists” from Turkey. The violence yesterday spilled over into neighboring Lebanon where a Syrian militar y patrol entered Lebanese territory and opened fire on a border town, wounding two people, a local official said.

“Syrian troops entered Lebanese territory today and opened fire on the village of Khirbat Daoud in Aarsal,” said Bakr Hujairi of Aarsal municipality. At least three people have been killed in the area since October as Syrian troops staging incursions into Lebanon opened fire on border villages. Meanwhile, a civil disobedience campaign was observed in parts of Syria, including the central cities of Hama and Homs, Idlib to the northwest and in Daraa, activists said.

“The second stage has begun... We will shut our mobile phones for four hours in the afternoon, block roads, and go to work without working,” they

DARAA: In this image taken from amateur video made available by Sham News Network in Syria on Tuesday, shows pro-government militia on the street in Daraa, Syria Tuesday.—AP ing Assad in October-heightened diviwrote on their Facebook page. The are not attending school,” he added. said spokeswoman Bassma Kodmani.

The unrest gripping Syria was the sions over how to respond to the strike, which kicked off on Sunday in The Syrian National Council, the oppothe name of “dignity,” aims to “deprive sition’s most representative grouping, focus of a UN Security Council meet- Syrian violence. Washington has the regime of the financial means it is said on its website that it is seeking ing on Tuesday, with UN rights chief denounced the Security Council’s using to kill our children.” A resident of new means to protect civilians from Navi Pillay estimating more than 5,000 silence on Syria as “unconscionable.”

Kanaker, 50 kilometres south of the the regime’s crackdown on dissent. people have died since March in the But Moscow said the West is pursuing capital, told AFP that “no one voted in “The members of the Syrian National government’s crackdown on dissent. an agenda of “regime change” by putthe municipal elections,” which were Council must discuss different ways to Pillay ’s private briefing to the 15- ting pressure on Syria’s government held on Monday. “The strike has been protect civilians. They must find new nation council-where Russia and but not on armed groups in the trouongoing since Sunday and children means to protect civilians in Syria,” China blocked a resolution condemn- bled country. —AFP

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Radical settlers trigger soul-searching in Israel JERUSALEM: Young Jewish settlers behind attacks on Palestinian mosques have shaken Israel by turning violent against its most revered institution, the conscript military. The zealots’ escalation from anti-Arab vandalism and arson to a rampage at an Israeli garrison in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday triggered concern for the future of an ideologically riven society that sees its armed forces as a bulwark of unity. “ The red lines have been crossed,” was Maariv tabloid’s main headline yesterday. An officer slightly hurt by rocks was quoted as saying his assailants had called him a Nazi, trashing a taboo in their fury at Israel’s occasional crackdowns on settlements built without government authorization.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to step up enforcement and “stop the bad things while they are minor”. But a top military commander told Reuters that hostility to state authority was “unfortunately not an aberration” among settlers. “We have to deal with this with all means now, because these people are part of us,

the Jewish people, and we’d best find a way to remain a democracy,” he said on condition of anonymity. Security sources said the radical settlers, frequently known as the “Hilltop Youth” for their rogue outpost-building and pioneer rhetoric, number several hundred but enjoy wider, tacit support among the 300,000 Israelis living in the West Bank.

Palestinians see all settlers as interlopers on land they want for a state and have long complained they are the source of harassment that is largely ignored by Israeli authorities. The first settlers were viewed by many compatriots as a patriotic vanguard on territory captured in the 1967 Middle East war. But some of their offspring, in the thrall of messianic and supremacist rabbis, combined an ecstatic skullcapsand-sandals piety with the spurning of secular Israeli rule. “The rosy-faced stinkweed of the settlement movement,” was how columnist Bradley Burston described the zealots, arguing in the liberal Haaretz daily that they enjoyed de facto impunity.

Other commentators echoed the charge, linking the limited round-ups of suspects and generally toothless punishments, like restraining orders, meted out to offenders to the preponderance of pro-settler parties in Netanyahu’s conservative coalition.

“This criminal behavior must be rooted out, and everyone knows where the roots are: they are in the incitement of the settler rabbis, the Israeli governments that over and over again approved the settlers’ illegal acts, the leniency of the judges and the powerlessness of the (security services),” wrote Nahum Barnea in the biggest-selling newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. High birthrates among religious Jews look likely to perpetuate Israel’s rightist tack and its grip on the biblical West Bank, where the settlements are viewed by almost all world powers as unlawful and an impediment to Palestinian statehood.

One settlement leader, Shaul Goldstein, said the radicals were marginal, contrasting their behavior with his community’s record of volunteer-

ing for the military’s top combat units.

Some zealots are exempted from conscription because they have police records or are designated as psychologically unfit. But three soldiers were arrested last week on suspicion of involvement in pro-settler vandalism and arson. “Every society has its at-risk youths, its estranged youths,” he said, but added that West Bank settlers, many of them armed, often come under Palestinian attack.

“The environment is more threatening, and there are a lot of weapons around,” Goldstein said, adding that some youths also turn radical because they think their parents are not sufficiently committed to settler interests.

Those suffered a big blow in 2005, when Israel quit the Gaza Strip, shattering some rabbis’ predictions of an eternal Jewish dominion there and giving ground to enemy Palestinian Islamists. “I have no doubt the Gaza disengagement caused much of the current crisis,” said Menachem Landow, a retired Shin Bet domestic intelligence officer who monitored settlers

and is himself an Orthodox Jew. Israel evacuated some 8,000 settlers from Gaza amid rightwing protests.

West Bank outposts now house around 10,000 people, Goldstein estimated, predicting that many would be authorised retroactively in negotiations with the government. Attempts to demolish unauthorised outposts have been resisted by radicals who scuffle with troops or carry out night-time sabotage against military garrisons to inflict what they call the “price tag” for “selling out” the settlements. Hoping to provoke Arab reprisals that would divert the soldiers, some zealots have also desecrated mosques and Muslim cemeteries and destroyed Palestinian olive trees and cars. “These things both endanger human life and distract from the Israel Defence Forces’ main mission,” Defence Minister Ehud Barak told Army Radio yesterday. “And they threaten the very sensitive fabric of our relations with our neighbors.” “In terms of their conduct, there is no doubt that this is the conduct of terrorists: terrorism, albeit Jewish.” —Reuters

Arsonists torch Jerusalem mosque Calls for more effective crackdown on Jewish extremists JERUSALEM: Unknown arsonists torched an inactive Jerusalem mosque early yesterday, provoking calls in Israel for a more effective crackdown on Jewish extremists suspected in a string of increasingly brazen acts of violence. The Israeli government has vowed to root out and punish the assailants, who in recent months have expanded their actions from the West Bank into Israel proper.

Their acts now include arson and vandalism against Israeli military bases as well as Muslim mosques, cemeteries, farmlands and cars, and occasional assaults on Palestinian civilians.

But the increasing frequency of the attacks, the sparse number of arrests and absence of indictments have also generated allegations that the Israeli government isn’t acting forcefully enough against extremists after two years of violence. An attack on a Muslim site in Jerusalem - the contested holy city at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict raises the stakes further.

The mosque has not been used as a prayer site for some time, police said, and is outside the especially sensitive Old City district. But any attack on a Muslim

place of worship is seen as an exceptional provocation. The words “price tag” were spray-painted at the mosque - a reference to Jewish extremists’ practice of exacting retribution for government action against settlements. Anti-Muslim graffiti such as “Mohammed is dead” and “A good Arab is a dead Arab” was also scrawled at the scene.

Other acts of vandalism were reported in two Palestinian cities in the West Bank, where the military said cars were set afire and hate graffiti was scrawled.

Israeli politicians have taken tough stances against Jewish radicalism, particularly after protesters broke into an Israeli military base in the West Bank on Tuesday, damaging vehicles, setting fires and slightly injuring a senior commander. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “take care of these attackers with a firm hand” and Defense Minister Ehud Barak decried the “homegrown terror,” while acknowledging that Israeli military intelligence doesn’t gather intelligence about Jewish groups in the West Bank. Netanyahu’s office had no immediate comment on the mosque fire.

Lawmaker Shaul Mofaz, who sees himself

as a rival to Netanyahu in the next elections, told Army Radio yesterday that the government was not doing enough to stop what he called “groups of Jewish guerrillas.”

“These hooligans are terrorists for all intents and purposes,” said Mofaz, a former defense minister and military chief, directing his anger at the attack on the military base.

“The Israeli government has to exact a price tag, and it has to be painful, expensive and unequivocal.” Settler leader Dani Dayan condemned the attacks but bristled at politicians’ use of the word “terror” to describe the violence. “It’s a grave phenomenon that has to be battled, but I don’t know if it’s terror,” he told Army Radio.

In an unrelated development in Jerusalem, a footbridge to a disputed holy site was reopened yesterday, police reported, easing a political faceoff that threatened to erupt into unrest. The walkway’s closure earlier this week was to have been a prelude to its demolition.

Jerusalem municipal authorities say it is a fire hazard and structurally unsound and must be replaced. But any Israeli activity

around the contested Old City compound known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount provokes friction with Jordan, the Palestinians and elsewhere in the Arab world. Rival claims to the compound have sparked deadly violence in the past.

The municipality said in a statement Tuesday that the government had called off the demolition plans and will be shoring up the bridge instead. The hilltop complex is home to Islam’s third-holiest shrine, the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, and was the site of two biblical Jewish temples.

The walkway is the only access point from the Old City’s Jewish Quarter and is used by Jews and tourists, while Muslims use other entrances from the adjacent Muslim Quarter. The bridge was built in 2004 as a temporary replacement for an adjacent earth ramp that collapsed in a snowstorm.

Muslim leaders charge that any work in the area is designed to destroy their holy sites, and their opposition has blocked any plans to renovate or replace the structure on hold. Israel denies any plan to destroy Muslim sites. —AP

Iraq veering towards ‘ Lebanonisation’

Tunisia’s Jebali tasked with forming government TUNIS: Tunisia’s president named a prime minister yesterday to form a new government and end weeks of uncertainty after the first democratic elections in the country that sparked the Arab Spring. Hamadi Jebali, the number two in the moderate Islamist Ennahda party that won October elections, got the green light to put together a cabinet a day after veteran opposition stalwart Moncef Marzouki was sworn in as president. “ The president of the Tunisian Republic Moncef Marzouki has decided to charge Hamadi Jebali with forming the government,” the president’s office said in a statement. Jebali, 62, will have 21 days to present his cabinet to the president, and promised yesterday to choose a team “in the service of the people”. He was also quoted by the TAP news agency as undertaking to complete the task “as soon as possible”, possibly by the end of the week according to political sources.

The list will then have to be approved by the 217-member assembly elected in October to rewrite Tunisia’s constitution.

Most ministerial posts are expected to go to Ennahda, while its allies on the left, Marzouki’s Congress for the Republic (CPR), Ettakatol and several independents should also be handed portfolios.

An engineer by training and a former journalist, Jebali was co-founder of

Ennahda and spent 15 years in jail, 10 in isolation, for his political activities under the regime of ousted strongman Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. Ennahda won 89 seats in the polls for the the constituent assembly, while the CPR came second with 29 seats, followed

by Ettakatol with 20 seats. Mass protests erupted in Tunisia nearly a year ago against unemployment and corruption, ousting Ben Ali and sparking popular revolts across the Arab world that also toppled longtime dictators in Libya and Egypt.

Tunisia, in the grips of an economic and social crisis, has not had an executive government since the October 23 elections, and observers say the formation of a new executive is urgent. The cabinet list will be the topic of heated negotiation between Ennahda, the CPR and Ettakatol, whose leader Mustapha Ben Jaafar heads the constituent assembly.

Ennahda members have told AFP the party would take the key portfolios of justice, foreign affairs, and home affairs.

Party spokesman Nourredine Bhiri is being talked about for the justice ministry, executive Ennahda member Ali Larayedh for home affairs and Rafik Ben Abdessalem, son-in-law of party leader Rached Ghannouchi, for foreign affairs.

The CPR may take the portfolios of education and sport, and Ettakatol those of finance, tourism and social affairs. —AFP

TUNIS: Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki (L) greets the number two of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party that won October elections, Hamadi Jebali yesterday at Carthage Palace in Tunis. — AFP

FALLUJAH: A man waves the a national flag in front of Muhammad mosque, seen background, during a demonstration in Fallujah, 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq yesterday.

Thousands of people gathered in Fallujah to celebrate the US withdrawal. —AP

GAZA CITY: Palestinian supporters of Hamas attend celebrations for the 24th anniversary of the Islamist movement’s foundation in Gaza City yesterday. —AFP

Hamas’ Gaza anniversary draws tens of thousands GAZA CITY: Tens of thousands of Gazans turned out yesterday for an anniversary rally of the ruling Hamas, a demonstration of strength for the Islamic militant movement ahead of Palestinian general elections tentatively set for the spring. The annual rally has become an increasingly elaborate exercise in stagecraft since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 following internal fighting with forces loyal to Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The crowd faced a huge stage in the shape of a ship, meant to symbolize the Palestinian journey of return to all the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean, including what is now Israel. A large replica of Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque, built on the ruins of the biblical Jewish Temples, served as a backdrop. “Oh, Jerusalem, we are coming,” read one of the banners. Hamas’ prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, arrived as a band rallied the crowd in a chant of “We will not recognize Israel.”

A boy dressed in a Hamas military uniform greeted him, and a young girl in a white dress and green Hamas bandanna handed him a flower and Hamas and Palestinian flags. Speakers blasted chants of “God is the greatest.” Addressing the crowd, Haniyeh called for continued armed struggle against Israel. “We affirm that armed resistance is our strategic option and the only way to liberate our land, from the sea to the river,” he said.

“God willing, Hamas will lead the people ... to the uprising until we liberate Palestine,

all of Palestine.” Hamas, a branch of the pan-Arab Muslim Brotherhood, was established in Gaza in December 1987, shortly after the outbreak of the first Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation. It adopted a militant ideology that called for armed struggle against Israel, with the eventual aim of reclaiming all of historic Palestine. Hamas grew in popularity over the years, in part because of its social welfare system, and defeated Abbas’ Fatah movement in parliament elections in 2006. It has accumulated a large arsenal of rockets, anti-tank missiles and explosives. As part of its anniversary statement, Hamas said its militants have fired more than 11,000 rockets and mortar shells at Israel since 2000, and that the group has killed more than 1,300 Israelis in scores of attacks since its founding.

In the statement, Hamas said it would continue “all forms of resistance against the occupation, until liberation, independence and the return of the Palestinian refugees.” However, Hamas has largely stuck to an informal truce with Israel in recent months, and has tried to prevent other militant groups from firing rockets at Israel from Gaza. Rocket attacks on Israel have dropped sharply since a major Israeli military offensive against Hamas in the winter of 2008-2009. Hamas organizers said some 350,000 people attended yesterday’s rally. The estimate could not be confirmed independently, but the rally site, a large open area, was packed and an overflow crowd spilled into adjacent streets. — AP

BAGHDAD: Eight years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraq is veering towards a “Lebanonisation” of its political system, with power permanently distributed along strict ethnic and sectarian lines, experts say. For two governments in a row, the posts of president, premier and parliament speaker have been parcelled out to a Kurd, a Shiite and a Sunni, all with deputies of the other two groups, a path analysts warn is dangerous. “What we fear is a Lebanonisation and unfortunately, this is what is happening,” said Mowafaq al-Rubaie, a former national security adviser, referring to Lebanon’s codified distribution of power.

“Certain political parties, who claim to speak on behalf of a sect, believe that a Lebanonisation of the regime is in their interests.” For nearly 80 years, Iraq was ruled by its Sunni minority which did not cede power to the country’s Shiite majority until after the 2003 US-led invasion. What followed were years of horrific sectarian violence which peaked in 2006 and 2007, when tens of thousands of people were killed. A year ago, Iraq’s political leaders all but made the new system official after more than eight months without a government following elections in March 2010. They agreed to a government of national unity with the same outlines of one that emerged following the country’s previous parliamentary elections in December 2005. Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, would retain the presidency with a Sunni and a Shiite as his deputies; Nuri Al-Maliki, a Shiite, would remain prime minister with a Sunni, a Kurd and a Shiite as his deputies; and Osama Al-Nujaifi, a Sunni, was named speaker, with Shiite and Kurdish deputies. Such an agreement is similar in construction to Lebanon, where power is shared between 18 religious communities in a quota system that applies not only to ministerial posts, but also to top officials. For Ihsan al-Shammari, a political science professor at Baghdad University, “there are great similarities between the nature of the regimes in Iraq and Lebanon-the divisions are the same, based along ethnic and sectarian lines.”

“The only difference,” Shammari said, “is that here it is not written in the constitution like in Lebanon.”

The Lebanese constitution dictates that parliament seats be split between Muslims and Christians. And the Taif Agreement that ended the 1975-1990 civil war says that the president must be Maronite Christian, the speaker of parliament Shiite, and the prime minister Sunni, codifying an unwritten rule that dated back decades.

“Unfortunately (in Iraq), these quotas do not simply concern the three main posts-they have spilled over into government departments, and have had a snowball effect to the point of affecting who is chosen to work in parliament and government ministries, as well as the security forces,” Shammari said.

As a result, many Iraqis now complain of being kept out of employment in their chosen profession as a result of their ethnic or religious background, details that were taboo, at least officially, in Saddam’s Sunni-dominated regime. — AFP

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Two more years of house arrest for anti-Chavez judge CARACAS: Venezuelan authorities on Tuesday extended house arrest for a judge whose case has been strongly criticized by human rights groups.

Judge Ali Fabricio Paredes ruled that his colleague, Maria Lourdes Afiuni, must remain under house arrest for two more years, saying she has intentionally delayed her own trial by repeatedly refusing to enter a courtroom.

Afiuni faces corruption charges that were filed after she released a banker, saying he didn’t need to be in jail while he awaited trial on accusations of violating foreign exchange controls. In Venezuela, sus-

pects are not released on bail. Instead, most suspects are whisked away to prison while they await trial.

Attorney General Luisa Ortega announced last week that she would ask a judge to extend Afiuni’s house arrest. Afiuni’s relatives argued that the order keeping her under house arrest should be rescinded.

Government opponents, joined by some human rights groups, say Afiuni’s case shows President Hugo Chavez’s influence over Venezuela’s judicial system - a claim that Chavez denies. One of Afiuni’s lawyers, Jose Amalio Graterol, told Union Radio that the judge’s legal representatives would appeal the ruling.

Obama’s crossover message, from kitchen to mansion WASHINGTON: Donna and Patrick Festa, a working-class couple in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Jack Rosen, an affluent businessman from New York’s Upper East Side, live worlds apart. Campaigning for reelection, President Barack Obama dips into both worlds. On a recent trip, he joined the Festas in their tidy South Scranton home to discuss his jobs initiatives. Hours later, he was in Rosen’s spacious house, amid a trove of contemporary art, raising money from high-dollar donors.

As he focuses his message on income inequality, Obama’s policy and political goals find him spanning the gulf between the 1 percent and the 99. The White House is increasingly relying on working-class Americans to put a face on the president’s economic policies, arranging kitchen table chats or cafe roundtables between Obama and representative beneficiaries of his initiatives. It’s an involved process, requiring advance vetting to get the most illustrative individual or family to reinforce the president’s agenda. It’s a blend of reality and stagecraft designed to convey a front-page image or a six-second video clip on the evening news that advances the president’s story line.

At the same time, with re-election in mind, the president is spending more and more time raising campaign money from wealthy donors. Intimate moments with contributors are rarely captured on camera, and while reporters get to hear the president’s opening remarks at fundraising events, the interaction with donors occurs after reporters have been ushered out. The juxtaposition may seem stark - from coffee mugs to wine crystals, from a middle-class neighborhood in Las Vegas to the Bellagio Hotel and Casino. But Obama’s message to both is a variation on what has become a

common refrain of spending to create jobs, payroll tax cuts and higher taxes on the wealthy.

“We don’t just ask for sacrifices from seniors, we don’t just ask for sacrifices from union members, we don’t just ask for sacrifices from teachers, we ask for sacrifices from the people who are in the best position to sacrifice,” he told donors recently.

Still, the contrast can provide rich fodder for Republican attacks. After Obama in October attended one fundraiser hosted by actor Will Smith and producer James Lassiter and another by the star couple Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith, the Republican National Committee pounced with a news release headlined, “As Americans Continue to Deal With the Effects of Obamanomics, Obama Connects With His Celebrity Friends.”

No doubt, all leading candidates for president raise money from wealthy donors, and fundraising by incumbent presidents is especially visible. For the White House, it’s a matter of sticking to the same message no matter who the audience is. “Anyone who’s in the game has to be sensitive to the fact that he’s going to be appearing before well-dressed, deep-pocketed audiences in very fancy houses and penthouse suites,” said Chris Lehane, a Democratic operative and presidential campaign veteran. “You always have to be conscious and recognize the imperative of being consistent.”

When addressing donors, Obama says he is willing to cut spending but he also is asking “the most fortunate among us to do a little more to pay their fair share.” “We’re not trying to sneak one by them,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. “They understand, and they support the president because of it.” —AP

“Today’s decision constitutes another blow to the rule of law in our country,” Graterol said. Afiuni’s brother, Nelson Afiuni, said relatives did not expect a favorable outcome of the appeal. “We don’t expect much because this country’s justice system is biased,” he said during a telephone interview. “Most prosecutors and judges respond to the interests of the government, and it’s clear the government wants my sister to remain isolated.” The judge infuriated Chavez when she freed the banker from prison where he was awaiting trial on charges of flouting the country’s currency exchange controls.

Afiuni was arrested after she released banker Eligio Cedeno, who had been in jail awaiting trial on charges of violating currency controls. Cedeno fled the country shortly following his release. A day after her arrest, Chavez said on national TV that he had discussed Afiuni’s actions with the president of the Supreme Court. Chavez vehemently denies the charges of interference, while human rights activists say Afiuni’s case stands out because she is being prosecuted for a routine ruling and because Chavez intervened. Amnesty International, joined by several Venezuelan rights groups, is demanding her release. — AP

Mexican police: Weapons found at student protest site ‘Outside elements involved in protest’ MEXICO CITY: Prosecutors in southern Mexico said Tuesday they found an AK-47 assault rifle, hand grenades and gasoline bombs at the scene of a protest where a violent clash between student demonstrators and police resulted in the death of two students. Alberto Lopez, the attorney general of the southern state of Guerrero, told a local radio station he believed “there were outside elements involved in the protest” who were not students at the rural teachers college where the protest originated.

Late Monday, Lopez said at a news conference that eight hand grenades had been found at the scene of the demonstration on a highway in the state capital, Chilpancingo. Hours after Lopez’s news conference, Guerrero Gov. Angel Aguirre told Radio Formula he had fired him and the chief of the state police “to facilitate the investigation.” The federal Attorney General’s Office said it was opening an investigation into the students’ deaths.

The highway leads to the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco, and the students had allegedly hijacked buses and blocked the road to press their demands for more funding and assured jobs once they graduated. Lopez said the students had also set fire to pumps at a gas station on the highway when federal and state police moved in to quell the protest, and that a gas station employee had suffered serious burns in the attack.

His office has said police were using tear gas to repel the demonstrators when shots rang out, and that authorities are still investigating who fired those shots. Lopez said shell casings recovered at the scene were from an AK-47, a weapon which, like the grenades, are commonly used by Mexican drug gangs but not issued to law enforcement agencies in Mexico. The students’ bodies are still being examined to determine what weapon killed them. He said students at the Ayotzinapa teachers college had often demonstrated in the past, but that Monday’s protest was ‘very unusual” in its level of violent behavior. But at an impromptu news

ACAPULCO: A protester lies dead as police secure the area after clashes broke out on a highway in Chilpancingo, Mexico, Monday. According to the state prosecutors office, two students died on a highway leading to the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco during clashes with police .—AP conference in Chilpancingo, students from the college said none of the estimated 300 to 400 protesters was armed. They accused authorities of planting weapons at the scene to justify the killing of the demonstrators.

They said a third student had been seriously wounded and was undergoing surgery. A coalition of human rights groups issued a statement Tuesday calling the police actions “excessive” and “an irrational use of force.” They also claimed that about 40 protesters were missing and about two dozen had been detained by police. Lopez said many of those detained had been released, and the students said they believed some of their colleagues were hiding in the hills surrounding the

highway. Mexico’s public rural teachers colleges, some founded in the 1930s with a socialist philosophy, have long been a hotbed of radical activism.

Protest leaders said the students were demonstrating to get funding for a larger incoming class, better conditions at the school and assured jobs for graduates.

Recent educational reforms in Mexico now assign most new hiring for teachers’ jobs based on competitive tests. The deaths stirred up memories of Guerrero state’s long and tragic history of killings of opposition activists and protesters. Authorities in past administrations sometimes tried to cover up such killings by planting weapons or altering crime scenes. —AP

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Belgium’s lone gunman felt ‘harassed’ by police LIEGE: The lone wolf Belgian gunman who went on a murderous spree in the city of Liege, killing four people before turning a gun on himself, had a lengthy criminal record and lived in fear of returning to jail. As the shocked nation sought to understand the motive behind the carnage by 33-year-old Nordine Amrani, tearful residents of Liege turned out to lay wreaths on the city’s central Saint Lambert Square yesterday, scene of the attack the previous day. “It’s awful just being here, having to take the bus, after what happened,” said a woman on the square. The square was packed with children just out of school and lunchhour Christmas shoppers when Amrani lobbed grenades at bus shelters and turned an assault rifle on the crowd.

A 15-year-old boy died instantly while a baby of 23 months and a 17-

year-old boy succumbed to injuries in hospital. Police earlier yesterday also discovered the body of a cleaningwoman of around 40 in a shed used by Amrani to stash cannabis plants and illegal weapons. “Nordine Amrani committed suicide with a bullet to the head,” Liege city prosecutor Daniele Reynders told a press conference. “He left no message to explain his act.” But Reynders said Amrani, a Belgian of Moroccan descent left orphaned at an early age, had been summoned by police at about the same time he went on the rampage, but never showed up.

Officials and lawyers painted the picture of a man with a passion for arms and a troubled criminal past who was afraid of being thrown behind bars again, 14 months after being released on parole. Police from the vice squad wanted to question him in relation to

an inquiry into sexual harassment, according to Le Soir daily. “He was a delinquent who was in trouble throughout his life, up before children’s courts, petty courts, appeals courts,” said Cedric Visart de Bocarme, the prosecutor for the Liege region.

He was released from jail on parole in October 2010 after serving much of a 42-month drugs sentence delivered when he was arrested in possession of 2,800 cannabis plants in 2007. Police had also seized more than 9,000 weapons parts at the time. On Tuesday, police in all found nine magazines in his bag along with his automatic rifle, hand-gun and several grenades, Reynders said. “He liked arms and had a record but he was a very poised, very calm man,” said one of his former lawyers-who goes by the same surname but is not related-Abdelhadi

Amrani.\ “I would never have expected him to be behind the drama in Liege,” he told RTBF television. “He must have snapped.” A baby was the latest victim after officials revised the initial toll downwards, with a 75-year-old woman previously reported dead said by the prosecutor to be alive but in critical condition, along with several others.

Around 120 people were injured, said Home Affairs Minister Joelle Milquet, who broke off European Union talks to dash to Liege along with King Albert II and Queen Paola, and Belgium’s justnamed Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo.

Instead of heading to the police station, Amrani on Tuesday drove to Saint Lambert Square in his van and climbed to a roof above a bakery from where he had a bird’s-eye view of the crowd below. He lobbed grenades into packed bus shelters before opening fire on the

panicked crowd, according to witnesses. “We’re afraid of returning to the square,” said one Liege resident. “You can’t imagine a drama like this taking place on such a busy square, a place we all go to all the time.” As gunfire echoed through the city Tuesday, rumors spread that several gunmen were on the loose in what was thought to be a possible escape bid involving a convict from the nearby courthouse.

The rumors sent residents fleeing in panic as police ran down streets in pursuit of non-existent gunmen. Hours after the drama, people wept on sidewalks amid the wail of ambulance sirens and the roar of helicopters overhead. There were pools of blood on the streets. Prosecutor Reynders said that in his numerous brushes with the law, Amrani’s mental stability “was never in question.” — AFP

Fire kills 6 as French retiree ‘opens sweets with lighter’ Fire ‘extremely intense, quickly spreads’

STRASBOURG: Polish President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek (C) flanked by two of the five laureates of the 2011 Sakharov Prize, Asmaa Mahfouz (L) of Egypt and Ahmed al-Zubair Ahmed al-Sanusi of Libya (R) takes part in a prize award ceremony, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France yesterday. —AFP

EU parliament celebrates Arab Spring with Sakharov prize STRASBOURG: The European Parliament honored five Arab Spring ac tivists with its Sak harov human rights prize yesterday, including the Tunisian who sparked region-wide uprisings by setting himself on fire.

Just two of the winners, who share a 50,000 euro ($70,000) prize, were in the parliament for the presentation ceremony. Tunisian fruitseller Mohamed Bouazizi won the award posthumously for freedom of thought, while a Syrian pair, lawyer Razan Zeitouneh and cartoonist Ali Farzat, were prevented from attending “for obvious reasons”, according to EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton on Tuesday.

The other winners were Egypt ’s Asmaa Mahfouz and Libyan dissident Ahmed Al-Zubair Ahmed al-Sanusi.

Parliament president Jer z y Buzek hailed “five courageous women and men who represent the Arab Spring,” on the day Time magazine named simply ‘the Protester’ as its person of the year. Bouazizi, an unemployed university graduate, set himself on fire on December 17 to protest abuses under the 23-year Tunisian regime of Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. He died two weeks later.

Egypt’s Mahfouz helped organize strikes and protests against Hosni Mubarak’s regime. “I would like to tell you how proud I am for all the martyrs

of Arab revolution. We will not betray them,” she said in her acceptance speech. Libyan dissident Sanusi, 77, spent 31 years in prison after trying to organize a coup against late leader Moamer Kadhafi and is now working with the country’s new rulers.

While calling for reconciliation, he pointedly thanked Libya’s European neighbors for their “unambiguous diplomatic and militar y suppor t.”

Zeitouneh, a 34-year-old lawyer, created a blog to document atrocities committed by Syrian President Bashar alAssad’s regime during its relentless crackdown on pro-democracy campaigners.

She is in hiding and sent a letter praising “all the brave people in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and beyond” for fighting to secure a future “free of repression, prisons, and blood-spilling.” Farzat is a political satirist whose cartoons have helped fuel the pro-democracy revolts. In August, Syrian regime security forces brutally beat him, breaking both his hands. He sent a video message expressing his grief and sorrow at the number of vic tims in Syria which “increases with every minute.” Past winners of the prize named after Soviet-era physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov include antiapartheid icon Nelson Mandela and former UN chief Kofi Annan. —AFP

End racial profiling, Amnesty tells Spain MADRID: Amnesty International urged Spain to stop police illegally discriminating against immigrants and ethnic minorities by stopping them for unwarranted identity checks, in a report yesterday. Officers pick on foreigners to check their identity papers in public even without legal grounds and fine or intimidate bystanders who observe or document the incidents, the global human rights group said in a report.

Spain’s outgoing Socialist government has consistently denied such discrimination takes place and an interior ministry source who asked not to be named reiterated this stance to AFP yesterday.

“The police do not carry out selective identity checks based on these racial profiles, on the grounds that people are foreign,” the source said.

“This is what we have always said.”

Amnesty said its “research has revealed that deliberate identity checks on foreigners in the absence of any security concern are widespread,” citing testimonies by various people of racial minorities.

“People who do not ‘look Spanish’ can be stopped by police as often as four times a day, for identity checks, at any time of day or night, in any place or situation,” Amnesty ’s Spain

researcher Izza Leghtas said in the report.

“Certain police stations in Madrid have been given weekly and monthly quotas for the number of irregular migrants they have to detain, thus encouraging officers to target people belonging to ethnic minorities.”

Amnesty quoted one Senegalese immigrant as saying: “They can take you out of the train or the metro to check your documents... They say they are looking for criminals. But being black isn’t being a criminal.”

“I think I have been in all the police stations in the city,” said Babu, an Indian national. “I have been to the same police station three or four times.

All the policemen know me.” A report in March by the United Nations’ Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination urged Spain to end racial profiling in identity checks, a call reiterated by Amnesty in yesterday’s report.

“It is time the authorities acknowledge and condemn the practice of racial profiling as discriminatory and unlawful and take measures to eliminate it,” the global rights campaign body said. “Addressing racial profiling by police is crucial in any serious attempt to combat racism and xenophobia.” —AFP

MARSEILLE: A fire in a French retirement home killed six women yesterday, after a 75year-old man tried to open a packet of sweets with his cigarette lighter, officials said. An investigation has been launched into the blaze, which broke out at around 2:20 am in “Les Anemones”, a retirement home for 180 people in the southern port city of Marseille, state prosecutor Christophe Barret told reporters. Barret said the fire was “extremely intense” and had quickly spread from the man’s room to the corridor outside, sending choking smoke pouring through the four-storey building, suffocating six of his neighbors and injuring 13 more.

“The inhabitant of the room in which the fire broke out says that he tried to open a bag of sweets, which was sealed by a ribbon, with his lighter. The packet and his bed caught fire,” Barret told reporters. The dead were six women aged between 51 and 93 and of those hurt by smoke inhalation, three-a 91-year-old woman and two men aged 77 and 85 — are in a serious condition in local hospitals, the prosecutor said.

The deceased were all women who had disabilities that reduced their mobility, but firefighters were on the scene within eight minutes and the rest of the residents were successfully evacuated. “The toll could have been much greater,” Barret said, paying tribute to the 80 firefighters in 28 engines for their quick response. He said safety at the home would be examined but that initial reports were that enough staff-four people-were on duty for a night shift, while the fire alarm had been inspected earlier in the year and was in working order.

“The alarm and safety systems seem to have worked well,” Barret said. “The bedroom doors played their role as fire breaks.” While many of the residents were “deeply disturbed”

by the tragedy, there seemed not to have been any panic while the building was evacuated, he said.

“The staff are in shock,” said Marseille’s assistant mayor in charge of public safety Caroline Pozmentier, who rushed to the scene along with the relatives of several residents alerted by radio reports. Les Anemones is a privately-run home with a state licence and

MARSEILLE: Firefighters gather in front of the retirement home “Les Anemones”, where a fire has killed six people and injured 15 others, in Marseille, southern France yesterday. —AP many of its residents’ fees are covered by social security. It was built in the 1980s in a quiet wooded garden, and houses both the able-bodied and partially disabled.

The prosecutor said the blaze appeared to have been an accident. The 75-year-old is

Florence mourns after racist killing spree ROME: Florence was in mourning yesterday after an Italian far-right author shot dead two Senegalese men and wounded three others before killing himself in a shooting spree that prompted outpourings of grief. Witnesses said they saw the gunman calmly getting out of a car at a street market on Piazza Dalmazia, north of the city centre, and firing three shots that instantly killed the two Senegalese vendors and seriously wounded a third.

Gianluca Casseri, 50, then moved to the San Lorenzo market in the centre-a popular tourist destination-where he wounded two more vendors. The writer of fantasy novels then turned the gun on himself after he was surrounded by police. Around 200 Senegalese marched through the city in an angry protest after the shootings, shouting “Shame!” and “Racists!”, and hundreds of immigrants later prayed on their knees in tears in front of Florence’s famous cathedral.

“The heart of Florence is crying today,” Mayor Matteo Renzi said in a Twitter message, declaring the city would hold a day of mourning yesterday and would pay to repatriate the bodies to Senegal. Italy’s lower house of parliament observed a minute’s silence during the morning session as a mark of respect.

being questioned but he is confused and not thought to be in full possession of his mental faculties, Barret said. Local district mayor Robert Assante told reporters that questions may still have to be asked about the design of the building. “The question I ask myself is how the toxic gases were able to build up so quickly,” he said. “In the end we may need to update regulations.”

Senegal’s government released a statement yesterday expressing indignation over “the odious murders” and saying it would do everything to “shed light on” what happened.

Roccangelo Tritto, a spokesman for local Carabinieri police, told AFP that the man wounded at Piazza Dalmazia would live but remain paralysed for life.

The other two men were also in a serious condition-one with a wound to the abdomen and another shot in the chest. Casseri was the author of fantasy novels including “The Key of Chaos” about a wizard, a mathematician and an alchemist, which enjoyed some popularity.

He also wrote an academic paper about Dracula folklore and was the editor of a niche magazine about fantasy and horror fiction and comics. Casseri lived on his own in the Tuscan countryside near Pistoia. He was also a member of Casa Pound, a right-wing community group that is seen as more intellectual than other far-right organisations. “He was a bit strange, a bit of a loner but he didn’t seem crazy. He was living in his own world,” said Fabio Barsanti, a regional coordinator for Casa Pound. “He didn’t seem capable of doing something like this,” he said, adding: “We are against any type of violence. — AFP

FLORENCE: Officials gather in memory of two Senegalese who were killed the day before on a market yesterday in Florence. —AFP

This was the second fatal retirement home blaze in France in the past month, after a November fire started by a cigarette butt in a residence in the western town of La Rochefoucauld left three dead and 11 injured. —AFP

Desperate British students ‘turning to prostitution’ LONDON: Desperate British students, faced with rising costs on the back of government austerity measures, are turning to prostitution, gambling and other dangerous pursuits to fund their studies, support workers and student leaders said yesterday. The English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP), a welfare body for sex workers, said it estimated the number of people approaching it for help had doubled in the last year as students struggled to make ends meet. “(The government) know the cuts and the austerity programs and the removing of grants, they know when they remove those resources they know it drives women further into poverty,” Sarah Walker from the ECP told Reuters. “The way that women survive poverty is often through sex work. The government knows that and they don’t seem to care frankly.” Young people have been the hardest hit by economic slowdown with youth unemployment now accounting for 1.03 million of the 2.64 unemployed, the highest level since 1992.

Last year, the government said it would scrap the Educational Maintenance Allowance, a grant to older teenage schoolchildren to help them stay in education, and allow university tuition fees to treble to up to 9,000 pounds ($14,000) a year from 2012.

With part-time jobs scarce and the cost of living being squeezed with rising prices, the National Union of Students (NUS) said young people were taking desperate and dangerous measures to pay for their education.

“In some cases that’s sex work, but we’re also hearing about clinical trials, gambling ... dangerous work where there’s very little, if any kind of employment rights,” said Estelle Hart, the NUS’s national women’s officer. “You often hear it’s very easy to get a bar job. Well it’s not easy to get a bar job in this economic climate, it’s not easy to get any job.” A study by researchers at a London university published last year found 16 percent of students were willing to engage in sex work to pay for their education and 11 percent would work for escort agencies.

Har t said a recent study by Leeds University in northern England revealed 25 percent of strippers and lap dancers were students. — Reuters

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Zardari to leave Dubai hospital ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is to be discharged from a Dubai hospital today after more than a week, but will remain in the Gulf emirate to rest with no date fixed for his return home.

The government made the announcement eight days after the president flew suddenly to the United Arab Emirates in the midst of a political scandal, forcing aides to deny that he was seriously ill or about to step down.

“All tests are clear and the doctors plan to discharge the president from hospital tomorrow to take rest at home and continue the heart medication,” presidency spokesman Farhatullah Babar told AFP. “The president is recovering and the doctors have advised him complete rest,” Babar said. Zardari

would leave hospital for his house in Dubai, but Babar declined to comment on when the 56-yearold head of state would return to Pakistan.

Nor has any definitive diagnosis of Zardari’s condition been made public. Last week, a senior member of his Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) told AFP that Zardari had probably suffered a transient ischemic attack, or mini-stroke. His Doctor Khaldoun Taha issued a statement from the American Hospital saying that Zardari was admitted on December 6 with “left arm numbness and twitching” after losing consciousness for a few seconds. Zardari has a longstanding heart condition, but was admitted “fully awake and conscious with stable vital signs”, Taha said. Cardiac and neurological tests were conducted,

including a brain scan, but “all investigations were within normal range”, the doctor said. He was now advised to rest at home and continue “regular heart medications”. Zardari is technically a figurehead president, whose loyal prime minister is responsible for the day-to-day running of the government. The military largely controls foreign and security policy, such as the latest crisis in US relations caused by NATO’s killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers in cross-border strikes on November 26. Zardari has been under considerable pressure over alleged attempts by a close aide to seek US help to limit the power of Pakistan’s military. The aide, Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington Husain Haqqani, was forced to resign over the allegations and Zardari’s flight to Dubai sparked a flood

of speculation that he too may step down. The memo sent in May to the then US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, sought help to prevent a feared coup following the secret US raid that killed Osama bin Laden on May 2.

Zardari is recognised as an astute politician who has survived numerous crises and calls for his resignation since he took office in 2008. If he remains in office until 2013 and elections are held it would be the first democratic transition of power in Pakistan, where the military has staged four coups and ruled for more than half the country’s existence. Largely unpopular, he became president only as co-chairman of the PPP after his wife, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated. — AFP

America winning in Afghanistan: Panetta Defense chief on a visit to review war efforts

DHAKA: Bangladeshi children lie on bricks as they reenact the killing of independence heroes on this day in 1971, at Rayer Bazar in Dhaka, Bangladesh yesterday.

Bangladesh remembers the country’s intellectuals who were killed on this day during the country’s independence war against Pakistan in 1971. —AP

Pakistan blames Afghan refugees for Rabbani murder ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar blamed Afghan refugees for the murder of the Kabul government’s peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani, officials said yesterday. Rabbani’s assassination in September by a turban bomber who purported to be a peace envoy for the Taliban derailed efforts to talk peace with the militants and postponed any hopes of a political settlement ending 10 years of war.

Afghan officials lashed out at Islamabad over the killing, saying it was planned in Pakistan and carried out by a Pakistani suicide bomber. But Khar told the upper house of parliament late Tuesday that Afghan refugees living in Pakistan were responsible. “We are not responsible if Afghan refugees crossed the border and entered Kabul, stayed in a guest house and attacked Professor Rabbani,” officials quot-

ed Khar as telling the Senate.

Pakistan is under huge international pressure to take action against militants based in Pakistan but who carry out attacks in Afghanistan. A senior Pakistani official told AFP that the presence of Afghan refugees was “an important issue for Pakistan” and “a problem for Afghanistan”.

“We don’t want to forcibly expel them. We are trying to resolve this issue in a negotiated manner because more than 90 percent of terrorist attacks in Pakistan trace back to Afghan refugees.”

Last month, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari agreed to cooperate with an investigation into Rabbani’s murder in a bid to overcome tensions and recriminations.

Millions of Afghans who fled decades of war returned home after Karzai took power, but around 1.7 million still live in Pakistan. — AFP

Fruit traders protest new basket rule in Sri Lanka COLOMBO: Thousands of produce traders protested for a third day in Sri Lankan streets yesterday, halting business at the capital’s central market over a new rule changing how they transport their goods. At least 24 people have been hurt and 83 arrested in the protests over a rule that fruit and vegetables be transported in plastic baskets rather than sacks. The government says it wanted to stop colossal food waste when perishable produce is damaged in transport.

The traders say the baskets hold less produce, take up too much space in their shops and raise their transport costs, and they want the rule withdrawn. Some transport trucks already have been fined for using sacks. Police used tear gas Tuesday at protesters at two markets in central Sri Lanka, who were smashing and burning vegetables on the streets, resulting in a clash that saw 21 policemen and at least three protesters injured, police spokesman Ajith Rohana said. He said 83 people were arrested on suspicion of creating unrest and later released on bail.

Business came to a standstill yesterday at the central market in Colombo, the

capital, when the traders started a sit-in protest on a main road. They lay on the road blocking traffic for hours and some burnt tires. Later they dispersed.

Trade Minister Johnston Fernando told a press briefing Monday that over 40 percent of Sri Lankan produce is wasted due to improper packaging and delivery methods and that consumers bear the brunt of the waste.

“This is not a practical move and it has caused unnecssary problems and hardships to the farmers and traders and finally, the consumer will be affected hardly,” protester Sarath Nishantha, 40, said. He said the law has almost doubled the cost of transport, loading and unloading goods, and traders will have to be increase their prices significantly. “This law should be withdrawn immediately. Otherwise, the distribution of vegetables and fruits will be completely broken down, causing severe shortage of food,” he said. He said about 50 kilograms (110 pounds) could be stored in a sack while a basket handles half that weight. And a truck usually transports about 800 sacks, but could deliver only half that many baskets. — AP

FOB SHARANA: Defense chief Leon Panetta told US troops yesterday they were winning the 10-year war in Afghanistan, during a visit focused on handing security to Afghans as US troops withdraw. Panetta is in Afghanistan to review the war effort with the United States, which is on track to recall 33,000 troops by the end of the next year and is shifting its focus to an advisory role in training Afghan security forces. “We’re moving in the right direction and we’re winning this very tough conflict,” he told troops at Forward Operating Base Sharana, 56 kilometres (35 miles) from the Pakistan border, in the eastern province of Paktika.

In October, the Pentagon said that Taleban attacks were down for the first time in five years but that insurgent sanctuaries in Pakistan were feeding violence on the border and threatening the war effort. “Are there challenges out there? You’re damn right, there are challenges. Are we gonna be able to take on those challenges? You’re damn right we will,” Panetta told the troops.

