17 Dec

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

Syrian jets hit Palestinian camp in Damascus

Actor Depardieu giving up French passport in tax row

Japan moves right as conservatives win big in polls

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Amir rebukes opposition at new Assembly opening Oppn ridicules ‘parliament of puppets’, vows more protests

Max 18º Min 09º High Tide 00:34 & 14:47 Low Tide 07:41 & 19:29

By B Izzak KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah yesterday inaugurated the new National Assembly by emphasizing that the leadership wants to put aside consequences of recent events and “move ahead for fruitful action to meet the aspirations of the people of Kuwait”. He however criticized the recent demonstrations “which have made the Kuwaiti people feel concerned for their future and the future of the country” but at the same time appreciated the security forces for their wise handling of the protests.

On the eve of the opening, several hundred Kuwaiti activists staged a night sit-it in the heart of Kuwait City in protest against the election and to demand dissolving the Assembly and the electoral law amendment.

The activists ended their sit-in at 8.00 in the morning and some of them went to Irada Square opposite the Assembly which was cordoned off by security forces.

The activists were later ordered to leave before the Amir arrived. They moved to the nearby square outside the Palace of Justice and stayed there for some time before Continied on Page 13 KUWAIT: Newly-elected MP and Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Thekra AlRashidi chats with lawmakers during the opening session of the new National Assembly yesterday.

Rashed elected speaker, Khrainej his deputy

HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah waves upon arrival to address the opening session of the Assembly yesterday. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

US mourns Connecticut school shooting victims NEWTOWN, Connecticut: The people of Newtown, soon to be joined by President Barack Obama, poured into churches yesterday to pray for the 20 children and seven adults slaughtered in one of the worst ever US shooting massacres. The small Connecticut town led the nation in mourning 48 hours after Adam Lanza burst into Sandy Hook Elementary School and murdered two roomfuls of six- and seven-year-old children, the school principal and five other female staff. From early yesterday, churches filled and the town Christmas tree became an impromptu place of remembrance, with people pausing every few minutes to pray and cross themselves under a light snowfall.

One middle -aged woman knelt down in front of the ranks of votive candles, teddy bears and handwritten notes, and bowed her head in tears.

“The community is gathering together and praying,” Rosty Slabicky, a Red Cross volunteer told AFP at the Catholic Saint Rose of Lima Church, where worshipNEWTOWN, Connecticut: Art teacher Eric Mueller sets up 27 angel wood cutouts in memory of pers flocked to an early Mass. the victims of an elementary school shooting yesterday. — AFP Continued on Page 13

Egyptians hand Islamists narrow win in referendum CAIRO: Egyptians voted in favour of a constitution shaped by Islamists but opposed by other groups who fear it will divide the Arab world’s biggest nation, officials in rival camps said yesterday after the first round of a two-stage referendum.

Next week’s second round is likely to give another “yes” vote as it includes districts seen as more sympathetic towards Islamists, analysts say, meaning the constitution would be approved.

But the narrow win so far gives Islamist President Mohamed Morsi only limited grounds for celebration by showing the wide rifts in a country where he needs to build a consensus for tough economic reforms.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s party, which propelled Morsi to office in a June election, said 56.5 percent backed the text. Official results are not expected until after the next round.

While an opposition official con-

ceded the “yes” camp appeared to have won the first round, the opposition National Salvation Front said in a statement that voting abuses meant a rerun was needed although it did not explicitly challenge the Brotherhood’s vote tally.

Rights groups reported abuses such as polling stations opening late, officials telling people how to vote and bribery. They also criticised widespread religious campaigning which Continued on Page 13

in the

news

Gulf group urges end to oppression KUWAIT: A Gulf civil society organisation yesterday called on the conservative Gulf monarchies to free all political prisoners and stop the security crackdown on those wanting democratic reforms. The call came in a communique issued by the Gulf Forum for Civil Societies (GFCS) following its two-day general conference held in Beirut on Dec 14 and 15. The group called for the “release of all political detainees, prisoners of conscience, those defending human rights and civil society activists and to allow them to operate freely and peacefully.” The group, comprising dozens of liberal political and rights activists, writers and thinkers also called for halting “political trials” of rights activists in the six Gulf states.

German who attended protest expelled KUWAIT: Kuwait deported a German national who said he was a journalist covering protests in the state but lacked the required press accreditation, a Kuwaiti security source said. All journalists working in Kuwait need to be registered with the Information Ministry and non-accredited foreigners who attend demonstrations are regarded as suspect because only citizens of the country have the right to protest. But it is relatively rare for a Western visitor to be expelled. “He was deported from Kuwait,” said the security source, without giving the man’s name. The source said the man had told police he was a journalist but could not produce a press permit when detained earlier this month after attending at least one protest.

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti police try to control Syrian nationals who oppose Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad after clashes with supporters of the embattled president during their team’s football match against Jordan in the 7th West Asia Football Federation (WAFF) championship yesterday. (Right) A policeman arrests a Syrian sporting the colors of the revolutionary preBaath Syrian flag after he ran onto the pitch during the game.— AFP

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

LOCAL

Amir keen to meet people’s aspirations

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al Sabah, left, receives a copy of a speech given by HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlSabah, second right, during the inauguration of the 14th Legislative Term of the National Assembly in Kuwait yesterday.

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah inaugurated yesterday the first regular session of the 14th legislative term of the National Assembly, emphasizing the top leadership desire to put aside consequences of recent events and move ahead for fruitful action to meet aspirations of the people of Kuwait. He began his address congratulating members of the newly-elected parliament on confidence expressed by the natives of Kuwait in them, and expressed hope the lawmakers would be successful in “bearing the great responsibility and realizing high aspirations pinned upon you for service of our dear homeland, its high status and prosperity”. “You are the outcome of a new electoral system, you have been freely chosen by the nationals in a democratic and free and credible atmosphere, all for service of the homeland Kuwait,” he said.

The Amir was alluding to the single-vote elections that were recently held and produced the new legislative Assembly. The elections followed some protests against the new voting system. Touching on the recent incidents, the Amir expressed understanding of concerns of citizens who have recently witnessed “manifestations of chaos, law breaking and unprecedented deviation in the political rhetoric”. “These (incidents) contradicted principles of our Kuwaiti society, its deeply-rooted covenants and its well-known trait of mutual respect, moderation, tolerance and accept-

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf AlAhmed Al-Sabah attends the opening session of the newly elected parliament in Kuwait City yesterday.

ance of others’ opinions,” he stated.

The Amir indicated that the leadership would accept different opinions “and positive criticism aimed at ensuring reforms, within the framework of rules and terms set by the law.

Such rules are adopted by all free and democractic states with aim of averting chaos and foiling bids that may target security and stability”. Condemning these “negative and uncommon practices,” the Amir raised the crucial question on “why we open the door wide for evil hands to target the homeland security and potentials?”

He also criticized some figures for seeking to dictate their thoughts and agendas on the others, without abidance by the laws and legal procedures. “Such practices won’t safeguard the homeland, won’t bolster the security and stability, won’t turn what is wrong to become just,” he said, referring to some violent demonstrations that left damage in citizens’ properties as well as in state properties. The Amir , while denouncing at length such acts, warned that they would lead to wasting “our national accomplishments. They also constituted a setback in the civil accomplishments that neither portray true democracy, nor the state of the law and the institutions.

“Nevertheless, we are able with Allah’s will to turn this chapter and move toward a phase of positive and fruitful action that will realize hopes and aspirations of the people of Kuwait.,” he said. He called for “reconsidering

A general view shows the opening session of Kuwait’s newly elected parliament in Kuwait City yesterday.

The new parliament, almost entirely dominated by pro-government MPs, was elected on Dec 1 amid a massive boycott by the opposition in protest at the government’s amendment of Kuwait’s electoral law.

— Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

our conditions before vision turns blurred, concepts, bases of just and criteria of good and evil get mixed up.” The Amir urged the MPs to realize heavy responsibility implied in their oath for the public service, stressing necessity of reference to the judicial authorities, drawing a sharp line between chaos and responsible freedom and abide by laws to the letter. “We have to learn how to differ without reaching the point of being enemies and getting involved in conflicts,” Sheikh Sabah said, who was greeted with lengthy applause by the attending MPs and other attendees of the session when he ascended to the podium and after ending the speech, also broadcast live by Kuwait Television. Stressing the divergent opinions among the Kuwaitis do not constitute a source for concern, Sheikh Sabah expressed confidence that the nationals would remain united, saying in part, “all the Kuwaitis are faithful to their homeland, ardent advocates for its service, devoted for making sacrifices for it. “Honor of Kuwait shall be safeguarded, it’s the honor of all of us, and it shall be protected against any bids aimed at its sanctity.”

HH the Amir stressed that the leadership reiterated its stance in protecting the constitution from those trying to breach it, noting that such action would guarantee security and peace in Kuwait. Sheikh Sabah also said that he respected the individual rights of Kuwaitis, adding that all people in this country were

focusing on Kuwait’s welfare and prosperity.

Kuwait should be very aware of the situation in the region which required a solid internal stance and unity amongst Kuwaitis, said the Amir who called on all individuals to work on steps to help bolster notions of democracy and freedom of speech in the country.

The parliament and Cabinet should work hand-in-hand to provide a better future for Kuwait, unifying in a national efforts in this regard, said Sheikh Sabah. He said that such goal could not be achieved without the government acknowledgment of mistakes and efforts to find means to overcoming obstacles via setting realistic plans and goals that would achieve the ambitions and dreams of people they govern. The Amir also addressed the parliament in his speech, saying that it should work on measures to avoid the negative aspects that led the legislative institution astray. Media institutions should also carry on responsibilities to avoid negative aspects that would affect national unity, said the Amir who also called on Kuwaiti youth to walk on the path that would benefit their country without harming the democratic institution or freedom of speech. The Amir affirmed that Kuwait, as a nation, would continue its confident steps to work for a better future, indicating that the “Kuwait’s spring” was witnessed ages ago through the solemn efforts of this nation’s founders and the determination of its youth. —KUNA

MP Ali Al-Rashed is congratulated after being elected speaker of Kuwait’s new parliament in Kuwait City yesterday.

Time to build nation’s future: PM KUWAIT: It is very important for Kuwaitis to set their differences aside and work on measures to build their country to provide a better future for everyone living on this land, said HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah yesterday. Delivering a speech to the first regular session of the 14th legislative term of the National Assembly, Sheikh Jaber congratulated the newly-elected MPs on earning the trust of the Kuwaiti people, hoping that they would attend to their duties in achieving welfare and prosperity that people here so eagerly seek.

Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak also said that the government heeded the calls by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during his speech which focused on notions of overcoming differences and focusing on the future. He affirmed that the government was willing to cooperate with parliament for the sake of Kuwait’s future. The PM also touched on the happenings which previously occurred in the country, saying that true democracy revolved around freedom of speech and beliefs which were not contradictory to the law or led to invading the rights of others.

“Despite our differences, we are all loyal to Kuwait and will work vigorously to protect and develop our land,” said Sheikh Jaber. He said that there were many missed opportunities and chances that could have led to the rapid development of Kuwait, indicating that this was not the time to dwell into past mishaps and misfortunes, but it was the time to build and develop. Kuwaitis, said Sheikh Jaber, are expecting both legislative and executive powers to cooperate and lead the nation on the road for development. He affirmed that the cabinet will carry on its part of the responsibility, hoping that the parliament would do the same.

Based on article 98 of the constitution, the Cabinet had initiated the necessary procedures to carry on a comprehensive program in line with Kuwait development’s plan, said Sheikh Jaber. He revealed that the program consisted of several phases focusing on reinforcing national unity to achieve stability in the country, stressing the rule of law and role of institutions in fighting corruption, providing better education and methods of upbringing for the new generations of Kuwaitis, revitalizing national economy and the nation’s financial status, providing and speeding up housing services for Kuwaiti citizens, improving healthcare and media services, as well as supporting civil society institutions

Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah addresses the opening session of the Assembly.

Newly elected Kuwaiti MP Safaa Al-Hashem chats with other MPs during the opening session of the newly elected parliament in Kuwait City yesterday.

Shiite MP Maasouma Al-Mubarak waves during the opening session of the newly elected parliament in Kuwait City yesterday. and encouraging voluntary work.

Sheikh Jaber said that local challenges should not distract Kuwait from happenings on the regional and global scales, noting that Kuwait

would continue its foreign policy which is based on bridging the gap amongst nations of the world and promoting welfare and peace for all countries.— KUNA

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

LOCAL

New parliament urged to pass domestic labor law

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Manila-based Filipino recruitment agencies have expressed hope that new parliament in Kuwait would look into the issue of domestic workers and pass a domestic labor law hanging fire. The passage of the legislation would enable these firms to resume their business which they had unilaterally shut down on December 1.

Some Filipino recruitment agencies stopped hiring or recruiting domestic helpers (article 20) from the Philippines amidst disagreements between the Philippines and Kuwait regarding housemaids’ salary.

“Our appeal to the Kuwaiti government is that the Parliament must pass the domestic labor law and agree to $400 (KD112.56) salary,” a female owner of the Philippine recruitment agency, who wanted to remain anonymous, said.

“I know that for some, even KD112 salary was too high but I hope the countries in the Middle East would talk and agree on a common wage. I have heard that Kuwait will agree to hike the salary by KD85-90. We also urge the Manila government to reduce the amount. I hope and pray that the two sides could meet halfway,” she said.

“Since there is a new parliament now, I hope they would look into the issue and resolve it once and for all,” she told Kuwait Times. Many local recruitment agencies in Kuwait expressed happiness at the fact that some non-governmental organizations like the Social Works Society of Kuwait (SWSK) have been supporting and pursuing issues related to the domestic helpers.

In fact, the SWSK also called upon the new Kuwaiti parliament last week asking it to tackle the domestic labor law issue as soon as the new parliament resumes.

Some recruitment agencies from Manila

have reportedly stopped processing visa for domestic helpers. The Philippine government wants to strictly implement its unilateral policy of US$400 monthly salary while the Kuwaiti government asked it to wait till a new domestic labor law pending for two years before the Kuwaiti parliament is approved.

Authorities in Kuwait have also informed housemaids’ agencies in the country to avoid promising an increase in salaries or recruitment fees of domestic workers unless they receive an order from the Ministry of Interior.

Recruitment offices around the country received a statement from the domestic workers’ division in the [Interior Ministry’s] Migration General Department, asking them to ignore instructions received from any party other than official state departments regarding the fees for recruiting labor forces or their salaries.

“Our action to stop recruitment and deploying Filipinas in Kuwait was influenced by the fact that we have been threatened with a closure notice (by interior ministry) recently if we entertained a salary hike for Filipino domestic helpers. In order to avoid that, we stopped the recruitment ourselves,” she added.

Earlier this year, the Philippines government proposed to gradually ban domestic helpers from the Philippines from going to serve in Kuwait and other Gulf countries over the next five years.

Philippine Labour Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz was quoted as saying that there has been a recommendation from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) which found that the three Gulf countries, namely Kuwait, the UAE and Qatar, could not guarantee protection for these workers. The POEA governing board has yet to take a decision on this issue.

Speed-sensor cameras installed across Kuwait Point-to-point cameras to be operational soon

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The newly installed speed cameras will be operational soon. Currently the newly-installed speed-sensor cameras on the First Ring Road are operational, said Colonel Adel Al-Hashash, Director of PR and Media at the Ministry of Interior, who added that all the new cameras across Kuwait will be operational as soon as all the cameras are installed. “Currently, the only camera with a capability to measure point-to-point speed is the one on the First Ring Road. It was the first to be installed as a test case to study its efficiency,” he told the Kuwait Times yesterday.

The Ministry of Interior earlier announced that the new smart cameras will check the practice adopted by speeding drivers who had learnt how to fool the cameras by decreasing their speed when passing in front of the camera and then accelerating again. Since most drivers knew in advance the location of the cameras, these had lost all purpose. With the new system, one camera will scan the passing cars at a certain point while another installed some distance away will scan the traffic once again. Since a car following a speed limit must take a minimum time to cover the distance, any vehicle caught outside this time zone would obviously be considered guilty of having crossed the speed limit at some point over the stretch, and will be liable for penal action.

