16 Dec 2011

Portrait of an artist as a (very) young man

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End of an affair

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The US flag, Iraq flag, and the US Forces Iraq colors are seen before they are carried in during ceremonies marking the end of the US military mission in Iraq yesterday. (Inset) US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta speaks during the flag-lowering ceremony. — AP/AFP

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Cooking up a new perspective

By Sawsan Kazak could speak about food for days, contemplate one dish for hours and debate ingredients with unbridled passion. But I usually try to subdue my foodie tendencies in front of others as I have been mocked for such behavior. I recently participated in a Japanese cooking class held at a newly established cooking school in Kuwait. The experience was a unique one that reenergized my love of

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food, in a way I never thought possible. An avid eater of Japanese food, I am ashamed to say I had never attempted a sushi roll or teriyaki dish. That all changed last week.

The excitement is palpable As the class began, excitement was in the air as a room full of foodies got together to begin the journey that is Japanese cookery. Gathering around the chef, we were silent in anticipation for the knowledge he was about to bestow on us.

Hanging on his every word, we stood in absolute stillness absorbing his culinary knowhow and experience.

He started off by describing the ever

popular shrimp tempura. Now you would think that involves nothing but a few shrimp dipped into some batter and then fried. But it doesn’t seem so simple when you are the one that is expected to clean the shrimp, cut them into the right size and make your own batter. Having watched the chef do the above procedures, we were told to go to our stations and repeat what we just saw.

Cleaning the shrimp was an interesting procedure as they need to be beheaded, de-shelled and the all disgusting de-gutted. Who knew such a little creature could necessitate so much attention.

With my doctor-like latex cloves I proceed to dissect, I mean prepare the shrimp for its tempura batter and hot oil dip.

The chef’s shrimps were straight and golden brown, mine not so much, but they did taste absolutely delicious.

Demystifying the roll We gathered once again around the chef to be taught how to make the always tasty by completely dreaded ‘sushi roll’.

Using the previously fried tempura, the chef proceeded to show us how to use nori sheets ( roasted seaweed used to roll up sushi), a rolling mat and how to prepare the filling. Like a gifted magician, within a few seconds, the chef created a roll that included shrimp, avocadoes and crab sticks, topped with caviar.

Having made it look so easy, I took to my rolling mat to imitate what I thought was a simply twist of the wrist. I topped my nori sheet with rice, flipped it over and filled it to the brim and attempted to roll it. I use the word attempt here because it was not as successful as I had intended it to be. It looked like a sushi roll on most of its sides, but the two seams did not touch; I had created the open ended roll. But the great thing about a cooking class is that you can eat your mistakes before anyone sees them; only two slices of my first roll

ever made it to the plate. My next roll was a lot more successful and inspired when I got the hang of filling-to-rice balance.

Our last dish was one of my all time favorite, I always order it at every restaurant I have ever been to and never thought I would be making it myself: negimayaki. It consists of beef rolled around spring onions and topped with sweet teriyaki sauce.

‘How hard can it be to make a dish that only has three ingredients?’ I thought to myself. Little did I know that the sauce is made sparely with a long list of ingredients and takes fifteen minutes to make. Then the beef needs to be rolled onto the onions raw, then pan-fried in one piece on all sides until it is cooked through, taken off the heat, cut into small pieces, put back into the pan, refried with some butter, topped with the previously made sauce. You then wait until the sauce reduces to the right consistency and then you can plate it up.

Newfound respect for chefs Japanese food might seem simple with only a few visible ingredients on a plate, but looks can be deceiving. I love eating Asian food and especially Japanese food, but I never knew how much technique and effort went into each meal. At the restaurant, I usually never really think about the processes behind one simple dish. And the fact that within a few minutes the dish magically appears on my table also doesn’t help me realize just how much effort goes into one plate.

Like an intricate dance, there are specific steps to follow when it comes to making Japanese dishes. Eating the food at a restaurant, I realized I am all about instant gratification. Having taken this cooking class, that barely covered the basics of Japanese cookery, has taught me that Japanese dishes are layers of techniques and subtleness of flavors. I have a newfound respect not only for Japanese chefs, but any chef that stands in the kitchen

and transforms basic ingredients into works of art.

Justifying the means The ends in this case do justify the means. Learning intricate steps, specific techniques and hours in the kitchen were well worth it when I was able to step back and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

The beautifully delicious creations, the sense of pride and fulfillment really do justify all that time spent cooking. I might

not run out immediately and start making my own sushi rolls every time I have a hankering for some Japanese food, but thanks to my cooking class experience, I do have a new outlook when it comes to appreciating food. sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

Local FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Satire Wire

By Sawsan Kazak

sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

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very year, Time magazine picks one individual to be their Person of the Year. Usually this man or woman would have had a profound effect on our world and would have been instrumental in making a lasting cultural change. Last year’s choice was Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg. His social networking website has changed the way the world is communicating, so it made perfect sense. This year, the magazine has gone in a different direction by naming ‘the protester’ as Person of the Year. This would be the ones who are protesting in the Arab world for political change and those in the US and Europe fighting against corruption and greed.

I’m a little confused here. So all the people in Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Tunisia, Greece, Russia, America, UK, and even Kuwait, are Time magazine’s Person of the Year? I get the idea of trying to honor the recent changes and recognizing the impact that protests have had around the world. But when it comes to ‘Person of the Year’, I would expect something a little more specific.

A protester is not a creation of 2011; this kind of person and this action has existed for many years, especially all around the US and Europe. It’s just that we are focusing on them more now. The concept of protesting might be a new one in some parts of the Arab world, but is no stranger to countries like Lebanon, Gaza, and Kuwait.

Therefore a protestor is not a new phenomenon; he’s just a current hot topic.

About Time for a new ‘Person of the Year’ There are also many protesters who engage in questionable acts, like set cars ablaze in the streets of Egypt or beat up law-enforcers, for instance. These people are not exactly what you would call exemplary citizens or revolutionaries, and there are also many other protesters who support the dictators, who the other protesters are trying to overthrow. On the other hand, there are those who take to the streets and are more extremist in their philosophies than the dictators they are against. I don’t quite believe these are the kind of people who Time should honor with their ‘Person of the Year’ title.

A more poignant and well-deserving candidate for the same title

Local Spotlight

Ranting over rent

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

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f you are one of those who are living in an apartment in Kuwait, then you will agree that the rent is a serious matter of concern; especially if you are one of those employees whose rent is not covered by the company. Rents in Kuwait are becoming unbelievably high, and the increase is not only unjustified but also seriously reflects the greed of many building owners, who aren’t offering extraordinary services to the residents.

Now, rent in general is not cheap and yet the increase of KD 50 or more doesn’t even make sense, since the services provided are nothing superior. Many buildings face a common problem, which is parking. There are no parking lots available for more than a car and the building guys ask you to park your vehicles in a nearby vacant area. This is a joke because everyone knows that you can’t survive without a car here, so why don’t the building owners consider the issue of parking before constructing?

In fact parking is such a big problem that some people are forced to move out of their building owing to it. They can’t leave their cars out in the streets because that would be an open invitation for it to be stolen.

Now, how do we solve this matter? No one can stop human greed which is what pushes the rent higher and higher each year.

If you rented a place and were asked to pay more before you completed your five-year period, then you could always put your foot down and say ‘No!’ But if you have been in the same place for more than five years, then you are left with no choice but to pay.

Moving out is not an easy decision for families, especially if they have been staying in the same building for a long time and the kids grow attached to the neighborhood. I also think that an increase by a few dinars is acceptable but anything around KD 50 or more is just not. If you’re opting to pay more just for a sea view, it’s a matter of personal choice. In Kuwait, we see lots of empty buildings, so the owners could get desperate after a while, thanks to their greed. But there’s also a good chance that they’ll prefer to leave it empty rather than rent at a lower rate.

would have been the young street vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, who set himself on fire in Tunis last December to raise his voice against the humiliation and injustice he endured in the hands of the police.

This one act was believed to be the main catalyst for the Arab Spring.

After seeing the protests in the West and Europe which are not exactly revolutionizing the world we live in, with many other questionable protesters taking part in the Arab Spring, a figure like Bouazizi would have been more inspirational, than naming a few million people around the world the ‘Person of the Year’.

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Profile

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By Ben Garcia

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ave you stumbled on some of the works made by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso? He was the most influential artist of the 20th century and regarded as one of the three artists who helped define the revolutionary developments in art and is responsible for significant progress in art, sculpture, printmaking and ceramics. In the 21st century, many say, his reincarnation could very well be Hamad Al-Humaidhan, a 12-year-old Kuwaiti genius.

He is only in the seventh grade, but his works have been displayed in many parts of the United Kingdom and he has been regarded by many art enthusiasts as ‘The next Picasso in the making’. His magnificent work is now on display at the Life Center (Dar AlFunoon), Shuwaikh, from Dec 14-24, and is

open to public viewing every day between 11 am and 8 pm. Hamad’s passion for painting began when he was seven. “I saw my father carrying a blank canvas one day and then I asked him if I could use it. When he gave it to me, I immediately ran to my room and painted a simple portrait of Cristiano Ronaldo on it,” he recalled.

Ronaldo is Hamad’s favorite footballer.

“When I finished painting Ronaldo, my father told me that it was nice and he said my drawing bears resemblance to Picasso’s work. I told him to show me Picasso’s work, but he did not agree. He said he would only show Picasso’s work if I paint another 20 more of the same kind. Then I painted 20, and he finally showed me the paintings which I really liked because of the similarity. From then on, I continued painting almost every day to perfect my Picasso-like craft,” he said.

Like Picasso, several of Hamad’s works have an African influence because he used to listen to African tribal drum music, while painting. The schoolboy first started painting after his family moved from Kuwait to Bath, in North-East Somerset, England when he was barely five to be with his mother who was then studying to become a microbiologist.

Hamad now has a heavy British accent. “My family lives in London and we’ve been studying there. London is my second home and I learned many things there,” he shared.

Hamad’s love for painting started in London with the help of his father. “My inspiration is my father. He supports me a lot because he is an art lover and painter himself,” he admitted.

Hamad’s works are a mix of vibrant colors in acrylic and oil paints. He used to play with ‘happy’ colors and paint abstract objects. “I paint anything I love to draw, mixing it with happy colors like red, green, blue and yellow.

My favorite color is green, so most of my

amad Al-Humaidhan, (Hamad) who has been dubbed a child prodigy was born on September 11, 1999, in Kuwait.

Hamad’s parents, particularly his father, feature significantly in his artistic life. Initially, Hamad’s love for art started as a hobby. This soon became an addiction and he started visiting museums, art galleries and historic buildings to learn more and advance further. Many of Hamad’s initial paintings were influenced by his dad’s art books. It was sheer coincidence that he adopted a Picasso cubist style of painting, even though he had never seen any of the artist’s works earlier.

Hamad himself soon featured in local and national newspapers following the sell-out of his first six-piece collection, and then his second 12-piece collection - both within hours of release. Now dubbed by critics as the next Picasso, Hamad has been commissioned to create a birthday card in commemoration of the 180th anniversary of Covent Garden market in London. World media interest was stimulated from this commission, particularly from the United States, which is now following Hamad’s work closely.

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paintings have a green base and I love to play with it,” he said. “When I paint, it comes from my heart and gives me real happiness; I feel safe and peaceful. When I start painting, I usually close my eyes and imagine what to put on canvas. What I imagine, is translated on to the canvas.”

Just like any other boy, Hamad likes to chill and hang out with friends in the mall. But he never stays out late. “When I tell my mom that I’ll be away for two to three hours, I stick to that time frame. When I’m at home, I want to just stay in my room and paint,” he beamed. Besides painting, Hamad likes watching and playing football with friends.

On Thursdays, he practices rugby and gymnastics, and also loves acting. “I would like to act in a comic series some day, I think it will be great,” he said.

Hamad also loves to paint some of the famous people he knows, including most of the famous football players and world leaders like Barack Obama and several famous Arab comedians. In fact, Hamad has already painted a portrait of HH the Amir, but hasn’t presented it to him yet. “I haven’t had any opportunity to meet him yet, but when I meet him, I’ll make sure I hand it over to him personally,” he assured.

Hamad has pictured himself as a successful painter in 20-30 years from now. He wants to see his paintings displayed in all the known galleries and museums around the world.

“Maybe in 30 years’ time, I’d like to have my paintings displayed and adored by many in all the galleries across the globe. By that time, I’ll be famous and I want my paintings to be a source of inspiration to everybody,” he said.

Hamad is proud of his origin and given the chance, he would like to settle in Kuwait. “I love my country, Kuwait; I love the sun, and the people. But I also love London for its greenery,” he said.

Hamad lives with his father Walid and mother Fadaa, a student of microbiology, brother Fahad, 14, and sisters Wedad, 9, and Worood, five in Somerset England. His father said “I am just so proud of my son for all that he has achieved so far.”

Hamad’s first exhibition was held at the Llangollen International Pavilion, in North Wales and his solo exhibit here in Kuwait displayed at least 35 of his beautifully crafted work. Special painting sessions for children are also planned from December 18-20 between 4 pm and 6 pm. Hamad will be sharing some of the techniques behind his spectacular artwork.

— Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Local FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Biting the

bait

Fish exfoliation treatment makes a splash in Kuwait

By Nawara Fattahova

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umans have enjoyed eating fish for centuries. Now it’s their turn to take a bite from humans. Special fish treatment for the feet is the latest fad to hit Kuwait. At the Fish Nail Spa in Jabriya, dead skin is exfoliated by fish that bite your feet gently. Fish treatment has gained a reputation over time for providing reflexology, promoting blood circulation, and releasing stress and tension.

When you dip your feet in a tank with tens of small fish sticking to your feet, the feeling is one of continuous tickling. Slowly, tickling turns into a sense of vibration, as if your feet are being treated to an electronic machine. A sensation of light electronic shocks is how some spa visitors explain this new foot therapy. After the 15-minute fish treatment, the refreshing and relaxing effect remains for hours. It also relieves stress and is akin to a relaxing massage. After being bitten by fish for 15 minutes, your feet feel very soft and smooth.

The garra rufa is the fish that is responsible for the miracle foot therapy job. This kind of fish is usually found in hot springs in Turkey. These creatures like to clean the skin by attacking the rough areas, allowing healthy skin to grow. “These fish don’t have teeth, so they can’t hurt you; it works like a vacuum,” explains Nadia Al-Baqsami, the owner of the Fish Nail Spa. According to her, this treatment was used to treat eczema and psoriasis when it was used first in Turkey in 1800. In the 1950s when the multiple benefits of this fish were discovered, spas caught on to the business idea.

According to Al-Baqsami, in 2006, this therapy was used in the Far East and then in the US. In the UK, this treatment started only in 2008. Al-Baqsami came up with the idea of launching this spa after she tried this treatment with her family in Oman. “We were on a cruise in the Gulf. We saw the Dr Fish ad in the mall and we tried the pedicure. My husband was amazed by the velvety feeling on his feet following the treatment. I also loved it, so I decided to bring this great experience to Kuwait,” she explained.

The garra rufa fish treatment is completely safe, according to Al-Baqsami. “The tanks are hygienic, as the sterilization kills viruses and bacteria in water. We also change the water in the tank daily after feeding them. The tanks are equipped with five-layered biological filters,” Al-Baqsami says. In her words, there are no health restrictions or age limits.

“The fish may die easily from some chemi-

cals which is why we wash the feet or the hands of the customer first with water and salt before allowing them to use the fish tank,” Al-Baqsami says and explains that if a customer wears nail polish, it will not be a problem. “There shouldn’t be cream or perfume on the skin which could affect the fish.

The temperature is controlled at approximately 30 degrees Celsius,” elaborates AlBaqsami.

Garra rufa fish demand more care and attention than that. “When we went to 360

carry but the owner explained to me that these fish don’t even have teeth and that they remove the dirt by sucking on it. She informed me that the tank gets cleaned every day and that the filters are turned on all the time,” she said while paddling her feet in the tank. Describing the feeling while resting her feet in the tank, Noura said, “In the beginning, it feels weird, even uncomfortable, but when you give it a chance, it actually starts to feel nice. It’s almost like little pulses of electricity re-energizing you. If you get past the

first few minutes, you can really start to enjoy it,” added Noora. For Al-Baqsami this is a procedure that can bring an end to a hard day.

She says, “The feet are mostly affected by stress and pressure all day long and this is the perfect kind of pampering for your feet.”

Mall for a three-day event, we lost many of the fish because they died during transportation,” she said. There were similar incidents during the launch of the spa in July. Many fish died as some got stuck in the filters, and others jumped out of the tank,” she said. “We can’t bring them in small numbers. The minimum import amount is of 1,000 fish. A new load of fish is brought in approximately once every 45 days, she explained.

At the Fish Nail Spa, there are six tanks with the garra rufa fish, and each tank contains 200-250 fish. According to Al-Baqsami, the big ones usually live for only a month, while the small ones survive for two to three months. To have more varieties for the customers, the spa also provides different services and packages. There is a package program which includes manicure and pedicure.

A customer who was lounging around at the spa admits to have heard about this treatment from her friend who tried it in Dubai. “I was afraid of the diseases they may

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Indian state panel demands 30 held in Kuwait be freed CHANDIGARH: The Punjab state commission for scheduled castes today sought the Centre’s intervention for the release of 30 dalit (low caste) youths detained in Kuwait. “We have requested the National Commission for Scheduled Castes to issue a direction to the ministry of external affairs for putting diplomatic pressure on Kuwait for the release of the youths,” the state commission chairman Rajesh Bagha said here.

The youths, in a group of 60, had travelled to Kuwait on a two-year work permit through different travel agents in the state. A Kuwait-based construction company had hired these youth in April 2009 for two years and had taken their passports into its possession. As their contract expired in April 2011, the entire group was detained. The company has been demanding money for the deportation, the family members alleged.

The state commission will also approach Union external affairs minister SM Krishna, Bagha said.

The youths belong to poor backgrounds and their families are anxiously awaiting their release, he said. — Times of India

Kuwait urges more investment from Japan TOKYO: Kuwait yesterday called for more investment from Japanese businesses in areas such as infrastructure, renewable energy and metro projects, at a seminar focusing on investment climate and opportunities in Kuwait. The seminar gathered 160 representatives from both economies, including 130 Japanese people from banks, trading houses, construction, engineering, manufacturers, and other sectors. In his opening remarks addressing the Kuwait Investment Seminar, Co-Chairman of the Kuwaiti-Japanese Businessmen’s Committee Khaled Al-Sager emphasized Kuwaiti companies’ desire to cooperate with the Japanese counterparts in new projects.

Al-Sager noted that bilateral trade value between Kuwait and Japan reached $13.44 billion in 2010 and the figure has multiplied four times over since the inception of the committee 15 years ago. He commended the role played by the committee in the development of commercial and economic relations with Japan. However, Al-Sager, who also serves as Kuwait Chamber of Commerce Industry (KCCI) Deputy Chairman, pointed out the weakness of the Japanese investments in Kuwait. The current level does not reflect the real economic relations between the two countries and should be elevated. He also expressed hope that a double-taxation avoidance pact signed by the two governments last year will further spur bilateral economic exchanges and investments.

The one-day seminar was organized by the Japanese Cooperation Center for the Middle East (JCCME) in connection with the 16th Kuwaiti-Japanese Businessmen’s Committee on Wednesday. Secretary General at Supreme Council for Planning and Development Dr Adel Al-Wugayan provided an overview of Kuwait’s five-year development plan, calling on Japanese entities and businessmen to take part in key projects. He mentioned the establishment of a new business hub called Madinat Al-Hareer (Silk City), a major container harbor, a 25-km causeway, railway, and metro system, infrastructure, hospitals, institutes, and universities projects.

Al-Wugayan also revealed that the government will implement 1,370 projects in the next fiscal year starting from April 2012. The ambitious development plan, in which the government will spend more than $104 billion through 2014, would pave the way for Kuwait to become a regional trade and financial hub through sustaining economic development, economic diversification, and GDP growth. Kuwait Foreign Investment Bureau representatives explained recent regulations on foreign investment in the country and the Partnerships Technical Bureau outlined upcoming mega projects. —KUNA

KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti Army’s Chief of Staff Lt-Gen Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah met with US Ambassador to Kuwait Matthew H Tueller, discussing with him issues of mutual interests. The meeting also touched on means to bolster military cooperation between Kuwait and the US. The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief of Staff Lt-Gen Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah. — KUNA

Kuwait urges WTO adoption of Arabic Kuwait keen on aiding poor nations GENEVA: Kuwait is keen on supporting adoption of the Arabic language by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and granting an observer seat to the Arab League in the international agency, the permanent delegate of the Gulf state to the UN here affirmed. The objective of pushing for the adoption of Arabic as an official language is to enable ordinary Arab citizens to understand and follow up on WTO documents and conventions, said Kuwait’s Permanent Delegate to the United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG) Ambassador Dharar Razzouqi.

Kuwait is one of the first states that have backed this demand to include Arabic along with several other languages used at WTO quarters. However, the WTO DirectorGeneral, Pascal Lamy, and other influential figures in the organization had objected to this request, citing inadequate financial resources. Nevertheless, relentless efforts are being continuously exerted with the aim of finding “an appropriate formula” to attain this goal, Razzouqi said, indicating that WTO’s influential figures argued that Arab states should be responsible for funding the organization.

The Kuwaiti diplomat touched on the issue of granting observation status to the Arab League, noting Israel has opposed the bids to grant the League the observer seat.

However, Arab states could take certain stances on issues that would nudge Tel Aviv to back down from such a stance. Arab ministers of economy, commerce, and finance agreed, during a meeting held in Kuwait in 2002, on the necessity of adopting Arabic as an official language by the WTO, along with English, French, and Spanish.

Translating WTO documents and statements into Arabic further facilitates participation of the Arab delegates. Some influential member states have objected to these bids arguing that other nations, such as China and India, may make a similar demand. Meanwhile, Kuwait, although being among states with highest income per capita in the world, sympathizes with poor and developing nations and keenly supports international organizations that

offer aid and support to nations in need of assistance, a foreign ministry official of the state affirmed. Classifying Kuwait among the states with the highest income per capita does not make it engrossed in its wealth and forget about problems of developing states and poorest nations across the world.

On the contrary, Kuwait senses hardships of these nations and remains keen on supporting them through international organizations, said Sheikh Nimer Fahad Al-Malek AlSabah, the assistant undersecretary for external affairs of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in a statement to KUNA. Kuwait generously contributes to financial resources of several international agencies that offer relief and humanitarian aid, particularly at times of catastrophes and crises, said Sheikh Nimer, who was speaking on sidelines of the 8th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Regarding the WTO, an international body, partly tasked with regulating global trade and minimizing commercial barriers, Sheikh Nimer noted that his country was

among the first states that sought membership in the organization and, keenly, had taken part in its various activities and programs since its founding.

Elaborating further, he said Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry had established a special department for regulating issues concerning services, commodities and intellectual rights, in line with rules and guidelines of the WTO. The Kuwaiti delegation, taking part in the gathering, is seeking to aid developing and least developed nations, facilitating inter-trade among WTO member states and studying experience accumulated by the organization in this global sector. He specified Kuwait’s help for these countries to win seats in the WTO commissions, and indicated that such an approach would help them gain influence within the WTO headquarters.

Moreover, Kuwait supports bids by Palestine and the Arab League in bids to win an observer’s seat, as well as adopting Arabic as an official language by the organization.

GENEVA: EU internal market and services commissioner Michel Barnier gestures during a press conference prior to a WTO ministerial conference yesterday. — AFP

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Irate patient kicks doctor karate-style KUWAIT: An unlucky doctor working at Sulaibikhat polyclinic was recently attacked by a karateka who did not like being told to wait for his turn to see the doctor, said security sources. Case papers indicated that the doctor told the man who barged into his room complaining of stomach ache to wait for his turn. This angered the patient who instantly forgot his pain and went on to pounce on the doctor and used his martial arts skills to vent his frustration.

After the poor doctor collapsed, the patient fled the scene. A search is on for the assailant who was indentified on the clinic’s CCTV camera. In another similar incident, a citizen who was issued a ticket for traffic violation, attacked the police officer physically.

Dating on duty Traffic police commanders were trying to identify two policemen who were photographed dating while on duty, in formal uniform, using the police patrol and, most importantly, at a different location than the place they were stationed at, said security sources. The sources explained that the two policemen were seen talking to two girls at the Sharq market parking space, when they were supposed to have been securing an official convoy along the Gulf Road. The sources added that the two policemen were summoned for questioning.

Prosecutor summons ex-MPs in graft probe Afasi, Sayer, Haroun rue hasty exit KUWAIT: The public prosecutor is still questioning former members of parliament over corruption allegations that helped precipitate the state’s deepest political crisis in years. Several parliamentarians have now appeared before the prosecutor as part of an investigation into suspiciously large sums deposited in their bank accounts.

Opposition politicians say the deposits, thought to range from hundreds of thousands to millions of Kuwaiti dinars, are bribes paid by cabinet members for MPs’ backing, a charge those implicated dismiss as politically motivated. “For some time now there has been a clear intent from a certain group to hit some parliamentarians,” said pro-government ex-MP Saleh Ashour in a statement, after being briefly detained when he refused to post bail of KD 5,000. At

least a dozen MPs are due to be summoned in connection with the case, which has fuelled popular anger at perceived corruption in the oil-producing state, the media reports said.

Last month, the government resigned after hundreds of Kuwaitis led by opposition deputies stormed parliament in protests against thenPrime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammed Al-Sabah, whom they accused of corruption and mismanagement.

HH the Amir, Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah, dissolved parliament soon after that. Under the constitution, a new election should be held within 60 days of the dissolution. Former pro-government parliamentarian Saadoun Hamad was another of those called in for questioning. “The sum I was investigated over is KD286,000 and I refuted the

accusations in full confidence,” he said in a statement after being questioned.

Kuwait 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 a long-running standoff between parliament and Cabinet has held up reforms and development projects in the world’s number six oil exporter, which has just 3.6 million people. Separately, well-informed sources said that the three ministers who were not included in the new Cabinet - Mohammed Al-Afasi, Hilal Al-Sayer and Abdul Wahab Al-Haroun - did not mind staying in office in the new Cabinet, but a decision was made to dismiss them as they had already resigned before the whole Cabinet did.

Stolen vehicle Police detectives are currently on the lookout for a teacher’s vehicle which was stolen in broad daylight, said security sources. The teacher reported that her car was stolen from the parking lot of the school she worked for in Fahaheel.

Building fire A fire recently broke out on the ninth floor of a building inhabited by female nurses in Salmiya, said security sources. Case papers indicate that Salmiya firemen were alerted and dispatched to the scene where they evacuated the whole building and rescued some nurses who had suffered from smoke inhalation. Other teams fought the fire and controlled the flames, preventing it from spreading to other buildings.

Double trouble arrested Criminal science hypothesis that a suspect ‘will always stay around the crime scene’ recently proved right when a simple phone call made by a citizen and his wife to check how a salesman was doing after they had brutally beaten him a few days earlier - got them arrested. Sources said that the two suspects had assaulted the salesman and smashed his shop in Salmiya and managed to flee the scene before anybody jotted down their vehicle’s license plate number. To their bad luck, the couple made a phone call to the victim’s neighbor to check on him and the neighbor reported the call to the police who arrested the couple.

Impersonator nabbed Ahmadi detectives finally arrested a young man who had been impersonating a police detective by using a blue beacon on his vehicle and robbing expatriates, revealed security sources. The sources added that the suspect was ambushed and arrested red-handed when he ordered an expatriate to pull over and started searching his wallet. The suspect confessed to committing 17 armed robberies.

KUWAIT: US Army Private Jonathan Bates waits to bring his bags to clear customs and before flying home from Kuwait after their unit exited from Iraq yesterday at Camp Virginia. — AFP

Donkeys exempt from custom fees

By A Saleh KUWAIT: Within the 811 items GCC states recently decided exempting from custom fees from the beginning of 2012, donkeys will be included, said informed sources, noting that

the decision also included dolphins, buffalos, ducks, geese, roosters, turkeys, whales, seals, dogs, foxes, predator birds, pigeons, bees, ostriches and colored fish. The sources explained that donkeys were particularly included in the exemp-

tion due to their paucity in the Gulf region where citizens and urban spots are vastly and rapidly expanding at the expense of such feral beasts of which humongous numbers have been killed in road accidents over the past decades.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Putin defends election result, rejects demands

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Gingrich at center stage in Iowa debate

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Toxic liquor kills 126 in east India

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BAGHDAD: US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta (rear 2nd L) attends a symbolic flag-lowering ceremony marking the end of US forces’ mission in Iraq at a US army base West of Baghdad, yesterday after nearly nine years of divisive war that began with the invasion to oust Saddam Hussein. — AFP

Panetta shuts down US war in Iraq ‘You will leave with great pride - lasting pride’ BAGHDAD: After nearly nine years, 4,500 American dead and 100,000 Iraqi dead, US officials formally shut down the war in Iraq - a conflict that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said was worth the American sacrifice because it set Iraq on a path to democracy.

Panetta stepped off his military plane in Baghdad yesterday as the leader of America’s war in Iraq, but departed as one of many US and global officials who hope to work with the struggling nation as it tries to find its new place in the Middle East and the broader world.

Bombings and gun battles are still common. And experts are concerned about the Iraqi security force’s ability to defend the nation against foreign threats. In addition to the dead, the war left 32,000 Americans wounded and cost the US more than $800 billion.

Still, Panetta said earlier this week, it “has not been in vain.” Panetta and several other

US diplomatic, military and defense leaders participated yesterday in a symbolic ceremony during which the flag of US Forces-Iraq was officially retired, or “cased,” according to Army tradition. The US Forces-Iraq flag was furled around a flagpole and covered in camouflage. It will be brought back to the United States. “You will leave with great pride - lasting pride,” Panetta told the troops. “Secure in knowing that your sacrifice has helped the Iraqi people to begin a new chapter in history.” During a stop in Afghanistan this week, Panetta described the mission as “making that country sovereign and independent and able to govern and secure itself.”

That, he said, is “a tribute to everybody everybody who fought in that war, everybody who spilled blood in that war, everybody who was dedicated to making sure we could achieve that mission.”

Iraqi citizens offered a more pessimistic assessment. “The Americans are leaving

behind them a destroyed country,” said Mariam Khazim of Sadr City. “The Americans did not leave modern schools or big factories behind them. Instead, they left thousands of widows and orphans.”

The Iraq Body Count website says more than 100,000 Iraqis have been killed since the US invasion in 2003. A member of the political coalition loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr saw another message in the US withdrawal. “The American ceremony represents the failure of the US occupation of Iraq due to the great resistance of the Iraqi people,” said Sadrist lawmaker Amir al-Kinani.

Panetta echoed President Barack Obama’s promise that the US plans to keep a robust diplomatic presence in Iraq, foster a deep and lasting relationship with the nation and maintain a strong military force in the region.

As of yesterday, there were two US bases and about 4,000 US troops in Iraq - a dramatic drop from the roughly 500 military installa-

tions and as many as 170,000 troops during the surge ordered by President George W. Bush in 2007, when violence and raging sectarianism gripped the country. All US troops are slated to be out of Iraq by the end of the year, but officials are likely to meet that goal a bit before then.

The total US departure is a bit earlier than initially planned, and military leaders worry that it is a bit premature for the still maturing Iraqi security forces, who face continuing struggles to develop the logistics, air operations, surveillance and intelligence sharing capabilities they will need in what has long been a difficult neighborhood.

US officials were unable to reach an agreement with the Iraqis on legal issues and troop immunity that would have allowed a small training and counterterrorism force to remain.

US defense officials said they expect there will be no movement on that issue until sometime next year. — AP

International FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Egyptians head to polls again in landmark election Staggered election will last till January

DIRAZ: Anti-government protesters with Bahraini flags react to tear gas yesterday, in the Shiite village of Diraz, Bahrain.—AP

Bahrain police crack down on highway protest MANAMA: Bahraini security forces used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of opposition supporters attempting to protest alongside a highway leading to the island kingdom’s capital yesterday. The clashes follow 10 months of unrest between Bahrain’s Sunni monarchy and an opposition movement led by the country’s majority Shiites. They came during a visit by the U.S. State Department’s top human rights envoy, who expressed concern about the government’s use of tear gas and other tough tactics against protesters. Yesterday’s clashes erupted near the town of Diraz and other opposition stronghold villages west of the capital, Manama. Riot police were seen chasing protesters away from entrances to the key highway and back into the largely Shiite communities that line the road.

Online activists have issued calls on Twitter and other social media for protesters to occupy the highway, seeking to maintain momentum for protests in the strategically important Gulf nation that hosts the US Navy’s 5th Fleet.

Hundreds of protesters, some waving red and white Bahraini flags, were seen along the side of the highway when the clashes broke out in the afternoon. Witnesses described a heavy police presence in the area ahead of the protest, with security forces dressed in riot gear and helicopters hovering low overhead.

The highway connects a string of largely Shiite villages west of Manama. It leads to a junction that is roughly half a kilometer (a quarter of a mile) south of Manama’s Pearl Square, where this year’s uprising originated. Government forces evicted protesters and tore down the pearl sculpture that marked the site in March.

The now heavily guarded square holds great symbolic value for the opposition movement, and protesters have repeatedly tried to retake it. —AP

CAIRO: Egyptians headed to the polls again yesterday in a phased election to choose the first post-revolution parliament, as liberals faced an uphill battle to compete with Islamist parties. Ten months after a popular uprising ended Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule, the country’s new political landscape looks set to be dominated by Islamist parties which clinched two thirds of the votes in the opening stage of the election. Small queues formed outside polling stations which opened at 8 am (0600 GMT) in a third of the country’s 27 provinces, a noticeably smaller turnout than on Wednesday. The powerful Muslim Brotherhood, which clinched the most seats in the opening phase through its Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), was eager to sustain the momentum by urging Egyptians to turn out to vote. But liberal parties have accused Islamist movements of using their influence and money to continue campaigning on polling days in violation of electoral rules. Amr Hamazy, who won a seat in the first round with the liberal coalition, the Egyptian bloc, slammed the “continued use of religious slogans”. In an article in the independent Al-Shorouq daily, he urged the electoral commission to “look into striking party lists and candidates who continue” to violate the rules.

Voters are required to cast three ballots-two for individual candidates and one for a party or coalition-for the 498 elected seats in the lower house of parliament. The ruling military council which took power when Mubarak was ousted in February will nominate a further 10 MPs. The second round of the three-stage polls 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.

Balloting began on Wednesday with a “large voter turnout,” said Hamdi Badeen, a member of the ruling council.

Parties affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and the ultra-conservative Salafi movements won 65 percent of the vote in the first phase, trouncing liberal parties which managed 29.3 percent.

“We tried the liberals and the secularists and they did nothing for us,” said one voter, Mohammed Rashad, on Wednesday, referring to Mubarak’s party. “The Islamists have God’s law.”

Liberal secularists who have felt

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 legislature.

The Muslim Brotherhood has been at pains to stress its commitment to multiparty democracy, inclusiveness and civil liberties, while also advocating the application of Islamic sharia law.

Nevertheless, the prospect of an

CAIRO: Egyptian women inspect their ballots at a polling station in Cairo, yesterday, on the second day of the second round of parliamentary voting. —AFP elbowed out of the political process are now trying to carve out a role for themselves after the elections. “We must anticipate in advance, we must no longer be taken by surprise by events,” said renowned painter Mohammed Abla, 58. “The intellectuals must absolutely play a role in the drafting of the country’s constitution,” he told a meeting of artists in Cairo. The Muslim Brotherhood had been widely forecast to triumph as the country’s best organised political movement, well known after decades of charitable work and its

Islamist-dominated parliament raises fears among liberals about religious freedom in a country with the Middle East’s largest Christian minority. Much remains unclear about how the new parliament will function and whether it will be able to resolve a standoff with the armed forces over how much power they will retain under a new constitution to be written next year.

After the voting for the lower house of parliament, which will end in January, Egyptians will then elect an upper house in a further three rounds of polls.—AFP

New mosque attack as Israel moves on settler outpost JERUSALEM: Extremist vandals yesterday torched another mosque in the latest “price tag” vengeance attack as Israeli troops demolished part of an illegal settlement outpost in the northern West Bank.