“Ultimately here in Afghanistan, we will be able to establish a country that is able to govern and secure itself, we will make sure that the Taleban will never be able to find safe haven here, that Al-Qaeda will never again be able to find safe havens here.”

Panetta said it was important to make sure Pakistan could secure its side of the border.

“The Haqqanis that you fight here in this area come across the border, attack here and go back into the safe havens over there. They (the Pakistanis) have a responsibility to deal with those safe havens,” he said.

“Bottom line is that it is complicated, it is complex, we have some difficult issues to deal with but at the same time it’s important to maintain a relationship with Pakistan because we are confronting a common enemy. “We’ve got to make sure that if we’re gonna secure this country, the Pakistanis better damn well secure their country as well.” America’s alliance with Pakistan is in crisis over NATO strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers near the Afghan border on November 26.

Islamabad has shut the US supply line into landlocked Afghanistan and forced Americans to leave a base widely reported to have been a hub for CIA drones. As the United States draws the curtain on its eightyear venture in Iraq, Washington is determined to bring an end to the Afghan war as

SHARANA: US Sec of Defense Leon Panetta, presents Purple Hearts to military personnel of the 172nd Infantry Brigade Task Force Blackhawks at a forward operating base in Sharana, Afghanistan yesterday. —AP

soon as possible. Lieutenant General Curtis Scaparrotti, ISAF operational commander, said that the main effort was likely to move from the south of the country, where gains still need to be “consolidated”, to the east at some point in 2012.

Panetta meets President Hamid Karzai later yesterday and earlier met Defence Secretary Abdul Rahim Wardak to discuss the security transfers, taking place in conjunction with the planned exit of NATO combat troops by the end of 2014. “My hope is that we maintain a long-term relationship with Afghanistan, that we don’t just simply pick up and get out. We spilled too much blood here,” he told the troops. The United States is withdrawing 10,000 troops this year, leaving 91,000 on the ground into 2012. Another 23,000 are to leave by the end of September 2012. That will mark the end of the “surge” ordered by President Barack Obama in late 2009 in a bid to reverse the Taleban insurgency, defeat Al-Qaeda and speed up an end to the war, and will leave 68,000 US forces on the ground.

Bangladesh orders probe into killings, disappearances DHAKA: Bangladesh has ordered a probe into a sharp spike in secret killings and disappearances in the country, many of which are allegedly linked to the security services, the home minister said yesterday. “I’ve already told (law enforcement agencies) to investigate incidents of disappearances or secret killings. They are already working on this,” Sahara Khatun told AFP, after meeting with the country’s police chiefs. Her comments came a day after the head of the state-run national human rights commission said the government had to prove that lawenforcement agencies were not linked to the rise in disappearances.

According to the local human rights

group Odhikar, at least 40 people-many of them opposition political activists-disappeared between Januar y last year and November 2011. This is only a “fraction” of the real number, Odhikar secretary Adilur Rahman Khan said, adding that the majority of the cases were linked to law enforcement agencies, including the elite paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion.

“What is alarming is that the families of the victims have told us members of Rapid Action Battalion, detective branch police or police took their relatives. And they never returned,” he said.

All law-enforcing agencies have rejected claims they are involved in cases of disap-

Roadside bomb kills Afghan district chief

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan traders block a road during a protest demanding the government withdraw a new packaging regulation for fruits and vegetables, in Colombo, Sri Lanka yesterday. —AP

The US commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, gave no date but said that military operations would shift to a more advisory role, envisaging the introduction of special “advisory forces” embedded with Afghan troops.

He also indicated there could be a thaw with Pakistan, following a telephone conversation with Pakistan army chief General Ashfaq Kayani. Allen said they discussed restoring coordination along the border in the hope that the two countries could “move on” from the incident. K arzai recently announced a second phase of transition which will see Afghans take charge of six provinces, seven provincial capitals and more than 40 districts, including three in the southern province of Helmand, one of the most deadly in the conflict. Despite the tight timetable, the militar y and the United Nations disagree over the extent to which violence is really falling in Afghanistan. The world body said the number of civilians who were killed increased by 15 percent in the first six months of this year. — AFP

KANDAHAR: A roadside bomb killed an anti-Taliban district governor and two of his bodyguards yesterday in southern Afghanistan’s volatile Helmand province, an official said. The governor of K han Neshin distric t, Massoud Khan, was a fierce opponent of drug smugglers and the Taliban, who issued him with death threats, provincial spokesman Daud Ahmadi told AFP. The governor, aged in his early 30s, was driving to work when his vehicle hit the device, Ahmadi said. “ The distric t governor Massoud Khan along with two bodyguards were martyred in the blast,” Ahmadi said, adding that

two other bodyguards were also wounded. The Taliban was not immediately reachable for comment but roadside bombs are the weapon of choice for the militants in their decade-long insurgency against international forces and the Kabul government.

Parts of Helmand remain highly unstable although provincial capital Lashkar Gah is under the control of Afghan forces and three other districts are due to switch from NATO to Afghan security control. There are around 140,000 international troops, mainly from the United States, in Afghanistan helping government forces combat the insurgency. —AFP

pearances. Yesterday police found dead bodies of three people in a river outside the capital. They showed head wounds, had their hands tied and had been deliberately sunk with cement bags, police inspector Mizanur Rahman told AFP. The incident came two days after the recovery of two more dead bodies, including that of an activist of the main opposition party, in the same river, he added. Sumi Das, whose husband disappeared from the capital Dhaka four months ago, said Tapan Das was taken away by a group of people who identified themselves as the members of detective branch police. Das never returned, she told AFP. — AFP

India elephants sent on rejuvenating holiday CHENNAI: A southern Indian state yesterday ordered a vacation for elephants employed by temples as part of an official program to “rejuvenate” the weary creatures, officials said. State foresters herded 45 domestic pachyderms from Hindu shrines and hermitages in Tamil Nadu to the coastal state’s Mudumalai forests for a 48-day break to help them regain lost vigour, they said.

“The elephants were brought in two batches in trucks from various temples and mutts (hermitages) across the state,” said senior forest department official Ameer Haja.

They will eat a special diet of sugarcane, coconuts and banana laced with herbal medication and vitamins during their stay at the rejuvenation camp, Haja added. Elephants form a traditional part of Hindu rituals in temples, where they bless pilgrims and devotees with their raised trunks.

They are also trained to perform other physical duties at the shrines. — AFP

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

China urges better safety after school bus deaths BEIJING : China’s safety regulator is demanding immediate action to improve safety aboard frequently overloaded and badly maintained school buses following a string of accidents that have killed at least 36 children and two adults. The remarks Tuesday came hours after a school bus accident in eastern China killed 15 children, highlighting continuing safety problems in the country’s school transport system. New reports have emerged that the bus was overloaded with passengers.

Managers need to identify and correct problems now instead of waiting for the passage of new regulations and safety standards, State Administration of Work Safety spokesman Huang Yi was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency. School buses need to be sturdier and better maintained than ordinary buses, and those that fail the test must be barred from the roads, Huang said. Education Minister Yuan Guiren, meanwhile, ordered reviews of school safety policies and immediate checks on all 285,000 school buses in the country, only 10 percent of which meet technical standards issued last year, the official China Daily newspaper reported. On Monday evening, a school bus taking primary students home slipped off a country road into an irrigation ditch in the eastern province of Jiangsu, killing 15 children. The acci-

dent followed a similar tragedy last month. In Monday’s incident, workers at a nearby factory heard cries for help and rushed to the overturned bus, broke open the windows and began pulling children out. Eight other children were injured in the accident, one of them seriously, said a spokesman for the Jiangsu provincial government, who like many Chinese officials refused to give his name. The bus was carrying 29 students and was designed for 52 people, so it was not overloaded, Xinhua said. Other reports, however, cited rescuers and surviving students as saying the bus was severely overloaded.

The Beijing News tabloid quoted 12-year-old Li Kailong as saying there were about 70 people on board when it left the school, with only two getting off prior to the crash. Villager Zhang Yunhe, who helped in the rescue, was also quoted as saying there were “definitely over 60 children in the bus.” The accident occurred as the bus was traveling along a rural highway outside the city of Xuzhou in the province’s north. News reports said it careened off the road after swerving to avoid a pedicab. Xinhua said the driver had been detained for investigation.

“My husband ... used one hand to grab two or three (children) and the other to grab another two or three,” said the wife of Tian Shengwei, who owns a nearby food processing factory. “The

water was not very deep, probably more than a meter (yard) or so, up to an adult’s waist, but it was deep enough to drown some of the children,” said Tian’s wife, who would give only her surname, Zhang. “We tried so hard and cracked open one of the windows and started to pull the kids out. It was freezing cold,” she said by phone.

She said the children ranged in age from 6 to about 14. The crash came amid an emotional national discussion over the poor condition of Chinese school buses and chronic underfunding of public schools, particularly in rural areas, which have lagged far behind cities over the past three decades of rapid economic development.

On Monday, a school bus was hit by a truck in southern Guangdong province, injuring 37 of the 59 students on board, Xinhua reported.

Police detained the two drivers. Two children were killed and several injured when the bus that was taking them on a field trip collided with a truck in the central province of Henan on Tuesday morning, according to the official China News Service. Last month, 19 children and two adults were killed when a nine-seat private kindergarten van packed with 62 students crashed head-on with a truck in northwest Gansu province. That was followed by a high-profile pledge from Premier Wen Jiabao that new rules to ensure school bus safety would be drafted

within a month. Wen said central and local governments would bear the cost of bringing oftenshoddy buses up to standard. New regulations proposed Sunday by China’s Cabinet provide guidelines such as capping speeds and prohibiting vehicles from passing buses when students are getting on or off, but do not address to what extent the government will fund school transport. A proposal for government school bus subsidies was rejected last year because of the cost 450 billion yuan ($71 billion), or one-third of China’s education budget.

Many school buses are operated by car rental companies and are even co-financed by parents.

Rural transport has become a growing issue because schoolchildren in those areas often must travel long distances to attend classes following the closure and consolidation of village schools. Numbers of school-age children in China have fallen because of strict family planning rules, while rural populations have thinned out as adults move to the cities for work, often leaving behind children to be looked after by their grandparents. The “left-behind” phenomenon has been linked to child safety problems, since the grandparents are often too old or sickly to accompany their grandchildren to school and back and may be unmindful of the hazards aboard buses, as well as around the home. — AP

South Korean former ‘comfort women’ hold 1,000th protest Protesters unveil ‘peace monument’

MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and his sister Maria Elena Aquino-Cruz, on the platform, lead the Christening and Commissioning ceremony of the country’s newly-acquired Hamilton class warship BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PF15) yesterday at the Manila South Harbor in Manila, Philippines. —AP

Philippines launches warship amid row MANILA: The Philippines relaunched an old US Coast Guard cutter yesterday as its biggest and most modern warship to guard potentially oil-rich waters that are at the center of a dispute with China.

President Benigno Aquino III witnessed the commissioning of the 3,390-ton Philippine navy frigate BRP Gregorio del Pilar in an austere Manila pier ceremony that he said symbolized his country’s struggle to modernize its underfunded military despite many obstacles.

“As an archipelago with 36,000 nautical miles of coastline, it’s important for us to have an adequate and formidable defense to guard our islands,” Aquino said. He added that such a security shield could no longer be mounted “with dilapidated vessels and old and faulty equipment.” As a navy brass band played, Roman Catholic priests sprinkled holy water on the deck of the newly repainted warship, equipped with anti-aircraft guns and a newly refurbished surveillance helicopter on the flight deck. Three navy planes flew over and officials broke a bottle of sugarcane wine on the bow as the ship went into commission.

Already spread thin while fighting decades-long Muslim and communist insurgencies, the 125,000-strong military has begun to focus on territorial defense amid renewed tension over long-simmering territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The Philippines, a US defense treaty partner, has relied on Washington to acquire better surveillance and patrol ships and aircraft. Aquino said the Philippines would acquire another US Coast Guard cutter soon. He also plans to seek used fighter jets from Washington

when he visits there next year.

In March, two Chinese vessels tried to drive away a Philippine oil exploration ship from the Reed Bank, an area west of the western Philippine province of Palawan. Two Philippine air force planes were deployed, but the Chinese vessels had disappeared by the time they reached the submerged bank. The Philippines protested the incident, which it said was one of several intrusions by China into its territorial waters in the first half of the year. Vietnam has also accused Chinese vessels of trying to sabotage oil exploration in its territorial waters this year, sparking rare anti-China protests in Vietnam.

China denied there were any intrusions, saying it has sovereignty over those waters. China claims nearly all the South China Sea on historical grounds.

The Philippine navy said it would deploy the new warship to waters west of Palawan, especially around an area called Malampaya, site of the country’s largest natural gas field. In July, China protested after the Philippine government invited foreign companies to bid for the right to explore oil and gas in two areas near the Malampaya gas field. One of the two areas was less than 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Palawan province, the closest territory to the Philippines to be claimed

by Beijing, Energy Undersecretary Jose Layug Jr. said.

The Philippines asserted that the areas were well within Philippine territorial waters, Layug said, adding that the country would proceed to invite investors to explore for oil and gas in those areas.-AP

Australia officer jailed for spanking female sailor SYDNEY: A senior Australian naval officer was sentenced yesterday to 18 months in jail for repeatedly spanking a junior female sailor in what he claimed was a test of her discipline and obedience. Lieutenant Commander John Alan Jones, 58, was handed the sentence at a court martial, Australian media reported, after being found guilty a day earlier of seven counts of indecency without consent.

The military court had heard that two of the incidents, which occurred last year while Jones was serving on a supply ship, involved the young female sailor lying across his lap and him smacking her bare buttocks. Jones told her it was a “test to see how disciplined and compliant you were going to be”, in a recording she secretly made during one of their encounters which was played to the court. He admitted some of the behavior but denied it was non-consensual or amounted to an indecent act. The young sailor had told the court she was scared

of Jones and still had nightmares about the abuse. Jones was also fined Aus$2,000 ($2,000) yesterday for trying to destroy the laptop computer issued to him by the defense forces, which the court heard contained spanking-related pornography.

He has lost his rank and will be dismissed from the Navy once the case has been reviewed. Court martial panel president Captain Michael Hickey told Jones he faced imprisonment because of his gross abuse of authority, his moral culpability and the effect on the victim, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. His sentence will initially be served at an army base and will last a minimum of a year before he is eligible to be released for good behaviour, the ABC said, unless it is overturned on appeal. Australia’s military has acquired a reputation for a culture of drinking and sexism, and the defence force’s treatment of women is currently under government review. — AFP

SEOUL: Elderly South Korean women forced into Japan’s wartime military brothels held their 1,000th weekly protest yesterday, placing a statue of a sex slave outside its embassy despite protests from Tokyo. “Apologize!” shouted five women in their 80s or 90s and an estimated 500 supporters, waving banners reading “Compensate” and “Admit the war crime”. Demonstrators have rallied since 1992 outside Japan’s mission in Seoul to demand an apology and compensation for the Japanese military’s use of so-called “comfort women” before and during World War II. To mark yesterday’s landmark protest they unveiled a “peace monument” across the street from the embassy-a statue of a seated teenage Korean girl in traditional costume.

The five former sex slaves hugged the statue as Japan demanded its removal. “Young girls were dragged to other countries as slaves of the Japanese military,” said a frail Kim BokDong, 85. “I demand that the ambassador of Japan tell the Japanese government to apologise before we all die.”

The oldest of the Korean former “comfort women” died aged 94 earlier this month and another aged 87 died Tuesday, leaving just 63 survivors out of 234 who had registered with the Seoul government. In a rare move, a North Korean association for former comfort women sent a letter of support. “The Wednesday demonstration that has lasted for 20 years is an unbearable blaze of anger against sexual slavery crimes committed by Japan that have trampled on national pride,” the group said in a faxed message.

Historians say that during World War II, about 200,000 women from Korea, China, the Philippines and other countries were drafted to work in Japanese army brothels. The issue came to widespread notice in the early 1990s after some victims found the courage to go public. Japan has apologized for the military’s crimes against the women but denies official responsibility for running the brothels. It has rejected South Korea’s proposal of bilateral talks about the women’s demands.

Tokyo, which ruled Korea from 1910-45, says all claims for colonial-era suffering were settled in a 1965 compensation agreement with Seoul. “It is very regrettable that they went ahead with constructing the comfort woman statue,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura in Tokyo. “We repeatedly called on the South Korean government to stop the construction until today.” Japan’s

not require permission from its government.

The diplomatic friction arose days before a weekend summit in Kyoto between President Lee Myung-Bak and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. Seoul’s presidential office said they are scheduled to discuss bilateral relations, North Korea and other issues of cooperation during Sunday’s summit, but made no mention of the comfort women

SEOUL: A former South Korean comfort woman Kil Un-ock, right, who was forced to serve for the Japanese Army as a sexual slave during World War II, shouts slogans with other comfort women next to the statue symbolizing a wartime sex slave during their 1,000th rally to demand an official apology and compensation from the Japanese government in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, South Korea yesterday. —AP ambassador Masatoshi Muto met South Korea’s first vice foreign minister Park SukHwan and insisted on the early removal of the statue, a foreign ministry official told AFP. In response, Park said Tokyo should “sincerely” respond to Seoul’s proposal for talks over wartime sex slaves, she said.

Seoul says the placing of the statue does

issue. In the southern South Korean coastal city of Tongyeong, where comfort women were shipped to Japan in 1930, hundreds of activists formed a human chain with placards and candles.

Events marking the 1,000th weekly protest were also staged in five other cities, Yonhap news agency reported. —AFP

Hard-line Indonesian police shave punkers’ mohawks BANDA ACEH: Police in Indonesia’s most conservative province raided a punk-rock concert and detained 65 fans, buzzing off their spiky mohawks and stripping away body piercings because of the perceived threat to Islamic values.

Dog-collar necklaces and chains also were taken from the youths before they were thrown in pools of water for “spiritual” cleansing, local police chief Iskandar Hasan said yesterday.

After replacing their “disgusting” clothes, he handed each a

toothbrush and barked “use it. ”The crackdown marked the latest effort by authorities to promote strict moral values in Aceh, the only province in this secular but predominantly Muslim nation of 240 million to have imposed Islamic laws. Here, adultery is punishable by stoning to death.

Homosexuals have been thrown in jail or lashed in public with rattan canes. Women are forced to wear headscarves and told, please, no tight pants. It’s not clear why police decided to hone in on

punks. Though pierced and tattooed teens have complained for months about harassment, Saturday’s roundup at a concert attended by more than 100 people was by far the biggest and most dramatic bust yet. Batonwielding police scattered fans, many of whom had traveled from other parts of the sprawling archipelagic nation to attend the show.

Hasan said 59 young men and five women were loaded into vans and brought to a police detention center 30 miles (60 kilometers) from

ACEH BESAR: In this Tuesday photo, punks sit on the ground and listen to a police officer after their heads were shaved at a police school compound in Aceh Besar, Aceh province, —AP

the provincial capital, Banda Aceh.

They would spend 10 days getting rehabilitation, training in militarystyle discipline and religious classes, including Quran recitation, he said. Afterward, they’ll be sent home. Twenty-year-old punker, Fauzan, was mortified. “Why? Why my hair?!” he said, pointing to his cleanly shaven head. “We didn’t hurt anyone.

This is how we’ve chosen to express ourselves. Why are they treating us like criminals?”The women, some in tears, were given short, blunt bobs. Hasan insisted he’d done nothing wrong. “We’re not torturing anyone,” the police chief said. “We’re not violating human rights. We’re just trying to put them back on the right moral path.” However, Nur Kholis, a national human commissioner, deplored the detentions, saying police have to explain what kinds of criminal laws have been broken.

“Otherwise, they violated people’s right of gathering and expression,” Kholis said, promising to investigate. Aceh - where Islam first arrived in Indonesia from Saudi Arabia centuries ago enjoys semiautonomy from the central government. That was part of a peace deal negotiated after the 2004 tsunami that killed 170,000 people in the province convinced both separatist rebels and the army to lay down their arms. — AP

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Years

NEWS Two painted storks (Mycteria leucocephala) perform a balancing act common among young birds on a treetop on the outskirts of Ahmedabad yesterday. Lying on important flyways for millions of birds migrating south in winter, the wetlands of Gujarat are a paradise for birdwatchers and the painted stork, which is a near threatened species, uses the wetlands as their feeding and breeding grounds. — AFP

WOMEN FILMMAKERS SHINE AT DUBAI FEST Continued from Page 1 on a beach for being together out of wedlock, forbidden under the Islamic sharia Law imposed by Hamas. They both try to escape the Israeli-blockaded territory using false visas, but the plan is thwarted by Israeli authorities, and the film ends with Leila being forced into an arranged marriage with a man picked by her father.

Youssef cried upon receiving the award, and in her acceptance speech said: “I hope we can show the film in Gaza.” The young director said she began shooting the film in Gaza, but was forced to relocate after Israeli authorities blocked her from travelling to the territory. She told AFP that she was prompted to make the film after she “fell in love with a theatre director in Gaza.”

Youssef, who is originally Lebanese but grew up in the United States, said that “Habibi”, her first film, cost less to make

than “a luxury car in Dubai”.

Jordanian filmmaker Deema Amr also tackled the social pressures facing women in Arab countries in her film “A 7 Hour Difference”. The film tells the story of Dalia, a college student in the US who returns home to Jordan to attend her sister’s wedding but the celebration turns sour when her American boyfriend turns up in Amman unannounced. Dalia confesses the affair to her father, who then tells her to end the relationship: “I asked you to come back to Jordan with a degree, not with a boyfriend,” he says.

Lebanese director Danielle Arbid, presented her third film “Beirut Hotel”, which narrates a love affair between a Lebanese singer and a Frenchman set against the backdrop of the assassination of prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Arbid’s film showed relatively steamy and intimate scenes, unusual for Arab cinema, and was barred

from screening in Lebanon because of its reference to the Hariri assassination.

Female directors also starred in the documentary category, including, Sudanese filmmaker Tagrid Elsanhouri and French-Algerian counterpart Yasmina Adi. Elsanhouri’s “Our Beloved Sudan” tells parallel stories of the struggles faced by the director’s mother, forced to marry a man with three wives, and the events that led South Sudan gaining independence from Khartoum. Adi’s “Here We Drown The Algerians” follows the brutal suppression of the 1961 demonstrations by Algerian immigrants in France, demanding their country’s independence from French rule. “London Through The Eyes Of A Veiled Woman,” a film about the struggles of a young Emirati woman studying in the West, also earned critical acclaim, in a festival where more than 170 films were screened since Dec 7. — AFP

New Cabinet sworn in, controversy...

Continued from Page 1 recommendation of the previous government was unconstitutional and warned of the consequences. As an indication of this date, the interior ministry cancelled all leaves for all members of the police force as of Jan 12 and asked all policemen who are on leave to return to duty before Jan 24.

The public prosecution meanwhile continued its interrogation of former MPs on allegations that their bank accounts received millions of dinars of illegal deposits, the scandal that contributed to the resignation of the government and dissolving the Assembly.The prosecution yesterday questioned exMPs Youssef Al-Zalzalah, Saadoun Hammad and Khalaf Dumaitheer, to bring the number of former lawmakers questioned so far to nine.

Five of the six other former MPs were released on KD 5,000 bail each but Saleh Ashour refused to pay the bail, claiming allegations against him were baseless, and was detained as a result. His lawyer Ali Al-Ali yesterday submitted a petition to the prosecutor general to exempt him from paying the bail and release him. No decision was taken until the end of the day, and accordingly Ashour will remain behind bars. Ashour and his lawyer said the prosecution did not provide any evidence to show that large sums of money were deposited into the former lawmaker’s bank accounts and claimed the complaint against him was politically motivated.

Dozens of Ashour’s relatives and supporters gathered outside the headquarters of the state security police in South Surra area to demand his release. The supporters were due to gather again yesterday night. Several Shiite activists and groups demanded that Ashour be released, insisting he is innocent and that there was no evidence to hold him.

Also, 12 new opposition activists surrendered to police yesterday after they were summoned by the prosecution on charges of storming the Assembly building last month while three others were to hand themselves in later. This brings the total number of activists summoned by the prosecution over breaking into the Assembly to 59 after the prosecution had questioned 44 and freed them on KD 1,000 bail each. No exMP is among those summoned so far.

Meanwhile, fed up with Kuwait’s dysfunctional and divisive political system, a group of activists is vying to make itself heard over the incessant bickering between government loyalists and the opposition they say are both to blame for the state’s woes. The loose coalition including academics and professionals are hoping to distance themselves from the established opposition and rally others behind them to root out corruption they say is endemic and steer the country towards full democracy. “What we’re really looking for is the real opposition, but we couldn’t find it,” said Kuwaiti columnist Lama Al-

Othman, who held up a sign reading “No to the government.

No to the opposition” at a recent protest outside parliament.

“We don’t want half democracy,” she added.

The state has long prided itself on having a fully-elected parliament with legislative power and lively debate - unique in a region ruled by autocrats who tolerate little if any dissent.

But frustration has been brewing beneath a political stalemate that is holding up vital reforms and development projects in the country, the world’s no. 6 biggest oil exporter with just 3.6 million people. “The government’s resignation doesn’t represent the real reform that is demanded. Our constitutional system has reached a state of stalemate and is in urgent need of structural reform, not the same old political moves,” said blogger Jassim Al-Qamis. “This may act as a temporary remedy, but it’s not the solution.”

Analysts and activists say the deadlock is not the fault of democracy, but of Kuwait’s version of it - a version that encourages the consultation that is deeply rooted in Kuwait’s political tradition without seriously threatening the ruling family, which has held power since the mid-18th century.

“Democracy in Kuwait is incomplete, it’s not real democracy,” said columnist Ahmed Al-Dayeen. “There must be new political solutions or else we will continue to go around in this meaningless circle.”

Outside parliament, outspoken opposition MPs have taken their demands to the street, joining youth groups emboldened by popular uprisings across the region this year.

Some activists and even several parliamentarians themselves say these MPs are co-opting the movement for their own political ends. “I’m against the opposition leaders because to me the movement should be led by the youth. The leaders should not be from MPs who have certain political agendas,” said Fatema Hayat, a former opposition activist who was part of a successful youth-led 2006 campaign to cut the number of electoral districts to 5 from 23. She and others disillusioned with the current system point out that for all their political posturing, some MPs now in opposition were once pro-government and vice-versa.

Another big factor in the failure, so far, to turn dissatisfaction into “real” opposition is Kuwait’s wealth, which makes politics at most a secondary concern for the majority.

Thanks to Kuwait’s oil wealth, the country has a per capita income of $37,000, the IMF estimated in 2010. The government devoted about one-fifth of its expenditure to oil-related benefits and subsidies for its 1.1 million nationals in fiscal 2010/11, which ended in March. “The majority of the people in Kuwait really don’t care about what’s going on because on a personal level they’re getting chalets, money and as long as they have them, why would they go out in a protest?” said Kareem.

OPEC oil deal puts Saudis back in charge Continued from Page 1 “ We d on’t re a c t to t ha t , we re a c t to m a r ke t demand,” he said.

Oil analysts warned that without defined individual national quotas, leakage above the new limit was very possible. “Someone has to cut back to accommodate Libya, that has to be done,” said analyst Lawrence Eagles of JP Morgan. “As always with OPEC the proof will be in the pudding. How closely will they stick to the new limit?” “The whole organisation has to be at 30 million so if someone goes up somebody else should come down. But it’s like anything when you divide responsibility - it often ends up falling through the cracks,” said Webster of PFC. Rising supply from Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab neighbours Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates has kept a leash on oil prices as Riyadh seeks to help nurture global growth by keeping fuel costs under control. OPEC’s price hawks, all of whom already pump at full capacity, want to keep prices above $100. “We think the present level is appropriate for producers and consumers,” Algerian Oil Minister Youcef Yousfi said of prices. “Prices are reasonable,” said Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi.

Going into their closed-door talks, Qasemi said he had met with Naimi and gained a pledge that the

Saudis would refrain from flooding the market with extra oil in case an international embargo on Iranian crude hurt Tehran’s ability to sell its petroleum. The US is reportedly seeking Saudi assurances that they are ready to make up for Iranian crude lost from the market should increased international sanctions be imposed on Tehran’s crude. Ghasemi said he spoke to Naimi and Naimi “rejects” the notion “that he wants to replace Iranian crude if Iran faces (such) sanctions”. Naimi was circumspect, dismissing the issue as “speculative”.

The Gulf Arabs would prefer prices that don’t hinder economic growth while meeting their budget and oil investment needs. The UAE said recently that $80-$100 was reasonable. “Saudi Arabia is the central banker of the oil market and the decision that they will bring more oil to the market is definitely a good one,” said Fatih Birol, chief economist at consumer body the International Energy Agency.

T h e o u t c o m e i s “g o o d fo r O P E C , g o o d fo r t h e Saudis, good for the market, and the Iranians are happy as well,” said analyst John Hall, addressing the different needs of the players in Vienna - the OPEC need for unity, Saudi claim to OPEC primacy, a message to consumers that output will stable and a signal of success to Iran, which presided over the talks. — Agencies

Egypt Islamists look to extend poll gains Continued from Page1

neighbourhood, soldiers were letting voters through five or six at a time. A policeman admonished the voters not to campaign for candidates or talk about their preferences, but some were eager to explain why they were voting for the FJP. “They have political experience and they are moderate,” said Abdel Halim, a government employee.

But other voters said the Brotherhood would damage tourism, with one saying “they’re going to ruin it and they’ll ban going to the beach”. Abdel Halim scorned him: “You want to sit on the beach.

We want to work for our country,” highlighting a source of tension between Islamists and secularists.

Much of the buzz has been sparked by calls from the ultraconservative Salafis for the key tourism sector to be “halal”, a reference to that which is allowed in Islam. Alcohol, swimsuits and mixed bathing would be banned.

In the impoverished district of Imbaba, also in Giza, queuing voters said they were casting their ballots for Islamist parties. “We tried the liberals and the secularists and they did nothing for us,” said one voter, Mohammed Rashad, referring to Mubarak’s ruling party. “ The Islamists have God’s law.” But Rashad, and other Islamist supporters outside the polling station, added worldly reasons to vote for

Islamists. “The Salafis were providing services to the poor before they even formed a party,” he said.

Scuffles broke out outside one polling station in Giza, state media reported, prompting officials to suspend voting temporarily. But the ruling military council said the process had been orderly so far, with fewer violations reported than the first round when parties were accused of campaigning outside polling stations. “The situation is calm overall and there is a large voter turnout,” Hamdi Badeen said in a statement.

Officials said turnout in the first phase was 52 percent, was higher than expected.

Three districts were postponed to Dec 21 after legal challenges for campaigning violations, state media reported. The election, which kicked off on Nov 28, saw Islamist parties crush their liberal rivals, mirroring a pattern established in Tunisia and Morocco following a string of popular uprisings across the region.

Voters are required to cast three ballots: two for individual candidates and one for a party or coalition, in the assembly’s 498 seats. Parties affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and the ultraconservative Salafist movements won 65 percent of all votes, trouncing liberal parties who managed 29.3 percent.

The second round takes place in Cairo’s twin city of Giza; Beni Sueif, south of the capital; the Nile Delta provinces of Menufiya, Sharqiya and

Beheira; the canal cities of Ismailiya and Suez and the southern cities of Sohag and Aswan. The Freedom and Justice Party said it won 32 out of 56 individual seats contested in the first phase of the polls, with four seats going to party allies. In a separate party vote, which will see more than 100 seats distributed, the FJP won 36.6 percent while the Al-Nur party came second with 24.4 percent.

The Muslim Brotherhood had been widely forecast to triumph as the country’s most organised political group, as it is well known after decades of charitable work and its endurance through repeated crackdowns by the Mubarak regime. But the good showing from Salafist groups was a surprise, raising fears of a more conservative and overtly religious new parliament. The Brotherhood has been at pains to stress its commitment to multi-party democracy, inclusiveness and civil liberties, but also advocating the application of sharia law.

Nevertheless, the prospect of an Islamist-dominated parliament raises fears among liberals about religious freedom in a country with the Middle East’s largest Christian minority. After choosing the lower house of parliament, which will end in January, Egyptians will elect an upper house in a further three rounds of polls. Presidential elections are to be held by the end of June. — AFP

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

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Iran to exploit power vacuum as US quits Iraq

By Assad Abboud he US withdrawal from Iraq will leave a power vacuum in the Gulf, analysts say, paving the way for Iran to increase its influence in this economic and politically strategic region, a concern echoed by America’s Gulf allies. “The US withdrawal from Iraq will no doubt create a power vacuum,” said Abdulaziz Sager, chairman of the Gulf Research Centre, noting that the US presence in the region empowered Gulf Arab countries with “whom they share interests and are bound by security agreements”. “This (US) presence gave them (Gulf countries) a sense of stability and security due to America’s military capabilities,” said Sager, adding that the troop withdrawal will “strengthen Iran’s military and intelligence influence,” in Iraq. After nine years in Iraq, the US will withdraw its last remaining troops by the end of 2011, a year that so far has seen unprecedented uprisings in the Arab world that have unseated three entrenched dictators in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, but also fuelled the sectarian and religious divide in the region. Gulf Arab countries are primarily concerned about what Iran might do in what is today a Shiite-led Iraq, as well as their intentions in the broader region, including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain where Sunni regimes have harshly quelled Shiite dissent in recent months.

According to Sager, Iran’s increased clout may not pose a “direct threat to Iraq” but will rather be used by the Shiite nation to challenge its rivals in the primarily Sunni Gulf, and to compensate for the potential loss of its ally Syria which is experiencing a mass uprising. Iraq shares a religious link with Iran, and both nations have expressed similar critical views of the mounting regional and international pressure on Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to resign. “On the political front, the US exit will likely push Iraq to seek closer relations with Iran, particularly given the complete absence of Saudi and Turkish influence in the country,” Sager said.

US government officials, who have been working to calm concerns in the region, have argued that Iran in fact has failed to make Iraq a “client state,” and that the Islamic republic is growing increasingly isolated. US National Security Adviser Tom Donilon said last month that the “regional balance of power is tipping against Iran,” and that Iraq and Iran have “very different visions of their future.” Tensions between Iran and its Arab rivals have risen in recent months as the Sunni-ruled monarchies in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain continue to accuse Tehran of instigating unrest among their Shiite populations.

Earlier this year in Bahrain, Shiite-led protests calling for democratic reforms were brutally quashed, leaving dozens dead. An independent investigation into the crackdown found no evidence of Iranian involvement, but the Bahraini government has insisted that Iran’s propaganda played a role in the uprising. In Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province where several Shiite anti-government protesters were killed last month, the interior ministry blamed gunmen with foreign agendas of infiltrating the protesters and opening fire on security forces.

There are also concerns that Iraqi forces are simply not ready to take control of the country, which has reeled from bloody sectarian conflict and crippling political instability since the US invasion in 2003. “The Iraqi security forces have built capacity to deal with internal threats for the last eight years,” Lieutenant General Robert Caslen, the chief of the Office of Security CooperationIraq (OSC-I), said in a recent interview with AFP. But they “have not yet built the capacity to deal with the external threats,” said Caslen.

Iraq’s military chief of staff, Babak Zebari, has also conceded that Iraq may not be able to fully defend its borders, saying it will be years before the military can “perform all its external defence duties”. Iran analyst and head of the Centre for Strategic Studies in Kuwait, Sami AlFaraj, argues that Iran’s military capabilities do not compare with the Gulf Arab nations, which he says will be able to fend off any potential Iranian aggression. “Iran’s weapons are old and worn out,” said Faraj, adding that Iraq and its Gulf neighbours would be able to withstand an Iranian attack.

Political analyst Sami Al-Nisf, meanwhile, said the timing of the American withdrawal from Iraq was unfortunate and will only complicate the region’s existing political and sectarian challenges. “The Americans should have stayed (in Iraq) as they did in Germany and Japan so the country does not become totally under Tehran’s control,” Nisf said, adding that “unfortunately, we are moving in that direction.” — AFP

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Saudi govt reshuffle may accelerate reform

By Angus McDowall change of personnel in two of Saudi Arabia’s top economic posts suggests the kingdom may be preparing to invigorate its on-again, off-again economic reform program. A surprise decree by King Abdullah on Tuesday shifted Muhammad Al-Jasser from the top position at the central bank to head the Economy and Planning Ministry, which oversees economic development.

He was replaced by Fahd Al-Mubarak, formerly head of investment bank Morgan Stanley Saudi Arabia. As with many moves in Saudi Arabia’s opaque government, there was no clear explanation for the change. Analysts do not see it as an effort to alter the conduct of monetary policy or the conservative way in which the central bank manages the country’s vast oil wealth; the bank has over $500 billion of net foreign assets, much of it in the form of US Treasuries and overseas bank deposits.

Instead, some analysts see the switch as a move to accelerate economic reforms in key areas such as capital markets, industrial policy and domestic energy prices. “The question is what role the Economy and Planning Ministry will play given that it does not have day-to-day functions.

They may want to take a lead role in terms of policy direction and reforms. Certainly, his appointment indicates a vote of confidence by the king,” said Khan Zahid, chief economist at Riyadh Capital.

Jasser is respected by Saudi bankers and economists and has previously spoken of the need to address longterm structural challenges facing the Saudi economy, but if he intends to tackle such thorny problems as the alarming rise in domestic oil consumption, he will need hefty politi-

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cal backing. In recent years the Economy and Planning Ministry has been relatively toothless, drawing up five-year plans that often bear little resemblance to the eventual performance of the economy, analysts say. Its role overlaps with other ministries, risking administrative tussles over policy changes. “One issue Jasser has talked about is the increasing domestic consumption of energy and the economic implications of that. He’s also talked a lot about sukuk (Islamic bond) markets and potential linkages between that and infrastructure,” said Jarmo Kotilaine, chief economist at National Commercial Bank in Jeddah.

“So he has a very broad economic vision and his new appointment will give him ample opportunity to develop and implement this vision.” The conservative Islamic kingdom embarked on a broad program of economic reforms more than a decade ago, using deregulation to open the country to private and foreign investors and strengthen the financial sector. The effort aimed to reduce the country’s dependence on volatile oil revenues and create jobs in private companies. But Saudi Arabia’s reforms have slowed in the past two years, and there has been little progress on two changes that have been expected for years: allowing foreigners to invest directly in the stock market, and passing a law to allow residential mortgages.

Another difficult issue is the low levels at which the government sets domestic energy prices. This encourages waste and reduces pressure on companies to upgrade their technology, while profligate domestic oil consumption threatens in the long term to reduce the country’s oil exports. “There is a definite recognition in Saudi of the need to accelerate reform, and this may be part of that shift,” said Simon Williams, Middle East econ-

omist at HSBC in Dubai.

Opening the stock market to foreign investment, which the government has been considering for several years, could help to strengthen the industrial sector by increasing market discipline. Saudi Arabia is also believed to want to reform its corporate bond market and encourage companies to issue more bonds, which would reduce their excessive reliance on bank loans - a reliance which can be awkward for the companies and risky for the banks.

A desire to speed up capital market reforms may be a reason for the appointment of Mubarak as the new governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. While Jasser is a career bureaucrat who has risen through the civil service, Mubarak draws on a long career in the private sector and is familiar with financial markets from his stint at Morgan Stanley Saudi Arabia. He has also served as chairman of the Saudi stock exchange. “One of the virtues of Fahd Mubarak is that he has direct market experience at a high level and with an international dimension, so he comes well qualified to the role of banking regulator,” said Kotilaine.

Kotilaine said that might give Mubarak a more marketoriented approach at a moment when Saudi Arabia’s banking system was emerging from its own financial crisis after several years of intensive risk management. Also, Saudi banks will in the next few years have to implement the new Basel III global banking standards, a tricky exercise that will require them to build liquidity buffers composed of a range of market instruments.

“Going forward, one of the key challenges is making sure the financial sector plays a critical role in driving economic development, so adding the market dimensions will be very valuable,” Kotilaine said. — Reuters

Rising prices clue to Iran sanctions impact

By Robin Pomeroy and Ramin Mostafavi ehran does not look like a city under siege. Its shops and markets are full of goods and customers; signs that international sanctions are ravaging Iran’s economy are hard to detect. With global oil prices above $100 a barrel, the world’s fifth biggest oil exporter is proving it can cope with trade and financial restrictions that the United States and Europe hope will force a halt to its controversial nuclear program, which is suspected of seeking to build an atomic bomb.

That helps to explain the Iranian government’s continued defiance as the West considers fresh sanctions that would take direct aim at the country’s oil income. “Sanctions do not turn off the money spigot, even while they may force re-routing of money flows through new third-party actors - foreign banks unaffiliated with the US, for instance,” said Kevan Harris, an Iran expert at Johns Hopkins University in the United States.

International sanctions imposed over the last five years have so far banned most USIran trade, caused many shipping companies to cut back services to the country, and made it difficult for Iranian banks to do business with Western banks. But in the vast majority of cases, that does not appear to have stopped Iranian factories from operating or everyday products from reaching shelves in shops. Imports can be obtained from new suppliers and ships run to different foreign ports, many of them in Asia, analysts say.

The sanctions are mainly being felt in the form of inflation, which is hitting some companies’ bottom lines as well as consumers’ wallets. In a well stocked greengrocer’s in central Tehran, the shopkeeper and an elderly customer exchange the obligatory courtesies known in Iran as “t’aarof”. “There’s no charge” for her purchases, the shopkeeper tells her with customary politeness. After she insists on paying and he reveals that the small bag of fruit costs more than $10, she drops the social niceties and exclaims: “How much? Are you sure?”

The official inflation rate stands at just under 20 percent - up from a 25-year low of 8.8 percent in Aug 2010. According to an International Monetary Fund report based on government data, Iran can expect consumer price inflation of 22.5 percent for the fiscal year ending in March 2012. Many Iranians

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believe the statistics grossly underestimate the true cost of living, which is eroding their spending power in a country where the average monthly household income in urban areas is just 10 million rials (around $750) and unemployment is estimated at 14.6 percent.

Most of the rise in inflation can be put down to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s decision to abolish billions of dollars of government subsidies that until one year ago had held down the prices of gasoline, food and utility bills. But sanctions - particularly those passed by the EU in July 2010 which

the free market exchange rate for foreign currency, making dollars or euros much more expensive than the official Iranian central bank rates indicate. Dollars bought in the open market cost almost 20 percent more than the official rate posted by the central bank, which is struggling to maintain the value of the Iranian rial in the face of speculative buying of hard currency inside Iran. Imported goods from Europe have become more expensive in Iran not because the products themselves are banned, but because of the added costs due to channeling payment for

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (center) is greeted by supporters upon his arrival for a visit to Yasuj, south of Tehran, yesterday.— AFP made it difficult to transfer cash in and out of Iran - have also pushed up prices, analysts say.

Because of the EU sanctions, Western banks no longer offer Iranian importers letters of credit, the common way of paying for products in international trade. That forces importers to pay for their goods with other means, including through banks that have branches in countries in the Middle East and Asia where the sanctions do not apply, or through money exchange bureaus.

Not only does that deprive importers of good terms of credit, it obliges them to pay

them through third parties.

A businessman who runs a paint factory near Tehran said sanctions had forced him to look elsewhere for a chemical additive that he once imported from Germany, but had now become too expensive to buy from German suppliers. “It isn’t a static situation, it’s changing day-by-day,” he said, adding that while all products would continue to find their way to the Iranian market, costs would continue to rise. Some businesses are obtaining favourable letters of credit from banks in South Korea and China as exporters there

seek to make up for waning demand in the economically weakened West. “At the end of the days it’s the people who are losing their buying power...They will feel it in six months, eventually they will pay the price, there’s no doubt,” the businessman said.

The ability of the Iranian economy to keep functioning in such adversity is at least partly responsible for the decision of the West in the last several months to consider additional sanctions, and for Iran’s defiance in the face of the threat. The European Union may stop buying the 18 percent of Iran’s oil shipments that it imports. And the US Congress is pushing for measures that would penalise foreign banks doing any business with Iran’s central bank -potentially a heavy blow against the body which takes payment for the 2.6 million barrels of oil that Iran exports per day.

The sensitivity of targeting the Central Bank of Iran was demonstrated two weeks ago after Britain, before any similar action by its EU partners, banned all its financial institutions from doing business with the country including the central bank. A mob stormed the British embassy compound in Tehran.

Iran’s mild-mannered foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, expressed “regret” at the violence but he said London only had itself to blame. “Britons angered the Iranian people with their stance,” he said.

London’s move was largely symbolic as few if any British banks have business with Iran or its central bank. The threat from Washington is far greater, as banks around the world would face being frozen out of the global financial system if they continued to trade with Tehran. So far, however, Iranian politicians and media say they doubt the EU will ban Iranian oil or that Washington will push ahead with isolating the central bank completely. “Greece, Italy and Spain are Iran’s top oil importers (in the EU), and they have the most fragile markets as well. Any disruption of oil flow will cause an energy crisis in those countries,” an Iranian Oil Ministry official said.