A number of new speed-sensing cameras have come up along various roads and highways to help check over-speeding, but unlike the earlier cameras that measured speed at one given point, the new gizmos are equipped to calculate the average speed of the vehicle between two given points.

Since cameras are placed quite close to each other, the vehicle’s speed between the two points can be measured.

This is likely to make it difficult to dodge the deterrent cameras by slowing down just before passing in front of one, a tactic drivers often employed. Hashash did not specify the exact date for the cameras to start operating. Also, he could not provide statistics or information about the number of cameras that will be installed or their exact locations.

However, he assured that the new speed cameras will be installed along all the highways and main roads across all governorates. Some drivers wondered whether the speed limit violation fines were being increased. “There are many rumors going on about the issue. No new law or regulation has been issued to effect a change in the quantum of traffic violation fines which remain the same. The fines start from KD 20 and go up to KD 50, depending on the speed,” explained Al-Hashash. Anyway, drivers must remain careful as the Ministry may announce any day about new speed cameras becoming operational. Also, additional cameras

491 trialed for riots KUWAIT: An unprecedented number of 491 people have so far appeared in Kuwaiti courts this year for taking part in politically-motivated unlicensed demonstrations, a local newspaper reported yesterday quoting official state records.

The report published by Al-Qabas newspaper mentioned nine cases in which the detainees were prosecuted while some of them were later released.

They include 68 Kuwaitis arrested for storming the parliament’s building late last year, and four citizens accused of setting candidate Mohammad Al-Juwaihel’s election camp on fire following a protest last January.

Meanwhile, 12 Kuwaitis stood before court on charges of organizing an unlicensed procession following a demonstration at the Erada Square, while 12 others were held for storming Al-Watan TV’s building, and three for breaking into the Scope TV building.

Among the detainees are also 90 Kuwaitis held following the first two unlicensed processions organized by oppositionist groups under the title Karamet Watan (dignity of a nation). Also, 60 citizens including 17 teenagers were arrested during unlicensed night protests that took place in recent years in Sabah Al-Nasser, Al-Sabahiya and Al-Jahra.

In addition, there are 230 Bedouin (stateless) residents who were charged for participating in unlicensed demonstrations during Bedouin protests reported this year, while 12 Syrian men went on trial for breaking into the Syrian embassy building following a protest against the Syrian regime.—Al-Qabas

KUWAIT: The newly installed speed sensor cameras are expected to reduce traffic accidents and help regulate traffic. The image is used for illustrative purposes only.— Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat may come up at any point anytime. Recently, in the course and one speed camera on Al Taawon Street from Mesila of a single day, two cameras came up on the Sixth Ring Bridge to Bida’a roundabout. All these were in addition to Road between 360 Mall and Messila Bridge, two cameras the existing cameras. Clearly, speedsters have enough reaon the Fahaheel Express Road between Salwa and Dasma son to control the urge to step on it.

VIVA celebrates Bahrain national day with exceptional promotions KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s fastest-growing telecom operator, announced today the launch of a special promotion for its prepaid and postpaid customers in celebration of the Bahrain national day. For every five minutes during a call made to families and friends in Bahrain on this occasion, VIVA will grant customers five free minutes in return. This promotion is valid for the 24 hours of 16 December, 2012.

This promotion was designed by VIVA for this occasion and as a result of the long-standing relationship that exists with Bahrain and its fellow people, to grant them the opportunity to speak to their loved ones at half price and share the joys of this

celebrated day. VIVA congratulates the Bahraini community on this occasion and reaffirms its commitment towards offering all that is pioneering and advanced in the telecom industry, and to continue presenting its customers with an exceptional experience.

Customers interested in this special offer can visit any of the VIVA branches for additional information and activation. To find out more about VIVA’s numerous competitive promotions, products and packages visit any of the 14 VIVA branches or visit the website at www.viva.com.kw , or contact its 24hour call center at 55102102.

News

in brief

Cabinet’s work program within a month: Report KUWAIT: The cabinet is expected to present its work program before the parliament within a month after it is outlined by state owned and private firms assigned for this task, a local newspaper reported yesterday quoting a source with knowledge of the issue. As per the constitution, each ministry is required to present details of its respective work program to the parliament immediately after the formation of the cabinet. While ordinarily, the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development is responsible for this task, the source who spoke to Al-Qabas on the condition of anonymity indicated that unidentified “government and private consulting bodies” will supervise the process of drafting the program. They have been given one month deadline to finish the job. The work program is expected to focus on the young generation as well as the state’s economy and development in general, the source further added. “The program is set to be in line with projects included in the state’s development plan as well as medium term and long term strategies up to 2035,” the source further indicated. He also noted that “fundamental issues” including “protection of Kuwait’s sovereignty, independence and constitution” will receive significant attention in the program. Separately, Minister of Commerce and Industry Anas Al-Saleh said continuation of the efforts to “achieve structural economic reforms” was a “pressing need” of the time and the cabinet must adopt it as part of its program. The minister did not expect quick results from the projected reform process “due to the nature of economic problems at hand,” but promised “good results in the medium and long terms.”

The enforcement of the new Companies Law before the parliament’s election was only the first step in a series of decisions by which Al-Saleh plans to tackle the present economic challenges in his tenure. “The law comes as part of primary incentives package aiming to improve the local business environment and economic competitiveness,” the minister told Al-Rai. Another cabinet member facing tough challenges is the newly appointed health minister Dr. Mohammad Al-Haifi, who said in statements to Al-Rai over the weekend that he plans to hold periodic meetings with committees within local hospitals responsible for nominating patients to the state’s overseas treatment program “in order to ensure that every deserving case gets the chance to receive treatment abroad.” He also announced plans to continue with the ministry’s projects for senior citizens and disabled citizens’ health care. Meanwhile, Al-Anba newspaper reported quoting ‘MOH insiders’ to say that minister Al-Haifi plans to address a number of pressing issues on top priority, including suspicions of waste of public funds, alleged slacking reported at several state departments, as well as suspected mismanagement in antituberculosis drive.

Smoking law needs ameudmeut KUWAIT: Legal Affairs Administration Director at Ministry of Health, Dr Mahmoud Abdul Hadi, said intensive meetings were on with fatwa and legislation administration to approve the final draft for the amendment of smoking law. “We have demanded amendments in the draft law and have sought addition of some articles aimed at increasing the punishment for smokers by increasing the penalties from KD 50 to KD 500. These will be doubled in case of repeat violation of the law, and will also have an imprisonment provision.”

He said that one of the demands was that only employees authorized by Minister of Health should have the power to stop smokers in any non-smoking areas, similar to municipality employees who inspect foodstuff items and other things.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

LOCAL kuwait digest

Local Spotlight

Time to swallow pride

Should NA last for four years?

By Ahmad Al-Sarraf he Japanese are considered one of the most patriotic people in the world when it comes to national pride. They believe they are the best, and that the methods they adopt are better than anyone else’s.

However, this, along with the achievements made in management and industry, did not stop one of the largest Japanese companies to seek assistance from a Lebanese-born engineer to save it from collapse after its debts exceeded $22 billion.

T

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

It was in 1999 that Nissan Motors hired this man, who was born in Lebanon, grew up in Brazil and later studied and started his career in France, to be their savior. Carlos Ghosn, who arrived as a 6-year-old boy in Brazil with his mother and graduated with a degree in engineering from the Ecole Polytechnique in France, did something unprecedented when he helped the Japanese carmaker post $2.7 billion in profits just a year after being hired as operations manager first and then shortly promoted to Chairman and CEO. His achievements helped Nissan, who had suffered more than $6 billion worth of losses the year before, avoid what seemed to be imminent bankruptcy. Later, his tremendous success led Renault, Europe’s largest carmaker, to appoint him as Chairman and CEO in 2005.

He eventually was assigned to hold the same positions at Renault-Nissan Alliance, the strategic partnership overseeing the two companies through a unique crossshareholding agreement.

One wonders what made the Japanese put their pride aside and hire a Lebanese-born man to run one of the country’s oldest companies (established in 1933) with a market value that exceeds 3000 trillion yens, and which had at least 155,000 employees? The answer lies in their pragmatism.

If we take a deep look at the traffic situation in Kuwait, we find that interior ministers have for half a century insisted on giving the Traffic General Department’s director post to a serviceman who spends all his life in learning about how to face riots, maintain security, pursue criminals and other security-related duties. This department is not concerned with regulating traffic as much as it is with maintaining traffic flow, reducing chances of road accidents, designing routes, in addition to other technical duties.

Therefore, I believe it is time for us to admit our failure in this field, and start doing the right thing by hiring foreign expertise to solve the problem. The issue has assumed monstrous proportions and has become a daily nightmare for many, a problem that no serviceman will ever be able to fix no matter what his rank. We certainly are not better than the Japanese, nor are we smarter or more experienced than western countries which benefit from each other’s expertise without any sensitivities being involved.

What is the problem in Kuwait hiring an internationally distinguished expert in traffic affairs in order to look into our problem and try to find solutions? By the way, many such experts are available. — Al-Qabas

esterday the new session of the National Assembly commenced. It is an Assembly with a life of four years; at least that is what the good book of law says.

But will that necessarily be the case, and what should and would happen, is still to be seen. In recent times, the National Assembly’s life has not been more than a year and a half. The last National Assembly survived for four months before it was dissolved by the court. Now, such a scenario hardly surprises Kuwaiti people and has rather become common. The question that we should be concerned about is not how this National Assembly will survive for four years, but whether it should last its entire term?

The recent election came at a difficult time for Kuwait when there was a new voting system with each voter entitled to a single vote and there were many who opposed participation. Although some key opposition leaders did not contest, some new and well known names have made it to National Assembly. However, it is still not possible to predict if this National Assembly will last its term. I do believe we need some stability in the country on the political level but under no circumstances can that mean that we as voters will allow any MP to think we are naive. We cannot allow anyone to enrich himself or herself at our expense.

In the past, some MPs clearly and openly used their position and influence to accumulate ill-begotten wealth and also involved their relatives in such illegal business practices. Although some of these allegations were not and could not be proven in the eyes of the law, some of them could never justify the source of their sudden wealth. The government did not take a stand and instead re-appointed some of them and thus shielded them.

Personally, I cannot think of any other reason why a government would defend a corrupt member unless it perceived such a person to be of some use. I think even a shadow of a doubt, a whiff of a scandal that an MP could be involved in corruption should be enough reason to ease him or her out, but sadly that does not happen in Kuwait.

Should this National Assembly last four years? Only if every MP is ready to sign and approve his financial statement and declare that he or she will not use official power or influence to enrich oneself, that all bank accounts of the MPs will be in Kuwait and, if held overseas, it will be within the powers of the Kuwaiti government to check such accounts in case of any suspicion s of any illegal practice.

For me, this is the only condition under which this National Assembly should be allowed to last. Allegations of corruption should not be tolerated at all, now or at any

Y

If we take a deep look at the traffic situation in Kuwait, we find that interior ministers have for half a century insisted on giving the Traffic General Department’s director post to a serviceman who spends all his life in learning about how to face riots, maintain security, pursue criminals and other security-related duties.

kuwait digest

No support for destruction

By Aziza Al-Mufarej read a column by Hassan Al-Essa just before the animosity against the government only because it National Assembly elections in which he asked the decided that each one of us should get one vote just Kuwaitis to boycott the elections. He said in his intro- like all democracies in the world, and because it did so duction: “When you boycott, you reject attempts by the to get rid of tribalism and sectarianism? ruling authority to impose its will on you and its views Did we not elect during the previous elections one on the state’s political journey. Why does it consider us or two MPs because we believed in them, then distribas minors who lack competence and are always in need uted the other two or three votes to those we liked but of someone to tell us what to do, how, where and without knowing whether they deserve our vote or not. when?”

We know the liberal faction’s chronic animosity We, my dear colleague, own our decisions just as against the government since the sixties, but is it not you do yours. Our decision to vote was a result of our the time to leave the past behind and look towards the conviction that the steps taken future, at least for the sake of

by HH the Amir were correct, our children and grand chilWe ask the citizens to just as your decision to not dren? Why stay adamant and exercise your right to vote came back the demands of polit- crawl backwards with every out of a conviction that the one problem? Why recall events of ical parties and popular the past all the time? There will voter-one vote decree was not right. Why is it so difficult for always be the record of the government, and then you to understand that? forged 1967 Assembly and the Also, why do you not consid- take it for granted that the National Council, the annulled er that the action of those who 1986 Assembly, Monday boycotted to call others also to Kuwaiti citizen agrees with diwaniyas and so on. Are you boycott was also akin to impostired of repeating it all ad all these demands. What not ing their will on others, includnauseum? ing their own reading of which have we achieved by doing We ask the citizens to back way Kuwait was headed in its the demands of political parties so till now? Do you believe and popular government, and political journey? In one case, you see it as an imposition of that the rational Kuwaiti then take it for granted that the will, while in the other, you call citizen agrees with all will agree to destroy his Kuwaiti it freedom of opinion. these demands. What have we Further in the same column, nest with his own hands by achieved by doing so till now? he wrote: “You must be a full Do you believe that the rational introducing political par- Kuwaiti will agree to destroy his citizen in this state which is trying to marginalize you as a citinest with his own hands by ties into our system? zen, and push you aside in matintroducing political parties into ters which concern you. In our system? We have seen the those matters, the government orders you as if you are destruction they caused in other Arab countries. merely a follower or a worker, someone who lacks comIn conclusion, if the above referred columnist feels petence and humanity.” that his freedom is compromised, then it is his problem Oh, my God! When did the government do all that? which we cannot empathize with because we are not When did it marginalize us, push us aside and treat us suffering from it. As for the question about whether we as people lacking competence? When did it ask us to are choosing to vote to get rid of our own being, our give up the right to select who we want to represent us answer is that our vote was to strengthen that very in parliament, who speaks on our behalf and expresses being. We did so to avoid following those who are our demands, and supervises our ministers? Is all this themselves a failure. — Al-Watan

I

kuwait digest

Dependence on foreign labor

By Dr Shamlan Al-Essa n official source in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) told Al-Kuwaitiya newspaper on Dec 12 that there are 44,965 citizens and 1,202,862 expats working in the private sector, which means the total work force in the private sector is 1,247,816 workers. The figures are worrying and the Cabinet and assembly must look at them carefully, particularly because the official numbers indicate that the number of citizens among the total population is no more than 31%. Kuwait now has only 1,100,000 citizens.

What is really scary is that most citizens work in the public sector where their percentage has reached 90%.

This is exactly the sector which is not productive. We are trying that Kuwaiti youth should be working in the private sector or the productive sectors in the country because the numbers published by MSAL show a low percentage of national labor in this sector, a mere 35% of the total workers.

The problem of the foreign labor and the demographic issues is an old one. It started with late Ahmad Al-Duaij and the planning council in the 1960s. About half-a-century has passed without finding any serious solution. Why did Kuwait and other Arabian Gulf countries fail in dealing with the labor-related issues vis-a-vis the demographic structure? There are many reasons, most important of which is the lack of seriousness by revenue oriented gulf countries. The gulf regimes adopted a wrong policy in focussing on quantitative but not qualitative aspects of education. These countries thought that quantitative expansion of education will solve the labor problem but weak curricula and disconnect with the needs of the market only led to an increased dependence of these countries on foreign labor. Why is dependence on foreign labor continuing and rather increasing every year? Foreign labor is more competent, appreciative and productive than Kuwaiti citizens. Their demands are lesser and these workmen do not interfere in politics and they do not go on strike or demonstrate. This means that the Gulf States actually do not need their citizens, especially when they do not pay taxes unlike the rest of the people anywhere in the world. Citizens do not face conscription in the army even in case of a foreign aggression. The Gulf States signed security agreements with major powers to protect themselves from any foreign attack. In simple terms, the state in the gulf is stronger than the society, and the society with its public and private sectors depends on the state in every matter.