It was the second time in as many days that vandals had tried to burn down a mosque and left Hebrew-language graffiti at the scene in a protest linked to state plans to dismantle a handful of wildcat settler outposts. The growing wave of extremist violence, which earlier this week was directed at Israeli troops, pushed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce on Wednesday new measures against Jewish “rioters” who attack the security forces.

Under the new regulations, the army will now have the authority to detain offenders, as well as the police, and they will be tried in military courts rather than

in civilian courts. The security forces will also be empowered to place offenders in administrative detention, in which a person can be held without charge for an unspecified length of time, and there will be an increase in orders barring individuals from specific areas of the West Bank.

“Those who raise a hand against Israeli soldiers or police will be punished severely,” Netanyahu said. But he stopped short of adopting a recommendation by his justice and internal security ministers to classify offenders as “terrorists.”

Despite a flurry of “price tag” attacks against mosques and Palestinian property, debate in Israel was focused squarely on the violence against troops and at the Ephraim army base in the northern West Bank. Yesterday’s arson attempt targeted a mosque in Burqa village near Ramallah.

“Carpets and chairs in the women’s

section were partly burnt and on the wall was Hebrew graffiti saying ‘The war has started’,” said Mayor Abdelkader Abdeljalil. It was the second attempt to torch a mosque in as many days. Early on Tuesday, a disused mosque in central Jerusalem was set alight and covered with racist anti-Arab graffiti in a move which drew a sharp condemnation from Washington. No-one saw the perpetrators of the attack in Burqa but they were widely assumed to be Jewish extremists who often carry out acts of vandalism in response to attempts by the Israeli government to demolish wildcat settlement outposts. Burqa is located less than a kilometre away from Migron, a settlement outpost which is slated for demolition within the next six months by virtue of an order from Israel’s Supreme Court.

It was not clear whether the arson

attack was connected to an overnight operation by Israeli troops who demolished two structures in another settlement outpost near the northern city of Nablus.

Troops and police demolished a house and a goat shed in Mitzpe Yitzhar said Guy Inbar, a spokesman for COGAT, the military unit responsible for civilian affairs in the West Bank.

“The operation in Mitzpe Yitzhar was in accordance with a Supreme Court order to remove these structures by the end of the year because they are built on private Palestinian land,” he told AFP. Settler activists have undertaken a campaign to prevent the demolition of such outposts but the overnight operation appeared to take them by surprise, with troops reportedly entering the area via a Palestinian village, then declaring the outpost a closed military zone. — AFP

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UN reviewing Lebanon peacekeeping force UNITED NATIONS: A UN “strategy” review of its peacekeeping force in Lebanon, which has been hit by several attacks in recent months, is to be completed in coming weeks, a UN spokesman said yesterday. The spokesman denied however that it was linked to the attacks-the latest of which saw five French peacekeepers wounded and France accusing Syria of involvement.

UNIFIL will get a new Italian commander from January however, while some diplomats have said France is reviewing its troop contribution to the

force, which is known as UNIFIL. “There is a strategic review of UNIFIL underway right now. This has been in place for quite some time and is not linked to the recent attack targeting peacekeepers,” UN peacekeeping spokesman Kieran Dwyer told AFP. Julian Harston, a veteran British diplomat and UN peacekeeping expert and is carrying out the review which is focusing on “operational configuration and strategy of the mission.” “He is looking at whether it is structured in the right way and using its resources in the right way to carry out its mandate,” Dwyer said. Harston will

complete his work in January or February and the UN Security Council will then decide what changes to make to the force which has taken on renewed importance since UNIFIL was boosted after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

It now has about 13,500 troops and civilian staff. After a roadside bomb wounded five French peacekeepers last week, France accused Syria of involvement. The Damascus government has denied the claims. French troops were also the target of a bomb in July which

injured six while six Italian troops were wounded in a bomb attack in May. Italian ambassador Cesare Ragaglini confirmed to AFP that his country would take over leadership of UNIFIL from next month. “At the request of the United Nations, Italy is available to take over the command of UNIFIL from January,” he said.

Brigadier General Paolo Serra will take over from Major General Alberto Asarta Cuevas of Spain as force commander, UN sources said. Serra has previously served in the international force in Kosovo. — AFP

Rebel troops kill 27 as Syria uprising enters 10th month HRW names 74 officers for widespread killings

BEIT HANINA: The mother of French-Palestinian Salah Hamuri, who is jailed in Israel, holds her son’s picture at the family’s house in the east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Beit Hanina yesterday. Israel has published a list of a further 550 Palestinian prisoners. — AFP

Israel names Palestinian prisoners to be freed JERUSALEM: Israel has published a list of a further 550 Palestinian prisoners who will be freed in the coming days to complete a swap deal which brought about the release of captive soldier Gilad Shalit. Unlike the group of 477 prisoners freed on October 18 at the same time as Shalit, there are no senior militants on the list, Palestinian sources said, with the inmates to be released on the evening of December 18.

On the list is French-Palestinian national Salah Hamuri, who was convicted of trying to assassinate a Jewish religious leader and had been due to complete his seven-year sentence in March. The earlier group had included hundreds of Palestinians who were serving life for deadly attacks, with the names chosen by the Islamist Hamas movement which rules Gaza and which signed the swap deal with Israel.

The latest group of 544 men and six women has been selected by Israel and does not include any members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad. Speaking on condition of anonymity, an Israeli official told AFP none of them had “blood on their hands.”

“The names were chosen by Israel alone,” he said, adding priority was given to members of the Fatah movement of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. The Israel Prisons Service, which published the list on its website on Wednesday night, said the public had 48 hours in which to file any objections and provided the number of a justice ministry hotline set up for the purpose.

It said 40 of those to be freed would be returned to their homes in the Gaza Strip, two to Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, two to Jordan and the remainder to the occupied West Bank. Under the October deal, Israel agreed to free a total of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of Shalit who had been held in Hamas captivity in Gaza for more than five years. It was the first time in 26 years that a captured soldier has been returned to Israel alive. — AFP

DAMASCUS: Army defectors killed at least 27 soldiers and security service agents south of Damascus yesterday in the third straight day of regime losses as the uprising in Syria entered its 10th month. The clashes in Daraa province where protests against Bashar al-Assad’s regime first erupted in mid-March came as Human Rights Watch said that half of the more than 60 rebel soldiers it interviewed for a new report said they had mutinied after receiving direct orders to shoot on civilians.

Burhan Ghaliun, head of the Syrian National Council (SNC), the country’s most representative opposition grouping, said he hoped it would not be long before the UN Security Council took action after UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged world powers to act “in the name of humanity.”

Yesterday’s fighting broke out at dawn at checkpoints in three separate places in Daraa province, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement sent to AFP in Nicosia. The clashes came after army defectors killed at least eight loyalist troops on Wednesday and seven on Tuesday as they stepped up attacks that they have said were reprisals for security force attacks on civilians.

Human Rights Watch named 74 military and intelligence officers “who allegedly ordered, authorised, or condoned widespread killings, torture, and unlawful arrests” in its report entitled: “By All Means Necessary.” “Defectors gave us names, ranks, and positions of those who gave the orders to shoot and kill,” said Anna Neistat, the New York-based watchdog’s associate director for emergencies.

“Each and every official named in this report, up to the very highest levels of the Syrian government, should answer for their crimes against the Syrian people”, Neistat said, urging UN Security Council to refer the case to the International Criminal Court.

Because Syria is not an ICC member, the court can only intervene after a Security Council referral, a move that would be subject to a veto by permanent members China and Damascus ally Russia.

Russia, which along with China blocked a resolution condemning Assad in October, said this week the West is pursuing an agenda of “regime change” by putting pressure on Damascus but not on armed groups. French Foreign Minister

Alain Juppe appealed for a change of heart by Beijing and Moscow, echoing a similar call from Washington on Wednesday.

“More than 5,000 killed, three million Syrians are affected by bloody repression, unspeakable abuse and daily crimes against humanity,” Juppe said on a visit to Libya.

“Faced with this wild and murderous rampage, the international community must not remain silent,” he added.

Ban told reporters in New York on Wednesday that the status quo in Syria “cannot go on.”

“In the name of humanity, it is time for the international community to act,” the UN secretary general said. In message to “revolutionaries” inside Syria posted on opposition websites on the eve of a threeday SNC congress in Tunisia, its leader said he expected the Security Council to adopt an Arab League blueprint for an end to the bloodshed.

“I hope that before too long we will succeed in persuading the Security Council to adopt the Arab League plan and provide the international protection for civilians that we have been demanding,” Ghaliun said.

Arab foreign ministers are to hold an

emergency meeting in Cairo on Saturday to respond to Syria’s proposal to admit observers in exchange for an end to the sweeping sanctions the 22-member bloc decided to impose on November 27.

Iraq is to send a delegation to Syria in its own initiative to end the bloodshed in its western neighbour, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said as he flew home from Washington yesterday. “When I arrive in Baghdad, I will hold a meeting to prepare the plans to send a delegation to Syria in order to implement the Iraqi initiative,” Maliki told AFP in an exclusive interview.

“America and Europe are afraid of the phase after Bashar al-Assad. That is why they (the United States and Europe) understand the initiative,” he said. Iraq has expressed mounting concern over the potential for the violence to spill over the border and has declined to enforce the Arab League sanctions citing its close ties with Syria.

During a visit to Baghdad by Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi last week, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Iraq was keen to do all it could to support the bloc’s efforts to end the bloodshed. “We can help, we can play a useful role to support the Arab initiative,” he told a news conference. — AFP

HOMS: In this image taken from amateur video made available by Sham News Network in Syria yesterdy, show men retrieving a body, in a rubbish strewn street in Homs Syria on December 14. — AP

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Putin defends election result, rejects demands ‘US involved in Kadhafi killing’

File photo shows French President Jacques Chirac meeting the press at the German government’s Meseberg guest house near Berlin. — AP

Former French president Chirac convicted of graft PARIS: A French court found former President Jacques Chirac guilty in a historic verdict yesterday of embezzling public funds to illegally finance the conservative party he long led, and handed him a suspended prison sentence.

Chirac, a savvy world diplomat and icon of France’s political establishment for decades, is the first former French head of state to face prosecution since the World War II era. But the 79-year-old former leader did not take part in the trial, after doctors determined that he suffers severe memory lapses.

The court said Thursday it had found Chirac guilty in two related cases involving fake jobs created at the RPR party, which he led during his 1977-1995 tenure as Paris mayor. He was convicted of embezzling public funds, abuse of trust, and illegal conflict of interest.

Chirac repeatedly denied wrongdoing. He was given a twoyear suspended prison sentence, which goes on Chirac’s criminal record but means he does not have to go behind bars.

The court said it took into account his age, health and status as a former head of state when determining the sentence.

Unusually, the prosecutor had requested earlier that the case be dropped, saying not enough evidence proved intentional corruption. The court disagreed, saying “his guilt results from long-standing and reiterated practices” of illegal party financing.

“For all those who could have expected a rejection of the case against him, or at least no penalty, the ruling can appear disappointing,” said Chirac lawyer Georges Kiejman. “What I hope is that this ruling doesn’t change in any way the deep affection the French feel legitimately for Jacques Chirac.”

“We have to take a step back and read this ruling, we have to speak of course with the main person involved (Chirac), and we will know tonight if he accepts this decision or, on the contrary, he wants - on principle - to appeal. For the moment, it’s impossible to say more,” Kiejman said. Contacted by The Associated Press, Chirac spokeswoman Benedicte Brissart declined to comment immediately, saying time was needed to go over the legal decision.

Chirac enjoyed immunity from prosecution during his 1995-2007 presidential tenure, during which he led France into the shared euro currency and strongly opposed the U.S.led invasion of Iraq. Jamey Keaten in Paris contributed to this report. —AP

MOSCOW: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said yesterday he was untroubled by a protest wave that shook his 12-year domination of Russia but ruthlessly mocked the opposition and rejected claims of election rigging. In his annual phone-in session, Putin sought to show his strongman image was intact despite rallies alleging fraud in parliamentary polls that have posed an unexpected challenge ahead of his planned return to the Kremlin in 2012.

He poked fun at the white ribbon that the protestors have used as their symbolsaying he thought it was part of an antiAIDS campaign-and alleged that some had been paid by the United States. “I saw on television mostly young, active people clearly expressing their position. I am pleased to see this,” Putin said in his first reaction to the demonstrations over the December 4 polls.

“And if this is the result of the Putin regime, then this is good. I see nothing extraordinary about it.” Referring to the white ribbons, he said, “I decided that it was an anti-AIDS campaign... that they pinned on contraceptives, I beg your pardon, only folding them in a strange way.”

Tens of thousands demonstrated on Saturday in Moscow in Russia’s biggest show of popular discontent since the turbulent 1990s, appearing to show the once invincible support of Putin was on the wane. Putin-who last week accused US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of encouraging the Russian opposition-also alleged that some of the demonstrators were hired to protest against the government. “I know that students were paid some money-well, that’s good if they could earn something,” he said. Putin-who now faces three tricky months to shore up his support before the March presidential elections-warned protestors that “Allowing yourself to get sucked into any kind of scheme to destabilise society is incorrect and unacceptable.” The opposition is planning a new protest in Moscow on December 24 to call for the invalidation of the election results that it predicts will again attract tens of thousands. Putin expressed regret over the fall of the Soviet Union, saying its leaders should have fought “consistently, fearlessly and steadfastly” to save it, and talked up

the stability he brought to Russia after the chaos of the 1990s.

Putin also brushed off an incident when he was whistled by the crowd after stepping into the ring after a no-holds barred fight in November, saying “this noise could have been caused by all sorts of things” and he took no offence. But he admitted lightheartedly that the grapple fans could have

countries.” But in an apparent bid to calm the situation, Putin ordered the installation of web cameras in every Russian polling station. “I ask the central election commission to install web cameras in all 90,000 polling stations in the country and put the footage on the Internet so the whole country can see,” he said. In a sign that his foreign policy may get even tougher, Putin

MOSCOW: Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (2nd R) takes part in his annual phone-in session with Russians in Moscow, yesterday. Putin said the results of Russia’s parliamentary elections reflected popular opinion but said he was pleased by the sight of mass protests of mainly young people. — AFP been perturbed by his face, “which is already on television all the time.” Putin’s ruling United Russia party won the parliamentary elections but with less than half the vote-a result far weaker than previous years but which the opposition said would have been far worse had the polls been free. But with the new State Duma lower house of parliament due to meet next week, Putin insisted that the results were realistic and said the opposition’s claims of fraud were predictable.

“In my opinion, the result of these elections unquestionably reflects the real political make-up of the country,” said Putin. “As for the fairness or unfairness: the opposition will always say the elections were not fair. Always. This happens everywhere, in all

accused US drones and special forces of involvement in the killing of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi and launched an extraordinary personal attack on US Senator John McCain. Veteran McCain-a regular Kremlin critic-already has “enough blood of peaceful citizens on his hands,” he charged.

The audience in the snazzy blue and white studio inside the Gostiny Dvor conference centre featured prominent figures ranging from Mariinsky Theatre chief Valery Gergiev to surgeon Leonid Roshal who lavished praise on Putin.

President Dmitry Medvedev-who is stepping aside for Putin to return to the Kremlin after just one term in office-was barely mentioned throughout the marathon four-hour discussion. — AFP

Woman held over in UK hacking probe LONDON: British police investigating the phone-hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World arrested a 37-year-old woman yesterday on suspicion of paying police for information, Scotland Yard said.

London’s Metropolitan Police detained the woman at 0615 GMT “on suspicion of committing offences involving making payments to police officers for information,” it said in a statement. “She was arrested at a residential address in Surrey (southwest of London) and has been taken to a south London police station where she remains in custody.”

The force refused to identify her but

a police source said she was not a police officer. She is the seventh person to be arrested as part of an investigation into alleged bribery of police, called Operation Elveden, which was set up alongside a probe into allegations of phone hacking, Operation Weeting.

Police have arrested a string of people on suspicion of illegally accessing mobile phone voicemails, including Andy Coulson, a former News of the World editor and ex-communications director for Prime Minister David Cameron. One person has also been detained as part of a police probe into alleged computer hacking, Operation

Tuleta. Australian-born mogul Murdoch closed the News of the World in July after claims that phone hacking at Britain’s top-selling weekly was widespread.

Its publisher, News International, insisted for a long time that the practice was limited to one “rogue reporter”-royal editor Clive Goodman who was jailed alongside private investigator Glenn Mulcaire in 2007 for hacking. But it has been forced to admit the practice went wider. Police said at the weekend the final number of phone-hacking victims will be around 800, based largely on names found in Mulcaire’s notes. — AFP

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Gingrich at center stage in Iowa debate Former speaker under sharp attack on all fronts

WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga hold their documents after signing the USKosovo Agreement in Washington. —AP

Half of American schools fail federal standards ATLANTA: Nearly half of America’s public schools didn’t meet federal achievement standards this year, marking the largest failure rate since the much-criticized No Child Left Behind Law took effect a decade ago, according to a national report released yesterday. The Center on Education Policy report shows more than 43,000 schools - or 48 percent - did not make “adequate yearly progress” this year. The failure rates range from a low of 11 percent in Wisconsin to a high of 89 percent in Florida.

The findings are far below the 82 percent failure rate that Education Secretary Arne Duncan predicted earlier this year but still indicate an alarming trend that Duncan hopes to address by granting states relief from the federal law. The law requires states to have every student performing at grade level in math and reading by 2014, which most educators agree is an impossible goal. “Whether it’s 50 percent, 80 percent or 100 percent of schools being incorrectly labeled as failing, one thing is clear: No Child Left Behind is broken,” Duncan said in a statement Wednesday. “That’s why we’re moving forward with giving states flexibility from the law in exchange for reforms that protect children and drive student success.”

State’s scores varied wildly. For example, in Georgia, 27 percent of schools did not meet targets, compared to 81 percent in Massachusetts and 16 percent in Kansas. That’s because some states have harder tests or have high numbers of immigrant and low-income children, center officials said. It’s also because the law requires states to raise the bar each year for how many children must pass the test, and some states put off the largest increase until this year to avoid sanctions.

The numbers indicate what federal officials have been saying for more than a year - that the law, which is four years overdue for a rewrite, is “too crude a measure” to accurately depict what’s happening in schools, said Jack Jennings, president of the Washington, D.C.-based center. An overhaul of the law has become mired in the partisan atmosphere in Congress, with lawmakers disagreeing over how to fix it.

“No Child Left Behind is defective,” Jennings told The Associated Press. “It needs to be changed. If Congress can’t do it, then the administration is right to move ahead with waivers.”

Waivers fix the immediate problem but likely will make it much more difficult for parents to understand how schools are rated because progress will no longer be based on just one test score.

Under the 11 waivers already filed, states are asking to use a variety of factors to determine whether they pass muster and to choose how schools will be punished if they don’t improve.

Those factors range from including college-entrance exam scores to adding the performance of students on Advanced Placement tests. At least 39 states, plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico, have said they will file waivers, though it is unclear how many will get approved. Republicans in Congress say Duncan and President Barack Obama are using the waivers to push a “backdoor education agenda” that will ultimately let schools off the hook.

“The law needs to be fixed and it needs to be fixed in Congress and not by executive action,” House education committee Chairman John Kline, a Republican from Minnesota, said in September after Obama announced the waivers.— AP

DES MOINES: Republican front-runner Newt Gingrich, buffeted by attacks, gets his chance to fight back yesterday at a debate that may help clarify who will win Iowa’s looming contest to choose a presidential candidate. Gingrich takes center stage in Sioux City at the last debate before Iowa’s Jan. 3 contest at an exhilarating time for him. He is leading national polls of Republicans pondering who they want to send to take on Democratic President Barack Obama in next year’s election. But with his success has come a barrage of attacks. Rivals Mitt Romney, Ron Paul and others have raised doubts about his conservative principles. Iowa airwaves are filled with ads trying to derail him. Gingrich is showing some signs of fatigue among Republicans in this Midwestern state, an indication that they remain open to voting for someone else.

A Public Policy Polling survey this week said Gingrich’s support had dropped several percentage points, leading Paul narrowly by 22 percent to 21 percent, with 16 percent for Romney and Michele Bachmann at 11 percent.

The 8 pm CST (0200 GMT Friday) debate sponsored by Fox News gives Gingrich a chance to right the ship. He has excelled in debates thus far, which has allowed him to emerge from the pack as the key conservative alternative to the more moderate Romney.

“I think Iowa is going to be a challenge, because you have everybody firing off simultaneously in a relatively small (media) market,” Gingrich told reporters yesterday in Iowa City. Republicans say the race in Iowa is volatile, with three weeks to go until the state holds the first US nominating contest to choose a Republican presidential nominee.

“The Iowa caucuses are completely wide open, at an unprecedented level. The debates, combined with the lateness in visits and ad blitzes, have created a completely unpredictable scenario,” said Tim Albrecht, spokesman for Republican Iowa Governor Terry Branstad.

Gingrich is stressing that he wants to run a positive campaign, and Republicans here like what they are hearing from him.

“Newt Gingrich is smart enough, he’s tough enough, he’s experienced enough

to take on the establishment in the Republican Party and win,” said Kevin McLaughlin, the Republican Party chairman in Iowa’s Polk County.

Paul, a libertarian House member from Texas who would love to upset the conventional wisdom by winning Iowa, has

In many ways, a Paul victory in Iowa over Gingrich would be viewed as a win for Romney, who has sought to lower his own expectations in the state after losing it dramatically in his 2008 presidential campaign despite a spirited effort.

Still Gingrich, with his plethora of

DES MOINES: Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich addresses guests gathered for the premiere screening of “The Gift of Life,” a pro-life documentary at the historic Hoyt Sherman Place on December 14 in Des Moines, Iowa.— AFP been particularly critical of Gingrich. He has denounced him as a serial hypocrite, a Washington insider who made $1.6 million from troubled mortgage giant Freddie Mac, some of it right before the housing market collapsed.

Romney’s campaign is assaulting Gingrich daily for past positions, including a Web ad on Wednesday that portrayed Gingrich as chummy with liberal Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. Romney told the New York Times that “zany is not what we need in a president.” Romney has never competed fully in Iowa but would like to slow down Gingrich in the state and give himself a better chance of victory on Jan. 10 in New Hampshire, where his big lead has been slowly eroding.

ideas and willingness to challenge Republican orthodoxy, is tapping into conservative hearts in Iowa in a way that may push him over the finish line in first.

A victory here would give him a boost in New Hampshire, and provide important momentum looking ahead to South Carolina on Jan. 21 and Florida on Jan. 31. Gingrich leads in both of those Southern states.

“From the voters I talk to, it’s clear that he’s captured their imagination and he’s the candidate they believe can not just present the right message, which is critical, but also can win and govern effectively,” said Will Rogers, who plans to volunteer for Gingrich after departing the campaign six months ago during a staff exodus. — Reuters

Police officers held over Mexico student deaths CHILPANCINGO: Mexican authorities detained 10 police officers Wednesday in a probe into the death of two students during a crackdown on a protest in southern Mexico this week. “Whoever needs to be investigated will be investigated,” Guerrero State governor Angel Aguirre told a news conference, referring to Monday’s clash on the main highway between Mexico City and the Pacific resort of Acapulco.

“I’ve made it clear that it wasn’t the governor, it wasn’t the government who

gave the order” for police to break up the protest. Aguirre sacked the Guerrero state prosecutor and two top security officials Tuesday.

Prosecutor Alberto Lopez said his police were unarmed but witnesses, including journalists, said they fired shots and local media showed pictures of police and civilians aiming guns at protesters.

“We’re not denying there were firearms present,” Aguirre said Wednesday. Rights groups said police used excessive force while authorities accused the students of

starting fires at a gas station and throwing Molotov cocktails. A third protester was in a serious condition following the clash.

Some 600 protesters had blocked the highway, near Chilpancingo, some 170 miles (270 kilometers) south of Mexico City, to call for an increase in student enrollment at a rural school in Ayotzinapa.

The southern state has seen numerous protests in the education sector this year, including a two-month strike by teachers in Acapulco over security threats from suspected drug gang members. — AFP

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Australia premier set for 31% pay rise SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard got an early Christmas present yesterday when she was recommended for a bumper 31 percent rise to take her salary past US President Barack Obama’s. Gillard, whose support in opinion polls is near rock bottom, was handed the gift by the independent Remuneration Tribunal, which recommended pay hikes for most politicians and public servants.

Parliament needs to approve the changes before the new scale comes into effect, but once that is done Gillard will earn Aus$481,000 ($476,000). Cabinet ministers will see their salary rise from Aus$224,300 to Aus$319,125 while federal MPs will also get pay hikes, with the base salary for even the most junior parliamentarian jumping from Aus$140,000 to Aus$185,000.

Altogether it will cost taxpayers an extra Aus$20 million a year. In exchange, politicians will lose some of their perks, such as being able to fly first class for overseas study tours. Australia’s controversial gold pass scheme, under which an estimated 300 former MPs travel for free, will also be phased out.

Tribunal president John Conde said of Gillard’s projected pay rise: “In our view that is not an unreasonable salary for the prime minister of Australia, whoever he or she may be.” It was important to have good pay to attract people to parliament, he added. Asked whether it was the right time in the economic cycle to be thinking

about pay rises, with unemployment creeping up, Conde said: “There is never a right time for this. “It’s been a long time coming. We’ve concluded our work and this is our conclusion.”

According to the White House, Obama earns a salary of $395,188 as president.

While Gillard’s earnings-currently a yearly $367,000 — are significantly more than

the average annual wage of less than Aus$55,000, her salary pales in comparison with some of the country’s top chief executives.

BHP Billiton chief Marius Kloppers earns more than Aus$11 million, while the head of Westpac Bank, Gail Kelly, takes home more than Aus$8 million. The tribunal’s report found that the pay rises for

SYDNEY: Australia’s first female prime minister, Julia Gillard (2nd L), is joined by Australia’s first female High Court judge Mary Gaudron (L), Australia’s first female governor-general, Quentin Bryce (2nd R), and Australia’s first female attorney-general, Nicola Roxon (R), after the prime minister introduced her new cabinet to the media at Admiralty House in Sydney yesterday. — AFP

Thai activist jailed for 15 years for royal insult BANGKOK: A Thai court jailed a political activist for 15 years yesterday for insulting the country’s monarchy, the latest in a series of tough sentences under the world’s strictest lesemajeste laws. The Criminal Court found Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul, better known as “Da Torpedo”, guilty on three counts of lese-majeste over fiery comments she made during a political rally in 2008.

Darunee, 48, a staunch supporter of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was found to have made defamatory comments against the monarchy during an exceptionally strong speech about a military coup that overthrew Thaksin in 2006. What Darunee said was not disclosed during yesterday’s proceedings and repeating her comments could result in legal action.

“What Darunee did was against the law,” the judge said in delivering the verdict. “She had committed this crime several times, so there was a charge of five years for each offence.”

Although free speech is enshrined in Thailand’s constitution, those deemed to have insulted 84-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej and certain members of the royal family are harshly dealt with.

The king, who is the world’s longest-reigning monarch, is seen by many Thais as almost divine. The verdict follows a 20year jail term handed down last month to 61-year-old cancer sufferer Amphon Tangnoppaku, dubbed “Uncle SMS”, for sending text messages deemed to have disparaged Queen Sirikit, a ruling that prompted outrage, with Human Rights Watch describing the punishment as “shocking”.

Rights groups, several newspapers and a growing number of Thai activists have stepped up calls for the law to be reformed, arguing that people have used the law for political purposes, to discredit and sideline opponents. However, the mere mention of adapting the law is contentious and has often prompted accusations of republicanism and disloyalty to the palace.—Reuters

MPs were justified by the advent of email and social networking.

“Email, Facebook, Twitter and the like have increased community expectations on members as regards their availability to their constituents,” it said. “As some members at interview noted, this means that they are now never off duty.”

The very same sites were quickly filled with outraged responses. “I’m so glad Aussie politicians/ministers got a pay rise. I mean, it’s not like we have poor people living on the streets in our cities,” one woman wrote on Twitter. Another user said it was a “disgrace” that the politicians got a pay rise “but we can’t pay our health care professionals, our police or even our baggage handlers properly”.

Some defended the rises as just reward for the years politicians had not received pay rises and the perks that would be lost under the new deal.

Resources Minister Martin Ferguson told reporters he did not need a pay rise, although he accepted the tribunal’s decision.

“I actually think my ministerial salary is pretty good,” he said. Greens Senator Bob Brown was also hesitant about politicians getting a boost, saying MPs should take a pay cut if they continued to sack hardworking public servants. “There’s a very strong argument politicians should be paid the average wage of Australians,” he told reporters. — AFP

Verdict for Anwar set for January 9 Faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted KUALA LUMPUR: The politically charged sodomy trial of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim finally closed yesterday with a judge setting January 9 for a verdict expected to have major electoral implications. Defence lawyers were allowed a final rebuttal of the prosecution’s charge that Malaysia’s former deputy prime minister and one-time leader-in-waiting sodomised a 27-year-old male aide in June 2008.

Sodomy is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia and Anwar, 64, faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted. “I will deliver my decision on January 9,” judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah told a packed courtroom in the capital Kuala Lumpur, shortly after the defence rested in the trial, which opened in February 2010.

Legal experts say a guilty verdict would bar Anwar from contesting polls expected to be called by Prime Minister Najib Razak within months, although others say he may be able to run until an appeal is exhausted.

“It doesn’t make a difference-in jail or outside, I will fight for justice,” Anwar said.

Anwar says Najib has wanted to use the case to decapitate the resurgent opposition alliance of ethnic Malay, Chinese and Muslim parties. The sodomy allegation emerged shortly after the Anwar-led opposition secured historic gains in March 2008 parliamentary elections against the ruling coalition dominated by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

Najib, who denies involvement in the case, must call the next elections by 2013 but has hinted he may do so imminently.

Anwar, who was jailed a decade ago on a separate sodomy conviction that was later overturned, says the case was cooked up by Najib and is part of a pattern of legal harassment by the long-ruling coalition to ruin him politically.

“The process has not been fair. This is not a fair trial and we have adduced enough cogent, compelling, incontrovertible evidence to support that,” Anwar told reporters after the trial ended. “Having said

that, we are still hopeful that sanity will prevail and the judge will decide based on the facts and the law.”

Anwar’s legal battles have loomed over Malaysian politics for years. He had been groomed to take the helm of the multi-cultural nation but a bitter split with his boss, former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, in 1997 led to Anwar’s arrest the following year. He was later convicted on sodomy and corruption charges widely seen as politically motivated, but was freed in 2004 after the sodomy conviction was overturned. —AFP

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, center left, and his wife Wan Azizah, center right, arrive at the courthouse for his sodomy trial in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, yesterday. — AP

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Philippines OKs Xmas truce with rebels MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino III approved a holiday cease-fire with communist rebels beginning Friday in a traditional goodwill gesture that follows a recent wave of guerrilla attacks. Government troops and police were ordered yesterday to refrain from offensive operations and return fire only in self-defense from Friday to Jan. 2, officials said. The rebels, who usually reciprocate with their own cease-fire, have not announced any self-imposed truce.

The rural-based New People’s Army rebels have been fighting for a Marxist

state since 1969 in one of Asia’s longestrunning insurgencies. Washington has included the rebel group in a list of terrorist organizations.

Military spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos said troops would continue selfdefense work. The cease-fire “shall not include military actions aimed to secure and protect the populace, vital installations, major investment infrastructures and communities against violent attacks,” he said.

A vanload of rebels, clad in police camouflage, attacked a jail in remote

Lianga town in southern Surigao del Sur province Thursday, seizing a rifle, shotgun, 3 pistols, combat boots and cellphones. Nobody was injured, regional military spokesman Lt. Col. Leopoldo Galon said.

Army troops clashed apparently with a separate group of rebels also in Lianga an hour before the jail attack but nobody was injured in the fighting, Galon said. The rebels have stepped up attacks on troops, foreign-owned agricultural plantations and foreign mining companies, accusing them of exploiting

resources and local workers. The government accuses the rebels of extorting money from businesses.

In October, more than 200 guerrillas stormed three nickel mining complexes in Claver town in Surigao del Norte province. The rebels disarmed guards, briefly held employees and torched trucks, heavy equipment and company offices in some of their largest attacks in recent years. Marathon peace talks brokered by Norway have stalled over rebel demands for the release of jailed guerrillas. — AP

Philippine leader’s war on corruption stirs debate MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino has won praise for targeting some of the country’s most powerful figures in his war on corruption, but his bruising tactics are also causing an increasing uproar. Aquino’s campaign has moved into top gear over the past month, when he used the force of his office to arrest his predecessor Gloria Arroyo, then engineered the unprecedented impeachment of the country’s top judge for allegedly protecting her.

Aquino, the son of democracy heroes, won presidential elections in a landslide last year on a vow to end the pervasive culture of corruption that is one of the key reasons for the Philippines’ crushing poverty. He has said that Arroyo, who ruled the country for nearly a decade before him, was one of the worst culprits-a view widely held by the public-and vowed to make her his top priority in his anti-graft campaign.

Aquino has also sacked some top officials at state-controlled corporations who were appointed during Arroyo’s time, and forced the resignation of the head graft prosecutor, who was also seen as sympathetic to the former president.

But while the president continues to enjoy record support in public opinion polls, there is growing concern that he is employing unnecessary and legally questionable bully tactics to achieve his goals.

“While we support the reform agenda of the president, its implementation must respect and not subvert the constitutional allocation of power,” Roan Libarios, president of the 50,000-strong Integrated Bar of the Philippines, told AFP. “This is sending a chilling effect. This sends a signal to judges that if the president does not like your ruling, they can make life difficult for you, or worse (you may) be impeached and removed.”

This week Aquino, with stunning speed, marshalled his allies in congress to impeach Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. The impeachment complaint, signed by twothirds of lawmakers in just a few hours, accused Corona of betraying public trust and violating the constitution in rulings that favoured Arroyo, as well as personal corrupt acts.—AFP

MANILA: Students of Pinyahan Elementary School use alternative noisemakers from common kitchen and household materials in Manila yesterday, as they join members of environmental advocates Ecowaste Coalition in a drive for emission-free and injury-proof revelry to welcome the New Year. — AFP

GUANGDONG: Residents of Wukan, a fishing village in the southern province of Guangdong march to demand the government take action over illegal land grabs and the death in custody of a local leader yesterday. — AFP

Thousands rally in China land grab village Accuse corrupt officials of stealing land WUKAN: Thousands of residents of a Chinese village under police blockade rallied yesterday to demand the government take action over illegal land grabs and the death in custody of a local leader. The people of Wukan-a fishing village in the wealthy southern province of Guangdong with about 13,000 inhabitants-accuse corrupt local officials of stealing communal land without compensating them.

The village has been the scene of repeated and at times violent protests over land seizures, a hugely contentious issue in China, where authorities are accused of colluding with developers in lucrative real estate deals. Local anger boiled over with the death Sunday in police custody of a village leader tasked with negotiating with authorities over the row.

Relatives who have seen his body say it showed signs of torture, and accuse

police of beating him to death.

Authorities say the 42-year-old suffered a heart attack while in custody. An AFP correspondent at the scene said there was an atmosphere of defiance in the village, which has been abandoned by local officials and is now surrounded by police checkpoints.

Residents marched around the village outskirts carrying banners calling on the central government to come to their aid. They also bore photographs of the dead man, Xue Jinbo. “We are very scared that more people will be arrested, but we cannot accept that one of our respected leaders was beaten to death,” said one.

“We have no justice. Our land has been taken away and villagers are arrested and beaten to death. The people here are furious, but we have to remain calm. Only the central government can rescue us from corrupt offi-

cials,” added the villager, whose name AFP is not using for her safety.

“We are not against the government, but only wanted to get our farmland back,” said another. “We make a living on the land, and we are very sad to lose it.” Wukan has been the scene of repeated protests in recent months, including one in September when angry locals stormed a police station and briefly took local officials hostage.