That analysis is to some degree shared by many Western diplomats and traders contacted by Reuters. Officials in the Obama administration have said they oppose hitting Iran’s global oil exports or its central bank, because of the potential impact on the world’s economy, although pressure for such a move has increased in Congress. — Reuters

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

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sp orts Wahlin upstages big names DUBAI: Sweden’s Lotta Wahlin upstaged all the big names in the field as she stormed to the top of the leaderboard yesterday at the 500,000-euro Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, the season-ending championship on the Ladies European Tour. At the Majlis course of Emirates Golf Club, the 28-year-old made full use of better scoring conditions in the morning and mixed seven birdies with a lone bogey to go one shot clear of Wales’ Becky Brewerton. American Michelle Wie, the highest ranked player in the field, finished later in the afternoon with a one-over par 73 round, while 16-year-old history-maker Alexis Thompson closed with three straight birdies for a two-under par 70.

Linda Wessberg of Sweden, Minea Blomqvist of Finland, Julieta Granada of Paraguay and Stacy Lee Bregman of South Africa were tied third on a 68. Wahlin, who survived a cancer scare two years ago, started at the 10th and picked up shots at the 12th and 13th, before dropping a stroke on the par-four 16th. —AFP

Australia’s swimming champ suffers setback SYDNEY: Australian triple Olympic champion Stephanie Rice faced a battle to reach London 2012 yesterday after undergoing shoulder tendon surgery just months before national trials. Rice, 23, revealed the operation on her official Twitter feed, describing it as an “arthroscopy on my right shoulder which had a small tear in the tendon”. “Everything else was a-ok and should be back in the water before Christmas,” she said. “Surgery went really well. Surprised with how much movement I’ve already got back in my shoulder,” added Rice, saying she was trying to keep positive.

The Beijing 2008 triple gold-medalist now has just three months to find top form, with Australia’s London Olympic swimming trials scheduled for March.

It is the same shoulder that required surgery last year, forcing her to withdraw from the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships and the Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Rice became the pin-up girl of Australian swimming after her Beijing blitz, which equalled the record Australian individual haul for a single Olympics held by athlete Betty Cuthbert and swimmers Shane Gould and Ian Thorpe. —AFP

Ritchie becomes RFU chief LONDON: The man responsible for running the Wimbledon tennis championships is to be the new chief executive of England’s Rugby Football Union (RFU), the underfire governing body announced yesterday. Ian Ritchie, the chief executive of the All England and Lawn Tennis Club, moves across London with Twickenham in a state of flux following a year of off-field wrangling compounded by a wretched performance at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand. The RFU have been without a permanent chief executive since John Steele was forced out in June after a botched attempt to create a new performance director role many thought would go to 2003 World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward. Then RFU chairman Martyn Thomas was forced to stand down in the ensuing furor and last month he quit as acting RFU chief executive on Tuesday.

He was replaced in the acting role by Stephen Brown, who now reverts to his previous post of RFU chief financial officer.

Donald named PGA Player of the Year First British player to win award

DUBAI: Michelle Wie of the US competes during the first round of the Dubai Ladies Masters at the Emirates Golf Club yesterday in Dubai. — AFP

Young Americans will hit back, says Poulter MELBOURNE: While European golfers are currently hogging the limelight and dominating the world rankings, Briton Ian Poulter expects a crop of talented young Americans to be challenging for top honors before long. Luke Donald (Britain), Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Lee Westwood (Britain) and Martin Kaymer (Germany) hold golf’s top four spots with the United States’ highestranked player Steve Stricker in sixth.

Europe’s rise has coincided with the struggles of former world number one Tiger Woods, now 22nd, while fellow American Phil Mickelson has also slipped to 14th. “There is some great talent coming out of the States,” Poulter told reporters at Melbourne’s Victoria Golf Club on Wednesday. I’m not going to say they are in a slump in any way, shape or form, they have some fantastic players.

“But I think certainly in the next 18 months, two years, we will see a push from those young guys in the States.”

Poulter nominated Rickie Fowler as a player to watch, saying the 23-year-old had yet to hit his stride on his home circuit despite confirming his promise in October with a thumping six-stroke victory in the Korea Open for his maiden professional title. “Obviously it won’t take him long to start winning plenty of tournaments. He won in Asia, but he hasn’t

won over there,” said Poulter. “I’m sure it won’t be long before he makes a hard push up the world rankings.” Poulter will battle Donald and a strong local field at the Australian Masters starting on Thursday, keen to make his own charge up the rankings having slipped from a high of fifth last year to his current 28th.

Poulter famously stalled Donald’s rise to the top ranking by beating him in the World Match Play Championship final in Spain in May and has again set his sights on beating the Englishman this week.

“Right now obviously I have slipped down the world rankings a little bit, but I can move up very quickly. A win this week would ... probably push me to about 17 in the world-not that I have been looking,” the 35-year-old quipped. “(Donald) is certainly going to be the man to beat this week, but he brings a lot of world ranking points to this golf tournament. If I can come out on top this week, it would move me up nicely. A couple of wins is all it takes.” Poulter, renowned for his striking on-course fashion, said he would be glad to add the tournament winner’s “gold jacket” to his closet but would have to think hard about what to pair with it. “I’m not sure if it is going to clash with the tartans,” he added. “I might have to just wear them on Friday and Saturday.”— Reuters

Allenby to take a break after mentally tough year MELBOURNE: Under-fire Australian golfer Robert Allenby is to take a break from the game in the wake of a controversy-charged return to his home country, citing mental fatigue and the need to spend more time with his children.

Allenby, who has had a frosty relationship with Australian media for years, endured a poor Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne last month as one of Greg Norman’s two captain’s picks, becoming only the second player in the tournament’s nine editions to lose all four of his matches. The 40-year-old later defended his performance at the biennial tournament, telling reporters his playing partners YE Yang of South Korea, South African Retief Goosen and compatriot Geoff Ogilvy were also to blame for his woes at Royal Melbourne.

The comments sparked withering criticism in Australian media and were seen as the catalyst for an off-course row between Allenby and Ogilvy, with local media reported the two had exchanged heated words at a luxury hotel following the Australian PGA tournament on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Allenby, competing against world number one Luke Donald and the cream of Australian golf at this week’s Australian Masters, said he and Ogilvy had mended fences but added he intended to take a break after a mentally-trying year.

“We had a good chat last night at the

function, which was nice,” Allenby told reporters on Wednesday of a meeting with Ogilvy. “We laughed and we had a giggle about everything. Look, Geoff and I have been friends for a very, very long time and we are not going to allow something this silly just to spoil that.

“Looking into the future, I’m looking forward to taking a break after this week. I have no plans to play as of next year yet.

It might not be until February, March. I’m not sure. I just feel that I need a break from the game. “I have had a lot of things happen over the course of the year and I just feel mentally I’m just not quite there for the golf.”

Allenby, once rated Australia’s next Greg Norman after showing huge promise early in his career, won the last of his four US tour titles in 2001 and comes off a mediocre season on the circuit with only three top-10 finishes from 25 starts.

Despite being at the vanguard of Australian golf for more than a decade, Allenby has had an uneasy relationship with the local tour and once threatened never to return after being upset by a heckling spectator when playing the 2008 Australian Open. Allenby, who split with his wife of 11 years last year, said he might only play one or two events early in the US tour next year to allow himself more time with his children. “I have been away a bit, so time to be a father,” he said.— Reuters

ATLANTA: Luke Donald was named the 2011 PGA Tour Player of the Year on Tuesday, becoming the first Briton to win the award since it started in 1990.

The award, decided by votes from PGA Tour players, was announced just two days after the current world number one became the first player to top the European Tour money lists and the Order of Merit on the US circuit. American Keegan Bradley, who won this year ’s PGA Championship in Atlanta, was named the PGA Tour ’s Rookie of the Year.

“My congratulations to Luke and Keegan for their award-winning accomplishments in 2011,” PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said in a statement.

“Both players had significant and impressive per formances throughout the course of the year, and the member vote reflects the respect their peers have for them.” Donald, 34, won the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and the seasonending Disney Classic on the PGA Tour this year and had 14 top ten finishes from 19 tournaments.

Despite remaining without a major championship win, it was his remarkable consistency in 2011 that secured him the Jack Nicklaus Trophy. “It is a great honor, obviously, to cap off what has been an amazing year for me,” Donald said on a teleconference. “It ’s obviously been a tremendously consistent year for me. It’s not easy to be a member of both tours and do what I’ve

done. To be the first is very special and I think it’s probably my greatest achievement this year.”

After sweeping all the big awards in 2011, the Englishman said his focus for 2012 was to win an elusive major.

“I suppose there is a little bit more pressure, a bit more expectation in majors and I need to

learn to better handle that,” he said. “Obviously this year has been a breakout year for me in terms of my confidence levels and hopefully those confidence levels will be carried over to next yea rand will serve me well in the majors.” Bradley, who also won at the Byron Nelson Championship, became the first player since

Todd Hamilton in 2004 to win twice in his rookie year, capped by his playoff victory over Jason Dufner in the last major of the year. “You get one chance to win this award and it was the main goal of mine at the start of the year, it is a huge honor and privilege to be Rookie of the Year,” said Bradley.— Reuters

DUBAI: England’s Luke Donald holds the Race To Dubai trophy after he wins the European Championship tour of 2011 in final round of Dubai World Championship golf tournament on Sunday, Dec 11, 2011. — AP

Riesch-Hoefl patches up Vonn relationship BERLIN: Reigning overall World Cup champion Maria Riesch-Hoefl said yesterday she has patched up her friendship with the sport’s golden girl Lindsey Vonn. After Riesch-Hoefl beat the American to the overall title last season by just three points, their friendship turned sour, with Vonn not attending the German’s wedding in the offseason.

But the pair reconciled their differences in the summer, much to the German’s relief.

“Our relationship is now, thank god, very relaxed,” said Riesch. “Early in the summer we made a small attempt at reconciliation, which failed. We both felt bad about the situation and spoke again in Lake Louise.

“Since then, we are both very relieved.

Lindsey is in a very good mood, is in incredible shape and is off to a good start. In the

downhill, she is virtually unbeatable.” Vonn has won all four races since announcing she is to divorce her husband and coach, Thomas Vonn, after four years of marriage.

But while Vonn has won downhill and Super G races at both Lake Louise and Beaver Creek, Riesch has finished on the podium in just one of her seven races so far this season. “First and foremost, the 100percent confidence is missing,” the 27-yearold told German Sky Sports News. “It is mainly a mental thing. I try to take the positives from each race, there are currently little things (bothering me). I am not looking at the overall World Cup, right now I really have other problems. “The season is still young and I’m not going to stand around with my head in the sand. I want to find my form and start again properly.”— AFP

Four jockeys found guilty LONDON: Four jockeys have been found guilty of breaching of the rules of racing following a corruption investigation and handed bans ranging from six months to 12 years, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) said yesterday. Paul Doe and Greg Fairley were found guilty of the most serious breach of deliberately ensuring horses did not run on their merits and received 12-year bans. Kirsty Milczarek and Jimmy Quinn were found to have committed corrupt or fraudulent practices with the former also guilty of passing on information for reward.

Milczarek has been banned for two years and Quinn for six months. The quartet have seven days in which to appeal. Former rider Paul Fitzsimons, now a licensed trainer, was cleared of all charges. “We take no pleasure in uncovering such serious breaches of the Rules of Racing,” BHA director Paul Scotney said in a statement. “In the BHA’s history, the scale and complexity of this case is unprecedented.” The four jockeys were among 11 people, including two owners, to have been found guilty of charges relating to 10 races between Jan 17, 2009 and Aug 15, 2009.

“While it is the names of the jockeys that the racing public will recognize, people should be under no illusion that it is the less-

er known names who were the instigators of these serious breaches of the rules,” Scotney said. “What lies at the heart of this investigation are the actions of two individuals, Maurice Sines and James Crickmore, who, together with their associates, were prepared to corrupt jockeys and to cheat at betting by the misuse of ‘inside information’. “The investigation uncovered a network through which Sines and Crickmore engaged in betting activity, in particular with two riders, Paul Doe and Greg Fairley, that impacted on seven of the 10 races in question.”

Sines and Crickmore were disqualified for 14 years. Scotney hoped the penalties imposed would act as a strong deterrent to others for the future. “The case underlines that there is no room for complacency on the part of BHA and others involved with the regulation of sport,” he said.

“The threat from those seeking to gain an advantage at betting through the misuse of inside information is ever present and this case illustrates that ongoing threat. At its worst this leads to the manipulation of the outcome of races. “The livelihoods of those who work in the racing industry are at stake if they allow themselves to be corrupted by individuals.”— Reuters

Stars line up for Thai championship debut BANGKOK: A star-studded field is preparing for battle at the inaugural Thailand Golf Championship, amid a whiff of controversy over the $1 million prize money up for grabs in the flood-hit kingdom. Organizers hope that the tournament, which tees off today at Amata Spring Country Club near Bangkok, will boost the kingdom’s image after the disaster had a severe impact on the crucial tourism industry. Despite the withdrawal of US Open champion Rory McIlroy because of illness, the tournament has attracted a host of big names including British Open winner Darren Clarke and Masters champion Charl Schwartzel from South Africa. Other stars expected to help attract record crowds at the season-ending event are world number three Lee Westwood of England, Sergio Garcia from Spain, American big hitter John Daly and home favorite Thongchai Jaidee. Clarke, who has suffered a poor run since winning the Open in July, said he was looking for a victory in Thailand to round off the year on a high note. “I’m trying to win again. If I do it would be great,” said the Northern Irishman.

However he knows he faces stiff opposition from not just European opponents but the Asian competitors too. “The players (in Asia) are getting better and better,” he said. “They travel more and play around the world.” The tournament is not without controversy, however, with the government accused of spending large sums on appearance money for the big stars that critics say could have been put to better use helping flood victims. Veteran Thai player Thaworn Wiratchant was quoted in the Bangkok Post as saying: “While it might be a good idea to show the rest of the world that Thailand is back to normal, I think the money could have been used to helping the thousands of people affected by the flood.”

There have even been calls for the event to be cancelled. But Asian Tour executive chairman Kyi Hla Han said calling off the event was not an option and argued it would raise money for those affected by the floods, which left hundreds dead and caused severe damage to homes and businesses. “There is a lot of charity effort for the flood victims already in place for the tournament,” he said.

“Thailand is trying to get back to normal and by having this event we are doing our part.” Thongchai, Thailand’s top golfer, agreed. “Having these stars here we can help a lot of the charities raise money,” he said recently. The players have already put their words into action. At a charity event on Tuesday night they raised 2.5 million baht. Proceeds from ticket sales will also go to flood relief.— AFP

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

S P ORT S

Humiliation for South Africa on and off the field JOHANNESBURG: The late withdrawal of leading 2010 World Cup official Danny Jordaan from a contest to head football in the sub-continent completed a disastrous year for South Africa on and off the field. Jordaan, warmly praised after a successful 2010 World Cup in his homeland, said he quit the Council for Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) presidential race last weekend because members were not ready for change.

“I decided people were not ready for a new direction and a new vision.

Change always triggers resistance and with a small majority it would have been difficult to implement,” explained the former African National Congress MP. But Namibia representative Barry Rukoro painted a different picture of the aborted contest with Seychellois incumbent Suketu Patel: “Danny saved

himself embarrassment. He would have lost 13-1 if it went to a vote.

“Danny made lots of promises to help COSAFA secure sponsorships for development projects but never fulfilled them. We cannot trust him. He made too many promises to too many people which he has not kept.” It was the second rejection for Jordaan this year as his bid to win a place on the FIFA executive committee ended in humiliation last February with just five of 53 Confederation of African Football (CAF) member states backing him. On the field it was equally dismal with the national senior team celebrating qualification for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations because they did not understand the head-to-head rule which relegated them to second place behind Niger.

Football followers in a country that

has not celebrated Pan-African success since winning the 1996 Cup of Nations as hosts hoped the national under-23 team could atone for the failure of Bafana Bafana (The Boys). However, draws with Ivory Coast and Gabon were followed by defeat against Egypt and they left the CAF under-23 championship in Morocco-doubling as a contest for 2012 London Olympics placesas the only side not to win a game.

National morale took another blow last week when the national youth team were eliminated after the first round of the COSAFA championship in Botswana having been crushed 5-1 by Zambia.

“Crisis? What crisis?,” was the now infamous response of South African Football Association (SAFA) president Kirsten Nematandani when quizzed by reporters about the endless debacles.

“We fully understand the disillusion-

ment of football lovers. That is why we are re-evaluating the way we perform our functions in order to find a way forward,” he said in a SAFA statement appealing for public input. But a furious public want Nematandani and other leading officials to resign judged by reactions on radio talk shows, and respected columnists also insist new faces are necessary to salvage South African football.

Multi-award winner Matshelane Mamabolo of the Johannesburg Star wrote: “No true football fan in their right mind will support a bunch of arrogant individuals who repeatedly refuse to accept their failings. “These officials came to power saying they would transform football, but the only transformation was to move us from a football nation in intensive care to one in the mortuary.” Popular Sunday Times

columnist Bareng-Batho Kortjaas was no less scathing of national team stars who feigning injury and wasted time believing a Cup of Nations draw with Sierra Leone would suffice when they actually needed to win.

“Our sorry excuses for football stars are lucky they live in South Africa, where there is no military junta to frog march them to an army camp for a stint in solitary confinement. “They have no inclination to strive for greatness-unless greatness is the copious amounts of alcohol no self respecting sports star who understands his body is his temple should ever consume.” A glimmer of hope for South Africa is that they are guaranteed a place at the 2013 Cup of Nations as hosts, but a 2014 World Cup qualifying group including improving Botswana and the Central African Republic is fraught with danger.—AFP

Beleaguered Australia face fresh batting woes

BHOPAL: Activists and survivors of the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster demonstrate during the 27th anniversary of the tragedy in Bhopal. India’s Olympic chief has asked the London Games organizers to drop Dow Chemicals as one of the sponsors of the mega event over the firm’s links to the Bhopal gas disaster, a report said yesterday. —AFP

Olympic: India to ask London to drop Dow NEW DELHI: The Indian Olympic Association will formally ask organizers of the London Games to drop Dow Chemical as a sponsor over its links to the Bhopal disaster, acting chief Vijay Kumar Malhotra said yesterday. “We will express our displeasure to London Games organizers and ask them to drop Dow as one of their sponsors,” Malhotra said, adding that the company’s role was “unacceptable”. In 2001, Dow Chemical bought fellow chemical company Union Carbide, whose pesticide plant leaked gas into the central Indian city of Bhopal in 1984, killing tens of thousands in the world’s worst industrial accident.

Malhotra said the Indian Olympic Association would formulate its demand over Dow at a two-day meeting of the body in New Delhi which is set to begin today. He stressed that India would not boycott the event. Indian activists have been battling for more compensation money with protests being led by Shivraj Chauhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh state where Bhopal is located.

Malhotra said he had received a petition on Wednesday signed by 11,000 campaigners for Bhopal victims, led by former hockey Olympian Aslam Sher Khan. Union Carbide settled with the Indian government in 1989 by paying $470 million for the Bhopal victims.

Dow, which is sponsoring a fabric shroud to be installed on the main Olympic Stadium, says all liabilities for the disaster were resolved with this payment.

Malhotra, an influential member of the main opposition Bhartiya Janata Party,

has sent letters to Sports Minister Ajay Maken and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking their advice on the contentious issue. “Olympics are about love, brotherhood and transparency and this company (Dow) is linked with (Union Carbide) which was responsible for killing thousands of Indian people,” he said. “It’s unacceptable that such a company is a sponsor in the Olympics.”

Maken last week described the row as a “sensitive issue” and said he has asked India’s Olympic body “to take a strong decision on the issue”. London Olympic chief Sebastian Coe has defended the Dow Chemical sponsorship deal but Labor politician Ken Livingstone, who was mayor of London when the city won the right to host the Games, has urged a rethink. Malhotra holds temporary charge of the IOA as his predecessor Suresh Kalmadi is in jail over corruption charges stemming from last year’s shambolic Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

The row over Dow has sparked a country-wide debate, pitting national sentiment with the Olympic dreams of athletes. “The sentiments of the people should be put forth,” IOA secretary general Randhir Singh said on Tuesday. “We cannot ignore them.

We have informed the IOC (International Olympic Committee) of the protests in India.” Khan, a member of India’s 1975 hockey World Cup winning team, said nothing short of a boycott would convey the country’s hurt. “Many countries in the past have boycotted Olympics. It’s time for India and its sportspersons to take a stand,” he said.—AFP

DOHA: Jordan’s Jad Mazahreh competes in the men’s vault gymnastics final at the Aspire Zone complex during the 2011 Arab Games in the Qatari capital Doha yesterday. —AFP

SYDNEY: Australia’s beleaguered batting line-up faces fresh problems ahead of their Test series against India with Shaun Marsh struggling for fitness and doubts cast over Shane Watson’s opening role. The top order came in for fierce criticism following Monday’s humiliating loss to New Zealand in Hobart after the home side were seemingly on course for victory when 159 for two chasing 241 runs to win. Australia begin their four-Test series against second-ranked India in Melbourne on December 26 with question marks over the careers of veterans Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey and the team’s young batsmen mostly in poor touch.

Neither Marsh nor Watson played in the two-Test series with New Zealand, ranked eighth, which ended 1-1. Marsh has been ruled out of the second tour match against India in Canberra starting Monday after fail-

ing to recover from a back injury and is unlikely to play in the Melbourne Test. “While we are hopeful, Shaun’s chances of recovering sufficiently in order to be considered for the first Test against India are considered unlikely at this stage,” said Cricket Australia team performance manager Pat Howard said.

New coach Mickey Arthur urged selectors to make a decision on where injury-prone opener Watson would be in the batting order given the bowling duties heaped on him by captain Michael Clarke. “It has been speculated about a huge amount,” the South African said. “We have to come to a point where we make a decision where Shane is going to bat in the batting order and how many overs we expect of him so there is no more debate about the issue. “We need to give him a clear role definition before the Boxing Day Test.”

Watson, 30, told local media that he is only now close to being fit enough to bat after suffering a hamstring injury, but remained hopeful of playing in the first Test.

“At the moment things are progressing well,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“Hopefully if everything continues to go well I’ll definitely be fully fit to play on Boxing Day.” Watson said he preferred to remain an opener but it was up to the selectors, who include Clarke, and admitted he would realistically not be able to bowl his seamers until the second Test. Arthur indicated Watson could be moved down the order to compensate for his bowling workload. “We have to balance out how many overs we can possibly get out of him-that is going to determine the balance of the team,” Arthur said. “There are a lot of unanswered questions in terms of selection.”—AFP

South Africa seeking for ruthless edge at home CENTURION: South Africa are looking to rediscover their ruthless streak in the home test series against Sri Lanka, captain Graeme Smith said yesterday. Although South Africa have stayed in the top three of the world test rankings for the last few years, they have not won a home series since beating Bangladesh in 2008, drawing with England, India and Australia. “I hope we get a lot of confidence out of the way we play.

We’ve played some really good cricket at home, but we just haven’t been able to land that killer blow. We’ve dominated, but we haven’t done enough to get over the line,” Smith told a news conference before the first test starting on Thursday.

“I’m hoping we can string three

good sessions together instead of just two out of three ... that’s probably why we haven’t been able to beat the good teams. Hopefully, we can string a whole day together against Sri Lanka.” Sri Lanka arrived in Centurion to a pitch with a lush covering of grass, conditions exactly the opposite to what they are used to at home. “The pitch looks pretty green. I think the groundsman’s having a bit of a panic, he’ll be wanting heaters and I reckon there’ll be a tent up over the pitch this afternoon,” Smith said. “He only started preparing the pitch on Monday and he desperately needs some sunshine. I’m sure he hoped for more sunshine than he got.”

Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne

Dilshan said his side were going to have to perform on whatever surface they were given. “The pitch looks good for fast bowlers, all fast bowlers will enjoy it,” he said. “We have no control over the groundsman, we just have to play on that wicket. It’s definitely the greenest pitch I’ve seen in South Africa, even more than in 2002-03.” Sri Lanka’s pace bowling reserves were decimated before the tour by injuries to Nuwan Kulasekara, Dhammika Prasad, Shaminda Eranga and Suranga Lakmal. The tourists are also still waiting for a replacement for Nuwan Pradeep who strained his hamstring in a warm-up game last weekend.

Sri Lanka have taken encourage-

ment from their performance in that match, against a SA Invitation XI in Benoni. The visitors dismissed the home side for 357 and made 207 for three in reply in a rain-shortened game. “Our last test against Pakistan went very well, we came back strongly after losing the previous game. And the bowling unit did a great job on a really flat pitch and the top-order batsmen got runs in the warm-up,” Dilshan said. Sri Lanka are hoping for a change of luck South Africa, where they have lost six and drawn one of their seven tests. The Centurion test is the first Sri Lanka have played in South Africa since 2002-03. The second match of the series is in Durban and the third in Cape Town. —Reuters

AECK, TEC face off on Dec 16 KUWAIT: In the semi-final matches of Prof Ramachandran Cricket (RMC) organized by CETAA, Kuwait chapter and sponsored by GTE - Olayan Company, defending champions AECK and runners-up TEC won their encounters with TKM and KEA respectively with ease and made way to repeat the title clash for the second consecutive year.

In the 1st semi final, defending title holders AECK won the toss and chose to bat first. Though both their openers returned to the pavilion with 20 runs on board. No 3 batsman Mahesh (80 not out), well supported by Shabeer (24), Nithin (21 not out) and Sajeeb (16), batted aggressively to pile up 183 for 6 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.

Unbroken 7th wicket stand between Mahesh and Nithin yielded 65 runs in 5 overs. ‘Man of the Match’ Mahesh’s innings comprising of 7 hits over the rope and 5 fours, took away the early advantage apparently TKM had gained with two early strikes.

For TKM, Nissam (3) and captain Anfar (2) were the strike bowlers. Chasing an imposing target, TKM overcame the loss of opener Ziad in the very first ball and added 39 runs in 5 overs. But later, TKM lost wickets at regular intervals due to disciplined bowling by AECK and were bowled out for 129 runs in the 20th over resulting in 54 runs victory for AECK. For the winners, Nithin took 3 wickets and Remon, Smithosh and Vinod took 2 wickets each. The second semifinal between last year’s runnerups TEC and KEA was fought closer than what the scores indicate. KEA captain Biju called the spin of the coin correctly and decided to bat first. But they lost early wickets and at one stage were 25 for 4 wickets in the seventh over.

However cautious batting by captain Biju(25) and some stroke play by lower order batsmen Sreejith ( 26), Daniel (23), Ajith(16) and Ramu (14) helped them to reach defendable score of 144 for 8. For TEC, Gireesh took 3 wickets and Ramesh took 2. In reply, TEC’s openers captain Suresh and Gireesh started cautiously without taking any risk and made a solid partnership of 86 in the 13th over. After the fall of Suresh (33), Dinto ( 43 no) joined Gireesh (51) and saw TEC thru (146 for2) in the 17th over.

Gireesh was adjudged as ‘Man of the Match’ for his match winning allround performance. The final between AECK and TEC will be held at 7 am on December 16th followed

by Award Ceremony at 10.30 am.

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S P ORT S

No 14 Wisconsin hold off UW-Milwaukee 60-54 MILWAUKEE: Jared Berggren scored 17 points to help No 14 Wisconsin fend off a second-half surge from in-state rival Wisconsin-Milwaukee for a 60-54 victory on Tuesday night. Jordan Taylor had 14 points for Wisconsin (9-2), including a critical 3-pointer with just over 40 seconds left to help put the game away. Ryan Evans scored a career-high 16 points for the Badgers, who have won three straight to recover from consecutive losses earlier in the season. Tony Meier scored 15 points, playing a key role in a second-half comeback for Wisconsin-Milwaukee (8-3).

Leading 31-20 at halftime, the Badgers pushed their lead to 44-27 on a three-point play

by Evans with 15:17 left. But the Panthers went on a 16-1 run that included two 3-pointers, an inside score and a three-point play by Meier, cutting Wisconsin’s lead to 45-43 with 9:27 left. The Panthers later tied the game at 48 on a layup by Meier with 5:19 left. Berggren hit a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired, but Milwaukee’s Ryan Allen answered with a dunk. Taylor then scored inside and later made two free throws, giving the Badgers a 55-50 lead with 3:27 left. Milwaukee’s Kaylon Williams scored, cutting the lead to three with 1:08 left.

Taylor then hit a 3-pointer with just over 40 seconds left to put the game away. With the win,

Bo Ryan once again came out on top against Milwaukee coach Rob Jeter, his former assistant.

Milwaukee was without two starters because of injuries, forward Kyle Kelm and guard Ja’Rob McCallum.

Wisconsin had won two straight games coming in, recovering from losses at North Carolina and at home to Marquette by beating UNLV and Wisconsin-Green Bay at home. The Badgers have been struggling to hit shots from outside of late, but shook off their recent slump to shoot 38.5 percent from 3-point range in Saturday’s home victory over UNLV. But even when they aren’t hitting their shots,

the Badgers still play defense. Milwaukee got off to a miserable start against Wisconsin, which came into Tuesday’s game as the nation’s best defensive team allowing 44.9 points per game.

The Panthers started 3 for 18 from the field and 0 for 6 from 3-point range, and fell behind 22-8 on an inside shot by freshman Frank Kaminsky.

Milwaukee went on a 12-4 run from there, cutting the lead to 26-20 on a jumper by Evan Richard. But Berggren hit a 3-pointer, Evans scored inside and the Badgers went into halftime with a 31-20 lead. Evans’ previous career-high was 15 points in Wisconsin’s Nov 25 victory over Bradley. — AP

Predators cool off Flames 2-1 Red Wings drop injury-depleted Penguins 4-1

James Harrison

Steelers’ Harrison suspended 1 game PITTSBURGH: Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison has carved out a niche as one of the NFL’s most feared defenders over the last five years by straddling the line between clean and dirty play. After one dangerous hit too many, the league apparently has seen enough. The NFL suspended Harrison for one game following his helmet-tofacemask hit on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy last Thursday, making Harrison the first player to miss game time as a penalty under the league’s revamped policy on such collisions.

Harrison’s agent Bill Parise said Tuesday afternoon Harrison has already filed an appeal and expects it to be heard later this week by Art Shell or Ted Cottrell, jointly appointed by the NFL and the players’ association to hear such cases. They’ll have to determine Harrison’s intent when he laid out McCoy late in the fourth quarter of Pittsburgh’s 14-3 victory. The 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year was penalized for roughing the passer on the play and said Monday he believed the hit didn’t warrant further punishment.

NFL Executive Vice President Ray Anderson disagreed, pointing out the violation marked the fifth illegal hit on a quarterback by Harrison in the last three seasons. The four-time Pro Bowler has also been fined on two other occasions for unnecessary roughness over the

same period. Though Harrison hasn’t been fined for such a hit in over a year, he was considered a repeat offender under the 2011 League Policies for Players manual, leading to the suspension.

Harrison, who has been highly critical of the league’s crackdown on vicious hits, thanked his fans for their support on his Twitter account after the suspension was levied, adding, “I’m just going to move on from here and get ready for my next game.” Barring a successful appeal, that won’t be until the Steelers (10-3) face St. Louis on Christmas Eve. Harrison has maintained the hit didn’t warrant any punishment other than the 15-yard penalty, saying Monday it was obvious to him that McCoy “chucked and ducked.”

The Browns were driving in Pittsburgh territory with less than 6 minutes to play when McCoy took a snap and dropped back to pass before tucking the ball to escape the pass rush. Harrison, who had been in coverage, approached quickly.

McCoy pulled up just before Harrison arrived and flipped the ball to running back Montario Hardesty. Harrison lowered his helmet and smacked McCoy in the facemask just after the pass was released, sending the second-year quarterback to the ground.

McCoy laid on the ground for several moments before slowly getting up and walking to the sideline. — AP

Browns, NFL discuss McCoy’s concussion CLEVELAND: An investigation by the NFL and Players Association into the Browns’ handling of Colt McCoy’s concussion could lead to changes in the league’s medical procedures and protocol on head injuries. McCoy sustained a concussion when he was hit last week by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, who was suspended for one game for the helmetto-helmet hit, his fifth illegal one on a quarterback in the past three seasons.

McCoy was off the field for less than four minutes after the hit. Medical representatives from the league and NFLPA met Tuesday with the Browns’ medical staff and discussed the team’s response and treatment of McCoy’s injury, which may have exposed some previously unaddressed issues tied to concussion policies.

League spokesman Greg Aiello said any findings from the meeting will be reviewed by commissioner Roger Goodell and members of the league’s committee on head, neck and spine injuries will be consulted. Aiello said in an email response that any changes in policy or procedure would be made by Goodell and in conjunction with the league’s medical committee and the player ’s union. NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith acknowledged the union is taking part in the review. “We made visits pursuant to new procedures in the CBA that are designed to protect our players,” he said in a statement. “We will examine what we learned and take whatever steps that are necessary” to ensure player safety. The Browns said McCoy, whose head snapped back after he was struck on the facemask, did not show symptoms of a concussion until

after the game. Coach Pat Shurmur claims the team followed medical protocol before the second-year quarterback was allowed to return just minutes after absorbing the vicious hit. On Monday, Shurmur refused to answer direct questions whether the team administered standardized concussion tests for McCoy while he was on the sideline. Shurmur said head trainer Joe Sheehan told him McCoy was ready to go back in the game.

“I feel like we followed the normal medical procedures necessar y,” Shurmur said. “We followed the procedures to determine whether he was eligible to play.” McCoy was sent home before practice on Monday to rest as he recovers from his concussion, the ninth suffered by a Cleveland player this season. Shurmur hopes McCoy will be able to play at Arizona this Sunday.

Backup Seneca Wallace will make his first start of the season if McCoy is ruled out. Wallace came in for two plays after McCoy was briefly knocked out of the game by Harrison.

The Browns have come under intense scrutiny for the way they dealt with McCoy’s injury. The quarterback’s father, Brad McCoy, criticized the team for allowing his son to return to the game. The elder McCoy went as far as to question whether the Browns’ medical staff was capable of identifying a concussion. “He never should’ve gone back in the game,” McCoy, a former high school coach told The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer. “He was basically out (cold) after the hit. You could tell by the rigidity of his body as he was laying there. There were a lot of easy symptoms that should’ve told them he had a concussion.” — AP

NASHVILLE: Colin Wilson scored a power-play goal at 3:31 of the third period to give the Nashville Predators a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night.

Nashville has won three straight while the Flames’ three-game winning streak ended. Matt Halischuk also scored for Nashville while Curtis Glencross had Calgary’s goal.

Miikka Kiprusoff made 43 saves for Calgary while Nashville’s Pekka Rinne had 35 saves. With Calgary’s Brendan Morrison in the penalty box serving an interference minor, Nashville rookie Craig Smith’s shot from the low slot was kicked away

by Kiprusoff’s left pad.

Wilson skated in and converted the rebound on the short side for his eighth goal of the season.

Nashville has scored at least one power-play goal in each of its past six games. The Predators’ victory ended a stretch of six straight home losses to Calgary. Prior to Tuesday, Nashville’s previous home win over the Flames was Jan 15, 2008. Halischuk scored the game’s first goal at 11:43 of the opening period. Brian McGrattan had the puck on the right boards and sent the puck toward the Calgary goal.

Halischuk, who was just to the right of Kiprusoff, corralled the puck and beat him on the short side for his sixth goal of the season.

Nashville carried most of the play in the first, outshooting the Flames 18-6. Two of Nashville’s shots were at a virtually open net, but Kiprusoff was able to get his right pad on attempts by David Legwand and later Martin Erat to keep the Flames within one.

Glencross got the Flames even at 6:12 of the second. From his blue line, Glencross carried the puck into the Nashville zone, eventually lifting a backhand over the glove of Rinne. Rinne denied Jay Bouwmeester’s shot from the right point with 22.2 seconds remaining in the third to preserve the win for Nashville.

RED WINGS 4 PENGUINS 1 Pavel Datsyuk had a goal and an assist and Jimmy Howard stopped 25 shots to lead the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-1 victory over the injury-depleted Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. Johan Franzen added his team-leading 14th goal for Detroit and Danny Cleary provided some insurance with a pair of late goals as the Red Wings won their third straight. It was Detroit’s first victory in Pittsburgh in three seasons. The teams have turned into heated rivals, splitting a pair of thrilling Stanley Cup finals in 2008 and 2009. Evgeni Malkin scored his 11th goal of the season for Pittsburgh.

BRUINS 3, KINGS 0 At Boston, Brad Marchand scored twice and Tuukka Rask earned his first shutout of the season, leading Boston over Los Angeles in the Kings’ first game under interim coach John Stevens.

Rask, the backup for Vezina and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim Thomas, made 41 saves to extend his shutout streak to 95 minutes, 10 seconds. Rich Peverley also scored for the defending Stanley Cup champions, who won for the 16th time in 19 games. Jonathan Quick stopped 19 shots for the Kings, who lost their fifth consecutive game. Los Angeles fired Terry Murray on Monday and replaced him with his assistant.

FLYERS 5, CAPITALS 1 At Washington, Scott Hartnell extended his goal-scoring streak to six games and Marc-Andre Bourdon got his first NHL goal as Philadelphia beat Washington for its sixth straight victory.

Philadelphia, which owns the best record in the Eastern Conference, built a 4-0 lead in the second period and coasted to the finish. Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 31 shots, the lone flaw in his performance a tapin by Jeff Halpern with 6:01 left.

The Flyers were without the NHL’s leading scorer, Claude Giroux, who is out indefinitely with a concussion. The right wing accumulated 16 goals and 23 assists in Philadelphia’s first 28 games.

STARS 1, RANGERS 0 At New York, Trevor Daley broke up a scoreless game with 4:59 left and Richard Bachman made 34 saves to win his second straight start as Dallas beat the New York Rangers. Daley finished off a giveand-go with Mike Ribeiro in the

remaining in the second after colliding with Karlsson. Craig Anderson stopped 27 shots.

MAPLE LEAFS 2, HURRICANES 1, OT At Toronto, Tim Connolly scored his second goal of the game at 44 seconds of overtime to lift Toronto over Carolina. The Maple Leafs center went to the crease and had an empty net to shoot at when Joffrey Lupul’s shot dribbled past Cam Ward, who made 36 saves. Alex Ponikarovsky scored for the Hurricanes.

BLUE JACKETS 2, CANUCKS 1, SO At Columbus, Ohio, James Wisniewski had the last of Columbus’ three shootout goals

Martin Brodeur stopped both Florida attempts. Elias and Zach Parise had the New Jersey goals in regulation. Kris Versteeg scored twice for Florida and Jose Theodore stopped 32 shots.

CANADIENS 5, ISLANDERS 3 At Montreal, Petteri Nokelainen scored with 6:15 remaining as Montreal recovered to beat New York after giving up a two-goal lead in the third period.

Nokelainen drove a slap shot past Al Montoya from the right point for the tiebreaking goal moments after the Canadiens squandered a 3-1 advantage. Hal Gill added an empty-netter in the final minute for his first goal of the season.

Andrei Kostitsyn and Mathieu Darche scored in the first period.

MONTREAL: John Tavares #91 of the New York Islanders celebrates his third period game tying goal during the NHL game against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on December 13, 2011 in Montreal. The Canadiens defeated the Islanders 5-3. — AFP closing minutes. That was enough to give Bachman the win in his second career start. He also beat Los Angeles 2-1 on Sunday at the start of Dallas’ five-game trip that spans both coasts. Henrik Lundqvist was the hard-luck loser despite making 27 saves and shaking off a second period injury. The Rangers lost for the third time in 10 games (7-2-1).

SENATORS 3, SABRES 2, OT At Buffalo, New York, Jared Cowen scored 45 seconds into overtime to give Ottawa a victory over Buffalo. Cowen pinched into the slot and redirected a pass from Erik Karlsson in the right corner.

Milan Michalek and Peter Regin also scored for the Senators, who trailed 2-1 in the first period.

Michalek, who leads the NHL with 19 goals, left with 51/2 minutes

and Steve Mason made several big stops in his first game after a 27day benching to lead the Blue Jackets over Vancouver. Mason shut out the Canucks for two periods and finished with 30 saves. He stopped one of the two shooters he faced in the shootout while Mark Letestu, Rick Nash and Wisniewski all found the net against Roberto Luongo. Jeff Carter had the Blue Jackets’ powerplay goal in the first period off assists from Wisniewski and Letestu. Maxim Lapierre scored for the Canucks, who had won four in a row, nine of 10 and their last five on the road.

DEVILS 3, PANTHERS 2, SO At Sunrise, Florida, Ilya Kovalchuk and Patrik Elias scored in the shootout for New Jersey and

Erik Cole scored the third. Matt Moulson scored in the first period for the Islanders and they tied it in the third on goals by Josh Bailey and John Tavares.

JETS 2, WILD 1 At Winnipeg, Manitoba, Bryan Little scored a power-play goal with 5 minutes remaining in regulation to lift Winnipeg over Minnesota. Zach Bogosian also scored and Ondrej Pavelec stopped 34 shots to help the Jets win for the eighth time in their last nine at home. Guillaume Latendresse scored for Minnesota and Niklas Backstrom had 25 saves as the league-best Wild snapped their seven-game winning streak.

Minnesota also ended a sevengame road winning streak, tops in the NHL this season. — Agencies

NHL results/standings Boston 3, Los Angeles 0; Ottawa 3, Buffalo 2 (OT); Toronto 2, Carolina 1 (OT); Dallas 1, NY Rangers 0; Detroit 4, Pittsburgh 1; Philadelphia 5, Washington 1; Columbus 2, Vancouver 1 (SO); Montreal 5, NY Islanders 3; New Jersey 3, Florida 2 (SO); Nashville 2, Calgary 1; Winnipeg 2, Minnesota 1. (OT denotes overtime win, SO is shootout victory) Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF GA Philadelphia 19 7 3 106 82 NY Rangers 17 7 4 83 61 Pittsburgh 17 10 4 95 79 New Jersey 16 13 1 79 86 NY Islanders 9 13 6 65 93 Northeast Division Boston 19 9 1 97 59 Toronto 16 11 3 93 95 Buffalo 15 12 3 81 82 Montreal 13 11 7 79 80 Ottawa 14 13 4 94 107 Southeast Division Florida 16 9 6 84 80 Winnipeg 14 12 4 84 93 Washington 15 13 1 89 94 Tampa Bay 12 16 2 79 101 Carolina 9 18 5 80 110

PTS 41 38 38 33 24

Chicago Detroit St. Louis Nashville Columbus

39 35 33 33 32

Minnesota Vancouver Edmonton Calgary Colorado

38 32 31 26 23

Dallas San Jose Phoenix Los Angeles Anaheim

Western Conference Central Division 18 8 4 99 92 19 9 1 93 63 17 9 3 71 62 15 11 4 79 80 9 17 4 73 100 Northwest Division 20 8 3 80 66 18 10 2 98 73 14 13 3 83 80 14 14 2 74 82 14 16 1 82 94 Pacific Division 17 11 1 74 78 15 10 3 78 68 15 11 3 77 76 13 13 4 65 70 8 16 5 67 95

40 39 37 34 22 43 38 31 30 29 35 33 33 30 21

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Kuwait ease past Oman in football Basketball team move to 2nd stage DOHA: Yousif Naser scored a brace as Kuwait triumphed late over Oman in their first football test of the Arab Games yesterday, while Khaled AlMutairi added a bronze medal in the 8-ball pool singles. The striker left it late in the second half to score two goals, in the 80th and 91st minutes respectively, in the space of 11 minutes at Doha’s Ahmed bin Helli Stadium. The Omanis had come into the game on the back of a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia in Group B, which includes the three nations. Kuwait will face their fierce Saudi rivals in their last match of the group on Saturday, looking to build on their initial victory and for an immediate progression to the knockout stages. Meanwhile, Khaled Al-Mutairi added his country’s 13th bronze medal in the 8-ball singles. The 35-year-old tactician was up against 18 competitors from nine of the Arab nations participating in the tournament. Kuwait’s held its seventh position on the medal standings, having accumulated another three gold and five silver medals in the regional competition.

In another development, Kuwaiti basketball team qualified yesterday to second stage of the Arab Games 2011 after a 94-86 win over Palestinian team in the final match of the first stage. The win took Kuwait’s tally to five points placing it second after Qatar, with six points. On Sunday, Kuwaiti basketball team lost in standoff against Qatar 63-70. The Kuwaiti team had won the first game against the Saudis, 68-59. The Qataris had also beat the Palestinians 78-61. — Agencies

DOHA: Anas Al-Adarbi (left) of Jordan and Saifeddine Trabelsi of Tunisia challenge each other during their men’s 74kg Taekwondo competition at the 2011 Arab Games yesterday. — AFP

DOHA: Egypt’s Salma El-Said performs on the balance beam during the women’s gymnastics competition at the Aspire Zone complex during the 2011 Arab Games. — AFP

Toulon climb to third PARIS: Jonny Wilkinson helped Toulon climb to third in the French Top 14 with the former England international contributing four penalties in his club’s 34-12 win over Agen on Tuesday. Twenty four hours after he announced he was quitting the international scene Wilkinson starred for Toulon with a 12 point haul despite missing three conversions. The 2003 World Cup winner bagged his penalties for Bernard Laporte’s side in the 10th, 21st, 23rd and 55th minutes and the fly-half received a standing ovation when he was replaced with 18 minutes left. After the game Laporte, talking about Wilkinson’s decision to concentrate on club rugby, remarked: “It was his

decision, there was no pressure (from Toulon), but it’s all the better for the club.