Salary increases in all gulf countries following the Arab spring revolutions increased the citizens’ dependence on the government and actually ended up marginalizing them. The tragedy in Kuwait is that the increased salaries in the public sector led to the migration of citizens from private to public sector, leaving the private sector largely in the hands of the foreign labor as Kuwaiti youth refrained from working in it.

There are no magic solutions for this problem other than reviewing the education and training systems. We need to prepare our youth that can compete with others at the work place. In order to propel a movement towards such a scenario, there is need to stop recruitment in the public sector. — Al-Watan

A

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

LOCAL

13th Health Week Exhibition at KU

Dr. Husain Al-Khayyat inaugurates the exhibition.

Dr. Husain Al-Khayyat with the exhibition’s organizing committee.— Photos by Joseph Shagra

KUWAIT: Dr. Husain Al-Khayyat, Dean of the Engineering and Petroleum College in the Kuwait University, inaugurated the 12th Health Week Exhibition which was organized from December 9 to 13 at the Farouq Al-Mutairi Exhibition Hall in AlKhaldiya.

Various medical bodies in the public and private sectors participated in the event, whose theme was ‘Your Health, Your Life’. The exercise was aimed at “spreading awareness about health care and public safety procedures to KU students and staff.”

A blood donation camp, a first aid course, a seminar about nutrition and free medical tests were part of the exhibition.

Dr. Husain Al-Khayyat listens to an explanation from Anwar Al-Jassem and Hessa AlBahwa of the Environment Public Authority.

Dr. Husain Al-Khayyat in a photo with Sebamed’s staff.

Students pose for a photo in front of the Sebamed pavilion.

Dr. Husain Al-Khayyat is welcomed at the Sebamed pavilion.

Gulf Bank, CBK sign loan deal on behalf of Jazeera Airways Group KUWAIT: Gulf Bank and Commercial Bank of Kuwait announced the signing of the loan documentation for a Structured Finance Transaction for Jazeera Airways Group (Jazeera Airways), whereby Gulf Bank was appointed Exclusive Mandated Lead Arranger by Jazeera Airways. The KD financing was split between Gulf Bank, playing the role of Mandated Lead

Marwan Boodai, Chairman of Jazeera Airways, Michel Accad, CEO of Gulf Bank and Nuhad Saliba, CEO of Commercial Bank of Kuwait, in addition to a number of senior management from all three organizations. Marwan Boodai, Chairman of Jazeera Airways said: “This transaction will assist us by contributing to development and expansion plans we have in place for

Arranger, Lender, Agent and Security Agent, and Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CBK), who participated as Lender on an equal basis. The signing ceremony took place on Wednesday 12th December 2012, at the Jazeera Airways Head Office in Freedom Town, and was attended by

our airline as part of our growth strategy.

We are proud of our relationship with strong strategic financial partners such as Gulf Bank and Commercial Bank of Kuwait, and look forward to growing our business together, with the support of both Gulf Bank and Commercial Bank of Kuwait.”

Michel Accad, Chief Executive Officer at Gulf Bank said: “We are very pleased to have completed the signing of this transaction. Our Corporate Finance team worked closely with the Jazeera Airways and Commercial Bank of Kuwait teams to ensure that the transaction was completed smoothly and efficiently.

“Gulf Bank looks very positively on collaborations with successful fast growing businesses like Jazeera Airways and plans to pursue more structured transactions in a number of sectors under its Corporate Finance strategy”. Today’s successful closing follows another recently closed financing transaction for Jazeera Airways Group, when Gulf Bank created history by becoming, for the first time, an Export Credit Agency lender, under a European Export Credit Agencies backed financing deal, for an Airbus A320 passenger plane.

In closing, Commercial Bank of Kuwait’s CEO, Nuhad Saliba said: “We are extremely pleased to sign this agreement in coordination with Jazeera Airways and Gulf Bank.

This agreement is an example of CBK’s intention to contribute to the growth & success of its clients. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Corporate Credit team and Legal counsel for the smooth execution of this landmark transaction.”

Students receive gifts at the Sebamed pavilion.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

LOCAL

Neighbour’s teenager son sexually assaults boy Kidnap attempt foiled in Farwaniya KUWAIT: A teenaged boy was sexually assaulted by a neighbour’s son, also a teenager, in Abu Halifa recently. The incident was reported at the area’s police station where an Arab man arrived with his 15-year-old son to press charges accusing his neighbor’s teenage son of raping his son. A case was filed and police began formalities to summon the suspect and his father for investigations.

Meanwhile, two teenaged brothers were arrested in Mubarak Al-Kabeer after they physically assaulted and sexually harassed a 16-year-old Kuwaiti girl. She was on her way to a grocery store near her house on foot when the suspects came across her and physically assaulted and sexually harassed her. Eventually, the girl was able to free herself and ran back home. Later, accompanied by her mother, she gave officers the address of the two brothers, who were known mischief mongers in the neighborhood. The suspects were soon arrested and referred to the Juveniles’ Prosecution

Department to face charges.

Kidnap foiled Search is on for two male suspects who attempted to kidnap a woman outside a supermarket in Far waniya recently. The Sri Lankan victim put up a stiff resistance, following which the suspects escaped. The woman gave officers description of the suspects’ car, but could not note down the license plate number since she was in a state of shock.

A case was filed at the area’s police station.

Landmine defused Bomb disposal units successfully defused a landmine found recently at the Salmi deser t.

Police rushed to a location 15 kilometers from the main road where a shepherd reported finding a foreign object that was half buried in the sand. Bomb squads were requisitioned after officers examined the object which was later identified as a landmine weighing 58 kilograms. The mine was a remnant from the 1990/91 Iraqi Invasion period. The sur-

rounding area was combed for potential explosives after the landmine was defused.

Bootleggers in custody Three people were arrested in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh recently for being in possession of alcohol.

The Indian men were arrested after patrol officers recovered 47 bottles filled with homebrewed liquor from their car. Officers had pulled over the vehicle due to some suspicion and searched the car after its occupants became nervous. The three were referred to the Drug Control General Department for further action.

Theft cases closed Two people were arrested recently for their involvement in at least 20 cases of theft reported recently in Hawally. Investigations had been on ever since several thefts at grocery stores, computer shops, barber shops and other places in the area were reported.

Detectives were eventually able to identify the suspects as two unemployed men who were later tracked down and arrested. The

suspects, one Kuwaiti and the other an Iranian, confessed to committing thefts either by breaking in or entering premises through ventilation openings.

They also indicated that they used to sell the stolen items at the Friday Market. Search is on for their accomplices, who the suspects said helped them in their crimes.

Meanwhile, Hawally police closed a theft case reported at an amusement park in the area after the keeper admitted responsibility for the incident.

Investigations had been on after items wor th KD 8,000 were repor ted stolen from a cell phone shop inside the park.

After fingerprints were taken from the scene, a bedoon (stateless) man working as a keeper in the park was classified as the prime suspect. He was summoned for interrogations during which he admitted that he had stayed overnight near the park and waited until 2:00 am before committing the theft. He was taken to the proper authorities to face charges.

KUWAIT: The ‘Clean Abbassiya’ campaign, jointly organized by the United Indian School management and Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh Residents Association to clear the mounts of garbage spread across the neighborhood, kicked off yesterday. The cleaning staff with the support of trucks and bulldozers began removing garbage dumps from Abbassiya mosque area from 9.30 am. According to the residents association, the first phase of the cleaning operation itself is expected to last for one week considering the amount of garbage being piled up all over the locality. United Indian School Chairman Thomas Chandy MLA, the association members and several local residents were present during the cleaning operation.

Official praises results of Kuwait Desert Challenge KUWAIT: The General-Secretary of the Kuwait Quarter-Mile Automobile and Motorcycle Club, Sheikh Ali Al-Fawaz AlSabah, said yesterday the third round of the 2012 Kuwait Desert Challenge, that concluded yesterday, “entertained the game fans and came as everyone expected.” Al-Fawaz praised outstanding performance of the competitors during the tournament, who reflected high standards and great technical capabilities.

He also said this round had seen fierce competition between the contestants, compared to the previous rounds, thus manifesting their capabilities to sharpen their experience further “and making us as officials responsible for this sport happy and satisfied.”

Club president expressed his hope the champions would continue to provide “advanced levels in the game, and we in the quarter mile club would provide all the facilities available for the players.”

More than 40 riders participated in the tournament that took place in the three categories. The winners of the (Extreme) category are Abdulaziz Bin Shakar, first, Abdulaziz Al-Bashir, second, and Faisal Al-Sabti, third. In the second category, Moda Fide, the first place was for Mohammed Al-Eid, the second place for Majid Al-Munei’, while the third ranks went for Hamad Al-Bahar. In the final category (Stoke), Jarah Al-Rabiah won the first place, Ali Lari came second and Sulaiman Al-Furaih third. — KUNA

Surprise inspection campaign

KUWAIT: Cambodian Ambassador to the State of Kuwait and Chairman of the ASEAN Committee in Kuwait (ACK) Long Kem formally turns over the ACK Chairmanship to Pengiran Haji Mustapa Aliuddin, Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam during the ceremony held at the Cambodian Ambassador Residence on 12 December 2012. The ASEAN Committee in Kuwait is composed of the heads of Mission (HOMs) of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The ACK Chairmanship is held for a year period and is rotated among the ASEAN Heads of Mission in Kuwait alphabetically by country who chair the ASEAN Standing Committee.

KUWAIT: The traffic department carried a series of surprise inspections in the six governorates over the weekend, issuing fines for 6,580 instances of traffic violation and detaining 209 vehicles besides 15 motor cycles.

Details of the traffic violations were as follows: Capital governorate - 1620 citations and 19 vehicles detained; Farwaniya governorate - 1000 citations and 30 vehicles detained; Hawally governorate - 1758 citations and 41 vehicles detained; Ahmadi governorate - 678 citations and 2

vehicles detained; Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorate - 174 citations and Al-Jahra governorate - 446 citations.

The operation department issued 750 citations over the weekend and detained 115 vehicles besides 15 motorcycles. It also issued 154 citations in the area surrounding the Kuwait I nternational A i r p o r t , a n d d e t a i n e d t wo ve h i c l e s.

Traffic depar tment authorities called upon all concerned to abide by the traffic rules and regulations for the safety of all road users.

TEC officials take a picture with a student following the ceremony.

The TEC karate students.

TEC graduates karate students KUWAIT: The Touristic Enterprises Company held a ceremony recently to honor karate students who successfully passed their graduation tests. The ceremony was held at the Shaab and Ras AlArdh clubs. Senior TEC officials attended the event which took place at the Shaab Sea Club, including Director of the

Beaches and Sea Clubs Department, Jassim Shumais, Al-Shaab Club’s Supervisor Salem Al-Jeeran, Ras Al-Ardh’s Supervisor Mohammad Al-Hajri and sensei Izzat Hanafi who trained the students.

Family members of the students who are the tenth batch to graduate from the TEC sea clubs’ karate schools, attended the

event. “TEC gives importance to activities that improve the athletic skills of young children in various sports including karate, tennis, swimming, football and basketball”, Shumais said in a statement during the ceremony. He then handed the medal and certificates to the students along with other TEC officials.

TEC officials with Sensei Hanafi and one of his students.

International MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

Syria warplanes raid Palestinian camp

Page 8

Body of royal hoax nurse reaches India

Page 11

PESHAWAR: Pakistani security forces look at the dead body of Taleban militant during a gun battle with militants in Peshawar yesterday. Six people were killed as police and troops battled militants armed with automatic weapons, grenades and mortars in northwest Pakistan’s Peshawar, a day after a deadly Taleban raid on the city’s airport. — AFP

Pakistan police battle militants Deadly Taleban raid at city’s airport PESHAWAR: Six people were killed ysterday as police and troops battled militants armed with automatic weapons, grenades and mortars in northwest Pakistan’s Peshawar, a day after a deadly Taleban raid on the city’s airport.

Fierce firing broke out after police acting on an intelligence report stormed a building near the airport, where a suicide and rocket attack on Saturday killed five civilians and five attackers and wounded 50 other people.

The assault late Saturday, claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, sparked prolonged gunfire and forced authorities to close the airport, a commercial hub and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) base in Peshawar on the edge of the tribal belt.

It was the second Islamist militant attack in four months on a military air base in nucleararmed Pakistan. In August 11 people were

killed when heavily-armed insurgents wearing suicide vests stormed a facility in the northwestern town of Kamra.

Police backed by troops launched a raid early Sunday on a building under construction near the airport following reports that five militants who fled after the airport attack had taken refuge there, said provincial information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain.

In the subsequent shootout three militants and a policemen were killed, police said, while two other officers were wounded. The clashes ended after six hours when the two remaining militants detonated their suicide vests inside the building, another senior police officer, Imtiaz Altaf, told AFP. “All five militants are dead now and the area has been cleared,” Altaf said. “All of them were wearing suicide jackets. Three were killed

in a shootout with police, while two others blew themselves up in the under-construction building.”

A PAF statement said five attackers were killed on Saturday and no damage was done to air force personnel or equipment, though Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed the assault had damaged “several helicopters and aircraft”.

Doctor Umar Ayub, chief of Khyber Teaching Hospital near the airport, said five civilians had also been killed and some 50 wounded. “The base is in total control and normal operations have resumed. The security alert was also raised on other PAF air bases as well,” the air force added.

Peshawar airport is a joint military-civilian facility. Civil Aviation Authority spokesman Pervez George said the passenger side had

reopened after an 18-hour closure and there was no damage to the terminals.

The air force said Saturday’s attackers used two vehicles loaded with explosives, hand grenades, rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons. One vehicle was destroyed and the second badly damaged.

Security forces found three suicide jackets near one of the vehicles, it said. “Security forces consisting of Pakistan Air Force and Army personnel who were on full alert, cordoned off the base and effectively repulsed the attack,” the air force said.

Television pictures showed a vehicle with a smashed windscreen, another damaged car, bushes on fire and what appeared to be a large breach in a wall. Five nearby houses were destroyed after rockets landed on them and several other houses developed cracks, while

the bomb squad detonated five out of eight bombs found near the base after the attack.

Taliban spokesman Ehsan said the target was not the civilian airport but the military.

“Our target was jet fighter planes and gunship helicopters and soon we will target them again,” he told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.

The armed forces have been waging a bloody campaign against the Taleban in the northwest in recent years and militants frequently attack military targets. In May 2011 it took 17 hours to quell an assault claimed by the Taliban on an air base in Karachi.

Pakistan says more than 35,000 people have been killed as a result of terrorism in the country since the 9/11 attacks on the United States. Its forces have for years been battling homegrown militants in the northwest. — AFP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

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

US forces gone but Iraqi problems remain BAGHDAD: Abu Mohammed loudly laments that problems in Iraq, from violence to unemployment, have not improved since US forces departed a year ago, as he displays a grey jacket to customers at a Baghdad market.

“Whether the (US) occupation was here or not, for us, nothing has changed,” said the 59-year-old who sells used clothes from a cart in the crowded open-air Bab al-Sharji market of central Baghdad. “During the occupation, there were explosions and today there are explosions.

Unemployment is still the same, the situation is still the same,” Abu Mohammed said.

The Americans’ “treatment of Iraqis was not good, Iraqis were like slaves for them,” he said. “They only left fear inside Iraqis. What do we remember about them? Nothing good.”

The last in a convoy of American armoured vehicles rolled across the border into Kuwait on the chilly morning of December 18, 2011, marking the completion of the US withdrawal from

Iraq. A US-led coalition invaded Iraq in 2003, toppling dictator Saddam Hussein and beginning a conflict that cost the lives of tens of thousands of Iraqis, thousands of Americans and hundreds of billions of dollars.