Lawyers say that official land grabs that started in the late 1990s, as China’s economy picked up steam, have been exacerbated by the government’s control of all land and local officials’ reliance on land to make profits. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, an official government think tank, says land disputes account for 65 percent of rural China’s “mass incidents”-the one-party government’s euphemism for large protests. — AFP

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

On the run with Pakistan’s Taleban BANNU: Nothing terrifies Pakistani Taleban fighter Tariq Wazir more than US drones, a harbinger of instant death invisible to the naked eye and proof of America’s mastery of the skies. Each time he hears the low hum reminiscent of a bumble bee, fear clutches his heart and he remembers how 20 of his comrades were pulverised by missiles they never saw coming in Pakistan’s tribal badlands.

Gone are the days of communicating by phone and travelling freely. Instead he spends his days praying or reading newspapers in safe houses, moving under the cover of darkness, trying to keep one step ahead and stay alive.

An AFP reporter was this week given a tantalising glimpse of the day-to-day life of a group of Pakistani Taleban, travelling with them for four days between safe houses in North Waziristan. He and three other journal-

ists were invited to interview the head of the faction, Hakimullah Mehsud, or “another top Taleban leader” but the interview never materialised, due to what the Taleban said were “security reasons”.

Instead, they spent each night on the move, resting by day in relatively comfortable mud-brick homes with kitchens, running water and toilets, offered freshly cooked meals and fizzy drinks. It was a relatively sophisticated logistics operation that shows how embedded the Taleban are in North Waziristan, where the Pakistani military has resisted US pressure to launch a sweeping offensive.

Their fervour for fighting and hatred of the United States and the US-allied Pakistani government was plain to see. But so too were lighter moments, like sunning themselves in the courtyard, reading the Urdu newspapers

to keep abreast of events and listening to songs praising the glory of jihad blasted out of cassette players. In the past three years, there have been 236 US drone strikes in Pakistan, killing at least 1,767 people. Taleban foot soldiers admit they have had a devastating impact on their lives. “I lost 20 close friends in drone attacks. It’s the biggest danger for us,” said Wazir, a commander in North Waziristan who refuses to give his real name. “It has restricted our movement.

We take a lot of care before moving from one place to other, we avoid using the phone,” he said. Precautions have not been relaxed despite a one-month reprieve in missile strikes since November 17.

The Long War Journal quoted US intelligence officials as saying the attacks are “on hold” so as not to further strain the alliance with Islamabad after a NATO air strike killed

24 Pakistani soldiers on November 26. In response, Pakistan shut its Afghan border to NATO supplies and evicted US personnel from the Shamsi air base, a reported hub for CIA drones, although most of the aircraft are thought to take off from US bases in Afghanistan.

Pakistani officials concur there is a temporary moratorium on drone attacks, but witnesses say surveillance flights are incessant.

The Taleban fighters wear the uniform of any adult man in the tribal belt. They carry Kalashnikovs wherever they go, tuck pistols into their belts and sometimes sport hand grenades around their waists. Dressed in traditional shirts that fall to the knees, caps rolled down over the ears, waistcoats and balloon-style trousers, they conceal their guns under the itchy folds of the blankets wrapped around the head and shoulders. —AFP

Ex-Taleban deny reports to set up office in Qatar Envoy was recalled as Qatar had not consulted govt

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani man loads an ornamental Christmas tree onto a vehicle at a market in Islamabad yesterday. Christians in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world will celebrate Christmas, the birthday of Jesus Christ, on 25 December. — AFP

India’s Hazare calls for renewed mass protests NEW DELHI: Indian activist Anna Hazare threatened yesterday to start a new hunger strike and a campaign of civil disobedience unless a long-delayed anti-graft law is passed by next week.

Hazare, a 74-year-old campaigner and Gandhi admirer, held a 12day hunger strike against corruption in August that unleashed an outpouring of anger from Indians who are fed up with paying bribes. He wants the government to pass a law creating a powerful new Lokpal or Ombudsman tasked with investigating and prosecuting all public figures, including the prime minister, by the end of parliament on December 21. “I will go (on) an indefinite fast from December 27. Every person of this country who supports my movement should be ready to resume the agitation if the government ignores our demand for a strong Lokpal,” Hazare said in New Delhi.

“Start filling up the jails if the government ignores our wish for a strong Lokpal. Protest outside the houses of those parliamentarians who oppose the Lokpal and ask the police to arrest you,” he said. Hazare said he will himself protest outside the house of the leader of the ruling Congress party, Sonia Gandhi, but added that he will drop his agitation immediately if his demands over for the new law were met.

“Then we will hold a thanksgiving and give roses as a token of our gratitude to the lawmakers,” said the former army truck driver who has modelled his image on Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi’s civil disobedience movement against British rule in 1930 was an important milestone in India’s history and eventually led to the country’s independence in 1947. The spectre of renewed protests by Hazare comes at a difficult time for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh half-way through his second five-year term. Singh’s administration has been tainted by a series of corruption scandals, with a former minister currently on trial over the mis-selling of telecom licences that cost the treasury up to $39 billion in lost income. — AFP

KABUL: An ex-Taleban envoy said yesterday that he had no knowledge of plans by the Afghan insurgents to set up a political office in Qatar, even though media reports billed him as a potential chief of a possible Taleban mission in the tiny Gulf state. By opening an office, the Taleban would indicate a willingness to talk peace after 10 years of war in Afghanistan and signal their intention to try and find a political solution to an insurgency that has cost the lives of thousands.

Abdul Salam Zaeef, the Taleban’s former ambassador to Pakistan, said he was unaware of such an office being planned.

A top member of the Afghanistan peace council, ex-Taliban official Arsala Rahmani, said he was also unaware that such an office was about to open.

Their remarks follow reports in an Indian newspaper, The Hindu, quoting unnamed Indian diplomatic sources, that said work was being finalized on a Taleban office in Qatar that Zaeef may run. Zaeef told The Associated Press that

he had not heard that plans were being finalized for the office in Qatar or that he was being considered to staff it. “I’m not aware of that,” Zaeef said.

Afghanistan recalled its ambassador to Qatar on Wednesday, the same day the newspaper published the story, but it is unclear if it is related to the report. The ministry did not give a reason for recalling Khalid Ahmad Zakaria from the Qatari capital of Doha, but said Kabul values ties with Qatar and that diplomatic communications would continue.

The ministry could not be immediately reached for comment yesterday about whether recalling the ambassador was linked to The Hindu report. An Afghan official, who could not be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, said the ambassador was recalled because Qatar had not kept the Afghan government engaged nor had it consulted with them.

The official said the Afghan government had been kept appraised through its American and German partners.

The Afghan government would support the establishment of an address for the Taleban only as a facilitative step in the peace process, not as any kind of a concession to them, the official said.

Meanwhile, Rahmani said the peace council, a group of about 70 influential Afghans and former Taleban appointed

by President Hamid Karzai to try and reconcile with the insurgents, was busy trying to find a new leader.

“These days we are involved in appointing a new head of the peace council,” said Rahmani, who once served as deputy minister of higher education in the Taleban regime. The former head of the peace council, Burhanuddin Rabbani, was assassinated on Sept. 20.

Rabbani, a former president of Afghanistan, was killed by a suicide bomber posing as a peace emissary from the Taleban. After his death, Karzai said informal peace efforts would not resume until the Taleban established an official address. — AP

Kashmir shopkeeper killed by protesters

HELMAND: Afghan security personnel carry the coffin holding the remains of Massoud Khan the governor of Khan Neshin district, who was killed in a roadside bomb attack in Helmand province yesterday. — AFP

SRINAGAR: A shopkeeper in Indian Kashmir died after being stoned and beaten for refusing to close his store in line with a protest by anti-India demonstrators, police said yesterday. Tariq Ahmad Bhat, 25 was “severely beaten by a group of stone pelters” on December 3 after defying a call to down shutters in support of a demonstration in the Muslim-majority region’s main city, Srinagar, a police statement said.

The demonstration was against the arrest of a number of Kashmiri separatist activists. “The miscreants pelted stones at his shop and severely beat him with a cricket bat.

He suffered serious head injuries and died Wednesday evening” in a Srinagar hospital, the statement said.

Police said shopkeepers in downtown Srinagar had called a two-day strike to protest the incident. Protests against Indian rule are a regular feature of daily life in Srinagar, and small businesses are expected to comply with separatist groups’ demands to shut down during any strike action.— AFP

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Indian resort state battles tide of sleaze PANAJI: A surge in prostitution in Goa, a party destination for thousands of overseas visitors, is fuelling the Indian sun-andsand state’s growing reputation for sleaze and corruption. A police raid this month on a bar in Calangute, in the north of the former Portuguese colony, rescued 14 women and girls-including eight from Nepal-and led to the arrest of nine people on sex trafficking charges.

State police chief Aditya Arya said further operations were in the pipeline. The golden beaches and laid-back atmosphere of Goa, on India’s west coast, attract huge numbers of domestic and foreign tourists, particularly over the Christmas and New Year period. But the state’s image has been tainted in recent years by a string of corruption scandals involving police and politicians, as well as drug and sex crime revelations. Non-governmental organisations say prostitution is nothing new in Goa but the problem has mushroomed since a crackdown on so-called “dance

bars” up the coast in Mumbai. “After the Mumbai dance bars closed, the girls were pushed into the sex trade in places like Goa, where they travel to dance in the pubs,” said activist Arun Pandey.

“The pubs have girls dancing on the floor, who later can be taken overnight by paying a price,” said Pandey, who works with anti-sex trafficking charity ARZ and has studied the impact of vice on the local community. The state government in neighbouring Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is the capital, sought to ban dance bars-where women performers gyrate to the latest Bollywood tunes-in 2005. The authorities claimed they were fronts for prostitution and underworld activity. The Bombay High Court overturned the ban but many bars closed.

Although police in Goa frequently vow to get tough with bar owners who use their establishments as vice dens, Pandey said enforcement was minimal.

“Local panchayat (village councils)

have a right to cancel the licence of these pubs if they are involved in late-night music or prostitution. But this never happens,” he said. Goa attracts some 2.4 million visitors every tourist season, with about 400,000 of them from overseas, and pubs and nightclubs have sprung up along the coast in places including Calangute, Candolim, Morjim and Baga.

Pandey said the sex workers, most of them in their late teens or early twenties, are mainly from northeastern India or smuggled in from Nepal and Bangladesh.

Reports have also suggested that since Goa became popular with Russians increasing numbers of mafia-controlled Eastern European sex workers operate in casinos, beauty parlours, nightclubs and hotels. State police have formed an antihuman trafficking unit with female officers to tackle the issue but activists say it is woefully under-staffed. “Police do raid pubs but that’s not enough. They should investigate the entire ring rather than just

rescuing girls,” said Auda Viegas, from the Bailancho Ekvott (Women’s Unity) organisation. “The main cause should be dealt with. NGOs are doing a good job in this field but without backing of state they cannot perform to the fullest.” UNICEF and British charity ECPAT International, which campaigns against child sex abuse, child pornography and trafficking, estimate that some 400,000 to 500,000 children are in enforced prostitution in India. The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Filipe Neri Ferrao, has warned that Goa was becoming a paedophiles’ paradise because of curbs on the child sex trade in Thailand and called for “zero tolerance”.

If left untackled, the problem would “spell doom” for the state, he said in July.

Police chief Arya insists his force is serious about tackling the issue. “Raids will be conducted as and when information is received,” he said. “I am 100 percent transparent and any information provided will not be ignored.” — AFP

Toxic liquor kills 126 in eastern India India police arrest seven

COLOMBO: Sister Mary Eliza, a Roman Catholic nun from Mother Teresa’s charity, second right, talks with other nuns outside a Sri Lankan court in Colombo, Sri Lanka, yesterday. The court cleared Eliza who was accused of selling babies for adoption. — AP

Nun cleared of selling babies COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan court yesterday cleared a Roman Catholic nun from Mother Teresa’s charity who was accused of selling babies for adoption. Judge Yvonne Fernando discharged Sister Mary Eliza without presenting charges. The nun, from Mother Teresa’s Indian-based Missionaries of Charity, was arrested last month for allegedly selling babies born from unwed mothers.

The Missionaries of Charity says its home in Moratuwa, south of Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, houses women who become pregnant outside of marriage or after being raped, and gives the babies up through legal adoption if their mothers don’t want them.

Officials from the National Child Protection Authority and police raided the home on Nov. 23 and arrested Sister Mary Eliza, its head, after a tip-off. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the head of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka, called the allegations groundless and vowed to boycott all state functions until the case was resolved.—AP

KOLKATA: A batch of home-brewed liquor thought to have been laced with the highly toxic chemical methanol has killed 126 people in eastern India, an official told AFP yesterday. Hospitals near the impoverished district 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of West Bengal state capital Kolkata have been overwhelmed by victims, either unconscious or complaining of abdominal pains and burning in their chests. Many of them were labourers and rickshaw drivers too poor to afford branded alcohol who stopped for a drink at illegal bars or bought from bootleggers after work on Tuesday.

“The death toll has reached 126,” district magistrate Narayan Swarup Nigam told AFP, adding that police had arrested seven people during an investigation into the tragedy in the South 24-Parganas district. More than 100 other victims were still in hospital, including a 12-year-old boy who apparently mistook the liquor for water, hospital authorities said.

Bootleg liquor is widely consumed across India and is available in the affected area near the border with Bangladesh for as little as six rupees (11 US cents) for a half-litre, a local resident told AFP. Methanol-a type of industrial-strength alcohol used as anti-freeze or fuel-has been found in the remains of 20 of the victims examined by doctors, leading to suspicion that the chemical is to blame.

It is sometimes added to “moonshine” in small quantities to increase the alcohol content, but it can cause blindness, liver damage and be fatal. “Methanol was found in the viscera (organs) of at least 20 victims. It may not be the sole reason for the death. We are investigating,” Chiranjib Murmu, superintendent of the local Diamond Harbour hospital, told AFP. The chief minister of West Bengal,

Mamata Banerjee, has announced an inquiry and said the family of each victim will receive compensation of 200,000 rupees ($3,700). “I want to take strong action against those manufacturing and selling illegal liquor,” Banerjee told a regional television station in Kolkata late Wednesday. Angry local residents ransacked village breweries and staged protests, police told AFP. Ganga, a 30-year-old woman whose husband was taken ill, called alcohol the “curse” of nearby villages. “If the liquor outlets which have sprouted along the railway tracks in the villages are demolished in the morning, they are back by the evening,” she told AFP by telephone.

Johnson Edayaranmulah, executive director of the lobby group Indian Alcohol Policy Alliance, said that deaths from adulterated alcohol were common in the country. He said that if methanol was to blame,

it might have been mistaken by the producers for ethanol, which is less toxic.

“Enforcement is very weak. There is an unholy nexus between the authorities police, excise, politicians-and the bootleggers,” he explained. “Police take bribes, excise officers take bribes, everyone turns a blind eye to this. It shows the corruption that is part of the Indian mindset.”

A 2004 World Health Organisation report concluded alcohol abuse was one of the main killers of young Indian men, while an Indian government-funded study the same year found 62.5 million people were unhealthily dependent on alcohol.

Other recent mass poisonings caused by home-brewed alcohol include one in July 2009 when 43 died in the western state of Gujarat, which bans the sale of alcohol. In May 2008, more than 168 people died in the southern states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.— AFP

KOLKATA: People watch as the body of a person who died after drinking toxic alcohol is taken to a hospital mortuary in Diamond Harbour, near Kolkata, India, yesterday. — AP

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

ECB asks governments to rescue themselves

Dubai Nov inflation eases on food costs PAGE 20

PAGE 21

AUSTIN: Zenobia Bechtol, 18, and her seven-month-old baby girl Cassandra play in the dining room of her mother’s apartment, where they live in Austin, Texas. Bechtol and her daughter were recently evicted from their apartment after her boyfriend, an electrician, lost his job. Squeezed by rising living costs, a record number of Americans — 1 in 2 — have now fallen into poverty. — AP

1 in 2 Americans fallen to poverty: Census Hunger stalks US cities as poverty rises WASHINGTON: Squeezed by rising living costs, a record number of Americans - nearly 1 in 2 have fallen into poverty or are scraping by on earnings that classify them as low income.

The latest census data depict a middle class that’s shrinking as unemployment stays high and the government’s safety net frays. The new numbers follow years of stagnating wages for the middle class that have hurt millions of workers and families.

“Safety net programs such as food stamps and tax credits kept poverty from rising even higher in 2010, but for many low-income families with work-related and medical expenses, they are considered too ‘rich’ to qualify,” said Sheldon Danziger, a University of Michigan public policy professor who specializes in poverty.

“The reality is that prospects for the poor and the near poor are dismal,” he said. “If Congress and the states make further cuts, we can expect the number of poor and low-income families to rise for the next several years.” In a US Conference of Mayors survey released yesterday, in 29 cities say more than 1 in 4 people

needing emergency food assistance did not receive it. Many middle-class Americans are dropping below the low-income threshold roughly $45,000 for a family of four - because of pay cuts, a forced reduction of work hours or a spouse losing a job. Housing and child-care costs are consuming up to half of a family’s income.

States in the South and West had the highest shares of low-income families, including Arizona, New Mexico and South Carolina, which have cut back or eliminated aid programs for the needy. By raw numbers, such families were most numerous in California and Texas, each with more than 1 million.

The struggling Americans include Zenobia Bechtol, 18, in Texas, who earns minimum wage as a part-time pizza delivery driver. Bechtol and her 7-month-old baby were recently evicted from their apartment after her boyfriend, an electrician, lost his job.

“We’re paying my mom $200 a month for rent, and after diapers and formula and gas for work, we barely have enough money to spend,”

said Bechtol. “If it weren’t for food stamps and other government money for families who need help, we wouldn’t have been able to survive.”

About 97.3 million Americans fall into a lowincome category, commonly defined as those earning between 100 and 199 percent of the poverty level, based on a new supplemental measure by the Census Bureau that is designed to provide a fuller picture of poverty. Together with the 49.1 million who fall below the poverty line and are counted as poor, they number 146.4 million, or 48 percent of the US population.

That’s up by 4 million from 2009, the earliest numbers for the newly developed poverty measure.

The new measure of poverty takes into account medical, commuting and other living costs. Doing that helped push the number of people below 200 percent of the poverty level up from 104 million, or 1 in 3 Americans, that was officially reported in September.

Broken down by age, children were most likely to be poor or low-income - about 57 percent - followed by seniors over 65. By race and

ethnicity, Hispanics topped the list at 73 percent, followed by blacks, Asians and nonHispanic whites. Even by traditional measures, many working families are hurting.

Following the recession that began in late 2007, the share of working families who are low income has risen for three straight years to 31.2 percent, or 10.2 million. That proportion is the highest in at least a decade, up from 27 percent in 2002, according to a new analysis by the Working Poor Families Project and the Population Reference Bureau, a nonprofit research group based in Washington. Among low-income families, about one-third were considered poor while the remainder - 6.9 million earned income just above the poverty line.

Many states phase out eligibility for food stamps, Medicaid, tax credit and other government aid programs for low-income Americans as they approach 200 percent of the poverty level.

The majority of low-income families - 62 percent - spent more than one-third of their earnings on housing, surpassing a common guideline for what is considered affordable. —AP

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Repeat MSCI snub shows investor apathy for Gulf Qatar, UAE remain frontier markets

TOKYO: Japanese businessmen cross a traffic intersection at downtown Tokyo. A key central bank survey showed yesterday that confidence at major Japanese manufacturers fell over the last quarter, as the export-reliant country battled a strong yen and an increasingly precarious global economy. — AP

Dinar firms against dollar KUWAIT: The exchange rate of the US dollar against the Kuwaiti dinar was unchanged yesterday at KD 0.278, said the daily bulletin of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK), which showed the rate of the euro now at KD 0.361.

The CBK bulletin said the Japanese yen was unchanged, while the Swiss franc dropped to KD 0.291. As for state of affairs across the EU, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there is “no quick fixing” the debt crisis, which further prolonged negative sentiments in European markets amid repeated warnings by credit rating agencies of possible further reductions in EU member states. Low-yield currencies, especially the US dollar, are still attractive to investors amid fears regarding the EU crisis and the effect it would ultimately have on the European economies and global economy. This comes as EU banks remain under pressure by regulators regarding capital which stands to impact and curb regional and global economic growth. — KUNA

Dubai Nov inflation eases on food costs DUBAI: Dubai’s annual inflation rate edged lower to 0.2 percent in November as food prices dropped and housing costs were steady, data showed yesterday, as analysts forecast only soft price pressures in the real estate sector next year.

Consumer price growth in Dubai has held below 1 percent for most of the year as bank lending remains slow and the property sector weak in the wake of the emirate’s 2009 debt crisis. Inflation was at a three-month high of 0.3 percent in October. Prices were unchanged on a month-on-month basis in November, after a 0.3 percent increase in the previous month, the data from the Dubai Statistics Center showed.

“Inflation is not a concern this year and next; we don’t see pressures from importers such as food or clothing. We continue to see softening in local demand and in the real estate mainly,” said Mahdi Mattar, chief economist at CAPM Investment in Dubai.

Last week, Abu Dhabi reported that its annual inflation rate slowed to a 23-month low of 0.6 percent in November from 0.9 percent in October. The United Arab Emirates has yet to release November consumer price data for the whole sevenmember federation.

In Dubai, food costs, the second largest consumer expense with an 11 percent weighting in the index, decreased 0.8 percent month-on-month after a 0.5 percent rise in October.

“Food prices were high during summer and Ramadan (holy fasting month), and then started to get back down,” Mattar said. Housing prices, the biggest component in the Dubai basket, were unchanged for the second consecutive month in November.

Analysts polled by Reuters in September predicted average inflation in the UAE of 2.0 percent in 2011 and 3.0 percent in 2012, up from 0.9 percent last year. —Reuters

DUBAI: Index compiler MSCI’s latest snub to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar underlines the need for the Gulf neighbors to push through reforms, but problems plaguing UAE stocks run deep and investor apathy is a big worry.

On Wednesday, MSCI kept the two energy exporters as frontier markets, the third time it has opted not to give them emerging market status. They will be reviewed again in June 2012.

MSCI urged the UAE to introduce new regulations to allow securities borrowing and short-selling and repeated a plea to Qatar to raise foreign ownership limits from 25 percent.

“Securities borrowing will help solve the consequences of failed trades and so may end up solving the main problem international investors have, which is that in certain conditions their holdings may be sold without their consent,” Remy Briand, global head of index research at MSCI, told a conference call for reporters yesterday.

“There must be time not only to implement the regulation, market participants need to be able to test it and there’s not a lot of time between now and June.”

Dubai shares fell in response to the decision, taking their losses to about 17 percent this year. Yet the stocks were already languishing near 7-year lows, showing investors are concerned about other issues such as a lack of diversification and a degree of opacity that is especially difficult to accept when returns are meager.

“Probably the biggest factor for MSCI clients is the shortage of liquidity on UAE markets,” said Jeff Singer, chief executive of Nasdaq Dubai, one of three bourses in the UAE. MSCI’s Briand warned that the slump in trade was a worry. “At this stage we haven’t highlighted liquidity as an issue that would prevent a migration, but it’s something that will be reviewed as part of the next cycle, as will the other criteria, which will include the depth of the market.” Turnover on the Dubai Financial Market, Nasdaq Dubai’s sister bourse, is about a tenth of that of 2008, while the Dubai index is down 78 percent from a 2008 peak. These declines stem from a real estate crash that sent stocks on the property-dominated bourse tumbling

and the sector remains mired in a savage correction. This has obscured a wider UAE economic recovery, with gross domestic product forecast to grow 3.8 percent in 2011 and 2012. “The UAE stock markets are not deep enough to reflect the economy-if there had been a wider variety of listings, the market declines of the past few years would have been smaller,” said Jassim Alseddiqi, chief executive of Abu Dhabi Capital Management. “Apart from Dana Gas, energy is not represented, and nor is tourism.

“Banks have done very well since 2002, even with the financial crisis, but bank stocks are not very liquid.” Foreign institutions are also worried about the treatment of minority investors, with trading in mortgage provider Amlak suspended since 2008 and the abrupt delisting of Aabar Investments another worrying precedent.

“It’s a myth that investors have short memories-unless there’s a compelling investment story, they find it difficult to forgive past transgressions,” said a Dubaibased fund manager who asked not be identified. Qatar, the world’s richest country per capita, should be of interest to foreign investors. Its stock market is in the black for the year, a rarity in itself.

“The UAE would be failing (to be upgraded) because of a lack of interest, whereas Qatar’s fundamental story is more straight-forward and believable,” said Ibrahim Masood, senior investment officer at Mashreq Bank in Dubai.

But daily trades on the Qatari index rarely top 10 million shares, making it difficult to exit positions in bluechip stocks, a worry for foreign investors keen to maintain nimble portfolios in uncertain times.

“On the Qatar side, we have highlighted that there has been little progress,” said Briand. Qatar Exchange described the decision “as understandable in view of the fact that no changes have yet been made to foreign ownership limits.”

Nasdaq Dubai’s Singer preferred to see the glass half full.

“The decision gives the UAE the opportunity to improve some of its operations and work aggressively over the next few months to makes changes that would enable institutional investors to come into the market,” he said. “Short-selling would create more liquidity by allowing investors with competing convictions to play the market - at the moment, investors can only come in if they believe the market will go up.” — Reuters

HONG KONG: A floor trader walks at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange yesterday.

Asian stock markets fell yesterday as Japanese business confidence dropped and higher borrowing costs for Italy sparked worries over the ability of European governments to get a grip on their ever-burgeoning debts. —AP

Aldar to convert $573m Mubadala-held bonds DUBAI: Abu Dhabi’s Aldar Properties will convert a portion of bonds held by Mubadala Development Co into shares as part of a deal which will eventually see the investment fund take its stake to nearly 60 percent. Mubadala has converted 2.106 billion dirhams ($573 million) of bonds into shares at a price of 1.75 dirhams, Aldar said in a statement to the bourse yesterday. The conversion was at the bottom of the 1.75 dirham to 2.30 dirham price range.

In March, Aldar issued a $2.8 billion

convertible bond to Mubadala, which carried a coupon of 4 percent, after securing shareholder approval. The move was part of a $5.2 billion rescue plan for the struggling developer finalized in January, which also included the sale of its flagship developments as well as a direct cash injection from the government. As per the terms of the convertible bond, Mubadala has until December 2013 to convert the outstanding amount into shares. “Mubadala’s decision to only convert the minimum amount required

at this stage seems a strategic one to keep Mubadala’s ownership below the 50 percent level for now and avoid having to fully consolidate Aldar into Mubadala,” said Chavan Bhogaita, head of markets strategy unit at National Bank of Abu Dhabi. “Within two years, Mubadala’s holding will likely go up to nearly 60 percent, effectively making the firm its subsidiary. When this happens, questions may be raised about the future strategy vis-a-vis Aldar’s minority shareholders.” —Reuters

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Russia pledges $10bn to save euro currency BRUSSELS: Russia, hoping to keep its largest export market from collapsing, will give at least $10 billion to the International Monetary Fund to help support the struggling euro currency, an aide to President Dmitry Medvedev said yesterday.

Russian officials have said in the past that the country would offer up to $10 billion. But Arkady Dvorkovich, a Medvedev economic adviser, indicated the total may be greater because Russia has a big economic stake in the European Union, where a debt crisis is dragging down economies and the 17-nation euro-zone. “We are ready to contribute our part via the IMF. We are committed to do it. Ten billion dollars is the minimum commitment,” Dvorkovich told journalists reporting from the 28th EU-Russia summit in Brussels, where other major issues included visa lib-

eralization and the contentious Russian election. Russia exports more to the EU than to any other market, and Russia is the EU’s third-largest trading partner. Total trade amounts to ?245 billion ($318 billion). Russia also is the EU’s most important source of energy imports, accounting for nearly a quarter of its natural gas consumption and 30 percent of its oil.

In opening remarks, Medvedev said “it is no secret” that the EU is Russia’s major economic partner and that Moscow is worried about the euro’s troubles.

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, meanwhile, acknowledged that Russia and the EU “are strongly interdependent.” Van Rompuy is hosting Medvedev for the twice-yearly meeting.

Russia’s ambassador to the EU,

Vladimir Chizov, said Medvedev would be ready for any questions about alleged election fraud in Russia’s Dec. 4 parliamentary elections.

The EU has avoided overt criticism of the elections, which have sparked mass protests in Moscow and other cities. But European parliament speaker Jerzy Buzek called Wednesday for new free and fair elections and a probe into reports of fraud and intimidation. “The voice of the people protesting on the streets for more than one week must be heard,” Buzek said.

Still, economic issues were dominating the talks, which come as the World Trade Organization is set to approve Russia’s membership. Russia - the largest economy still outside the WTO - had been trying to join for 18 years. A Swiss-brokered deal with Georgia last month

cleared the last major hurdle for Russia.

Medevedev thanked the EU for its support of Russia’s candidacy, saying “it will give a strong impulse to our cooperation.”

The two sides also are set to launch, after years of negotiations, a set of joint steps that will lead to visa-free travel for Russian citizens - a long-standing irritant in relations. The measures include the introduction of biometric passports, as well as improved border management to combat transnational crime, terrorism and corruption. Chizov said Syria and Iran were also among topics of discussion. Russia has blocked a bidby the United States and EU nations to impose sanctions against Syria, where a government crackdown on dissidents has killed thousands, and opposes any further moves on Iran, whose nuclear program worries the West. — AP

ECB asks governments to rescue themselves Draghi says there is no external savior

TOKYO: Troubled Japanese optical giant Olympus president Shuichi Takayama (left) and company executives bow their heads as they announce the company’s first half financial result in Tokyo yesterday. Takayama said the company plans to hold an extraordinary shareholders meeting sometime in March or April 2012. — AFP

Oil price looks set for a reality check VIENNA: Oil prices could be set for a reality check. The four percent drop in the cost of a barrel of Brent crude yesterday was part of a broader end of year sell-off. But it could also be the start of a bigger fall in the price of the black stuff.

Increasingly bleak prospects for global growth are beginning to outweigh the current risks of another major disruption in the Middle East. That could throw the market into oversupply.

The decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to maintain its daily output at 30 million barrels will keep supply and demand in balance going into next year, according to the 12-member cartel and the International Energy Association. But that’s only true if the relatively-rosy economic growth forecasts made by both groups prove accurate. OPEC reckons that the world economy will grow by 3.6 percent next year, with the euro zone expanding by 0.4 percent.

While OPEC acknowledges a wide range of market forecasts in its latest monthly report, even that stated range fails to fully capture more pessimistic assessments. The low end of OPEC’s

range is for world growth of 3 percent.

But economists at Standard Chartered are predicting a euro zone recession, with the economy contracting by 1.5 percent, and global growth slowing to just 2.2 percent. Investors have to weigh up the current risks of recession against a volatile geopolitical backdrop. Libya is forecast to return to full pre-war oil production by the second quarter of next year. And while any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz would send prices soaring, the risk of an actual conflict there looks muted, despite tougher sanctions against Iran.

A relatively rosy world view suits OPEC for now, allowing its members to pump almost flat-out to achieve nearrecord annual revenue. But a biggerthan-forecast slump in growth would force OPEC members to cut back production at a time when the cartel can’t even agree on individual output quotas for each country and members like Iraq continue to ramp up production, threatening to overrun the new ceiling. Any infighting amongst OPEC as demand slows would only serve to accelerate falling prices.—Reuters

BERLIN: European Central Bank president Mario Draghi says there’s “no external savior” for heavily indebted governments in the euro-zone debt crisis and gave no sign the bank is ready to step in and support their finances.

Draghi said governments must take the tough steps to balance budgets and reform economies to promote growth.

“I will never tire of saying that the first response should be from government,” Draghi said yesterday at a speech in Berlin. “There is no external savior for a country that doesn’t want to save itself.” As a “firewall” to calm markets in the meantime, Draghi said, the EU has its newly strengthened bailout fund.

Some economists have urged the ECB to support governments with bigger purchases of government bonds.

So far the bank has made some purchases but kept them limited and said the program is temporary, stressing that governments must not rely on such help from the ECB. Draghi said that the purchases were “neither eternal nor infinite.”

In his speech, Draghi focussed instead on the European Financial Stability Facility, the current EU bailout fund, as the “firewall” against the crisis.

He urged EU officials to quickly implement decisions to strengthen it to assure markets governments will pay their debts on time. Governments have agreed on ways to increase the fund’s lending power and are seeking outside investors such as countries in emerging markets to contribute to its lending power, so far without much progress.

Economists say the EFSF is too small to bail out Italy, the most recent focus of the debt crisis that has seen Greece, Ireland and Portugal seek bailouts from other euro-zone governments and the International Monetary Fund. — AP

ATHENS: Greek pensioners demonstrate against pension’s cuts and new taxes in front of the police forces blocking their way to the prime minister’s office in Athens yesterday. Greece is in the grip of a fouryear recession set to continue next year, bringing the cumulative fall in economy output to 15 percent, according to EU estimate. — AFP

Gasoil, naphtha weaker KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia: Trading in the Middle East Gulf gasoil market was thin this week, weakening premiums while fundamentals are expected to do little to lift naphtha, traders said.

“Demand in December is effectively gone, traders sorted out whatever they had to do and are ready for festivities. Now if we talk about gasoil it will be for January, overall premiums-wise, it is unchanged,” said one Middle distillates trader. “Gasoil 0.5 percent is a little bit weaker, by $0.05-$0.10 per barrel from last week, 500 ppm is by the same numbers weaker,” added the trader.Last week, Premiums for 500 ppm gasoil were at $3 per barrel while 0.5 percent gas oil at $1.40 to $1.50 a barrel.

In Qatar, Qatar International Petroleum Marketing Co, or Tasweeq, will stop term gasoil exports from next year as domestic demand is expected to increase. The absence of Tasweeq as a regular supplier of high-sulfur gasoil in the Middle East is expected to strain the market as demand remains steady while supply is drying up with more refineries switching to cleaner fuel. State oil company Saudi Aramco has not yet finalized its gasoil bids, traders said. Aramco is seeking gasoil and offering jet fuel for its term negotiations for 2012.“The East is quite strong and difficult to see how given the arbitrage volumes building up from the West. —Reuters

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

China manufacturing, investment badly hit FDI falls for first time in 28 months

KARACHI: Pakistani stockbrokers look at an index board showing a decreasing stock graph during trading session at the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) in Karachi yesterday.

The benchmark KSE-100 index was 11138.86, down 162.13 points in mid of the day’s session. — AFP

HK jewelry giant falls on trading debut HONG KONG: Shares of Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook Jewelry Co fell as much as 9 percent on its trading debut yesterday, after raising a lower-than-expected $2.0 billion amid volatile global markets.

The world’s biggest jewelry chain opened at HK$14 ($1.80) and touched HK$13.68 in early trade, below its HK$15 per share initial public offering price. The benchmark Hang Seng Index was 1.22 percent lower in early trade.

The sluggish market debut came after the firm, which has more than 1,500 outlets in Asia, priced its shares at the lower end of its HK$15-21 price range, raising less than the $2.8 billion it had originally hoped for.

It had said the institutional tranche of the IPO-one of the biggest of the year in Hong Kong, the world’s largest IPO market-was “moderately oversubscribed” while the retail portion was about 6.62 times oversubscribed. Chow Tai Fook, a household name in China but virtually unknown in the West, sees the listing as a way to capitalize on the growth in personal wealth in China, where demand for luxury goods is soaring.

The group has a large network of stores in China plus outlets in Macau, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It also has diamond-cutting facilities in South Africa and China, and manufacturing plants in China and Hong Kong.

It plans to increase its number of stores to more than 2,000 by 2016. Chow Tai Fook is among the list of giants using Hong Kong as a gateway to tap the Chinese market, following the listing of firms such as Italian luxury fashion house Prada, US handbag maker Coach and luggage maker Samsonite. Other branded companies looking at Hong Kong listing options include Aston Martin, Burberry, Ducati and Graff Diamonds.