“He’s 32, he took the wisest decision. If he had decided to continue he had more to lsoe than to gain. I wasn’t surprised by his choice.” Laporte added: “It’s not insignificant to end an international career like his. I’m sure he is emotional and must still be thinking about it.”

Toulon’s tries came courtesy of Gabriele Lovobalavu in the third minute, Jone Tawake (38), Leo Senatore (46) and Konstantine Mikautadze two minutes from time. Toulon moved on to 35 points, five behind second-placed Clermont with table toppers Toulouse on 43. Agen are fifth with 32 points.—AFP

DOHA: Yemen’s Nashwan Al-Harazi competes in the men’s vault gymnastics final at the Aspire Zone complex during the 2011 Arab Games in the Qatari capital Doha yesterday. — AFP

DOHA: Silver medal winner Emirati Aisha Al-Bloshi competes in the women’s 58kg weightlifting competition. — AFP

Colombia coach fired Alvarez sacked after only 3 WCup qualifiers BOGOTA: Colombia coach Leonel Alvarez was sacked on Tuesday after being in charge for only three South American 2014 World Cup qualifiers including a home defeat by Argentina. “Unfortunately, we are ending the work contract with Professor Leonel Alvarez and we are starting a selection process for a new coach,” Colombian Football Federation (FCF) president Luis Bedoya told reporters. The 46-year-old Alvarez, a midfielder in Colombia’s fine team of the 1990s, had only been in the job since September when he replaced Hernan Dario Gomez, who resigned after a hitting a woman in a Bogota nightclub scandal.

Alvarez began with a 2-1 win over Bolivia in October at high altitude in La Paz, never an easy venue for the visitors, but in two home matches in Barranquilla in November Colombia were held 1-1 by Venezuela and lost 2-1 to Argentina, both times after taking the lead. Bedoya declined to reveal names of possible candidates nor whether the FCF might consider employing a foreign coach, which media and many fans have been clamoring for.

“We have made no decision. What we want is to look for a coach who will give us guarantees and hopefully the experience required for the qualifiers,” he said.

FCF sources said there was no chance of Gomez being reinstated as some members of the federation’s executive committee had proposed. Gomez was the last coach to take Colombia to the World Cup finals in France in 1998. Formerly he had been assistant to Francisco Maturana, whose brilliant team anchored in midfield

by Alvarez played at the 1990 and 1994 tournaments. They achieved a memorable 5-0 win over Argentina in Buenos Aires in 1993 during the qualifying campaign which earned them the tag of World Cup favorites that they failed to live up to in the 1994 US finals.

Colombia recalled Gomez, who had steered Ecuador to their first World Cup finals in Asia in 2002, last year charging him and his assistant Alvarez with ending the country’s long wait for another finals.

Alvarez, whose only previous head coaching job had been less than two years at Independiente Medellin before joining Gomez with the Colombia team, has paid for his inexperience and caution. His team took the lead against a lack lustre Argentina last month but they failed to press home their advantage and Lionel Messi’s side hit back with two second-half goals.— Reuters

Coach Leonel Alvarez

All Blacks’ Guildford suspended WELLINGTON: All Blacks winger Zac Guildford will miss the opening match of the 2012 Super 15 season after being suspended by the New Zealand Rugby Union for drunken misbehavior during a Cook Islands holiday last month. Guildford punched two men after arriving drunk, naked and bleeding at Trader Jacks’ bar in the Cook Islands capital of Nuku’alofa while visiting the Pacific nation for the wedding of a friend. The incident marked the fourth time in 18 months that the 22year-old Canterbury Crusaders winger had been involved in misbehavior related to alcohol. He appeared at a news conference during the Rugby World Cup in October to apologize for his conduct following a Tri-Nations test against Australia.

A New Zealand Rugby Union misconduct hearing, details of which were released on Wednesday,

found that Guildford’s behavior in the Cooks Islands was unprofessional and had brought the game into disrepute. As part of his punishment, he is required to undergo alcohol treatment and counseling at his own expense.

Guildford was suspended for the first four weeks of the Crusaders’ Super 12 season. Though the ban encompasses three preseason matches - against the Otago Highlanders, Wellington Hurricanes and Melbourne Rebels - he will miss only one competitive match, against the Auckland Blues on Feb 24. He will be eligible to play in the Crusaders’ second match of the 2012 season, against the Highlanders on March 3.

The New Zealand union’s general manager of professional rugby, Neil Sorensen, said receiving professional treatment and counseling was an essential part of

Guildford’s rehabilitation.

“Taking players out of rugby is not something we do lightly,” Sorensen said. “But we have taken into account the fact that with regard to alcohol-related behavior, Zac does not have an exemplary record. “On this occasion he embarrassed himself, his family, his teammates and New Zealand Rugby. We believe Zac brought the game into disrepute and the sanctions reflect the gravity of the situation and the need for a real pathway to recovery.” Guildford said his behavior had been unacceptable and he was working to resolve his issues with alcohol. “I am embarrassed by what has happened, but I know that I let down the many people who support me,” he said. “I am focused on getting myself into the place I need to be when I return to rugby next year.”— AP

Indonesia fines 8 breakaway clubs

TOULON: Toulon’s centre Mathew Giteau (center) is tackled by an unidentified Agen’s player during the French Top 14 rugby union match on December 13, 2011 at the Mayol Stadium. — AFP

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s football association has fined eight clubs for joining a rebel league, an official said yesterday, in a row that has seen the country’s top club expelled from international competition.

Indonesian football was plunged into chaos last month by the breakaway of 18 clubs from the official top-tier Liga Prima, accredited by the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), to revive the rival Liga Super. International football body FIFA has already intervened in Indonesia once this year, forcing the PSSI to elect a new leadership following chronic infighting.

The PSSI’s diciplinary committee chief Catur Agus Saptono said Persib Bandung, who have played in the new competition, were fined one billion rupiah ($110,000) while seven other defectors were given

500 million rupiah penalties. “Persib Bandung played in our competition and received revenue-sharing benefits, but they now play for the other league.

They are showing bad sportsmanship,” Saptono said.The other seven teams fined were Mitra Kukar, Persisam Samarinda, Persela Lamongan, Persiba Balikpapan, PSPS Pekanbaru, Deltras Sidoarjo and Pelita Jaya Karawang.

The eight clubs will be relegated to the second division if they come back to the Liga Prima, Saptono said. Last season’s Liga Prima winners Persipura Jayapura were expelled from the Asian Champions League, the continent’s top club tournament, last week for taking part in the breakaway, but were not among those fined by the PSSI. The PSSI also sanctioned two top officials of the rebel league, banning

them from any involvement in soccer-related activities for three years and fining them 150 million rupiah each. “We had to sanction them because the encouraged teams to join the Liga Super. They claimed to be president-director and commissioner of an official league,” said Saptono. National under23 football team coach Rahmad Darmawan tendered his resignation Tuesday amid the turmoil, complaining that “the players are those who bear the brunt” of the quarrel. Liga Super players have effectively been barred from the national team, with the PSSI citing FIFA’s rules as saying players from unofficial leagues cannot represent their country in international events. Indonesia co-hosted the 2007 Asian Cup, but its national team’s record is poor.—AFP

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Monterrey defeat Esperance, seal fifth TOYOTA: Mexicans Monterrey sealed fifth place at the Club World Cup yesterday after seeing off the African champions Esperance of Tunisia 3-2.

The CONCACAF winners fell behind in an open and entertaining fixture in the Japanese city of Toyota, but struck back with three goals in a nine-minute spell. Monterrey coach Victor Vucetich had suggested after his side lost their opener on penalties that this was a game his men could have done without.

But he was more upbeat after this narrow win, saying the experience had been a “fruitful” one. “It was a good experience for all of us,” said Vucetich, refusing to be drawn on the merits of having to play a game to decide who finished fifth and sixth at the intercontinental championship. “That’s the structure,” he said.

“If more teams can participate that

would be very good, but of course that’s for FIFA and not me to comment on.”

Esperance, whose small but vocal contingent of fans was surrounded by police after trouble marred their defeat to Al Sadd, took the lead in the 31st minute through their Cameroon forward Yannick Ndjeng.

But the advantage lasted just eight minutes, the Mexicans drawing level through Hiram Mier before Aldo De Nigris put them ahead a minute before half-time. Monterrey, who were not at full-strength, went 3-1 up on 47 minutes with a Jesus Zavala strike, before Khaled Mouelhi pulled a goal back 14 minutes from the end from the spot for the Tunisians, who finish the tournament sixth.

Amateurs Auckland City went home with the wooden spoon after losing their opening game. — AFP

TOYOTA: Esperance forward Khaled Mouelhi (center) scores a penalty goal during their FIFA Club World fifth place play-off match against Monterrey at Toyota Stadium in Toyota yesterday. Monterrey beat Esperance 3-2. — AFP

Neymar lights up Club World Cup

TOYOTA: Brazil’s Santos striker Borges celebrates his goal against Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol during their semi-final match of the Club World Cup at the Toyota Stadium in Toyota, Aichi prefecture yesterday. — AFP

Santos advance to Club WCup final TOYOTA: South American champion Santos advanced to the Club World Cup final by beating Japanese club Kashiwa Reysol 3-1 yesterday, setting up a possible showdown between Barcelona star Lionel Messi and Brazil teenager Neymar.

The 19-year-old Neymar, who is touted to be the next big star in football, scored one of the Brazilian club’s goals. Borges and Danilo scored the others for Santos, the former club of Pele. Barcelona will take on Qatari club Al-Sadd in the other semifinal match today in Yokohama.

The Club World Cup final is set for Sunday in Yokohama. Neymar, who injured his right leg late in the first half after a collision with a teammate and temporarily left the field, scored the opening goal in the 19th minute. He took a pass from Ganso and moved to his right while guarded by two Kashiwa defenders, then switched the ball to his left foot and scored from 20 meters. Borges made it 20 in the 24th from the edge of the 18-

yard box. He took the ball with his back to the net, dribbled to his right and then shot into the back right corner of the net over a diving Takanori Sugeno, the Kashiwa goalkeeper.

Kashiwa pulled a goal back in the 54th when defender Hiroki Sakai rose to meet a corner from Jorge Wagner and headed it past Santos goalkeeper Rafael Cabral. But Danilo made it 3-1 when he bent a 25meter (yard) free kick around the Kashiwa wall in the 63rd. Earlier, Mexican club Monterrey secured fifth place by rallying for a 3-2 win over Esperance Sportive of Tunisia. Esperance Sportive took the lead when Yannick Ndjeng scored with a solo effort in the 31st minute, but Monterrey recovered with three quick goals. Hiram Mier equalized in the 39th, Aldo De Nigris made it 2-1 in the 44th and Jesus Zavala added the third two minutes after the break. Khaled Mouelhi converted a penalty to pull one back for the Tunisian side in the 75th. — AP

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

FIFA Club World Barcelona v AlSadd Aljazeera Sport 2 Aljazeera Sport +1 Aljazeera Sport 2 HD

Atletico de Madrid v Stade R Al Jazeera Sport +2

23:05

Udinese v Celtic Al Jazeera Sport +3 Al Jazeera Sport +4

23:05

Birmingham v NK Maribor Al Jazeera Sport +5

23:05

Club Brugge v Braga Sporting Al Jazeera Sport +8

23:05

Austria Wien v Malmo Al Jazeera Sport +1

23:05

AZ Alkmaar v Metalist Kharkiv Al Jazeera Sport +6

23:05

13:30

UEFA Europa League PSV v Rapid Bucuresti Al Jazeera Sport +6

21:00

Kobenhavn v Standard de Liege Al Jazeera Sport +1

21:00

Shamrock Rovers v Tottenham Al Jazeera Sport +3 Al Jazeera Sport +5

21:00

PAOK v FC Rubin Kazan Al Jazeera Sport +4

21:00

TOYOTA: Neymar showed why he is the most coveted player outside Europe as he lit up the Club World Cup with a sumptuous strike yesterday to send Santos on their way to a likely final against Barcelona. All the talk before the semi-final clash against the host side Kashiwa Reysol had been about the 19-year-old forward, and he did not disappoint, scoring a sensational first goal as the Brazilians ran out 3-1 winners. He will probably meet Barcelona and Lionel Messi in Sunday’s final, though the European champions first need to dispose of the Qataris Al Sadd in the other semi-final today.

Neymar, the young Brazilian international who has been linked with almost every top club in Europe and compared to the Argentine Messi, was almost on the scoresheet after only five minutes, but his low shot bounced off a post. On 19 minutes he did score, and it was some strike. He picked the ball up with his back to goal, dummied inside and from outside the box unleashed an unstoppable left-footed curling shot that nestled in the top corner of the net. Goalkeeper Takanori Sugeno had no chance. Five minutes later the South American champions went two goals ahead when striker Borges, who has been in prolific form in the past year, got away from his marker and crashed the ball into the other corner of Sugeno’s goal.

Japanese champions Kashiwa, who have their very own talented Brazilians in coach Nelsinho and J-League player of the year Leandro Domingues, were stunned. But to their credit they belatedly found some rhythm at the Toyota Stadium and they had the better of the rest of the first-half, without really creating a clear chance on goal for their yellowshirted fans in the crowd of 29,173. Santos

Wolfsburg target Arsenal’s Rosicky and Bayern’s Olic BERLIN: VfL Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath said he is targeting both Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky and Bayern Munich striker Ivica Olic as he looks to strengthen his squad in the January transfer window.

Wolfsburg are 14th in the German league, just four points from the bottom, and Magath is desperate to boost his squad.

Rosicky, 31, who played for German champions Borussia Dortmund before joining the Gunners, has made just three Premier League starts this season while Olic, 32, is frustrated at his lack of opportunities at Bayern. “Tomas Rosicky is definitely a quality player, there should be no doubt about that,” Magath told German daily Bild. “And he is on top of his fitness. A few years ago, he was chased by all of the big clubs in Europe.”

Croatia star Olic is out of contract at the end of the season, but has already said he is desperate to leave Bayern to stay fit for June’s Euro 2012 tournament to be hosted

by Ukraine and Poland. “Ivica Olic could fit right into our setup. And as far as I am concerned he is looking to move clubs,” said Magath. “He might play his final tournament in the coming summer at Euro 2012.

“This is why he needs to play regularly now. But we have to wait and see what Bayern Munich wants to do.” One player set to leave Wolfsburg before January is attacking midfielder Aleksandr Hleb, who is on loan from Barcelona.

The 30-year-old has a loan agreement until the end of the month, but will not be offered a contract extension having struggled with injuries having made just four Bundesliga appearances. “That’s very, very unfortunate”, Magath told German magazine Kicker. “I would gladly have taken the option to extend Alex Hleb’s stay, but his injury problems don’t allow us to do that.

“If he was 100 percent fit, I am sure he could have helped us with his footballing quality.” Hleb, who enjoyed two spells at VfB Stuttgart from 2000-05 and 2009-10 says he is disappointed. “This setback hits me hard, of course, because I’ve had a lot of success in Germany,” said the Belarus star. — AFP

TOYOTA: Santos striker Neymar celebrates his goal against Kashiwa Reysol during their semifinal football match of the Club World Cup at the Toyota Stadium in Toyota, Aichi prefecture yesterday. — AFP

might have taken a 3-0 lead minutes after the re-start, but Sugeno saved with his legs from Danilo.

On 54 minutes Kashiwa hit back, as Jorge Wagner, the other Brazilian in the Japanese side’s ranks, lofted over a corner for defender Hiroki Sakai-who has been linked with a move to Santos-to climb highest and nod in. But Kashiwa’s hopes of a comeback lasted all of nine minutes, as Danilo curled a direct freekick round the wall, the ball dropping in the

corner of Sugeno’s net, leaving him stranded.

Yet still the Japanese league champions would not lie down. Masakatsu Sawa hit a post, while Santos sub Ibson rattled Kashiwa’s bar. Earlier in the day, the Mexicans Monterrey sealed fifth place after seeing off the African champions Esperance of Tunisia 3-2. The CONCACAF winners fell behind in an open and enter taining fixture in the Japanese city of Toyota, but struck back with three goals in a nine-minute spell. — AFP

Buzzing Barcelona eye a perfect year YOKOHAMA: Barcelona are still buzzing from their clasico victory over Real Madrid as they bid to complete a perfect year by winning the Club World Cup, midfielder Andres Iniesta said yesterday. Beating Real Madrid 3-1 at the Bernabeu last weekend to go top of La Liga, the perfect preparation for winning the intercontinental trophy for the second time in three years. “We’re still buzzing from the win at Real,” Iniesta said before today’s semi-final against Asian champions Al Sadd of Qatar. “It has given us a real confidence boost and the spirit in the team is fantastic. We won La Liga and the Champions League and we’re 100 percent committed to completing the set.

“We respect our opponents but we want to take the trophy home to complete a perfect year and gives ourselves a wonder ful Christmas present.”

The Catalan giants captured the Club World Cup in 2009 in Abu Dhabi by beating Argentina’s Estudiantes in the final but lost to Brazil’s Internacional in 2006 in Japan. “We have some bad memories from five years ago,” said Iniesta. “It was a bitter pill to swallow but we’ve been able to turn those negative feelings into positives. “Losing to Internacional made us a stronger team and we’ll show that this time. “Our motivation is sky high after beating Real but the Spanish league isn’t won in December. We’re fully focused on winning the Club World Cup now.”

Brazil’s Santos await in Sunday’s final after the South American champions beat J-League champions Kashiwa Reysol 3-1 in the first semi-final in Toyota.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola insisted his side had no unfinished business in Japan despite getting ambushed in the 2006 final. “ We are not here for revenge,” he said.

“Revenge is never a good motivation. For the past year and a half, Barca have passed every test and come through every challenge thrown at us. “We have had to come through a very tough Champions League competition to get here so we want to leave everything out there on the pitch and win the trophy. “It won’t be easy. Anything can happen over 90 minutes of football and Al Sadd could end up

YOKOHAMA: FC Barcelona’s Pinto (right) and Lionel Messi work out during the team’s training in Yokohama yesterday. Barcelona will play the semi-final match against Al Sadd in Club World Cup soccer tournament, today. — AP

in the final instead of us if we’re not right on our game.”

Guardiola admitted, however, that his biggest problem was getting his players to adjust to the time difference after their 13hour flight. “Some of them are waking up at 2 or 3 in the morning still,” said Guardiola. “But you just have to deal with jet lag. We will be fine by tomorrow’s semi-final.” A trio of players, led by midfielder Xavi, blew the cobwebs away with a two-hour trip to Japan’s ancient capital Kyoto- not to look at temples, but simply to ride the Bullet Train. “It’s a rare opportunity to play on this stage so we want to savor it,” Iniesta added. “We will need to put in a proper shift for 90 minutes and be at our maximum level to win.” — Reuters

Neymar lights up Club World Cup

Donald named PGA Player of the Year

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Arab Games: Kuwait ease past Oman in football

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ROME: Lazio’s Cisse reaches for the ball during the Group D Europa League soccer match between Lazio and Sporting Lisbon at Rome’s Olympic stadium yesterday. (Inset) Zurich’s Ricardo Rodriguez (right) fights for the ball with Vaslui’s Yero Bello during the Europa League Group D soccer match between Switzerland’s FC Zurich and Romania’s FC Vaslui at the Letzigrund stadium yesterday. —AP

PSG crash out of Europa despite win Dynamo Kiev knocked out; Salzburg through BERNE: Paris St Germain went out of the Europa League despite a 4-2 win over Athletic Bilbao yesterday, losing their place to fellow big spenders Salzburg who fought back to win 3-2 at Slovan Bratislava. Dynamo Kiev were also knocked out after a squandering a two-goal lead and finishing with nine men in a 3-3 draw at home to Maccabi Tel Aviv. Lazio and Besiktas joined the teams already qualified for the last 32 of the competition, which will also feature Manchester United after their Champions League elimination last week.

Salzburg and PSG finished level with 10 points from six games in Group F, the Austrian side progressing thanks to their better head-to-head record. Bilbao, led by eccentric former Argentina and Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa, had already qualified. PSG, backed by Qatari investors, spent over 80 mil-

lion euros ($107.76 million) on new players before the start of the season and their elimination is a setback for coach Antoine Kombouare after he appeared to have got

back on track in Ligue 1.

Jon Aurtenetxe gave Athletic a third minute lead but Javier Pastore, the most expensive of PSG’s signings, equalised and

Europa League standings PARIS: Europa League standings after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Group D Dynamo Kiev 6 1 4 1 7 7 7 Sporting Lisbon 6 4 0 2 8 4 12 Maccabi Tel Aviv 6 0 2 4 8 17 2 Lazio 6 2 3 1 7 5 9 Vaslui 6 1 3 2 5 8 6 Group F FC Z¸rich 6 1 2 3 5 8 5 Athletic Bilbao 6 4 1 1 11 8 13 Salzburg 6 3 1 2 11 8 10 Group E Paris SG 6 3 1 2 8 7 10 Besiktas 6 4 0 2 13 7 12 Stoke City 6 3 2 1 10 7 11 Slovan Bratislava 6 0 1 5 4 11 1

Patriots present Tebow with the toughest test WASHINGTON: Tim Tebow, the most-talked about quarterback in the National Football League, goes up against one of the most successful of the past decade when the Denver Broncos host Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Sunday’s marquee game. The game is one of many this week with playoff implications as the NFL enters the final three weeks of regular season play, but no matchup is more keenly anticipated than the clash of two AFC divisional leaders.

The AFC East’s Patriots need a win to clinch their place in the post-season while the AFC West’s Broncos are desperate for a victory to keep their momentum towards the playoffs going after winning seven of eight games since Tebow was named starter. Tebow, the unorthodox, college-style quarterback whose very public displays of religiosity have polarized opinion and whose technique led many critics to write him off as a pro, has simply been the story of the 2011 NFL season so far.

The 24-year-old signal caller is well aware his counterpart in Sunday’s game represents, in many ways, the gold standard in the NFL. After all, Brady has won three Super Bowls, was named the most valuable player in two of the championship games and has earned six Pro Bowl selections. “He’s a master of so many things at the quarterback position,” said Tebow. “He’s been one of the best in the league for a long time.” Denver have adapted their offense to embrace Tebow’s ability to run with the ball while compensating for his limited throwing ability, and their defense has ensured the quarterback has been in a position to launch a series of late-game comebacks. Denver have won their previous six games, three of them in overtime, including last week’s win

over the Chicago Bears that marked the second time Tebow led the Broncos to victory after trailing by 10 or more points in the final three minutes. The phrase ‘Tebow Time’ has been coined to capture the fact that five times this year his Broncos have won games in which they trailed in the fourth quarter. But the latest test for Tebow will be Bill Belichick’s experienced and astute New England team, tipped by many to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Belichick knows to expect much more than just the Tebow factor from coach John Fox’s Broncos team.

“They do a lot of things well. They run the ball well, they have a little bit of an option game, they throw it well, play-action, thrown the ball down the field to some big receiver who can go up and get it. It’s no one man band - we’ll get tested across the board,” he told reporters. The Patriots head coach, a three-time Super Bowl winner, also does not buy into the popular notion that Tebow’s throwing ‘mechanics’ are not suited to the NFL. “His passing is good,” said Belichick. “It was good in college, he was a very productive passer in college and he’s thrown the ball well in this league. He’s got some very good throws, as good as anybody that you want to put in there.”

Two other AFC playoff spots could be determined with the Baltimore Ravens needing a win at San Diego to be sure and the Pittsburgh Steelers knowing a win on Monday against the already playoff bound San Francisco 49ers would be enough. The unbeaten Green Bay Packers already have a bye in the first round of the playoffs and can secure home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with a win at the Kansas City Chiefs or a 49ers loss. —Reuters

Mathieu Bodmer put them 2-1 ahead by halftime. Although David Lopez made it 2-2, an Inigo Perez own goal and a Guillaume Hoarau penalty in the last five minutes gave PSG the win which turned out to be in vain after Jakob Jantscher scored twice in Salzburg’s win.

Salzburg, who have invested heavily since their takeover and subsequent re-branding by energy drinks manufacturer Red Bull in 2005, were 2-0 behind after six minutes after Milos Lacny scored twice for the Slovakian champions.

However, the Austrians were level by the 25th minute thanks to a Jantscher penalty and a strike from Leonardo. Jantscher then sidefooted the crucial goal in the 68th minute. Kiev had needed a large win combined with a Besiktas defeat to qualify from Group E and the evening began promisingly

as Seran Yeini’s own goal and an Oleh Gusev effort put them two ahead after 17 minutes.

However, they had Leandro Almeida sent off just after halftime and saw Omer Vered score from the resulting free kick before Yevhen Khacheridi was dismissed in an off-the-ball incident.

Elran Atar and Munas Dabbur made it 3-2 for the visitors but Gusev earned Dynamo a draw. Besiktas came from behind to beat already-qualified Stoke City 3-1. Libor Kozak and Giuseppe Sculli scored in each half to give Lazio a 2-0 win over Group D winners Sporting Lisbon and a second-placed finish with nine points. Vaslui, who needed to equal Lazio’s result to qualify on their head-to-head record against the Italians, blew their chances by losing 2-0 at previously winless FC Zurich.— Reuters

London Olympics 2012 meeting ticket targets LONDON: London Olympic organisers have raised 527 million pounds ($812.24 million) from ticket sales so far and are on course to meet their targets, LOCOG chief executive Paul Deighton said yesterday. Deighton told parliament’s Public Accounts Committee that around 130 million pounds had yet to be raised from the remaining sales. “That’s 130 of a total 200 I’ve yet to collect on our revenue side,” he said. “I know we were supposed to raise two billion pounds but nobody expected us to have to do it in the worst global recession any of us have seen.”

The Games have a budget of 9.3 billion pounds ($14.6 billion) with 2.0 billion pounds to be raised by organizers from ticket sales, sponsorship deals and the private sector. Organizers said in September that they had already hit their domestic sponsorship target of 700 million pounds.

The committee heard that the government has spent about 750,000 pounds on tickets to entertain visiting dignitaries and business leaders, prompting critical comments from chair and opposition parliamentarian Margaret Hodge although the amount is less than the official entitlement.

“It’s pretty tough to take,” she said. “A lot of my constituents can’t afford to go. “You, for dignitaries, have spent three-quarters of

a million, 72,000 nearly on 142 tickets for the closing ceremony. It sticks in the gullet.” Tickets for the Olympic soccer tournaments and Paralympic Games remain on sale until Feb 6. Those left after that date will be made available again in the Spring.

There will also be a first chance, from Jan 6 to Feb 3, for British-based fans to resell legally any unwanted tickets online through their ticketing account on

www.tickets.london2012.com.

It is a criminal offence in Britain to resell London 2012 Olympic or Paralympic tickets on the open market without LOCOG’s permission. “We asked people to buy tickets more than a year out from the Games and...we promised that we would create this system for people whose circumstances may have changed,” said Deighton in a separate statement. —Reuters

DOHA: Tunisia’s Feten Aouadi performs on the balance beam during the women’s gymnastics competition at the 2011 Arab Games in the Qatari capital Doha yesterday. — AFP

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HEIDELBERG: Euro banknotes are seen in a bank in Heidelberg, Germany yesterday. (Inset) German Chancellor Angela Merkel gestures during her speech at the German federal parliament, the Bundestag. — Agencies

Germans rebuff calls for ECB action Euro plunges, stocks slide on downgrade fears BERLIN/FRANKFURT: Germany’s chancellor and central banker urged Europe to stick to stricter budget discipline and forget about one-shot solutions after financial markets judged that another EU summit had failed to resolve the euro-zone’s debt crisis.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and Bundesbank chief Jens Weidmann, speaking separately, rebuffed pressure for the European Central Bank to intervene decisively to stop the crisis escalating.

Meanwhile, the euro slid below $1.30 yesterday for the first time since the early days of 2011 and Italian borrowing rates rose ominously, as the optimism from a dramatic European summit last week fades with the realization that the continent’s underlying debt problems remain unsolved.

US stocks were slipping yesterday as worries over Europe hang over financial markets. Energy

companies fell hard as oil dropped 3 percent. Italy’s borrowing rates ratcheted higher and the euro slid below $1.30 for the first time since January, two signs that the debt crisis continues to pressure Europe’s governments.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 61 points, or 0.5 percent to 11,893 as of 10 am Eastern time.

Caterpillar Inc fell 3.4 percent, the most of the 30 stocks in the Dow. The Dow closed down both Monday and Tuesday. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 8, or 0.7 percent, to 1,217. The Nasdaq fell 24, or 0.9 percent to 2,554.

In Europe, Germany’s DAX dropped 1.3 percent; France’s main stock index fell 1.9 percent.

Merkel told parliament yesterday it would take years, not weeks, to overcome the debt problems but Europe would emerge stronger “if we have the necessary patience and endurance, if we do not let

reversals get us down, if we consistently move towards a fiscal and stability union”.

“The German government has always made it clear that the European debt crisis is not to be solved with a single blow. There is no such single blow,” she said.Weidmann, an influential voice in the ECB, made clear his opposition to ramping up purchases of troubled euro-zone states’ debt, saying he was “no fan” of the existing limited bond-buying program and even its supporters were growing skeptical.

He also said the Bundesbank would only provide fresh funds for the International Monetary Fund to help fight the euro-zone crisis if countries beyond Europe did so too. The euro fell below $1.30 for the first time since January, stocks slid and Italy had to pay a euro era record yield to sell bonds as nervous investors awaited a possible credit rating

downgrade for one or more euro zone countries.

Rome had to pay 6.47 percent to sell 3 billion euros of 5-year bonds, highlighting fierce market pressure ahead of a year in which Italy has a gross funding goal of 440 billion euros, starting in late January.

Safe-haven German Bund futures rose by more than one full point due to renewed doubts about the effectiveness of last week’s agreement on deeper fiscal union. Ireland’s European Affairs Minister, Lucinda Creighton, said last week’s summit agreement by 26 European Union states, with Britain dissenting, to negotiate a new fiscal pact to enforce EU budget rules more strictly was not going to stop the rot.

“Having the fiscal compact in place by March is desirable but I don’t think it’s going to save the euro,” she told reporters on a visit to Paris. “Ideally (I

Indians in Kuwait rush to send money home

Bargain hunters lift Saudi; markets mixed

Rupee plummets to all-time low

By Sajeev K Peter KUWAIT: Indians in Kuwait continued to crowd foreign exchange centers across the country to send money home yesterday as the Indian rupee plummeted to an all-time low against the dollar.

A Kuwaiti dinar fetched 192.30 rupees yesterday, a record low for the Indian currency while a dollar traded for 54 rupees. Money market specialists and foreign exchange officials predict that the rupee will hit an alltime low of 55 against the dollar soon.

“An unprecedented rush of Indians was visible today at all our branches. People wanted to cash in on the record weakening of the rupee,” Pancily Varkey, Country Head, UAE Exchange Centre, told the Kuwait Times.

The Indian currency suffered its worst setback yesterday as jittery global investors pulled out of the Indian funds market following the dismal manufacturing data released the other day. The rupee had been on a rollercoaster ride for the last few months ever since the euro-zone crisis sent the euro currency crashing.

“We have witnessed a significant rise in the number of remittances made to India in the last few days. I think every Indian is taking advantage of the favorable exchange rate today,” E D Titus, Managing Director, BEC

Exchange, told the Kuwait Times. According to Titus, the rupee will continue to depreciate in tandem with the euro as the euro-zone crisis has unnerved the investors across the world. International investors are taking flight to safety of the US dollar amid heightened fears that debt crisis in the euro-zone will unravel as the EU pact failed to instill confidence in global investors.

“High value remittances to India have increased sharply. We have noticed a 40 to 50 percent rise in volumes in the last few days,” observed Varkey. According to him, the depreciation of the rupee is beneficial to people who could make high volume remittances.

According to some observers, the Indian rupee plunged not only due to the weak Indian manufacturing data but also due to the continued demand for the US currency as concerns over euro-zone debt triggered heightened worries across the globe.

“The rupee will remain under pressure as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is unable to rein in the runaway inflation in the economy,” N Venkatakrishnan, a financial analyst, told the Kuwait Times. According to him, this is a right time to transfer money to India.

However, people who have taken loan in India won’t benefit much as the interest rates in India are quite high,” he added. The rupee has plunged about 15 percent against the dollar since 2011. It has become the

MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

NEW DELHI: A shop keeper counts Indian currency in New Delhi yesterday. The Indian rupee plummeted to an all-time low against the US dollar yesterday. — AP worst-performing of Asia’s 10 most-traded currencies.

According to government data yesterday, India’s inflation remained high at 9.11 percent in November, down marginally from 9.73 percent the month before.

India’s Wholesale Price Index has been close to double-digit for months, piling pressure on the government and the RBI, which has raised interest rates several times in the past few months without much effect.

New Saudi CB could speed market opening DUBAI: Fahd bin Abdullah Al-Mubarak, chosen on Tuesday as Saudi Arabia’s new central bank governor, is a US-educated former investment banker with financial markets experience that could help open the Saudi stock exchange to foreign investment.

Mubarak, whose appointment by King Abdullah to head the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) was a surprise, in some ways

contrasts starkly with his well-respected predecessor Muhammad Al-Jasser.

Jasser, who took office in February 2009, was a long-term government official and central bank insider who began his career at the finance ministry in 1981, and served as the central bank’s vice governor for almost 15 years.

Mubarak comes from outside the central bank and is a private-sector, market-focused figure; he

would like to see) a very clear declaration from the ECB that it is prepared to do whatever is necessary to save the currency, and it is the ultimate backstop,” Creighton said. “I don’t think we’re there yet but I feel we will end up there.”

Ireland and France saw eye-to-eye about the need for the central bank to act as lender of last resort, but there was no consensus on this yet, she said. Paris has toned down calls for ECB action, stressing its respect for the bank’s independence partly in deference to its close alliance with Germany.

Merkel ruled out increasing the size of the euro-zone‘s planned permanent rescue fund, the European Stability Mechanism, beyond the agreed 500 billion euros, according to participants at a closed-door meeting in parliament on Tuesday. — Agencies

was previously chairman and managing director of Morgan Stanley Saudi Arabia, and has worked in management positions relating to investment management and corporate finance advisory services. He has also held the position of chairman of the Saudi stock exchange. Analysts said it was very unusual for a top central banker in Saudi Arabia to be appointed from outside the institution. —Reuters

DUBAI: Bargain hunters helped lift Saudi stocks yesterday, after sentiment was boosted by the appointment of a new central bank governor, while other regional markets ended mixed.

The kingdom’s index climbed 0.8 percent, rising after Tuesday’s decline when investors sold off small caps.

“Today, most of the reaction is bargainbuying,” said Farouk Miah, acting head of research at NCB Capital. “Yesterday, decent quality stocks were sold off based on nothing.” Some analysts said the market took support from the appointment of a new central bank governor in a limited cabinet reshuffle, which some believe could accelerate reform. Fahd bin Abdullah alMubarak, the former local managing director of Morgan Stanley and chairman of the Saudi stock market, was appointed head of the central bank.

“The reshuffle itself puts the right people in the right place,” said Saudi-based financial analyst Mohammad Omran. “The newcomers are enthusiastic and know how to achieve the mission. That’s why the government picked them and put them in the right position.”

Saudi Arabian Fertilizers gained 1 percent, National Industrialization rose 0.5 percent, and Yamamah Cement climbed 5 percent. In Oman, the index rose 1.2 percent to a 12-week high.

Oman Telecommunications rose 3.1 percent, Bank Muscat gained 1.4 percent and Ahli Bank climbed 2.3 percent. “The rally in front line counters reveals that the market is seeing new fund allocations,” said

Kanaga Sundar, Gulf Baader Capital Markets head of research. “Investors are looking for dividends and valuations.”

UAE markets ended lower in muted activity ahead of an expected decision by index compiler on whether to upgrade the country to emerging market status.

Dubai’s index declined 0.6 percent. “An upgrade is not priced in and therefore even if there is a negative reaction or disappointment, it will be for a day or two and shouldn’t have a major impact,” said Haissam Arabi, chief executive and fund manager at Gulfmena Investments.

“If we do get upgraded however, there will be positive impact so long as global markets are going to give us a chance to rally. We are at their mercy,” he added.

Index compiler MSCI will announce its decision on late yesterday if it will upgrade UAE and Qatar from frontier market status.

Emaar Properties slipped 1.8 percent, Emirates NBD shed 0.6 percent and Dubai Financial Market fell 1.4 percent. These stocks are the likely candidate for an upgrade. Abu Dhabi’s index slipped 0.2 percent to 2,443 points, 31 points away from hitting a new March 2009 low. “There is already a lot of pressure on stocks, and there is a chance it could fall back to previous lows should the (MSCI) decision be negative,” said Amer Khan, a fund manager at Shuaa Asset Management.

In Egypt, the main benchmark climbed 0.3 percent as the second phase of parliamentary voting kicked in.

Qatar and Kuwait ended near-flat.

— Reuters

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Aramco, Sinopec, CNOOC pursue Frac Tech stake Frac Tech generated about $1.1bn in H1

BIRKENHEAD: A branch of Thomas Cook is pictured in Birkenhead, in northwest England. Holiday firm Thomas Cook went off track and made an annual net loss of £520.7 million ($807 million, 620 million euros) because of unrest in the Arab world and the weak economy, the firm said yesterday. —AFP

Thomas Cook checks out of 500 hotels, axes 200 shops LONDON: Thomas Cook will close 200 underperforming shops and 500 hotels and is lining up further disposals, as it battles to cut debt and restore confidence among investors and customers after a bailout by its banks.

The world’s oldest travel firm, which last month secured a rescue package from lenders, said the move was part of a turnaround plan that would deliver an annual profit improvement of 110 million pounds ($171 million). The future of Europe’s second-biggest travel firm by sales has been in question since it asked lenders to come to its rescue twice in five weeks, sending its shares into freefall, after it warned of a possible debt default. “We have instigated significant management changes and implemented a turnaround plan in the UK to address our areas of underperformance,” acting chief executive Sam Weihagen said in a conference call yesterday.

The company said 660 jobs would be at risk as it closes 200 of its 1,300 shops in Britain. Unemployment in Britain is at a 17-year high, data revealed yesterday.

Additionally, Thomas Cook plans to cut its airline fleet to 35 from 41, invest more in its online business, and consider more disposals on top of the 200 million pounds of non-core asset sales announced in July. Weihagen said the company would review all its businesses and declined to rule out selling its Scandinavian arm, described by Barclays Capital analysts as its “crown jewel”.

Thomas Cook is seeking a CEO after the departure of industry veteran Manny Fontenla-Novoa in August, but will press on with the strategic review due to the urgency of its position. “We can’t wait for a new CEO to start before we send for a strategic review,” Weihagen said.

Thomas Cook’s banks, led by Barclays, HSBC , RBS and UniCredit, last month agreed to provide a new 200 million pounds credit facility. The company said yesterday trading had picked up since then, with summer bookings in Britain up 8 percent year on year, having slumped by 30 percent in the days after news broke of the company’s financial troubles in November. “We are very encouraged by that figure,” Weihagen

said. “It took us a week or so to get back to the booking levels we had before the dip. I’m fully confident that is behind us.”

Thomas Cook, which has issued a string of profit warnings, said operating profit fell 16 percent to 304 million pounds in the year to September.

That was at the bottom end of forecasts in a 306-321 million pounds range, with the average at 317 million, according to a Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S poll.

The company has been hit hard by tough trading conditions, especially in Britain, where its core customer base of families with young children has been particularly affected by tough economic conditions. It has also been affected by unrest in popular destinations such as Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.

In contrast, the world’s biggest tour operator, TUI Travel , reported a betterthan-expected full-year profit.

Germany’s TUI AG, TUI Travel’s majority owner, said on Wednesday it expects a net profit in this fiscal year as it passes on rising input costs to holidaymakers and weathers strong economic headwinds.

Thomas Cook, which has been operating for 170 years, said on Tuesday it was examining further ways to cut net debt, which stood at 891 million pounds at the end of September, up from 804 million a year earlier. Finance director Paul Hollingworth told reporters the company had not ruled out an equity fundraising.

“We’ve made no secret of the desire to get debt down and to look at all and any means to do that. Clearly in terms of the share price today that is more problematic. Hopefully, we can rebuild confidence, show that we’ve made progress on disposals and then that’s an option that may come about,” he said.

Hollingworth said he was confident the company would not have to tap lenders for any further funding. Shares in Thomas Cook, which have crashed by more than 90 percent since the start of the year, were down 7.4 percent to 13.73 pence at 1105 GMT, valuing the former FTSE 100 constituent at just 124 million pounds. Russia’s oil-to-telecoms holding company Sistema is planning to sell a stake of up to 2 percent in Thomas Cook, it said yesterday. —Reuters

HONG KONG: Saudi Aramco, China Petroleum & Chemical Corp (Sinopec) and CNOOC Ltd are each in talks to buy up to a 30 percent stake US oil and gas services company Frac Tech International two sources with knowledge of the matter said.

The oil companies’ discussions over a deal worth about $2.2 billion underline the growing interest in fracking, a controversial mining technique which has opened up huge reserves of previously untapped oil and gas but has attracted criticism from environmentalists.

The sources also said Frac Tech was in advanced talks with Saudi Aramco, Sinopec and Spain’s Repsol-YPF SA to establish three separate fracking joint ventures in the Middle East, Argentina and China. Frac Tech, which is 30 percent owned by Chesapeake Energy Corp, is looking to sell between 20 percent and 30 percent of itself, the sources said, and may sell the whole stake to one party or divide it up.

Frac Tech has hired Barclays Capital to advise on the deal, the sources told Reuters, declining to be named because the discussions were private. Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings holds 40 percent of Frac Tech through

Maju Investments. Frac Tech aims to close the deals by the end of February, the sources said, ahead of a planned initial public offering targeted to raise about $1.15 billion.

Frac Tech has hired Bank of America, Citigroup and Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs to underwrite the IPO, which is slated for the second half of 2012.

Fracking involves pumping pressurized water, sand and chemicals underground to open fissures and improve the flow of oil or gas to the surface. This technique has opened up substantial reserves of unconventional oil in North America.

In November, Saudi Aramco’s chief executive acknowledged that the use of fracking was set to shift the energy balance of power and US dependence on Middle East oil.

The planned joint ventures with Frac Tech would give the oil and gas giants access to the fracking technology which has developed rapidly in the past several years.

Frac Tech, which helps exploration and production companies perform “frac” jobs, produces equipment and materials as well as mining the sand which is used in the fracturing

SABIC says 2011 will be ‘excellent’ DUBAI: Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) expects to report an “excellent” 2011 and forecasts further strength for the petrochemical sector next year, its chief executive told Reuters in an interview. “The whole year has been excellent. We’re selling everything we produce. The year will finish as a very high year for SABIC,” said Mohammed Al-Mady, who heads the Middle East’s biggest company by market value. SABIC posted a 54-percent rise in its thirdquarter net profit, beating analyst expectations on the back of high product prices and continued strong global demand. The company made a record net profit of 8.2 billion Saudi riyals ($2.2 billion) in the three months ended September 30, compared with 5.3 billion riyals in the same period a year earlier. Earlier Al-Mady told an industry gathering that the sector was experiencing some weakness in demand in the fourth quarter, especially from emerging economies. He said in the interview that he expected this to be a temporary phenomenon.

“It’s softening for a small period of time-it will come back,” he said. “2012 will be another good year for everybody...not much capacity is coming on stream.” The chemical industry’s financial health often serves as a barometer for the global economy since its products are used to produce a wide range of consumer goods, from toys and toothbrushes to smartphones and solar panels.

The sector’s dependence on highly cyclical machinery makers, carmakers and builders makes it especially vulnerable to a downturn.Many of its customers have been drawing down their own supplies in the fourth quarter before they refresh inventories. SABIC’s bullish comments are in contrast to comments from its large rivals. Chemical maker DuPont cut its 2011 profit outlook earlier this month due to weak electronics and housing markets, though said it expected to beat Wall Street’s earnings forecasts next year.

And in October, European chemical groups warned of slowing demand from construction industry customers in both fast-growing Asia and moribund Europe, compounding problems with rising raw materials costs. Germany’s Bayer flagged a slowdown in China’s robust construction sector, while global chemical industry leader BASF said its construction chemicals business was unable to fully pass on higher raw material prices to customers. — Reuters

process, is also in early talks with three or four parties in Poland to establish a similar joint venture.

Each of the joint ventures would require around $500 million to $1 billion to capitalize, one of the sources said, adding that Frac Tech would inject capital from its revenues without taking on additional debt. The company generated about $1.1 billion in revenues in the first half of 2011, up 143 percent from a year ago.

Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization jumped 178 percent to $453.5 million in the same period.. The sources said the IPO planned for next year was for 15 percent of the company, and would value Frac Tech at around $9 billion, including debt of $1.5 billion. Barclays, Sinopec and CNOOC declined to comment. Other companies mentioned either declined comment or could not immediately be reached. Another big backer of Frac Tech is private equity fund RRJ Capital, whose Senja Capital holds about 11 percent of the company.

Cayman Islands-based fund Cowboy Investment, owned by sovereign wealth fund Korea Investment Corp, holds 7 percent of Frac Tech. — Reuters

Qatargas maintenance on trains 5, 6, 7 complete DOHA: Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer Qatargas said yesterday that maintenance had been completed on its trains 5, 6 and 7, as well as on its QG 3 and 4 inlet receiving facilities.