Almost 10 years later, many Iraqis still lack basic services such as consistent electricity and clean water, and though levels of violence are down, insurgents continue to carry out bombings and shootings almost every day. In Khilani Square near Bab al-Sharji, 48year-old Mahmud Yassin, who sells tyres and vehicle batteries, expressed satisfaction that US forces are gone. “I walk and I see no Americans; that makes me feel better,” he said. “Who likes to see occupation? Any patriotic person will not accept foreigners in his homeland.” “We Iraqis are known for our pride; we do not accept occupation.” But aside from the satisfaction of having the US gone, Yassin said there is little else to celebrate: “Nothing changed since their withdrawal,” except that “the situation went from

bad to worse.” “We are two states in one state,” he said, hinting at the dispute between the federal government and the autonomous Kurdistan region in the north, which are at odds over issues including territory, oil and power-sharing. “Security might be better if the Americans were ... controlling the situation more, but despite that, their departure must be permanent,” Karim Gata, a tailor specialising in military uniforms, said in his small shop in Bab alSharji.

“They did not understand us, and we did not understand them. They came for special interests, and oil is the most important,” he said. Abed Alayan, 47, was seated surrounded by cardboard boxes holding clothes and other goods on sale on the side of a street near Khilani Square. “Our aspirations and wishes are very simple but they were not met,” he said. “I say to the American occupation that when the English occupation was here in the 1920s ... they built new bridges and streets for us, but you did not build us anything,” Abed Alayan

BAGHDAD: Iraqi policemen man a checkpoint on a road leading to Baghdad airport on December 11, 2012. Disputes among Iraqi politicians escalated as US troops departed on December 18, 2011 ending a nearly nine-year war that cost the lives of tens of thousands of Iraqis, thousands of Americans and hundreds of billions of dollars. — AFP

Syria warplanes in deadly raid on Palestinian camp Islamist rebels take Aleppo infantry base

JERUSALEM: Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman speaks to the press after handing his resignation before the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem yesterday. Lieberman, a key ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, resigned on December 14 after having been charged with breach of trust, barely five weeks ahead of general elections. — AFP

Lieberman turns focus to election campaign JERUSALEM: Avigdor Lieberman formally tendered his resignation as Israel’s foreign minister yesterday and said he would focus on campaigning for next month’s election on a joint ticket with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Although Netanyahu’s rightist party alliance is expected to easily win the Jan. 22 ballot, an opinion poll showed a dip in electoral support after Israeli prosecutors said on Thursday they would charge Lieberman with breach of trust.

Lieberman denies any wrongdoing in the case, which involved an Israeli diplomat who was promoted after leaking information to him about a police investigation into his activities. He told reporters on Sunday he hopes for a quick trial and acquittal that would allow his return to high office.

“I am parting temporarily,” Lieberman said. “The advantage is that it will leave me more time for activity ahead of the election. I intend to increase my involvement in electioneering, and I have no doubt what the outcome will be.”

Lieberman heads the far-right Israel Beiteinu party, which is running jointly with Netanyahu’s conservative Likud.

Lieberman is number two on the slate,

dubbed Likud Beiteinu. A poll on the Israeli news site Walla on Friday predicted Likud Beiteinu would take 35 of parliament’s 120 seats, down from 38 a day earlier.

Lieberman, a tough-talking immigrant from the former Soviet Union, said he wanted to prove his innocence in court.

It is highly unlikely a trial could be concluded in the time left before the election and the formation of the next government, and some commentators have said he might seek a plea bargain.

Speaking yesterday, Lieberman did not rule that out. “I very, very much hope this process will be a quick,” he said.

Israel’s Justice Ministry would not comment on the likely scheduling of Lieberman’s case and the possibility of a plea bargain. But ministry spokesman Moshe Cohen said prosecutors would not object to speeding up proceedings, if that were requested by Lieberman.

Lieberman’s resignation takes effect on Tuesday, after which the foreign portfolio will be assumed by Netanyahu, who has often sidelined Lieberman when it came to key relationships involving Washington and other Western allies. — Reuters

Freed Sudan opposition chief says govt scared KHARTOUM: The head of Sudan’s opposition political alliance, freed after two days in detention, said yesterday that the government fears rising popular discontent in the crisis-hit nation.

Farouk Abu Issa, who represents more than 20 opposition parties, told AFP he was released on Saturday by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS).

“They are scared because the country is in a real crisis,” he said. “They are scared that I am head of the opposition, and they are scared that the opposition will move” into action. Issa said he was held after giving a “fiery” speech in support of four dead Darfuri students.

The deaths, following a crackdown on a tuition protest at Gezira University south of Khartoum, last week sparked the largest outpouring of Arab Springstyle discontent in Sudan since antiregime protests in June and July.

Issa blamed the deaths on Islamic militia. “I accused them of killing these boys,” he said. But security agents who detained him made only brief reference to his speech, because no charges were ever brought against him or a proper questioning conducted, he said, adding that he was detained and then freed three times between Thursday and Saturday.

Each time he was left sitting in a

chair for seven to 10 hours “without anyone talking to me or interrogating me,” he said. “They asked me to come this morning and I refused,” he said. “I asked them, if they have a charge, to take me to court.”

Issa says his alliance, which includes all major parties except the ruling National Congress, favours peaceful change through strikes and demonstrations, yet he admitted such actions have been rare.

“I think in the coming few weeks you will see more of them,” because although people are still afraid of the security forces the worsening economic situation will force them to speak out, he said.

“All the people of Sudan are against the regime,” Issa said. “The regime is isolated, and they are ruling this country through their security forces.” In June and July, demonstrations began at the University of Khartoum over high inflation and then spread to involve scattered protests throughout the country, calling for the fall of President Omar al-Bashir’s 23-year government.

They petered out following a security clampdown. Inflation has risen further to 45 percent in October, but the cash-starved government has rejected workers’ demands to raise the minimum wage to 425 pounds a month (around $65). — AFP

DAMASCUS: Warplanes bombed a Palestinian refugee camp in south Damascus yesterday for the first time in Syria’s 21-month uprising, as the army escalated its efforts to suppress the rebellion in the capital.

An Islamist faction of Syrian rebels captured an infantry base in the northern city of Aleppo, its fighters said yesterday, as forces fighting to topple President Bashar Assad advanced on the country’s largest city.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the air strike killed at least eight civilians at Yarmuk camp, which has been hit by intermittent violence during the past few months.

The raid came as President Bashar alAssad’s forces used fighter jets against rebel positions in the provinces of Hama and Aleppo, where rebels stepped up a bid to seize a military academy.

Analysts say the Assad regime is still standing firm despite predictions by Western officials, and even a top Russian diplomat, of its imminent fall, and the fact rebel fighters now hold vast swathes of territory. “Warplanes staged an air strike on an area near Al-Bassel hospital... in Yarmuk camp,” the Observatory said.

Residents told AFP that a missile hit the Abdel Qader Husseini Mosque in the heart of the camp. The mosque was acting as a makeshift shelter for some 600 people forced to flee their homes in nearby districts engulfed in violence. Amateur video posted online by activists in the camp showed broken glass strewn on the ground by the mosque, and several bloodied bodies laid out at the entrance.

“There is a state of real war in the camp now,” Yarmuk resident Abu Mohammed told AFP by Internet. “There are intense battles between the Free Syrian Army and the Popular Front for the Liberation of PalestineGeneral Command,” a hardline Palestine militant group that has long been a Damascus ally. The air strike on Yarmuk was yesterday’s sixth on flashpoint districts of south Damascus, the Observatory said.

Fighter jets also bombed the nearby districts of Al-Hajar al-Aswad and Assali, scene of intense fighting between troops and rebels.

“The army feels it has to step up its campaign to suppress the insurgency in south Damascus, and that it cannot fight off rebels

without resorting to air power,” said the Observatory’s Rami Abdel Rahman. The escalating violence came a day after Iran’s armed forces chief of staff warned Turkey over its plans to deploy US-made Patriot missiles near Syria, saying the move was part of a Western plot to “create a world war”. “The Western countries seeking to deploy the missile batteries on the Turkey-Syria border are devising

to turn against Assad’s regime despite the conflict.

On the ground, violence raged as at least 19 people were killed in air strikes across the country, among them six children, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of activists and medics for its information. In the northern province of Aleppo, eight people including three children, died in air strikes

ALEPPO: In this Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012 photo, Free Syrian Army fighters aim their weapons during heavy clashes with government forces at a military academy besieged by the rebels north of Aleppo, Syria. Free Syrian Army fighters took control over the military academy after battling government forces for several hours. — AP plans for a world war. This is very dangerous onthe town of Safira. In the central province for everyone,” General Hassan Firouzabadi of Hama, three children were killed in air raids said. NATO has approved Turkey’s request for on the town of Kfar Zeita. Just south of Kfar Patriot missiles to bolster its restive border Zeita, six civilians were killed in shelling on defences, with Germany, the Netherlands and Latamneh village and 23 people, including 15 the United States agreeing to provide the civilians, died in clashes and army bombardmissile batteries. ments on the town of Halfaya.

But both Russia and Iran, the most powerSeparately, rebels clashed with troops near ful allies of the Assad regime, are opposed to an important military academy in Mulsimiyeh the move. Moscow declared on Friday it had just north of the embattled city of Aleppo, the not and would not change its stance on Syria, Observatory said. The watchdog gave an inia day after Deputy Foreign Minister Bogdanov tial toll of 52 people killed nationwide in Syria, said Damascus was “losing more and more adding to the total of more than 43,000 killed control” and that it was not excluded Assad since the start of the uprising in March last could lose the war. Russia has so far refused year. — AFP

Child deaths, bitter cold in Syrian refugee camps ZAATARI: One-year-old Ali Ghazawi, born with a heart defect, faced a battle for survival even before his family fled Syria’s civil war. It was a struggle he lost two weeks ago in the bitter winter cold of a tented refugee camp in north

Jordan. Ali died two days after undergoing a heart operation in Zaatari camp, which houses at least 32,000 refugees who escaped fierce bombardment in Syria’s rebellious southern province of Deraa, cradle of the uprising

WEST BANK: Palestinian and foreign activists hold Palestinian and Egyptian flags as they demonstrate in front of Israeli soldiers against the destruction of a monument commemorating the death of Egyptian soldiers killed during the 1967 Six-Day war in the West Bank village of Beit Nuba, west of Ramallah, yesterday amid local reports that Israeli authorities plan to destroy the monument set up by the Egyptian embassy five months ago. — AFP

against President Bashar al-Assad.

“I covered my son with two blankets, but he was not warming up, and he turned blue before he passed away in my hands,” said his sobbing 22-year-old mother, alone with a three-year-old daughter after she left her husband in Deraa and crossed the border in November.

Ali was the fourth baby to die in three weeks in the windswept camp. United Nations aid workers say none of the deaths were the direct result of conditions in Zaatari, yet they highlight the challenge facing relief agencies scrambling to provide basic shelter for half a million refugees in the region. “These deaths are a result of cumulative factors, some related to shortage in needs and natural causes. But on top of that, the reality that conditions are harsh cannot be ignored,” said Saba Mobaslat, programme director at Save the Children. Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey each host more than 130,000 registered refugees, and relief workers predict the numbers will only increase as violence escalates around the capital Damascus.

Mirroring Syria’s youthful population, almost 65 percent of Jordan’s camp residents are newborns and young children.

“Every night we are getting children as young as four days old, six

days old, one week, two weeks old, and it’s a real struggle to try to make sure that everyone survives,” said Andrew Harper, Jordan head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). “Women are giving birth on the border, and people are coming across pregnant. It’s a situation where we just need to redouble efforts, particularly as we move into winter, because you have hundreds of pregnant women who cross the border,” Harper said.

Families often send the most vulnerable to safety, he added, so alongside the very young in Zaatari are many older refugees.

“Last night we had a couple who were 97 years old,” he said.

Along the main road in the middle of the camp’s muddy and gravel streets, children of all ages race around the makeshift market place that sprang up after the camp opened in July.

Many families join in, out of enterprise or necessity, selling everything from hot falafel to household goods, old clothing and fresh vegetables.

“It’s a children’s camp. You walk into it and there are children everywhere. It’s in your face. The male adults are staying behind, and a woman comes with 10 children without her bread earner,” Mobaslat added. — Reuters

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

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

Absent Chavez dominates Venezuelan state elections Capriles fights to retain governorship

NAVIDAD: In this photo taken Nov. 29, 2012, a student walks past a sign indicating an evacuation route in the event of a tsunami, in Navidad, Chile. The road to the town of Navidad (Christmas in Spanish) is lined by a forest of eucalyptus trees and wildflowers that grow around painted tsunami warning signs that urge residents to build their homes high or dash for higher ground in case of a quake. — AP

Chilean town shaken by reminders of deadly quake NAVIDAD: One jolt hit in the middle of the night. Another caught fishermen at a nearby beach. Then the ground shook at supper. And then again, and again: More than 170 tremors were felt in Navidad in just five weeks. The strongest struck during a funeral, and sent panicked mourners fleeing into the street.

Navidad, a coastal farming town of 5,500 people, has become one of the shakiest spots in one of the world’s shakiest countries. And seismologists can’t say whether these were aftershocks from Chile’s devastating quake two years ago, or warnings of another huge disaster to come.

Navidenos, though, have learned to take quakes in stride. In this town whose name means Christmas, some decorate Christmas trees with quakes in mind, wiring ornaments to the branches or taking extra efforts to secure the base. Restaurant owners nail wood railings to their shelves to keep glasses and liquor from crashing down. Some now use canned beer, shunning bottles as too risky.

Children at public schools practice drills every day and everyone seems to have a quake bag with flashlights and food ready.

“We were born, grew up and were raised with earthquakes,” acting Mayor Rodrigo Soto said.

“It seems like the world for the first time has discovered Navidad. Everyone asks us if we’re scared and all we can say is that we need to be prepared.”

Still, no amount of preparation can avoid that panicky feeling when the ground really rumbles. There’s no way to know at that moment whether the shaking will pass quickly, or become frighteningly worse.

While the ground shook under the pews at the funeral, the faces of the mourners turned pale like the dead. Despite appeals for calm, the church swayed so much that people panicked and ran outside. “People were terrorized,” said Carolina Jeria, recalling that 5.9magnitude quake on Nov. 21. “In a moment like that, you lose control. We’re very worried about the quakes because the big one in 2010 caught us unprepared.”

Soto says the town still has an inadequate tsunami alert system - a siren that sounds like a car alarm and lacks the volume needed to reach all the townspeople. But after so many tremors, he says Navidenos know in their bones when to run. They know they’ll barely feel a magnitude-2, but a magnitude-7 will knock them off their feet and that’s a sign to scramble for high ground in case there’s a tsunami.

Aside from the quakes, life is slow in

Navidad. Many farmers still use oxen to plow their land, while others cater to tourists who come for the Pacific beaches from Chile’s capital of Santiago, 170 kilometers (100 miles) northeast of town. Yet people are often on edge.

It’s not just the ground’s trembling that reminds people of earthquake risks here.

Alongside the highway into town, wildflowers grow around tsunami warning signs that urge residents to build their homes high or be prepared to run for higher ground.

So far, the recent tremors have not caused damage or injuries, but they’re a frequent reminder of the 8.8-magnitude quake and tsunami in 2010 that devastated much of Chile’s coast, including Navidad. That quake killed 551 people, destroyed 220,000 homes and washed away docks and seaside resorts, costing Chile $30 billion, or 18 percent of its annual gross domestic product.

No Navidenos died, but nearly 200 homes were lost or severely damaged, and most townspeople had no power or water for a month.

“During the 2010 quake, the rupture zone reached all the way to Navidad. That’s why seismologists at the Universidad de Chile indicate that these could be late aftershocks,” Miguel Ortiz, national chief of the early alert center at Chile’s ONEMI Emergency Office. He also said the recent shaking could be a harbinger of another huge quake to come.

A team of international scientists said the chance of a big, or even great, quake could have increased along a wide expanse of Chile’s coast because of the 2010 quake. Their report in the journal Nature Geoscience last year concluded that it relieved only some of the stress accumulating underground since an 1835 quake that was witnessed and documented by British naturalist Charles Darwin.