China’s deep capital pool helped Hong Kong to claim the title of the world’s biggest IPO market for the second year in a row in 2010. — AFP

BEIJING: China’s manufacturing activity contracted in December while foreign direct investment fell for the first time in 28 months, data showed yesterday, as crises in the US and Europe drag on the economy.

The bleak data came as a senior government researcher forecast exports growth would halve in 2012 from this year and pull the pace of economic expansion below nine percent for the first time in more than a decade.

Mounting evidence that China is slowing will ratchet up pressure on Beijing to further loosen monetary and fiscal policies to prevent the world’s second biggest economy from suffering a painful hard landing. The preliminary HSBC purchasing managers’ index (PMI) reached 49 in December, slightly up from 47.7 in November-the first contraction in nearly three years-as consumers from New York to Paris cut back on holiday spending due to deepening economic woes.

A reading above 50 indicates the sector is expanding while a reading below 50 suggests a contraction. The final figure will be released on December 30.

“With inflation quickly shifting to disinflation, the Chinese government can and should make more aggressive easing on both fiscal and monetary fronts to stabilise growth and jobs,” HSBC chief economist Qu Hongbin said.

Qu also warned that “growth momentum remains weak, with additional downside risks from exports and the property market not yet fully filtering through”. Other data showed China’s foreign direct investment in November fell 9.76 percent from a year earlier to $8.76 billion, the first year-onyear decline for a single month since July 2009, the commerce ministry said.

China took $103.77 billion in the January-November period, up 13.15 percent from a year earlier, but slower than the 16 percent growth rate in the first 10 months, as US investment plunged 23.05 percent and European investment

GUANGDONG: A woman prays at a small Taoist shrine as a man rushes by in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province yesterday. — AFP rose an anaemic 0.29 percent. “The foreign trade situation next year is still very unclear, but it will be very severe in the first quarter due to the grim and complicated world economic outlook,” commerce ministry spokesman Shen Danyang warned.

Chinese exports are expected to grow 10 percent next year, compared with a forecast 20 percent, and drag economic growth below nine percent for the first time in more than a decade, government researcher Yu Bin told reporters.

But a “sharp plunge” in economic growth was unlikely because domestic consumption was expected to pick up, said the director general of the macroeconomic research department under the State Council, China’s cabinet.

Despite the increasingly bleak outlook, Chinese leaders on Wednesday vowed to maintain a “prudent monetary policy and proactive fiscal policy” in 2012, suggesting they will move cautiously to open credit valves.

Policymakers are anxious to prevent a sharp slowdown in the economy but at the same time they want to avoid reigniting inflation, which hit a more than three year high of 6.5 percent in July and has the potential to trigger unrest.

Late last month China cut the amount of money banks must hold in reserve for the first time in three years to spur lending and counter turmoil in Europe and the United States that threatens to derail the economy.

Analysts expect the government to further ease credit restrictions in the coming months as well as cut taxes for households and businesses and ramp up investment in infrastructure, such as social housing.

So far Beijing appears to have ruled out another massive stimulus plan like the one unveiled in late 2008 to combat the global financial crisis, with Yu telling reporters it was not “advisable” given the still-strong inflationary pressures in the economy. — AFP

China toughens trade stance with tariffs BEIJING: China has fired a warning shot with its decision to impose tariffs on imports of sport-utility vehicles (SUV) and other large cars from the United States as both countries gear up for increased trade friction next year.

The tariffs, announced on Wednesday and ranging from 2 percent to 22 percent, are unlikely to inflict much pain on American carmakers, who generally only import a small fraction of what they sell in China. But by hitting a powerful industry that has benefited from a US government bailout, China can signal a tough stance in the face of rising pressure over its trade practices while at the same time pressuring American companies into lobbying on its behalf.

“It’s a threat to companies, to say that you’d better lobby your government not to impose more tariffs because that could lead to a trade war and that’s going to hurt you here,” said Usha Haley, professor of international business at Massey University in New Zealand, who studies the Chinese auto sector.

“It’s an extremely effective way of working.”

China’s move comes as the United States-increasingly frustrated with a mammoth trade deficit and what it calls unfair treatment of US companies in China-changes its own tactics.

Instead of focusing on dumping of cheap Chinese-made goods, it is building a case that China’s support for state-owned firms-from discounted land and electricity prices to loans that can be perpetually rolled-violates World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. Arguing that China isn’t playing fair will appeal to US politicians in an election year when jobs are a sore point.

A WTO appeals panel overturned the first American attempt to apply anti-subsidy measures against Chinese steel, sacks and tyres, but left the door open for a more nuanced case that China subsidizes its state-owned sector.

“The US is getting ready to be a lot tougher on China on trade. They are doing a top-to-bottom review in Washington,” said James McGregor, senior consultant for APCO Worldwide in Beijing.

“It’s going to get at the whole state-owned sector and at subsidies that are hard to quantify.”

At a news conference yesterday, a Ministry of Commerce spokesman declined to explain why China had chosen to target car imports.

China’s complaints about American car imports aren’t new. It launched its investigation shortly before US President Barack Obama visited in November 2009, in apparent retaliation for U.S. duties on Chinese-made steel pipes used in the oil and gas industry.

At the time, the Ministry of Commerce said it was investigating incentives and tax breaks granted by the US federal government and the state of Michigan, home to the US auto industry.

Wednesday’s announcement came amid Chinese anger over a US investigation into whether China unfairly subsidizes its solar panel makers. But China’s previous experience with trade disputes have taught its officials the lesson that American firms can be allies in opening American markets. — Reuters

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Old Mutual to sell Nordic unit for $3.2 billion LONDON/STOCKHOLM: Insurer Old Mutual is selling its non-core Nordic business for 22.5 billion Swedish crowns ($3.2 billion) to Skandia Liv, sending its shares up 10 percent on expectations the deal will boost investor returns.

The businesses being sold comprise Old Mutual’s long-term savings and banking operations in Denmark, Norway and Sweden operating under the Skandia brand, and Old Mutual hopes the sale will cut debt and enable it to return capital to shareholders.

Old Mutual, which bought the Skandia businesses for around $6 billion towards the end of 2005, has come under pressure from shareholders to divest non-core assets to improve returns. “The sale of Nordic to Skandia Liv represents a truly unique opportunity to create value for both Skandia Liv’s policy-

holders and Old Mutual’s shareholders through unlocking significant synergies from the combination of Skandia Liv and Nordic,” chief executive Julian Roberts said yesterday.

Roberts said Old Mutual’s Skandia UK business would not be affected by the sale, and Old Mutual expected to complete the deal towards the end of the first quarter of 2012. Old Mutual’s London-listed shares were up 10.4 percent at 122.50 pence in early trading. “This sale price is significantly in excess of our sum-of-the-parts component for these businesses of around 1.4 billion pounds,” Goldman Sachs said in a research note.

Old Mutual has recently embarked on a programme of selling businesses no longer part of its core operation. Skandia Liv Chairman Gunnar Palme

told Reuters that when Old Mutual first acquired the Skandia businesses, they also got Skandia Liv, which is a mutually-owned life insurance company.

Because Skandia Liv was mutually-owned, that meant it could not pay out profits to Old Mutual.

However, it was still integrated in and owned by Skandia Nordic, which included the rest of the insurance and banking business of Skandia. So effectively Skandia Liv is now buying its former owner.

“We are buying our mother company,” Palme told Reuters. Skandia Liv is Sweden’s biggest life insurance company, with some 500 billion Swedish crowns of assets under management. The companies said the sale would lead to some “synergies”, but did not have any detail on whether or not the deal would result in job cuts. — Reuters

Indian rupee continues to sink amid EU crisis Currency falls to low of 54.3 against dollar

TOKYO: Visitors crowd at the booth of Sony Computer Entertainment for a new portable machine, PlayStation Vita, at the Tokyo Game Show in Chiba, east of Tokyo.

Sony’s long-awaited PlayStation Vita portable game machine hits stores in Japan tomorrow. — AP

Sony gears up for PlayStation Vita’s Japan launch TOKYO: Sony’s long-awaited PlayStation Vita portable game machine hits stores in Japan tomorrow, with the company predicting brisk sales even though the launch has missed much of the holiday shopping season.

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. President Andrew House told reporters yesterday that pre- launch orders had exceeded the allocation made for those keenest to get their hands on the device “extremely quickly” in Japan. He declined to reveal numbers. The PS Vita goes on sale in North America and Europe on Feb. 22. Enthusiasm for the new machine among gamers could lead to some shortages at first, House said. But he said Sony can handle the expected load. “I’m pretty confident ... that there will not be major challenges in meeting demand, even though there may be short-term,” House said.

For the Tokyo-based electronics and entertainment giant, the Vita is the biggest product launch since the PlayStation 3 console five years ago. A successful debut would help Sony offset the rest of its struggling business. It projects a loss of more than $1 billion for the fiscal year through March 2012.

That would be its fourth straight annual loss.

The next-generation device is a touch-interface and motion-sensitive handheld that Sony hopes will be a strong successor to the PlayStation Portable. Gamers can connect over cellphone networks and Wi-Fi hotspots, and use GPS location-tracking technology.The Vita has front and back cameras, a touchscreen in front, a touch pad on the back and two knob-like joysticks. It will enable gamers to play against each other using PlayStation 3 consoles over the Internet-based PlayStation Network, a system that was hit with a massive hacking attack earlier this year. House touted the Vita’s advantages over rival Nintendo Co.’s 3DS, which had a disappointing start despite the company’s efforts to market its 3-D technology. Critics complained about a lack of interesting games. Nintendo ended up slashing prices on the 3DS after less than six months. —Reuters

MUMBAI: The Indian rupee continued its downward spiral against the US dollar yesterday, hitting another record low due to concerns over the euro-zone debt crisis and weak domestic data.

The Indian unit-Asia’s worst performing currency this year-fell to a low of 54.3 to the dollar, extending a slide that has seen it lose more than 20 percent of its value against the greenback in 2011.

India’s central bank has said it will act to prevent a downward spiral of the rupee, which has been hit by global financial uncertainty, as investors abandon riskier emerging market currencies for safe havens. The rupee has also come under severe pressure from negative domestic data showing a slowdown in economic growth, a contraction in industrial output, stubborn inflation and rising fiscal and current account deficits.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said it will make a “definitive statement” on the rupee at its mid-quarter monetary policy review. The rupee’s freefall has fired up import costs, posing a fresh challenge to the government in its bid to bring down inflation which is currently running at close to 10 percent.

Economists and forex dealers said the sharp depreciation had come as a surprise and was likely to persist as long as Europe failed to resolve its sovereign debt troubles and domestic reforms were not enacted.

“It (the rupee’s fall) is down to senti-

NEW DELHI: Indians buy and sell vegetables at a market in New Delhi yesterday. India’s inflation inched down to a one-year low of 9.1 percent in November, government data showed yesterday. Falling food prices helped lower inflation in November, but a plunging rupee is driving up the cost of fuel and manufactured goods, the government data showed. —AP ments because the fundamentals (of the Indian economy) haven’t changed so drastically,” D.K. Joshi, chief economist with Indian ratings firm Crisil, told AFP. “The economy is slowing down but it’s not collapsed. If you make a comparison, at 7.0 percent growth it (India) would still be a fast-growing economy,” he told AFP. “So, the sharp decline in the rupee is down to global turbulence.” Ananth Narayan, the South Asia head of fixed income, currencies and commodities at

Standard Chartered Bank in Mumbai, said investors were also worried about India’s current account and trade deficits.

“India has always had a current account deficit and in the last months the trade deficit has been on the high side,” he said. The RBI intervened during the last financial downturn in 2008-9 and analysts expect the same to happen again to prevent any further depreciation in the shortterm and to kickstart investment and growth. —AFP

Spain’s borrowing costs fall, looks safer than Italy MADRID: Spain saw solid demand for medium- and long-term bonds yesterday, paying over 2 percentage points less to issue a 5-year bond than Italy this week, as Madrid’s cost cutting helped ease concerns it was the euro-zone’s weakest link. But while the Treasury also paid much less to sell two 10-year bonds than a similar issue just a month ago, yields were still near euro-era highs amid doubts over euro leaders’ ability to find a lasting solution to the bloc’s debt crisis. “A good auction ... they managed to sell quite a chunk. In terms of pricing they came in substantially below secondary market levels,” strategist at West LB, Michael Leister said. “It won’t help to calm these fears everyone in the market is having about funding in 2012, but Spain is considered a far more attractive credit than Italy.”

The Treasury raised 6 billion euros ($7.77 billion) from the

auction of three bonds in the primary market, far surpassing a target of 3.5 billion euros and meaning the Treasury has completed its end-of-year bond issuance goal. Spain faces medium and long-term debt redemptions of nearly 50 billion euros of medium in 2012 though is must also finance a public deficit of around 5 percent of gross domestic product.

The centre-right People’s Party (PP) trounced the Socialists in Nov. 20 election as voters punished Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero for his handling of the economic crisis though his measures have kept Spain needing a Greek-style bailout. Incoming Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has said he will continue with the previous government’s austerity measures and cut the budget shortfall from an expected 6.5 percent of GDP this year to 4.4 percent of GDP next year. —Reuters

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Business

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

US Republicans push $915bn spending bill Abortion funding curbs remain in bill

SYDNEY: A passer-by is reflected in the window as stock prices tumble on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) in Sydney yesterday. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 closed down 50.6 points, or 1.2 percent, at 4140. — AFP

US business sees hope at home, gloom abroad WASHINGTON: Something is stirring in corporate America.

Heading into 2012, years of nervous uncertainty about the fate of the world’s largest economy has been replaced with a slightly different form of nervous uncertainty. “We’re probably not moving into a double-dip recession,” said Brian Derksen, deputy CEO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, the global advisory firm.

“The general economic indicators are not outstanding, but they are trending right,” he told AFP. That may not sound much like an improvement, but compared to the doom-hued pallet used to paint the Great Recession years, it is luminescent. To be sure, there are still many question marks about the health of the US economy. The housing market is deep in the doldrums with no obvious quick exit and unemployment remains eye-wateringly high. The Federal Reserve has few tools left to stimulate the economy and Congress cannot even seem agree what the economy is or whether stimulus is needed. Elections will likely paralyze Washington until 2013, when budget tightening is expected to deepen growth-cutting budget reductions, spreading pain further to hard-up state authorities.

Yet many businesses appear to be increasingly optimistic about the state of the US economy. A November poll by the National Federation of Independent Business reported more optimism, with its optimism index rising for the third month in a row.“After so many months of pessimism, November’s modest gain made it feel like spring, again,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. The Fed this week acknowledged that the economy had improved-nodding to a drop in the unemployment to 8.6 percent-although it did so in the most downbeat way imaginable. “While indicators point to some improvement in overall labor market conditions, the unemployment rate remains elevated,” the Fed’s top policy makers reported.

Most economists predict moderate, if not stellar growth for the year ahead. “We do expect the US economy to expand about two percent-plus in 2012, with small gains in many sectors, there is no double dip but there is not an boom,” said Wells Fargo chief economist John Silvia.

According to Deloitte’s Derksen “we feel better about things today than we did a year ago.” But after a year which saw external economic shocks from Arab Spring and Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, the world again seems to be conspiring to throw up more hurdles. “In the background there is a big black cloud that wasn’t there last year,” said Derksen, adding that the results of Europe’s crisis are already being felt. After two years in which Deloitte has been adding US staff by around eight percent every a year, Europe’s debt crisis is already influencing business decisions. “We are slowing our hiring a little bit, because we are worried that if something goes off the tracks we’re still bringing in people but the business is disappearing,” he said.

Europe’s crisis may yet drive down US exports and shift the earth beneath the still too-big-to fail US financial sector-a game changer for the US recovery. According to Goldman Sachs economist Jan Hatzius, the European crisis is likely to shave one percentage point of US growth in 2012.

In a sign of how important the financial implications could be, Hatzius estimates a 25 percent drop in Europe bank’s lending to US customers could alone cut 0.4 percentage points off US growth. All that means the fate of the US recovery is further from Americans’ control. But at least the problem is becoming less home-grown. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Republicans introduced a $915 billion spending bill in the US House of Representatives early yesterday in an attempt to force Democrats to finalize legislation that would keep the US government operating beyond the weekend.

Only two days are left until a temporary funding measure expires and the government is forced to shut down major services run by the departments of defense, education, health and labor.

But Republican and Democratic lawmakers are fighting over how to extend an expiring payroll tax cut for 160 million Americans, and each side is trying to use the spending bill as a bargaining chip.

The bill, which would provide funds for crucial government functions such as patrolling the US borders, has little chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Senate unless Democrats agree that the bill is complete. Republicans control the House.

Lawmakers in charge of government spending had reached a tentative agreement on the spending bill on Monday.

But at the White House’s request, Senate Democrats have held back in order to force Republicans to stay in town ahead of New Year holidays to reach an agreement on the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits. Democrats had said there were problems with parts of the bill, including provisions to tighten travel to Cuba and abortion funding restrictions. Those measures remained in the House bill.

With the Friday deadline looming, the White House urged Congress to pass

a short-term funding measure to keep the government operating.

Republican leaders in the House and Senate have so far refused, saying there is no need since lawmakers have already forged a deal on the massive spending package.

Fights over the budget, spending and taxes brought the government close to a shutdown earlier this year.

Under the bill introduced by House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, the Pentagon’s budget would increase $5.1 billion to $518.1 bil-

lion. The Defense Department would also get $115 billion for overseas military operations .

Funding for the Environmental Protection Agency would be cut and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s budget would get a small boost to help the agency implement the dozens of rules required under the Dodd-Frank financial industry regulation bill. Overall spending would be lower than last year after Congress agreed to a spending cap of $1.043 trillion for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2012. — Reuters

CYPRUS: Two passengers sit waiting for their flight at Larnaca international airport, Cyprus, yesterday. Cyprus’ airports and government offices have shut down in a daylong strike by a civil servants’ union and air traffic controllers to protest a wage freeze and other spending cuts affecting them. The rare work stoppage has forced the cancellation of 79 flights to and from the east Mediterranean island. —AP

Global markets cautious over gloom LONDON: Signs of a global economic slowdown and stresses in Europe’s financial system kept investors cautious yesterday, causing losses in Asian markets, limiting gains in Europe and keeping the euro near 11-month lows.

Surveys showed Japanese business confidence and Chinese manufacturing had both slipped, while European industrial and services sectors continued to contract, though less than expected.

Concerns over Europe’s debt crisis are squeezing credit conditions for banks in the region. The fear that a bank might not be able to withstand losses on its holding of shaky government bonds makes the banks less inclined to lend to each other, as they normally do to fund their hugely expensive daily operations.

Many banks are relying on cheap credit from the European Central Bank for that money, but in the meantime they are cutting down on lending to businesses and households.

As a result, the real economy in Europe is sliding toward recession. The purchasing managers’ index published by financial data company Markit showed euro-zone manufacturing and services output contracting for a fourth month in December, although not as

much as economists were expecting. The combined index for the two sectors stood at 47.9 in December, up from 47.0 in November. A figure below 50 indicates contraction. “The likelihood remains that euro-zone GDP will contract in the fourth quarter, even if the decline may not be as has been feared,” said Howard Archer of IHS Global Insight in a report.

A day after suffering sharp losses, European stocks rose slightly. Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.5 percent to 5,395.37.

Germany’s DAX gained 0.9 percent to 5,727.67 and France’s CAC-40 added 0.6 percent to 2,993.30. Wall Street was likewise headed for modest gains, with Dow Jones industrial futures up 0.2 percent to 11,784 and S&P 500 futures gaining 0.5 percent to 1,211.80.

The euro was steady at 1.2993, near its lowest levels so far this year. Since European leaders reached an agreement to rein in future government budget deficits last week, investors and credit rating agencies have criticized the deal for failing to address current problems.

Italy had to pay higher interest rates in its last bond auction of the year on Wednesday. The longer the country’s borrowing rates remain high, the bigger the financial burden will be. The higher rates

reflect rising doubts that the country will be able to repay its debts. The Italian government will hold a confidence vote on its euro30 billion ($39 billion) package of tax hikes and spending cuts that have been hotly contested by lawmakers and unions. Stocks faced stronger headwinds earlier in Asia. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index shed 1.7 percent to close at 8,377.37, a three-week low. South Korea’s Kospi lost 2.1 percent to 1,819.11 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng tumbled 1.8 percent to 18,026.84. Mainland Chinese shares lost ground for a sixth straight trading day, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index falling 2.1 percent to 2,180.90, while the Shenzhen Composite Index lost 2.3 percent to 886.01.

In Japan, confidence at major manufacturers fell over the last quarter. The Bank of Japan’s “tankan” survey of business sentiment fell to minus 4. The figure represents the percentage of companies saying business conditions are good minus those saying conditions are unfavorable, with 100 representing the best mood and minus 100 the worst. Japan’s strong yen has hit multiple historic highs this year against the dollar, making business conditions difficult for Japan’s export-reliant economy. —AP

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Business

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

US consumers look to holiday sales Online shoppers avoid holidays’ hustle and bustle

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argain-hungry holiday shoppers are picking up packages that won’t go under the tree — something for themselves. It was sparkling earrings and a purple pin that caught the eye of Sue Anderson, a 57-year-old retired schoolteacher.

“It was 70 percent off. I kind of splurged on buying them for myself,” Anderson said of her shopping trip to Kmart in San Mateo, California, where she bought gifts, too — more jewelry, and for the neighbors, containers of popcorn.

Shoppers like Anderson are fueling a growing trend that has retailers whistling “Happy Holidays.” In 2004, non-gift purchases accounted for 12.7 percent of total holiday spending, according to the National Retail Federation. This year, that is expected to hit 18.5 percent.

“What we are seeing specifically this year is many consumers held off on making purchases throughout 2011,” said Kathy Grannis of the National Retail Federation. “People were delaying certain apparel purchases or using their old DVD or VHS player and not opting to buy a Bluray. Most consumers know that the holiday season is the best time of year to get the best deals on most items, from apparel to cookware and small appliances and even large appliances.”

Six out of 10 shoppers will take advantage of holiday sales in 2011 to pick up non-gift items, such as clothing, electronics and more, the survey found.

Retailers are reaching out to these buyers “whether it’s web marketing on their home page or even in stores and certainly throughout their catalogs. A lot of holiday retailers are reminding people they have great deals that don’t have to be gift ideas,” Grannis said. For example, apparel retailers J Crew and Ann Taylor are offering online promotions encouraging shoppers to buy discounted items for themselves.

Shoppers are also using the holiday promotions to buy practical things for friends and relatives. Lisa Taner of San Mateo left Kmart with some sheets and bedding that were on sale. “I bought a bunch of stuff for my grandfather. I knew it would be on sale,” said the 45-year-old Taner, who has an administrative job in an attorney’s office. “You may as well get the deals when you can get them.”

She also plans to buy an alarm clock for her son, but that won’t go under the tree because “he won’t be excited about it.”

Pam Goodfellow of BIGresearch, which conducted the federation’s survey, said consumers have learned that some of the best deals come along in the holiday season.

“Something like a coffee maker.

Maybe it’s too good an offer to pass up. I don’t think people are going

out buying luxury items like cashmere. It’s more like small appliances and those types of things,” she said.

“We have more people getting into this activity of watching for sales and discounts during the holiday season and spending more as a result.”

Marcia Howell has used holiday sales to shop for clothing, jewelry and makeup along with basic items for around the house. “I’d say, ‘Oh, there it is, and it’s a good price,’ “ said the 67-year-old retired printing company employee who lives in San Gregorio, Calif. Taking advantage of

Maybe even get a little discount.”

The majority of consumers still prefer to fulfill their holiday-gift lists at traditional stores, but a growing number of people are shopping online exclusively. They do it to avoid lines and parking hassles, as well as save money with exclusive online discounts and free shipping.

Markus Dominguez, a 28-year-old Winter Park, Fla., waiter, said the free shipping offered at many retailers’ websites is the reason he’s buying all his gifts for his family and friends online.

reached nearly $6 billion between Thanksgiving Day and Saturday, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday — a 15 percent increase over last year’s figures, a report from retail tracker comScore shows. The survey indicates that more than 60 percent of online sales made after Black Friday included free shipping.

More retailers this year sweetened their free-shipping promotions by extending the free-shipping period or offering the service without a minimum purchase. Apple is offering free shipping on online purchases

are most comfortable researching and purchasing books, e-books, hotel reservations and airline tickets online, some say they also buy electronics, clothing, shoes and even furniture off the Web. “Years ago, the only gifts I bought online were CDs and DVDs from Amazon, but I’ve grown more comfortable with buying high-end items (from Amazon) like MP3 players, cellphones and cameras,” said Roger Denison, a 42-year-old Sanford, Fla., lawyer. “I also like that you can buy a slightly used item for much less on

Cashier Jasmine Stalworth (left) helps customer Kim Mrozinski at a Toys R Us in Northville, Michigan. Stalworth is a temporary seasonal worker for the holiday rush of shoppers, but hopes she can end up with a full-time job from the work. —MCT holiday sales makes even more sense this year. “It’s the best time of year,” she said, “especially with the economy.”

Shoppers at Best Buy rushed past Marcella Visconi with carts full of gifts and more than a little frustration on their faces. But Visconi was feeling none of the holiday stress as she checked out headphones she was considering as a gift for her boyfriend.

“This whole crazy race to the stores and frenzy of driving from one place to the other in search of gifts just isn’t for me,” said Visconi, 31, a downtown Orlando bartender. “I’d rather swing by the stores, check out the goods on my gift list and then buy them from home on my time.

“Since I’m not buying a lot of stuff from any one online store, free shipping, no matter how much I spend, is really important to me,” Dominguez said.

Though some retail experts say a barrier to online shopping is the desire to see a gift before purchasing it, most shoppers already are familiar with many products they plan on buying or trust the online retailer of their choice. “I already know what an iPhone 4S looks like, so it’s not like I need to see it first,” Dominguez said while browsing laptops at the Apple Store in Orlando’s Mall at Millenia. “I also trust Apple enough to know they are not going to lose the one I’m buying on their website.”

Online-shopping purchases

until Dec 22, Best Buy until Dec 27, and Wal-Mart offers free shipping if the items are sent to a local Wal-Mart or FedEx store.

More than 2,000 retailers, small and large, will participate in the traditional Free Shipping Day on Dec. 16, when consumers get free shipping with guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve. Gian Fulgoni, chairman of comScore, said: “Free shipping is one of the most important incentives that online retailers must provide during the holiday season to ensure that shoppers convert into buyers ... consumers have come to expect free shipping.”

Though a 2010 online survey by Forrester Research shows consumers

the same website.”

Denison said the biggest incentive for buying all his holiday gifts online is avoiding the crowds.

“I don’t need the hassle of other people pushing in line and making the whole experience unpleasant,” he said. “I’d rather sit at home on my computer, research my gifts really well and buy what I want from where I want without the pressure of other shoppers.” —MCT

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Opinion

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

The covert intel war against Iran

By Scott Stewart

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here has been a lot of talk in the press lately about a “cold war” being waged by the United States, Israel and other US allies against Iran. Such a struggle is certainly taking place, but in order to place recent developments in perspective, it is important to recognize that the covert intelligence war against Iran (and the Iranian response to this war) is clearly not a new phenomenon.

Indeed, Stratfor has been chronicling this struggle since early 2007.

Our coverage has included analyses of events such as the defection to the West of Iranian officials with knowledge of Tehran’s nuclear program; the Iranian seizure of British servicemen in the Shatt al Arab Waterway; the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists; the use of the Stuxnet worm to cripple Iranian uranium enrichment efforts; and Iranian efforts to arm its proxies and use them as a threat to counteract Western pressure. These proxies are most visible in Iraq and Lebanon, but they also exist in Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, the Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

While the covert intelligence war has been under way for many years, the tempo of events that can readily be identified as part of it has been increasing over the past few months. It is important to note that many of these events are the result of hidden processes begun months or even years previously, so while visible events may indeed be increasing, the efforts responsible for many of them began to increase much earlier. What the activities of recent months do tell us is that the covert war between Iran and its enemies will not be diminishing anytime soon. If anything, with the current withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and Iranian nuclear efforts continuing, we likely will see the results of additional covert operations - and evidence of the clandestine activity required to support those operations.

Ramping Up All eyes were on this covert intelligence war after The New York Times published an article Jan 15 reporting that the United States and Israel worked together to create and launch Stuxnet against the Iranian nuclear program. The visible events related to the intelligence war maintained a relatively steady pace until Oct 11, when the US Department of Justice announced that two men had been charged in New York with taking part in a plot by the Iranian Quds Force to kill Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, Adel Al-Jubeir, on US soil. In early November, a new International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report was issued detailing Iranian efforts toward a nuclear

weapons program. While this report did not contain any major revelations, it did contain new specifics and was more explicit than previous IAEA reports in its conclusion that Iran was actively pursuing a nuclear weapons program. The IAEA report resulted in an Israeli-led diplomatic and public relations campaign urging more effective action against Iran, ranging from more stringent sanctions to military operations.

Then, in the early afternoon of Nov 12, explosions occurred at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ballistic missile base near Tehran, killing 17 people, including a high-ranking IRGC commander who was a critical figure in Iran’s ballistic missile program. Iran has insisted the blast was accidental,

tary of Iran’s Expediency Council, a former IRGC commander and a presidential contender - was found dead at a hotel in Dubai. The deputy head of the Expediency Council told the Iranian press that the son’s death was suspicious and caused by electric shocks, while other reports portrayed the death as a suicide. On Nov 20, the Los Angeles Times reported that US intelligence officials confirmed the CIA had suspended its operations in Lebanon following the arrest of several of its sources due to sloppy tradecraft on the part of CIA case officers assigned to Beirut. Following this report, the Iranian government announced that it had arrested 12 CIA sources due to tradecraft mistakes. We have been unable to

ernment undertook similar action against the Central Bank of Iran.

On Nov 28, there were unconfirmed press reports of an explosion in Isfahan, one of Iran’s largest cities. These reports were later echoed by a Stratfor source in Israel, and US sources have advised that explosions did occur in Isfahan and that they caused a significant amount of damage. Isfahan is home to numerous military and research and development facilities, including some relevant to Iran’s nuclear efforts. We are unsure which facilities at Isfahan were damaged by the blasts and are trying to identify them.

Elsewhere on Nov 28, Iran’s Guardians Council, a clerical organization that provides oversight of

This photo released on Dec 8, 2011 by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and taken at an undisclosed location claims to show the US RQ-170 Sentinel drone which Tehran says its forces downed. — AP but speculation has since spread that the explosion could have been part of a sabotage operation carried out by Israeli intelligence. Israeli intelligence officials also have undertaken not-so-subtle efforts to ensure that outside observers believe they were responsible for the blasts. Later on Nov 12, the Bahraini government went public with the discovery of an alleged plot involving at least five Bahrainis traveling through Syria and Qatar to carry out attacks against government and diplomatic targets in Bahrain. Iran vehemently denied it was involved and portrayed the plot as a fabrication, just as it responded to the alleged plot against the Saudi ambassador.

The next day, the Iranian press reported that Ahmad Rezai, the son of Mohsen Rezai - who is the secre-

determine if the reports regarding Lebanon are true, merely CIA disinformation or a little of both.

Certainly, the CIA would like the Iranians to believe it is no longer active in Lebanon. Even if these reports are CIA spin, they are quite interesting in light of the Oct 11 announcement of the thwarted assassination plot in the United States and the Nov 12 announcement of the arrests in Bahrain.

On Nov 21, the United States and the United Kingdom launched a new wave of sanctions against Iran based on the aforementioned IAEA report. The new sanctions were designed to impact Iran’s banking and energy sector. In fact, the United Kingdom took the unprecedented step of totally cutting off Iran’s Central Bank from the British financial sector. The Canadian gov-

legislation passed by Iran’s parliament, approved a bill to expel the British ambassador and downgrade diplomatic relations between the two countries. The next day, Iranian protesters stormed the British Embassy in Tehran, along with the British Embassy’s residential compound in the city. The angry - and well-orchestrated - mob was protesting the sanctions announced Nov 21. Iranian authorities did not stop the mob from storming either facility. On Dec 1, the European Union approved new sanctions against some 180 Iranian individuals and companies over Iran’s support of terrorism and its continued nuclear weapons program. The European Union did not approve a French proposal to impose a full embargo on Iranian oil. In the early hours of Dec 4, a small improvised

explosive device detonated under a van parked near the British Embassy building in Manama, Bahrain. The device, which was not very powerful, caused little structural damage to the vehicle and none to the building itself.

The next day, an unnamed US official confirmed Dec 4 reports from several Iranian news outlets that Iran had recovered an RQ-170 “Sentinel” unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Iranian territory. The Iranian reports claimed that Iranian forces were responsible for bringing down the Sentinel - some even said the Iranians were able to hack into the UAV’s command link.

Outlook The United States is currently in the process of completing the withdrawal of its combat forces from Iraq. With the destruction of the Iraqi military in 2003, the US military became the only force able to counter Iranian conventional military strength in the Persian Gulf region. Because of this, the US withdrawal from Iraq will create a power vacuum that the Iranians are eager to exploit. The potential for Iran to control a sphere of influence from western Afghanistan to the Mediterranean is a prospect that not only frightens regional players such as Israel, Saudi Arabia and Turkey but also raises serious concerns in the United States.

As we have noted before, we don’t believe that a military attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities alone is the answer to the regional threat posed by Iran. Iran’s power comes from its ability to employ its conventional forces and not nuclear weapons. Therefore, strikes against its nuclear weapons program would not impact Iran’s conventional forces or its ability to interfere with the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz by using its conventional forces asymmetrically against US naval power and commercial shipping. Indeed, any attack on Iran would have to be far broader than just a one-off attack like the June 1981 Israeli strike at Osirak, Iraq, that crippled Saddam Hussein’s nuclear weapons program.

Because of this difficulty, we have seen the Israelis, Americans and their allies attacking Iran through other means. First of all, they are seeking to curb Iran’s sphere of influence by working to overthrow the Syrian regime, limit Iran’s influence in Iraq and control Hezbollah in Lebanon. They are also seeking to attack Iran’s nuclear program by coercing officials to defect, assassinating scientists and deploying cyberwarfare weapons such as the Stuxnet worm. It is also necessary to recognize that covert action does not occur in a vacuum. Each covert activity requires a tremendous amount of clandestine intelligence-gathering in order to plan and execute it. — Stratfor

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Years

www.kuwaittimes.net

Actress Rooney Mara attends the premiere of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011 in New York. —AP (See Page 47)

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Te c h n o l o g y

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Shopping tips for computer monitors Net

briefs

Delete or archive back-ups from Apple devices BERLIN: Apple devices iPhone and iPad regularly produce backups of their memory when connected to a computer. That is practical if there is a malfunction, but over the long haul it takes up a lot of hard drive space. No longer necessary backups can be deleted in iTunes settings, according to the German magazine iPhone Welt (iPhone World).

The relevant menu can be found under “Devices.” To ease the decision-making process, the records are categorized according to device and date of creation. Those who do not want to delete the back-ups but would rather archive them on a separate data store have a somewhat more complicated task. The files are hidden in a different directory depending on the operating system but can be located by searching for “Apple Computer.”

The displaying of hidden files must however be activated. The individual back-up folders are listed with long, cryptic strings of characters, which is the identification number of the Apple device. The so-called UDID will appear by clicking “Serial number” in the device overview on iTunes.

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f you’re going to use your computer for watching shows, then 3D capability is almost as important as graphics.

If you’re shopping for a new monitor, you’ll find there’s something out there for every need and budget. Some of the newest transmit 3D images and are providing competition to televisions.

But don’t worry, if you just want to check your email from time to time, there’s a basic model out there for you as well. Indeed, when shopping, much of the choice depends on your planned use of the monitor.

Most screens provide about the same level of quality, so choices will have to be based on questions of the housing, the number and kinds of connections and the types of accessories and services, says Sebastian in het Panhuis, a product manager at Asus. If you don’t average more than three hours at a time in front of the monitor, you’re probably OK with a basic model, says Samsung product manager Horst Strobender. Think standard liquid crystal displays with twisted nematic (TN) technology.