“Qatargas can confirm that the planned maintenance of its Trains 5, 6 and 7 and of its QG 3 and 4 inlet receiving facilities have been safely and successfully completed,” an emailed company statement said.

European gas prices leapt in August after traders with knowledge of the situation told Reuters Qatargas trains 5, 6 and 7 would shut consecutively for around two weeks each from mid September to early November, when heating demand from big buyers in

Europe and northeast Asia climbs as temperatures fall.

Qatargas’ three newest production lines are each able to produce 7.8 million tons a year (mtpa) of LNG. British benchmark front-season gas prices soared 6 percent in August on fears the maintenance could cut supply to north-west European consumers already worried about Qatari LNG diversions to Japan, where gas demand has boomed since a March earthquake shut nuclear power plants. Qatargas operates seven LNG trains with a capacity of 42 million tons per annum (mtpa) but has signed several deals since March to sell more LNG to new markets in addition to Japan. — Reuters

Jabal Omar to get 3bn riyal Saudi govt loan JEDDAH: Saudi developer Jabal Omar has signed a loan agreement for 3 billion riyals ($800 million) with the finance ministry to complete some of its projects in holy Makkah, the company announced late yesterday.

“The loan will be repaid over eight years two of which are a grace period,” according to a statement issued via the bourse. Jabal Omar is in charge of developing an area near the Grand Mosque in Islam’s holiest city. The project will include luxury hotels, shops and houses.

The developer sought shareholder approval last year for a change in its basic charter that would allow it to take on more

debt. In May Jabal Omar’s shareholders approved a 38.4 percent capital increase to 9.3 billion riyals through a rights issue, of which part of the proceeds went to pay back a 350 million riyal bridge loan from AlRajhi Bank.

The prospectus posted on the Capital Markets Authority website in May said the largest part of the cost of the first phase of its project will be financed through a syndicated loan from local banks, worth up to 5 billion riyals.

Last year, in October, the firm secured a 1.35 billion riyal bridge loan from local banks and said it would finance it through the 5 billion riyal syndicated loan. — 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 .4300000 .3630000 .2930000 .2670000 .2770000 .0040000 .0020000 .0751740 .7323940 .3810000 .0700000 .7179800 .0040000 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2769000 GB Pound/KD .4323380 Euro .3655080 Swiss francs .2956120 Canadian dollars .2698700 Danish Kroner .0491560 Swedish Kroner .0403120 Australian dlr .2793090 Hong Kong dlr .0355880 Singapore dlr .2127220 Japanese yen .0035560 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0754190 Bahraini dinars .7347750 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0738600 Omani riyals .7195010 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

.2800000 .4400000 .3730000 .3080000 .2770000 .2860000 .0070000 .0035000 .0759290 .7397550 .4010000 .0760000 .7251690 .0072000 .0520000 .2790000 .4356170 .3682800 .2978540 .2719170 .0495290 .0406170 .2814270 .0358580 .2143350 .0035830 .0052640 .0024560 .0031420 .0036380 .0759910 .7403480 .3946250 .0744200 .7249580 .0064060

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 74.150 76.402 722.230 738.540 75.715

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

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

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

SELL CASH

283.200 741.600 3.820 273.700 547.700 45.000 51.600 167.800 48.620 368.000 36.540 5.710 0.032 0.214 0.242 3.670 396.020 0.188 90.490 46.290 4.290 215.000 1.807 49.800 724.320

SELL DRAFT

281.700 741.600 3.490 272.200

217.600 46.326 366.500 36.390 5.215 0.031

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

3.320 6.760 77.140 74.450 217.570 36.030 2.657 436.100 42.400 298.900 5.300 9.370 198.263 76.030 279.200 1.220

10 Tola

GOLD 1,714.320

75.930 278.800

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer

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

276.850 268.505 443.300 374.970 303.055 733.125 75.350 75.990 73.785 389.700 46.310 2.422 5.309 3.179 3.615 6.383 679.095 3.675 8.955 5.830 3.415 91.960

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

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

Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

283.17 273.36 299.33 366.29

437.00 3.70 3.820 5.685 2.650 4.050 3.300 76.50 741.50 48.62 396.00 725.00 77.15 74.75

278.100 3.115 5.220 2.450 3.490 6.415 75.820 74.315 739.400 46.195 439.700 3.190 1.550 395.100 5.750 372.800 276.500 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange

UAE Exchange Center WLL Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro

435.73 3.63 3.507 5.192 2.448 3.261 3.129 75.89 741.60 46.32 396.64 724.58 76.88 74.44

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 434.100 278.800

Sterling Pound US Dollar

Currency

724.140

297.400 5.300 9.150

Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

Currency

395.140 0.188 90.490 3.300 213.500

3.135 6.330 76.710 74.450 217.570 36.030 2.447 434.100

285.00 274.00 305.00 371.50

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)

278.450 366.300 433.900 272.000 3.590 5.194 46.315 2.444 3.470 6.315 3.125 741.300 75.900 74.400

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Gold hovers near 2-month lows as euro struggles LONDON: Gold steadied yesterday, after having neared two-month lows the day before in its largest monthly slide since September, prompted by the dollar’s rise against the euro to 11-month highs as the European debt crisis roars on.

Gold has lost about 6 percent in value so far this month, making it its weakest December performance since 2008, when the global credit crunch was at its worst.

The metal’s safe-haven status has been called into question given its inability to profit from the degree of risk aversion and uncertainty among investors. The lure of the dollar as a comparatively secure alternative to the euro, which has pushed local prices for key consuming regions such as India to record highs and deterred buying, together with an investor dash for cash have proven to be too strong for gold to flaunt its safe-haven qualities.

Spot gold was last quoted unchanged on the day at $1,630.89 an ounce by 1111 GMT, set for a 4.2 percent fall this week, its largest weekly slide in nearly three months. “At the moment, there

has been a clear move towards the dollar; and the dollar, nine times out of 10, has not been gold’s best friend,” Nikos Kavalis, a commodities strategist at RBS, said. “As long as the dollar is gaining, at least until the end of the year, gold will not be in the best position and will remain under pressure,” he said, adding: “The market is tending to want to see things from a cautious point of view. We are near the end of the year and no one wants to be particularly heroic.”

The Federal Reserve on Tuesday warned that turmoil in Europe presents a big risk to the US economy, leaving the door open to possible further steps to boost growth even though it noted a somewhat stronger labor market. The central bank said the US economy was “expanding moderately” despite an apparent slowing in the world economy. But while there had been “some” improvement in the job market, unemployment remained elevated and housing depressed, it said.

There has been a clear tendency among investors to hold cash, rather than hard assets and this has accelerated as the end of the year

approaches. The most recent Reuters asset allocation poll showed global portfolio managers held more cash in November than at any time in at least the last seven years, another of the factors undermining gold’s safe-haven properties in the last few weeks.

HSBC said the lack of a commitment to inject more stimulus into the economy by the Fed was a negative factor for gold, along with a push among investors to get more cash onto their balance sheet, but the bank maintained its positive longer-term view for the bullion price.

“Additionally, some macro hedge funds are liquidating gold holdings and taking profits in a difficult year. As trading volume typically drops toward year-end, we expect increasingly volatile price swings,” wrote HSBC analyst James Steel in a note. “Potential gold buyers may be reluctant to come forward as the year draws to a close.

Gold could easily slide through the holidays”, he said, noting the resilience of holdings of metal in exchange-traded products, which remain near record highs.

Global holdings of gold in the major ETFs

tracked by Reuters remain above 70 million ounces, close to this month’s record 70.148 million ounces, as inflows into European funds offset outflows from large US products such as the SPDR Gold Trust , the world’s biggest goldbacked ETF. The amount of gold held in ETFs may be near record highs and although the gold price is suffering from investors’ desire for the safety of cash, the risk of this $116 billion stash of bullion being jettisoned is distant. In other precious metals traded, platinum was last down 0.4 percent on the day at $1,463.49 an ounce.

The platinum price is set for its largest monthly decline since September, down by nearly 6 percent so far in December, in spite of potentially price-supportive reports earlier this week of a sharp decline in platinum mine output in top producer South Africa. The premium of gold over platinum reached historic highs above $200 an ounce, indicating gold’s outperformance. But with the decline in the gold price this week, this gap has narrowed to around $165 an ounce. — Reuters

India gloom deepens as rupee fuels inflation CB expected to hold rates steady tomorrow

BERLIN: German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble is welcomed as he arrives next to Jens Weidmann (third left), President of the Deutsche Bundesbank for a discussion with youth about 10 years of euro yesterday in Berlin. — AFP

High oil prices threaten global economy: IEA SINGAPORE: High oil prices threaten to worsen a global economic slowdown and crude producers should consider boosting output, the chief economist for the International Energy Agency said yesterday.

“The current high oil prices have the potential to strangle the economic recovery in many countries,” Fatih Birol said in a speech yesterday in Singapore. “I hope that high oil prices don’t slow down Chinese economic growth and the negative effect that would have on the global recovery.”

Crude has jumped to $100 a barrel from $75 in October amid signs the US economy will likely avoid a recession. Most economists expect global economic growth to slow next year as Europe’s debt crisis threatens to drag the continent into recession. Birol suggested crude producers should boost output amid growing demand in developing countries and falling inventories in wealthy nations.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is meeting later yesterday in Vienna to decide whether to change the cartel’s output quotas. “I’m sure OPEC knows

much better than me what to do,” Birol said when asked if OPEC should raise output.

“But seeing that oil prices are still high today and the negative effect that has on the recovery of the global economy, I hope the energy producing countries will take these things into account and make their decision accordingly.” Birol said crude prices could rise to $150 by 2015 if oil-producing countries in the Middle East and North Africa don’t invest $100 billion a year to maintain existing fields and develop new ones.

More than 90 percent of global crude production growth during the next 20 years will come from that region, led by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria and United Arab Emirates, Birol said.

“Recent developments, including the Arab Spring, have changed the mindset of many governments,” Birol said “In some countries, oil investments have been diverted to social spending. Oil policies are taking on a more nationalistic tone, which means not to increase production as much is needed in the world market.” — AP

ATHENS: Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos speaks during the annual conference of American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce in Athens yesterday. Greece has reached its limit in raising taxes and needs to refocus its austerity program on longterm spending cuts, the International Monetary Fund said. —AP

Volumes, foreign limits may deny UAE, Qatar MSCI status DUBAI: Low market liquidity in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar’s failure to raise foreign ownership limits threaten to deny MSCI emerging market status to the Gulf neighbors for a third time yesterday. Index provider MSCI rates both the UAE and Qatar as frontier markets. It opted not to upgrade the pair at its reviews in 2009 and 2010, and was due to taken a decision in June this year but postponed its verdict to Dec. 14. It said the delay was partly to allow market players more time to assess new delivery-versus-payment (DvP) settlement systems, which some of the bourses introduced in 2011.

MSCI has warned Qatar would be disqualified because of its 25 percent foreign ownership limit, but the gas-rich nation has not amended the ceiling, saying it was up to individual companies to open up their shares more to non-Qataris.

“I doubt it will happen for the UAE or Qatar, although the decision is not as clear-cut as we previously thought,” said Fahd Iqbal, EFG Hermes strategist. “Qatar is unlikely to make it because of the foreign ownership limitsinvestors want broader access to stocks.

“The UAE is in a better position because

almost everything is in place-it just needs favorable feedback from market players and that is very difficult to predict.” But the UAE’s three bourses - Dubai Financial Market, Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and Nasdaq Dubaihave been plagued by slumping trade and prices, which could affect MSCI’s decision, said Robert McKinnon, ASAS Capital’s chief investment officer in Dubai. Dubai’s index is down 78 percent from a 2008 peak as the emirate’s real estate crash weighed on equity valuations on the property-led bourse, while turnover in 2011 is about a tenth of 2008 and at its lowest level for at least seven years.

“The dynamics of the market have deteriorated from six months ago-there’s less liquidity,” said McKinnon. “MSCI is a client-driven business...most MSCI clients probably aren’t up for the UAE being upgraded-they have a limited team, so would they want to assign an analyst to learn about UAE stocks when these will have such a small weighting?”

EFG’s Iqbal estimates the UAE and Qatar would get emerging market index weightings of 0.1 and 0.4 percent respectively. “An upgrade would very positive, despite the tiny weightings. — Reuters

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: India’s economic gloom deepened yesterday as figures showed a record low rupee is adding to the central bank’s inflation headache and an adviser to the prime minister said there was little that could be done to check the currency’s slump.

An 18 percent slide in the value of the rupee since July is adding to a growing worry of economic crisis in the country as stubbornly high inflation ties the hands of the central bank from easing policy to try to turn a grim economic outlook. A worsening fiscal picture means the government’s financial firepower is also limited.

Parliament is in gridlock, preventing approvals for investment that could help offset a ballooning current account deficit.

Indeed, C Rangarajan, chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, suggested there was little policymakers can do to counter the slide in the currency.

He said the rupee was subject to the whims of global investors, who are buying the dollar as a safe haven from the euro-zone debt crisis.

“The behavior of the rupee is also a reflection of the behavior of the dollar,” he said. “There is very little that can be done.” Data yesterday showed wholesale prices, the main gauge of inflation in India, rose 9.11 percent in November from a year earlier. That showed inflation actually fell from 9.73 percent in October thanks to a sharp pull back in food price pressures.

However, fuel inflation rose to 15.48 percent from 14.79 percent and manufacturing inflation increased to 7.7 percent from 7.66 percent as the tumbling rupee pushed up import costs.

The slide in the rupee has caught policymakers flat-footed and by firing up import costs it is undermining the Reserve Bank of India’s forecast for inflation to drop to 7 percent by March. That potentially pushes back when the central bank could ease policy. The rupee fell to a fresh low of 54 per dollar yesterday.

Many economists believe it will fall further, in turn keeping downward pressure on Indian stocks, which are off 22 percent in 2012, among the worst in Asia. The main index fell 0.76 percent yesterday. “The bearish sentiment is very strong and there is nothing going for the rupee,” said Hari Chandramgathan, a foreign exchange dealer with Federal Bank.

While the central bank has stepped in to smooth volatility in the foreign exchange market, it has not mounted a spirited defense of the currency and is not expected to do so given limited reserves and the need to fund a swelling trade deficit. “Central bank has a limited flexibility, but I think they should intervene,” said M. Govinda Rao, a member of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s economic advisory team.

“RBI can intervene, but since the balances are not large, there is a serious problem. RBI cannot be immune to that,” he said, adding that one possibility is to raise interest rates on deposits of nonresident Indians. The current account deficit hit $14 billion in the April-June quarter, nearly triple

Singapore economy seen growing 3% SINGAPORE: Singapore’s central bank says a survey of analysts shows the economy will likely grow 3 percent next year, less than the previous estimate.

The survey of 21 analysts released yesterday by the central bank showed that growth will likely be led by financial services expanding 4.2 percent and manufacturing up 3.4 percent.

Analysts had expected the economy would grow 4.9 percent next year in the previous survey in September.

Analysts expect the economy will expand 5.2 percent this year.

The inflation rate will probably fall to 3.1 percent next year from 4.5 percent this year. The survey predicts the unemployment rate will be 2.4 percent next year while the exchange rate will end 2012 at 1.23 Singapore dollars per US dollar. — AP

the previous quarter’s tally. The risk is that a plunging rupee will be seen by investors as reason enough to pull capital out of the country, adding yet more downward pressure on the currency and setting off a balance of payments crisis.

Deutsche Bank said in a Nov 24 report that now is “India’s time of reckoning” and UBS said investor sentiment “has gone from cautious to outright scared.”

The rupee is vulnerable because external debt payments of about $20 billion are due in the first half of 2012 and because importers are not effectively hedged, said Sailesh K. Jha, head of Asia strategy at Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken in Singapore. “We anticipate continued net outflows from the equity market into first half of 2012 as the uncertainty on the outlook for India growth, inflation and macroeconomic policies lingers,” said Jha, who expects the currency to touch 57 in the first quarter of 2012, with 60 possible in the first half.

India’s economy has been battered by local setbacks and global headwinds. The government had originally projected growth of 9 percent in the fiscal year to March 2012.

Now, analysts say India will struggle to grow even 7 percent, a sharp drop from 8.5 percent in 2010/11. Such forecasts were supported by data on Monday showing India’s industrial output slumped more than 5 percent in October from a year earlier, far worse than expected and the first fall in over two years. Central banks elsewhere in the world, including in China, Brazil and Indonesia, have started to ease monetary policy as dark economic clouds gather globally.

India’s central bank will not be able to move so fast. Headline inflation has been above 9 percent

for 12 consecutive months despite 13 rate increases since March 2010 that have lifted the repo rate-the policy rate-to a three-year high of 8.5 percent from 4.75 percent.

While November’s inflation was the lowest in a year, it brought little joy to investors, who pushed up bond yields and swap rates.

The central bank indicated in October that further rate rises may not be needed if inflation comes down, raising hopes in India that rates might start to come down, but the rupee’s drop complicates that. “The rapid depreciation of the rupee is going to throw out of the window all the calculations on inflation, given the contribution of imported inflation to manufactured product price inflation,” said Rupa Rege Nitsure, chief economist at Bank of Baroda in Mumbai.

The central bank reviews monetary policy on Friday, but with inflation stubbornly above 9 percent it is widely expected to keep rates on hold.

“Even though the RBI will definitely pause on rates, the exact timing from which it would have started easing interest rates has once again turned uncertain due to the tumbling currency,” Nitsure said. Tight cash conditions in the money market have fuelled speculation that the central bank might lower the cash reserve ratio, the percentage of deposits banks must maintain with the RBI, as early as Friday. However, a Reuters poll showed economists don’t expect a CRR cut before 2012. “The RBI is unlikely to jump the gun either on CRR or on the repo rate just yet. I think these are both early next year outcomes. But on Friday what it will do is it will sound a lot more dovish. That in itself is an important change,” said Rajeev Malik, an economist with CLSA in Singapore. — Reuters

JAMMU: A man carries a bag full of vegetables at a market on the outskirts of Jammu yesterday. India’s inflation inched down to a one-year low of 9.1 percent in November, government data showed yesterday. — AP

Asia rice prices dip as India, Vietnam race BANGKOK: Intensifying competition between Vietnam and India for a bigger share of the rice market made available by the drop in costlier Thai exports have pushed prices down around Asia.

This is good news for billions of consumers of the staple across Asia, the Middle East and Africa, as global food prices eased last month but held at high levels with further scope to rise on future supply concerns, the United Nations’ food agency said. In Thailand, where a state stockpile and market support scheme aimed at helping farmers had driven up export prices since October, levels are starting to dip as importers turn to Vietnam and South Asia for cheaper rice from bumper harvests.

Poor Thai farmers in urgent need of cash are also selling to millers at prices way below those offered by the government. “That helps Thai exporters offer at prices slightly lower than last week, but it’s still not competitive, compared to India and Vietnam,” said a Bangkok-based trader.

Benchmark 100 percent B grade Thai white rice fell to $590 per tonne, free on board (FOB) basis, from last week’s $610, traders said yesterday.

This was down from a peak of $650 a ton on Oct. 5, just ahead of the government plan to buy every single grain of rice at 15,000 baht ($480) a ton under the

intervention scheme. Thai 5 percent broken grade white rice fell to $580 per ton, down from $595 last week. In contrast, Vietnam’s top export-grade 5 percent broken rice dropped to the lowest in more than five months at $490-$495 a ton, FOB, down further from last week’s $520-$550.

Vietnam’s competitive prices versus Thailand have helped it grab the Malaysian market with the sale of 300,000 tons of rice in 2012, allowing it to maintain overall market share in the face of pressure from India and Pakistan.

“Exporters are lowering offer prices not because they want to export more but because of rising pressure (of supply) ahead of the next harvest,” a trader in Ho Chi Minh City said.

Output from the major winter-spring crop in the Mekong Delta is projected to rise 3.8 percent from this year to 11 million tons. Vietnam, the world’s No 2 rice exporter, shipped 6.8 million tons of rice in the first 11 months of 2011 and annual shipments could hit a record of 7.2 million tons, as about 400,000 tons are set to be loaded this month, traders said. But high stocks that have allowed India to export 2 million tons since September-the first since a shipment ban in 2007 — and its weak currency, have kept Indian rice far below prices in Vietnam.—Reuters

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Stocks mixed as Kuwait investors look for clues GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait equities ended yesterday’s session with a mixed performance. The dismal performance of the heavyweight sectors led to a drop in main market indices by the end of the session.

The recent fluctuation taking place in the market has been attributed to the fluid political situation in the country. However, the market is expected to move forward with great conviction in the coming weeks as the investors and portfolio managers will try to take good position before the year-end financial results which will start coming after December 31, 2011.

Global General Index (GGI) ended the day down by 0.43 percent, at 181.21 point. Market capitalization was down for the day, reaching KD29.64bn. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 5,841.3 point, shedding 1.1 points (0.02 percent) to its previous close.

Market breadth During the session, 101 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 39 equities retreated versus 23 that advanced.

Trading activity was up yesterday. Total volume traded was up by 17.59 percent with 173.63mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD18.81mn (1.54 percent higher compared to Tuesday’s session). Real Estate sector was the volume leader.

The sector accounted for 37.71 percent of total shares exchanges. International Financial Advisors Company was the session’s most traded stock with 35.2mn shares exchanged.

The banking sector was the value leader, having 40.23 percent of total traded value. In terms of top gainers, Alrai Media Group Company was the top gainer for the day, adding 8.47 percent to its share value and closing at KD0.128. On the other hand, IFA Hotels & Resorts Company shed 10.42 percent and closed at KD0.430 making it the biggest decliner in the market.

Sectors On a sector-by-sector basis, investment stocks led the pack of decliners, clocking 0.8 percent in sector losses. A 1.59 percent decline

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

business

posted by Kuwait Projec ts Company (Holding) was sufficient enough to send the sector index tumbling. The scrip has lost 29.4 percent of its value this year so far. The sector accounted for 34.66 percent (60.17mn shares) of the total volume traded on the exchange during the day.

Banking stocks too were weak with the heavyweight Global Banking Index dropping by 0.69 percent. National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) was the biggest percentage decliner in the sector during the day. The stock price dropped 1.72 percent of its value closing at KD1.140.

Also losing was the Services Sector Index as it was seen down by 0.38 percent mainly due to the decline of heavyweight National Mobile Telecommunications Company ( Wataniya Telecom) which lost 1.01 percent of its share value to close at KD1.960. The same sector adopted the biggest loser and biggest gainer

in the market during the day. IFA Hotels & Resorts topped the losers list, shedding 10.42 percent from its value .

On the other hand, the biggest advancer during the day was the insurance sector, claiming a 1.67 percent climb in its index value. Kuwait Insurance Company was the sole advancer within the sector. The scrip closed up by 8.33 percent at KD0.325.

Non-Kuwaiti Index followed, adding 0.37 percent to its value solely pushed up by the advance in the share price of Ahli United Bank.

The scrip ended the session higher by 1.03 percent.

Oil News The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at USD107.65pb on Tuesday, compared with $107.33pb the previous day, according to OPEC secretariat calculations.

Oil drops $1 on EU debt worries LONDON: Oil fell over $1 yesterday, pressured by record borrowing costs for Italy after the Federal Reserve warned that turmoil in Europe threatened the US economy, and after OPEC agreed their first output limit in three years.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed a new supply target of 30 million barrels daily, Venezuelan Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said, roughly in line with current production in a deal that settles a 6month-old argument over output levels in Saudi Arabia’s favor.

Oil was already weaker on economic worries, and it showed little reaction to the widely expected deal. Brent crude fell $1.11 to $108.39 a barrel by 1311 GMT. US crude fell 1.55 $98.59. Both contracts gained sharply on Tuesday.

“The 30 million bpd level is roughly the current production level, so for OPEC to ratify that level is just a catch up. So we don’t take it as a bearish sign in terms of an increase in production,” said James Zhang, commodity strategist at Standard Bank.

Reinforcing the difficulties facing some euro-zone governments to raise funds Italy sold 3 billion euros of five-year government bonds yesterday at a yield of 6.47 percent, up from 6.29 percent at the previous comparable rates.

The euro broke 11-month lows versus the dollar below $1.30 after Rome’s auction, with foreign exchange markets still speculating that more rating downgrades were in prospect for euro zone governments.

Some analysts think that the OPEC target around 30 million bpd level will do little to prevent

a spike in oil prices next year, and could ultimately be supportive of prices.

“After some consideration, it could have led to some upside for prices as OPEC gives the impression they are stronger and therefore will be more successful in defending the downside,” said David Wech, head of energy studies at JBC Enery in Vienna.

Tensions remain high between Iran and western powers over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, a factor which is supporting oil prices on fear of supply disruption.

Iran will move its uranium enrichment plants to safer sites if conditions make this necessar y, the semi-official Mehr news agency yesterday quoted a senior Revolutionary Guards commander as saying.

Saudi Arabia will not seek to replace Iranian oil in the case of oil sanctions against Iran, Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said yesterday.

Oil was also under pressure from an industry report that showed crude stocks in the world’s largest consumer, the United States, rose 462,000 barrels in the week to Dec. 9, compared with analysts’ expectations for a fall of 2 million barrels.

Distillate stocks rose 1.2 million barrels versus a forecast for an 800,000-barrel gain.

Investors will now watch data from the US Energy Information Administration due at 1530 GMT. Commercial crude stockpiles are expected to have fallen last week due to lower imports and end of the year destock ing, an expanded Reuters poll of analysts showed on Tuesday. — Reuters

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Fed sees risks from Europe, progress in US WASHINGTON: The Federal Reserve on Tuesday warned that turmoil in Europe presents a big risk to the US economy, leaving the door open to possible further steps to boost growth even though it noted a somewhat stronger labor market. The central bank said the US economy was “expanding moderately” despite an apparent slowing in the world economy.

But while there had been “some” improvement in the job market, unemployment remained elevated and housing depressed, it said.

“Strains in global financial markets continue to pose significant downside risks to the economic outlook,” the Fed said after a policy meeting, alluding to pressures stemming from the debt crisis in the euro zone, which has raised concerns about tighter credit in the United States. Some investors had speculated that the Fed might show more urgency about moving ahead with new measures to help the economy.

US stock prices fell, while prices for government debt rose. The dollar, which has been pressured by the Fed’s huge-bond-buying programs, gained against the euro. The Fed’s statement was little changed from the one made after its last meeting in early November, although the US central bank pinned uncertainty for the US economy more squarely on events in Europe.

While in November it said risks to the outlook included global strains, on Tuesday it cited only the risk of volatility abroad.

Most economists have said the Fed’s next meeting on Jan. 24-25 would be the more likely occasion for any new moves to add to the US central bank’s already extraordinary push to bring down borrowing costs and help growth.

Tuesday’s statement touched only lightly on signs of improvement in the economy’s performance.

“They are certainly ready to lean against the wind should the economy falter,” said Cary Leahey, managing director at Decision Economics in New York. The Fed offered no new guidance on the changing way it communicates its policies to financial markets; Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has made increased transparency a hallmark of his six years in charge of the central bank.

It also repeated that it expects inflation to settle at levels at or below those consistent with its price stability mandate. For a second time running, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans dissented against holding policy steady, saying he favored additional easing now.

The US central bank has held overnight interest rates near zero since December 2008 and has bought $2.3 trillion in government and mortgage-related bonds in a further attempt to stimulate a robust recovery. Fed officials are divided among those who think high unemployment and sluggish growth require more action and those who view the central bank’s already-aggressive efforts as bordering dan-

gerously on an invitation to inflation. Some influential policymakers, including Vice Chair Janet Yellen, have suggested they would be inclined to take additional steps if growth fails to pick up.

Changes to the Fed’s voting line-up for 2012 will remove three policymakers known to favor a hard line against inflation, while adding only one such “hawk,” suggesting support for further easing may strengthen in coming months. The Fed’s activist approach to pulling the economy out of recession and buoying a tepid recovery stands in contrast to the European Central Bank, which has been more tentative. The ECB held interest rates steady until November before delivering two rate cuts as the euro zone began to slide toward economic contraction.

Moreover, ECB President Mario Draghi disappointed financial markets last week by downplaying prospects the central bank would launch an aggressive bond-buying program to ease strains in the region. So far, the U.S. economy has shown little impact from the events in Europe.

The jobless rate tumbled 0.4 percentage point to 8.6 percent in November, factory activity has quickened and businesses are restocking depleted shelves.

Consumer spending also appears reasonably solid, although a softer-than-expected report on November retail sales Tuesday offered a hint that spending could be flagging.

The US economy expanded at a 2.0 percent annu-

al rate in the third quarter, a welcome acceleration from a sub-1 percent pace over the first half of the year. Forecasters hope growth will top a 3 percent rate in the current quarter.

However, analysts say the recovery’s current strength is partly a snapback from the weakness earlier in the year and caution that a return to more sluggish growth is likely, particularly with a European recession brewing.

Many observers believe the Fed will take steps to stimulate growth in 2012, first through communications measures that drive home the expectation that interest rates will not rise for a long time and then possibly through more bond buying. Yellen has said the Fed could reinforce its ultra-accommodative monetary stance by publishing policymakers’ forecasts for the path of interest rates.

Officials are also debating whether to adopt an explicit target for inflation.

The first step would reassure skittish markets that the Fed is not about to tighten policy any time soon.

The latter would aim to dispel any doubts about the central bank’s commitment to keeping inflation low.

Top officials have also remained open to adding bonds to the central bank’s already-bloated portfolio.

Some have said the Fed should resume purchases of mortgage-backed securities to help revive the depressed housing market; others would prefer to stick with purchases of US government debt. — Reuters

China sees extreme grim global outlook for 2012 Economic work conference says to keep yuan value stable

PORTO HELI: Surrounded by orange orchards and olive groves and fronted by azure waters, the hamlet of Porto Heli in the Peloponnese, is a yachtsman’s paradise and a magnet for villa-owning Athenians. Until recently, it had nearly one offshore company for each of its 2,000 full-time inhabitants. — AFP

Scenic Greek hamlet at core of offshore tax drive PORTO HELI, Greece: Surrounded by orange orchards and olive groves and fronted by azure waters, the hamlet of Porto Heli in the Peloponnese is a yachtsman’s paradise and a magnet for villa-owning Athenians.

And until recently, it had nearly one offshore company for each of its 2,000 full-time inhabitants. “Welcome to the Liechtenstein of Greece, a tax haven just two-and-a-half hours from Athens,” jokes Angelos Vlahoyiannis, an 80 something year-old retired farmer lounging with other locals at a portside cafe, soaking in the midday sun.

Some 20 yachts are bobbing in the harbor, a far cry from the forest of masts that crowd the facilities in the busy summer season, when the population swells to 15,000.

This scenic corner of the southern Peloponnese, some 200 kilometers (320 miles) from Athens, has drawn the country’s reclusive shipowners for decades. Many of Greece’s foremost families own summer homes in the surrounding area, including the merchant marine clans of Livanos and Vardinoyannis and media empire owner Minos Kyriakou, former head of the Greek Olympic Committee.

A construction boom in the 1990s also attracted dozens of offshore companies seeking to invest in the area’s valuable property market, who are now being preyed upon by the crisis-hit Greek state as it scrambles to fill its depleted tax coffers.

The government last year hiked taxation on offshore company property holdings to 15 percent, a five-fold increase. And unlike offshore bank accounts, which are harder to track, Greek real estate registered offshore has proven easier to pin down because the owners are required to provide a local address. “Because of its proximity to the capital and the magnificent sea view, the area has attracted shipowners for 30 years,” notes Porto Heli council chairman Constantinos Kokkalis. “We thought there would be a dozen offshore companies here, but we certainly did not expect 170 of them,” he exclaimed, referring to the findings of a recent investigation by the finance ministry’s anti-fraud squad (SDOE).

In January, the squad “began examining offshore companies based in territories such as the Cayman Islands or the Seychelles who have bought property in Greece”, SDOE spokesman Nikos Lekkas said in Athens.

“Over a million euros ($1.30 million) in unpaid taxes have been collected so far and the investigation is ongoing,” he told AFP. “The time for tolerance is over,” Lekkas said.

Another 24 offshore companies in northern Greece have been found to owe the Greek state 26 million euros, he added.

Easier to access by sea than by land, Porto Heli’s main access road is lined with plush villas reposing behind five-foot stone walls and overlooking fenced-off private coves.—AFP

BEIJING: China pledged to guarantee growth in the face of an “extremely grim” outlook for the global economy in 2012, as its annual policy-setting conference closed yesterday with a series of commitments to deliver economic stability.

Laying out a blueprint for the world’s secondbiggest economy in the year ahead, Beijing promised to keep monetary policy “prudent” and fiscal policy “pro-active” while ensuring stable consumer prices-language broadly in line with previous commitments.

But it was China’s view on the global economic backdrop that was a sign of the policy challenge that could lay ahead. “Looking into next year, the trend in the global economy on the whole is grim and complicated. Uncertainties are rising around a recovery in the world economy,” said a statement published on the official Xinhua news agency after the end of the annual conference.

Beijing’s wish to downplay those risks domestically was apparent in all the economic plans outlined, which broadly endorsed a decision by China’s top leaders last week to avoid big policy changes before a critical leadership succession in 2012 that will see the nation’s top two leaders retire.

“Stability means to maintain basically steady macro-economic policy, relatively fast economic growth, stable consumer prices and social stability,” one of several statements carried by the official Xinhua news agency said. The yuan’s value will be kept “basically stable”; interest rate and exchange rate reforms will continue; measures aimed at calming the property market will be maintained; exports will kept steady whilst imports boosted to balance trade.

Economists were sanguine in their initial take on the pronouncements from the single most important annual meeting in China’s economic calendar.

They singled out the commitment to domestic economic stability as a sign of steady-as-she goes policies in the year ahead. “This year it’s a lot less drama,” said Tim Condon, an economist at ING Bank in Singapore. “The statements are much less thematic than a year ago when they moved from a moderately loose to a prudent stance.”

“This is the case of an economy where policy does not need fixing so they are just staying the course.” The bevy of statements did not betray a clear policy bias between growth and inflation, a stance which some economists say underscores China’s nagging concerns that inflation could

MF’s Corzine said to know of customer fund misuse WASHINGTON: The regulatory arm of CME Group has turned over interviews to the Justice Department that allege former MF Global chief Jon Corzine knew that the now-bankrupt brokerage firm used customer money to lend to a European affiliate, a CME executive said.

The information is fourth-hand but is the strongest statement yet from a regulator that Corzine may have personally known customer funds were diverted for firm use. Federal investigators are probing why hundreds of millions of dollars in customer funds are missing, and whether the futures brokerage raided customer money to try to counter a liquidity crisis, a major violation of industry rules.

Corzine, who resigned as chief executive of MF Global early last month, has given sworn testimony that he does not know where the money is, but it is unclear if this latest revelation will legally harm him.

CME Executive Chairman Terrence Duffy, testifying to the Senate Agriculture Committee, Tuesday said a CME auditor participated in a phone call during which an MF Global employee indicated that Corzine knew of the loan.

During an internal CME interview, the auditor also revealed that the loan was for roughly $175 million to a European affiliate of MF Global and was likely made in the last couple of days prior to the firm’s Oct. 31 bankruptcy, Duffy said.

The CME is a front-line regulator for MF Global. “A CME auditor ... participated in a

phone call with senior MF Global employees wherein one employee indicated that Mr. Corzine knew about the loans that had been made from the customer segregated accounts,” Duffy said. A spokesman for Corzine and his lawyer, Andrew Levander, declined comment.

Duffy said his company has provided this information to the Justice Department and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which are investigating the matter.

The Senate Agriculture Committee’s hearing on Tuesday was the second to feature both Duffy and Corzine, among others, as lawmakers seek answers about the missing funds.

Corzine told lawmakers: “I simply do not know where the money is, or why the accounts have not been reconciled to date.” Barry Pollack, a criminal defense attorney at Miller & Chevalier, said it is uncertain if the CME auditor’s claims could hurt Corzine.

But he said that by testifying, Corzine knowingly opened himself up to the potential for charges beyond his conduct while MF Global CEO - from perjury to obstruction of justice.

“It absolutely could be nothing more than a classic game of telephone,” Pollack said. He also noted, “Mr Corzine is sophisticated enough that he knew going into this that if he gave testimony, he was going to open the flood gates.”

Corzine appeared during a panel that preceded Duffy’s testimony, dressed in a somber dark suit and closely watched by his attorney seated behind him. He used his opening state-

ment to try to correct comments he gave the prior week before the House Agriculture Committee.

At that hearing, Corzine said that while he “never intended” to break rules, an employee may have misinterpreted instructions to try to save the firm, a comment he sought to clarify on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Corzine said: “I want to be clear, I never gave any instructions to misuse customer funds, I never intended anyone at MF Global to misuse customer funds.”

Also testifying to the Senate panel on Tuesday were two top-ranking Mf Global executives - Chief Operating Officer Bradley Abelow and Chief Financial Officer Henri Steenkamp who said they, too, lacked answers about the money. Senators became agitated about the testimony, frequently asking the executives and Corzine “Where’s the money?” and “What happened?”

Senator Pat Roberts, the top Republican on the committee, raised his voice, asking, “How many heads do we have to have around here before we finally drill down and find somebody’s name that knows what the heck is going on?”

CME’s Duffy provided the most answers. He not only revealed the allegations about Corzine’s knowledge about customer-backed loans, but also stated that $950 million dollars was moved out of the customer segregated accounts to MF Global’s broker dealer.—Reuters

rebound after this year’s tentative victory.

Indeed, while noting the global economic malaise, Beijing conceded that China is in a tight spot itself, squeezed by both inflation and slowing economic growth. “We will fine-tune monetary policy in an appropriate and timely manner, according to the economic situation, and will also use various monetary tools to keep a reasonable growth in money and credit,” one statement said.

China’s economic growth has slowed down for three straight quarters and economists widely expect expansion in 2012 to be below 9 percent for the first time since 2001.

Inflation appears to be coming off the boil, having fallen from a three-year high of 6.5 percent in July to 4.2 percent in November, but stability-obsessed Beijing is wary of any policy that might revive a trend of rising prices. Economists said the official rhetoric suggested Beijing was only ready to fine-tune economic policies, rather than swing into an outright monetary easing mode to aid economic growth.

“There is no sharp reversal of (monetary policy) and there is no across-the-board easing,” said Wang Jun, an economist at CCIEE, a top government think-tank in Beijing.

“People may feel a bit disappointed. There is limited room for big policy adjustments as inflation has just slowed while economic growth is not that pessimistic.”

One statement said Beijing aims to make policies more targeted and flexible to keep pace with changes in the world economy, whose 2012 outlook was described as being “extremely grim”.

The Central Economic Work conference brings together China’s top leadership, provincial government leaders, ministers, the heads of the biggest state companies as well as the generals from the People’s Liberation Army.

Private-sector economists believe China has tacitly shifted to a pro-growth policy stance, despite Wednesday’s statements, after the central bank cut bank reserve requirements on Dec 5.

A Reuters poll last week had a consensus view that China was primed to roll back much of the monetary tightening it had used to tame inflation over the last year and cut the ratio of deposits that banks are required to keep as reserves (RRR). No aggressive policies were forecast to be used to stimulate the economy unless there was a sharp slowdown in GDP growth below 8 percent. — Reuters

SHANGHAI: A shopper (left) buys vegetables from a vender in Shanghai. Chinese leaders are pledging to seek stable and more balanced growth while fighting inflation, ending a top-level economic planning session without major shifts in policy. —AP

British jobless hit 17-year high as recession looms LONDON: The number of Britons out of work rose to its highest level in more than 17 years in October, and these jobless figures look set to rise further as firms facing the threat of a renewed recession cut back on staff.

While a surprise slowdown in the number of jobless benefit claims over the past two months

LONDON: British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne leaves Downing Street in central London yesterday. Britain’s jobless rate stood at a 15-year high of 8.3 percent in the three months to October, while the number of unemployed hit the highest level for 17 years, official data showed yesterday.— AFP

provided a glimmer of hope, many policymakers see the country on the brink of a sharp downturn as the euro crisis rages on and government spending cuts bite. The Office for National Statistics said yesterday the number of people out of work in the three months to October rose by 128,000 to 2.638 million, its highest level since 1994.

“A downturn in the UK labor market provides further evidence that the economy is sliding back into contraction,” said Chris Williamson from research firm Markit. “The number looks set to continue to increase, as private sector job losses mount on top of cuts to public sector staffing levels.” Bank of England chief economist Spencer Dale also warned that Britain’s economy may shrink for one or two quarters before making a “gentle recovery” in the second half of the year.

The central bank has already responded to the gloomy outlook by pumping more money into the economy, and many BOE watchers expect the central bank to increase its asset purchases in February beyond the current total of 275 billion pounds.

The government’s ability to boost employment is limited by its pledge to erase a budget deficit of nearly 10 percent, and at the end of November finance minister George Osborne announced further austerity steps to safeguard the top-rating for Britain’s government debt. “There’s certainly an unemployment challenge for us,” employment minister Chris Grayling told Sky News TV. “But what I do want to do is send out a message that there have at least been some signs of stabilization over the last month.”—Reuters

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BUSINESS

360 Mall wins gold at ‘ICSC Global Awards’ Honor for innovative design and development KUWAIT: 360 Mall has won the International Council of Shopping Centers’ coveted Gold Award for Innovative Design and Development of a New Project

for 2011 for the Middle East and North Africa.

The ICSC Global Awards program recognizes the best shopping

centre design and development, marketing, and retail programs from around the world.

Recognized as the benchmark for excellence in the indus-

try, the Global Awards were presented at a glittering ceremony organized by the Middle East council of Shopping Centers at

Staying festive and fruitful?

KUWAIT: Over two thirds of Gulf workers will work during the New Year break this year, yet almost half believe very little will be achieved. Monitoring work trends, Regus, the world’s largest provider of flexible workplaces, asked over 12,000 business people in 85 countries about their intentions to work during the end of year holidays. The survey reveals that although two thirds of business people will go to the office during the festive season, their levels of productivity are expected to be low, providing little value to their employers and wasting employees’ precious home and family time Regus CEO, Mark Dixon commuting.

Key findings include: l70% of Gulf business people will work during the end of year festive period. lTwo thirds of Gulf respondents working over the break (66%) will travel into the office to do so; l46% of Gulf respondents believe that workers will get very little done in this work time; lTwo fifths of Gulf business people (41%) think that staff working over the holidays mostly tend to use this time to catch up on unfinished tasks. Regus CEO, Mark Dixon comments: “The holiday season is a special time for people to devote to their families and friends without neglecting their work duties. However our research suggests many people are not taking full advantage of the break and, if they are also travelling into the office to work, are unnecessarily squandering precious time with their loved ones.“As the developed world faces economic difficulties and rapidly developing countries deal with the challenge of sustainable growth, businesses are under enormous pressure to keep a full head of steam, so it is not surprising that workers use this time to catch up on unfinished work. But are workers choosing to power through the break really producing the best value for their efforts? “With the holiday season approaching, businesses are ever more focused on how to achieve or improve the work/life balance they offer so that workers can spend time with their loved ones. Particularly workers making the effort to travel in to work with limited transport options and in some cases adverse weather conditions could benefit from using a work location closer to home, reducing time wasted in commuting and maximizing the time they can spend with their families during the break.”

the Armani Hotel, Dubai on the 28th of November amidst an august audience of regional and international shopping centre developers and operators. The

award was received by David Boesley - Chief Operating Officer - of GLA Property Management Company, the Manager of 360

Mall. Gold Award winners from each region, including 360 Mall will be automatically entered into an international competition for the Viva (Vision, Innovation, Value, and Achievement) Best-of-the-Best Awards to be held in the USA. RTKL Associates Inc. the USA based designers of 360 Mall were recognized at the award function for their design through the International Council of Shopping Center’s Gold Award. RTKL has created values of the brand through a meticulous design process to create one of the largest and most dynamic retail destinations in Kuwait.

Commenting on the win, Marzouq Jassim Al-Marzouq, Chairman -Tamdeen Shopping Centers Company, the Owner of 360 Mall commented, “The International Council of Shopping Center is the apex body of the industry that monitors and recognizes excellence. We are honored to have been recognized and to win this award. This recognition is an addition to the prestigious RLI award won by 360 Mall earlier this year. It certainly reaffirms our belief that we must strive to develop projects that set new standards and raise the bar for the retail real estate sector in Kuwait and Internationally. As we move forward this will remain a guiding principle for us.”

360 Mall integrates retail, leisure and entertainment in a luxury environment; positioning it as the premier luxury shopping experience in Kuwait offering shoppers and visitors exciting leisure and shopping experiences. Amongst its stores are a mix of luxury brands, dining and entertainment which have been introduced for the first time in Kuwait The mall’s elegant interiors include seven different experience zones. The 360 Mall marks a milestone in the growth of the retail sector in Kuwait and is clearly a turning point for the industry.

CFC issues amortizing bonds worth KD 50m KUWAIT: Commercial Facilities Company SAK (CFC), a leading Kuwaiti consumer finance company announced the successful completion of a KD50mn ($180 million) local bond issuance in which NBK Capital acted as the Lead Manager.