Just off Chile’s long coast, the Nazca tectonic plate plunges beneath the South American continent, pushing the towering Andes to ever-higher altitudes. The 2010 quake was so strong it changed time, shortening the Earth’s day slightly by changing the planet’s rotation. The strongest earthquake ever recorded also happened in Chile, a magnitude-9.5 in 1960 that struck about 500 miles south of Navidad and killed more than 5,000 people. “What strikes me most about Chile is its beauty but also great potential for disasters - from large earthquakes to volcanic eruptions, much like in California,” said Paul Caruso, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Service.—Reuters

CARACAS: Venezuelans vote yesterday in state elections that will define the future of opposition leader Henrique Capriles and test political forces ahead of a possible new presidential vote if Hugo Chavez is incapacitated by cancer.

The vote for 23 state governorships, of which the opposition controls seven, has been overshadowed by the president’s battle to recover from cancer surgery in Cuba. Yet it will have major implications for the unfolding political drama in the South American OPEC nation with the world’s largest oil reserves. Capriles, 40, must retain the governorship of Miranda if he is to remain the opposition’s presidential candidate-in-waiting, while both sides will want a good showing to create momentum in case of a new showdown over who replaces Chavez.

“This is the best indication of how well the opposition will fare in an upcoming contest for the presidency between Henrique Capriles and designated Chavez dauphin Vice President Nicolas Maduro,” said Russell Dallen of Caracas-based BBO Financial Services.

Whatever the private machinations going on, in public Maduro and other senior officials are focused only on Chavez’s recovery after complications from Tuesday’s operation in Havana. It was a fourth surgery for the socialist leader since he was diagnosed with cancer in the pelvic region in mid-2011.

After re-election in October, Chavez, 58, is due to start a new term on Jan. 10, but has named Maduro as his preferred successor should he be incapacitated. That would trigger a new presidential poll within 30 days.

In its latest update, the government said Chavez had spoken to his family on Friday - possibly for the first time since surgery - and was recovering “satisfactorily ” though slowly. Few medical details have been released, so speculation is rife that Chavez may be in a life-

CARACAS: A woman votes during state elections, at a polling station in Caracas yesterday.

Venezuelans voted yesterday in state elections overshadowed by President Hugo Chavez’s latest and seemingly toughest battle against cancer. — AFP threatening situation in Havana’s Cimeq hospital with both a difficult post-operation recovery and a possible spreading of the cancer.

In such a charged atmosphere, campaigning for Sunday’s vote has taken a backseat to Catholic masses, prayer meetings and vigils across the nation for Chavez.

Maduro has wept in public, state media are replaying images of Chavez round-the-clock, and various government candidates held closing rallies simply playing the president’s voice.

The sympathy factor could benefit Chavez’s candidates and offset the disadvantage of losing his charismatic presence on the campaign trail in advance. “ Without wishing to be triumphalist, we have big chances of winning the 23 governorships and that is the biggest support we can give Chavez,” said his brother Adan

Chavez, who is seeking re-election in their hometown state of Barinas.

Still smarting from defeat in October, the opposition hopes voters will focus on grassroots issues and punish the government for power-cuts, pot-holed roads, corruption scandals, violent crime and runaway inflation. “I put my life at the service of Miranda and Venezuela,” Capriles said in his closing rally. “I’m not here to stay in power but to make a dream (of national change) come true.”

Though widely expected to retain his Miranda seat, Capriles faces a well-financed challenge from senior Chavez ally Elias Jaua, a former vice president. If he defeats Capriles, it would leave the opposition in disarray and possibly spark in-fighting over who would be its next presidential candidate.

Two other opposition governors, Pablo Perez and Henri Falcon, are

obvious possibilities. But first they too must retain their posts to maintain credibility, and they do not have the national recognition Capriles achieved during his unsuccessful run for the presidency in October.

Despite losing, he won the opposition’s largest share - 6.5 million votes, or 45 percent - against Chavez, and impressed Venezuelans with his energetic style, visits to the remotest corners, and attention to their day-to-day issues. “In the unlikely event that Capriles loses, he would probably have no chance of running for the presidency again,” political risk consultancy Eurasia Group said.

The mid-December timing of the vote could count against the opposition, many of whose middle-class supporters often take advantage of school holidays to travel. — Reuters

US school staffers hailed as heroes NEWTOWN: A worker who turned on the intercom, alerting others in the building that something was very wrong. A custodian who risked his life by running through the halls warning of danger. A clerk who led 18 children on their hands and knees to safety, then gave them paper and crayons to keep them calm and quiet.

Out of the ruins of families that lost a precious child, sister or mother, out of a tight-knit town roiling with grief, glows one bright spot: the stories of staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School who may have prevented further carnage through selfless actions and smart snap judgments. District Superintendent Janet Robinson noted “incredible acts of heroism” that “ultimately saved so many lives.” “The teachers were really, really focused on their students,” she told reporters Saturday.

Some of them made the ultimate sacrifice.

After gunman Adam Lanza broke through the school door, gun blazing, school psychologist

Mary Sherlach and principal Dawn Hochsprung ran toward him, Robinson said. Hochsprung died while lunging at the gunman, officials said.

The 56-year-old Sherlach, who would have been tasked with helping survivors cope with the tragedy, died doing what she loved, her son-inlaw, Eric Schwartz, told the South Jersey Times.

“Mary felt like she was doing God’s work,” he said, “working with the children.” Just this past October, Hochsprung had tweeted a picture of the school’s evacuation drill with the message “Safety first.”

Victoria Soto, a 27-year-old teacher, reportedly hid some students in a bathroom or closet and died trying to shield them from bullets, a cousin, Jim Wiltsie, told ABC News. Those who knew Soto said they weren’t surprised.

“You have a teacher who cared more about her students than herself,” said John Harkins, mayor of Stratford, Soto’s hometown. “That speaks volumes to her character, and her com-

mitment and dedication.”

In other cases, staffers both saved students and managed to escape with their own lives.

Teacher Theodore Varga said that as gunfire echoed through the school, a custodian ran around, warning people. He appears to have survived; all the adults killed were women. “He said, ‘Guys! Get down! Hide!’” Varga said. “So he was actually a hero.”

Someone switched on the intercom, alerting people in the building to the attack by letting them hear the chaos in the school office, a teacher said. Teachers locked their doors and ordered children to huddle in a corner or hide in closets as shots echoed through the building.In a classroom, teacher Kaitlin Roig barricaded her 15 students into a tiny bathroom, pulled a bookshelf across the door and locked it. She told the kids to be “absolutely quiet.” “I said, ‘There are bad guys out there now. We need to wait for the good guys,’” she told ABC News.—AP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

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

Hungary’s Jews face down new extremism BUDAPEST: A week after a leader of Hungary’s far-right Jobbik party called for lists of prominent Jews to be drawn up to protect national security, Janos Fonagy stepped forward.

“My mother and father were Jewish, and so am I, whether you like it or not,” the state secretary of the Development Ministry told parliament, explaining he did not have dual citizenship with Israel and was not religious.

“I cannot choose, I was born into this.

But you can choose, and you have chosen this path,” he said, addressing Jobbik deputies. “Bear history’s judgement.” It is only relatively recently that Hungary’s Jews have celebrated their identity as openly as they did when Europe’s largest synagogue was built in Budapest in the 1850s. Now they are determined not to allow a political climate in which they have to defend that identity or even suppress it. More than 500,000 Hungarian Jews were killed in the Holocaust after Hungary sided with the Nazis in World War Two and those left in Budapest were forced into two ghettos.

When the Soviet Red Army moved in and liberated the ghettos in 1945 about 100,000 Jews remained, living reminders of a collaboration with fascism many

Hungarians wanted to forget.

“Even 15 years ago, using ‘Jewish’ as a brand required quite some bravery,” said Vera Vadas, the director of the Jewish Summer Festival, launched in 1998. “Now the word just describes our culture and it draws artists and audiences alike.”

From an initial crowd of about 3,000, the number of visitors at the festival was around 120,000 this year, filling the cobblestone alleys and courtyards of the city wall to wall. The biggest of the two wartime ghettos is now a thriving Jewish quarter, a year-round highlight on Budapest’s tourist map with the huge Dohany street synagogue-the model for New York’s Central Synagogue-at its heart. Around it are more synagogues, museums, businesses, schools and restaurants, and sometimes a mix of those things, such as a Talmud class that is taught regularly at one of the famous Budapest “ruin pubs” - run-down buildings converted into bars.

Rabbi Zoltan Radnoti, the young leader of a small, modern synagogue in southwestern Budapest, said his generation was the first to be confident of its heritage after their traumatised grandparents taught their children to play it down. “My parents’ generation, the one

born immediately after the war, was protected so much they never got to experience their Jewishness,” said Radnoti.

“They assimilated almost completely.”

“Now, my children take their Jewishness naturally, they have no doubts about their roots. They are kids who live in Hungary, speak Hungarian and follow the Jewish faith. The vast majority of young Jewish parents can and do choose this tradition.”

Besides religious freedom, the end of Communism in 1989 also brought a freedom of speech and politics that quickly gave birth to openly anti-Semitic political forces.

The Jobbik party, the third biggest in parliament, has used anti-semitic slurs to boost its standing before elections in 2014, drawing international scorn. The strongest yet greeted last month’s call by Marton Gyongyosi, who runs Jobbik’s foreign policy cabinet, for Jewish members of government and parliament to be listed in the wake of Israel’s recent military campaign to stop rocket fire from Gaza.

“I think such a conflict makes it timely to tally up people of Jewish ancestry who live here, especially in the Hungarian parliament and the Hungarian government, who, indeed, pose a national security risk

to Hungary,” he told parliament.

Hungary’s centre-right government condemned the remarks, for which Gyongyosi later apologised, and the U.S. Embassy in Budapest called them “outrageous”. Although anti-Semitism has not yet led to serious physical confrontations, hate crimes have included desecration of Jewish cemeteries and a verbal attack in Budapest on 90-year-old former Chief Rabbi Joseph Schweitzer.

“I don’t think all people who vote for Jobbik are anti-Semites,” said Slomo Koves, the chief rabbi of the Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation. “But if Jobbik brings it into the public discourse, even people who were not anti-Semites before, they feel like it’s a way to show your frustration... The problem is that this has an effect on the state of mind of all Hungarians.”

Andras Heisler, a leader of Mazsihisz, the Association of Jewish Communes in Hungary, said Jobbik was a danger to Hungary. “I think this is real racism and inciting hatred. A bad economic situation, recession, usually flames tempers and this is the case now as well.”

Laden with debt and hit hard by the wider debt crisis in Europe, the country is struggling to end recession and sort out

its finances, and a series of austerity measures have increased tensions on the street. Anti-Semitism has made some Jews more determined to stand up for their heritage, said Zoltan Jakal, a 36year-old financial analyst and part-time cantor. “I have several friends who have strengthened their Jewish identity because of a few incidents with antiSemites,” Jakal said. “When there’s peace people tend to forget they are Jews. If nobody else reminds them of this, antiSemites will.”

Hungary’s political elite showed a rare gesture of unity at a big rally on Dec. 2, where ruling and opposition party leaders expressed their disdain for Jobbik’s politics. So far, polls suggest Jobbik has retained its voter base. Among young voters its support is nearly 20 percent, making it the strongest party in the age group below 30, according to a Republikon Institute poll earlier this year. But unlike its hugely successful anti-Roma rhetoric, anti-Semitism may end up working against Jobbik on the long run, Republikon Institute Director Csaba Toth told Reuters, because it will put off potential coalition partners.

“Anti-Semitism gets far fewer votes,” he said. — Reuters

Italians await Monti’s decision May hint at plans in meeting with Italy president

SOUTHERN DELTA: In this frame grab TV footage shot by Channels television on Saturday but aired yesterday, shows the wreckage of a navy helicopter that crashed Saturday in Nigeria’s oil-rich southern delta, killing a state governor and five other people, in the latest air disaster to hit Africa’s most populous nation, officials said. Nigeria’s presidency said in a statement that the governor of the central Nigerian state of Kaduna, Patrick Yakowa, died in the helicopter crash in Bayelsa state in the Niger Delta. — AP

Nigerian governor dead in air crash YENAGOA: The governor of Nigeria’s volatile Kaduna state and a former national security adviser were among six killed when a helicopter crashed in the southerly oilproducing Bayelsa state on Saturday, officials said. The helicopter wobbled in the sky before nose-diving into a forest in Ogbia Creek at around 3:30 pm (1430 GMT), a local resident who witnessed the crash told Reuters. “By the time we got to the scene it was in flames,” said Hitler Adunion, a local community leader. “We tried to put them out but it was difficult. We saw the roasted bodies of those inside.”

The Nigerian Navy confirmed that its Agusta helicopter had crashed while carrying VIPs to Port Harcourt but it didn’t give a reason and civilian authorities declined to speculate on the cause. President Goodluck Jonathan ordered an investigation. “(The) President has expressed utter shock and sadness over the crash ... (he) extends deep and heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the deceased,” a statement from the presidency said.

The statement confirmed the deaths of Kaduna state governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, former national security adviser General Owoye Azazi, their aides Dauda Tsoho and Mohammed Kamal and the two pilots, Muritala Mohammed Daba and Adeyemi Sowole.

Yakowa won a tight vote last year to become Kaduna’s first Christian governor, under the ruling People’s Democratic Party ticket. He replaced Namadi Sambo, who is now vice president.

Kaduna sits on the borderline between the mostly Christian south and the largely Muslim north of Africa’s most populous nation and has been at the heart of reli-

gious conflict.

Hundreds of people were killed in Kaduna state in clashes between ethnic and religious groups last April after Jonathan, a Christian southerner, won a presidential vote against his Muslim northern rival Muhammadu Buhari.

Kaduna was quiet on Saturday evening but some residents said they were nervous.

“I just had to rush down to my house because this is Kaduna state and anything can happen, we can’t forget the election crisis when a lot of lives and properties were lost,” local resident Maxell Danjuma told Reuters.

Islamist sect Boko Haram has bombed several churches in Kaduna since an uprising in 2009. The sect has killed hundreds this year in its effort to carve out an Islamic state in a country of 160 million split between Christians and Muslims.

The 36 state governors are among the most powerful politicians in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer, often controlling budgets bigger than those of many African countries.

Azazi had been a close adviser to Jonathan but was sacked in June as Nigeria struggled to stem Boko Haram’s attacks, which focus on politicians, security forces and religious targets. Several high-profile politicians had travelled to Bayelsa, Jonathan’s home state, this weekend for a funeral. Like many African countries, Nigeria has a poor air safety record. Nigeria’s deputy police chief and three other officers were killed when a helicopter crashed in the central city of Jos in March. In June, a passenger plane crashed into a densely populated part of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, killing 163 people. — Reuters

ANC kicks off party conference with Zuma BLOEMFONTEIN: South Africa’s ruling ANC kicked off what promises to be a contentious five-yearly party conference yesterday, with embattled President Jacob Zuma facing a leadership challenge from his number two.

Thousands of singing and dancing ANC members clad in party colours and regalia descended on the city of Bloemfontein for the five-day conference, which will go a long way toward deciding who will lead South Africa until the end of the decade.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe is hoping to wrest control of the party from Zuma. Should he succeed, the ANC’s commanding electoral standing means he is almost certain to become the country’s next president.

But Zuma-despite being marred in a series of financial scandals and leading the

party to its most serious crisis in decades-is expected to prevail.

Preliminary voting has put the incumbent well ahead of his rival in the leadership stakes, and he remains the odds-on favourite to remain in power after the 2014 elections.

But with the party in the kind of crisis seldom seen since it was banned by the apartheid government in 1960, Zuma could be in for a rocky ride.

The conference will cap a horrendous year for the storied revolutionary movement. Despite the cadres’ best efforts, 12 months of celebrations to mark the party’s 100th year have been drowned out by allegations of corruption, flashes of authoritarianism and economic mismanagement which critics say borders on gross negligence.—AFP

ASSISI: Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti stood before the cold stones slabs that hold the remains of St Francis and prayed to the man who preached what the Franciscans call “the gift of discernment” - the wisdom and courage to make the right choice.

Monti will need that gift soon.

He has already said he will resign once Italy passes the next budget law but has yet to announce whether he will run for prime minister in next year’s elections which many European leaders want him to do.