These are “so good today, that you really don’t need anything else. They’re more than sufficient.” But if you regularly turn to your computer for gaming, then you should concentrate on a monitor that generates an image more quickly. Here again, TN models are a good choice, since they switch images faster, says Strobender.

Also consider that technology that once

used to only be found in professional situations is making its way into the home. That includes panel televisions with IPS technology, which allow more people to see the screen at extreme viewing angles, so everybody can enjoy their movie, says Panhuis.

If you’re going to use your computer for watching shows, then 3D capability is almost as important as graphics. There are models out there that make use of FPR polarizing technology from LG, or Nvidia 3D Vision. A basic pair of 3D glasses works for FPR, but a pair of active shutter glasses is needed for 3D Vision. At about 100 euros (133 dollars), those are significantly more expensive, says Panhuis.

A diagonal screen measuring 22 X 24 inches has become standard today. It’s the perfect size for a workspace and delivers a great costbenefit ratio, says Strobender. But there are also uses for smaller 19-inch screens with a 5:4 format. On the other hand, larger displays often risk people developing neck strain.

A lot of monitors advertise that they offer full HD. But the resolution, 1,920 X 1,080 pixels, only makes sense with 24-inch screens, says Strobender. “With 22-inch monitors, I’d always advise against HD, since it can make letters, for example, appear very small.”

Then again, if you plan to work primarily in picture developing, then you’ll benefit from the enhanced resolution. Glare displays, which use a reflective interface to make the image look brighter, are generally given a thumbs down by experts, especially if the monitor is to

be used for work. “Reflective panels have no place in offices,” says Strobender. But he says they have their uses when viewing television or playing games.

The longer the user plans to sit in front of the monitor, the more important it becomes to focus on its ergonomic aspects. To be ergonomic, larger monitors almost have to be able to sink behind the desk, an option that is all but unavailable. Essentially, monitors are much more than computer screens these days, as they have begun to compete with both televisions and gaming consoles. As a bonus, they rarely have compatibility issues, like televisions do, says Strobender.

And Apple has gone a little further, integrating a connection for its new Thunderbolt system into its monitor. This would theoretically allow data transfers at 20 times the speed of USB. However, the verdict is still out on Thunderbolt, which only seems to work between Apple devices for now. Nonetheless, Apple is hoping that its monitors, which also have three USB connections, a firewire port and an Ethernet port, will turn their displays into the ultimate docking stations, making a desktop computer superfluous for anyone with a laptop. —dpa

Don’t click on it, don’t copy it BERLIN: Another wave of spam with pornographic pictures, violent recordings and celebrity photomontages is making its way around Facebook. And the curiosity of users can open the door to hackers. Therefore, Facebook suggests that users should never go to the location shown in the browser’s address bar of suspicious posts or click on such links. That also goes for posts that supposedly come from a friend. Those who click on the link or copy and use the code can in the worst case give spammers access to their account, which can then be used to send more spam in the name of the account holder.

Should the spammer already have gained access, the user must act quickly by changing their password, deleting unknown and unintentional applications and deleting entries they did not write themselves. If that does not work, the social network offers direct assistance at www.facebook.com/hacked.

—dpa

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Years

Pets

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

‘They are such amazing athletes’ Ohio woman lives for sled dog racing

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f anyone is ready for the snow and cold in Northeast Ohio, it is Shannon Mugrage Miller and her Alaskan huskies. Many people know Miller as a 39-year-old photographer, videographer and writer who owns Shannon Miller Creative. But Miller’s consuming passion is sled-dog racing. “Mushing is summed up best as like trying to hook 10 very strong, meat-eating, high-octane preschoolers to a line and expecting them to behave,” Miller said of her love of mushing, the name given to leading a team of sled dogs in a race.

“And believe it or not, this is one of my favorite things about mushing. Most days it is beautiful chaos.” Miller, her husband, two daughters, 20 dogs, a dozen chickens and three cats live on 7 acres in rural Portage County, Ohio, a place she calls the Lazy Husky Ranch. After she graduated from Ellet High School in 1991, she attended the University of Akron, where she earned an English degree with a minor in history. She was working on her master’s in English but was diverted to a place that changed the direction of her life.

She moved to Wyoming in 1997 to work at an Audubon Society Ecology Camp and met a woman who worked for Frank Teasley, an eight-time Iditarod racer. “He had 180 dogs, and the interview was to go walk through the dog yard. That was it,” she said. Teasley, she said, could tell from that walk that Miller had good chemistry with the dogs. “He can read how well you deal with the dogs by walking through,” she said.

She was hired at Jackson Hole Iditarod Sled Dog Tours and moved to a one-room cabin and began taking care of the dogs. Miller soon found herself enchanted with sled dog racing. “It was so addicting,” she said. “I swore that I would someday have my own team of dogs.”

She remained in Wyoming for a few years, then moved back to Ohio and finished her master’s at the University of Akron. She taught there and later worked as a health educator at Akron Children’s Hospital for seven years.

In 2005, she bought her first two Alaskan huskies, a hybrid with a base of northern breeds, Alaskan Inuit dog/Siberian husky, combined with other breeds. Miller started racing recreationally and took part in her first official race in 2009 at the Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race, a 28-mile course in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. “I did horrible,” she said of her first race. Racing with six dogs she finished 23rd out of 26 racers, covering the course in 3 hours, 43 minutes. “It seemed like forever,” Miller said.

She met some friends from Northern Michigan and began taking her dogs there several times a year for training. She still spends two weeks a month from October through December in Michigan training. In February 2009 she raced in the Jack Pine 30 in Marquette, Mich., and finished in sixth place. She finished second at the

Punderson Classic Sled Dog Race in Newbury, Ohio, in January 2010, then raced the Jack Pine again in February, finishing last. She raced the Tahquamenon Country again in 2011, finishing eighth. Because her mailing address is in Diamond, Ohio, she calls where she keeps her dogs the Diamond Dogs Racing Kennel. She practices with her team on the farmland where she lives by having the dogs race with her riding on a four-wheel Yamaha ATV. The dogs cannot race in temperatures above 55 degrees, so training occurs in the cooler temperatures of autumn. By the time she races in the new year, she hopes to have put 700 miles of training on the dogs.

Miller plans to again attempt the Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race, Jan 7, but will take eight dogs on a 48-mile course. She plans to race the 90-mile Midnight Run in Marquette in mid-February and possibly the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in Duluth, Minn. - 125 miles on Jan. 29 - if she can get enough sponsorships to defray her costs. Her long-term goal is participating in the UP200, a 200-mile race in Marquette in 2013.

“I’ve always been an outdoors person,” said Miller, who once worked as a zookeeper at the Akron Zoo. Being outdoors with the dogs, she said, is the best. “There is something really, really cool about watching them work,” she said. “They are such amazing athletes.” Her husband, Chris Miller Jr., said that while dog sled racing is too cold for him, he can see how the sport is addicting and exhilarating for his wife. “It takes a unique breed of person to enjoy being in the cold,” said Miller, director of the Akron Digital Media Center and a community investment officer for the Akron Community Foundation. “She likes the culture of dog sledding,” he said. “She has always been a determined person. It is overcoming obstacles. ... It has to be in your blood.

The dog musher is such a unique person.”

Shannon Miller’s racing endeavors are expensive - the family spends $300 to $400 a month on dog food alone, and even more in training season - but it teaches her about dealing with adversity and other important life lessons, she said. One such lesson is adaptation, she said, citing the way animals adjust to changes in temperature.

Others are the importance of teamwork, leadership, following through and dedication.

Racing sled dogs also teaches calmness, because “losing your cool won’t get you out of a jam,” she said. “Mushing is something that is in you,” she said. “You either get it, or you don’t; there’s no in between.”

There is also something wonderful about being outside in the cold winter months. “People complain about winter, never venturing outside to see the amazing winter activities taking place every day, thereby shutting themselves off from a whole season of beauty,” she said.— MCT

One of sled dog racer Shannon Miller’s dogs named Yeti is pictured at her home. — MCT

Sled dog racer Shannon Miller demonstrates harnessing dogs on a line that pulls a 4-wheeler (far right) for training runs. — MCT

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Years

Fo o d FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Everyday cooking:

Recipes for diabetics

By Sawsan Kazak

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iabetes is a disease that affects us all. If you don’t personally suffer from it yourself, you know a friend or family member that does. As we all know, it is sometimes hard for those suffering with diabetes to make the right choices when it comes to eating. But with some planning and a little self control, diabetes sufferers can have healthy meals and snacks all day long. Also, eating healthy is always beneficial, even for those not suffering with diabetes.

Send your suggestions to: sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

Frozen Strawberry Pops

• 8 large ripe strawberries • 2/3 cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate • 2 8-ounce cans sugar-free lemon-lime soda

P

lace the strawberries in a food processor or blender. Add the pineapple juice concentrate and pulse until fairly smooth. (If you don’t have a food processor or a blender, you can do this with a hand-mixer.) Stir in the sugar-free soda until well blended. Pour mixture into eight 6-ounce paper cups. Freeze for 30 minutes, then stick a clean wooden stick into the middle of each pop. Freeze overnight. To serve, let stand at room temperature just until you can peel off the paper cup. Eat at once.

NUTRITION FACTS : Per Serving: 49 calories 1 g protein 0 total fat (0 saturated fat)

12 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 3 mg sodium

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Years

Fo o d FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Baked pita chips • 6 6-inch pita breads • cooking spray • various spices to taste

• 10 oz tuna, divided into 2 portions • 1 tbsp olive oil • 2 whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted • 2 tbsp pesto • 1 tomato, sliced • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced • 2 cups lettuce • salt and pepper

Tuna steak burger

Preheat oven to 3751/4 F.

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ith a sharp knife, cut each pita bread into 6 wedges. Gently pull apart each triangle to separate it into 2 pieces, getting 12 triangles per pita bread. Lay the triangles in a single layer on a large non-stick baking sheet. You can use parchment paper, if you want.

(Depending on the size of your baking sheet, you make need to bake them in two batches.) Lightly coat triangles with cooking spray and sprinkle on spices. Bake for about 7 minutes, until pita begins to color. Turn pitas over and continue to bake until crisp and golden brown (about another 5 minutes. Store in airtight containers. Terrific with our guacamole or hummus.

NUTRITION FACTS : Per 6 Chip Serving: 83 calories (4% calories from fat), 0 total fat (0 saturated fat), 3 g protein, 17 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 161 mg sodium, 36 mg potassium

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oat the tuna with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill on high heat for 2 minutes for each side, until the outside is lightly charred but the interior is still pink.

Slather the buns with the pesto, then add lettuce, tomato, and onion.

NUTRITION FACTS : Per Serving • Calories 390 • Fat 11.7g • Protein 41g • Carbohydrates 31g • Fiber 3.5g • Sodium 447 mg

Vegetable omelet pie Quick lemon bread • 1 cup Granulated Sugar • 1/2 cup Butter softened (or margarine) • 1/2 cup large egg whites, lightly beaten • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 cup skim milk • 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel • 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar (for the drizzle) • 4 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (for the drizzle)

Apple and thyme chicken • 2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts • cooking spray • salt and pepper to taste • 1 medium green apple • 1 shallot, minced • 1 teaspoon crushed dried thyme • cup balsamic vinegar • fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

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reheat oven to 375º F. Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt (if using) and pepper. Place in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Arrange apple slices over and around chicken breasts. Sprinkle with shallot and thyme leaves; pour on the balsamic vinegar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until chicken is opaque throughout (cut to test). Arrange cooked breasts on a platter and spoon apples and cooking juices on top. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired. Serve at once.

NUTRITION FACTS : 163 calories (9% calories from fat), 27 g protein, 2 g total fat (0.4 g saturated fat),

9 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 66 mg cholesterol, 78 mg sodium

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reheat oven to 350º F. Spray a bread pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix Sugar, Butter (or margarine), and egg whites until smooth. Add remaining muffin ingredients and mix until flour is incorporated into batter. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Leaving loaf in pan, use a long slender skewer to poke numerous holes all the way to bottom of loaf.

To make the drizzle, combine Sugar and lemon juice in a small pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until Sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Slowly drizzle over top of loaf so that glaze soaks into bread. Let bread cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool completely. (A good idea: put aluminum foil or parchment paper under the rack to limit the mess/clean-up, should the drizzle drizzle out of the loaf too much while the bread is cooling.)

• 1 small eggplant • olive oil cooking spray • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 2 teaspoons olive oil • 1 small onion, thinly sliced • 1 clove garlic, minced • 1 large plum tomato • 2 fresh shiitake mushrooms • 2 small red potatoes

• 5 large eggs or 1 1/4 cups liquid egg substitute • 5 large egg whites • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper • 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh herbs • 1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese

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reheat broiler. Place the eggplant in a small baking pan, skin sides down.

Lightly coat eggplant with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Broil until just tender (about 5 minutes). When the eggplant is cool, dice into 1/2inch pieces. Preheat oven to 425º F. Heat olive oil in a large, ovenproof non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, half of the tomato, and the mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until onions are cooked and liquid has evaporated (about 5 minutes). Add potatoes and continue to cook for 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to a bowl and stir in diced eggplant. Using a paper towel, wipe out skillet. Lightly coat the skillet with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, egg whites, and pepper. Whisk in herbs and cheese.

Add the reserved vegetables to the egg mixture, stirring to evenly mix. Pour in the egg-vegetable mixture into a skillet, stirring gently to evenly distribute the vegetables. Put the skillet in the oven and bake until the top is puffed and golden brown (about 10 minutes). Remove from the oven and invert onto a large serving platter. Garnish with remaining chopped tomatoes and scallions. You can serve immediately or, if desired, cover and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving at room temperature or cold.

NUTRITION FACTS : Per serving: 157 calories (10% calories from fat), 4 g protein, 1 g total fat (0 saturated fat), 47 g carbohydrate, 7 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 230 mg sodium

NUTRITION FACTS : Per serving: 136 calories 11 g protein 6 g total fat

10 g carbohydrate 2 g dietary fiber 179 mg cholesterol 118 mg sodium

THEY ARE THE 99!

99 Mystical Noor Stones carry all that is left of the wisdom and knowledge of the lost civilization of Baghdad. But the Noor Stones lie scattered across the globe - now little more than a legend.

One man has made it his life’s mission to seek out what was lost. His name is Dr. Ramzi Razem and he has searched fruitlessly for the Noor Stones all his life. Now, his luck is about to change the first of the stones have been rediscovered and with them a special type of human who can unlock the gem’s mystical power. Ramzi brings these gem - bearers together to form a new force for good in the world. A force known as ... the 99!

THE STORY SO FAR : The 99 visits the opening of the brand-new amusement park ROBOT WORLD -- just in time for its robot pirates to run amok! Now the Mubdiayn, The 99’s resident problem-solvers, must help Mukit and Rafie stop the pirate attack...

The 99 ® and all related characters ® and © 2011, Teshkeel Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

www.the99.org

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Spotlight

Years

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Lucian Freud remembered

For 15 years, the great artist took breakfast and lunch at Sally Clarke’s cafe-restaurant. Here, she recalls the man she fed... and eventually sat for

By Sally Clarke

M

r Freud started coming to the little cafe at the back of my shop about 15 years ago. I didn’t know it then, but he worked close by in a studio in Holland Park, so we were quite convenient for him. Soon after this, he bought a house a few doors along the street from us and from then on became more and more of a regular. He would come for breakfast and lunch often, bringing with him whoever he was working with at the time - Leigh Bowery, Kate Moss, David Hockney.

There came a time, however, when I realized that there was a risk that he might be bothered in the cafe, so I decided to offer him a table in the restaurant, which was empty at that time of day, and at the same time I could make sure that he was somewhat “wrapped in cotton wool”. I should say that he never asked for this special treatment.

If David Dawson, his studio assistant and model, was with him, breakfast tended to be centred around a pile of newspapers but he would be perfectly happy by himself. What he ate for breakfast with us changed over the years, but it was Earl Grey tea in the beginning with milk and a huge

pain aux raisins - the size of a saucer which he devoured easily. As the years went on, he graduated to coffee, a sort of latte which we called a Mr Freud latte, being even milkier than normal.

Often, he would invite me to join him and David - I loved watching him enjoy the little Portuguese custard tarts that we make. He had a very sweet tooth.

Sometimes, he would consume a whole bar of our homemade nougat - at breakfast time! Occasionally, I’d make him scrambled eggs with toast; at weekends, he would come in for brunch.

For lunch, he would always choose fish whichever fish was on the menu. He was very interested in food and I think he was a good cook himself. He loved game and I remember one day Brigadier Parker Bowles brought him some partridge from the weekend shoot and he threw them straight into the oven and ate them the following day.

The first time we spoke properly was soon after he had moved house. He came to the restaurant one afternoon and asked to see me. He told me that he was having problems with his neighbours and wanted some planning permission advice. I’m not sure why he asked me, but what struck me

more than anything, aside from just how charming, polite and lovely he was, was his German accent. It was dramatic - very guttural and individual.

I sat for him for three works. For the first painting, David Dawson asked to see me alone at my restaurant one morning.

“Lucian is wondering if you would like to sit for him.” This came as an enormous shock, but a few months later I was sitting in one of the most famous chairs in the world, looking through tall, wide French windows, into and over buddleia, bamboo hedges, a fig tree and bay trees. I had somehow imagined the house to be filled with music, but other than an abundance of sweetsmelling flowers, the house was filled with silence, concentration, thinking and looking - intent looking.

Within a short time, I learned the signals he gave; his hand moved to the top of his head equalled “move the top of your head over a fraction”. His hand sweeping in front like an elegant tennis forehand meant “adjust the angle of your head very slightly”. It was about detail, detail, detail. For such fine work, of face, hair or eyelid, the brush size seemed huge and yet the strokes on the canvas were light, delicate and few.

I had planned to spend my “sitting” time

writing future menus in my head, checking my diary or making “to do” lists during the rest periods, but I soon realized that I was wishing to work as hard, and as intensely, as he was. This was a partnership: one giving and the other taking, but that taking was also giving - giving his all, and in return for the sitter’s giving, a most special, unique and privileged experience was received.

The painting was finished three years ago, and very soon after this I sat for what was to be an etching, but he decided to keep drawing and drawing on the plate instead, so it was never etched. Then he started on another head and shoulder painting on canvas, which was about half finished, I think, when we stopped working, only a few weeks before his death. Of course I miss him. I got very used to seeing him every day. Arriving in the morning, I would often walk past the restaurant and see him through the window, already sitting having breakfast and he would wave with his arms high above his head. —Guardian

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Spotlight

Years

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Rachel Howard’s bright and abstract paintings create a catalogue of private hells using nothing more sinister than household gloss paint

A closer look at Rachel Howard R

achel Howard’s paintings have a disturbing glamour.

Realized with household gloss paint, their surfaces are all sheen, like varnished nails or a sports car bonnet. Beneath the lacquer, the colors - built up in narrow stripes - are vivid but threatening: the red of dried blood or the hazard warning of neon orange. Be seduced by the lustre of Howard’s work and you’ll soon find yourself facing up to something sinister. Her thin lines of paint spill down canvas like tears or are intricately layered in cage-like grids.

Howard graduated from London’s Goldsmiths College in 1992, a few years after the YBAs had blazed a trail there.

The paintings she became known for in the late 1990s were bright and abstract, reimagining the spiritual American colour field painting of Mark Rothko or Barnett Newman with household gloss paint: the perfect medium for a workaday world of non-believers. But while Howard’s paintings have riffed on the Seven Deadly Sins or the Stations of the Cross, it’s present day suffering she’s concerned with rather than religion. In the last decade, various wraiths have been conjured between her layered lines of paint - from the black dog of depression to victims of addiction, torture, self-harm or madness.

There’s a catalogue of private hells in Folie Deux, Howard’s current show, which explores slippery perception and the phenomenon of “madness of two”, where couples share a psychosis. With its outline flickering and fuzzy against a dull neutral ground, a small painting of a lonely table and chair sets the scene for domestic anguish: a secret, unstable world behind closed doors.

A similar sense of dread shimmers in the enormous Fear of Madness, where headachey acid yellow lines zing against dank concrete grey. It seems to ripple like a curtain, behind which neuroses surely lie. Regulus, on the other

hand, is sheer glowing horror: a blood orange disc of a sun against grey and screaming fluorescent lines, inspired by the story of the Roman general whose eyelids were sliced off. With their sharp colors and bleeding forms, Howard’s paintings certainly cut to the quick.

Why we like her: For the series of “suicide paintings”, which Howard was compelled to make following a friend’s death. Her shadowy spectral figures, their forms contorted and their features obscured by streaks of black, channel potent feelings of alienation and mental oppression.

The Apprentice: Howard once worked as Damien Hirst’s assistant and he remains a friend and collector of her work to this day. Cleanliness is next to Godliness: Howard had a religious upbringing at a Quaker school and, though now

an atheist, she still sings hymns in the bath.

Where can I see her? Folie Deux is at Blain Southern, Derring Street, London W1 until 22 December. —Guardian

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Years

Books

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Q: Your new book, a series of letters between you and Michel Houllebecq, is called Public Enemies, but it seems you weren’t so much enemies of each other but of everybody else?

Levy: We were both. The public believed that we were enemies. And we are both enemies of the crowd, the mob, how do you say? La meute.

The pack.

Elysee for example, when the decision was made to open a new front south of Tripoli.

Q: Is Syria the new Libya?

Levy: Of course. Though with another script, history never repeats... but Assad is finished.

Q: You wrote that more Syrian opposition figures are calling for direct intervention from the west. Is this something you would advise Sarkozy to do?

Levy: If a representative body of the Syrian opposition asked for that, the international community would have a duty to reply. I would be very disappointed if England and France didn’t advise some of their allies to stop a bloodbath.

Q: Did you learn things about yourself from writing this book?

Levy: First of all I learned that the great egomaniac I’m supposed to be had never spoken about himself, until now. My main compulsion is secrecy. I do not regret anything that is in this

sions are writing and loving women. And you seem to spend an awful lot of time writing. Does loving women occupy equally a large place in your life?

Levy: Unfortunately not. In fact, there are three great affairs of my life... writing, love and le go˚t d’aventure - the taste of adventure. It’s a lot already. No power. No luxury. There are a lot of things men love for which I don’t care. Material objects. I don’t have a car...

Q: I thought you had a nice place in Marrakech?

Levy: Yes, of course. But I don’t like objects, for example. I don’t collect. Even books, I leave them behind me. When I change house, I change books.

Q: Your wife was famously your mistress for seven years before you married her... and there is a famous quote in Britain, made by Jimmy Goldsmith, which is that when you marry your mistress you create a vacancy - is that your experience?

The French philosopher-intellectual on making enemies, advising President Sarkozy and his disgust at phone hacking book, but I would not write these things again.

The right to secrecy is a human right as important as freedom of speech or habeas corpus.

Q: Why do you think you inspire enmity?

Levy: Number one, I don’t know. Number two, I don’t care. And number three, the pack always loses against a writer or an artist. If you say there is something rotten, deeply corrupted, in the state of man’s affairs, then problems begin for you. There’s a quote on the cover by Ian Buruma from the New York Times where he says it’s “brilliantly done”, but in the rest of the quote he says: “One way to read this book is as a comic novel, a brilliant satire on the vanity of writers...” Vanity of authors, maybe, but also humility. They’re both there. Maybe it is vain to say we have the pack against us. But there is also humility in each of us understanding that our cases are so less serious than so many cases in the world, in Libya and so on.

Q: Is it true that you were the one responsible for persuading France’s President Sarkozy to intervene in Libya?

Levy: Yes, it seems to be the case.

Q: How did you do that?

Levy: Maybe I had convincing arguments. Maybe I found the words to express the fact that without an intervention, Benghazi would be under floods of blood. But this was easy. What was more difficult were the next steps of the war where I had one or two little intuitions which I was able to share with my president - bringing the general chief of the rebel forces to the

Q: Do you consider phone-hacking to be particularly egregious?

Levy: Phone-hacking is one of the most disgusting things to happen to your country for a long time. It’s the very highest level of attack on human integrity. Murdoch has lost the right to be part of the democratic contract that is the basis of this country. In France, public figures have been afforded greater levels of privacy by the press, but in the wake of the Dominique Strauss-Kahn affair, some journalists have said they should have delved more. They are wrong.

Not speaking of the private life of a politician until he commits a crime is a good position.

Which, by the way, includes Strauss-Kahn.

Q: Is your position still that he was a victim of a conspiracy?

Levy: No, a conspiracy, never. I said that he was a victim of the pack and packs do not conspire.

He said his troubles had been caused by the weakness of the flesh.

Q: Do you think that weakness should preclude someone from public life?

Levy: Of course not. If something should preclude someone from public life, it might be excessive puritanism. I am more afraid of puritans than of those who know and admit the weakness of the flesh.

Q: You were friends. Have you been in touch?

Levy: No, not recently.

Q: You say in the book, that your two great pas-

Levy: Jimmy Goldsmith has never been my master thinker, you know.

Q: This isn’t a phrase that resonates?

Levy: Not for me. He was an acute man but not for lessons for life.

Q: Your father looms quite large in this book. Do you think that the purpose of your life has been to find a cause as substantive as the one he fought? (He volunteered for the International Brigades in the Spanish civil war.)

Levy: Even at my grand age, I’m still acting in order to impress him. It’s true probably of any woman or any man who had a magnificent father. And my father was a magnificent father. It’s not been the purpose of my life, no. But it’s at my back. I can’t speak of the pilots in the Battle of Britain for example, without tears in my eyes.

Q: You’re very famous for wearing your shirt undone. Is there some sort of French button shortage we haven’t heard about?

Levy: No, I just like to be loose.

Q: You like to feel the breeze playing against your chest?

Levy: I do. It’s a form of my will to freedom. I like to be free in every sense of the word. I have never worn a tie in my life. There was even a diplomatic incident when I met Pope John Paul II. But it’s a physical impossibility. I cannot have a shirt buttoned to the neck, I suffocate. I have to be free.

— Guardian

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Books

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Reasons and Persons

From Metaphysics to Ethics: A Defence of Conceptual Analysis

Derek Parfit

Frank Jackson

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rank Jackson champions the cause of conceptual analysis as central to philosophical inquiry. In recent years conceptual analysis has been undervalued and widely misunderstood, suggests Jackson. He argues that such analysis is mistakenly clouded in mystery, preventing a whole range of important questions from being productively addressed. He anchors his argument in discussions of specific philosophical issues, starting with the metaphysical doctrine of physicalism and moving on, via free will, meaning, personal identity, motion, and change, to ethics and the philosophy of color. In this way the book not only offers a methodological program for philosophy, but also casts new light on some muchdebated problems and their interrelations.

hallenging, with several powerful arguments, some of our deepest beliefs about rationality, morality, and personal identity, Parfit claims that we have a false view about our own nature. It is often rational to act against our own best interests, he argues, and most of us have moral views that are self-defeating.

We often act wrongly, although we know there will be no one with serious grounds for complaint, and when we consider future generations it is very hard to avoid conclusions that most of us will find very disturbing.

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The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory

Naming and Necessity Saul A Kripke

David J Chalmers

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ver since the publication of its original version, Naming and Necessity has had great and increasing influence. It redirected philosophical attention to neglected questions of natural and metaphysical necessity and to the connections between these and theories of reference, in particular of naming, and of identity. From a critique of the dominant tendency to assimilate names to descriptions and more generally to treat their reference as a function of their Fregean sense, surprisingly deep and widespread consequences may be drawn. The largely discredited distinction between accidental and essential properties, both of individual things (including people) and of kinds of things, is revived. So is a consequent view of science as what seeks out the essences of natural kinds. Traditional objections to such views are dealt with by sharpening distinctions between epistemic and metaphysical necessity; in particular by the startling admission of necessary a posteriori truths. From these, in particular from identity statements using rigid designators whether of things or of kinds, further remarkable consequences are drawn for the natures of things, of people, and of kinds; strong objections follow, for example to identity versions of materialism as a theory of the mind.

hat is consciousness? How do physical processes in the brain give rise to the selfaware mind and to feelings as profoundly varied as love or hate, aesthetic pleasure or spiritual yearning?

These questions today are among the most hotly debated issues among scientists and philosophers, and we have seen in recent years superb volumes by such eminent figures as Francis Crick, Daniel C. Dennett, Gerald Edelman, and Roger Penrose, all firing volleys in what has come to be called the consciousness wars. Now, in The Conscious Mind, philosopher David J. Chalmers offers a cogent analysis of this heated debate as he unveils a major new theory of consciousness, one that rejects the prevailing reductionist trend of science, while offering provocative insights into the relationship between mind and brain.

Writing in a rigorous, thoughtprovoking style, the author takes us on a far-reaching tour through the philosophical ramifications of consciousness. Chalmers convincingly reveals how contemporary cognitive science and neurobiology have failed to explain how and why mental events emerge from physiological occurrences in the brain. He proposes instead that conscious experience

must be understood in an entirely new light—as an irreducible entity (similar to such physical properties as time, mass, and space) that exists at a fundamental level and cannot be understood as the sum of its parts.

And after suggesting some intriguing possibilities about the structure and laws of conscious experience, he details how his unique reinterpretation of the mind could be the focus of a new science. Throughout the book, Chalmers provides fascinating thought experiments that trenchantly illustrate his ideas.

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Beauty

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

How to get a natural tan in winter I

f you live in a cold climate, you’ve probably resigned yourself to looking pale in the winter. If your skin is very pale, however, you might end up looking sallow and unhealthy once the last bit of your summer glow disappears. While a quick trip to a sunny and warm locale might help, your options without leaving home are more limited. Still, you can achieve a natural-looking tan in winter if you don’t go overboard.

Step 1 Head to the local tanning salon and ask for the tanning booth with the lowest strength. Start tanning for only five minutes at a time and no more than two or three times a week. This will allow the color to develop slowly so you can control its depth. Stop when you reach a base tan. If you go too dark, it won’t look natural, especially in winter.

Skip darkening and bronzing lotions when tanning indoors. They are meant to give you a deep, dark tan. Instead, use just a lotion to protect your skin.

Step 2 Use a self-tanning lotion. Exfoliate and moisturize your skin before applying self-tanner to make sure it absorbs evenly. Reapply every few days until you achieve the desired color. Don’t overdo it to avoid an orange tint on your skin.

Step 3 Buy tinted moisturizer. This is commonly used on your face, but you can also buy body lotions that have a slight tint in them. Use these as you would any moisturizers, but make sure you apply to your whole body, so you don’t end up with streaks and uneven coloring. (www.livestrong.com)

BEAUTY MYTHS REVEALED Myth: cucumber reduces eye puffiness The cucumber itself does not reduce puffiness. But consider this, have you ever heard of someone being referred to as hot as a cucumber? No, it’s cool as a cucumber.

Cucumbers are able to stay cold for long periods of time outside of a refrigerator.

That cold is what actually reduces puffiness (it causes blood vessels around our eyes to contract, thereby reducing swelling). That being said, you could lay a dirty sock over your eyes and it could help. As long as it is cold.

Myth: Your skin pores open and close A pore is not a door or window-they can not open and close. However, if something is built up in the pore (like dead skin cells) the pores can appear enlarged. Go ahead and exfoliate in order to remove that gunk stuff.

Myth: Soap is bad for your skin When soaps contained lye and animal fat, this was true. But newer soaps are less

harsh and often have good stuff like moisturizers.

Myth: Vaseline on your face every night will prevent wrinkles?

Petroleum can make wrinkles less apparent by softening lines, but it can’t prevent aging.

Myth: Cutting your hair and eyelashes once a week will make them grow longer We’ll believe just about anything, won’t we? Try this one out and you’ll just end up bald.

Myth: never pluck a gray hair; ten more will grow in its place Answer this: If you grow some carrots and pull them up out of the ground, will a bunch more pop up in its place? It’s just not possible. (www.care2.com)

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

8 things your nail salondoesn t want These secrets about your manicure and pedicure might make you second guess your next nail salon visit

You are always at risk Podiatrist Dr Robert Spalding, author of “Death by Pedicure,” states that “at this time, an estimated one million unsuspecting clients walk out of their chosen salon with infections-bacterial, viral and fungal.” And no matter which salon you go to, there is always a risk of infection. He claims that in his research “75 percent of salons in the United States are not following their own state protocols for disinfections,” which includes not mixing their disinfectant solutions properly on a daily basis, not soaking their instruments appropriately, and using counterfeit products to reduce costs (for example Windex substituted for Barbicide), says the doctor. And the problem is that there is no way to really “verify an instrument has been properly soaked and sterilized,” without watching the process They don’t turn customers away Like most businesses, most nail salons won’t turn away paying costumers. Which means that people who are sick, have nail infections or foot fungus are being worked on next to you instead of being referred to an appropriate medical professional. Dr Spalding says that the greatest danger of the nail salon is “The transmission of infection from one client to another.” And with “millions of people whose immune systems are compromised by diabetes, HIV, cancer, hepatitis and other infective organisms” booking services offered in nail salons, many are dangerously susceptible to infection, warns the doctor.

They swap and dilute bottles In her long history as a nail technician, celebrity manicurist Jin Soon Choi, owner of Jin

Soon Natural Hand and Foot Spas in New York City, says she has heard of many salons filling expensive lotion bottles with a cheap generic lotion. That way the salons can charge you more for the manicure by claiming to use prestige products, but in reality are just deceiving you.

Similarly, she says that some salons will dilute nail polish bottles that have become clumpy from old age or from too much air exposure with nail polish remover. This action compromises the quality of the polish, which will make the formula chip easier once on your nails. To ensure the life of your color and to protect any possible germ spreading, tote your own bottles.

Just because there is no blood, doesn’t mean you haven’t been cut “Breaks in the skin can be microscopic or highly visible,” says Dr. Spalding. They can either come in with the client via “cuts, scratches, hangnails, bitten nails, insect bites, paper cuts, split cuticles-or be created in the salon,” he says.

“Nail techs using callus-cutting tools and nail nippers, files, cuticle pushers, and electric burrs and drills, can and do scratch and nick skin,” sometimes drawing blood and sometimes not.

But just because no blood is visible, doesn’t mean these “portals of entry” aren’t susceptible to infective organisms, the doctor advises.

If you’ve ever had your nails filed and it momentarily feels “too hot in the corner for even a second,” then you’ve had the surface layer of your skin broken-leaving it open for infection.

All costs are not included Some salons will try to keep certain added

costs a secret, says Choi. They try and up charge you for “nail strengtheners or base coats” and won’t tell you until it’s time to check out, she says. A quality nail salon will include all costs in the advertised price of the service, says Choi. So make sure to ask if all costs are included before soaking your hands or feet.

They aren’t talking about you Some narcissists or paranoid customers might think that nail technicians are talking about them when they speak to each other in other languages across the room, but they aren’t. Apparently they don’t care to share with each other how lovely your nail beds are or how gross your big toe is. “In general, they mostly gossip about their family and friends and the shows they watched last night,” says Choi.

Not all disinfecting solutions are 100 percent effective “Some infective microorganisms are easy to kill [and] some are not,” says the doctor. And unfortunately, he has seen “industry-wide confusion about the definition of the term ‘sterilize.’”

He says many nail techs think their instruments are sterilized, when, in fact, they “have no clue,” because not all disinfectant solutions are powerful enough to kill all viruses. Therefore, when nail techs aren’t informed of costumers’ pre-existing medical conditions, they don’t know how to properly disinfect for particular viruses. “These are medical situations,” says the doctor, which manicure and pedicure-licensed technicians aren’t trained for-it’s not in their job description and isn’t their fault as they are “nei-

ther schooled nor licensed to work in the presence of blood or to maintain a surgically sterile environment,” says the doctor.

When you shave matters You shouldn’t shave before getting a pedicure, says Choi, as pedicurists do not care if you have hair on your legs. Also, shaving your legs makes you more prone to infection as newly shaved legs have open pores (and often tiny nicks you can’t see) that are susceptible to infectious diseases. So don’t be wary of showing off some stubble at the salon, she says.