CFC is the largest non-bank consumer lender in Kuwait, with gross installment

Abdullah Al-Humaidhi debtors portfolio of approximately KD 297mn as of 31 December 2010. The Issuer ser ves a diverse client base exceeding hundred thousand and enjoys a 30% market share of consumer loans. In 2010, CFC generated an income from credit installments of approximately KD 23.3mn and a net profit of approximately KD 17.1 mn.

Over the past 20 years, CFC has formed a solid track record of issuing bonds exceeding KD 75mn combined, which were paid off in time without extensions. The KD50mn bond is the

largest of its previous issuances. The company’s reputable credit record and exceeding financial reputation were drivers behind the successful subscription of this bond offering.

This promising bond issuance marks the first local announcement in the last 18 months and the first to be approved and super vised by Kuwait ’s newly formed Capital Markets Authority, yet another significant milestone in CFC’s illustrious market presence.

The valuable amortizing bonds issued

by CFC have a 4-year tenure and were issued at a floating rate paying investors a coupon of 1.40% yearly over the declared CBK Discount Rate. The bonds are issued at par, pay coupons quarterly in arrears and will be redeemed in quarterly installments after the second year from issuance date. Proceeds from CFC’s bond issuance, which was rated BBB by Capital Intelligence, will be used for general corporate purposes.

CFC’s Chairman and Managing Director Abdullah Saud Al-Humaidhi, commented that the successful issuance reflects the bond investors’ confidence in CFC. It also adds to the track record CFC built over the past 34 years as a leading Kuwaiti consumer financing company as well as its commitment in serving debts.

As Lead Managers, NBK Capital commented on the issuance. Salah Al-Fulaij, CEO of NBK Capital stated that this issuance is an important one as it comes at a vital time for financial institutions that are flushed with liquidity, giving them a solid, profitable and prudent investment opportunity in one of Kuwait’s blue-chip companies.

Aujan Industries, Coca-Cola sign $980 million agreement DUBAI: Aujan Industries, one of the largest independent beverage companies in the Middle East, and the CocaCola Company yesterday announced a binding agreement for the Coca-Cola Company to acquire approximately half of the equity in Aujan’s existing beverage business.

Once closed, this $980 million transaction will provide Saudi Arabia-based Aujan Industries a platform to accelerate the international growth of the Aujan brands, including Rani and Barbican, while enhancing the regional outlook for licensed brand Vimto. The transaction will present The Coca-Cola Company a significant equity stake in one of the leading still beverage businesses in the Middle East.

This transaction represents the largest-ever investment by a multinational firm in the Middle East’s fast moving consumer goods sector, reflecting the strength of Aujan’s operations.

Aujan holds a top-three position in still beverages in every country in which it operates and is one of the top 100 companies in Saudi Arabia with total annual revenues exceeding $850 million. “As one of the region’s leading beverage companies, this partnership will allow us to unlock new and substantial opportunities,” said Sheik h Adel Aujan, Chairman of Aujan Industries. “Drawing upon Aujan’s deep regional insights and the international capabilities of The Coca-Cola Company, Aujan will continue to leverage the strength of its leadership team and is now positioned for even greater success in the region and internationally.

“Today’s announcement marks the fruition of extensive dialogue between

Schmidt, Agility launch dry bulk supply chain JV DUBAI: Agility, a leading global logistics provider, and Schmidt Heilbronn, a leading European dry bulk chemicals logistics provider, yesterday launched SAMEL, a joint venture. This partnership will address the sharply increasing need -

ABK launches new Version of iAhli Application

Othman Tawfiqi

KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait’s constant endeavor is to empower its products and services with newer technology. As such, the Bank has now added some modifications to its iAhli application that was recently launched for both iPhone and iPad users. In the latest version the design has been further developed with the animation technique being used, in addition to upgrading its range of benefits and options, to make the application more user-friendly.

Othman Tawfiqi, Head of Alternate Delivery Channels, explained the new updates, “In ABK we are committed to upgrading our banking services with the best use of technology, thus the launch of the new version of the iAhli application which enables users to access a range of

information. iAhli application users will now have access to the latest ABK news, and view ABK’s television commercials through the media center. Moreover, they will be able to contact the Bank directly through the application in order to get their queries answered. In addition they can view the list of Executive Management and other key information.”

He added, “The new version of the iAhli application provides access to a lot more follow up information. The user can search effortlessly for branch locations around Kuwait, calculate loans, and view new offers and currency exchange rates, in addition to the weather forecast and prayer timings. Our young Fahoodi customers can also play their favorite games through it.”

Aujan and The Coca-Cola Company which has resulted in a soundly based framework for the commercial development of the business. Now supported by our shared heritage of more than 200 years, we are beginning an exciting new chapter in Aujan’s history.”

Under the terms of the agreement, The Coca-Cola Company will acquire 50 percent of the Aujan entity that holds the rights to Aujan-owned brands, and 49 percent of Aujan’s bottling and distribution company. The licensed brand Vimto will remain with the Aujan-managed bottling and distribution company.

The Coca-Cola system - which currently employs more than 40,000 people across the Arab world - announced in October 2011 that it will invest $5 billion in the Middle East and North Africa region over the next 10 years.

“The Middle East is a high-growth region with some of the highest rates of Non Alcoholic Ready To Drink per capita consumption. Today’s announcement is a demonstration of our commitment to consumers here that we are investing for the long term,” said Ahmet C Bozer, President, Coca-Cola Eurasia and Africa Group. “In addition to their great brands, we are investing in Aujan because it is a well-run, successful business. This transaction creates a platform for further cooperation between The Coca-Cola Company, Aujan and existing bottling partners across the region.”

This agreement excludes Aujan’s Iranian manufacturing and distribution business. Closing of the transaction is subject to certain conditions. Both companies expect the transaction to close in the first half of 2012.

Wolfgang Hoppmann, CEO, Samel especially across the Middle East - for dry bulk solutions on the back of rapid growth in chemical manufacturing in the region.

The joint venture combines Schmidt Heilbronn’s specialized expertise in bulk polymer logistics with Agility’s global logistics network, strength in emerging

markets and in-house chemicals specialty. SAMEL’s focus will be on the Middle East and other major developing economies around the world.

The collaboration brings to the market - and to its customers - a complete package from design and construction to ongoing supply chain management, operations and dry bulk transport.

“Schmidt and Agility are delivering the right solution to the market at the right time,” said Andrew Jackson, President and CEO, Agility Chemicals. “ We now have everything we need under one roof to meet customer needs across the Middle East and beyond including tailored financing packages, turnkey construction and modern, reduced carbon footprint freight methods.”

“This venture brings together a unique blend of experience and technical knowledge,” said Wolfgang Hoppmann, CEO, SAMEL. “ The degree of success with which our two companies have worked together is a tremendous platform for Schmidt and Agility as we look to the future and to the massive opportunity we see both in the Middle East and across emerging markets generally.”

The companies have previously worked closely on the massive Shanghai Logistics Hub project, one of the biggest facilities of its kind in China.

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TECHNOLOGY

Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 for Windows tops score The authoritative AV-Test lab has announced that Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 for Windows once again came top in a recent test against its rivals. The test, conducted in September-October, is the second time the respected independent test lab has put Kaspersky Lab’s new corporate solution through its paces. An earlier test in summer 2011 also saw Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 for

Windows secure first place.

As in the earlier test, seven leading corporate security solutions were assessed for their ability to withstand zero-day attacks, recognize malicious objects, and detect and delete malicious programs on already infected machines running Windows XP SP3.

Other factors such as performance and false positives were also taken into consideration.

Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 for Windows came out on top, scoring 16 points out of a possible 18. The solution from Symantec received 14.5, McAfee’s solution scored 11.5, while the Trend Micro solution only managed a score of 10.5.

When it came to treating active infections, Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 for Windows demonstrated the best result, scoring a near-perfect

97% compared to an industry average of 84%. Of particular note was the Kaspersky Lab solution’s assured performance at neutralizing not only the main malicious programs but all the accompanying components which are especially prevalent among rootkits and bootkits. As a result, the product succeeded in identifying and removing all the rookits during testing, something none of the other products

could achieve. Moreover, Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 for Windows did not generate a single false positive. “ The autumn testing by AV-Test confirms the overall consistency of our corporate solution: it copes effectively with unknown threats, does not produce false positives and doesn’t slow down the system either,” commented Nikita Shvetsov, Director of AntiMalware Research of Kaspersky Lab.

Autodesk unveils new initiative to highlight software license compliance Kuwait have the highest rate of piracy in GCC

By Islam Al-Sharaa KUWAIT: A leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, in conjunction with the Intellectual Property (IP) Department yesterday launched a new license compliance initiative in Kuwait to promote copyright pro-

the GCC region to have the highest rate of piracy at 62 percent. The report further highlights that a 10 percent drop in Kuwait’s piracy rates would give the country’s economy a US $350 million boost through taxes and improved revenues in the IT industry.

“Our approach is to work with our channel

KUWAIT: Ahmad Al Jassim, Country Manager, Gulf for Autodesk highlighting solutions.

Attendees at the seminar. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat tection and further educate businesses, students and the general public of the benefits of using legal software.

A recent study by Business Software Alliance (BSA) and technology consultancy, IDC reveals, Kuwait as one of the countries in

partners and industry organizations to highlight Autodesk solutions & the many benefits of license compliance to businesses across Kuwait,” says Ahmad Al Jassim, Country Manager, Gulf for Autodesk. “It is an important step towards achieving a lower software pira-

Intel alliance will let chips chat at close range SAN FRANCISCO: Intel and INSIDE Secure late Tuesday unveiled an alliance which will enable the US chip colossus to make processors that let mobile gadgets act as wallets, tickets, car finders and more. An agreement between the firms gives Intel access to software and hardware technology at INSIDE, which specializes in near-field communications (NFC) that give chips the ability to securely exchange data wirelessly at short range.

“NFC is gaining traction in many markets as one of the most convenient ways to use consumer electronic devices for payments and retail commerce transactions, for access to facilities and information, and a host of other applications,” said Intel mobile wireless group vice president Aicha Evans.

“We look forward to working with INSIDE to develop and bring to market a range of exciting connectivity solutions for mainstream consumer products that incorporate NFC features.” The companies did not disclose financial terms of the agreement.

Intel is considering including NFC capabilities in designs used to showing ways chips can be used in products but was not ready to share specifics, according to company spokeswoman Agnes Kwan.

“We are seeing a lot of interesting developments in the industry and we do see that NFC has great potential for consumer devices,” Kwan told AFP. INSIDE, which was founded in 1995 and has its headquarters in Aix-enProvence in France, has seem booming interest in NFC this year, according to chief operating officer Charles Walton.

The company shipped 10 million NFC chip sets to market in the third quarter and is on “an accelerated track,” Walton told AFP. “We’ve spent years perfecting this technology,” he said. “We’ve given Intel a real advantage in getting to market fast.”

Uses for NFC chips include holding financial information to serve as wallets, getting news about films or products by waving smartphones near posters, and being guided to cars in large garages, according to INSIDE. Google in September cleared the way for customers to pay at participating shops using Google Nexus S 4G smartphones on the Sprint telecom network and promising more Android handsets to come. Google Wallet uses NFC chips embedded in a phone to allow users to “tap-andpay” for purchases at checkout registers equipped with the PayPass system from CitiMasterCard.

Chips essentially transmit credit card details to sensors at checkouts to consummate purchases. Customers can also use a Google Prepaid card to pay for purchases, topping up the Google card with any payment card, and take advantage of Google Offers, the Mountain View, Californiabased company’s online discount coupon program. —AFP

cy rate market in Kuwait, which will help the country’s growth in the information technology front,” he adds.

Autodesk’s basic strategy is to increase awareness on the benefits of using genuine software, while continuously supporting all engineering firms in Kuwait. Autodesk provides the best engineering and infrastructural design applications in an attempt to raise productivity levels for Kuwait businesses.

Autodesk’s educational program will highlight the adverse effects of pirated software on the nation’s economy thus lowering IT costs, and increasing the ROI for businesses in Kuwait.

Autodesk encourages the practice of Software Asset Management (SAM) as a way for customers to ensure license compliance throughout their organisation. It provides a free SAM toolkit containing guidelines and templates to help them ensure they are using software in a legal and ethical manner. In addition, its product manager software download helps customers and users better manage and track installed Autodesk products.

IPR Laws in Kuwait What are the IPR Laws and penalties?

The protection of intellectual property in Kuwait is governed by the law no 64 of the year 1999 under which any illegal use of any software whether by making copies thereof or using it without an authorization of its original owner is considered as a violation and a criminal offense and is subject to severe penalties.

Such penalties can range from KD 500 as monetary penalty to closure of the shop selling such illegal software or company using such illegal software to the imprisonment of the user.

Moreover, such criminal offense can provide the original owner of the software the right to initiate civil action against the offender and claim huge monetary compensation for the damages caused by such illegal use.

Lawyer’s details Autodesk is legally represented in Kuwait

by Al Khebra legal Consultants and lawyers.

Both Al Khebra and Autodesk have built throughout the years a very strong relation and cooperation that enabled them to achieve great results whether by achieving amicable settlements or succeeding in getting judgment awards in favor of Autodesk forcing the users to legalize their situation.

Volkswagen Behbehani encourages everyone to ‘Think Blue’ KUWAIT: Volkswagen Behbehani, in cooperation with its regional head office, announces “Think Blue,” the car manufacturer’s environmentally conscious campaign, shortly to be launched in Kuwait and the Middle East. “Think Blue” embodies Volkswagen’s goal of creating environmentally friendly products and solutions, encouraging the public to be more ecoconscious and contribute to a sustainable future. “Think Blue” is a concept that encourages being more responsible on the road, and more environmentally conscious in everyday life.

Discussing “Think Blue,” Stefan Mecha, Managing Director, Volkswagen Middle East, commented: “I am pleased to announce that Volkswagen Middle East is introducing the global initiative ‘Think Blue’ to the Middle East. ‘Think Blue’ is about more than economic engines and fuel efficiency, it is about consciously changing small habits in one’s lifestyle that will help, for example, to save energy, save water and recycle goods - small steps really do lead to great changes.”

Volkswagen Middle East is committed to making a difference to the environment, and as a result already includes more economically friendly engines within its innovative, German engineered cars.

The DSG dual clutch gearbox saves 15 percent fuel and the TSI engine turbo is Volkswagen’s small engine that is environmentally efficient but does not compromise on power.

In order to actively follow the “Think Blue” philosophy, Volkswagen Middle East recently participated in the Asia Pacific Natural Gas Vehicle Associates (ANGVA) Green Highway 2011 event held in Dubai.

The Green Highway project is dedicated to raising awareness for the importance of fulfilling the vision of making natural gas and energy efficient cars available. As the “People’s car,” Volkswagen has a number of technologies available, including hybrid and electric solutions using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) , a key propriety within its sustainability strategy.

“Think Blue” is a global Volkswagen campaign that has been embraced by a number of key markets. Volkswagen Sweden, for example, created “The Fun Theory,” which is based on the idea that something as simple as “fun” is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Volkswagen believes that more people will act responsibly, and drive greener, if they have fun along the way.

Volkswagen Sweden created interesting and engaging viral videos which promoted recycling and safe driving.

Mecha concluded: “We’re proud of the success ‘Think Blue’ has achieved in other countries, and we look forward to emulating the same success over the coming years.” Also commenting on the “Think Blue” initiative, Abdullah Ali, General Manager of Volkswagen Behbehani, said: “As the people’s car, it is only natural that Volkswagen Behbehani plays its part in securing the future of our planet.

Volkswagen is a leader in the automotive industry, and as such, will be a leader in moving our society towards being more eco-conscious and environmentally responsible.

“Volkswagen Behbehani hopes to inspire Kuwait with the ‘Think Blue’ initiative, as we have been inspired to institute more eco-friendly vehicles.”

HONG KONG: The robot car of the “Cooky” exhibition is seen at the SIGGRAPH Asia 2011 Exhibition in Hong Kong yesterday. “Cooky” is designed to help the user cook various customized recipes. —AFP

Invisible computing comes to Asia tech expo HONG KONG: A robotic cook, a colouring book that comes to virtual life and movies that read your mind are some of the innovations on show at a cuttingedge computer technology exhibition in Hong Kong this week.

The first Hong Kong edition of the SIGGRAPH expo of computer graphics, interactive technology and digital media brings together developers, distributors and resellers from around the world. But while most of the conference is about business, some of the most interesting— and just plain bizarre—gadgets are not for sale.

The “emerging technologies” hall is where the real boffins from universities and research laboratories strut their stuff with prototypes fresh off the drawing board, in the name of science rather than profit. Mark Billinghurst, director of the Human Interface Technology Laboratory at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, said the research was breaking down the physical and mental barriers between humans and computers.

“What the emerging technologies show is how the technology can be used in different playful and artistic ways,” he told AFP as the three-day expo in Hong Kong’s convention centre opened Tuesday. “We’re entering an era now of, I guess you would call it invisible computing, where I can interact with the real world like I normally would and the computer monitors what I’m doing and reacts automatically.

“No longer do we have this separation between the user and the computer like we had 20 or 30 years ago.” His colleagues’ contribution to the exhibition includes a system that instantly turns pages from a child’s colouring book into three-dimensional computer animation.

“That’s really fun for children because they can easily colour and then they can see their colouring image come to life,” Billinghurst said. Similar “augmented reality” technology is already common in everyday life, from Nintendo’s Wii game console to fighter pilots’ heads-up displays.

Unlike virtual reality, which aims to replace the real world with a digital one, augmented reality seeks to enhance reality by seamlessly mixing it with computer-generated information and technology. One of the simplest new prototypes on display at SIGGRAPH is a vibrating phone that allows users to tickle each other through the touch screen.

“That’s really fun because normally

when you play with your friends at a remote distance you can’t touch them or feel them, but with this you can have that physical contact,” Billinghurst said.

Another highlight is a thought-controlled movie programme that can respond to brain impulses. Depending on the electrical currents on the scalp, it can show more or less violence, for example.

“The movie adapts to your behaviour and shows you more of that content, so that’s one way you can have a movie that responds to you,” Billinghurst said. Other innovations include polychrome paper that changes colour in response to the warmth of touch, a dress that turns transparent when the wearer’s heartbeat increases, and three-dimensional, interactive wall-art.

“This is the type of thing that you might see in a ‘Terminator’ movie,” said Billinghurst, referring to a “telepresence” robot that sends tactile feedback about its surroundings via a vibrating belt worn around the controller’s waist.

Its developers at Toyohashi University of Technology in Japan have given it the not-so-catchy name of NAVIgoid: Robot Navigation with Haptic Vision. Co-developer Dzmitry Tsetserukou-a towering, bespectacled man from Belarus-wobbles backwards and forwards as he manoeuvres the robot with his body.

Wraparound dark glasses allow him to see images transmitted from the robot’s “eyes”, while the belt delivers sensory information about obstacles. “Our body is the joystick and gives us feedback. It’s very intuitive,” he said.

The NAVIgoid is not the only device using a “human joystick” at the exhibition. Another is the Joyman, developed

by French-based research centres to enhance navigation in virtual worlds by making it a full-body experience. Other robots include Cooky, developed by Japan’s Keio University and the University of Tokyo, which can cook dinner while the user takes a shower or watches TV-although they still have to chop the ingredients.

“This is just a simple robot so we still need to prepare the ingredients, but in the future everything will be done by a robot,” said researcher Daisuke Sakamoto, who specialises in the interplay between humans and robots.

“Human-robot interaction technology is currently very poor. Our robot is showing that the concept behind this kind of interface is very important,” he said. —AFP

HONG KONG: An exhibitor replaces the batteries for a robot at the “Influencia: Living Life with Sentient Machines” exhibition at the SIGGRAPH Asia 2011 Exhibition in Hong Kong yesterday. The robots in the Influencia exhibition sense and respond to the presence of people within the area. — AFP

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

WHO sets new goal in fight against malaria LONDON: Health officials hope to virtually eliminate malaria deaths in the next few years - despite having failed to meet an earlier goal of cutting the disease’s incidence in half by 2010.

In a report released Tuesday by the World Health Organization, experts said they only managed to reduce malaria by 17 percent since 2000. Last year, there were about 216 million cases of malaria worldwide, with about 81 percent of those in Africa, mostly in children under five. But those figures come with a big margin of error since WHO did not have enough data for more than two dozen African countries to accurately track malaria’s spread. Dr Robert Newman, director of WHO’s malaria program, said

it is disappointing not to have reduced malaria by 50 percent by last year. But, he said, it was “truly significant progress” that the parasitic disease’s death rates fell by more than one-third in Africa.

He described the current goal of cutting malaria deaths to “near zero” by the end of 2015 as “aspirational,” but added that it wouldn’t be accomplished unless every person at risk has access to a bed net and suspected cases are properly diagnosed and treated. Newman also said it would cost $6 billion a year about three times more than the world currently spends - to be successful.

“It is unacceptable that people continue to die from malaria for lack of a $5 bed net, a 50 cent diagnostic test and a

$1 anti-malarial treatment,” Newman said in an email. Some experts questioned if WHO should be setting such lofty goals, especially at a time of declining funding.

“I understand why people want these big, audacious targets, but it may undermine malaria (control) in the long term,” said Richard Tren, director of the nonprofit Africa Fighting Malaria.

Health officials tried in the 1950s to eradicate malaria, but gave up about a decade later. That failure prompted donors to lose interest, allowing the disease to surge. “It may be reckless to overreach,” Tren told The Associated Press. The financial crisis won’t help matters. The world’s top funder of public

health programs - the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria recently announced it has run out of money for its next round of grants.

Dr Tido von Schoen Angerer, an executive director at Medecins Sans Frontieres, warned the cash-flow problems at the Global Fund could mean delays in getting new bed nets and money for new treatment programs.

“We really risk losing some of the hardwon (gains) in malaria control,” he said.

WHO’s Newman said other major donors - including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Britain and the US are not expected to trim their donations. Gates has previously called for malaria to be completely wiped out, a

goal Newman says might be possible in several decades. Malaria is a potentially fatal disease caused by parasites spread to people via mosquito bites. It is most serious in young children and pregnant women. Newman said there are new tools being developed that could eventually help stop the disease, including longer lasting bed nets, a vaccine, and new medicines. He also said more investment is needed to improve disease surveillance. For many African countries where malaria is circulating, officials use modeling estimates, not actual cases of sick patients. “Unless we know where we still have malaria, we cannot successfully take the fight to the next level,” he said.— AP

US court battle escalates over morning-after pill New lawsuit planned

SANTIAGO: In this image taken from a video released by Luis Calvo Mackenna hospital, Jessica Navarrete, right, and Roberto Paredes, parents of conjoined twins Maria Paz and Maria Jose Paredes Navarrete kiss them before a separation surgery in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday. Chilean doctors started a long and dangerous surgery to separate 10-months-old conjoined twins who are joined at the chest, stomach and pelvis. — AP

Chilean doctors separate conjoined twin girls SANTIAGO: Chilean doctors successfully separated conjoined twin girls early Wednesday after a marathon 18-hour surger y widely followed in the South American country on television and the Internet. The 10-month-old twins Maria Paz and Maria Jose are in stable condition even after losing a lot of blood and they are resting in the intensive care unit at Luis Calvo Mackenna Hospital, chief surgeon Francisco Ossandon said.

Parents Jessica Navarrete and Roberto Paredes kept an anxious vigil at the hospital in Santiago as doctors separated the twins at the thorax, stomach and pelvis. It was the seventh and most complex operation yet for the twins.

“Both were successfully separated,” Ossandon said at a news conference. “We had a number of difficulties during the surgery, there were some surprises, but we were able to fix, solve the problems.” He added that the twins came out of the surgery in “good condition.” Ossandon, however, didn’t rule out future complications involving the effects from anesthesia and possible infections.

Navarrete said she was waiting for “a

miracle from God” when the high-risk operation began Tuesday morning. The Chilean twins presented a particularly difficult challenge because they were born sharing many of the same internal organs and even urinary system. About 100 people participated in the procedure, including 25 surgeons and anesthesiologists.

Perhaps providing some comfort to the parents was the hospital’s history with conjoined twins. Staff there have separated three sets before.

A fourth set, however, died during surgery due to cardiac complications.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, one out of every 200,000 live births worldwide results in conjoined twins. About 35 percent survive only one day, while the overall survival rate is 5 percent to 25 percent.

The twins were born in the Villarrica hospital about 470 miles (760 kilometers) from Santiago and were kept under constant medical care, surviving with the aid of an artificial respirator. Earlier this year, doctors separated the twins’ legs, urinary tracts, pulmonary systems and other parts of their bodies. —AP

US cracking down on painkiller abuse WASHINGTON: US health authorities are directing Medicare prescription drug plans to withhold payments for popular painkillers when they suspect patient abuse, part of a wider effort to combat fraud. The Department of Health and Human Services noted evidence of “doctor shopping,” when patients approach several doctors to get multiple prescriptions of addictive painkillers like OxyContin and Percocet. It also encouraged doctors to issue prescriptions for such drugs that provide a supply of 30 days or less.

The Government Accountability Office found that in 2008 some 170,000 people in Medicare, the federal health insurance for the elderly, received prescriptions from five or more doctors for drugs that are frequently abused. They incurred about $148 million in prescription drug costs, much of

which was paid for by the government.

Painkillers including OxyContin, made by Purdue Pharma, and Percocet, from Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc, represent the fifth most-filled class of prescription drugs in Medicare, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Abuse of painkillers is also responsible for more deaths than illegal drugs like cocaine and heroin combined.

Nearly 15,000 Americans died from a record number of overdoses of prescription painkillers in 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last month.

The CDC estimated that as of last year, 12 million Americans were using prescription opioid or narcotic pain relievers. HHS said the government has recovered almost $3 billion resulting from healthcare fraud this year. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: Women’s health advocates said Tuesday they will sue the US government for allegedly violating the constitutional rights of young teens by denying them over-the-counter access to emergency contraception.

The suit is a new escalation in the decade -long battle over whether young teens should be able to get the morning-after pill without seeing a doctor first, and comes a week after the US government blocked access without a prescription to those under 17.

Women’s health groups have been urging the Food and Drug Administration to make emergency contraception more widely available to girls by filing a citizen’s petition asking the regulator to remove prescription requirements.

A federal judge in Brooklyn held a hearing on the matter Tuesday and ruled that the Center for Reproductive Rights no longer had any standing to hold the FDA in contempt for ignoring a 2001 peti-

tion, because the FDA had answered at the last minute late Monday, saying it needed more data. However, Judge Edward Korman, who has sided with women’s groups in the past, urged them to reopen a 2005 lawsuit that alleges the FDA is violating women’s rights and exceeding its own authority in an “arbitrary and capricious” way.

“This fight is far from over. We intend to take every legal step necessary to hold the FDA and this administration accountable for its extraordinar y actions to block women from safe, effective emergency contraception,” said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights. This time, the suit will add Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius as a defendant because she stepped in last week to block the FDA from allowing over-the-counter access to anyone age 12-16, Northup said.

A drug called Plan B One -Step

made by Teva Pharmaceuticals has been available at pharmacy counters without a prescription to women 17 and older since 2009, but younger girls must see a doctor first to obtain a prescription.

The pill contains levonorgestrel, found in many types of birth control, but at a higher dose that can prevent fertilization or may stop a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus, thus preventing pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.

After an appeal by the drugmaker to remove prescription requirements, the FDA said it was poised to allow the switch to overthe-counter status but was overruled at the last minute by Sebelius. Women’s health advocates argue that US regulators have placed politics above science by restricting access to the morningafter pill. Opponents say there is scant evidence that young teens are mature enough to use it properly. President Barack Obama

angered many in his liberal base when he backed Sebelius’s decision, essentially siding with conservative groups. “ As the father of two daughters, I think it is important for us to make sure that we apply some common sense to various rules when it comes to over-the-counter medicine,” Obama said on Thursday. In a sign of increasing political discontent over the matter, 14 US senators on Tuesday sent a letter to Sebelius demanding that she “provide the scientific basis behind her decision.”

“We ask that you share with us your specific rationale and the scientific data you relied on for the decision to overrule the FDA recommendation,” said the letter, signed by 13 Democrats and one independent.

“On behalf of the millions of women we represent, we want to be assured that this and future decisions affecting women’s health will be based on medical and scientific evidence.” —AFP

Studies overplayed cellphone crash risk DETRIOT: The increased risk of having a car crash attributed to people using their cellphones while driving may have been overestimated in some past studies, a US analysis said. Socalled “distracted driving” has become a big public health issue in recent years, and the majority of US states now ban texting behind the wheel. A handful prohibit drivers from using handheld cellphones at all.

But studies have reached different conclusions about how much of an added crash risk there is, and a recent analysis by researchers at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit found that two influential studies may have overestimated the risk. Lead author Richard Young wrote in the journal Epidemiology that the method of two studies on the issue-one 1997 study in Canada, and another from Australia in 2005, which said that cellphone use while driving raised the crash risk four-fold- may have posed problems.

The studies recruited people who had been in a crash, and then used their billing records to compare their cellphone use during the time of the crash with their cell use during the same time period the week before, a so-called “control window.” “Earlier ... studies likely overestimated the relative risk for cellphone conversations while driving by implicitly assuming that driving during a control window was full-time when it may have been only part-time,” he wrote. Such “part-time” driving would necessarily cut the odds of having a crash, and possibly reduce people’s cellphone use, during the control window-and make it seem as if cellphone use is a bigger crash risk. The two studies asked people if they had been driving during the control window, but they did not account for parttime driving. Young and his team used GPS data to track dayto-day driving consistency for 439 drivers over 100 days. The days were grouped into pairs: day one was akin to the “control” days used in the earlier studies, and day two the equivalent of the “crash” day.

Overall, there was little consistency between the two days when it came to driving time. When he looked at all control windows where a person did some driving, the total amount of time on the road was about one-fourth of what it was during a “crash” day.

If that information were applied to the two earlier studies, Young estimates, the crash risk tied to cellphone use would have been statistically insignificant-and may help explain why some earlier studies have not linked cellphone use to an increased crash risk.—Reuters

SOFIA: An elderly man smokes cigarette in a cafe in Sofia yesterday.

Bulgaria’s government proposed a total ban on smoking in closed public places including cafes, bars and restaurants — from June 1, 2012, its press office said. — AFP

Heavy-smoking Bulgaria eyes extending ban SOFIA: The government of tobacco addicted Bulgaria proposed yesterday a total ban on smok ing from June 1 in enclosed public places, including cafes, bars and restaurants, its press office said.

The small Balkan country, home to the European Union’s second-heaviest smokers after Greece, banned the habit in all government buildings, public transport, trains, cinemas, schools and k indergartens in 2005.

But bars, cafes and restaurants were allowed to have separate smoking and non-smoking sections, while establishments smaller than 100 square metres

(around 1,100 square feet) could choose for themselves. The proposed new ban, which needs to be approved by parliament and is the second government attempt after a previous effort failed in April 2010, will close this loophole.

“The measure aims to limit smoking and its harmful effects on health as cigarettes are a key risk factor for many socially significant diseases-oncological, heart and pulmonary,” the government proposal said. Health ministry data show that some 3.0 million Bulgarians, or about 44 percent of the total population, are regular smokers. — AFP

Russian who helped put Gagarin in space dies at 99

KABUL: In this photograph taken on October 24, 2011, Afghan woman Hasrat Bibi sits on a bed at a hospital in Kabul. Three times Hasrat Bibi gave birth. Each time her baby was dead before reaching the outside world. Her plight has left her incontinent and a social outcast, but in Afghanistan her story is sadly familiar. Having a baby can be a treacherous task in Afghanistan, where new figures show that one woman dies every two hours from pregnancy-related causes.— AFP

MOSCOW: One of the last surviving architects of the Soviet space programme that put Yuri Gagarin into orbit half a century ago died yesterday, officials said. He was 99. Boris Chertok, who helped design the country’s first ballistic missiles, was a close colleague of the Soviet rocket design genius Sergei Korolyov who is widely credited for giving the USSR the lead in the early space race. “He died today at 7.40 am in the morning,” spokesman for Russian rocketbuilder Energia told AFP. Chertok was considered one of the last living legends of the early years of human space flight who made Gagarin’s trailblazing 1961 flight a reality.

“He was the last of the ‘Mohicans’,” Mikhail Turchin, Chertok’s assistant since 1965, told AFP. “He was Korolyov’s last deputy.” Chertok was a close associate of Korolyov, considered the father of the Soviet space programme, and designed the country’s first satellites and spacecraft including the spaceship that took Gagarin around the globe

on his historic 108-minute journey. Chertok started his career at Energia in 1947 and stayed with the company until his last days, working as its chief scientific consultant. He died just two and a half months shy of his 100th birthday. “We were preparing to celebrate his birthday,” the Energia spokesman said, adding that he impressed everyone around him with clarity of thought, even if he needed assistance getting to work in his last years. Colleagues spoke warmly of him, saying his role in the country’s space programme could not be overestimated. “Boris Chertok is the thread that connects our generation with the generation of Sergei Korolyov, with those people who were behind modern-day space exploration,” cosmonaut Musa Manarov said on popular Echo of Moscow radio. “When I looked at him, I thought that everyone should live to be 100 because he continued having clarity of mind and memory and a great command of speech.”

Chertok was also the author of numerous

books. He documented one of the world’s most horrific but long-classified space catastrophes when dozens people were burned alive during a launch pad accident in 1960 at the Baikonur cosmodrome, known in the West as the Nedelin disaster. The precise number of those perished when noxious rocket fuel exploded was hard to pin down but Russian space agency Roskosmos relies on figures provided by Chertok who put the number at 129. After a wake Friday Chertok will be cremated and his ashes will then be laid to rest next to his wife, said Turchin.

Sending the first man into space in 1961 and launching the first Sputnik satellite four years earlier are among key accomplishments of the Soviet space programme and remain a major source of national pride in Russia. The country has suffered some of its most embarrassing space mishaps in recent months, including the loss of a probe that aimed to bring back soil from Mars’s largest moon Phobos. —AFP

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H E A LT H

Kids won’t eat veggies?

Try rewards LONDON: If your preschoolers turn up their noses at carrots or celery, a small reward like a sticker for taking even a taste may help get them to eat previously shunned foods, a UK study said. Though it might seem obvious that a reward could tempt young children to eat their vegetables, the idea is actually controversial, researchers wrote in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. That’s because some studies have shown that rewards can backfire and cause children to lose interest in foods they already liked, said Jane Wardle, a researcher at University College London who worked on the study.

Verbal praise, such as “Brilliant! You’re a great vegetable taster,” did not work as well. “We would recommend that parents consider using small non-food rewards, given daily for tasting tiny pieces of the foodsmaller than half a little finger nail,” Wardle said in an email. The study found that when parents gave their three- and four-year-olds a sticker each time they took a “tiny taste” of a disliked vegetable, it gradually changed the children’s attitudes. Over a couple of weeks, children rewarded this way were giving higher ratings to vegetables, with the foods moving up the scale from between 1 and 2 — somewhere between “yucky” and “just okay”-to between 2 and 3, or “just okay” and “yummy.”

The children were also willing to eat more of the vegetables either carrots, celery, cucumber, red pepper, cabbage or sugar snap peas-in laboratory taste tests, the study said.

Researchers randomly assigned 173 families to one of three groups. In one, parents used stickers to reward their child each time they took a tiny sample of a disliked vegetable. A second group of parents used verbal praise. The third group, where parents used no special veggie-promoting tactics, served as a “control.”

Parents in the reward groups offered their child a taste of the “target” vegetable every day for 12 days.

Soon after, children in the sticker group were giving higher ratings to the vegetables-and were willing to eat more in the research lab, going from an average of 5 grams at the start to about 10 grams after the 12-day experience. The turnaround also seemed to last, with preschoolers in the sticker group still willing to eat more of the once-shunned veggie three months later.

Why didn’t the verbal praise work? Wardle said the parents’ words may have seemed “insincere” to their children. — Reuters

Japan to declare nuclear plant in stable condition TOKYO: Japan is poised to declare its crippled nuclear plant virtually stable nine months after a devastating tsunami, but the facility still leaks some radiation, remains vulnerable to earthquakes and shows no prospect for cleanup for decades. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said last week that temperatures inside the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant’s three melted reactor cores are almost consistently below the boiling point and radiation leaks have significantly subsided - two key conditions in a hoped-for “cold shutdown.” Officials say the government is expected to hold a news conference Friday to declare something close to cold shutdown, though experts caution it will be, at best, a tenuous stability. The declaration would mark a step forward for the muchmaligned operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., which has struggled to control the plant after it was damaged in a huge earthquake and tsunami March 11, unleashing the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. “Up until now, this has been the biggest goal,” TEPCO spokesman Masao Yamaguchi said. “It would be a milestone.” The announcement is expected to refer to cold shutdown “conditions”- less definitive phrasing than a cold shutdown.

That’s partly because the operator cannot measure temperatures of melted fuel in the damaged reactors in the same way as with normally functioning ones, although the company believes they have reached a stable state.

In any case, experts caution that the progress so far at Fukushima should not be overstated, and that problems could still crop up. “TEPCO and the government are anxious to bring a certain closure to the crisis,” said Kazuhiko Kudo, a nuclear physicist at Kyushu University. “It would be a problem if the announcement gives an impression that the plant has received an official safety certificate.”

The announcement would mark the end of the second phase of the government’s lengthy roadmap to completely decommission the plant - a process that could take about 30 years, authorities have said.

In the next phase, officials may start discussing whether to allow some evacuated residents who lived in areas with lesser damage

from the plant to return home - but that could still be months or years away. Many of more than 100,000 residents evacuated from around the plant remain in limbo, living with relatives or in temporary housing. And a 20-kilometer (12-mile) zone around the plant is expected to remain off limits for some time.

Food safety concerns also persist. The Fukushima plant disaster, which spewed an estimated one-fifth the amount of radiation as the 1986 accident at Chernobyl, has caused contamination of rice, vegetables and beef from around the region. Recently, even trace amounts of cesium were found in baby formula. The complex still faces numerous concerns, including the vulnerability of the spent fuel pools, which sit on the top floor of the dam-

aged reactor buildings, and the vast amount of contaminated water that has collected in the reactor basements and nearby storage areas.

Another severe earthquake could damage the spent fuel pools, which might cause the water to leak and allow the fuel to overheat.

Unit 4’s spent fuel pool, which contains the largest number of fuel rods, is the biggest concern because of structural damage to the building beneath it, although TEPCO says it has reinforced the structure. Removal and storage of those fuel rods from pools at four of the reactor units is also part of the next step toward eventual decommissioning.

Another continuing concern is containing radiation leaks. To cool the reactors, TEPCO has been injecting water into the reactors, which is

TOKYO: In this Dec. 4, 2011 file photo released by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), radioactive water is seen leaked from a building with a purification device placed inside at the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, north of Tokyo. The nuclear power plant leaked about 45 tons of highly radioactive water from the purification device over the weekend, its operator said, and some may have drained into the ocean. —AP

then leaking out through cracks. The radioactive water has been collected and stored in huge rooms converted into storage tanks before being decontaminated and put back into the reactors as coolant. Officials say the overall volume of contaminated water keeps growing, forcing the operator to keep searching for additional storage space.

Other recent leaks have raised questions about whether the plant really is fully under control. Last week, the utility said that about 45 tons of highly radioactive water had leaked from the plant’s water processing system, some possibly leaking into the ocean.

Officials have said those are isolated incidents that are being taken care of and do not affect the overall plant status. Normally, a nuclear reactor is considered to be in cold shutdown when its coolant system is at atmospheric pressure and the reactor cores are at a temperature below 100 Celsius (212 Fahrenheit) so that it would be impossible for a chain reaction to take place.

But meeting that strict definition is impossible at Fukushima Dai-ichi because the damaged reactors’ fuel has melted and its exact whereabouts is unknown. Authorities suspect most of the fuel has fallen to the bottom of the innermost steel pressure vessels, and some most likely dribbled through to the beakershaped containment vessel. That makes it virtually impossible to know the exact temperature of the fuel.

Temperature gauges inside the Fukushima reactors show that the temperature at the bottom of the pressure vessel is around 70 C (158 F). TEPCO officials and nuclear experts say that indicates the reactor is in a cold, stable state.

But because of the educated guesswork involved, Japanese authorities are using the phrase “cold shutdown conditions,” rather than “cold shutdown.” The government has also stressed that the amount of radiation now being released around the plant precincts is at or below 1 millisievert per year - equivalent to an annual legal exposure limit for ordinary citizens before the crisis began. It also says the reactor cooling and water recycling apparatus is working and sustainable.— AP

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W H AT ’ S O N

Smart Electronics School students celebrate annual day

S

mart Electronics School’s lower grade and Casa students celebrated their annual international children’s day recently. Students enjoyed representing their countries’ folk dances amid cheering proud parents and teachers.

Veerendra Kumar honored

F

ormer Indian minister and well-known politician M P Veerendra Kumar was honored with ‘Vaikkam Muhammed Basheer Award’ at a function here in Kuwait.

The award was presented to Veerendra Kumar by Indian Embassy First Secretary Vidhu P. Nair during the first anniversary celebration of Janata Cultural Centre, (JCC)

Kuwait at the Indian Central School auditorium, Abbassia last Thursday. The award, instituted by JCC, the cultural offshoot of Socialist Janata (Democratic), was conferred on Veerendra Kumar in recognition of his contribution to Malayalam literature and dedication to public life. Kumar has bagged India’s coveted ‘Sahitya Akademi Award’ for his trav-

elogue ‘Nalla Haimavata Bhoovil’. The meeting was presided over by JCC Kuwait president Safeer P. Haris. Socialist Janata vice president Dr Varghese George, General Secretary Shaikh P Haris, prominent businessman K G Abraham and journalist P.C. Harish were among the others who attended the function.

GUST Ruwwad Business Club organizes business seminar

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he Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) Ruwwad Business Club hosted a seminar graced with three prestigious, aspiring and highly accomplished small-business owners in Kuwait. Mohammed Ebrahim, Founder and General Manager of AlGas Events, Ghadeer Khaja, Founder of Salad Boutique and Nour Khuraibet, Founder of Lab 8.

In the seminar, each small business owner discussed their individual experiences in the business environment, their struggles, their accomplishments, their future plans and the steps to achieving it all. The highlight of the event was the diversity of the businesses that were being presented and how each one was run in such a different, yet, flawless way.

Al-Gas Events being in the service-providing sector as it is an events and project management business, and Salad Boutique and

Lab 8 being in the product-providing sector, one in the food industry, and one in the fashion industry respectively.

Mohammed Ebrahim graduated from

GUST with a degree in Finance, Ghadeer Khaja graduated from Kuwait University with a degree in Mass Media and Nour Khuraibet graduated from Spain with a degree in Spanish Literature.

After each renowned small business owner discussed their individual experiences, the seminar moved on to a Q&A session in which

all audience members got to engage and ask the business owners for advice, references to their experiences in business and much more.

Each business owner gladly accepted and answered the questions, and with each answer spiced up the atmosphere and made it a highly fascinating seminar. By the end of the seminar each audience member had a clear idea on how each business was established and the obstacles these business owners faced. This gave them a better idea of the do’s and don’ts when establishing their own businesses.

Ruwwad Business Club was honored to host this event, for it enabled the club to fulfill its mission and vision which is to apply all of the students’ business learning in the classroom, to the real world, and all the thanks and gratitude goes to Mohammed Ebrahim, Ghadeer Khaja and Nour Khuraibet, for their highly appreciated appearance in this event.

Festive season begins at Marina Hotel Kuwait

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or people who are not tied to staying at home for Christmas and the New Year, Marina Hotel Kuwait offers the perfect venue for the festive celebration under the twinkling lights and the cool breeze of the Arabian coast.

On Christmas Eve experience the serenity of Christmas in a candle lit ambience and gourmet food lovingly prepared by the creative chefs. Another better way of spending time with your family is an escape for a Christmas brunch at noon at the Atlantis restaurant remarkably noted for its celebratory cuisine and quenching drinks. “Santa’s Wonderland” awaits your kid’s with free fun games, activities, crafts and surprise gifts from Santa Claus.

New Year’s Eve is almost as much of a

tradition as Christmas itself - which means there is no place better than the Six Palms restaurant to host an evening to remember, with an absolutely magnificent International dinner buffet, Oriental band and Cotillions and laughter, all in true Marina style. The countdown of the festivities also features all-you-care-to-eat set menu with Western music and Cotillions at the Atlantis restaurant.

This year Marina Hotel has a couple new stocking fillers that enhance the season. Christmas amenities provided in all rooms and suites and fascinating New Year room package of one night stay along with fine dining for married couples making it exceptional and memorable.

AUK hosts lecture on Islamist movements in Arab politics

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he Center for Gulf Studies at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) hosted a talk by Dr Nathan J. Brown, a distinguished scholar and author of several well-received books on Arab politics. The lecture took place on December 13 at the AUK Auditorium and attracted many AUK students, faculty, and external visitors and scholars.

During his lecture, Dr Brown introduced his latest book When Victory is Not an Option: Islamist Movements in Arab Politics, which provides an analysis of Islamist movements in Kuwait, Egypt, Palestine, and Jordan. The lecture explored the prevalent themes in the book coming across the different Islamist movements currently gaining political power in the Arab world, and their implications on the future political scenery in the region.