An indication of his political future could come as soon as yesterday when he is due to meet President Giorgio Napolitano, the man who appointed him a year ago to lead a technocratic government charged with saving Italy from financial crisis. But most analysts judge his decision to be least a week away.

Being in Assisi at this critical moment for his - and Italy ’s political future, was like a balm for Monti, who has been tugged by all sides on whether to enter active politics. It was solace from the storm.

“It was a big emotion,” he told Reuters during a simple dinner with Franciscan monks and guests in the large refectory of the convent-basilica complex in the Umbrian hill town after he prayed before the tomb on Saturday night. “It combined art, history, religion and simplicity, as St Francis preached to us,” he said.

Saint Francis also preached discernment - the need for wisdom and enlightenment in making decisions. When asked if the visit to the tomb of St Francis where he prayed standing for a few minutes - will help him make his decision on his political future, he said: “Of course, of course it will,” adding, however, that he did not know when he would make it.

In his year in office, Monti, 69, an economics professor and a for-

BRUSSELS: Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti prepares to take his place during a media conference after an EU summit in Brussels last week. — AP mer European commissioner, has passed a series of tax increases and reforms to steer Italy away from the risk of a Greek-style economic crisis.

Monti, a sober and reserved man with a keen understated sense of humour, has won high hosannas from the markets, which tremble at the uncertainty that a non-Monti government could bring to Italy and Europe.

European politicians from German Chancellor Angela Merkel to French President Francois Hollande, shocked by the possibility that his predecessor Silvio Berlusconi could return to power, have heaped praise on Monti and urged him to run for office.

Monti is due to resign after the budget is passed - expected by the end of this week - and his government will stay on in a caretaker capacity until the elections, which will probably be held in February.

His government of non-political technocrats had been supported by both Berlusconi’s centre-right People of Freedom (PDL)

party and centre-left Democratic Party (PD). But the PDL withdrew its support 10 days ago, prompting Monti to announce his resignation once the budget is approved.

The PD, projected by polls to win the elections, has pledged to continue his fiscal discipline and wants him to stay on in some role after the election, although not as prime minister. It is widely expected that if Monti does not run for prime minister he will become Italy’s next president, replacing the man who appointed him a year ago, Napolitano.

Centrist forces and the business community, headed by Luca di Montezemolo, the president of carmaker Ferrari, want to lead a new political movement to contest the spring elections.

Berlusconi, who has changed his mind many times on whether he would run, now says he will not run if Monti leads a team of moderates and centre-right candidates.

Monti has studiously avoided commenting on his future. At the meal with the monks in Assisi, he

teased his hosts and their other guests when asked to cut a “panettone”, a traditional Italian Christmas cake that concludes holiday meals.

“It seems - but is still premature to say - that I have arrived at the end, the cake, but it is still too early to say,” he said, prompting roars of laughter since he was clearly referring to his political situation.

“For now, I’ll just cut it,” he said.

Since he took office in a financial crisis to replace the disgraced, scandal-ridden Berlusconi 13 months ago, Monti’s austerity steps and budget discipline have helped cut borrowing costs and put Italy on the financial community’s good list.

But while sometimes bitter fiscal medicine has made Monti a hero for the markets, it has been unpopular among Italians. The prime minister recognised this in a joke at the end of the meal.

“Above all, may I say that I hope that 2013 will be a better year than 2012 has been, even because it was all my fault,” he said to more laughter. — Reuters

Russia frees protesters after anti-Putin rally MOSCOW: Russian police said yesterday they had released some 40 people detained during a banned protest against Vladimir Putin, including opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Braving freezing cold and the threat of heavy fines, hundreds of people defied the authorities Saturday to gather at Moscow’s Lubyanka Square, the seat of the FSB security services, to mark one year since the start of unprecedented anti-Putin protests triggered by fraud-tainted parliamentary polls last December.

Police said around 40 people had been detained at the rally, including star anti-corruption blogger Navalny; Sergei Udaltsov, the leader of leftist group the Left Front; Ksenia Sobchak, the daughter of Putin’s late mentor Anatoly Sobchak; and well-known activist Ilya Yashin.

“All those detained have been released,” a Moscow police spokesman told AFP on Sunday, declining to provide any other

details. The opposition had originally planned a march through the city centre, but for the first time since the start of the anti-Putin protests, organisers were unable to get permission from city authorities.

On the eve of the planned event, they urged their supporters to simply show up at Lubyanka Square. Authorities said that because the rally was unauthorised its participants would face the threat of jail or fines of up to 300,000 rubles ($9,700, 7,400 euros), nearly equal to the annual average salary in Russia.

According to police, 700 people showed up, over 300 of them journalists and bloggers.

Participants say a few thousand poured into the square, many of them with flowers they laid at a monument to victims of Stalin-era purges.

Udaltsov said some 5,000 were in attendance. Observers say the opposition movement is struggling to maintain momentum in

the face of the authorities’ tough crackdown on dissenters since Putin’s return to the Kremlin in May and internal divisions between liberals, leftists and nationalists.

Up to 120,000 people gathered near the Kremlin walls at the peak of the protests last winter. While some observers said Saturday’s rally proved that many people were undeterred by the threat of heavy fines, others called it a disappointment and a blow to the opposition movement.

“The rally was an absolute mistake,” political observer Yulia Latynina said on Echo of Moscow radio. The opposition, she said, had taken unnecessary risks by urging people to show up at the unauthorised rally and was fortunate that the protest had not ended in violent clashes.

Scores of activists are facing jail time for taking part in May 6 protests on the eve of Putin’s inauguration for his third term as president.—AFP

11

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

international

Body of royal hoax nurse reaches India ‘Community sad over the death’

KOCHI: Italian Defense Minister Giampaolo Di Paolo, center, talks to journalists af ter meeting detained Italian Marines Massimiliano Latorre, second left, and Salvatore Girone, second right, in Kochi, India, yesterday. —AP

Italian minister visits marines in India KOCHI: Italy’s defence minister yesterday visited two Italian marines awaiting trial in India on charges of murdering two fishermen, and appealed for the men to be allowed home for Christmas.

Giampolo Di Paolo told reporters he had faith in the Indian justice system after meeting the marines in the southern city of Kochi, where they have been ordered to stay since the shooting in February. “ They are in active duty. It is my responsibility,” he said. “I do respect the Supreme Court of India. We are confident that the case will be solved.”

Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone shot dead two fishermen off India’s southwestern coast in February while guarding an Italian oil tanker, but they deny the murder charges.

The pair, who say they mistook the fishermen for pirates, are being tried in India in a case that has caused a diplomatic row. Rome has called the case

against them illegal and has appealed to India’s Supreme Court to quash it.

Italy insists the marines should be prosecuted in their home country because the shootings involved an Italian-flagged vessel in international waters, but India says they took place in waters under its jurisdiction.

“For us, Christmas is a great festival,” Di Paolo said. “We want them to be with their families and parents. I am confident that Indian people will understand our feelings.”

The two men’s petition requesting bail conditions be altered to allow them to return home for Christmas will be heard tomorrow. Armed guards are increasingly deployed on cargo ships and tankers in the Indian Ocean to tackle the threat posed by Somali pirates, who often hold ships and crews hostage for months demanding multi-milliondollar ransoms. —AFP

Mali’s new PM unveils unity government BAMAKO: Mali’s newly appointed prime minister has unveiled a unity government with representatives from all regions, including the Islamist-controlled north, but the leaders of the March coup that divided the country maintain a strong influence.

After four days of talks, Prime Minister Diango Cissoko, named his new “representative” government late Saturday, as had been demanded by the international community irked over the forced departure of his predecessor Cheick Modibo Diarra on December 11.

Diarra had quit under pressure from former putschists led by Captain Amadou Haya Sanogo, who handed power to a transitional government in April but retained a strong say in Mali’s politics.

Military figures viewed Diarra as an “obstacle” to reaching consensus.

But Diarra was also a staunch advocate of French-backed plans to send in a West African intervention force to drive out extremists in the north who have imposed a brutal interpretation of Islamic sharia law.

Such foreign intervention is fiercely opposed by Sanogo.

In the new line-up three key ministersEconomy Minister Tienan Coulibaly, Defence Minister Colonel Yamoussa Camara and Foreign Minister Tieman Hubert Coulibaly-will keep their jobs, while all of Mali’s political groups will be represented.

“The goal wasn’t to destabilise the government’s architecture. Most of the more important ministers won’t change jobs so as not to break up the group dynamic that was starting to form,” an aide close to interim president Dioncounda Traore told AFP. Camara was close to coup figures, whose preferred candidates retained three other posts including homeland security

and justice.

The new prime minister, who upon his nomination had called on all Malians to “come together”, said he was committed to giving more weight to the three regions of northern Mali that are held by armed Islamist groups.

Representatives from those regions now hold four out of 30 ministerial posts, three more than they did before. But the positions, including tourism minister, are not very influential.

Still, their presence in the government could enable further dialogue that began this month in neighbouring Burkina Faso between homegrown rebels the Tuareg Azawad National Liberation Movement (MNLA) and Islamist group Ansar Dine.

Coulibaly took part in the talks, mediated by the West African bloc ECOWAS. “It’s a good team. . . . It’s important to note it ’s made up of men and women from all the geographic zones of Mali,” Bamako resident Moussa Keita said yesterday.

“We have a team that should be able to put the country back on track. There’s hope, real hope,” said Bachir Diallo from the anti-coup Front for Democracy and the Republic (FDR).

Coup supporter Nouhoun Cisse from the COPAM party said the government must be “judged on its actions. It’s obvious that won’t be easy in the current situation, but the most important thing is to be patriotic.”

The appointment of a new government comes as Mali awaits the expected goahead from the UN Security Council for an international African force of 3,300 troops to reconquer the north. In Abidjan on Saturday, military leaders from ECOWAS countries refined their plans. —AFP

MANGALORE: The body of an Indian-born nurse who was found hanged after taking a hoax call to the hospital treating Prince William’s wife arrived in Mangalore yesterday following a memorial mass in London.

Jacintha Saldanha, 46, apparently committed suicide after answering the prank telephone call from two Australian radio DJs to the hospital where Catherine was admitted during the early stages of her pregnancy.

Saldanha’s funeral is expected to take place today near Mangalore in Shirva, the home town of her husband Benedict Barboza, who accompanied her body on yesterday’s flight to India along with their son, 16, and daughter, 14.

“Jacintha and her family, they were working in the UK to earn their daily bread,” Stany Tauro, priest of the Our Lady of Health Church in Shirva, told AFP. “The community is sad over the death.”

He said locals were proud that she had been a successful nurse who worked in a hospital where the British royal family were treated, but that many were shocked at the tragedy.

Tauro said residents would be able to pay their final respects to the body before the service of mass scheduled at 4:00pm (1030 GMT) and the burial ceremony.

C. Mutthiah, deputy commissioner of police in Mangalore, confirmed the body had landed in Mangalore, while a family source told AFP that it would be kept in a mortuary overnight and taken to Shirva today.

Saldanha’s frail mother lives along with her other daughter and a son in Mangalore, 360 kilometres (220 miles) from Bangalore, the state capital of Karnataka. “I feel very sorry that those two kids, they lost their mother’s love and affection,” said local politician D.V. Sadananda Gowda after visiting a

family relative.

“The government... is seeking an enquiry so that the truth should come out and what the reasons are behind this incident.” Saldanha’s body arrived a day after the nurse’s children told a service at London’s Westminster Cathedral that her death had created “an unfillable

modation on December 7 and that there were no suspicious circumstances over her death.

A few days earlier she put the prank call from a Australian radio station through to a colleague who relayed confidential details about Catherine’s severe morning sickness to the DJs.

Dozens of Indian students marched to the British High Commission in New Delhi on Saturday, carrying banners demanding“Justice for Jacintha”.

The demonstrators alleged in a statement that “as a person of Indian origin she was isolated, victimised and subjected to harass-

MANGALORE: Son Junal, second left, and and daughter Lisha, right, children of Jacintha Saldanha, a nurse found hanging in her room days after she had been duped by a hoax call from an Australian radio station about the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge, arrive at the airport in Mangalore, India, yesterday. —AP void” in their lives.

“We will miss your laughter, the loving memories and the good times we had together. The house is an empty dwelling without your presence,” her daughter Lisha said.

A London inquest last week heard that Saldanha, who moved to Britain around 12 years ago, had been found hanged in staff accom-

Saldanha left three notes, one of which reportedly criticised her colleagues over her treatment at the King Edward VII private hospital after the hoax call. The hospital has defended itself, saying it offered support to Saldanha and had stressed to her she would not be disciplined for being taken in by the call.

ment by the authorities”.

Australian police say death threats have been made against Michael Christian and Mel Greig, the DJs from Sydney’s 2Day FM radio station who made the call posing as the Queen and William’s father Prince Charles. The presenters made tearful apologies last week. —AFP

S Lanka lawyers warn against firing top judge COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s bar association has warned President Mahinda Rajapaksa not to dismiss the country’s chief justice without an impartial hearing into impeachment allegations against her. The lawyers say they will reject any replacement without a fair trial.

A committee comprising lawmakers ruled this month that Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake was guilty of three of the 14 charges leveled against her and declared her unfit for office. The ruling came despite a walkout protest from Bandaranayake, her lawyers and opposition members in the committee, who believed she was not given a fair trial.

Sanjaya Gamage, secretary of the association, which has a membership of 13,000 Sri Lankan lawyers, said a special general meeting on Saturday also decided unanimously to request that Rajapaksa reconsider the ruling and give her a fair trial. The impeachment has drawn wide criticism from lawyers, judges and opposition politicians as an attempt to undermine the judicial independence in the country and concentrate more powers in the president.

Despite her absence, seven ruling party lawmakers ruled Bandaranayake was guilty of not disclosing details of 20 bank accounts, buying a house for another person as an attorney and then taking judicial control of cases against the company that sold the property. She was also found to have a conflict of interest because she would have supervisory powers over judges hearing a corruption case against her husband, who is a former state bank chairman.

However, Bandaranayake’s lawyers have said the hearing was conducted without an agreed procedure, and that their client was not given a

list of witnesses and an opportunity to crossexamine them. Also, they were given less than 24 hours to study 300 documents with 1,000 pages and prepare for her defense, the lawyers said.

Also, ruling party lawmakers harassed her at the hearing using derogatory references such as “mad woman,” her lawyers said in a letter Friday to the parliamentary speaker.

A vote on the impeachment will be taken when Parliament reopens next year, and the outcome will be sent to Rajapaksa, who has the

power to dismiss or retain the judge. With Rajapaksa’s ruling party controlling more than two-thirds of Parliament’s 225 members, the motion is expected to be passed easily.

Rajapaksa appointed Bandaranayake as the country’s first women chief justice last year.

However, she began to be heavily criticized by the government after she ruled that a proposed law giving vast powers to the economic development minister - who is President Rajapaksa’s brother - violated the constitution. —AP

DHAKA: Bangladeshi Boder Guards march during the Victory Day celebrations in Dhaka, Bangladesh, yesterday. The Victory Day marks the anniversary of Bangladesh’ victory in the India-aided war victory against Pakistan. —AP

Indian Kashmiri separatist demands opening of border

MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan-administered Kashmir President Sardar Yaqub (L) shakes hands with separatist leader from Indian-administered Kashmir Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (R) during a meeting in Muzaffarabad yesterday. A separatist leader from Indian Kashmir urged rivals India and Pakistan yesterday fully to open the border in the disputed Himalayan region to let the peace process move forward. —AFP

MUZAFFARABAD: A separatist leader from Indian Kashmir urged rivals India and Pakistan yesterday fully to open the border in the disputed Himalayan region to let the peace process move forward.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the current limited opening of the Line of Control, the de facto frontier in Kashmir, was not enough.

Farooq, a leader of the moderate Hurriyat Conference, is leading a seven-member delegation to Pakistan following an invitation from Islamabad.

He arrived in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir, yesterday for a two-day visit and will go on to Islamabad. “Limited movement of people and goods is not enough, it should be opened for Kashmiris so that they can move across freely to

boost the peace process,” Farooq told reporters.