Some tools can’t be sanitized You can only put metal tools in the autoclave, says Choi. And as we stated before, only an autoclave kills a 100 percent of all bacteria and viruses. Nail salon tools like pumice stones, emery boards, nail buffers and foam toe separators need to be swapped out after each use to prevent the spread of bacteria. That’s why you’re best off bringing your own-just in case the salon doesn’t follow this practice. If you see any white residue on a nail file, it means it’s been used on someone else. (www.totalbeauty.com)

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

What are 1/4 sit-ups?

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our abdominal muscles affect everything from standing to biking and vacuuming. Strengthening these muscles requires exercising the lower, middle and upper abdominal muscles individually and as a single unit. Traditional sit-ups are easy to perform incorrectly and don’t isolate your abdominal muscle sections. A quarter sit-up is a modified version of the original exercise that isolates and strengthens your upper abdominal muscles in a safe, effective position.

Execution Lie flat on your back and raise your legs until your knees form a 90-degree angle with your hips. Your calves and feet must be paral-

lel with the floor. Bend your arms at the elbow and place your hands flat behind your head.

Using your upper abdomen, lift your head and shoulders 6 inches off the floor. Spend four to five seconds reclining slowly to the starting position. Repeat 15 to 50 times, according to your level of fitness. Do not move your legs or arms as you complete each repetition.

Sponsored links targeted muscles Quarter sit-ups target the abdominal muscle group above your navel, also known as your rectus abdominis. Keeping your calves parallel to the floor limits your lower abdominal muscle group, forcing the upper muscle group to raise your torso. Lifting your torso

upward contracts your upper abdominal muscle group. Reclining slowly for four to five seconds, instead of flopping back down, safely extends the exertion of this muscle during each repetition.

Modifications Adjust the difficulty level of the quarter situp using an inflated, vinyl stability ball.

Reduce the level of difficulty by placing a stability ball beneath your calves for support.

Raise the level of difficulty by lying on the stability ball with your knees bent at a right angle and your feet planted flat against a wall.

The give of the stability ball increases your range of motion between the reclining and upright positions, requiring your upper

abdominal muscle group to work harder on the stability ball than the floor.

Safety considerations Concentrate on the quality, not the quantity, of your quarter sit-ups. Correctly performing 25 quarter sit-ups is safer and more effective than incorrectly completing 100 repetitions. Avoid straining your upper abdominal muscle group by jerking or yanking yourself upward. Focus on completing each repetition with smooth, controlled precision and maintaining proper body position. Raising your torso by moving your arms or legs creates an unnatural position and can cause muscle strain. (www.livestrong.com)

How to do crunches or sit ups on an exercise ball C

runches and sit-ups strengthen the abdominal muscles responsible for flexing your spine forward. These include the rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis, and internal and external oblique muscles.

Once you have established a base of strength in these muscles by performing conventional crunches and sit-ups, try doing them on an exercise ball to increase the difficulty. This will further increase your strength and ability to function effectively for activities involving your abdominal muscles.

Step 1 Position an exercise ball on a flat, solid surface. Have a partner hold the ball steady from behind if desired.

Step 2 Sit upright on the ball with your feet flat on the ground, about shoulder-width apart.

Place your left hand on your right shoulder and right hand on your left shoulder, crossing your forearms over your chest.

Step 3 Contract your abdominal muscles and slowly lean backwards, keeping your feet on the ground. When you sense that going further would cause your feet to come off the ground, stop and hold for about five seconds, breathing deeply.

Step 4 Return to the starting position and then repeat. Perform 10 repetitions, focusing on perfect technique.

Sit-ups Step 1 Place an exercise ball on the floor. Ask a partner to hold the sides of the ball from behind to keep the ball from rolling during the exercise.

Step 2 Curve your back over the top of the ball, with your shoulders on top and buttocks on the side. Bend your knees to 90 degrees so your thighs are parallel to the ground, and place your feet flat on the ground, about shoulder-width apart. Put your hands behind your head with your elbows directed forward.

Step 3 Use your abdominal muscles to pull your shoulders off the ball slowly. Stop when your torso is upright, approximately perpendicular to the ground.

Step 4 Reverse back to the starting position slowly and then repeat. Perform 10 repetitions (www.livestrong.com)

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Prescription painkiller side effects P

rescription painkillers are widely prescribed in to treat moderate to severe pain. The opiate analgesics block pain signals by attaching to opiate receptors located in various parts of the body and brain.

Prescription painkillers are effective treatments for chronic or persistent pain and can be taken safely. The downside is that they can cause physical and psychological dependence and addiction. Side effects of these narcotic medications vary widely and some are more common than others. They can be mild but in the case of misuse or overdose, side effects can be fatal.

Constipation Constipation is a commonly reported effect associated with the use of prescription painkillers. Whether taking opiates at therapeutic levels or abusing them, many users report sluggish bowel movements, a condition which can be both annoying and painful. The problem can be compounded if patients are taking a combination of prescription medications. Opiates can interfere with normal elimination by relaxing the smooth muscle in intestines and preventing them from contracting and expelling waste. With regular use of opiates, stools can become rock hard, blocking the bowels. In severe cases, bowels can rupture, leading to sepsis or death.

Symptoms of constipation include: abdominal bloating, swelling and cramping; straining to pass stool; pain, discomfort or blood with a bowel movement; nausea; weight loss; and decreased appetite.

Mild and More Serious Side Effects Even with short term use, patients can experience one or more side effects. They can include sedation, euphoria, dizziness, fatigue, depression, tremors, sleeplessness, anxiousness, flu-like symptoms, upset stomach, dry mouth, pupil constriction, itching, hallucination, delirium, sweating, muscle and bone pain, confusion, extreme irritability and muscle spasms. Taking too much of an opiate medication, or more frequently than prescribed can be dangerous, even fatal. Combining opiates with alcohol and some other drugs can also lead to severe reactions. More serious side effects can include severe respiratory depression, confusion or stupor, coma, clammy skin, circulatory collapse and cardiac arrest.

Factors that Can Determine Side Effects The degree and frequency to which patients experience side effects depend on several factors. The amount taken can be one determining factor. Previous exposure to opiates can also determine side effects. Some users may build up a tolerance to prescription pain medication, meaning the prescribed dosage is inadequate in terms of pain relief. The method by which opiates are taken can also affect the physical and psychological symptoms experienced. Drug manufacturers provide labels on all prescription medication, outlining side effects, warnings, interactions and other dangers of use.

Along with doctors, these companies provide information on how the drugs should be taken. This information should be followed closely. Chewing, crushing or otherwise tampering with the medication can lead to overdose. (www.opiates.com)

Tips to ease neck and shoulder pain D o your neck and shoulders feel stiff when you awake in the morning? Or do they seize painfully with no warning? If so, you have plenty of company. Doctors estimate that seven out of 10 people will be troubled by neck pain at some point in their lives, often causing daily aching in the neck and shoulder area.

Neck pain is the cause of 90% of undiagnosed headaches. Rub olive oil, use a ice massage and a hot water bath to get rid of these pain. Most common cause is stress.

Sometimes pain starts with the bang of a rear-end collision, but more often, the neck and its surrounding structures begin to ache after years of normal use, overuse, and misuse. Without knowing it, you may be encouraging neck and shoulder pain by the way you perform everyday activities. In general, try to keep your neck in a neutral position, which means your head balances directly over your shoulders and is not leaning forward or cocked to one side. Here are eight hints for achieving a healthy neck posture while performing everyday activities.

At the computer or desk. When working at the computer or at a desk, keep your head balanced directly over your spine as much as possible. That means setting your chair height so both feet rest on the ground, and sitting with your buttocks far back in your chair, using a small pillow to support your lower back if needed. Properly adjusting the key-

board and monitor may be difficult or impossible with a laptop computer.

You can plug a separate, full-size keyboard into a laptop to help you achieve better positioning. But no matter how perfect your office-chair posture, it’s important to get up, stretch, and move around every half hour. If you tend to get lost in your work, program your computer to flash a reminder.

Telephone use. If you spend a lot of time on the phone, try to avoid leaning your head to one side. This is also important when you use a cell phone and aren’t sitting at your desk while you speak. A headset or speakerphone is a good option to help keep your head in a neutral position for hands-free talking.

Headsets are available for both your desk phone and cell phone.

Reading at home. If you are sitting in a chair, try to maintain an upright posture. Hold the book so that you don’t have to lean down or forward to see it. A pillow on your lap may help. If you must read in bed, sit up straight or use a specially designed wedge pillow. Or lie on your side with your neck straight and hold the book in front of you.

Walking. Avoid high heels, which change the alignment of your body from the ground up, characteristically ending in a head-thrust-forward position that stresses neck muscles. This may be one reason women have neck pain more than men do.

Carrying a bag. Choose a lightweight purse or backpack, and don’t overload.

Don’t sling a backpack over one shoulder. Try switching to a fanny pack or a backpack designed to put weight on the hips instead of just the upper back. With heavier loads, use a wheeled pack or briefcase. If you must hoist a purse on your shoulder, alternate which shoulder you use.

Driving. Posture is a factor in whether a collision will cause whiplash. Your headrest should be high enough and close enough to catch your head in a rear-end collision. Position the seat so you can sit up straight with your head no more than two to four inches in front of the headrest. Adjust the headrest so its upper edge is level with the top of your head: the back curve of your skull should meet the cushion of the headrest.

Lifting. Improper lifting techniques put stress on the neck as well as the lower back. Bend your hips and knees instead of your back. Keep the object close to you while straightening your legs. When lifting something over your head, don’t tilt your neck backward.

Strengthen your arms to make proper lifting easier.

Watching TV. Sit far enough from a TV or movie screen that you can watch without tilting your head back. Don’t sit off to the side, forcing you to turn your neck for long periods. (www.cidpusa.org)

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C h i l d re n FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Spot the difference

color me

connect the dots

maze

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C h i l d re n

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

alfa-search

figure-it

Look at the clues below and fill all the numbers you can into the grid. Then start again and use your answers to help solve the other clues.

Can you find the hidden words? Each word ends with the letter A. The words may be horizontal or vertical.

ANACONDA, AREA, ARENA, BANANA, COBRA, DATA, DIPLOMA, DRAMA, FAUNA, FLORA, HYENA, IDEA, IGUANA, LAVA, LLA-

MA, MARINA, MEDIA, OPERA, PANDA, PASTA, PLAZA, SAUNA, SIESTA, SODA, SOFA, STAMINA, TRIVIA, TUBA, TUNA, ZEBRA.

Across 2. Sixty-seven doubled 4. 6 down minus fifty-seven 5. 2 down plus twenty-two 7. Nine times nine 8. 3241 re-arranged 10. Number of weeks in a year 12. 19 down minus forty 13. Three times 620 15. 6 down plus half of 2 down 16. Quarter of 176 17. Seven times seven 18. Three times fifty-four

Down 1. Nine times seven 2. A third of forty-eight 3. Three times 1442 4. Number of days in three weeks 6. 4 down plus sixty-two 7. Seventeen plus six times 2 across 9. 7 down minus 400 11. 4163 re-arranged 14. Four times 4 down 15. A third of 297 17. A quarter of 168 19. Five times thirteen

word fit

sudoku

solution

Can you fit all the words correctly into the grid? Two letters have already been entered.

3 letter words RAT ZOO 4 letter words GOAT LAMB NEWT SEAL 5 letter words ADDER

EIDER KOALA LLAMA 7 letter words KESTREL ROOSTER 9 letter words ALLIGATOR LYREBIRDS

Comics

C R O S S W O R D

5 2 9

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

To Yester

Word Sleuth Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

ACROSS

1. (computer science) A computer that is running software that allows users to leave messages and access information of general interest.

4. A member of an agricultural people in southeastern India.

10. A doctor's degree in dental medicine.

13. A widely distributed system consisting of all the cells able to ingest bacteria or colloidal particles etc, except for certain white blood cells.

14. A plumbing fixture (usually attached to the wall) used by men to urinate.

15. The sense organ for hearing and equilibrium.

16. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

17. Having a horizontal surface in which no part is higher or lower than another.

19. A contorted facial expression.

21. Mild yellow Dutch cheese made in balls.

22. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

25. In addition.

29. An Arab country on the peninsula of Qatar.

33. Promoting peace.

37. A benevolent aspect of Devi.

38. South American wood sorrel cultivated for its edible tubers.

39. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

40. A digital display that uses liquid crystal cells that change reflectivity in an applied electric field.

41. A midnight meeting of witches to practice witchcraft and sorcery.

43. (Greek mythology) Goddess of the earth and mother of Cronus and the Titans in ancient mythology.

45. American prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942).

49. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

52. An independent agency of the United States government responsible for collecting and coordinating intelligence and counterintelligence activities abroad in the national interest.

55. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984).

57. A loose cloak with a hood.

59. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

60. Showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience.

63. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

64. A doctor's degree in dental surgery.

65. A member of a monotheistic sect of Zoroastrian origin.

66. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

DOWN 1. (informal) Exceptionally good.

2. Massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws.

3. An antidepressant drug that acts by blocking the reuptake of serotonin so that more serotonin is available to act on receptors in the brain.

4. A Russian prison camp for political prisoners.

5. Any of several tall tropical palms native to southeastern Asia having egg-shaped nuts.

6. A cheap disreputable nightclub or dance hall.

7. Used of a single unit or thing.

8. A large bundle bound for storage or transport.

9. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

10. No longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life.

11. Type genus of the Majidae.

12. A unit of apothecary weight equal to an eighth of an ounce or to 60 grains.

18. A summary that repeats the substance of a longer discussion.

20. Any of a group of antidepressant drugs that inhibit the action of monoamine oxidase in the brain and so allow monoamines to accumulate.

23. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

24. Jordan's port.

26. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.

27. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

28. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar.

30. The basic unit of money in Western Samoa.

31. A former agency (from 1946 to 1974) that was responsible for research into atomic energy and its peacetime uses in the United States.

32. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

34. A young horse.

35. Of or relating to a seizure or convulsion.

36. Kamarupan languages spoken in northeastern India and western Burma.

42. A small cake leavened with yeast.

44. A material effigy that is worshipped as a god.

46. Sole genus of the family Naiadaceae.

47. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

48. Jordan's port.

50. Located at or near the back of an animal.

51. A river that rises in northeastern Turkey (near the source of the Euphrates) and flows generally eastward through Armenia to the Caspian Sea. 53. Swiss painter influenced by Kandinsky (1879-1940).

54. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

56. A United States liquid unit equal to 8 fluid ounces.

58. The compass point midway between northeast and east.

61. An intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs in minute amounts in uranium ores.

62. A nonmetallic largely pentavalent heavy volatile corrosive dark brown liquid element belonging to the halogens.

Yesterday’s Solution

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Lifestyle

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Palestinian children play the qanun, a traditional Middle Eastern instrument.

A Palestinian boy practices guitar at the only music school in the Gaza Strip.

Music school sets different rhythm for

A

Gaza’s children

room in Gaza’s only music school fills with the sound of the qanun, a traditional Middle Eastern instrument, transporting listeners far from the impoverished territory. Seven-year-old Zeina al-Hamamra confidently picks out a melody on the instrument, a kind of zither, leaning forward to pluck the farthest strings with tiny fingers strapped with silver picks. She smiles triumphantly as she finishes the piece, showing the fruits of the year of lessons she has taken at the Gaza Music School. Here, the sounds of the bustling city outside give way to a different cacophony, where trumpet blasts compete with the low drone of a bow being drawn across the strings of a cello.

It’s a far cry from Gaza’s usual sonic landscape of car horns and vendors’ cries, the sudden crack as Israeli jets break the sound barrier, or the shattering crash of an air strike. The school is the brainchild of Ibrahim al-Najjar, a 64-year-old musician who sits down to join them, strumming the oud, or the Arabic lute, as Hamamra and another girl play the qanun, and a young boy beats out a rhythm on the traditional drum or tabla. “Music is the centre of civilisation, and we want these children to have access to that,” he says, seated in his small office as the sound of a violin lesson next door trickles in. Najjar, a Gaza-native, studied music in Cairo in the late 1960s, and taught in Kuwait and Romania before returning home in 1997, when he began working with Gaza’s education ministry to train music teachers.

During his 10 years with the ministry, he trained 37 teachers and developed a curriculum for teaching music, before leaving to set up his own music school for children in 2007.

But the venture was short-lived because he ran out of money. A year later, he was approached by the AM Qattan Foundation, a London-based charity active in the Palestinian territories, which offered to fund a new music school, paying for lessons and instruments.

When it opened in October 2008, the school was an instant success, attracting 300 applicants for the 35 places then available.

No music in Gaza But less than three months later, the school was leveled when Israel launched a devastating 22-day operation in Gaza, which destroyed much of the enclave’s infrastructure and killed

more than 1,400 Palestinians. “I was in my office when the war started. I was nearly killed because I was inside, alone,” he says quietly.

“All the instruments were destroyed, the entire building was destroyed in the war.” His students were devastated. “They thought that there would be no more music after this war. I told them to think differently, that we would rebuild,” he says. “There was a need to play music to forget the war, to give the children a chance to be happy again.”

With Qattan’s help, the school reopened five months later in a new 10-room building with 13 music teachers, most of them Palestinians but among them a number of Russian and Romanian women married to local Gazans. It is open for four hours a day, six days a week and now has 126 young students who study any one of eight instruments: piano, violin, cello, trumpet, nayy (oriental flute), qanun, oud or guitar.

Palestinian children attend a music lesson at the only music school in the Gaza Strip, at the headquarters of the Palestinian Red Crescent, on December 11, 2011. — AFP photos

A Palestinian girl practices guitar by candlelight during a power cut.

It also has a 40-strong choir and a small orchestra. The school’s hallways are lined with pictures of musicians and composers, with Chopin hanging next to Syrian-Egyptian legend Farid al-Atrash, in keeping with the school’s emphasis on both Western and Oriental music.

In one room, Ahmed Abu Amsha coaxes his

eight-year-old student through a guitar piece, patiently stopping and restarting when she stumbles. “There’s no music in Gaza, so the children don’t understand anything about it,” he says. “But music is so important. “It’s more important now than ever,” he says. “After the war, the children were in really bad shape, they

suffered a lot. Learning to play... makes them feel they can be special and it allows them to be children again. This really makes me happy.”

Liliane al-Madhun, a confident 13-year-old with dimples, wanted to play the piano when she started at the school-a common choice, Najjar says, simply because it’s the only instrument most students have heard of.

She was encouraged to try the qanun instead, and now happily demonstrates her proficiency. “I love it so much. When I play, I feel happy, I don’t know how to describe it exactly, but I feel different, I’m in a different place,” she says. But she confesses three years of lessons haven’t changed her perspective on the traditional Arabic music to which the qanun is central. “I hate Arabic music! It’s so boring and sad.

I love Justin Bieber!” she says enthusiastically, showing off a picture of 17-year-old Canadian pop idol on her mobile phone.

While Bieber might not be to Najjar’s taste, he’s happy to be cultivating a passion for music among his students. “I think music is in our lives whether we want it or not. When our hearts beat-boom, boom, boom-it’s music, it’s a rhythm,” he says. “A bird, the wind, the trees, they all make music. “And music changes the behavior of the children. It helps them become more normal. In Gaza we need music.” —AFP

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

‘The Help’ tops nods as

Hollywood eyes awards season “T he Help,” a film about the lives of black servants in the precivil rights US south, topped Hollywood’s first main prize shortlist Wednesday as Tinsel Town gears up for its annual awards season. The movie garnered four nominations from the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the union representing some 200,000 film and television performers. Unlike the more famous Oscars, SAG awards are handed out to both film and TV shows.

The SAG announcement comes one day ahead of nominations for the Golden Globes, also seen as a key indicator of hopes for the Oscars, the climax of Hollywood’s annual gong-fest. “The Artist,” a tribute to the silent movie era, was in second place with three SAG award nods, including for outstanding cast performance-which has in the past pointed towards the ultimate prize, the best picture Academy Award. On the small screen, Emmy-winning sitcom “Modern Family” won five nominations including best ensemble cast in a TV comedy, while there were nods also for British actresses Kate Winslet and Maggie Smith.

In this image released by Paramount Pictures, Asa Butterfield portrays Hugo Cabret in a scene from ‘Hugo.’

Actors George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Glenn Close are also among stars tipped for prizes from the Guild. For outstanding cast performance, Disney’s “The Help” is up against “The Descendants,” “The Artist,” girls’ night favorite “Bridesmaids” and Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris,” hailed by many as a long overdue return to form.

For best actor, Clooney-playing a single father in “The Descendants”-faces competition from DiCaprio, for his portrayal of legendary FBI director J Edgar Hoover in “J Edgar” and Pitt in baseball movie “Moneyball.” Also in the running for the male prize are Demian Bichir for his role as an immigrant in a “A Better Life” and Jean Dujardin, who made a big splash with the homage to silent movies, “The Artist.”

For best actress Streep, playing Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady,” is up against Close in “Albert Nobbs,” Davis in “The Help,” Tilda Swinton in “We Need To Talk About Kevin” and Michelle Williams as Monroe in “My Week With Marilyn.” The SAGs shortlists were notable for some absentees, including Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” and Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse,” which many have tipped for possible awards over the next few months. They were hoping for better news early Thursday, when the Golden Globes nominations will be announced at 5:30 am (1330 GMT), timed more for the US East Coast than the West Coast.

The Globes awards ceremony will be the first of the season, hosted on January 15 by provocative British comic Ricky Gervais-invited back for a third straight time despite allegedly ruffling feathers at last year’s show. They will be followed by the SAG awards on January 29, while Hollywood has to wait until February 26 for the Academy Awards, to be hosted

by Oscars veteran Billy Crystal, after Eddie Murphy pulled out amid a row.

Here are the nominees in other key SAGs categories: Best supporting actor: Nick Nolte in “Warrior,” Kenneth Branagh in “My Week With Marilyn,” Armie Hammer in “J Edgar,” Jonah Hill in “Moneyball” and Christopher Plummer in “Beginners.” * Best supporting actress: Octavia Spencer in “The Help,” Berenice Bejo in “The Artist,” Jessica Chastain in “The Help,” Melissa McCarthy in “Bridesmaids,” Janet McTeer in “Albert Nobbs.” —AFP

In this image released by Fox Searchlight Films, George Clooney, left, and Shailene Woodley are shown in a scene from ‘The Descendants.’ —AP photos

In this image released by Sony Pictures, Brad Pitt, left, and Jonah Hill are shown in a scene from “Moneyball.”

In this film publicity image released by The Weinstein Company, Michelle Williams portrays Marilyn Monroe in a scene from “My Week with Marilyn.”

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

In this image released by Warner Bros., Leonardo DiCaprio is shown in a scene from the upcoming film, “J. Edgar.”

In this film image released by Disney, Jeremy Irvine is shown in a scene from “War Horse.”

Nominations in film for the Golden Globe Awards BEST DRAMA “The Descendants” “The Help” “Hugo” “The Ides of March” “Moneyball” “War Horse” BEST COMEDY OR MUSICAL “50/50” “The Artist” “Bridesmaids” “Midnight in Paris” “My Week with Marilyn” BEST ACTOR, DRAMA George Clooney “The Descendants” Leonardo DiCaprio “J Edgar” Michael Fassbender “Shame” Ryan Gosling “The Ides of March” Brad Pitt “Moneyball” BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA Glenn Close “Albert Nobbs” Viola Davis “The Help” Rooney Mara “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Meryl Streep “The Iron Lady” Tilda Swinton “We Need to Talk About Kevin” BEST ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL Jean Dujardin “The Artist” Brendan Gleeson “The Guard” Joseph Gordon-Levitt “50/50” Ryan Gosling “Crazy, Stupid, Love” Owen Wilson “Midnight in Paris” BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL Jodie Foster “Carnage” Charlize Theron “Young Adult” Kristen Wiig “Bridesmaids” Michelle Williams “My Week with Marilyn” Kate Winslet “Carnage” BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Kenneth Branagh “My Week with Marilyn” Albert Brooks “Drive” Jonah Hill “Moneyball” Viggo Mortensen “A Dangerous Method” Christopher Plummer “Beginners” BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Berenice Bejo “The Artist” Jessica Chastain “The Help” Janet McTeer “Albert Nobbs” Octavia Spencer “The Help” Shailene Woodley “The Descendants”

BEST ANIMATED FILM “The Adventures of Tintin” “Arthur Christmas” “Cars 2” “Puss In Boots” “Rango” BEST DIRECTOR Woody Allen “Midnight in Paris” George Clooney “The Ides of March” Michel Hazanavicius “The Artist” Alexander Payne “The Descendants” Martin Scorsese “Hugo” BEST SCREENPLAY Woody Allen “Midnight in Paris” George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon “The Ides of March” Michel Hazanavicius “The Artist” Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash “The Descendants” Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin “Moneyball” BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM “The Flowers of War” (China) (Jing Ling Shi San Chai) “In The Land of Blood and Honey” (USA) “The Kid with a Bike” (Belgium) (Le Gamin au Velo) “A Separation” (Iran) (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) “The Skin I Live In” (Spain) (La piel que habito) BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Ludovic Bource “The Artist” Abel Korzeniowski “W.E.” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Howard Shore “Hugo” John Williams “War Horse” BEST ORIGINAL SONG “Hello Hello” - “Gnomeo & Juliet” Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Bernie Taupin “The Keeper” - “Machine Gun Preacher” Music & Lyrics by Chris Cornell “Lay Your Head Down” - “Albert Nobbs” Music by Brian Byrne, Lyrics by Glenn Close “The Living Proof” - “The Help” Music

by Mary J Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason, JrLyrics by Mary J Blige, Harvey Mason, Jr, Damon Thomas “Masterpiece” “W.E.” Music & Lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry —Reuters

In this film publicity image released by The Weinstein Company, Jean Dujardin portrays George Valentin in “The Artist.”

(Right) Actors Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara attend the premiere of “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”.

(Left) In this image released by Disney DreamWorks II, Viola Davis portrays Aibileen Clark in a scene from ‘The Help.

In this film image released by Roadside Attractions, Glenn Close is shown in a scene from ‘Albert Nobbs.’

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Buying frenzy greets Liz Taylor dresses auction T

he allure of owning a piece of Elizabeth Taylor’s glamour-and her epic romance with Richard Burton-drove prices sky high Wednesday at an auction of the Hollywood legend’s haute couture and jewelry. Coming the day after a record-setting $116 million auction of Taylor’s fanciest jewels, including an $11.8-million pearl necklace, the sale at Christie’s in New York again saw stunning prices. A highlight of the auction-the yellow chiffon dress she wore for her first marriage to fellow star Burton-did not go under the hammer. Christie’s announced it had been withdrawn and would be donated to an institution.

But for cinema and fashion history lovers there was plenty more, starting with the two diamond and gold wedding bands given by Burton to Taylor upon their marriage in 1964 and remarriage in 1975. The rings, estimated before the sale to be worth $6,000-$8,000, sold for just over $1 million. There was also a chance to get the dress Taylor wore at that second wedding with Burton, an ethereal Gina Fratini number that had been estimated to sell for $10,000-12,000 but finally sold for $62,500. Taylor was always famous for her extraordinary wardrobe and one of the biggest successes of the auction was a silver Christian Dior evening gown and matching bag fetching $362,500, leaving the estimate of $4,000-6,000 trailing.

Christie’s employees take phone calls from bidders during the ‘Collection of Elizabeth Taylor’ sale December 14, 2011 at Christie’s in New York. The evening sale was called The Icon & Her Haute Couture. —AFP photos Another Dior, this time an evening gown in scarlet chiffon, sold for $20,000, four times the pre-sale estimate, while a beaded 1992 Versace jacket known as “The Face,” fetched $128,500, more than six times its high estimate. Among many wild mismatches between the conservative pre-sale estimates and prices realized was the $40,000 paid for a black linen Yves Saint Laurent coat and gown.

The lot had been expected to fetch just $2,000-$3,000. A limited edition Andy Warhol lithograph of Taylor, signed and dedicated to

Christie’s auctioneer takes bids during the ‘Collection of Elizabeth Taylor’.

Book of Elizabeth Taylor is displayed at Christie’s auction house.

her “with much love,” raced past its pre-sale estimate of $30,000-$50,000 to finally go for $662,500.

While jewelry sales did not include the blockbuster pieces featuring in Tuesday’s diamond- and emerald-laden auction, appetite was still strong, with even minor pieces attracting strong bidding. A gem and gold scarab necklace expected to get maximum $2,000 sold for $74,500. An Art Nouveau glass, enamel and pearl brooch fetched $566,500, compared to its estimate of $40,000-$60,000. A pair of aluminum ear

Fashion Festival

‘Mammoth’ (Left) Christie’s auction house employees speak on the phone to bidders under pictures of Elizabeth Taylor.

(Right) A model presents a creation by Belarusian designer Evgeny Ivanchik during the Vanguard Art show.

clips estimated at $1,000-$2,000 went for $43,750, indicating that collectors were willing to go far for even for the least spectacular lot, as long as it once belonged to the screen siren. A set of paper imitation jewelry listed in the catalogue at a mere $200-300 ended going for $6,875. One intriguing item for any movie buff was a saffron yellow robe worn by Taylor in the movie “Cleopatra.” It sold for $62,500. There were to be many more such opportunities on Thursday and Friday, when the huge sale moved into accessories and memorabilia.—AFP

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

‘Canviroment 2011’ Week

Fashion Show

Chocolate

Models display creations made from recycled tin cans during the ‘Canviroment Week 2011’ event in Delhi late on December 14, 2011. The fashion show was part of a campaign to promote sustainable and environmentally friendly initiatives. —AFP

Models show off clothing partially made of chocolate during a chocolate fashion show in Shanghai, China, yesterday. — AP photos

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Travolta in a surprise visit to Bosnia

US

actor John Travolta arrived late Wednesday for a surprise visit to Bosnia to reportedly scout the area for his role in the upcoming movie ‘Killing Season,’ local media said. Travolta drove into Sarajevo from Zagreb, where he had landed in a private plane earlier in the day, Bosnian daily Dnevni Avaz reported in its online edition. “I am here for my new movie,” Travolta told journalists in Sarajevo. The ‘Grease’ and ‘Pulp Fiction star is to play one of the major roles, alongside Robert De Niro, in Mark Steven Johnson’s ‘Killing Season.’

Shooting is expected to start on January 16, according to the Comingsoon.net website. The action movie focuses on an American military veteran, played by De Niro, who has retreated to a remote cabin in the woods in the Appalachian mountains. When a rare visitor, a European tourist played by Travolta, appears on the scene, the two men strike up an unlikely friendship. —AFP

L

ady Gaga towered over other female musicians in 2011, heading a list of top earning women with an estimated $90 million in income, according to a Forbes.com survey released on Wednesday. The “Born This Way” singer and performance artist made more than double her nearest rival-country/pop artist Taylor Swift-thanks to multiple endorsement deals and an estimated $1.3 million nightly gross ticket sales from her concert tour.

Swift earned about $45 million, thanks to her hit album “Speak Now”, perfume line, and other deals, just ahead of “Teenage Dream” singer Katy Perry with $44 million. Forbes.com drew up its list from data on pre-tax income compiled through

record sales, touring data and interviews with music lawyers, managers and concert promoters.

Beyonce’s 2011 income dipped to an estimated $35 million, mostly because of her relatively small amount of touring this year, but her new album “4”, fashion line, and two fragrances helped to put her in 4th place. Rihanna rounded out the top 5, earning an estimated $29 million from sales of her album “Loud”, and endorsements from cosmetics company CoverGirl. The full list can be seen on the Forbes.com site at http://tinyurl.com/d36m7gd.

—Reuters

US singer and musician Lady Gaga presents creations by Thierry Mugler during the Autumn/Winter 2011-2012 ready-towear collection show on March 2, 2011 in Paris.—AFP

John Travolta

Alley’s Kansas home vandalized

P

olice have increased patrols in a Wichita, Kan, neighborhood after actress Kirstie Alley’s house was vandalized twice last weekend. The Wichita Eagle reports (http://bit.ly/rJjMZW) that police records show it’s the third time since October that Alley’s house has been vandalized. The actress voiced her frustration on Twitter Sunday, saying “Next time gonna B met with a big dog and an even bigger shotgun.. warned.” Police say windows were broken in a back door of the house twice last weekend. Someone kicked in the back door in mid-October. Lt Barry Von Fange says the same person might be responsible for all three incidents but might not realize who owns the home because it’s generally vacant. He says Alley, who is from Wichita, has a caretaker watch the house. — AP

Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan, center, arrives to promote his upcoming movie ‘Don 2’ in Ahmadabad, India, yesterday. The movie will be released on Dec 23. — AP

Kirstie Alley

K

eanu Reeves has secured financing and distribution for his directorial debut, the martial-arts film “Man of Tai Chi.” Village Roadshow Pictures Asia will co-produce the movie with China Film Group and Wanda Media Group, The film will be co-financed and distributed by the co-producing partners and Universal Pictures. Production will start in Beijing in February. Additional filming will take place in Hong Kong and Macau. Reeves and his team are currently in China, Universal Pictures said.

TheWrap exclusively reported in August

that China Film Group and Village Roadshow Pictures were in negotiations to get funding for the film. The picture will be distributed by Village Roadshow Pictures Asia affiliates in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, by China Film Group and Wanda Media Group in Greater China, and by Universal in the rest of the world.

“The opportunity to get further involved in the Chinese market and to bring Chinese films to audiences around the world is important to Universal,” David Kosse, president of Universal’s international division, said in a statement. “‘Man of Tai Chi’ has an

amazing pedigree of filmmakers.” Lemore Syvan is producing. Reeves also wrote and will star in the Mandarin-and-English-language movie. The “Speed” star plays the villain in the movie, which includes some serious fighting scenes. Reeves showed off his martial arts chops in “The Matrix” films and, earlier this year, finished filming “47 Ronin,” Universal’s adaptation of the Japanese martial arts picture. “Tai Chi” also stars Tiger Chen, a member of the kung fu team in “The Matrix.”—AP

Stars

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Aries (March 21-April 19) You will find rewards for your work efforts today. This is a low cycle day, one in which a relaxing day could be enjoyed.

Present your ideas at work to a person in authority, you will have positive results. Your philosophy and psyche are in a flux of change now. A new way of looking at life may have you spending a lot of time in a meditation mode.

You could have difficulty in sleeping for the next few evenings, but this is only an indication that a change is taking place. How exciting . . . new energies of positive change are on the horizon. Acceptance of those who have conflicting attitudes and priorities is a must. Listen to others, but do not waste precious time and energy on argument. This is a favorable time for either holiday or business travel.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) This may be stacking up as a rather ultra mundane type of a day in the workplace—lacking in imagination. You are a natural in your persuasiveness with others. When your heart and determination are in your product, you could sell a phone to the telephone company. The result of today is, essentially, a satisfying day. You have a brilliant intuitive and inventive mind and you can create important ways in which one group of people can help another group of people. There may be an issue concerning women-in-business that would direct your energies. There may be many people looking to you with hopes of getting help. It is not likely that you will lose yourself in a great book or movie so you may decide to shop for those hard to find gifts.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Personal situations at work are resolved amicably. New inventions and technologies have your attention, as usual. You may seem a little eccentric to those around you. You value anything that is unique and unusual and want desperately to change some things in your life.

Someone will realize just how much your creative and intuitive nature benefits you, and will be quite supportive of your eccentricities. Good things, in the form of new solutions or inventions, come to you today—dare to be different. New ways to better health are gaining your attention; you may feel there is no time for a concentrated exercise routine. However, walking can be invigorating and restores your energy. Your self-expression accommodates your particular ideas and thoughts.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You should find others responding to your way of thinking because you are very expressive through your communication skills. Expect to hold a pleasant conversation with someone you love. You just somehow seem to understand what the masses want at this time and could find yourself making decisions that affect others. People that learn to know you, value your ability to make such commonsense determinations on their behalf. Your emotions may be very present but very much under control.

Stability and dependability take care of a deep emotional need. You may feel the need to go shopping and spend some of your hard-earned money.

Tonight is a good time to socialize. There are plenty of friendly people all around. Romance is also possible.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You will find someone totally understanding and sympathetic to your needs. Your feelings are valued, as well as your talents for taking action and getting things taken care of with very little fuss or muss.