According to Dr Brown, Islamist movements, like the Muslim Brotherhood, had gone through ideological evolutionary phases changing from merely being socio-religious

reform movements into political contestants. This evolution has put Islamist movements in what Dr. Brown called “the grey zone”, where they had to dilute their Islamic speech to accommodate their new roles as political parties. Taking the Muslim Brotherhood as an example, Dr Brown discussed the effects of the politicization of Islamist movements on the organizational goals and plans of these movements.

According to Dr Brown, the Islamist movements can easily slip into the political mistake of “planning for next elections rather than planning for next generations” unless they handle this transformation wisely. He compared the Muslim Brotherhood model in Egypt to the Hamas Model in Palestine and the Nahda Model in Tunisia.

At the end of his lecture, Dr Brown opened the floor for discussion where he received questions about how he foresees the future of the Arab Region in light of the new changes. Dr Brown provided two scenarios for the future of Islamic trends. In his interpretation,

the new Islamic experience will shape the public political inclinations towards a democratic state with Islamic dominance or an authoritarian state with more liberal and secular dominance.

Dr Brown’s book has been published in Arabic and is currently being translated into English. In addition to this book, he has also authored several books on Arab politics, including: Resuming Arab Palestine, (University of California Press, 2003), Constitutions in a Non-Constitutional World: Arab Basic Laws and Prospects for Accountable Government, (SUNY Press, 2001), The Rule of Law in the Arab World: Courts in Egypt and the Arab States of the Gulf (Cambridge University Press, 1997).

Dr Brown received his Ph.D. and M.A. from Princeton University, and was previously a scholar in residence at the Middle East Institute. He is currently a Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University. Dr Brown has

recently been a member of the International Advisory Committee on drafting the Palestinian constitution and consultant to the UNDP’s program on governance in the Arab world.

The Center for Gulf Studies (CGS) at the American University of Kuwait is a research center that aims to promote greater cultural understanding of and increased intellectual interest in the Gulf by facilitating free and open academic discourse on a range of issues that both shape and challenge this critical region of the world. The goal of CGS is to enable scholars as well as political and civil society actors both within and outside the region to contribute and add value to the burgeoning field of Gulf Studies, while at the same time informing and engaging the general public. To this end, the CGS encourages, supports, and cultivates interesting and original research on the Gulf, while regularly organizing a variety of public academic events such as lectures, roundtable discussions, and conferences.

BSK visits Tareq Rajab Museum

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ear 5 students from The British School of Kuwait were honoured to visit the Tareq Rajab museum as part of their social studies curriculum.

The students were fascinated by seeing the huge variety of artefacts from Kuwait and the rest of the Middle East. During their visit, students focused on differentiating between primary and secondary sources. They were overwhelmed by the sheer quality and quantity of artefacts

that have been carefully preserved over the years. BSK has always valued a more hands on approach to enriching its British based curricula, which is been greatly received by both students and parents alike. Year 5 were a credit to the school in their behaviour and manner around the museum and greatly enjoyed the visit. Thanks to all those involved, and we look forward to the next out of schools trip early in the new year.

Christmas Carol Service

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he Christmas Carol Service of the St. Paul’s CSI Congregation, Ahmadi will be held on Saturday 17 December at 7 pm at the St Paul’s Church Ahmadi, Kuwait.

The choir will render a variety of traditional and classical pieces in English and Malayalam. All are invited to attend. For more information contact: 97987681

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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

Celebrate the festive season in style at The Regency Hotel

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he Regency Hotel has prepared for this year’s festive season by introducing, gourmet feasts and many special treats which guarantee to make the start of 2012 both exceptional and memorable.

The Regency Hotel’s Silk Road Restaurant will host its scrumptious festive

lunch buffet from December 17th to 24th with a selection of delicious traditional delights and refreshments, in addition to the special dinner on the December 24th, and the variety of dishes tailored just for the flavorsome Brunch buffet on December 25th.

Wrap up the old year and bring in 2012

with a gala dinner buffet on December 31st. Tunes from live piano will entertain guests throughout the celebrations season. The fine food and light entertainment will guarantee the guests a festive mood.

Also, all diners and visitors who choose The Regency Hotel to spend their holiday will be gifted homemade chocolates and

an opportunity to win a weekend stay in one of the luxury suites of the hotel.

You can welcome 2012 in style with the Rooms & Suites special packages which includes breakfast and the lavish festive dinner buffet for two persons. Book a Room or Suite and turn a night’s stay into a fairytale.

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

Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday.

Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca.

The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait.

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

EMBASSY OF GERMANY

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kuwait wishes to announce that as of 1 May 2011, the external service provider Al Qabas Assurex is operating a Visa Application Centre in support of the German Embassy. Short-term visa applications for travels to Germany (e.g. for tourism, visits, business) are to be submitted to the service provider Al Qabas who for your convenience will ensure that all relevant documents are included in your application. Your personal appearance at the Application Centre is not required. Address of the Visa Application Centre: Al Qabas Assurex Sanabel Tower (AlBabtain) Mezzanine (M3) opposite Sharq Mall Kuwait 22924444 Fax: 22924442 Further information are available on the following websites: www.kuwait.diplo.de www.qavisa.com nnnnnnn

Movenpick Hotel Kuwait - Free Trade Zone organizes the beach clean-up campaign

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he Movenpick Hotel Kuwait - Free Trade Zone has organized a half day long beach clean-up event at Free Trade Zone beach. More than 35 hotel employees volunteered to participate in this community service activity. Another company from the Free Trade Zone, Gulf Agency Company (GAC) also joined Movenpick in this undertaking.

Volunteers greatly enjoyed making a difference in their local environment. They filled 50 large garbage bags with different kinds of trash collected from the beach. We participate in this campaign as part of the Movenpick Hotels & Resorts

commitment towards sustainability and in the line with the social goals that the company aspires to achieve” said Beat Peter, General Manager of Movenpick Hotel Kuwait.

“I am really glad with the recently organized beach cleaning campaign by our team. It shows their continuous efforts to build awareness on the growing environment challenges being faced by Kuwait,” he added. This beach clean-up campaign was one of the hotel’s many social responsibility projects that reflected the company’s strong and continued commitment to the local community.

D Indian Ambassador inaugurates Orma showroom

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nprecedented euphoria and pride reflected around, as people vied with one another to be the first to catch a glimpse of the ‘Chenda Melam’, reflecting the Kerala culture in all its hue and ambience in welcoming all, which preceded the inauguration of Orma group’s 3rd jewellery showroom. With each passing minute, the crowd kept swelling on this Friday evening, in Abbasiya.

The new showroom was inaugurated by Satish Mehta, Ambassador of India to Kuwait, accompanied by his wife, in the presence of eminent dignitaries and other business personalities, which was followed by fireworks.

The spectacular store showcased an exquisite collection of gold with specialty in gift items for various seasons. Mrs Preethi Mehta, wife of the Ambassador, presented the first sale to Dr Naravana Nambuthiri, President Indian Doctors Forum.

Orma group managing partner, Abey Varicad, shared that every customer could benefit from their new schemes, such as the Easy Gold-purchase scheme and the Gold-deposit scheme, to help offset the fluctuating high gold prices. Benny Payampalil from Orma group added that, as a part of convenience initiative, Easy-Gold Purchase makes the purchase easy, secure and valueadded.

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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

Indian politician Veerendra visits ICSK ecember 8, turned out to be a red letter day in the annals of the Indian Community School Kuwait when the veteran political leader, Veerendra Kumar, visited the Salmiya Senior branch and presented an eloquent address to the students on the treasures of Indian history and culture.

Veerendra Kumar, who has served the Indian Union as the Minister of State for Labour and Finance, has had a long and illustrious political career. Hailing from Kerala, he emerged at the national literary scene as a celebrity with his trave-

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed December 25, 2011 (Sunday) “Christmas Day”.

logue, Haimavatha Bhoovil, for which he won the prestigious Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in 2010. He is currently the President of the Kerala state unit of the Socialist Janata Democratic Party.

He is also the chairman and managing editor of the popular Malayalam daily, Mathrubhumi.

The ICSK family represented by the Hon Secretary, Rajan Daniel, staff and students accorded a warm welcome to the visiting dignitary.In his presidential address, Daniel recalled his student days when onwards, he had cultivated

the habit of reading the daily Mathrubhumi and shared with the audience how he got the inspirational ideas and impartial view of the world events and national issues. He mentioned that he being a fan of Veerendra was so fortunate to share the dais with his idol.

Veerendra’s visit and inspiring address to the students were indeed a rare occasion for the ICSK family which will be cherished for a long time. The programme was ably anchored by Mrs Gomathy, head of the department, social sciences.

EMBASSY OF PERU Peruvian Permanent Expo will be temporary close 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 RUSSIA Embassy of the Russian Federation invites all the Russian residents in Kuwait to visit the Consulate for registration and updating your database. This information is necessary for promptly notice, assistance and warning in case of emergency. The consulate reception hours: 10:00 - 13:00, Sunday - Wednesday.

The Embassy is located in Kuwait City, Daiya, Block 5, Diplomatic campus, Plot 17. Tel: (+965) 22560427, 22560428. Fax: (+965) 22524969, email: rusposkuw@mail.ru, consdepkuw@mail.ru Information also available on the website: www.kuwait.mid.ru nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF US The United States and Kuwait enjoy a long-standing and fruitful relationship with higher education. As evidence of this enduring partnership, the number of Kuwaiti students enrolled in US institutions of higher education in 2010/11 increased from 2442 to 2998, a 22.8% increase compared to the previous year. Kuwaiti students study in 45 states. This year, embassies and institutions around the world will be celebrating International Education Week the week of November 14-18. In honor of International Education Week, the US Embassy s Mobile American Corner will be at the Marina Mall on Wednesday evening, November 16, and at the Avenues Mall on Thursday evening, November 17. Information about higher education in the US, English language classes and the student visa application process will be available, and staff will be present to answer questions about study in the USA from the general public.

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00:50 01:45 02:40 03:35 04:30 05:25 06:20 07:10 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:10 11:05 12:00 12:55 13:20 13:50 14:15 14:45 15:40 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:25 19:20 19:45 20:15 20:40 21:10 22:05 23:00 23:25 23:55

I’m Alive Animal Cops Phoenix Mutant Planet Speed Of Life I’m Alive Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Animal Cops Phoenix Animal Cops Specials 2009 Monkey Life Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Natural Born Hunters The Really Wild Show Breed All About It Dogs 101: Specials Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Animal Cops Houston Bondi Vet Wildlife SOS SSPCA: On The Wildside SSPCA: On The Wildside Animal Cops Phoenix Mutant Planet Monkey Life Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Natural Born Hunters The Really Wild Show Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Extraordinary Dogs Extraordinary Dogs Bondi Vet Breed All About It Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Mutant Planet Animal Kingdom Animal Kingdom Untamed & Uncut

00:30 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:50 03:40 04:10 04:40 04:50 05:00 05:15 05:20 05:40 06:00 06:10 06:20 06:35 06:40 07:00 07:10 07:30 07:40 07:50 08:05 08:10 08:30 08:40 09:00 09:10 09:20 09:35 09:40 09:45 09:50 10:10 10:20 10:40 11:10 11:40 12:25 13:15 13:45 14:15 15:10 15:40 16:10 16:40 17:30 18:15 18:45 19:15 20:10 21:00 21:45 22:15 22:45 23:15 23:40

Gavin & Stacey My Family My Family The Weakest Link Casualty Doctors My Family 3rd & Bird Bobinogs Boogie Beebies Poetry Pie Tweenies Fimbles 3rd & Bird Bobinogs Boogie Beebies Poetry Pie Tweenies Charlie and Lola Fimbles 3rd & Bird Bobinogs Boogie Beebies Poetry Pie Tweenies Charlie and Lola Fimbles 3rd & Bird Bobinogs Boogie Beebies Poetry Pie Poetry Pie Buzz & Tell Tweenies Charlie and Lola Fimbles My Family My Family The Weakest Link Return To Cranford Doctors EastEnders Casualty My Family My Family My Family Return To Cranford The Weakest Link Doctors EastEnders Casualty Return To Cranford The Weakest Link Doctors EastEnders Big Bear Diary Big Bear Diary Coast

00:20 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 00:50 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 01:20 Come Dine With Me 02:10 What Not To Wear 03:00 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 03:55 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 04:25 Come Dine With Me 05:15 What Not To Wear 06:05 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 07:00 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 07:30 Daily Cooks Challenge 10:05 Daily Cooks Challenge 10:35 Antiques Roadshow 11:25 Bargain Hunt: Famous Finds 12:10 Bargain Hunt 12:55 Come Dine With Me 13:45 Daily Cooks Challenge 15:15 Daily Cooks Challenge 15:45 Antiques Roadshow 16:35 Bargain Hunt: Famous Finds 17:25 Bargain Hunt 18:10 Come Dine With Me 19:00 Kirstie & Phil’s Perfect Christmas 19:50 Kirstie & Phil’s Perfect Christmas 20:40 Come Dine With Me 21:30 Antiques Roadshow 22:20 Bargain Hunt: Famous Finds 23:10 Bargain Hunt 23:55 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook

00:00 BBC World News America 00:30 Hardtalk 01:00 BBC World News 01:30 World Business Report 01:45 Sport Today 02:00 BBC World News America 02:30 Asia Business Report 02:45 Sport Today 03:00 BBC World News 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 Newsday 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Newsday 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 Newsday 06:30 Asia Business Report 06:45 Sport Today 07:00 Newsday 07:30 Hardtalk 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 BBC World News 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 World Business Report 11:45 Sport Today 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 Hardtalk 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 BBC World News 14:30 World Business Report 14:45 Sport Today 15:00 GMT With George Alagiah 15:30 GMT With George Alagiah 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 BBC World News 21:30 World Business Report 21:45 Sport Today 22:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 23:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 23:30 World Business Report 23:45 Sport Today

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

TV PROGRAMS 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 17:20 Doo 17:45 18:10 18:30 18:55 19:20 19:45 20:00 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:45 22:10 22:35 23:00 23:25 23:55

The Garfield Show 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 New Yogi Bear Show Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Jelly Jamm Pink Panther And Pals Puppy In My Pocket The Garfield Show Dastardly And Muttley The Flintstones Tom & Jerry Pink Panther And Pals Top Cat New Yogi Bear Show Puppy In My Pocket Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Bananas In Pyjamas The Jetsons Duck Dodgers Looney Tunes Scooby Doo Where Are You! Tom & Jerry The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Droopy: Master Detective Wacky Races Scooby-Doo And ScrappyDastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Puppy In My Pocket Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show Dexters Laboratory Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Top Cat Wacky Races Tom & Jerry The Scooby Doo Show Dastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Johnny Bravo Dexters Laboratory

00:15 Samurai Jack 00:40 Megas XLR 01:05 Robotboy 01:30 Squirrel Boy 01:55 George Of The Jungle 02:20 Cramp Twins 02:45 Chop Socky Chooks 03:10 Best Ed 03:35 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 04:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:25 Generator Rex 04:50 Adventure Time 05:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 05:40 Chowder 05:55 Powerpuff Girls 06:30 Ed, Edd n Eddy 06:55 I Am Weasel 07:20 Squirrel Boy 07:45 Cow & Chicken 08:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Challenge 08:25 Angelo Rules 08:50 Best Ed 09:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 09:40 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 10:05 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 10:30 Courage The Cowardly Dog 10:55 Cow & Chicken 11:20 I Am Weasel 11:35 Adventure Time

12:00 Ben 10 12:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 12:50 The Secret Saturdays 13:15 Samurai Jack 13:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 14:05 Codename: Kids Next Door 14:30 Skunk Fu! 14:50 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 15:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 15:40 Ed, Edd n Eddy 16:05 Camp Lazlo 16:30 Chowder 16:55 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 17:25 Cow & Chicken 17:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog 18:15 I Am Weasel 18:40 George Of The Jungle 19:05 Codename: Kids Next Door 19:30 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 19:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 20:20 Generator Rex 20:45 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 21:10 Sym-Bionic Titan 21:35 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 22:00 Hero 108 22:25 Adventure Time 22:50 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 23:00 Ben 10 23:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 23:50 The Secret Saturdays

00:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson 01:00 Backstory 01:30 World Sport 02:00 The Situation Room 03:00 World Report 04:00 Anderson Cooper 360 05:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 06:00 Quest Means Business 07:00 Erin Burnett Outfront 08:00 World Sport 08:30 Backstory 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Report 11:00 World Sport 11:30 The Gateway 11:45 Future Cities 12:00 World Business Today 13:00 Backstory 13:30 Open Court 14:00 World One 15:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 16:00 News Stream 17:00 World Business Today 18:00 International Desk 19:00 The Brief 19:30 World Sport 20:00 Prism 21:00 International Desk 21:30 Open Court 22:00 Quest Means Business 22:45 CNN Marketplace Europe 23:00 Piers Morgan Tonight

00:15 00:40 01:35 02:30 03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:45 09:10 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 15:05 15:30 16:00 16:25 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Danger Coast Dual Survival Overhaulin’ Dirty Jobs Ultimate Survival Mythbusters How Stuff’S Made How It’S Made Dirty Jobs Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Overhaulin’ How Stuff’S Made Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings Gold Rush: Alaska Coal Ultimate Survival Dual Survival Danger Coast Cash Cab Us Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Overhaulin’ Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings How It’S Made How Stuff’S Made Cash Cab Us Surviving The Cut Frontline Battle Machines...

Spy Wars

00:40 The Gadget Show 01:05 The Tech Show 01:35 Kings Of Construction 02:25 Stunt Junkies 02:50 Weird Or What?

03:40 What’s That About?

04:35 The Gadget Show 05:25 How Stuff’s Made 05:50 Kings Of Construction 06:40 One Step Beyond 07:10 Brainiac 08:00 Scrapheap Challenge 08:50 Moon Machines 09:40 The Tech Show 10:10 Weird Connections 10:35 The Gadget Show 11:25 Brainiac 12:20 Sci-Fi Science 12:45 How Stuff’s Made 13:15 Weird Or What?

14:05 Moon Machines 14:55 One Step Beyond 15:20 Stunt Junkies 15:50 Kings Of Construction 16:40 Weird Connections 17:05 Scrapheap Challenge 18:00 Moon Machines 18:50 Sci-Fi Science 19:15 The Tech Show 19:40 Wallace & Gromit’s World Of Invention 20:30 Science Of The Movies 21:20 Moon Machines 22:10 The Gadget Show 23:00 Wallace & Gromit’s World Of Invention 23:50 Science Of The Movies

THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR ON OSN ACTION HD

00:00 00:25 01:15 02:00 02:50 03:35 04:00

Kim Possible Fairly Odd Parents Stitch Replacements Emperor’s New School Stitch Stitch

04:25 Replacements 05:15 Fairly Odd Parents 06:00 Hannah Montana 06:20 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody 07:05 Wizards Of Waverly Place 07:55 Phineas And Ferb 08:10 Good Luck Charlie 09:00 Den Brother 10:20 Hannah Montana 11:15 Phineas And Ferb 12:00 Wizards Of Waverly Place 12:45 Fish Hooks 13:30 Suite Life On Deck 14:20 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 15:00 Double Teamed 16:35 So Random 17:00 Fairly Odd Parents 17:25 Good Luck Charlie 17:50 Fish Hooks 18:15 Shake It Up 18:45 Good Luck Charlie 20:00 Sonny With A Chance 20:25 Hannah Montana 21:15 Suite Life On Deck 22:00 Shake It Up 22:50 Sonny With A Chance 23:15 Wizards Of Waverly Place

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Style Star 01:25 E!es 02:20 THS 03:15 25 Most Stylish 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 40 (More) Crimes Of Fashion 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Kendra 09:45 Kendra 10:15 15 Most Infamous Child Star Mugshots 12:05 E! News 13:05 Fashion Police 13:35 Style Star 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 Giuliana & Bill 15:30 THS 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Ice Loves Coco 17:25 Ice Loves Coco 17:55 E! News 18:55 E!es 19:55 Dirty Soap 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:25 Bridalplasty 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 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 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:30

Extreme Forensics The Haunted A Haunting I Almost Got Away With It FBI Case Files Extreme Forensics The Haunted A Haunting Mystery Diagnosis FBI Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared FBI Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared I Faked My Own Death Forensic Justice

Treks In A Wild World Bluelist Australia Word Travels Wild Rides Wild Rides The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia Around The World For Free Nomads Treks In A Wild World Bluelist Australia Word Travels Wild Rides Wild Rides The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia Around The World For Free Nomads Treks In A Wild World Bondi Rescue: Bali Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Travel Madness Deadliest Journeys The Best Job In The World Dive Detectives On Surfari On Surfari Departures Bondi Rescue: Bali Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Travel Madness Deadliest Journeys The Best Job In The World Dive Detectives On Surfari On Surfari

00:00 Carrie-18 02:00 Full Metal Jacket-18 04:00 Let Me In-R 06:00 The Thirteenth Floor-18 08:00 Superman/ Batman: Apocalypse-PG15 09:30 No Time To Fear-PG15 11:15 Top Gun-PG15 13:15 Superman/ Batman: Apocalypse-PG15 15:00 Spartacus-PG15 18:00 Top Gun-PG15 20:00 Sanctum-18 22:00 A Perfect Getaway-18 23:45 Jason X-18

JONAH HEX ON OSN CINEMA

01:00 03:00 PG15 05:00 06:45 09:00 11:15 13:30 15:15 17:15 19:00 21:00 23:00

Triage-18 The LXD: The Uprising BeginsThe Lizzie McGuire Movie-PG Attack On Leningrad-PG15 The Tempest-PG15 Mammoth-PG15 Leap Year-PG15 The Tempest-PG15 Jonah Hex-PG15 Takers-PG15 Due Date-PG15 The Killer Inside Me-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 American Dad 02:00 Weeds 02:30 South Park 03:00 Friends 03:30 Friends 04:00 Will And Grace 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Seinfeld 06:00 Two And A Half Men 06:30 Just Shoot Me 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Will And Grace 08:30 Friends 09:00 Seinfeld 09:30 How I Met Your Mother 10:00 Traffic Light 10:30 Just Shoot Me 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Two And A Half Men 12:30 Will And Grace 13:00 Friends 13:30 Seinfeld 14:00 Just Shoot Me 14:30 Traffic Light 15:00 How I Met Your Mother 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Outsourced 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Friends 18:30 Friends 19:00 Friends With Benefits 19:30 Traffic Light 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 Weeds 23:00 South Park 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

Terra Nova True Blood Covert Affairs Once Upon A Time No Ordinary Family Good Morning America Law & Order Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View Terra Nova Once Upon A Time No Ordinary Family Live Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Look-A-Like Eureka The X Factor (US) Look-A-Like Rescue Me Law & Order

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00

Detroit 1-8-7 Off The Map Terra Nova True Blood Once Upon A Time Commander In Chief Detroit 1-8-7 Modern Family Marathon Coronation Street Law & Order: Los Angeles Off The Map

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

Terra Nova Once Upon A Time Modern Family Marathon Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Law & Order: Los Angeles Detroit 1-8-7 Tower Prep The Ellen DeGeneres Show Law & Order: Los Angeles Eureka The X Factor (US) Look-A-Like Rescue Me Century City

01:00 03:30 05:30 07:15 09:00 11:15 13:00 16:00 18:15 20:00 21:30 23:45

Inglourious Basterds-18 Case 39-18 Midnight Meat Train-18 Fast Lane-PG15 What Lies Beneath-PG15 Ong Bak 2-PG15 The Postman-PG15 What Lies Beneath-PG15 Secret Window-PG15 Blood Out-18 From Hell-18 Dead Presidents-18

00:00 Sweet Home Alabama-PG15 02:00 The Allnighter-PG15 04:00 Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel-FAM 06:00 The Hudsucker Proxy-PG15 08:00 Head Of State-PG15 10:00 Sleepover-PG15 12:00 A Lot Like Love-PG15 14:00 The Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle-FAM 16:00 Sweet Home Alabama-PG15 18:00 The Big Green-PG 20:00 Next Friday-18 22:00 Pete Smalls Is Dead-18

01:00 Shout-PG15 03:00 New York I Love You-18 05:00 An Education-PG15 07:00 Khao Niao Moo Ping-PG15 09:00 Teen Knight-PG15 11:00 Winning Time-PG15 12:45 An Education-PG15 15:00 Shipwrecked-PG 17:00 Return To Rajapur-PG15 19:00 Stomp The Yard 2: Homecoming-PG15 21:00 Salomaybe-PG15 23:00 Combien Tu M’aimes-18

01:00 The Messenger-18 03:00 Strength And Honour-PG15 05:00 Elle: A Modern Cinderella TalePG15 07:00 Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore-PG 09:00 Adventures Of A Teenage Dragonslayer-PG 11:00 Get Low-PG15 13:00 Lottery Ticket-PG15 15:00 Remember Me-PG15 17:00 Adventures Of A Teenage Dragonslayer-PG 19:00 Shanghai-PG15 21:00 The LXD: The Uprising BeginsPG15 23:00 Going The Distance-18

01:30 Winner & The Gold Child: Part II-PG15 03:45 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie-PG 06:00 The Nimbols: Part I-PG15 08:00 The Nimbols: Part II-PG15 10:00 Flicka 2-PG15 12:00 Big Fat Liar-PG 14:00 North-PG 16:00 True Story Of Puss’n Boots-PG 18:00 Flicka 2-PG15 20:00 Big Fat Liar-PG 22:00 The Nimbols: Part II-PG15 23:45 North-PG

00:15 02:30 04:45 06:45 08:30 10:15

Tetro-18 The Hurt Locker-18 District 9-PG15 Our Family Wedding-PG15 Africa United-PG15 District 9-PG15

12:15 How To Go Out On A Date In Queens-PG15 14:00 Family Gathering-PG15 16:00 Africa United-PG15 18:00 Post Grad-PG15 20:00 Repo Men-18 22:00 Burning Palms-U

00:00 Volvo Ocean Race 01:00 Trans World Sport 02:00 UFC Unleashed 03:00 UFC Unleashed 04:00 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 05:00 Speedway FIM 06:00 Volvo Ocean Race 07:00 Trans World Sport 08:00 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 09:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 09:30 ISAF World Sailing Championship 15:30 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 16:00 Live Powerboats F1 17:00 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 18:00 WWE NXT 19:00 UFC 140 23:00 WWE NXT

00:00 Futbol Mundial 00:30 Asian Tour Golf 01:00 Golfing World 02:00 Pool Mosconi Cup 07:00 Snooker UK Championship 11:00 World Cup of Pool 12:00 World Cup of Pool 13:00 Ping Pong World 14:00 Volvo Ocean Race 15:30 Volvo Ocean Race 16:30 Trans World Sport 17:30 Golfing World 18:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 19:00 Volvo Ocean Race 20:30 Volvo Ocean Race 21:30 Futbol Mundial 22:00 Live Darts PDC World Championship

00:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 09:30 13:30 14:30 15:30 18:30 22:30

European Challenge Cup World Cup of Pool World Pool Masters US Bass Fishing Golfing World Dubai Ladies Masters Live Asian Tour Golf Trans World Sports Asian Tour Highlights Live Dubai Ladies Masters Asian Tour Golf Live European Challenge Cup

02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 23:00

WWE Vintage Collection Intercontinental Le Mans Cup Speedway UFC Unleashed WWE SmackDown WWE Tough Enough Speedway Intercontinental Le Mans Cup V8 Supercars Championship V8 Supercars Championship V8 Supercars Championship WWE Vintage Collection Aquabike World Le Mans Series Magazine V8 Supercars Championship WWE Tough Enough Speedway FIM World WWE NXT UFC 140 V8 Supercars Championship

00:00 02:00 03:00 08:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Hosted Top 20 Greatest Hits VH1 Music Aerobic VH1 Hits Top 10 Music For The Masses VH1 Pop Chart VH1 Hits 90’s Revolution VH1 Pop Chart VH1 Superchart Guess The Year Then And Now Wild 80’s

Classifieds THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

ACCOMMODATION

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Thursday 15/12/2011 Airlines Flt Route JZR 185 DUBAI KLM 447 AMSTERDAM/BAHRAIN JZR 267 BEIRUT JZR 539 CAIRO ETH 620 ADDIS ABABA THY 772 ISTANBUL UAE 853 DUBAI QTR 138 DOHA DHX 370 BAHRAIN FDB 67 DUBAI ETD 305 ABU DHABI GFA 211 BAHRAIN KAC 544 CAIRO THY 770 ISTANBUL DHX 170 BAHRAIN JZR 503 LUXOR JZR 555 ALEXANDRIA ETH 3612 ADDIS ABABA FCX 201 BAHRAIN BAW 157 LONDON KAC 412 MANILA/BANGKOK KAC 206 ISLAMABAD FDB 53 DUBAI IRA 617 AHWAZ KAC 352 COCHIN KAC 302 MUMBAI JZR 531 ASSIUT KAC 332 TRIVANDRUM IRA 605 ISFAHAN KAC 362 COLOMBO UAE 855 DUBAI ABY 125 SHARJAH QTR 132 DOHA ETD 301 ABU DHABI FDB 55 DUBAI GFA 213 BAHRAIN KNE 789 JEDDAH JZR 165 DUBAI RKM 310 RAS ALKHAIMAH MEA 404 BEIRUT SYR 341 DAMASCUS/DEIREZZOR MSC 9621 SOHAG KAC 382 DELHI MSR 610 CAIRO KAC 672 DUBAI GFA 219 BAHRAIN MSR 621 ASSIUT FDB 57 DUBAI MSR 606 LUXOR UAL 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES VOS 93 KANDAHAR/DUBAI OMA 645 MUSCAT QTR 140 DOHA KNE 745 JEDDAH SVA 500 JEDDAH KAC 552 DAMASCUS RJA 640 AMMAN KAC 788 JEDDAH JZR 257 BEIRUT KAC 284 DHAKA LMU 407 ALEXANDRIA KAC 546 ALEXANDRIA QTR 134 DOHA JZR 535 CAIRO MLR 403 COLOMBO/DUBAI ETD 303 ABU DHABI JZR 357 MASHAD UAE 857 DUBAI KAC 118 NEW YORK GFA 215 BAHRAIN SVA 510 RIYADH ABY 127 SHARJAH JZR 777 JEDDAH RBG 3553 ALEXANDRIA ALK 227 COLOMBO/DUBAI JZR 177 DUBAI TAR 328 TUNIS/DUBAI FDB 63 DUBAI KAC 542 CAIRO JZR 125 BAHRAIN KAC 786 JEDDAH KAC 618 DOHA KAC 614 BAHRAIN KAC 674 DUBAI KAC 104 LONDON KAC 774 RIYADH KAC 562 AMMAN FDB 61 DUBAI JAI 572 MUMBAI OMA 647 MUSCAT MSR 618 ALEXANDRIA KAC 178 GENEVA/FRANKFURT DHX 372 BAHRAIN MEA 402 BEIRUT GFA 217 BAHRAIN LMU 409 ASSIUT QTR 136 DOHA UAE 859 DUBAI JZR 135 BAHRAIN KAC 502 BEIRUT KLM 445 AMSTERDAM AIC 981 CHENNAI/HYDERABAD JZR 239 AMMAN UAL 981 BAHRAIN AXB 389 KOZHIKODE/MANGALORE BBC 43 DHAKA DLH 636 FRANKFURT

Time 0:20 0:30 0:45 0:50 1:45 2:15 2:35 2:40 2:55 3:05 3:10 3:15 4:40 4:50 5:15 5:55 6:00 6:00 6:15 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:50 7:55 8:00 8:05 8:15 8:20 8:30 9:00 9:05 9:15 9:20 9:55 11:20 11:20 11:45 11:55 12:35 12:45 12:45 12:55 13:20 13:25 13:30 13:50 13:55 14:05 14:15 14:15 14:20 14:25 14:30 14:35 14:40 14:50 15:00 15:00 15:10 15:20 15:25 16:25 16:40 16:50 16:50 16:55 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:40 17:45 17:50 18:10 18:15 18:35 18:40 18:50 19:00 19:10 19:15 19:20 19:25 19:35 19:40 19:50 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:45 20:55 21:00 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:00 22:05 22:05 22:45 23:00 23:35 23:45 23:50

Departure Flights on Thursday 15/12/2011 Airlines Flt Route Time AXB 394 COCHIN/KOZHIKODE 0:40 UAL 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 0:45 AIC 976 GOA/CHENNAI 0:50 PIA 216 KARACHI 1:10 JZR 530 ASSIUT 1:15 DLH 637 FRANKFURT 1:20 KLM 447 AMSTERDAM 1:45 ETH 621 ADDIS ABABA 2:45 THY 773 ISTANBUL 3:15 KAC 381 DELHI 3:30 FDB 68 DUBAI 3:45 UAE 854 DUBAI 3:50 DHX 371 BAHRAIN 3:55 ETD 306 ABU DHABI 4:00 QTR 139 DOHA 4:55 KAC 283 DHAKA 5:00 THY 771 ISTANBUL 5:50 JZR 164 DUBAI 6:55 GFA 212 BAHRAIN 7:00 FDB 54 DUBAI 8:25 KAC 545 ALEXANDRIA 8:30 BAW 156 LONDON 8:40 IRA 606 MASHAD 8:50 JZR 256 BEIRUT 9:00 KAC 671 DUBAI 9:00 KAC 551 DAMASCUS 9:10 JZR 534 CAIRO 9:15 IRA 604 ISFAHAN 9:15 KAC 787 JEDDAH 9:25 KAC 101 LONDON/NEW YORK 9:35 UAE 856 DUBAI 9:40 ABY 126 SHARJAH 9:45 ETD 302 ABU DHABI 10:00 FDB 56 DUBAI 10:05 QTR 133 DOHA 10:10 GFA 214 BAHRAIN 10:40 JZR 356 MASHAD 10:50 KAC 165 ROME/PARIS 11:45 KAC 541 CAIRO 12:00 KNE 790 JEDDAH 12:05 JZR 776 JEDDAH 12:15 RKM 311 RAS ALKHAIMAH 12:50 MEA 405 BEIRUT 12:55 MSC 9622 SOHAG 13:30 SYR 342 DEIREZZOR/DAMASCUS 13:35 KAC 785 JEDDAH 13:40 JZR 176 DUBAI 13:50 MSR 611 CAIRO 13:55 GFA 220 BAHRAIN 14:20 MSR 622 ASSIUT 14:30 FDB 58 DUBAI 14:35 KAC 561 AMMAN 14:45 MSR 607 LUXOR 14:55 KAC 673 DUBAI 15:05 KNE 746 JEDDAH 15:10 OMA 646 MUSCAT 15:15 UAL 982 BAHRAIN 15:20 RJA 641 AMMAN 15:35 JZR 124 BAHRAIN 15:50 LMU 408 ASSIUT 15:55 KAC 617 DOHA 15:55 SVA 505 JEDDAH 16:00 KAC 501 BEIRUT 16:15 KAC 613 BAHRAIN 16:20 KAC 773 RIYADH 16:25 QTR 141 DOHA 16:30 ETH 3613 DUBAI/ADDIS ABABA 17:00 JZR 238 AMMAN 17:15 ETD 304 ABU DHABI 17:35 JZR 538 CAIRO 17:40 MLR 404 DUBAI/COLOMBO 17:40 QTR 135 DOHA 17:45 VOS 82 BAGHDAD 18:00 UAE 858 DUBAI 18:10 GFA 216 BAHRAIN 18:15 ABY 128 SHARJAH 18:25 RBG 3554 ALEXANDRIA 18:30 SVA 511 RIYADH 18:35 JZR 266 BEIRUT 18:45 JZR 134 BAHRAIN 19:05 ALK 228 DUBAI/COLOMBO 19:10 FDB 64 DUBAI 19:20 TAR 328 TUNIS 19:25 JZR 184 DUBAI 19:55 FDB 62 DUBAI 20:40 KAC 343 CHENNAI 20:55 KAC 331 TRIVANDRUM 21:00 DHX 171 BAHRAIN 21:00 KAC 351 COCHIN 21:05 JAI 571 MUMBAI 21:10 OMA 648 MUSCAT 21:15 MSR 619 ALEXANDRIA 21:45 KAC 543 CAIRO 21:55 DHX 373 BAHRAIN 22:00 KAC 675 DUBAI 22:10 LMU 410 ALEXANDRIA 22:15 MEA 403 BEIRUT 22:20 GFA 218 BAHRAIN 22:25 FCX 102 DUBAI 22:30 QTR 137 DOHA 22:35 JZR 554 ALEXANDRIA 22:45 KAC 301 MUMBAI 22:45 UAE 860 DUBAI 22:50 KAC 205 ISLAMABAD 23:00 KLM 445 BAHRAIN/AMSTERDAM 23:05 JZR 528 ASSIUT 23:35 KAC 415 KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA 23:45 KAC 411 BANGKOK/MANILA 23:55

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

Sharing accommodation available in Salmiya opposite Eddie Store for Indian bachelors.

Contact: 97947562. (C 3780) 15-12-2011 One separate room in 3 bedroom spacious flat, fully furnished is available for single/bachelor in Ashbiliya opposite Farwaniya. Contact 99714430. (C 3768) Sharing accommodation at Hawally opposite of Pakistani school at the back for single person, rent KD 80. Tel: 66489207.

Sharing accommodation available from 1st Jan, 1 or 2 decent bachelors to share with another, only KD 25 each in 2 bedroom flat new building, separate bathroom, kitchen and Sat facility, W&E free, opp Apollo hospital, Naser Al-Bather St, near Shara Aman St. Call 99761807 or 66209879. (C 3767) 10-12-2011

FOR SALE Mitsubishi Nativa 2008, 66564 kms, black color, excellent condition, KD 3,560/-, negotiable.

Contact: 60306273.

(C 3779) Mercedes Benz 1998 (E 200), color beige, running condition, registration till May 2012. Price KD 600.

Contact: 97277135.

15-12-2011 Jeep GMC Envoy 2004, black color, very good condition, KD 2,250/-. Contact: 50699345. (C 3777) 13-12-2011

Toyota Corolla 2009, silver color, excellent condition, well maintained, low mileage, wanted price KD 3,250/-. Contact: 60951195.

(C 3775) 12-12-2011 Two General A/C window units and Sony TV 21” excellent condition. Contact: 66625253. (C 3772) 11-12-2011 2004 model Ford Mondeo car, red color, run 1,17,000 km, very good condition, insurance up to Oct 2012. Price KD 1050, negotiable. Call 66463727 after 7 pm. (C 3769) 10-12-2011

CHANGE OF NAME I, Habeeb Mohammed Abdur Rahman Baageel Indian Passport No. G9948258 hereby change my name to

Habeeb Mohammed Abdur Rahman Ba Aqeel. (C 3778) 13-12-2011 I, Santhana Rego holder of Indian Passport No: A9871318 hereby change my name to Santana Rego. (C 3773) 11-12-2011 I, Habibulla Ismail Mithu, holder of Indian Passport No. Z 026492, hereby changed my name to Mitha Habibullah Ismail. At. Lunawada (pms) 389230. (C 3764) 10-12-2011

Orthodox parents invite proposals for their son 27/180, fair.

B.Tech, employed with a reputed company in Kuwait, from parents of suitable girls working in Kuwait. Contact email: rcengannoor@yahoo.com (C 3770) Proposals are invited for an RCSC girl 30, 165, working in Kuwait as accountant. Email: anson7714@yahoo.com (C 3774) 11-12-2011

SITUATION VACANT MATRIMONIAL Orthodox boy 31/172 cm working in MNC Logistics Company in Kuwait as sales manager invites proposal from God fearing qualified Christian girls. Email: mathewzachariah1@gmail.com

(C 3776)

A Kuwaiti family is looking to hire a full-time Asian driver. Tel: 99774658. (C 3771) 11-12-2011

34

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011

stars CROSSWORD 528

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Your popularity is increased in the workplace and in the social sector. You may see your career plans take off—the sky’s the limit, so to speak. Look closely and think hard about any professional offers or invitations that you receive. Professional associations push you to be your best; this is a good thing. Rise to the occasion and meet the challenge—you can do it!

A positive attitude benefits you greatly. Demonstrate the magic of positive thinking. Some future activities may be centered near water and could involve travel by ship. An ocean voyage is not out of the question. Music may assume a more important role in your life this evening. Perhaps some holiday music will bring the finishing touches to this busy but interesting day.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You should be feeling very upbeat, healthy and natural.

Everything seems to point at your taking the first step in a big decision. It’s really a great time to be with others that are supportive of you and to work side by side with people that are energized and love their work. Someone in a superior position may come to you and ask that you assume the responsibility for a particular task. Your ability to manage and direct others is not exactly secretive. You should be feeling quite confident with your circumstances, very much at peace and stable on the emotional level. Tonight, your dreams will be lucid and slightly mysterious especially if you do not write them down as soon as you awake. You might find the meaning of your dreams through meditation.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. United States sculptor and architect whose public works include the memorial to veterans of the Vietnam War in Washington (born in 1959).

4. A rectangular groove made to hold two pieces together.

10. The local time at the 0 meridian passing through Greenwich, England.

13. (informal) Of the highest quality.

14. Strike with disgust or revulsion.

15. A unit of length of thread or yarn.

16. Informal terms for the mouth.

17. A British doctorate.

19. Italian lawn bowling (played on a long narrow dirt court).

21. (prosody) Of or consisting of iambs.

23. A city of southeastern Mexico.

26. A hard brittle blue-white multivalent metallic element.

27. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

28. (computer science) A standardized language for the descriptive markup of documents.

30. Legal document setting forth rules governing a particular kind of activity.

31. A state in midwestern United States.

33. A telegram sent abroad.

35. An organization of independent states to promote international peace and security.

37. A doctor's degree in dental medicine.

40. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

41. Someone who is morally reprehensible.

43. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

44. A light strong gray lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong light-weight alloys (as for airplane parts).

45. A small cake leavened with yeast.

48. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

50. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythology.

51. An elaborate song for solo voice.

52. United States writer (born in Poland) who wrote in Yiddish (18801957).

55. Sweet pulpy tropical fruit with thick scaly rind and shiny black seeds.

61. Used as a Hindi courtesy title.

63. Small tree of dry open parts of southern Africa having erect angled branches suggesting candelabra.

65. A federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

66. A dark region of considerable extent on the surface of the moon.

69. Type genus of the family Arcidae.

70. A light touch or stroke.

71. An ancient city in northern Portugal.

72. Not only so, but.

DOWN 1. Young sheep.

2. The United Nations agency concerned with civil aviation.

3. United States astronomer (1835-1909).

4. (in a digital numeration system) The positive integer that is equivalent to one in the next higher counting place.

5. Earnest or urgent request.

6. Enlarged prostate.

7. The Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Dali region of Yunnan.

8. (Norse mythology) Goddess of old age who defeated Thor in a wrestling match.

9. A soft gray malleable metallic element that resembles tin but discolors on exposure to air.

10. Marked by lack of intellectual depth.

11. (physics) Of or pertaining to a meson.

12. Genus of tropical plants with creeping rootstocks and small umbellate flowers.

18. A form of magnetic resonance imaging of the brain that registers blood flow to functioning areas of the brain.

20. A telephone connection.

22. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

24. Any taillike structure.

25. Slender bristlelike appendage found on the bracts of grasses.

29. An amino acid that is found in the central nervous system.

32. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

34. An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.

36. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

38. A master's degree in business.

39. A barrier constructed to contain the flow or water or to keep out the sea.

42. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

44. The syllable naming the sixth (submediant) note of a major or minor scale in solmization.

46. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

47. A river in central Italy rising in the Apennines and flowing through Florence and Pisa to the Ligurian Sea. 49. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

53. The capital and largest city of Yemen.

54. An independent agency of the United States government responsible for collecting and coordinating intelligence and counterintelligence activities abroad in the national interest.

56. Plant with an elongated head of broad stalked leaves resembling celery.

57. A three-tone Chadic language.

58. Vice President of the United States under Bill Clinton (born in 1948).

59. A South American shrub whose leaves are chewed by natives of the Andes.

60. A woman hired to suckle a child of someone else.

62. The executive agency that advises the President on the federal budget.

63. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

64. (used of animals especially a horse) Of a moderate reddish-brown color n 1.

67. A colorless and odorless inert gas.

68. A class of proteins produced in lymph tissue in vertebrates and that function as antibodies in the immune response.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Playing the role of the one who nurtures another suits you quite well at this time. You may be feeling the need to care for others or to possibly have them return the favor. You have definite needs but you realize that others do as well. Being able to fit the two elements together is what makes life work.