He also said Kashmiris should be included in the peace process as it was not a dispute between just India and Pakistan. “No solution without the involvement of Kashmiris will be acceptable to us as we are an important party in the Kashmir dispute.”

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence in 1947, two of them over the Himalayan region which remains divided by the heavily militarised Line of Control.

Muslim-majority Kashmir, which India and Pakistan both claim but rule in part, has been racked by militancy since 1989 when an insurgency against Indian rule erupted.

Around 47,000 people have died since then although mili-

tant violence has lessened in recent years. India suspended its peace process with Pakistan after the 2008 Mumbai attacks blamed on Pakistan and talks only resumed in February last year.

Both sides remain deadlocked over Kashmir but have made some progress on less contentious subjects such as trade.

Meanwhils, an avalanche on the high-altitude Siachen glacier that is disputed between India and Pakistan killed at least six Indian soldiers yesterday when their outpost was swept away before dawn.

Thousands of soldiers from both nations endure bitter conditions on the glacier, which is dubbed “The world’s highest battleground”, due to the long-running territorial dispute. An esti-

mated 8,000 troops have died since 1984, almost all of them from avalanches, landslides, frostbite, altitude sickness or heart failure rather than combat.

“The avalanche struck a forward post early yesterday morning, burying seven soldiers,” army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel J.S. Brar told AFP. “Rescue operations were launched immediately and so far six bodies have been recovered. The rescue effort is still ongoing.”

In April 140 Pakistani soldiers were killed by a huge avalanche on Siachen. Kashmir has been the cause of two wars between India and Pakistan and the nuclear-armed rivals fought over Siachen in 1987, though guns on the glacier have largely fallen silent since a peace process began in 2004. —AFP

12

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

international

N Korea marks first anniversary of late ruler’s death

PYONGYANG: North Korean military officers attend a national meeting of top party and military officials on the eve of the first anniversary of the death of late leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea, yesterday. —AP

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un led thousands of officials yesterday in a memorial ceremony for his late father and ex-ruler Kim Jong-Il, days after a successful long-range rocket launch. The ceremony followed a mass rally two days earlier hailing the launch of the three-stage rocket, a move which was condemned by the UN Security Council and seen by many countries as a disguised ballistic missile test. Kim Jong-Il, who ruled the communist state for 17 years, died of a heart attack on December 17 last year.

His youngest son Jong-Un immediately took over, the second dynastic succession by the Kim dynasty which has ruled the isolated country for more than six decades with an iron fist and a pervasive personality cult. Officials in black suits and uniformed military leaders convened in a cavernous stadium in the capital Pyongyang Sunday morning for the hour-long memorial event, which was televised live on state TV. Jong-Un, stone-faced and clad in a black Mao suit, sat on stage with dozens of other top officials against the backdrop of a giant red flag featuring a large portrait of a smiling Kim Jong-Il.

“The heart of the great leader stopped beating but Comrade Kim Jong-Il lives with us forever... to give blessings for the bright future of our people,” the ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-Nam said in a speech. “The successful launch of our Kwangmyongsong-2 satellite is also another victory achieved by our military and people, by faithfully following the teachings of the great leader (Kim Jong-Il),” he said.

It was unclear what memorial events were scheduled today, the anniversary day. The North said the apparently successful launch-its second after a much-heralded but botched mission in April-was a scientific project to put a weather satellite into orbit.

But the United States and other nations viewed it as a disguised ballistic missile test banned under UN resolutions triggered by its past nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. The Security Council Wednesday condemned the launch and said members “will continue consultations on an appropriate response”.

The impoverished but nuclear-armed nation apparently timed the launch to mark

the death anniversary and to drum up more support for the young and inexperienced Jong-Un. Choe Ryong-Hae, the head of the political bureau at the North’s military, vowed to “hit back immediately” if rival South Korea or the United States provokes the nation, and reaffirmed loyalty to the young leader.

“Our whole army stands ready for battle under the teachings of Kim Jong-Un while the US and South’s enemy forces are going amok to destroy our system,” he said in a speech. “It is our firm determination to hit back immediately at provocations...and we solemnly pledge again to faithfully serve our dear supreme commander (Jong-Un),” Choe said to big applause from the crowd. Mass rallies are being staged nationwide to celebrate the rocket launch, the ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said yesterday. Officials, students, workers and soldiers in three northern provinces rallied Saturday to give speeches and sing songs in memory of the late ruler and to praise his son for leading the successful launch, it said. —AFP

Japan conservatives sweep to victory Voters abandon PM Noda TOKYO: Japan’s conservative opposition swept to victory in polls yesterday, broadcasters said, in an apparent shift to the right as tensions rise with China and the economy continues to stumble.

The long-governing Liberal Democratic Party led by the hawkish Shinzo Abe looked set to have secured a handsome majori-

house, against 55 to 77 seats to DPJ. New Komeito, LDP’s coalition partner, is likely to win 27 to 35 seats, NHK said.

That could give the pair a more than two-thirds majority in the power ful lower house, enough to override the upper house, in which no party has overall control. “The LDP sweeps

appeared to have secured one of 180 seats up for grabs in the proportional representation section.

Abe, whose brief stint as premier in 2006-7 ended ignominiously, campaigned on pledges to right Japan’s listing economy, which has suffered years of deflation, made worse by a soaring currency that has squeezed

TOKYO: Japan’s main opposition leader Shinzo Abe, right, of the Liberal Democratic Party, and the party Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba pose for photos as they place a rosette on the name of one of those elected in parliamentary elections at the party headquarters in Tokyo yesterday. —AP ty in elections for the powerful lower house of parliament. Voters appear to have abandoned Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda three years after his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) promised a change from the more than half century of almost unbroken LDP rule.

NHK, citing forecasts based on its own exit polls, said the LDP was likely to win 275 to 310 seats in the 480-seat lower

to victory; Abe administration to start,” the online edition of the Nikkei newspaper said in a banner headline.

Nationalist former Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara, whose bid to buy disputed islands provoked a fierce diplomatic showdown with China, was also headed to parliament, NHK said.

Ishihara, who leads the populist Japan Restoration Party,

exporters.

“It’s time to put an end to the confusion and doldrums of three years and three months,” Abe said Saturday, referring to the stint in power of Noda’s DPJ. He has also pledged to raise spending on infrastructure projects at a time when large parts of the tsunami-ravaged northeast have yet to see significant rebuilding following the March

2011 catastrophe.

The collapse of an ageing highway tunnel that claimed nine lives earlier this month lent weight to his calls, which have been criticised by opponents as a return to the LDP’s “construction state” of the last century.

Public unease about a worsening security environment-North Korea lobbed a rocket over Japan’s southern islands last week and China sent a plane into Japanese airspace-apparently bolstered Abe’s cause. He has promised to strengthen defences and revitalise a security alliance with the United States that is widely thought to have drifted under Noda’s party.

Parliament will be called to session as early as December 26th to name Abe as the new prime minister, the Nikkei newspaper said. “Mr Abe is expected to form his cabinet on the same day,” the Nikkei said.

“He will issue his plan to draft an extra budget by the year-end as well as a broad direction for the next fiscal year ’s budget before closing the extraordinary Diet session on December 28,” the Nikkei said. In an evening that looked set to be a fairly miserable one for Noda, TV Asahi reported at least two of his ministers would lose their seats.

Internal Affairs Minister Shinji Tarutoko and Education Minister Makiko Tanaka appeared to have lost their constituency seats. It is possible that they may win through on the proportional representation part of the ballot.

Noda’s own fate as leader of the much-diminished DPJ also looked in doubt, reports said, despite his apparently having retained his seat.

Kohei Otsuka, a senior party official told NHK: “In general, (Noda) can’t help but take responsibility for (the defeat). But he will consider how to take his responsibility.” —AFP

Fears of ‘catastrophic damage’ as monster cyclone nears Fiji SUVA: Fijian authorities scrambled to evacuate residents from low-lying areas yesterday as a monster cyclone threatened the Pacific nation with “catastrophic damage” after causing widespread devastation in Samoa.

At least four people were killed when Cyclone Evan slammed into Samoa and the toll was expected to rise as a search was launched for eight men still missing on three fishing boats. Only one survivor has been found, the New Zealand Rescue Co-ordination Centre, which is overseeing the search, said.After crossing Samoa, Evan intensified as it ploughed through the Pacific and forecasters said destructive winds could reach nearly 300 kilometres per hour (186 miles per hour) by the time it hits Fiji early today morning.

Government officials fear it could be as devastating as Cyclone Kina which killed 23 people and left thousands homeless in 1993.

Squally thunderstorms were expected to flood low-lying areas while coastal villages were at risk of sea flooding, authorities said.

Tourists in luxury resorts on outlying islands were being ferried to the mainland, while Fiji’s main airline, Air Pacific, said it had either cancelled or rescheduled its Monday flights.

Philip Duncan, head analyst with the WeatherWatch.co.nz meteorological service, said Fiji could expect to be walloped by the storm with the prospect of flash flooding and mudslides.

“Gusts may end up climbing to 280 kilometres per hour or greater around the centre of Evan,” Duncan said. “Some small, low-lying communities and resorts may suffer catastrophic damage and some small islands may be entirely submerged as the storm and storm surge roll by.”

More than 200 evacuation centres have been opened and

Information Ministry permanent secretary Sharon Smith-Johns said people at risk should move.

“People living in low-lying areas should consider moving to higher grounds or evacuations centres,” she said.

“By sunset tonight everyone should be ready with torches, batteries, candles, supplies and other necessities.”Fiji’s military leader Voreqe Bainimarama has warned the storm is an “impending disaster” and offers of international aid have already been received.

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr said Canberra was offering financial aid as well as expert personnel and supplies.

“We’re going to work with other nations including New Zealand and France, in doing what we can to save lives, and support search and rescue,” he said. Meanwhile, it could be some days before the full extent of the cyclone damage in Samoa is known because of the

difficulty reaching outlying islands. About 4,500 people have been forced to remain in emergency shelters after Evan destroyed houses and damaged electricity and fresh water supplies, Samoan officials said.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele also warned of possible food shortages next year because of the destruction of crops.

The New Zealand Air Force and Tahiti search and rescue authorities were scouring the ocean for the fishing boats missing in rough seas. New Zealand search coordinator Tracy Brickles said the 30-year-old skipper of one of the boats was known to have survived and made his way ashore after his boat tipped over on Friday but there was no information about his crew. A vessel fitting the description of another boat has been seen washed up on an island but there was no sign of survivors. —AFP

SEOUL: South Korea’s presidential candidates Park Geun-hye of ruling Saenuri Party (R) shakes hands with Moon Jae-in of Democratic United Party (L) before a final televised debate for the 18th presidential election in Seoul yesterday.

South Korea’s presidential election is scheduled for December 19. —AFP

Modern South Korea struggles with old politics SEOUL: As South Korean voters prepare to choose a new president, many believe their politicians-and their politics-have failed to keep pace with the country’s extraordinary socio-economic change. The bitter divisions of the past, born of struggles against communism, poverty and dictatorship, have been replaced by the everyday pressures of life and work in an ultracompetitive society. The most notable division of all-that of the Korean peninsula itself-has lost its historical grip on the national psyche.

Many South Koreans no longer share the world’s obsession with North Korea. Even last week’s long-range rocket launch by Pyongyang is unlikely to have any significant impact on the outcome of Wednesday’s election.

Voters are far more concerned with issues such as welfare, job security and growing income gaps. They feel, according to political science professor Hahm Sung-Deuk, that the partisan

political parties offer few solutions.

“This country badly needs a statesman who can help overcome divisions and lead the country to harmony, but we can hardly say the line-up of candidates offers such a politician,” he said.

The choice facing the electorate is clear, pitting conservative forces led by ruling party candidate Park Geun-Hye against a largely unified progressive-liberal camp led by the opposition party candidate Moon Jae-In. Both sides can rely on old regional and generational loyalties that have always played a major role in South Korean politics. Polls suggest the race will be a close one, with Park enjoying a slight edge.

The real contest is for the centre ground, occupied by a growing, aspirational middle class concerned about both economic security and social inequality. Moon and Park have both sought to adapt their campaigns to reach out to that demographic.—AFP

Philippines typhoon death toll tops 1,000 MANILA: The death toll from a typhoon that devastated the southern Philippines earlier this month has topped 1,000 as hundreds more remain missing, the government said yesterday.

Typhoon Bopha killed 1,020 people, mostly on the southern island of Mindanao where floods and landslides caused major damage on December 4, civil defence chief Benito Ramos said.

A total of 844 people remain missing, about half of them fishermen who ventured out to sea before Bopha hit, Ramos said, adding he feared many of the missing were dead. “ The death toll will go higher. We found a lot of bodies yesterday, buried under fallen logs and debris,” he told AFP. He added the toll from Bopha, the worst natural disaster to hit the country this year, would exceed the 1,268 confirmed dead after Typhoon Washi struck the southern Philippines in December 2011.

“We prepared. We were just simply overwhelmed,” said Ramos. “They did not expect this intensity. The last time (this part of the country) got hit by a strong storm was 1912,” he added.

He added that many evacuation centres were destroyed by the typhoon.

More than 27,000 people remain in such centres almost two weeks after Bopha hit as the search for the dead and missing continues, the civil defence office said.

Colonel Lyndon Paniza, spokesman of the military forces in the worst-affected region, was less optimistic of finding any survivors.

“We are on (body) retrieval mode already. We are done with search and rescue,” he told AFP. Paniza, who oversees the hardest-hit regions which suffered over 960 dead, said he expected the death toll to rise further.

“It has been 12 days already so it looks like (survival chances) are doubtful,” he said.

Among the casualties were seven soldiers who were killed and four who remain missing after they were hit by flash floods while doing relief work, he said.

In the southern town of New Bataan, which suffered over 500 dead, including 235 bodies that are still unidentified, people still struggled to recover, building makeshift shelters out of scrap wood and rags.

Town Mayor Lorenzo Balbin said the toll of the dead may even be larger than the official lists because many transients, who pass through the town of work on small-scale mines and plantations, do not even register as residents.

With no one to report them missing, their deaths may go unnoticed, he said.

The situation in the town, which was largely flattened by the typhoon, had improved slightly as more relief aid was reaching the area.

Trucks from government and private relief agencies were seen entering New Bataan, handing out much-needed food to villagers still stunned by the storm’s fury. Balbin said the focus now was on finding new crops to replace those destroyed by the typhoon.

The storm has caused massive damage to infrastructure and agriculture, destroying large tracts of coconut and banana trees. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council initially estimated damage to crops and public infrastructure at 7.16 billion pesos ($174 million). The Philippines is hit by about 20 major storms or typhoons each year that occur mainly during the rainy season between June and October.

Bopha was the strongest typhoon to strike this year. —AFP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

NEWS Amir rebukes opposition at new... US mourns Connecticut school shooting victims Continued from Page 1 they dispersed, but activists said that police arbitrarily arrested three of them.

Khaled Al-Deyain, Hamad Derbas and Anwar Al-Fikr were detained outside the main court building, writer and activist Ahmed Al-Deyain told journalists. He said he did not know why the three, members of the leftist Progressive Current opposition group, had been arrested. The opposition was supposed to hold another gathering at night. Outspoken former opposition MP Musallam Al-Barrak denounced the new Assembly as a “parliament of puppets” that would fail, and promised more street protests.

After the Amir’s speech, the Assembly elected liberal MP Ali Al-Rashed as the speaker of the house by 33 votes against a tough contest by Islamist MP Ali Al-Omair who secured 26 votes and with just four votes for MP Ahmad Al-Mulaifi. MP Mubarak Al-Khrainej defied all expectations and was elected deputy speaker defeating Shiite MP Adnan Abdulsamad by 39 votes against 24, which indicates that a majority of the Cabinet ministers voted for Khrainej.

Newly-elected MPs Kamel Al-Awadhi and Safa Al-Hashem were elected secretary and observer of the Assembly, respectively.