You make evident great understanding and sensitivity to others just now and that puts you in a good situation to communicate with regard to groups and the community in general. Let yourself have the pleasure of dreaming this afternoon. These days are few and far between, so don’t pass up the opportunity to let your imagination loose. Enjoyment may be derived from a good book or movie, as it could take on that more than real proportion. Singles need to keep their mind clear regarding romance. Be yourself and just enjoy the evening.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You will rise to the occasion and pull off a magic trick today in order to meet a deadline. Do not, however, push others as hard as you push yourself. Knowing the correct action to take could be appreciated or valued by those around you. Someone is most assuredly going to understand your position. You may shine in your particular job or find that a promotion or practical insights come with ease. You could represent or speak for your company or communicate concerning your skills.

Personal relationships with others are vitally important to your spiritual and mental well-being. After work you may enjoy meeting a friend for dinner.

Travel, at least a short trip, could be possible very soon. Write a thoughtful letter to a sibling or relative this evening.

COUNTRY CODES Libra (September 23-October 22) The folks around you are going to give you some sort of extra recognition or support—a little boost of some kind. You should be feeling very happy and in harmony with others; the lines of communication are wide open. The support you need is available. Someone that trusts your judgment could be asking you for help in resolving some very personal and emotional issues. You will have no problem in understanding and you will be able to offer assistance in handling any difficulties. You have a talent for cutting through the red tape and getting beneath and behind problems that allows you to be insightful and helpful. Tonight should be an exceptionally nice time regarding a social or some celebration—you are in touch with your emotions.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You can be most persuasive and this is a good time to speak up for your company. Your cooperation in working with others in a mutual pursuit has positive results. Other people are dynamic and powerful. Wisdom and benefits gleaned from past experiences help with present decisions. Provided that you do not spend it all on the fancy things that catch your eye, this can be a financially favorable period. You have sound financial judgment when you are calculating risks. Debts can be paid soon. You are in a place, mentally, that you can express your thoughts and ideas in the best possible light with clear definition. If you are not involved in a relationship now, you will find that all of your relationships take on a deeper and accepting nature.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Someone who calls the shots could come to you for help on a special project. You are a natural at managing and directing others. When people try to get things accomplished, you are the one that may have to take the first steps. You should enjoy a great deal of support from those around you. You may be pleased to find co-workers volunteering to help you with a project. It should not be hard for you to enjoy and value your own position in life or to feel especially kind toward a friend or loved one. You and your friends pull together to make something special happen for a mutual friend.

Being among friends and working together should be a very pleasant experience for you at this time. Your health should be good—everything moves along in your favor.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) You may be feeling a kind of spiritual wanderlust tugging at you now, as you long to expand your horizons and reach for the highest. There could be an assortment of areas that come into play now such as travel—perhaps internationally as well as domestically—politics, religion, education or something in law enforcement. As you reach out to the world, you may find yourself loosening the force that binds and allowing more unique and unusual qualities to emerge. You may be surprised and encouraged by who chooses to understand and support you in your efforts.

You may find new solutions or inventions as a result of allowing your creative and intuitive sides to come forth. Emphasize your own needs in a partnership.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) The energies that surround you now will be working in your favor toward organizing and disciplining your mind toward new methods of communication. Perhaps this is more of a time for serious thinking and getting down to the fundamental thoughts. Figuring out ways to make your nest egg grow can be a preoccupation now. You have a really good heart when it comes to helping your friends. You are able to listen, discern what is needed and get to the heart of most any matter. Your intuitiveness and understanding will be instrumental in helping your friend resolve some very frustrating issues. Weather permitting; this would be a great evening for a leisure walk under the stars with a special friend. You could make a wish on a falling star.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Someone older than yourself could be engrossed in a conversation with you today. You may find yourself a bit more talkative. Figuring out some new ways to tackle a work issue takes less time than you expected.

Your inner assets and emotions are highlighted. You can count on lots of support and goodwill from those around you. Perhaps you will feel that this is a good opportunity to request a raise. Your ability to be understanding and sensitive to others puts you in a position to communicate concerning groups and society in general. Political interests can be successful and should be pursued. Music may take on a newfound importance, or you may just find yourself enjoying it more. A play or a concert is worth your time.

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African Republic 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands)0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062 Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686

Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland)0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK)0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677 Somalia 00252 South Africa 0027 South Korea 0082 Spain 0034 Sri Lanka 0094 Sudan 00249 Suriname 00597 Swaziland 00268 Sweden 0046 Switzerland 0041 Syria 00963 Taiwan 00886 Tanzania 00255 Thailand 0066 Toga 00228 Tonga 00676 Tokelau 00690 Trinidad 001868 Tunisia 00216 Turkey 0090 Tuvalu 00688 Uganda 00256 Ukraine 00380 United Arab Emirates00976

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Upcoming events Maina Boys 6-a-side festival tournament Today (Dec 16), a 6-a-side football tournament will be organized at the MOH Grounds, Shuwaikh by Maina Boys. The tournament will commence after the KIFF League matches on that day and is open to all Indians.

Those desirous of participating pl call Mob: 66045786 and 99865349. The organizers wishes all season’s greetings.

My Gym awarded ‘Best Small Business in Kuwait’

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y Gym Kuwait, a leading children’s fitness center has been awarded “Best Small Business in Kuwait” in a ceremony conducted by the GCC Council of Ministers of Labor and Social Affairs at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, UAE. On this occasion, Haneen Almousa owner of My Gym said “I was very happy to hear about the reward which has crowned my efforts and hard work.”

“This achievement came as a result of the quality fitness classes offered at My Gym, age appropriate programs, low student/teacher ratio and the relationship between our friendly professional staff and our members,” Almousa added. My Gym Kuwait which opened its doors in July 2009 at the Discovery Mall offers an extraordinary program and facility devised to help children 6 weeks to 13 years of age develop physically, cognitively and emotionally. Guests are offered a FREE trial class. Come join the fun and give your child an experience of a lifetime!

Christmas Carol Service The 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

New Year Hangama The RAK Dance Academy (RDA) Kuwait, is planning to put a charity event in celebration of its New Year Hangama 2012, on 31st December, 2011, from 6 pm onwards, at Carmel School Khaitan. All participants are well known artists from Kuwait. The main purpose of this celebration is to collect donations and raise money for supporting handicapped children in India. contributions from you. Your attendance is your donation.

Please join for an evening for a good cause. Call 99692266, 65925730 for details.

Aware Center Arabic lessons The AWARE Management is glad to inform you that Winter 1 Arabic language courses will begin on November 20th, 2011 until January 12th, 2012. AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed and courses are designed for those wanting to learn Arabic for travel, cultural understanding, and conducting business or simply to become more involved in the community. We cater to teachers, travelers & those working in the private business sector. Arabic classes at the AWARE Center are unique because students are provided with the chance to practice their Arabic through various social activities that aim at bringing Arabs and Westerners together.

AWARE Arabic courses highlight: Introductory to Level 4 Arabic language basics l Better prepare you for speaking, reading and writing Arabic l Combine language learning with cultural insights l Taught in multi-nationality group settings l Provide opportunities to interact with Western expatriates and native Kuwaitis/Arabs.

For more information or registration, call 25335260/80 ext 105/104/0 or log onto: www.aware.com.kw. l

Panel discussion on Subbiya at AUK

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he Center for Gulf Studies at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) and The Arabana Project present a panel discussion entitled Subbiya: Building Kuwait’s Second City. The discussion will take place on Tuesday, Dec 20 at 6pm in the AUK Auditorium at the Salmiya campus.

This event is the first of three panel discussions to be co-hosted by the AUK Center for Gulf Studies and The Arabana Project that will address the various impacts and implications of Subbiya’s development. The aim is to increase public awareness of,

discussion on, and participation in the current planning process, and to critically analyze the various issues that are at stake on the human, environmental, and strategic levels.

This first panel will bring together experts in the fields of architecture, archaeology, social geography, and tourism to examine the social and cultural dimensions of the Subbiya development plan.

Rak dance academy new year hangama-2012 The RAK Dance Academy (RDA) Kuwait, is planning to put a charity event as celebration of its New Year Hangama 2012, on 31st December, 2011, from 6.00pm onwards, at Carmel School Khaitan. All participants are well known artists from Kuwait. The main purpose of this celebration is to collect donations and raise money for supporting handicapped children in India.

Advertisement will be published throughout Kuwait absolutely free of charge. We are expecting huge crowd for this event. The fund raised will be beneficial handicapped children. In order to make this event joyous and successful we are seeking kind contributions from you.

Your attendance is your donation. Please join for an evening for a good cause. Darla Srinivasulu Achari, 99 692266; Mob: 65728740 K. Eswar Babu, Phone 99692266, Lashmeesha 65925730 Email: rakdanceacademy@gmail.com

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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

MMF hosts session with Veerendra Kumar

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alayali Media Forum (MMF) Kuwait hosted an interactive session with veteran Indian politician and former minister M P Veerendra Kumar during his three-day visit to Kuwait. The visiting dignitary shared with MMF members some of his vast experiences, especially a few interesting anecdotes that took place during his visits to various parts of

the world. He also discussed the issue of media ethics in the context of fast-changing values following the advent of the Internet and the electronics media in India.

While pointing out the serious impact of corporatization on the Indian media, he called upon media persons here to be always on caution in ensuring ‘fairness and objectivity’ of the news they provide.

Thomas Mathew Kadavil, Sajeev K Peter, Nixon George, Sunoj Nambiar, P C Harish, Junoob, Anil Keloth Nambiar, Girish Ottapalam, Muhammad Riyas, Vinod Nair, Anil P Alex, Sattar Kunnil, Azeez Thikkodi, Abdul Fattah Thayyil and Anwar Sadat Thalassery were the MMF members who attended the session.

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 INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed December 25, 2011 (Sunday) “Christmas Day”. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to request all Kenyans resident in or training through Kuwait to register with the Embassy.

We are updating our database. This information is necessary in order to facilitate quick assistance and advise in times of emergency. Kindly visit in person or register through our website www.kenyaembkuwait.com. The Embassy is located in: Surra Area Block 6 - Street 9 - Villa 3 Tel: 25353362 - 25353314; Fax: 25353316.

IPS crowned winners

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ndian Public School was crowned winners with the 1St position (Intermediate group) in the 7th DBPPA Interschool Choral Recitation Competition. Their presentation of “Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf” transported the audience into

Fairy land with the characters coming alive on stage and especially Red Riding Hood who swept everyone off their feet.

Congratulations and Kudos to the students and teachers of Indian Public School on their well deserved victory.

Greetings

Life skills, counseling

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ho said it’s impossible? Don’t miss the chance, Blessan and Katherine (UK) in Kuwait from 12th December, experienced in life skills and counseling, for whom? For anyone.

Individuals, couples and families, businesses experiencing a range of problems and difficulties. (Depression and anxiety, addiction, marital problems, eating disorders, spiritual issues, abuse in its various forms, personality issues). Languages: English, Arabic, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil.

Contact: blessnkath@gmail.com or call us on 24319137, 50296144.

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appy birthday to Maribic Catil and many happy returns of the day. Best wishes from Mama, Brother Arsead, John and Baba.

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EMBASSY OF SRI LANKA Arrangements have been made by the Embassy of Sri Lanka of Kuwait together with Sri Lankan Associations to celebrate the New Year with a religious event. All Sri Lankans residing in Kuwait are kindly invited to participate a “Pirith Chanting” ceremony on the Embassy premises, Jabriya on 31.12.2011 at 07:00 pm onwards. For more information you may contact - 253391442.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

TV Listings FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

00:50 01:45 02:40 03:35 04:00 04:30 05:25 06:20 07:10 07:35 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:10 10:35 11:05 12:00 12:55 13:20 13:50 14:45 15:40 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:25 19:20 20:15

I’m Alive Animal Cops Phoenix Mutant Planet Animal Kingdom Animal Kingdom I’m Alive Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Animal Cops Phoenix SSPCA: On The Wildside SSPCA: On The Wildside Monkey Life Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Natural Born Hunters The Really Wild Show Breed All About It Extraordinary Dogs Extraordinary Dogs Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Animal Cops Houston Bondi Vet Wildlife SOS New Breed Vets With Steve Irwin Animal Cops Phoenix Mutant Planet Monkey Life Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Natural Born Hunters The Really Wild Show Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Bad Dog Bondi Vet

00:40 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:15 04:15 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 10:05 10:20 10:40 11:10 11:40 12:25 13:25 13:55 14:25 14:55 15:20 15:50 16:20 17:20 18:05 18:35 19:05 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:45 22:20 23:05

Married, Single, Other My Family My Family The Weakest Link Elephant Diaries Update Doctors 3rd & Bird Bobinogs Boogie Beebies Poetry Pie Tweenies Fimbles 3rd & Bird Bobinogs Boogie Beebies Poetry Pie Tweenies Charlie and Lola Fimbles 3rd & Bird The Large Family Boogie Beebies Poetry Pie Tweenies Charlie and Lola Balamory 3rd & Bird The Large Family Boogie Beebies Poetry Pie Poetry Pie Tweenies Charlie and Lola Balamory My Family My Family The Weakest Link Coast Doctors EastEnders Big Bear Diary Big Bear Diary My Family My Family Coast The Weakest Link Doctors EastEnders Big Bear Diary Big Bear Diary Coast The Weakest Link Doctors Doctor Who Married, Single, Other

00:20 00:50 01:15 02:05 02:55 03:50 04:15 05:05 05:55 06:50 07:20 07:45

The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook Come Dine With Me What Not To Wear The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook Come Dine With Me What Not To Wear The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook Daily Cooks Challenge Daily Cooks Challenge

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 Challenge 20:20 Generator Rex 20:45 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 21:10 Sym-Bionic Titan 21:35 Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker 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 06:45 CNN Marketplace Europe 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 Best Of Backstory 12:00 World Business Today 12:45 CNN Marketplace Middle East 13:00 Backstory 13:30 Talk Asia 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 World Report 20:45 CNN Marketplace Middle East 21:00 International Desk 21:30 The CNN Freedom Project 22:00 Quest Means Business 22:45 CNN Marketplace Africa 23:00 Piers Morgan Tonight

SANCTUM ON OSN ACTION HD 08:15 Daily Cooks Challenge 09:45 Daily Cooks Challenge 10:15 Antiques Roadshow 11:05 Bargain Hunt: Famous Finds 11:50 Bargain Hunt 12:35 Come Dine With Me 13:25 Daily Cooks Challenge 15:20 Daily Cooks Challenge 15:50 Antiques Roadshow 16:40 Bargain Hunt: Famous Finds 17:25 Bargain Hunt 18:10 Come Dine With Me 19:00 Kirstie & Phil’s Perfect Christmas 19:50 Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey: Christmas 20:45 Come Dine With Me 21:35 Antiques Roadshow 22:25 Bargain Hunt: Famous Finds 23:10 Bargain Hunt 23:55 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:30 02:45 03:00 03:30 03:45 04:00 04:30 04:45 05:00 05:30 05:45 06:00 06:30 06:45 07:00

BBC World News America Hardtalk BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News America Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday

07:30 BBC World News 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 BBC World News 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 16:30 Talking Books 17:00 Impact 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 World Have Your Say 18:30 World Have Your Say 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 19:30 BBC World News 19:40 Weekend World 20:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 BBC World News 21:30 Middle East Business Report 22:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World Have Your Say Extra 22:40 Weekend World 23:00 BBC World News 23:30 Talking Books

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 Eliot Kid 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

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 11:50 12:20 Junior 13:15 14:10 15:05 15:30 16:00 16:25 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:10 19:40 20:35 21:00 21:30 Junior 22:25 22:50 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 Ultimate Biker Challenge South Beach Classics American Chopper: Senior vs

00:40 01:05 01:35 02:25

The Gadget Show The Tech Show Kings Of Construction Stunt Junkies

Ultimate Survival Dual Survival Danger Coast Cash Cab Us Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Overhaulin’ Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Salvage Hunters How Stuff’S Made Cash Cab Us American Chopper: Senior vs Carfellas South Beach Classics Desert Car Kings

02:50 Wallace & Gromit’s Invention 03:15 Wallace & Gromit’s Invention 03:40 Science Of The Movies 04:35 The Gadget Show 05:00 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 11:00 The Gadget Show 11:25 Brainiac 12:20 Sci-Fi Science 12:45 How Stuff’s Made 13:15 Wallace & Gromit’s Invention 13:40 Wallace & Gromit’s Invention 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 Futurecar 20:30 Eco-Tech 21:20 Moon Machines 22:10 The Gadget Show 22:35 The Gadget Show 23:00 Futurecar 23:50 Eco-Tech

00:00 00:25 01:15 02:00 02:50 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:00 06:20 07:05 07:55 08:10 09:00 10:20 11:15 12:00 12:45 13:30 14:20 15:00 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:15 18:45 19:35 20:00 20:25 21:15 22:00 22:50 23:35

World Of World Of

World Of World Of

Kim Possible Fairly Odd Parents Stitch Replacements Emperor’s New School Stitch Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Hannah Montana The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb Good Luck Charlie Cadet Kelly Hannah Montana Phineas And Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place Fish Hooks Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Princess Protection Program So Random Fairly Odd Parents Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Sonny With A Chance Hannah Montana Suite Life On Deck Shake It Up Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Style Star 01:25 20 Most Shocking Unsolved Crimes 03:15 25 Most Stylish 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 Christina Aguilera 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Dirty Soap 10:15 15 Unforgettable Hollywood Tragedies 12:05 E! News 13:05 Bridalplasty 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 Giuliana & Bill 15:30 E! Investigates 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 17:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 17:55 E! News 18:55 E! Investigates 19:55 Style Star 20:25 Style Star 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:25 Giuliana & Bill 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

TV Listings FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

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

Extreme Forensics The Haunted A Haunting I Faked My Own Death Forensic Justice 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 True CSI True Crime With Aphrodite Jones

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:30 03:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00

Departures Bondi Rescue: Bali Bondi Rescue Travel Madness Deadliest Journeys The Best Job In The World Dive Detectives On Surfari Departures Bondi Rescue: Bali Bondi Rescue Travel Madness Deadliest Journeys The Best Job In The World Dive Detectives On Surfari Departures Geo Sessions Earth Tripping Travel Madness Madventures Madventures Around The World For Free A World Apart Somewhere In China Geo Sessions Earth Tripping Travel Madness Madventures Around The World For Free A World Apart

01:30 03:30 05:15 07:15 09:15 12:30 14:30 16:30 18:15 20:15 22:00

Sanctum-18 A Perfect Getaway-18 Top Gun-PG15 Blue Crush 2-PG15 Spartacus-PG15 The Next Karate Kid-PG Blue Crush 2-PG15 Dick Tracy-PG15 The Next Karate Kid-PG The Gene Generation-18 Splinter-18

01:00 03:00 04:45 06:45 09:00 10:45 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Everywhere And Nowhere-18 Jonah Hex-PG15 Leap Year-PG15 The Tempest-PG15 Fly Me To The Moon-PG Paper Man-PG15 Ramona And Beezus-PG Takers-PG15 Fly Me To The Moon-PG Love N’ Dancing-PG15 Drag Me To Hell-18 Chasing A Dream-PG15

00:30 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart The Colbert Report Louie Weeds South Park Friends Friends Will And Grace The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

05:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30

00:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00

Seinfeld Two And A Half Men Just Shoot Me Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Will And Grace Friends Seinfeld Community Wilfred Just Shoot Me The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Two And A Half Men Will And Grace Friends Seinfeld Just Shoot Me Wilfred Community The Daily Show With Jon Stewart The Colbert Report Outsourced Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Raising Hope The Office 30 Rock Hot In Cleveland The Tonight Show With Jay Leno The Daily Show With Jon Stewart The Colbert Report Louie Weeds South Park Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

The X Factor (US) Look-A-Like Rescue Me Eureka No Ordinary Family Good Morning America Law & Order Emmerdale Look-A-Like The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View The X Factor (US)

13:30 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Look-A-Like No Ordinary Family Live Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Bachelor Glee The X Factor (US) Survivor: South Pacific Damages The Glades

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:30 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Detroit 1-8-7 Rescue Me Century City The X Factor (US) Look-A-Like Eureka Detroit 1-8-7 Tower Prep Law & Order: Los Angeles Eureka The X Factor (US) Look-A-Like Tower Prep The Ellen DeGeneres Show Law & Order: Los Angeles Detroit 1-8-7 Tower Prep The Ellen DeGeneres Show Kojak Glee The X Factor (US) Survivor: South Pacific Damages Century City

01:45 03:15 05:30 07:30 09:00 11:15 13:15 15:00

Blood Out-18 From Hell-18 Dead Presidents-18 Blood Out-18 King Arthur-PG15 Secret Window-PG15 Arctic Predator-PG15 King Arthur-PG15

17:15 19:00 21:00 23:00

Echelon Conspiracy-PG15 Blood And Bone-18 Saw VI-R Walled In-PG15

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

5 Dollars A Day-PG15 Last Of The Living-PG15 From Justin To Kelly-PG Happy Ever Afters-PG15 The Country Bears-PG School Of Rock-PG15 Cop And A Half-PG Knucklehead-PG15 5 Dollars A Day-PG15 Nine Months-PG15 There’s Something About Mary-18 Bulletproof-18

01:00 03:00 05:00 PG15 07:00 09:00 11:00 PG15 12:45 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

The Reckoning-18 Salomaybe-PG15 Stomp The Yard 2: Homecoming-

01:00 03:00 05:30 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Little Ashes-R I Am Sam-PG15 12 Men Of Christmas-PG15 The Sunset Limited-PG15 StreetDance-PG15 Quest For Zhu-PG15 Garfield-PG Knight And Day-PG15 StreetDance-PG15 Jack Goes Boating-PG15 Megamind-FAM The Town-18

Shipwrecked-PG Return To Rajapur-PG15 Stomp The Yard 2: HomecomingInvictus-PG15 Good Hair-PG15 The Wronged Man-PG15 Mona Lisa Smile-PG15 Indecent Proposal-18 Wolf-18

02:00 True Story Of Puss’n Boots-PG 04:00 The Nimbols: Part II-PG15 06:00 Big Fat Liar-PG 08:00 Gladiators: The Conspiracy-PG 10:00 Quest For Zhu-PG15 12:00 Dennis The Menace: Cruise Control-FAM 14:00 True Story Of Puss’n Boots-PG 16:00 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid-PG 18:00 Quest For Zhu-PG15 20:00 The Last Airbender-PG 22:00 Gladiators: The Conspiracy-PG

00:00 Older Than America-PG15 02:00 The Dry Land-18 04:00 Africa United-PG15 06:00 How To Go Out On A Date In Queens-PG15 08:00 Coyote County Loser-PG15 10:00 Family Gathering-PG15 12:00 Post Grad-PG15 14:00 That’s What I Am-PG15 16:00 Coyote County Loser-PG15 18:00 The Joneses-PG15 20:00 Megamind-FAM 22:00 The Fourth Kind-PG15

00:00 Powerboats F1 01:00 Trans World Sport 02:00 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 03:00 WWE NXT 04:00 Fotmula One Powerboats C’Ships 05:00 Volvo Ocean Race 06:15 Live ISAF World Sailing Championship 13:30 Live Powerboats F1 14:30 Powerboats UIM 15:00 Trans World Sport 16:00 Volvo Ocean Race 17:30 Powerboats F1 18:30 Powerboats UIM 19:00 UFC Unleashed 20:00 WWE SmackDown 22:00 WWE Bottom Line 23:00 WWE NXT

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European Tour Weekly Dubai Ladies Masters World Cup of Pool World Pool Masters Futbol Mundial European Challenge Cup ICC Cricket World Live Asian Tour Golf Golfing World PDC World Darts Championship Dubai Ladies Masters European Challenge Cup

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The Garfield Show Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Droopy: Master Detective The Flintstones Johnny Bravo Duck Dodgers

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 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

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00:00 Globe Trekker 01:00 Floyd Uncorked 01:30 Glutton For Punishment 02:00 Indian Times 03:00 Wild Camping 04:00 Luxury Train Journeys Of India 05:00 Globe Trekker 06:00 Floyd Uncorked 06:30 Glutton For Punishment 07:00 Top Travel 07:30 Top Travel 08:00 Globe Trekker 09:00 Intrepid Journeys 10:00 Essential 10:30 Great Scenic Railways-New Zealand 11:00 Floyd Uncorked 11:30 Glutton For Punishment 12:00 Top Travel 12:30 Top Travel 13:00 Globe Trekker 14:00 Planet Food 15:00 Indian Times 16:00 Luxury Train Journeys Of India 17:00 Globe Trekker 18:00 Top Travel 18:30 Top Travel 19:00 Planet Food 20:00 Globe Trekker 21:00 Intrepid Journeys 22:00 People Of The Sea 23:00 Rivers Of The World

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Guess The Year Music For The Masses Greatest Hits VH1 Music Aerobic VH1 Hits Top 10 Music For The Masses Best Clips 2011 Weekend Music For The Masses Final Countdown Before The Weekend

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Airlines LMU JZR PIA JZR JZR ETH THY UAE QTR DHX MSR FDB ETD RJA GFA KAC THY JZR JZR KAC BAW KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD FDB IRA GFA RBG JZR RKM MEA IYE MSR MSR JZR KAC GFA KAC FDB UAL OMA QTR RJA KAC KAC JZR KAC QTR JZR JZR ETD UAE GFA SVA RBG ABY

Flt 1109 185 205 267 539 620 772 853 138 370 612 67 305 642 211 544 770 555 529 416 157 206 53 352 302 332 676 344 855 125 132 301 55 619 213 3555 165 310 404 825 623 610 201 672 219 618 57 982 645 140 640 788 284 257 546 134 561 213 303 857 215 510 3557 127

Arrival Flights on Friday 16/12/2011 Route ALEXANDRIA DUBAI LAHORE BEIRUT CAIRO ADDIS ABABA ISTANBUL DUBAI DOHA BAHRAIN CAIRO DUBAI ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN CAIRO ISTANBUL ALEXANDRIA ASSIUT JAKARTA/KUALA LUMPUR LONDON ISLAMABAD DUBAI COCHIN MUMBAI TRIVANDRUM DUBAI CHENNAI DUBAI SHARJAH DOHA ABU DHABI DUBAI LAR BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA DUBAI RAS ALKHAIMAH BEIRUT SANAA SOHAG CAIRO DAMASCUS DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI WASHINGTON DC DULLES MUSCAT DOHA AMMAN JEDDAH DHAKA BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA DOHA SOHAG DEIREZZOR ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH SOHAG SHARJAH

Time 0:01 0:20 0:25 0:45 0:50 1:45 2:15 2:35 2:40 2:55 3:00 3:05 3:10 3:10 3:15 4:40 4:50 6:00 6:20 6:25 6:40 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:10 8:25 8:30 9:00 9:05 9:15 9:20 9:50 9:55 10:45 11:20 11:45 11:55 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:00 13:20 13:25 13:40 13:50 14:05 14:15 14:20 14:40 14:50 15:00 15:00 15:20 15:25 16:10 16:45 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:35 17:40

JZR MLR ALK JZR FDB KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC AIC KAC KAC KAC FDB JAI KAC SVA MSR DHX VOS FCX MEA GFA QTR JZR KAC UAE SAI JZR UAL PIA DLH

125 403 227 177 63 542 787 674 744 166 975 102 774 562 61 572 786 506 618 372 81 304 402 217 136 135 502 859 441 239 981 215 636

Airlines UAL LMU AXB BBC AIC DLH PIA KAC KAC ETH THY VOS FDB UAE DHX MSR ETD QTR THY JZR GFA RJA JZR FDB KAC BAW JZR KAC KAC JZR

Flt 981 1110 390 44 982 637 206 283 283 621 773 94 68 854 371 613 306 139 771 164 212 643 200 54 545 156 256 671 787 560

BAHRAIN COLOMBO/DUBAI COLOMBO/DUBAI DUBAI DUBAI CAIRO RIYADH DUBAI DAMMAM PARIS/ROME CHENNAI/GOA NEW YORK/LONDON RIYADH AMMAN DUBAI MUMBAI JEDDAH JEDDAH ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN BAGHDAD RIYADH BEIRUT BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN BEIRUT DUBAI LAHORE AMMAN BAHRAIN KARACHI FRANKFURT Departure Flights on Friday 16/12/2011 Route WASHINGTON DC DULLES ALEXANDRIA MANGALORE/KOZHIKODE DHAKA AHMEDABAD/HYDERABAD/CHENNAI FRANKFURT LAHORE DHAKA DHAKA ADDIS ABABA ISTANBUL DUBAI/KANDAHAR DUBAI DUBAI BAHRAIN CAIRO ABU DHABI DOHA ISTANBUL DUBAI BAHRAIN AMMAN DAMASCUS DUBAI ALEXANDRIA LONDON BEIRUT DUBAI JEDDAH SOHAG

17:45 17:55 18:00 18:15 18:40 18:50 19:05 19:25 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:35 19:40 19:50 20:00 20:10 20:20 20:35 20:45 21:00 21:15 21:20 21:20 21:25 21:35 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:30 23:50

Time 0:45 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:05 1:20 1:25 2:40 2:40 2:45 3:15 3:30 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 4:00 4:55 5:50 6:55 7:00 7:10 7:30 8:25 8:30 8:40 9:00 9:00 9:25 9:30

UAE ABY ETD KAC FDB QTR KAC KAC GFA IRA JZR RBG KAC KAC RKM MEA IYE MSR JZR MSR GFA JZR FDB KAC KAC KAC OMA UAL RJA JZR KAC KAC QTR KAC JZR ETD JZR QTR UAE GFA RBG ABY SVA MLR JZR ALK FDB JZR KAC FDB KAC KAC JAI MSR SVA DHX MEA GFA QTR KAC JZR KAC KAC FCX UAE JZR SAI KAC

856 126 302 117 56 133 617 177 214 618 212 3558 541 103 311 405 825 624 176 611 220 124 58 561 673 785 646 982 641 786 501 773 141 743 238 304 538 135 858 216 3556 128 511 404 134 228 64 184 361 62 343 351 571 619 507 373 403 218 137 301 554 301 205 102 860 502 442 411

DUBAI SHARJAH ABU DHABI NEW YORK DUBAI DOHA DOHA FRANKFURT/GENEVA BAHRAIN LAR DEIREZZOR SOHAG CAIRO LONDON RAS ALKHAIMAH BEIRUT DOHA/SANAA SOHAG DUBAI CAIRO BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI AMMAN DUBAI JEDDAH MUSCAT BAHRAIN AMMAN RIYADH BEIRUT RIYADH DOHA DAMMAM AMMAN ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA SHARJAH RIYADH DUBAI/COLOMBO BAHRAIN DUBAI/COLOMBO DUBAI DUBAI COLOMBO DUBAI CHENNAI COCHIN MUMBAI ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH BAHRAIN BEIRUT BAHRAIN DOHA MUMBAI ALEXANDRIA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD DUBAI DUBAI LUXOR LAHORE BANGKOK/MANILA

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available in Salmiya opposite Eddie Store for Indian bachelors. Contact: 97947562. (C 3780) 15-12-2011

Jeep GMC Envoy 2004, black color, very good condition, KD 2,250/-.

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(C 3776) 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.

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Westwood surges into 5-shot lead in Thailand

HOBERT: Australian batsman Ricky Ponting makes a confident start during Australia’s second innings in the fourth day of play in the second test match against New Zealand in this file photo. — AP

Harbhajan supports under-fire Ponting NEW DELHI: Under-performing batsman Ricky Ponting has received unexpected support from Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh, who predicted the former Australia captain will make a strong comeback. “I do not think Ponting is finished and I think people are making a big mistake by writing him off,” Harbhajan said amid calls for Ponting’s removal for the upcoming Test series against India. “Guys like Ponting, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar know what they are doing and people should stop questioning them,” the off-spinner was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India. Harbhajan has been involved in several fiery on-field verbal spats with Ponting in the past.

But he said Ponting should be respected

for his achievements in the game and needed to be backed if he felt good enough to play at the top level. “Australian fans should not put pressure on Ponting. He is only one innings away from finding his top form,” said the Indian. Ponting, who turns 37 next month, has scored 12,656 runs in 158 Tests at an average of 52.29 with 39 centuries. But he has been without a Test century since January 2010. Harbhajan, whose 406 wickets in 98 Tests make him the most successful international bowler still playing at the top level, has not been selected for the Australian tour due to poor form. The highly anticipated four-Test series between India and Australia opens in Melbourne on December 26— AFP

BANGKOK: World number three Lee Westwood fired a stunning 12-under 60 to take a commanding five-shot lead on the opening day of the inaugural $1 million Thailand Golf Championship yesterday. The 38-year-old Englishman sank an eagle and 10 birdies in his round and was six-under after the opening five holes. He made the turn in just 29 shots on his way to equalling the lowest score ever on the Asian Tour. “It’s one of the best rounds I’ve ever played. I’ve never shot a 60 before,” Westwood said at Amata Spring Country Club near Bangkok. “I was just on a roll. I hit a lot of fairways and my putting was good. I’ve been working a lot on my putting,” he added.

“I enjoy playing in the heat and I have enjoyed a lot of success in Asia. Asian courses seem to suit me. I always feel comfortable here.” In second place was big-hitting American John Daly, who continued his improving form with a seven-under 65, featuring five birdies and an eagle. He described it as a “solid round”, although it was overshadowed

by Westwood’s performance. “What Lee Westwood did today was incredible,” said Daly, who was in the group following the Englishman. “Every time I saw him putt he would bend over and pick up the ball out of the hole. That was just an awesome round of golf he played. I take my hat off to him.”

Three shots further back in joint third place on 68 were Gregory Bourdy of France and veteran Thai player Thaworn Wiratchant. “I hit some nice iron shots and made some good putts,” said Bourdy, whose sole bogey was on his last hole, the ninth. “It was a good bogey,” he said.

“The ninth is a very difficult hole.” Thaworn, who had earlier suggested the appearance money for some of the top players could have been better spent on flood relief, called his round “lucky” as he had not expected a four-under score. The Thai player, himself a flood victim, when asked if he would donate his prize-money to disaster relief, replied: “I don’t know. My first aim is to make the cut.”

Among 10 players a shot further back after shooting 69 was Masters champion Charl Schwartzel who said he was very pleased with his performance. “It’s a tough course, but I played really good.” The other two players in Westwood’s marquee group, Japanese star Ryo Ishikawa and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee both settled for two-under 70. After a poor start, Open champion Darren Clarke rallied on the back nine to record a one-under 71. Spanish star Sergio Garcia experienced a disappointing round, finishing with a 76.— AFP

CHONBURI: A handout photo shows Lee Westwood of England during the first round at the Thailand Golf Championship at the Amata Spring Country Club yesterday. — AFP

Warne, world T20 stars lighten up the Big Bash SYDNEY: The glitzy Big Bash League blasts off today with some of the biggest stars of international Twenty20 cricket alongside Australian legend Shane Warne aiming to attract a new youthful audience. Cricket Australia is looking to create a world-class T20 tournament much in the same mould as the Indian Premier League with eight city-based teams and with an emphasis on energy and a fast-paced atmosphere.

The Big Bash has attracted some of T20’s big names: Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq, West Indians Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo

and Kieron Pollard, South African Herschelle Gibbs, England’s Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah.

Legspinning great Warne, now 42, is back to play again for the Melbourne Stars after apparently ending his stellar career at the IPL in May. Former Test stars Matthew Hayden and Stuart MacGill have been lured into the shorter form of the game, alongside T20 contemporaries David Warner, Shane Watson and Brett Lee. The eight city franchises-Adelaide Strikers, Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder-

have filled their quota of two overseas players. Cricket Australia is looking to tap into new sponsorship markets, with games expected to average 20,000 fans. “It’s fantastic for Australian cricket to have city-based franchise cricket,” said Warne, who burnt his right bowling hand this week in a mishap cooking bacon, but hopes to play against Sydney Thunder at the MCG tomorrow.

“Delving into what Cricket Australia’s trying to achieve - I think we’ve got the opportunity in Australia to have a world-class Twenty20 tournament.” BBL chief Mike McKenna said: “We’re trying to sell this form of the

game to a new audience and our objective really is to create new heroes.” “Playing over the Christmas and New Year period also guarantees there will be high-quality cricket in each Australian capital city during the game’s peak time of year.