You are a good mentor. Having the ability to get your message across to others is at a high point now. Your timing should be perfect and those around you should find you most intuitive. A good friend or work associate may come to you for advice concerning a very personal and emotional issue. Cutting through the red tape and getting to the heart of what lies beneath and behind will allow you to be of great assistance, wherever needed.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

You should find this a good day for getting things accomplished. Your good hand and eye coordination, plus a concentrated effort, should make just about any task run well. Use your instincts to help you make an important decision. Your workload is lighter and you resolve problems with grace and ease. At home, some of the choices that you make at this time may set you apart from your friends—this is only temporary. You may want to become caught up in the social whirl but your timing may be off a little. It is okay to dream, and now could be a good opportunity for you to do so. These days do not come too often—do not ignore this opportunity to allow your imagination a field day. Feed the ducks; go to a movie or call a friend.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Something may help you to appreciate and discover all of the beauty that is in your life and in those around you. By the same token, everything could take on added value and importance. It would be only too easy for you to overspend or indulge too much just now. You may be called on to perform a very special job—someone knows of your reputation to lead and manage others. You see a clear path to the desired end result and can complete difficult tasks in no time. Do not forget that there are people waiting to help you and lend a helping hand. Others will enjoy your company and you theirs. You should be feeling very peaceful and at ease with your life. Seasonal dances and music can be enjoyed at this time.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You should find that today is one of those super nice days— things just kind of flow along. Dealings with bankers and realtors are favored at this time. You will do particularly well in activities that include children, young people and your home and surroundings. You could feel real rapport and assistance at this time for circumstances and those around you. You may not be expecting it but some kind of boost in the form of extra recognition or support will be coming from those around you. You should feel very much in touch with others; the lines of communication are wide open. All of the support that you could possibly want or need is available. This may be an opportune time for you to consolidate and organize your affairs.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Previous obstacles to self-discipline or to your sense of organization will begin to clear up now. You can see what needs to be done in order to rise above frustrations around the workplace. Authorities and red tape may slow you down this afternoon—but not for long. You may find yourself reworking the idea of how you want your goals to proceed, even to the extent of changing jobs. You realize that success is largely a matter of how you pick and choose to fill your day. Delving into a good book or movie tonight may help you to relax and accept the day-to-day realities. You appreciate an imaginative approach and may value collective or futuristic ideas. Tonight especially, has a decidedly romantic flavor.

Love will make this a standout time!

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You want to feel powerful and in complete control of your life. Brush aside your impatience—matters needing personal attention will get your attention soon. It is more important to keep the pace steady for now. You are a very intelligent person and sometimes the problems you face are easier to solve than at other times. You work best with machines and probably interact worst with emotional issues. Today you may get a chance to deal with both. For now, focus your attention on fixing an item you know you can understand. The other situation, probably a clash or difference of opinion, may take a little more patience. Listening instead of talking is important for now. Agree with whatever ideas surface now—within reason of course.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Yesterday’s Solution

This is a good time for clear speculation and problem solving.

You will be receiving helpful advice on a business or financial concern just now. You are in a serious frame of mind and find yourself dealing with matters of much concern and responsibility. This is a good time to reorganize. You may be feeling a bit on the introverted side and just want to spend more time with your lover or with your close friends. It may not be a time to be very outward or to try to make yourself known in the world. Your feelings are more reflective than expressive now.

You enjoy the feeling of being needed and helping others feel needed. Tonight you encourage family or friends to come together at an after-dinner gathering with hot tea, cider or chocolate.

This is a fine day for making new starts. A feeling of peace and stability on the emotional level comes into play at this time. Being stable and permanent satisfies a deep emotional need. Music could also play a more important role for you than usual—you may find a period of material acquisition— satisfying a deep yearning to be free from want. There is a better than average chance that you will understand those around you and have a special time with someone you love. There is a great deal of support and harmony, which along with good feelings makes this an exceptionally happy time. You may perceive how to proceed with plans and determinations in respect to your life situation. This is a much better day than yesterday for socializing.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Go ahead and allow your creative and intuitive side to surface, as there are rewards coming as a result of being expressive in encouraging ways. You are unique in your problem-solving abilities and could teach or serve as a mentor to many young people. Watch for new solutions to old problems; something inventive is about to develop. If anyone has a project that they need to have completed by a certain time, you will be the one that they come to for help. You just seem to instinctively know how to utilize the crucial time you are given to work on a project. You are appreciated for your abilities to manage and direct others when asked. The accent tonight is on recreation but don’t go overboard in your pursuit of a good time—there are more tomorrows.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

You will feel inspired about a work-related project today. An ability to read between the lines will be an asset in your dealings with others just now. You may run into someone who wants to be bossy with others.

Life and circumstance will provide this person with knowledge; walk away. Renewing ties with someone you used to be attached to is not wise at this time; wish them well.

Priorities and goals that are family, personal and future oriented are worth your time; thinking and writing your heart’s desire into new goals is a good thing. List three things a month that you can do to work toward the accomplishment of this list of goals. Time wasters will not own you again. Relax this evening with healthy entertainment; laughter is positive.

A

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i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

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22545171

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24810598

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22545171

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24742838

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22434853

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22545051

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24711433

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24316983

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23927002

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24316983

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23980088

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23711183

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23262845

24812000

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25610011

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22450005

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25616368

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24843100

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25312700

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24849400

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24892010

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23940620

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24840300

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24846000

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24874330/9

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

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4732263

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22517733

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22451082

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25316254

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25623444

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22630786

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24810221

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24770319

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24575755

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24772608

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24775066

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24775992

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24311795

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24884079

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24892674

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24719048

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24710044

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3900322

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

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22547272

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22621099

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25713514

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23713100

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24334282

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25655535

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22641071/2

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25739272

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22562226

22618787

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22561444

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22619557

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25620111

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25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

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22639939

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info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

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25633324

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25345875

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22636464

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25322030

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22633135

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25339330

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25722291

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22666288

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25330060

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25722290

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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

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lifest yle G o s s i p

he 50-year-old actor fell in love with an abandoned mutt after seeing a video of the downtrodden canine on an animal shelter’s website. However, when George contacted the centre to say he wanted to give “Einstein” a home, he was told it would depend on whether or not the dog liked him as to whether or not he would be allowed to take him in. So ‘The Descendants’ star came up with an ingenious idea to ensure the dog loved him. In an interview with the January issue of America’s Esquire magazine, he revealed: “Einstein is part cocker spaniel or something. I got him out of a shelter about a year and a half ago ... So I go online and see Einstein. They had a whole film about him. It was actually really sweet. You see him all beat up in the shelter, and they show how they cleaned him up.

So I called and said, ‘I like Einstein!’ The woman goes, ‘Well, we don’t know if Einstein will like you.’ ‘Well, can I meet with Einstein?’ She says, ‘Yes, we’ll bring him to your house, but if he doesn’t like you, he can’t stay. We have to have good homes for these dogs.’ She sounded very serious. “I have this really long driveway, and I open the gate for them, and I start to panic that Einstein is not going to like

T

he ‘Drive’ actor has enrolled in lessons, but is doing so purely for enjoyment rather than to prepare for a new movie role. His private instructor Jaclyn Behtan said: “He’s not taking it to prepare for a role. He wanted to learn ballet. He said he loved it so much. It’s funny because he is such a dude’s dude. He’ll come in in basketball shorts, grab the bar and go.” Although he is only taking classes for himself, the ballet lessons have paid off for the sporty star with Jaclyn revealing his basketball has improved as a result. She told National Enquirer magazine: “His turns have improved and he’s a really good jumper.” Ryan likes to keep busy and previously claimed if everyone in Hollywood had jobs outside of the acting industry they would be much happier people.

T

he actress and her partner Brad Pitt already raise six kids together - Maddox, 10, Pax, eight, Zahara, six, Shiloh, five, and three-yearold twins Knox and Vivienne - and although she isn’t making plans to either adopt again or give birth to another baby, she admits it isn’t an impossible prospect. When asked whether she wants to expand her brood, she told America’s Marie Claire magazine: “Nothing planned at the moment, but we just don’t know. I could end up pregnant.” The ‘Salt’ star also praised Brad and credits him with changing her outlook on life completely. The 36year-old actress insists the 47-year-old actor is the “love” of her life and she can’t imagine ever being without him. She explained: “[Brad] has expanded my life in ways I never imagined. We built a family.

He is not just the love my life, he is my family. I hold that very dear. “I suppose what I’ve learned from Brad is to be able to have the kind of family whose happiness and wellbeing comes before your own.

I’m very grateful to have such a loving family, and I wouldn’t have that without him.”

T

he 62-year-old actress was horrified when she was offered the role of a witch three times over 20 years ago and admitted it made her realize that film executives didn’t value women of a certain age. Meryl told her husband Don Gummer her career was “over” and added she believed that women of her age were looked on as “grotesque on some level”.

However, Meryl’s career struggles have helped her with her most recent role, playing British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in ‘ The Iron Lady’. Speaking of her admiration for the former leader, she told the January issue of America’s Vogue magazine: “It was a men’s club. There were women there but I think it was 16 or 17 out of 630. The world was chang-

T

ing. You could feel the old order breaking down. There were many people who really didn’t want it to change. You could feel it. “Whitehot rage that didn’t speak - just emanated. I’m sure she experienced that. “It’s hard to quantify which prejudice kept her out of the inner circle more. But for her to achieve that at that time was incredible. Incredible. And to stay there. And stay there. To be the longest-serving prime minster of the 20th century.

Amazing.”

Nicole Scherzinger still in love with Lewis Hamilton he 29-year-old singer and the Formula 1 ace called time on their four-year relationship in October but now the brunette beauty insists they are in a “good place” right now. Asked about speculation they are getting back together, she told LOOK magazine: “Everything is very recent, so it’s a sensitive subject for me, but we are good friends and obviously we love one another very much. “That’s where we’re at now and that’s a good place to be. “What people see is completely opposite to what’s real.” Nicole also admitted she thinks Lewis is “perfect looking”, though looks are not the most important thing she considers in a potential boyfriend. She said: “I still think Lewis is one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen in

T

he 19-year-old star is totally smitten with the 21year-old Australian actor and has apparently been telling friends she thinks he could be the guy for her permanently. Miley and Liam are currently busy making plans as to where they will be spending the Christmas period but although they will definitely be together they aren’t sure which family they are going to be staying with for the big day. A source told HollywoodLife.com: “It couldn’t be better between the both of them. They are figuring out where to spend the holidays together, but it will be

T

me. So I run into the kitchen, where I have these turkey meatballs, and I rub them all over my shoes. This woman opens the door, and who knew Einstein was such a foodie on top of everything? He throws himself at my feet. She says, ‘I’ve never seen him react like that, ever!’ And she left him with me on the spot. And forever, now, he just thinks of me as the guy with meatball feet.” George - who is dating former WWE Diva Stacey Kiebler - loves his pet pooch and insists the pair have had a great bond since he adopted him. He added: “I was looking for a dog because I hadn’t had one for a while - and I wanted one that was housetrained. I’m just terrible at house-training dogs ... He loves me. I can do no wrong. He follows me everywhere.”

my life, he’s perfect looking. “But I don’t base any relationship on looks, it comes from the heart and soul first. If you really love someone, you fall in love with their looks.” Lewis recently admitted he wouldn’t rule out reconciling with Nicole in future. He said: “We still have very, very strong feelings for each other and I still love her very much. Who knows, maybe we will be together in the future.

“We’re friends and we can move forward.

These times are sent to try you, it’s about how you pull through. I have my family who are helping, so I feel pretty good.” It has been claimed the pair have recently enjoyed a string of secret dates.

together and they are madly in love and inseparable.

Miley thinks Liam is ‘The One’.” The pair first met on the set of ‘The Last Song’ in June 2009 and shared an 18 month relationship which ended in November 2010. They rekindled their romance in the summer and Miley recently described Liam as the perfect boyfriend because he is such a great listener. The former ‘Hannah Montana’ star - whose father is country singer Billy Ray Cyrus - recently said: “I think it’s someone that is always there to listen and I think that’s when people make mistakes because they always

want to have the answers and I don’t like people trying to fix me, I just like them being able to listen. But everything’s great, I’m happy and there’s nothing I can complain about. I’m performing and doing what I love and I have awesome people in my life so nothing can really go wrong.”— Bangshowbiz

he 15-year-old singer has learned how to behave around older adults in her professional career, but insists she is just a normal teenager when she is with her friends. She said: “I think I’ve got two personalities. I know how to present myself if I’m with older people, but when I’m with my friends, I’m the most immature person ever. But I think that’s just being a teenager.” Because of her young age, Dionne’s mother looks after her finances and she still receives a weekly allowance. She told the new issue of LOOK magazine: “I’ve got an allowance, thank God, but I let my mum look after my money. “And I’ve got a trust fund, so when I’m 18 I’m going to have access to that.

I’m going to be responsible and buy myself a car, but I’ll need lessons first.”Despite her wealth, the ‘Yeah Right’ hitmaker - who is the goddaughter of late singer Amy Winehouse - still loves receiving presents because she doesn’t believe money necessarily brings happiness. She said: “It’s still nice - just opening presents and getting perfume or something that somebody has thought about.

Money can’t buy you happiness.”

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LIFESTYLE

In this photograph, Maci, an American Staffordshire Terrier puppy, gets a photo with Santa at PetSmart’s annual Santa Claws event in New York. —AP

This photo shows Carol Bryant’s dog (Dexter) right, and Chilton’s dog, Bailey (left) in Forty Fort, Pa. —AP

Don t buy pet store puppies: Animal welfare groups M ore puppies are sold at pet stores during the holiday season than any other time of year. Now the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and other groups are stepping up efforts to stop these sales, saying many of these dogs come from puppy mills.

Forty billboards in Los Angeles this month encourage people to fight puppy mills by boycotting pet stores and websites that sell puppies. More than 50,000 people have signed a pledge on the ASPCA’s website vowing to uphold the boycott, and the ASPCA has an online database of targeted stores at nopetstorepuppies.com encouraging consumers to shop elsewhere. Consumers can also report a store to the ASPCA, and the organization will verify the source of its puppies, Menkin said.

“We are not just saying ‘Don’t buy a puppy,’ but ‘Don’t buy anything in a pet store that sells puppies,” said Cori

Menkin, senior director of the ASPCA’s anti-puppy mills campaign. “If pet stores are not able to turn a profit, they will stop selling puppies.” The Humane Society of the United States, Best Friends Animal Society and many other groups are promoting similar initiatives. As malls and chains drop the commercial sale of puppies, one change for consumers is an increase in convenient locations for shelter adoptions.

In October, Jack’s Pets announced they would no longer sell puppies at their 27 stores in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. They are working with shelters to offer in-store adoptions instead.

Major chains like PetSmart Inc and Petco Animal Supplies Inc. stopped selling dogs and cats several years ago, partnering with local shelters and rescues on weekend adoption events.

Best Friends has helped several traditional pet stores convert to shelter sales.

Macerich Co, a regional shopping mall company, recently announced a ban on traditional pet stores at its 70 malls. Instead, at the company’s mall in Lakewood, Calif., shoppers will find a store called Adopt & Shop, which gets its animals from the Southeast Area Animal Control Authority shelter. On Nov. 25, the store celebrated its 500th adoption, said Aimee Gilbreath, executive director of Found Animals, the organization that runs and subsidizes Adopt & Shop.

Some pet store owners say they’re being unfairly maligned. Jens Larsen, who owns Perfect Pets in Littleton, Colo., is on the ASPCA list and says it’s not right. He has been in business for 18 years, sold 1,600 puppies last year and has an A-plus rating with the Better Business Bureau. He gets 80 percent of his dogs from commercial breeders in Nebraska, 10 percent from breeders in Kansas and Oklahoma and 10 percent from two Colorado breed-

ers, he said.

Some animal activists are “radical and fanatical and want to put me out of business,” he said. “I obey the law.

So do my breeders and the kennels I deal with,” Larsen said. Larsen says that when you are selling 100 puppies a month, there will occasionally be a case of kennel cough or a parasite, and every once in a while, something more serious. But he believes if his dogs were continually getting sick, word would spread and he’d be out of business. About 2 million puppies are sold online and in US pet stores every year, said Menkin. The ASPCA and other animal welfare groups have popularized a negative image of commercial dog breeders in recent years, claiming that poor breeding practices and substandard conditions leave some animals with chronic physical ailments, genetic defects or fear of humans.

Whether it’s the impact of bad publicity or the recession cutting into

purebred dog sales, the number of commercial dog breeders licensed by the US Department of Agriculture is declining, from 3,486 in 2009, to 2,904 in 2010 and 2,205 in 2011, according to USDA spokesman Dave Sacks said.

Licenses in Missouri, with three times more breeders than any other state, dropped from 1,221 in 2009 to 745 this year, Sacks said. Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Ohio and Indiana have between 100 and 300 licensed breeders. Sixteen states have none.

Sacks says the USDA protects animals by making unannounced inspections of breeding facilities and by regulating food, care and housing for the animals.

Serina Brant believes her golden retriever, Ali, was a puppy mill dog.

When Brant bought the 4-month-old pup 10 years ago from Perfect Pets for $400, Ali’s papers had numbers instead of names listed for parents.

Her first trip to the vet cost $800 to treat giardia, fleas and eye infections,

said Brant, of Littleton, Colo. Two years later, the dog started limping. X-rays showed hip dysplasia. Surgery, at $12,000 for both hips, was an option but came without guarantees, so Brant chose to medicate the dog instead.

Then Ali got arthritis.

For the last six years, Ali has to stop every 50 feet to rest. Because of the medication, “we don’t think she’s in pain,” said Brant. But over the years, the medicine has totaled $8,600. “I am not going to put a dog down just because she’s defective. We have the money to provide for her so we will,” she said. But next time she gets a dog, Brant says, she’ll adopt one from a shelter. —AP

Exhibit reveals Auld Lang Syne’s mysterious roots A

Artists perform in “Streb: Kiss the Air!î a gravity-defying performance by creator Elizabeth Streb, during a dress rehearsal in New York, December 13, 2011. —AFP

Paris’s famed Shakespeare and Co bookshop founder dies eorge Whitman, the founder of the Shakespeare and Company bookshop in Paris-a famed writers’ refuge and Englishlanguage literary hub in the French capital-died Wednesday aged 98, the shop said. “George Whitman died peacefully at home in the apartment above his bookshop,” the shop said on its Facebook page.”George suffered a stroke two months ago, but showed incredible strength and determination up to the end, continuing to read every day in the company of his daughter, Sylvia, his friends and his cat and dog,” it said.

Across the Seine from the Notre Dame Cathedral in the famously literary Latin Quarter, Shakespeare and Company was known to generations in Paris as a haunt of aspiring writers.

Visiting authors and students would work in the shop, sleep in the stacks and soak up Paris’s literary atmosphere.

Whitman founded the shop as Le Mistral in 1951, later renaming it after the previous Shakespeare and Company owned by Sylvia Beach, which in the 1920s was a gathering place for writers including Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce. “After a life entirely dedicated to books, authors and readers, George will be sorely missed by all his loved ones and by bib-

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liophiles around the world who have read, written and stayed in his bookshop for over 60 years,” the shop said. “George will be remembered for his free spirit, his eccentricity and his generosity-all three summarized in the Yeats verses written on the walls of his open, muchvisited library: ‘Be not inhospitable to strangers / Lest they be angels in disguise’,” the shop said.

Born on December 12, 1913, Whitman, who claimed to be a grand-nephew of American poet Walt Whitman, was raised in Salem, Massachusetts, according to his biography on the shop’s website. After graduating with a degree in journalism from Boston University in 1935, he set off on a 5,000-kilometre (3,100mile) journey through Central America, much of it on foot, that instilled in him a passion for travel. He was called to military service in 1941 and served as a medic during World War II at military hospitals throughout Europe.After the war he briefly ran a small bookstore in Massachusetts but eventually moved permanently to Paris under the US GI Bill, which provided assistance to returning veterans. —AFP

t the stroke of midnight this New Year’s, millions of people around the globe will hold hands and belt out the famous song “Auld Lang Syne”-but how many will have a clue what it means? The Scottish poem and heartstring-tugging tune are reckoned to vie for the title of most widely recognized song on the planet after “Happy Birthday”. From the masses in London’s Trafalgar Square to small towns in New Zealand, “Auld Lang Syne” is a staple of New Year’s, while the tune, set to different words, appears in places as diverse as Mexico and China.

Yet with lines like “We twa hae run about the braes/And pu’t the gowans fine,” it isn’t only midnight tipplers who might have difficulty knowing what they are singing. And an exhibition in New York reveals the strange-sounding words are only the tip of a murky and romantic iceberg.

“This is a song we all sort of know,” said Christine Nelson, curator of the exhibit at the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan. But “we don’t know what it means, or where it comes from.”

The common assumption is that Scottish poet Robert Burns composed the ballad. The truth seems less straightforward. The first recorded reference comes from Burns, who in 1788 wrote to a female friend about her recent reunion with a long-lost acquaintance. Commenting on the theme of old friendship, Burns mentions in his letter “the Scots phrase, ‘Auld lang syne,’” which translates as “old time’s sake.” Then he tells his friend: “There is an old song & tune which has often thrilled thro’ my soul.”

Right there, the seeds of the world’s favorite nostalgic song appear to have been planted.

However, another half decade passed before Burns set the words on paper and sent them to a publisher-and even then, it seems, almost as an afterthought. A celebrated poet, Burns was dedicating what would be his last decade, before dying at 37, to the collection of traditional Scottish folk songs.

Part of everyone’s life Dozens of songs are discussed in a long 1793 letter to the publisher George Thomson. Then Burns mentions: “One song more & I have doneauld lang syne.” Claiming he “took it down from an old man’s singing,” Burns says the song has “never been in print, nor even in manuscript.” He then presents the whole thing, starting with the famous lines, “Should auld acquaintance be forgot/And never brought to mind?” and continuing

for a total of six verses, most of which tend to be left out by modern revelers.

Whether Burns did just copy the mysterious old man’s song or whether he is in fact the secret author, is a hot subject for the poet’s fans. “My sense is that he rewrote most of it, because it really does have that ring of Burns’ poetry,” Nelson told AFP. Thomson himself thought there was “evidence of our Bard himself being the author.”

The tune took its own tortuous path. The words were first set to entirely different music, while the

non. The song was popularized in the 1920s and ‘30s by American big band leader Guy Lombardo, then again in a string of Hollywood moviesnotably for a crucial scene in the 1946 film “It’s a Wonderful Life”-and never looked back.

How an obscure Scottish ballad with hard-topronounce words made that leap confounds even experts like Nelson. “I don’t know the answer to that,” she said. What she’s sure of though is that the song, which never mentions New Year’s but calls for drinking to long friend-

A book of poems by Scottish poet Robert Burns is adorned with his portrait and lyrics of “Auld Lang Syne” as part of an exhibition at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York, December 09, 2011. —AFP tune known today as “Auld Lang Syne” was originally matched to other lyrics, such as the uncatchy sounding ditty: “O Can Ye Labor Lea, Young Man.” In 1799, when Burns was already dead, words and music were combined in their final form. But it would be another two centuries before that potent mix of nostalgia and opportunity for a loud sing-along blew up into a global phenome-

ship, perfectly suits the occasion. “It’s a part of almost everyone’s life in the English-speaking world,” she said. “That association of valuing old friends... We understand that’s what the song is about.” —AFP

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South Korean pop group Beast performs for the first time in Sao Paulo, Brazil, during a world tour with other artists, aimed at increasing Korean pop music popularity in the region, late on December 13, 2011.

South Korean pop group, 4Minute, performs. — AFP photos

‘Dragon Tattoo’ film paints Sweden in darkest shades V

iolence, a sexually abused heroine and the forbidding wintry landscape of director David Fincher’s new “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” film may alter any pre-conceived notions of Sweden as a socialist paradise. Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard, who plays the corporate executive of a family firm with a terrible secret, said that although the film explores a very fictional dark side of society its portrayal of feminine strength was particularly Swedish. “Such a strong female hero as we have in this film and such a soft male hero as we have in this film, I think that is typical Swedish,” he told reporters when he hit the red carpet for the Stockholm premiere of the Hollywood version of Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s best-selling thriller.

Sweden is known for its cradle-to-grave welfare system and Ikea department stores. The film and books paint another picture, more in tune with its bleak and cold winters and a dark side found in a number of Swedish crime novels that have taken the publishing world by storm in the last decade.

Skarsgard said foreigners in general did not know much about the small Scandinavian country and hoped that Sweden would not be too associated with the crime wave genre that has put Swedish Noir at the top of the modern world’s literary map.

“I hope they don’t think that the way Sweden is portrayed in those books and films is the way Sweden is, because it is still a very peaceful and lovely and very nice country to live in,” he said. The film received solid early reviews and critics especially praised Rooney Mara’s appearance as the fearless sexual abuse survivor and punkish computer hacker Lisbeth Salander. Mara said it was essential that much of the film was made in Sweden. “Some people questioned why we came to Sweden to make

In this film image, Rooney Mara (left) and Yorick van Wageningen are shown in a scene from “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.” — AP the film and why we did not just make our American version in America but I don’t think you can really tell the story without telling it in Sweden.

I think it is a very Swedish story, I think all the characters are very Swedish,” she said.

“Huge story-telling tradition” In the story, Salander teams up with journalist Mikael Blomkvist in search of a killer. Blomkvist is

played by British actor Daniel Craig, best known for the role of James Bond. “What it tells about Sweden for me is that there is a huge story-telling tradition here and it is a sort of dark tale, something that we can all relate to in Northern Europe. They have worldwide mass appeal it seems,” Craig said.

“Dragon Tattoo” is the first of the late Larsson’s bestselling Millennium trilogy of books, which has sold more than 60 million copies in 48 countries world-

wide. Helena Lindblad, a film critic at the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter, said the huge success of the books and the films had opened the world market for other Scandinavian authors and actors, for example Noomi Rapace who played Salander in the Swedish adaption of the trilogy for the screen. “This success of Stieg Larsson’s is definitely the icebreaker. It is quite unreal and has opened doors for Swedish Crime or Swedish Noir or whatever you want to call it and that it has become a term associated with these films and books,” Lindblad, who attended the Swedish premiere late on Tuesday, said.

Lindblad said she really liked the film. And though remakes in general were “not particularly exciting” cinematically, director Fincher, whose credits include “Seven” and “Fight Club”, added qualities, not the least visually. She also said the interaction between the main characters was stronger in the Hollywood adaption than in the Swedish original. She said Fincher captured Sweden in an excellent way. Salvador Munoz, a fan who was celebrity spotting at the premiere, said that Fincher could add “more of Stieg Larssondarkness” to the film. He said Evil was Fincher’s signature. “It is man’s other side, the dark side of people. He portrays it so well,” Munoz said. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” opens in the United States on December 20. — Reuters

Alexander Graham Bell recordings played from 1880s

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In this file photo, actress Lindsay Lohan appears with her attorney Shawn Chapman Holley for a probation hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court. — AP

Lindsay Lohan

lexander Graham Bell foresaw many things, including that people could someday talk over a telephone. But the inventor certainly never could have anticipated that his audio-recording experiments in a Washington, DC, lab could be recovered 130 years later and played for a gathering of scientists, curators and journalists. “To be or not to be...” a man’s voice can be heard saying in one recording as it was played on a computer at the Library of Congress on Tuesday. The speaker from the 1880s recites a portion of Hamlet’s Soliloquy as a green wax disc crackles to life from computer speakers.

The early audio recordings - which revealed recitations of Shakespeare, numbers and other familiar lines - had been packed away and deemed obsolete at the Smithsonian Institution for more than a century. But new technology has allowed them to be recovered and played. The technology reads the sound from tiny grooves with light and a 3D camera. The recordings offer a glimpse into the dawn of the information age, when inventors were scrambling to make new discoveries and secure patents for the first telephones and phonographs, even early fiber optics.

A second recording, on a copper negative disc, played back Tuesday reveals a trill of the tongue and someone reciting the numbers 1-2-3-4-5-6. A third recording catches perhaps the first sound of disappointment as Bell’s recording device seemed to hit a technical glitch. “Mary had a little lamb and its fleece was white as snow,” a voice says. “Everywhere that Mary went - Oh no!”

On Nov 17, 1884, Bell’s lab recorded the word “barometer” several times on a glass disc with a beam of light. It and about 200 other experimental records were packed up and given to the Smithsonian, seemingly never to be played again. The recordings

back to court for probation update

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indsay Lohan was due in court yesterday to give a judge her first progress update under strict new probation requirements intended to keep close tabs on the troubled actress. Lohan has been reporting regularly for work at the Los Angeles County morgue since being repeatedly threatened with a long jail sentence if she failed to complete the terms of her probation, which include community service and counseling sessions.

The hearing is without the usual drama that precedes Lohan’s recent court appearances, which have focused on the actress’ shortcomings by missing court-ordered therapy sessions and getting booted from a community service assignment at a women’s shelter. The “Mean Girls” star spent less than five hours at a jail last month as part of a 30-day sentence imposed by Judge Stephanie Sautner for Lohan’s continued misbehavior.

The judge is requiring the starlet to report on her progress monthly and it appears Lohan has been successful in meeting the goals of Wednesday’s hearing.

“She’s been doing fine,” Deputy Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Tuesday, saying the

actress has been showing up, working and leaving without incident. He said he did not know how many hours Lohan had completed. Her spokesman, Steve Honig, said Lohan has met or exceeded the terms of her probation imposed by Sautner last month.

“She’s working very diligently to keep up her days so she can finish up with probation,” he said. Lohan remains on probation for a 2007 drunken driving case and a misdemeanor grand theft case filed after she took a $2,500 necklace without permission. She has consistently struggled with the terms of her various sentences, which have included jail terms, rehab, community service and counseling. Her appearance yesterday comes days before a Playboy issue featuring Lohan in a mostly-nude pictorial hits newsstands. The magazine was forced to release the issue online early after photos of the Marilyn Monroe-inspired spread leaked out online. — AP

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Scientist Carl Haber shows a glass Graham Bell, during a news conference at Library of Congress in Washington. — AP

date back to the 1880s. Bell had moved from Boston to Washington after obtaining a patent on March 10, 1876 for his invention of the telephone, which occurred when his employee Thomas Watson heard him shouting over a wire in the next room. He joined a growing group of scientists who made the nation’s capital a hotbed for innovations.

Bell partnered with his cousin Chichester Bell and Charles Sumner Tainter to create Volta Laboratory Associates in Washington in the early 1880s. During this time, Bell sent the first wireless telephone message on a beam of light from the roof of a downtown Washington building - a forerunner to modern fiber optics. He and other inventors also were scrambling to record sound on anything they could find, including glass, rubber and metal. One early sound record looks like a smashed soup can. Inventors at the time were in intense competition. Bell, Emile Berliner and Thomas Edison, who invented the phonograph to record sound on tin foil in 1877, each left objects and documentation with the Smithsonian to help prove their innovations were first. Bell went so far

as to seal some devices in tin boxes for safe keeping at the Smithsonian. Edison’s earliest recordings are thought to be lost.

“This stuff makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck,” said Curator Carlene Stephens of the National Museum of American History before Bell’s recordings were played Tuesday. “It’s the past speaking directly to us in a way we haven’t heard before.” The museum’s collection of about 400 of the earliest audio recordings, including 200 from Bell’s lab, will likely become a key resource for new research on communications and early technology now that they can be played back, Stephens said. “These materials have been in a cupboard and virtually unknown for decades,” she said. “The collection has been silent.”—AP

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lifestyle In this file photo, a model presents an outfit by Greek Fashion designer Lila Nova. — AP

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reece is in crisis, but it was hard to tell at Athens fashion week, which showcased spring and summer collections for 2012.

“Keep Greek Fashion in Your Hearts,” was the motto, a hard ask in a country on the verge of financial ruin. But the models on the catwalk and the glitterati on the red carpet did their part. Gowns shimmered, lipstick glistened. Pink cocktails flowed, courtesy of the sponsors.

Glamorous looks can be deceiving. In Greece, shops are closing, unemployment is climbing, pensions are evaporating and people are protesting. Austerity rules. Foreign loans are the norm, foreign investment is not. Few Greeks have the means or inclination to splurge on clothes, much less garments tailored to individual taste.

Fashion is the purview of the wealthy elites, but its struggle to adapt and even survive in the Greek mess mirrors other mired economic sectors. And unlike some Greek industries, fashion never enjoyed staunch promotion by the state, as in powerhouses France or Italy, and most designers lack a strong production base for their portfolios. Broadly, it’s a story about relevance.

Fashion anywhere aims to connect with a mass audience, but exclusivity and flamboyance can make it seem out of touch. Even more so in Greece, where students, civil servants and garbage collectors take grievances to the streets. A few Greek designers have international repute. London-based Sophia Kokosalaki, who adopted classic Grecian draping for a soft, flowing look, designed thousands of outfits for the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. But for the most part, Greek designers cater to a domestic clientele, relying on word-of-mouth marketing and operating out of small workshops, or ateliers.

Local buyers are scarce, the fallout from a crisis that has pitched Greece to the edge of a debt default and now threatens the unity of the eurozone. Celia Dragouni, a 32-year-old designer who describes her style as “hippie, bohemian” and “romantic,” has a website and a fan page on Facebook. Now she seeks direct contact with international buyers because business at home is shrinking, especially in the slow year-end season. “I’m sending some mails and fixing my portfolio,” Dragouni said. “I’m trying to get to know the buyers. I’m aiming abroad.”

It’s not all grim. Weddings are a big deal anywhere, but Greeks go all out. Dragouni, who works extensively with silk and lace, custommade 30 wedding gowns this past summer, the traditional season for getting hitched. Yet she said some designers who used to charge 10,000 euros for a wedding dress have dropped the price by as much as two-thirds, even when cutting and stitching with the same high-quality

materials. Many Greek designers cater to singers and other local celebrities, unable to generate the kind of mass-produced, ready-to-wear lines that would endow their labels with corporate strength and true staying power. That makes their predicament more dire as revenue dries up and entertainment becomes more of a luxury than a fixture. “I always thought local Greek fashion was generated by the local music industry and by what’s happening abroad, which for a small country is OK. The only problem with that is that it does not concern the needs of the Greek people who actually shop at Zara,” the Spanish retailer, said Erotokritos Antoniadis, a Cypriot designer based in France.

He said he concluded that “fashion is not enough by itself,” and has mixed design with cuisine, opening a canteen in Paris that sells Mediterranean dishes. The four-day October event, known as Athens Xclusive Designers Week, happens twice a year and is modeled on bigger, star-studded fashion weeks in Paris, London, Milan and New York. It has hosted shows by Vivienne Westwood, Guy Laroche and other international houses in the past, but this time organizers limited catwalk space to Greek designers, and a few others with links to Greece.

“We wanted to send a message to everybody to support the Greek designers because it is a very critical moment for our country,” organizer Tonia Fouseki said. “It is an established event, but we were afraid a little bit before the event of how people would react, if they would like to come.” She said Greece has about 70 full-time designers and that 20,000 people visited the conference center where the collections were shown, signaling that: “People need to see. Even if they can’t buy, they want to see.”

Konstantinos Mitrovgenis, who has made clothes for many Greek singers and for the theater, was declared best new designer, an award that allows him to display at a fashion event abroad, possibly in Malta or the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, or even New York City. An industry profile says he has pioneered the use of “lighted structures and modular clothes” to create a “functional avant-garde style.”

Another home favorite was the 20-year veteran known as Miltos, who has a studio in the chic Athens district of Kolonaki and picks a theme Napoleonic, 1960s, horseriding - for each of his collections. “It’s like a fairytale and people like it,” he said. But he acknowledged: “It’s very difficult to have a personal style because all the people want to see the Internet, want to see the global designs.” Signs of economic strain were evident.

Some designers dropped out, lacking resources to put together a collection. There was little evidence of expensive crystals or other precious stones used to enhance clothing in the past.

Antoniadis, who showed a collection there, described much of the clothing on display as “very couture and very sexy,” but not down-toearth. “It will end up in the nightclubs,” he said. “I didn’t really think it concerned the actual girl, the actual woman who would go to work or the office, who would actually need everyday clothes.” — AP

In this file photo, a model presents an outfit by Greek Fashion designer Tamy’s Archive during the Athens Exclusive Designers Week in Athens. — AP

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In this photo, ABC News correspondent Christianne Amanpour poses at the New York Premiere of “In The Land of Blood and Honey,” a film written and directed

by Angelina Jolie. — AP

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ngelina Jolie’s directorial debut, “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” picked up its first awards-season mention on Tuesday, as the Producers Guild of America announced that the film will be honored with its Stanley Kramer Award. The award, named after the producer of “The Caine Mutiny,” “High Noon” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” was created in 2002. According to the PGA, it honors “a motion picture, producer or other individual, whose achievement or contribution illuminates provocative social issues in an accessible and elevating fashion.” “In the Land of Blood and Honey” is set in Bosnia during the war in that country during the 1990s. Its dialogue is largely in the Serbo-Croatian language, and it depicts the tortured relationship between a couple who find themselves on different sides of the devastating conflict.

Jolie’s work “is an extraordinary film that portrays a complex love story set against the terrors of the Bosnian War, especially towards women,” said PGA presidents Hawk Koch and Mark Gordon in a statement. “This film truly embraces the legacy of Stanley Kramer.” Previous recipients of the Stanley Kramer Award include last year’s winner, Sean Penn, as well as the films “Antwone Fisher,” “In America,” “Hotel Rwanda” and “An Inconvenient Truth.” The film’s producers-Jolie, Tim Headington, Graham King and Tim Moore-will accept the award at the 23rd annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony on January 21 at the Beverly Hilton. — Reuters

uckily for Tom Cruise, “Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol” is one of his finest action flicks, just what’s needed to potentially restore some of this fallen star’s box-office bankability. For director Brad Bird, though, the fourth “Mission,” rock solid as it is, ranks only as his second-best action movie, after the animated smash “The Incredibles.”

Cruise may be the star here, but Bird’s the story, a director who’s only making his fourth movie and, remarkably, just his first live-action feature. This is the best of the “M:I” movies, far better than Brian De Palma’s original, No 2 by John Woo and even the franchise’s previous high with No 3 by JJ Abrams, who stuck around as producer on this one.

Those three filmmakers had years and years of action stuff behind them with real, live actors. Yet along comes Bird to show that the enormous talent behind his Academy Award winners “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille” and his acclaimed cartoon adventure “The Iron Giant” transfers mighty nicely from animation to the real world. Granted, this is the real world, “M:I”-style, where Cruise’s missions and stunts truly are impossible by the laws of physics and normal, plausible storytelling constraints. But Bird applies the anything-canhappen limitlessness of cartoons and just goes for it, creating some thrilling, dizzying, amazing action sequences.

If you have the slightest fear of heights, grip the arm rests tightly and press both feet flatly to the floor during Cruise’s attempt to scale the world’s tallest building; even safe in your seat, an unnerving feeling of vertigo is bound to result as you stare down from the 130th floor. For all the complexity of the action and gimmicks, Bird and screenwriters Andre Nemec and Josh Appelbaum (executive producers on Abrams’ “Alias”) wisely tell a simple, good-guys-against-bad-guys story. They keep Cruise surrounded by a tight, capable supporting cast in Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton and Simon Pegg, who co-starred in “Mission: Impossible III.” The movie starts with a clever jailbreak by Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, stuck in a Moscow prison for reasons unexplained until late in the story, then serves up an opening-credit montage fondly reminiscent of the old “Mission: Impossible” TV show.

Once free, Ethan is dispatched to infiltrate the Kremlin along with Impossible Missions Force agents Jane Carter (Patton) and Benji Dunn (Pegg). But it’s all a setup by madman Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), who sets off a devastating explosion at the Kremlin to cover his theft of a Russian nuclear launch device and manages to finger Ethan’s team for the blast. With U.S.-Russian tension at its worst since the Cuban missile crisis, the threat that’s always hung over the IMF team comes to pass: the secretary (Tom Wilkinson) disavows knowledge of their actions, leaving Hunt and his comrades on their own as they try to clear their names and stop Hendricks from instigating nuclear war.

Joining them is Wilkinson’s aide, William Brandt (Renner), a guy who takes to field work a little too easily to be the desk-jockey analyst he claims he is. Cruise looks shaggy, and sure, we could blame his bad haircut on the fact that Ethan’s just out of prison. But it doesn’t help an aging screen idol to look so unkempt; the “Mission: Impossible” world routinely defies reality, so would it have been so farfetched for Ethan to stop by a salon before heading back into action?

What Cruise does on screen is pretty much the same-old. Ethan runs, Ethan leaps, Ethan bashes faces, Ethan violates traffic laws, Ethan runs some more. Cruise has two main modes in his acting repertoire: flash that thousandwatt smile or play the stone-face, and he mostly does the latter here, so honestly, Ethan’s not all that interesting when he’s standing still and talking. That work ethic of Cruise, though, shows in every one of the spectacular action moments. For the climb up Dubai’s 2,700-foot (823-meter) Burj Khalifa skyscraper, the filmmakers claim they had planned to re-create part of the building’s exterior and have Cruise scale it on a safe soundstage. But Cruise wanted to climb the real thing, so much of the sequence was filmed with him harnessed to the building more than 1,000 feet (300 meters) up.

Cruise has reined in the “gone bonkers” antics of his private life that turned off so many fans, and if he’s willing to dangle himself in the air like this, maybe it’s time people think about giving him a break. Renner’s a great

addition to the cast, and if there are more missions down the road, hopefully he’ll be back.

He exudes class, intelligence, warmth and humor to counter Cruise’s often robotic Ethan.

Patton is almost too gorgeous to exist, let alone be some junior field agent instead of a supermodel. But she’s a tough, wily presence, particularly in a showdown with an enemy assassin (the nearly as gorgeous Lea Seydoux).

And Pegg is Pegg, the comic relief who adds some decent chuckles. Nyqvist, the male lead in the Swedish version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” shows hints of the unhinged villain he no doubt could play with relish. But he’s unfortunately shackled by a few brief scenes that never give him a chance to unleash his inner Blofeld. “Ghost Protocol” ends with a talky epilogue that feels tacked-on and trite, though it offers a couple of cameos from “Mission” past. —AP

US actor Tom Cruise arrives on the red carpet for the UK Premiere of Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, at a central London cinema. — AP

Actress Paula Patton, who plays Jane Carter, arrives.

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An Emirati man prepares to compete in a falconry competition.

A falcon flies during a falconry competition, part of the Third International Festival of Falconry, in Ramah, south of Al-Ain, on December 13, 2011. —AFP photos

Gem of an auction $116m auction of Liz Taylor jewels smashes records

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This file photo shows Elizabeth Taylor’s “La Peregrina,” an early 16th century pearl, ruby and diamond necklace by Cartier, that was a gift from Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor, at Christie’s, in New York. —AP

n auction of actress Elizabeth Taylor’s world-renowned jewels took in $116 million, more than double the record for a single collection and setting new marks for pearls, colorless diamonds and Indian jewels. Christie’s sale of 80 items from Taylor’s collection on Tuesday had been estimated to raise about $20 million, but everything from her famous 33-carat diamond ring, a gift from Richard Burton, to her charm bracelets sold for many times their estimates. Just halfway into the marathon four-hour sale, the Taylor collection broke the record for a single-owner jewelry collection set in 1987 when the Duchess of Windsor’s jewels sold for just over $50 million.

The pattern was set early on, when one of the most historic pieces, a 203-grain (equivalent to 55 carat) pear-shaped 16th-century pearl, once owned by England’s Mary Tudor and later by Spanish queens Margarita and Isabel, sold for $11,842,500 including commission, setting an auction record for a pearl.

Burton, who married Taylor twice, had bought the pearl in 1969 at auction for $37,000, and Taylor, who died in March at age 79, commissioned Cartier to design a ruby-

and-diamond necklace mount. It had been estimated to sell for $2 million to $3 million.

But from the very first item, a charm bracelet estimated at about $30,000, it was clear the Taylor cachet was delivering beyond expectations. The bracelet fetched $326,500.

Minutes later an ivory and gold necklace featuring theater medallions soared to more than 100 times its $1,500 to $2,000 estimate, selling for $314,500. The trend continued unabated, right up until the final offeringTaylor’s iconic 33.19-carat diamond, which Burton had bought for $300,000 in 1968.

Selling for $8,818,500, or about three times the estimate, it set a per-carat record for a colorless diamond.

South Korean buyer The colossal rock, which has been renamed The Elizabeth Taylor diamond, was bought by South Korean businessman Daniel Pang, who was bidding on behalf of Eland World, a South Korean concern. Pang said the conglomerate owns several hotels and plans to exhibit the diamond, as it has done in the past with historic memorabilia from the estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Christie’s officials were ecstatic with the results, which followed a monumental 10-day exhibition Taylor’s jewelry, couture, art and memorabilia which sold 25,000 tickets at $30 each.

Rahul Kadakia, head of jewelry for Christie’s Americas, said the auctioneers knew the sale was going to do very well, given Taylor’s expert eye and worldwide fame as one of the last great Hollywood stars. “This truly is one of the greatest jewelry collections in the world,” he told Reuters. “But in my wildest dreams, I did not think we would outsell the estimate by five times.”

Marc Porter, Christie’s Americas president and chairman, said the auction was “one of the most extraordinary sales Christie’s has ever had.” He called it “a testament to the love of Elizabeth Taylor worldwide” as well as to her collecting ability. Other highlights included the Taj Mahal diamond, another gift from Burton marking Taylor’s 40th birthday. It sold for $8,818,500, a record for an Indian jewel.

The per-carat record for a ruby was also broken, by Burton’s Van Cleef & Arpels rubyand-diamond ring, a 1968 Christmas gift.

Another record, for a tiara, fell when her third

This file photo shows “The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond,” a 33.19 carat a gift to the actress from Richard Burton at Christie’s, in New York. —AP husband Mike Todd’s 1957 gift to Taylor sold for $4.2 million, or about six times the estimate. The Taylor auctions continued yesterday when the actress’ haute couture, including the dresses she wore from her two weddings to Burton, will be sold. Online auctions of some 1,000 lower-priced items from Taylor’s estate are running concurrently. —Reuters