“Fans will have plenty of opportunities to see some of the stars of the game up close.” The Big Bash runs from December 16 to the January 28 final, the same day as the scheduled fifth day of Australia’s fourth and last cricket Test with India in Adelaide. The traditional four-day Sheffield Shield competition has been sidelined by the Big Bash until February.— AFP

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Lyle, Alliss selected for World Golf Hall of Fame LONDON: Two-time major champion Sandy Lyle and British commentator Peter Alliss will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame next year after being selected yesterday for the Class of 2012. Lyle was elected through the international ballot after winning 29 tournaments worldwide, including the 1985 British Open and the 1988 Masters, where he became the first British winner at Augusta. “To be placed in the company of the greatest names in our game is very special,” the 53-year-old Scotsman said.

Alliss commentated on both of Lyle’s major victories after beginning his career behind the microphone for the BBC in 1961. He had previously won 23 tournaments as a player and was selected for all but one of Britain and Ireland’s Ryder Cup teams from 1953-69. “This is all very unexpected,” said the 80-year-old Alliss, who has also written more than 20 golf books and helped in the design of more than 50 courses. “I am delighted, surprised, humbled and honored to be thought of in this way and to be given a place in the World Golf Hall of Fame particularly as it is chosen by people all around the world.” They will be inducted along with American writer Dan Jenkins and American players Phil Mickelson and Hollis Stacy at a ceremony at World Golf Village in St Augustine, Florida, in May. European Tour chief executive George O’Grady described the selections of Lyle and Alliss as a “special day” for the tour.

“Peter followed a highly acclaimed playing career by becoming a hugely admired and wonderfully entertaining commentator, while Sandy played a pivotal role in raising the image and popularity of British and European golf with his exceptional winning performances in the 1985 Open Championship and the 1988 Masters,” O’Grady said. Lyle, who currently plays on the European Senior Tour, was elected ahead of Colin Montgomerie of Scotland, Ian Woosnam of Wales and Retief Goosen of South Africa in the international voting.—AP

Poulter upstages Donald, leads Australian Masters MELBOURNE: England’s Ian Poulter, determined to pick up valuable end-of-season world ranking points, upstaged world number one Luke Donald at the Australian Masters at Victoria Golf Club yesterday. Resplendent in matching purple outfit and purple shoes, Poulter carded a six-under-par 65 in perfect conditions around the tight, tree-lined, 6,297-metre layout in Melbourne’s famous sandbelt.

His only blemish was a three-putt bogey on the second, a 392-metre par-four. Poulter finished four strokes clear of countryman Donald (69), and led local golfer Ashley Hall by a shot. Poulter said he knew he had to get a wriggle on when he looked at the early scoreboard and noticed Hall was eightunder after 10 holes. The world No 28 said he was in Australia to improve his ranking in what will be his last tournament for the year. The presence of Donald in the field makes a good performance this week worth plenty of ranking points. “I set myself to try and win every week, but obviously that doesn’t happen,” Poulter said. “I am fully aware and I understand the world ranking points system... That’s how most guys get paid nowadays is where they finish on the world rankings, so I’m fully aware of that and I’m fully aware it is my last tournament of the year. So I need to play well,” he said. Poulter said it was enjoyable to play well around a golf course that he has not played before. “I guess I’m kind of finding my way around the golf course, and I guess I have done it pretty well today,” he said. “The only mistake I made today was a three-putt from about 20 feet on my second hole, the 11th. So that’s probably the only frustrating thing. I hit a lot of good golf shots.

“I missed a couple of greens in the wrong spots, but managed to make a couple of great up and downs so I am pretty happy with six-under par.” Poulter said the key to the Victoria course was to position the ball well off the tee. “It is positional play. You don’t have to hit driver on every tee shot, which is very refreshing. — AFP

King Djokovic reigns supreme PARIS: With three Grand Slam titles, five Masters, a 70-6 winning year and a record cash haul of 12.6 million dollars, Novak Djokovic was the king of 2011.

Spurred on by leading Serbia to a maiden Davis Cup title at the back end of 2010, the 24-year-old put together a 43-match winning run in the first half of 2011. It was a surge which brought him the Australian Open title in January and was only ended by a rejuvenated Roger Federer in the semi-finals at Roland Garros.

As well as claiming a second title in Melbourne, Djokovic won all the season’s opening four Masters at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Rome, defeating Rafael Nadal in the finals of all of them. The Serb then defeated Nadal to win Wimbledon-taking the Spaniard’s world number one spot in the processbefore clinching the US Open. Again Nadal was the vanquished opponent in the final after Djokovic had defeated Federer from two sets, and two match points down, in a breathtaking semifinal. Djokovic’s landmark season eventually took its toll with a combination of back and shoulder trouble comdemning him to four defeats in the year’s closing stages. “I had an unbelievable year.

Nothing can really ruin that. I will always remember this year as the best of my life,” he said. Even John McEnroe, whose season winning record of 82 wins against just three defeats, set in 1984, was briefly within the Serb’s sights after his US Open victory when he was at 64 wins against two losses, was in awe. “He has had the greatest year in the history of our sport,” said the American.

Djokovic probably played one of the shots of the year on match point against Federer at Flushing Meadows when he unleashed an all-or-nothing forehand service return which left the great Swiss rooted to the spot. Federer double-faulted on the second match point and Djokovic was on his way again. The figures back up Djokovic’s year of dominance. He beat Nadal six times out of six, Federer four out of five and world number four Andy Murray, two in three, with the Briton’s win coming courtesy of an injury retirement in the final in Cincinnati.

The world’s leading three men have now won 29 of the last 32 Grand Slam crowns. Since the start of 2004, only Gaston Gaudio (2004 French Open), Marat Safin (2005 Australian Open) and Juan Martin del Potro (2009 US Open) have broken their stranglehold. Nadal took his majors collection to 10 in 2011 with a sixth French Open title to equal Bjorn Borg’s record Paris haul. The Spaniard lost his number one spot to Djokovic and cut a jaded, frustrated figure as the year closed, complaining about player burn-out and scheduling at the US Open.

But claiming the winning point for a fifth Davis Cup triumph against Argentina in Seville in December at least breathed new life into the Spaniard.

Nadal will skip the Davis Cup in 2012,

preferring to conserve his energy for his Olympic title defense and a new assault on Djokovic. He is also wary of the drawbacks of constant action on the court-in 2011, Nadal played 84 matches, more than any of the top four. “I know the one way to change the situation is to work more, think more about tennis, do everything in the right shape, do everything good inside the court, everything good outside the court,” said the Spaniard.

Nadal finished the year with three titles, the last of which was the French Open in June. Federer, meanwhile, defied those who believe that having celebrated his 30th birthday in 2011, his best was behind him. The Swiss won his first title in Doha in January before picking up three more in the home straight

in Basel, Paris and a sixth World Tour finals trophy.

In between, he had suffered his first ever Grand Slam loss after being two sets up when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga stunned him in the Wimbledon quarter-finals. He had previously boasted a 178-0 Grand Slam win-loss record when winning the first two sets. That proud record was further blemished

by Djokovic at the US Open. But his World Tour Finals win in London means Federer, who finished the season without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2002, will go into the new campaign on the back of a 17match winning run. “For me, it was the strongest finish I’ve ever had in my career. I’m looking forward to next year,” he said.— AFP

Serbian player Novak Djokovic poses with the trophy

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011

Blackhawks edge Wild in shootout NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Wednesday.

Boston 5, Ottawa 2; Chicago 4, Minnesota 3 (SO); Anaheim 4, Phoenix 1. (SO denotes shootout win).

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF GA PTS Philadelphia 19 7 3 106 82 41 NY Rangers 17 7 4 83 61 38 Pittsburgh 17 10 4 95 79 38 New Jersey 16 13 1 79 86 33 NY Islanders 9 13 6 65 93 24 Northeast Division Boston 20 9 1 102 61 41 Toronto 16 11 3 93 95 35 Buffalo 15 12 3 81 82 33 Montreal 13 11 7 79 80 33 Ottawa 14 14 4 96 112 32 Southeast Division Florida 16 9 6 84 80 38 Winnipeg 14 12 4 84 93 32 Washington 15 13 1 89 94 31 Tampa Bay 12 16 2 79 101 26 Carolina 9 18 5 80 110 23 Western Conference Central Division Chicago 19 8 4 103 95 42 Detroit 19 9 1 93 63 39 St. Louis 17 9 3 71 62 37 Nashville 15 11 4 79 80 34 Columbus 9 17 4 73 100 22 Northwest Division Minnesota 20 8 4 83 70 44 Vancouver 18 10 2 98 73 38 Edmonton 14 13 3 83 80 31 Calgary 14 14 2 74 82 30 Colorado 14 16 1 82 94 29 Pacific Division Dallas 17 11 1 74 78 35 San Jose 15 10 3 78 68 33 Phoenix 15 12 3 78 80 33 Los Angeles 13 13 4 65 70 30 Anaheim 9 16 5 71 96 23 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

Barca sweep the board in World Soccer awards LONDON: European champions Barcelona have swept the board in World Soccer magazine’s prestigious annual awards with Lionel Messi named World Player of the Year, Pep Guardiola Manager of the Year and the side that won the Spanish and Champions League last season named as Team of the Year. Messi collected more than 60 percent of the votes cast in the annual poll of the British magazine’s readers from more than 40 countries-a record haul since the awards began in 1982. It is the second time the 24-year-old Argentine has topped the poll after winning in 2009. Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and Portugal was a distant second with 9.3 percent of votes while last year’s winner, Messi’s Barca team mate Xavi, was third with 7.6 percent. Guardiola topped the manager’s poll ahead of Oscar Tabarez who coached Uruguay to victory in the Copa America, with Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson third after taking his team to the Premier League title and the Champions League final.

Barcelona, who could win the Club World Cup in Japan this weekend, were the clear winners of the Team of the Year award ahead of Uruguay and third-placed Porto who won the Portuguese League and Cup double and the Europea League last season. Brazilian teenager Neymar, whose Santos side play Barcelona in the Club World Cup final, was named as the Young Player of the Year.— Reuters

OTTAWA: Zenon Konopka #28 of the Ottawa Senators crashes into a fallen Joe Corvo #14 and Patrice Bergeron #37 of the Boston Bruins during an NHL game at Scotiabank Place on December 14, 2011.— AFP ST PAUL: A shootout victory gave the Chicago Blackhawks their fifth straight road win, 4-3 over the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday in a clash of the top two teams in the NHL Western Conference. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews scored in the shootout, while Toews also gave Chicago the lead in the third period only for Mikko Koivu to make it 33 a few minutes later and send the game to overtime. Marian Hossa and Michael Frolik had given the Blackhawks a 2-0 lead with second-period goals 89 seconds apart, but Kyle Brodziak and Matt Cullen answered for the Wild later in the period to tie the game. The

Wild lead the NHL with 44 points. The Blackhawks, who are 7-1-1 in their past nine games, have 42.

BRUINS 5, SENATORS 2 In Ottawa, Tim Thomas made 47 saves to help Boston down Ottawa and make it three straight wins. Daniel Paille scored twice, Rich Peverley had a goal and an assist and Chris Kelly and Patrice Bergeron also scored for Boston, which moved atop the Eastern Conference standings. The Bruins have gone 17-2-1 since Nov. 1, when they launched a 10game winning streak with a win over Ottawa.

Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza each had a goal and an assist for the Senators.

DUCKS 4, COYOTES 1 In Anaheim, Niklas Hagman scored twice as Anaheim beat struggling Phoenix. Jonas Hiller made 19 saves, Rod Pelley scored in his Anaheim debut and Kyle Palmieri added his first goal of the season for the Ducks, who climbed out of last place in the overall NHL standings. Martin Hanzal scored for Phoenix’s NHL-worst power-play unit but the Coyotes lost to their Pacific Division rivals for the first time in five games.—AP

Hornets, Clippers agree on Paul’s deal NEW ORLEANS: Chris Paul is going to Los Angeles after all, but to join the Clippers, not the Lakers. The New Orleans Hornets traded Paul to the Clippers on Wednesday for guard Eric Gordon, forward Al-Farouq Aminu, center Chris Kaman and a first-round draft choice. The deal required the approval of NBA Commissioner David Stern because the Hornets are owned by the league.

It ended a tortured week in which the Hornets’ season sat in limbo while the NBA took a beating over everything from potential conflicts of interest, to retarding the Hornets’ pursuit of free agents, to disrespecting the New Orleans fan base. “I knew we were doing the best thing for New Orleans and that was my job,” Stern said.

“You have to stick with what you think was right. I must confess it wasn’t a lot of fun, but I don’t get paid to have fun.”

Paul gets to play in one of the NBA’s biggest markets, even if his new team plays in the shadow of the Lakers. That’s the club Paul was almost traded to last week, only to have Stern nix the deal. The 26-year-old Paul is a four-time All-Star who averaged 18.7 points and 9.8 assists last season, his sixth in the NBA. He will earn $16.4 million this year and has a player option for the 2012-13 season - in which he is due $17.8 million.

Paul’s move to the Clippers unites him with for-

ward Blake Griffin, who averaged 22.5 points and 12.1 rebounds last season, his first as a pro.

The Hornets get a prolific young shooting guard in Gordon, who turns 23 on Christmas Day and averaged 22.3 points last season. Gordon would be a restricted free agent after this season unless he signs an extension with New Orleans.

Aminu is a second-year pro who averaged 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds as a rookie. Kaman, 29, is an eight-year veteran who averaged 12.4 points and seven rebounds last season, but played in only 32 games because of a left ankle injury. He’s in the last year of his contract, which will pay him $12.2 million this season. “With this trade, we now have three additional players who were among the top eight draft picks in their respective drafts as well as our own first-round pick and (another) first-round pick,” Hornets general manager Dell Demps said. “Aminu is a young talent with a bright future, Gordon is a big-time scorer and one of the best (shooting) guards in the league and Kaman is a proven center and former All-Star.” New Orleans also sent two 2015 secondround draft picks to the Clippers. “We wanted to make sure that we got the best possible deal for a player of Chris’ caliber, and we feel great about the outcome,” said Jac Sperling, who Stern appointed as the Hornets’ governor after the league bought the team in December 2010.

Paul, whom the Hornets drafted fourth overall in 2005, told New Orleans earlier this month that he was not going to sign an extension, and Demps had been trying to trade him since to avoid losing him in free agency with no compensation after this season. Demps came close to making a three-team deal last Thursday that would have sent Paul to the Lakers. The Lakers would have sent Lamar Odom to the Hornets and Pau Gasol to Houston, while the Rockets would have sent Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic, and a first-round draft choice to New Orleans.

Stern, however, told Demps to take that deal off the table because he thought the Hornets could do better, both in terms of personnel and salary obligations. The Hornets have only five returning veterans under contract: center Emeka Okafor, forward Trevor Ariza, point guard Jarrett Jack, second-year swingman Quincy Pondexter and shooting guard Marco Belinelli. The addition of Gordon, Aminu and Kaman give New Orleans desperately needed depth while opening the way for the franchise to further strengthen its roster through free agency. Meanwhile, the Hornets also could look forward to an additional firstround draft choice next summer. The pick originally belonged to Minnesota, meaning it will be tied to where the Timberwolves finish in the standings this season.— AP

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SANTIAGO: Chile’s Universidad de Chile’s players celebrate at the end of the Copa Sudamericana final soccer match against Ecuador’s Liga Deportiva Universitaria in Santiago. Universidad de Chile won 4-0 on aggregate. — AP

Universidad de Chile grab Copa Sudamericana title SANTIAGO: Striker Eduardo Vargas scored twice as a young Universidad de Chile team beat 10-man LDU Quito 3-0 on Wednesday to lift the Copa Sudamericana, their first international trophy. The Chilean league title holders won the two-legged final 4-0 having upset LDU 1-0 with a goal by Vargas, the competition’s top scorer with 11, in Quito last week. Vargas opened the scoring in the third minute to put “La U” twoup on aggregate and set the Ecuadorian team, tournament winners in 2009, a

huge task to get back into the tie. He added a brilliant third goal three minutes from time after dribbling past two defenders and chipping over goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez to ecstatic cheering from a capacity 45,000 crowd at the Estadio Nacional. LDU defender Jorge Guagua was shown a straight red card in the 68th for elbowing substitute Gustavo Lorenzetti, who 11 minutes later scored the home side’s second goal. Universidad de Chile had Argentine midfielder Matias Rodriguez sent off for a second booking

Taleban death stadium reborn as Afghanistan’s sporting hope KABUL: Its pitch, they said, was so bloodsoaked that grass would not grow. For years, the only spectacles on offer at the Ghazi Stadium in the Afghan capital were executions, stonings and mutilations by the Taleban, rulers of the country from 1996 to 2001. Yesterday, thousands of young Afghan athletes wearing soccer strips, boxing and running warmup gear, and the belted white suits of martial artists, came to the stadium to celebrate its official reopening.

This time, the grass has been ripped up and replaced with bright green artificial turf, part of a US-funded stadium refurbishment. “Of all the international projects implemented in Afghanistan, this is one of the most popular, it enjoys the support of all Afghans,” said Lieutenant General Mohammad Zaher Aghbar, president of Afghanistan’s National Olympic Committee, and a goalkeeper with the army’s soccer team for five years.

“The place that once was used to execute people during the Taleban, and then football played on their blood, is now turned into a peaceful place,” he said. “Sport helps societies get together, it will strengthen our national solidarity,” Aghbar said, adding that he was trying to line up foreign boxing and soccer teams to come to Ghazi Stadium in early 2012. Ghazi, a title normally used to describe Muslim warriors who slay non-believers in battle, is a title also bestowed by many Afghans on those who fought the British army to win independence for Afghanistan in the early 20th century. — Reuters

six minutes from the end. “I never imagined I’d achieve this, to be in a squad that wins such an important cup is to touch the sky with your hands,” Universidad de Chile’s Argentine-born striker Gustavo Canales told Fox Sports.

The Chilean team, coached by Jorge Sampaoli who has spent all his coaching career outside his native Argentina, were unbeaten through the tournament, winning 10 of their 12 matches and scoring 21 goals and conceding two. “We were aware we played a different game (from

the other teams), never renouncing the priority to attack,” Canales added of Sampaoli’s penchant for constant possession and attack. “La U”, unbeaten in 35 matches, won the domestic Apertura title in the first half of the year and have reached the semi-finals of the Clausura.

The Copa Sudamericana is South America’s second most important club competition after the Copa Libertadores, the region’s champions league which Universidad de Chile’s arch-rivals Colo Colo won in 1991.— Reuters

Egyptian football star bids to take revolution to parliament CAIRO: Egypt’s longtime national goalkeeper Nader el-Sayed had never been interested in politics. But when in January he joined hundreds of thousands in Cairo’s Tahrir Square to demand regime change, he knew a new career was in the making. The veteran player, who won more than 100 caps and was twice voted best goalkeeper in the African Cup of Nations, is standing for parliament in the first elections since a popular uprising ousted Hosni Mubarak after three decades of rule.

Sayed, 38, is lending his star power to the Al-Wasat party-a moderate Islamist group which is an offshoot of the powerful Muslim Brotherhood and which he joined three months ago. “We had a popular revolution, now it’s time for the political revolution,” Sayed said in the party’s offices in Cairo, where wooden shutters and double glazed windows did little to muffle the sound of car horns or filter out the exhaust fumes.

Egyptians are voting in the second phase of a parliamentary election that is set to shape the political landscape of the Arab world’s most populous nation, with Islamists emerging as front-runners. AlWasat is one of a kaleidoscope of rival Islamist parties, often mistaken for one homogeneous group. “I wanted to join a political party, not a religious movement,” said Sayed, slamming the Muslim

Brotherhood and the ultra-conservative Salafi movement-which both have political parties competing in the election-for mixing religion with politics. “We need to participate without using intellectual, religious or economic terrorism,” he said.

Longtime goalkeeper for premier league Cairo side Zamalek, Sayed had never been interested in politics. But he says he watched as corruption and social injustice ate away at the Arab world’s cultural capital, and the government tried to use football to distract the population from the country’s political and economic woes. Years of pent-up frustration finally boiled over when unprecedented protests erupted on January 25 to demand democratic change, electrifying the country for 18 days. “It was something I had waited for for so long,” said Sayed, known across the country as “Captain Nader.”

Many remember the image of Sayed draped in an Egyptian flag being carried by protesters in Tahrir Square, his fists pumping in the air and his voice breaking as he shouted the Arab Spring’s signature chant: “The people want the downfall of the regime.” Ten months later, the retired footballer is in the frame for another kind of competition. He is standing in the district of Giza, a mosaic of slums and sprawling gated communities, and one of nine provinces voting in the second phase of the elections. Posters of a breezy-looking

Sayed, arms crossed and wearing a crisp white T-shirt-as if in a team photo-are plastered on walls, hanging from trees and fixed to lamp posts. He says he joined Al-Wasat because he was looking for a party “with a revolutionary spirit.”

Al-Wasat was founded by Abul Ela Madi who split from the Muslim Brotherhood 15 years ago, and has since been a vocal critic of the influential movement over its centralized decision-making process and rigidity. Madi was also a founding member of Kefaya (Enough), a protest movement that shook the Egyptian political scene out of indolence in 2004, planting the seeds for the 2011 uprising. Sayed says the new parliament, the first fruit of the revolution, must work for the protesters’ demands. “I want a civil state, with rights, equality and citizenship,” said Sayed. He also wants to advance his own sport, after having watched the government exploit the game he says shaped him and catapulted him from the Nile Delta city of Mansura to the capital and on to Europe, where he played in the Belgian and Greek leagues.

“Football has long been abused by the former regime. It must be free from politics or religion,” said the father of four, who now runs a football academy in the district where he is standing. “It teaches loyalty, team building... It’s a metaphor for life.”— AFP

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Italian League Preview

Totti outburst adds to Roma’s troubles MILAN: An outburst from talismanic striker Francesco Totti, who said he would think about leaving the club after 19 seasons, has provided the latest twist to the soap opera at ambitious AS Roma. Roma, who visit Napoli in Serie A on Sunday (1945 GMT), quickly played down Totti’s comments which followed criticism of his missed penalty in last Monday’s 1-1 draw at home to Juventus. Sporting manager Walter Sabatini praised Totti for showing his emotion and said the 35-yearold’s comments were made in the heat of the moment. “I don’t like calm waters, he has been hurt by the criticism,” he told Sky Sports Italia.

“He has been spontaneous and has done the right thing by saying

it. “Totti’s not going anywhere, he is Roma,” Sabatini added. “He will continue to represent Roma for many years.”

Totti, who has often been relegated to the substitutes’ bench by Coach Luis Enrique, said: “If I’m the problem, then I’ll think about (leaving). “It’s not because of the club or the coach or my team mates, I dislike things a few fans have said against me.

“If things carry on in this way, I will continue to think about it.”

Roma, taken over in April by a consortium led by United States businessman Thomas Di Benedetto, have struggled to live up to expectations which were heightened by a summer spending spree and Luis Enrique’s comment that he wanted

German League Preview

Podolski out to spoil Bayern’s Christmas BERLIN: Cologne’s Lukas Podolski could put a damper on Bayern Munich’s Christmas celebrations if he is in his usual form when the two sides meet in the Bundesliga today (1930 GMT). “Prince Poldi”, as the Germany winger is known in his hometown, has been in dazzling form with 14 league goals in 16 games, a personal record. League leaders Bayern must keep Podolksi in check if they want to go into the winter break with their three-point advantage and better goal difference over champions Borussia Dortmund, who are in second place on 31. “I know from the national team training how it works with his left foot,” said Bayern and Germany keeper Manuel Neuer.

“If he gets the ball on to his left foot then he is likely to score. It is important that we shut him out. With or without a ball he is an extremely quick player.” Podolski, who returned to his home club in 2009 after an unsuccessful three-year stint at Bayern, has scored more than half of Cologne’s 26 goals this season and set up another five to lift his team to 10th place in the league. His most recent goal, a superb, 22-metre, left-footed missile that salvaged a 1-1 draw against Mainz 05 five minutes from time on Tuesday, was a timely reminder for Bayern that the year could still end on a sour note.

Podolski has not lost in Munich while playing for Cologne, having drawn four times. “As in the past few years we will try to frustrate Bayern a bit but we are aware they are the best team in the league,” said the 26year-old, who failed to hold down a starting spot in Munich and never really connected with the fans. “I always try to have fun playing my game and then the performance fits,” Podolski, who has become a transfer target for many top European clubs as he has yet to negotiate a contract extension to his deal that runs out in 2013, told reporters this week. Bayern have their own offensive weapon in Bundesliga top scorer Mario Gomez, who has notched up 15 league goals.

Since the start of 2011, Gomez has struck 49 times for club and country, including twice in last week’s 2-1 win at VfB Stuttgart. “If I don’t score for two weeks then I am in a crisis; if I score than everyone talks about me breaking Gerd Mueller’s Bundesliga goal record. I am not interested in this talk,” Gomez said. “At the moment it is going very well and I play up front for a very good team.

At the end of the day it is my job to score goals.”

Dortmund will look to return to their winning ways at bottom-placed Freiburg on Saturday (1430) after two consecutive draws, while third-placed Schalke 04, also on 31, host improving Werder Bremen (1730). — Reuters

them to play like Barcelona.

Instead, they have managed five wins in 14 Serie A outings, dropping to 10th with 18 points and 12 behind leaders Juventus.

Luis Enrique, who took over in the close season, quickly courted controversy by leaving Totti on the bench and the storm only subsided after the striker issued a statement asking for backing for the coach.

There was further trouble when leading scorer Pablo Osvaldo lashed out at teenager Erik Lamela after a match at Udinese and was suspended for one game by the club.

Under pressure Luis Enrique, whose future has already been questioned, then lost his temper and swore at journalists in a media

conference before the Juventus game. Unbeaten Juventus, level at the top on 30 points with surprise package Udinese, have a chance to go clear when they host Novara (Sunday 1400) while their rivals have a much more difficult match at Lazio (Sunday 1945). Lazio, winners of their last two games, are level on 28 points in third place with AC Milan, who should win at home to a Siena team who have taken one point from their last 15 and are only two points above the relegation zone. Inter Milan, who climbed from 15th to sixth after two wins in the last week, host a Cesena side who were winless in their first 10 outings but have won three of their last four (Sunday 1400).—Reuters

French League Preview

PSG, Lille put aside European troubles PARIS: Paris St Germain and Lille, shaking off the disappointment of European elimination, turn their attention back to the more successful arena of Ligue 1 and a Sunday clash at the Parc des Princes (2000 GMT). PSG were knocked out of the Europa League yesterday, despite a 4-2 win against Athletic Bilbao, while Lille were eliminated from the Champions League group phase last week. Both teams, however, are on a three-match winning streak and have high hopes of challenging for the league title.

PSG are second in the league with 36 points from 17 games, while Lille, who are on a 15-match unbeaten run and have yet to lose at home, are third on 34 points. “I expect a big reaction and a victory against Lille,” said coach Antoine Kombouare after the Athletic game. His Lille counterpart, Rudi Garcia, said: “We must beat Paris.

We showed (against Dijon last Sunday) that we had turned the Champions League page.

“We have a solid team, we won three in a row and we haven’t lost in our last 15 (league) games, so it shows our rivals we are in the mix.”

Montpellier, who host Toulouse tomorrow (1800), lead PSG on goal difference. A return to home turf is good news for Rene Girard’s side, the best team at home this season, who hope to bounce back from last weekend’s unexpected 1-0 defeat at Valenciennes.

Fourth-placed Olympique Lyon

PARIS: Athletic Bilbao’s defender Gaizka Toquero (up) jumps up to Paris SaintGermain’s defender Siaka Tiene during UEFA Europa league football match on December 14, 2011 at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. — AFP

could be without their top two players at home against Evian Thonon Gaillard (Saturday 2000) after Brazil winger Michel Bastos and Argentine striker Lisandro Lopez missed training with back and thigh injuries

respectively. Olympique Marseille, eighth on 25 points, will have no room for error when they entertain Lorient (Saturday 1800) if they are to keep alive their slim title chances.—Reuters

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Barca thrash Al Sadd 4-0 Villa’s injury mars big victory

YOKOHAMA: Barcelona player David Villa is stretchered from the field during their semi-final football match against Al Sadd of the Club World Cup yesterday. — AFP

Rich Chinese snap up Okada, target Tigana SHANGHAI: The Chinese spending spree which has already lured Nicolas Anelka snapped up ex-Japan football coach Takeshi Okada yesterday, with French handler Jean Tigana expected to follow within days. Hangzhou Greentown revealed the signing of Okada, who was pictured on their microblog smiling and holding a shirt with the number 99. A club official said more details would be released later. “We are busy now as Takeshi Okada is in Hangzhou now. The contract has been signed this morning. There will be a press conference on December 24,” the official said. Separately Shanghai Shenhua, the new club of French striker Anelka, said former Fulham and Monaco boss Tigana was headed to China for final contract talks and was expected to sign on Sunday. “Tigana will land in Shanghai this Saturday for the final round of talks about the contract,” a spokesman said.

“Barring unforeseen circumstances, we will sign the contract on the next day and Tigana will see the press on Sunday.” The quickfire developments follow Shanghai’s landmark announcement on Monday that they had signed 32-year-old Anelka, the Super League’s highest profile recruit by far.

Chinese football has long been mired in scandal, but clubs enriched by the country’s industrial boom are suddenly spending big on players, starting with $10 million Argentine midfielder Dario Conca in July.

Anelka will reportedly more than double his current pay packet at English Premier League club Chelsea with wages of $313,000 a week, though Shanghai have disputed the figure.

Tigana would be one of China’s most respected coaches alongside Shenzhen Ruby’s Philippe Troussier and Okada, who took Japan to the knock-out stages of last year’s World Cup in South Africa. Okada, who becomes the Super League’s only Japanese coach, was set to speak to Japanese media at a press conference in Tokyo on Friday.

By taking the Hangzhou job, Okada is vaulting an enormous political divide stemming from the war-time atrocities committed by invading Japanese troops, a source of enduring friction. At the 2004 Asian Cup in China, local spectators booed the Japanese national anthem, and the event ended with a near-riot after the final in Beijing, where Japan beat China 3-1 aided by a controversial handball goal. — AFP

YOKOHAMA: Barcelona swatted aside Qatar’s Al Sadd 4-0 yesterday to advance to the Club World Cup final, but their win was clouded when striker David Villa suffered a broken leg.

Brazilian defender Adriano scored twice in an embarrassingly one-sided contest as the Spanish and European champions set up a final with Brazil’s Santos on Sunday. The gloss was taken off Barca’s victory in front of a crowd of 66,000 when Spain striker Villa fractured his left leg under a heavy challenge in the first half.

“We’re all very sad for David,” said Barca coach Pep Guardiola, whose side are bidding to win their second Club World Cup in three years. “He will be out for a long time with this sort of break. It’s a massive blow for him and Barcelona.

“He will return to Barcelona as soon as possible for an operation, escorted by a physician. We will have to win the Club World Cup without him but he is in our hearts.” A glum-looking Guardiola added: “We didn’t give Al Sadd a chance today.” Barca took the lead in comical fashion after 25 minutes when Pedro’s cross bobbled off Al Sadd defender Nadir Belhadj and goalkeeper Mohamed Saqr’s panicked clearance bounced off Adriano’s shin into the back of the net. Adriano scored his second goal two minutes before halftime, latching on to a pass from Thiago Alcantara to drive a powerful, left-foot shot into the bottom corner. Argentine wizard Lionel Messi then brilliantly picked out Seydou Keita, who calmly flicked home Barca’s third goal in the 64th minute with

YOKOHAMA: Barcelona forward David Villa (right) tries to shoot the ball against Al Sadd during their semi-final football match of the Club World Cup in Yokohama yesterday. — AFP

Asian champions Al Sadd chasing shadows.

SECURITY GUARDS Substitute Maxwell completed the rout after 81 minutes as Barca’s quick passing game befuddled Al Sadd, who gave the Catalan giants less trouble than stadium security had on their arrival for the match. Messi and several Barcelona team mates looked confused at being held up by zealous Japanese security guards, after getting off the bus, for not having their accreditation visible. “It’s terrible what happened to Villa,” said Barca midfielder Javier Mascherano. “We’re all sad about what happened and want to offer him our support. “Today we calmed down after the first goal and

the second goal almost finished the game.” Guardiola, whose thoughts were clearly on the stricken Villa, said he was relishing the chance to take on Santos in Sunday’s mouth-watering final in Yokohama. “Santos have a great history-they produced Pele,” said Guardiola. “They are still producing great players and will be very dangerous.” Al Sadd coach Jorge Fossati said: “It was a rewarding experience for my players to play against the best team in the world. “Barcelona have a kingdom and there is no team that can topple that kingdom.” Santos, led

by Brazil hot-shot Neymar, will provide an altogether different test, having beaten Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol 3-1 in Wednesday’s first semi-final in Toyota. — Reuters

Arsenal out to test City’s resolve LONDON: Having had their armor pierced for the first time this season leaders Manchester City face a big test of their resolve when Arsenal come gunning for them in the Premier League on Sunday.

Until Monday’s 2-1 defeat by Chelsea Roberto Mancini’s side appeared all but untouchable at the top but that first reverse has provided a reality check for City and fuelled the belief of the side’s trying to keep pace with their lightning start.

Throw in their Champions League exit at the group stage the week before and a number of defensive injuries, the visit of the rejuvenated Gunners will shed more light on the durability of Mancini’s expensively assembled machine. By the time they face Arsenal (1610) they could even find themselves displaced from the summit by Manchester United who play at Queen’s Park Rangers in an earlier kickoff (1200).

City, who have 38 points to United’s 36, have looked down on everyone else since mid-October. Full-back Micah Richards is ready to return after missing the last two matches to ease City’s defensive crisis but they will be without Aleksandar Kolarov-sidelined for a month with a groin injury-and Gael Clichy, who

will serve a one match ban against his former club after being sent off in City’s defeat at Stamford Bridge. The match is a key one for both clubs and comes three weeks after a largely shadow City side beat Arsenal 1-0 in a League Cup quarterfinal at the Emirates Stadium.

BOUNCE BACK With Richards back after recovering from a calf injury, coach Mancini will be hoping to field his strongest starting lineup against the in-form Gunners who have climbed to fifth (29 points) on the back of seven wins from eight league games.

Mancini was unworried by City’s unbeaten run ending. “After 15 games we are on top, with two more points than United,” Mancini said, adding: “We are strong enough to start winning again and one result doesn’t change anything. “We don’t have a problem bouncing back,” he added, “I am sure we will. At this moment, Arsenal are playing very well, it will be difficult but we need to start again.”

Arsenal, who were 15th nine weeks ago after a poor start, have recovered well and would love nothing better than to repeat last season’s 3-0 win at City when Samir Nasri, now of City, scored one of

their goals. Robin Van Persie was out injured at the time and did not play, but he has returned to full fitness in style since then, and is currently virtually a oneman attack for the Gunners, and is the League’s leading scorer with 15 goals.

Another intriguing London v Manchester confrontation is also taking place on Sunday when QPR face United at Loftus Road. United, like City, were dumped out of the Champions League last week, and will be seeking to extend their unbeaten League run to seven and build on last week’s encouraging 4-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers when Nani and Wayne Rooney scored twice each to end long scoring droughts. QPR have held their own in their first season back in the top flight for 15 years but have struggled at home, winning just one of their seven games at Loftus Road.

Although United should win, manager Alex Ferguson is struggling with injuries and after the blow of losing skipper Nemanja Vidic for the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury last week, United confirmed this week that midfielder Darren Fletcher, Scotland’s skipper, has gone on extended leave for health reasons. —Reuters

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YOKOHAMA: Qatar’s Al-Sadd Sports Club defender Ibrahim Abdulmajed (top) and Spain’s FC Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta battle for the ball during their semifinal match of the Club World Cup soccer tournament yesterday. — AP

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Universidad de Chile grab Copa Sudamericana title Page 61

www.kuwaittimes.net

Barca thrash Al Sadd 4-0 Page 63