Later, most of the committees were elected with almost no contest reflecting an atmosphere of cooperation and no competition in the pro-government Assembly.

In his address, the Amir congratulated members of the newly-elected parliament on the confidence they gained from the Kuwaiti voters and wished them success in “bearing the great responsibility and realizing high aspirations pinned upon you for the service of our dear homeland”. “You are the outcome of a new electoral system, you have been freely chosen by the nationals in a democratic and free and credible atmosphere,” the Amir said. He was referring to the single-vote system introduced ahead of the elections after amending the electoral constituency law, over which the opposition boycotted the vote.

The Amir expressed understanding of the concerns of citizens who have recently witnessed “manifestations of chaos, law breaking and unprecedented deviation in the political rhetoric”. “These (incidents) contradicted principles of our Kuwaiti society, its deeply-rooted covenants and its well-known trait of mutual respect, moderation, tolerance and acceptance of others’ opinions,” the Amir said. He said the Kuwaiti leadership always accepts different opinions “and positive criticism aimed at reforms but within the framework of rules and terms set by the law”.

Condemning these “negative and uncommon practices,” the Amir asked “why we open the door wide for evil hands to target the homeland security and potentials?” He also criticized some figures for

seeking to dictate their thoughts and agendas on the others, without abidance by the laws and legal procedures. “Such practices won’t safeguard the homeland, won’t bolster the security and stability, won’t turn what is wrong to become just,” he said, referring to violent demonstrations that damaged in private state property. “We have to learn how to differ without reaching the point of being enemies and getting involved in conflicts,” said Sheikh Sabah, who was given a thunderous welcome as he entered the Assembly building from the jam-packed crowd. Parliament and the cabinet should work hand-in-hand to provide a better future for Kuwait, unifying in a national efforts in this regard, said Sheikh Sabah.

Prominent Shiite MP Saleh Ashour said he would monitor the government’s work and give it six months to prove itself. “If the government makes progress, then we will cooperate with the government. If they continue in the same way as the old government we will change our position,” he told reporters. Ashour and independent MP Nawaf Al-Fuzai said they wanted the government to work on a solution for reducing the burden of personal debt in Kuwait. One idea being discussed by MPs would include reducing rates on borrowed money, Ashour said.

The opposition insists that only parliament can change voting rules and the Amir went beyond his powers. “It is the responsibility of the government now to de-escalate the situation,” said Shafiq Ghabra, a political science professor at Kuwait University. “The government has the power and authority, and if it continues to use power to quell the protests and demonstrations, they are only adding wood to the fire.”

At the same time, the opposition groups appear to be moving in different directions without any clear agenda. Some youth gangs have tried to challenge security forces with roadblocks of burning tyres.

Others mill about in parks and malls brandishing scarves in orange, the color adopted by the opposition. Elsewhere, anti-government leaders gather in traditional carpeted meeting halls to plot strategy. It appears to show the fraying bonds between the groups now that the election boycott cannot hold them together.

Liberal factions, for example, seek wider freedoms and Western-style openness which is deeply at odds with the Islamists who have urged for stricter Muslim codes.

Tribal groups, meanwhile, want to preserve their influence and fear the new voting system erodes their clout. “It was an alliance of convenience,” said Eman AlBedah, a columnist for the liberal-leaning Aljarida newspaper. “There were many signs that suggested they are not a united group and have no clear plan for what they will do next.”

Continued from Page 1 “They are destroyed,” Slabicky said. “Not just the families, but the first responders are dealing with the crisis in a very personal and emotional level.” Later yesterday, Obama was due to arrive in the leafy town to address an interfaith vigil. The White House said the president would also meet with families of victims and first responders who were sent to the carnage. Meanwhile, the investigation entered an important new stage with the autopsy of Lanza, who is believed to have shot himself inside the school. Coroners, who on Saturday formally identified all the school victims, were turning their attention to Lanza and also his mother, whom he murdered in her Newtown home immediately before heading to the school.

That autopsy was likely to start lifting the lid on the mystery of Lanza, who at 20 years old was seen as a withdrawn and awkward youngster, but had shown no signs of violence, let alone any indications that he might perpetrate a massacre.

Initial reports suggested Lanza used two handguns in his spree, but officials revealed Saturday that his main weapon was .223 caliber Bushmaster, a civilian version of the US military’s M4 - essentially a killing machine. Like the pistols, the rifle was registered with his mother.

Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy revealed Sunday that Lanza blasted his way into the

school, which had just installed a new security door where visitors could be viewed by video camera and buzzed in. “He shot his way into the building. He penetrated the building by literally shooting an entrance into the building. That’s what an assault weapon can do for you,” Malloy said on CNN. Next, the killer “went to the first classroom, as you know, went to the second classroom. We surmise that it was during the second classroom episode that he heard responders coming and apparently at that point decided to take his own life,” Malloy said on ABC. Malloy said there was still little clue to Lanza’s motivation, but that a picture of his mental state would eventually emerge. So far, police have not said whether they found a suicide note or any other documents. “Clearly he was troubled. You have to be deranged to carry out this kind of crime,” he said. “This was a troubled individual....

I’m sure we’ll come to know more about him, his problems, his family.”

In addition to the mystery over Lanza, police are probing why his mother kept an arsenal of powerful weapons at her home in a well-to-do neighborhood, and how her son got his hands on them. The tragedy revived calls for stricter laws on gun ownership, particularly regarding militarystyle rifles, which fire bullets designed to tear a target apart, but are marketed as regular hunting weapons.

Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, a longtime gun-control advocate, told NBC television she would introduce a bill on the first day of the new Congress in January seeking to ban assault weapons across the country. Many states, including Connecticut, already have strict laws on the purchase of firearms, but with no federal statutes, there is little to stop the traffic of guns from other states where fewer restrictions apply. Calls for a federal ban will not get far without strong support from Obama, who so far has made only oblique references to any action post-Newtown. “I believe he will,” Feinstein said, when asked if Obama would throw his support behind her measure.

Newtown was particularly shocking because of the children killed, but this year has already seen shooting sprees at an Oregon shopping mall, a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, a movie theater in Colorado and many thousands of individual shootings across big cities. Each year, more than 31,000 Americans die from gunshots, most of them self-inflicted, but more than 11,000 in homicides - five times as many as the death toll for US troops during an entire decade of conflict in Afghanistan. However, with gun ownership protected by the constitution and firearms popular among a broad base of Americans, most politicians see gun bans as a vote-losing proposition. — AFP

Egyptians hand Islamists narrow win in referendum Continued from Page 1 portrayed “no” voters as heretics. A joint statement by seven human rights groups urged the referendum’s organisers “to avoid these mistakes in the second stage of the referendum and to restage the first phase again”.

Morsi and his backers say the constitution is vital to move Egypt’s democratic transition forward. Opponents say the basic law is too Islamist and tramples on minority rights, including those of Christians who make up 10 percent of the population. The build-up to Saturday’s vote was marred by deadly protests.

Demonstrations erupted when Morsi awarded himself extra powers on Nov 22 and then fasttracked the constitution through an assembly dominated by his Islamist allies. However, the vote passed off calmly with long queues in Cairo and several other places, though unofficial tallies indicated turnout was around a third of the 26 million people eligible to vote this time. The vote was staggered because many judges needed to oversee polling staged a boycott in protest.

The opposition had said the vote should not have been held given the violent protests.

Foreign governments are watching closely how the Islamists, long viewed warily in the West, handle themselves in power. “It’s wrong to have a vote or referendum with the country in the state it is - blood and killings, and no security,” said Emad Sobhy, a voter who lives in Cairo.

“Holding a referendum with the country as it is cannot give you a proper result.”

“The referendum was 56.5 percent for the ‘yes’ vote,” a senior official in the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party operations room set up to monitor voting told Reuters. The Brotherhood and its party had representatives at polling stations across the 10 areas, including Cairo, in this round. The official, who asked not to be identified, said the tally was based on counts from more than 99 percent of polling stations.

“The nation is increasingly divided and the pillars of state are swaying,” opposition politician Mohamed ElBaradei wrote on Twitter. “Poverty

and illiteracy are fertile grounds for trading with religion. The level of awareness is rising fast.”

The opposition initially said its exit polls indicated the “no” camp would win comfortably, but officials changed tack during the night. One opposition official said in the early hours of yesterday that it would be “very close”. A narrow loss could still hearten leftists, socialists, Christians and more liberal-minded Muslims who make up the disparate opposition, which has been beaten in two elections since Hosni Mubarak was overthrown last year. — Reuters

A young Egyptian girl arrives on a boat on the Nile river in Cairo yesterday. — AP

14

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

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Issues

India’s clout in question

By Rupam Jain Nair and Adam Plowright ndia is a world power, so allies in the West would like to believe, but recent developments in its own backyard reveal the limits of the country’s influence and still weak diplomatic force, said analysts. Even in the historically favourable parts of its volatile neighbourhood, New Delhi has suffered reversals in recent weeks, particularly in a high-profile spat with the Maldives, a tiny nation of 300,000 people. Earlier this month, the Maldives kicked out Indian infrastructure firm GMR and cancelled its $511-million deal to run the airport, thumbing its nose at Indian threats to cut off aid. “The Maldives deal collapse can be considered as an isolated event, but it does cast a shadow over India’s ability to take care of its economic interests in the region,” said Wilson John, who heads the Observer Research Foundation think-tank in New Delhi.

The alliance with Maldivian President Mohamed Waheed appears to be heading the way of ties with counterpart Mahinda Rajapakse in neighbouring Sri Lanka, a relationship which has deteriorated steadily over the last few years. Clashes over Rajapakse’s treatment of ethnic Tamils, a politically important group in India, as well as the arrests of Indian fishermen have raised tensions. New Delhi has also been angered by huge duties imposed on imported cars. Leading Indian business group CII believes Sri Lankan tariffs of up to 200 percent could hit 15 percent of India’s car exports.

In the Maldives and Sri Lanka, some see the hand of China, which has forged ties with the governments in Colombo and Male and now offers a richer and more generous alternative to India for investment and infrastructure funding. India’s new foreign minister, Salman Khurshid, acknowledged as much last week when he said that New Delhi would have to “accept the new reality of China’s presence in many areas that we consider an exclusive playground for India”.

This signalled a more pragmatic approach than his predecessor S M Krishna and others in the Indian security establishment, who are alarmed by China’s maritime strength and growing influence in the Indian Ocean. “We know how to resolve our disputes with all the countries in the region. It is a slow-moving process but we are moving in the right direction,” Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin told AFP. “You see, we cannot send our troops to resolve them.”

In its northeastern neighbour Myanmar, India trails far behind China as the army-ruled country opens up to investment, and critics say New Delhi has been slow to react to recent pro-democracy changes. “India is still not sure how to deal with Myanmar,” said Sujit Dutta, a professor of international conflict studies at Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi. “At one level India wants to do business with Myanmar, but (it) is also uneasy in dealing with the military regime.” Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is poised to benefit from further pro-democracy moves, made the barbed comment in New Delhi last month that she had been “saddened” by India’s engagement with her country’s ruling military junta.

Elsewhere in India’s neighbourhood, once described by then US president Bill Clinton as “the most dangerous place in the world”, the picture is bleak with the exception of Bangladesh, where previously poor relations have improved. A peace dialogue between India and nuclear-armed Pakistan shows few signs of making real progress and despite a warming in rhetoric, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently declined an invitation to visit Islamabad.

In the deadlocked and dysfunctional politics of Nepal the ruling Maoists, who are closer to China and instinctively anti-Indian, still hold sway while even tiny Bhutan is starting to see the benefits of closer ties with Beijing. “Small neighbouring countries find India’s attitude to be very bossy,” said analyst John. “They prefer China because it does not openly get involved in domestic affairs. Their tilt towards China cannot be denied.”

Despite problems in the region and its tiny diplomatic service comparable in size to that of Singapore, India is looking to spread its commercial and diplomatic presence further afield with a “Look East” policy aimed at east Asia. Such ambitions are being encouraged by the United States and other Western backers who see democratic India as a natural ally in Asia and a future counterweight to China. But while US President Barack Obama hailed India as a fully fledged “world power” during a visit in 2010, the country’s might in global affairs and ability to bring its size to bear remain in question. —AFP

I

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

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

Obama faces gun control pressure

By Tangi Quemener he latest mass shooting in the United States - this time with 20 children among the dead - is triggering a deluge of calls for President Barack Obama to address gun control, a politically sensitive issue which he avoided during his first term in the White House. With the nation in shock over the carnage Friday, Obama went on television and wiped away tears as he mourned the slain, which included six adults killed at the Newtown, Connecticut, elementary school and another elsewhere. The president stressed he was particularly saddened as a parent. He and wife Michelle have two young daughters. “We have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this,” Obama said in his weekly radio address on Saturday.

“Regardless of the politics.”

He did not go into details, however, and proponents of gun control are getting impatient. “The country needs (Obama) to send a bill to Congress to fix this problem,” said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “Calling for ‘meaningful action’ is not enough. We need immediate action. We have heard all the rhetoric before.” White House spokesman Jay Carney said Friday it was too early to address the issue. “There is I’m sure - will be, rather, a day for discussion

T

of the usual Washington policy debates, but I don’t think today is that day,” Carney said.

People reacted quickly.“Today is the day,” read banners held by activists outside the White House in a vigil within hours of the school shooting. A petition for tougher gun control legislation had more than 80,000 signatures on the White House website Saturday. The Connecticut killings are unspeakably gruesome because such small children were involved. But they are not the first such massacre under Obama’s watch. In Jan 2011 in Arizona six people died at the hands of a shooter targeting Democratic Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who took a bullet in the head but survived. This summer 12 people were shot in Colorado during a midnight screening of a Batman movie.

Obama visited both cities and spoke of the need to crack down on gun violence. He promised to work with Congress and achieve a consensus.

But that is all. His timidity on the issue has been attributed to wariness of alienating voters who believe their constitutional right to bear arms is sacred, deserves a broad interpretation and is not to be touched. The gun buff and manufacturers lobby, the National Rifle

Association, is very critical of Obama even though he has done little that goes against its platform. Its pockets are deep, and it tries to influence local elections.

Both Democrats and Republicans are wary of tangling with it.

But after winning reelection in November, Obama will not face the voters again and Jonathan Lowy, director of the Brady Center’s Legal Action Project, said the NRA is nothing to fear. “President Obama and other Democrats have really misread and overestimated the strength of the gun lobby,” said Lowy, whose organization is named for James Brady, the White House press secretary who was shot and left disabled in an assassination attempt on then president Ronald Reagan in 1981. “The fact is they have very loud bark, but they have very little bite,” he told AFP on Saturday. “In the past election, they (the gun lobby) spent a lot of money - 99 percent of it was towards losing candidates, and that holds true in virtually every election cycle,” Lowy said.

“They spend a lot of money, they make a lot of noise and their candidates lose, so they really are not a force to be afraid of.”

Left-leaning or moderate news outlets also urged the president to take action. “Obama told the nation that he reacted to the shootings in Newtown ‘as a parent’, and that is understandable, but what we need most is for him to act as a President, liberated at last from the constraints of elections and their dirty compromises - a president who dares to change the national debate and the legislative agenda on guns,” David Remnick wrote in The New Yorker. —AFP

Assad could yet defy pundits ven though Syrian rebels now hold vast swathes of territory and have struck the heart of Damascus, President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime has so far stood firm despite Western predictions of its imminent fall. The latest flurry of predictions by Western officials, and even by a top Russian diplomat, reflect the fact that the rebels are advancing on the ground but not that the regime is on the verge of collapse, analysts say. “It will fall in a coup, by foreign intervention or a massive expansion of logistical support to the rebels by foreign countries,” said Barah Mikail, a researcher at the Spanish Institute for Geopolitics (FRIDE).

Mikail’s advice was not to “overestimate” the predictions. “The regime’s military and institutional structure remains intact, even if it has suffered some shocks,” as with last week’s attack in Damascus in which the interior minister was wounded. Several top foreign officials have sounded the death knell of Assad’s regime, including NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen. “It is only a question of time,” he said.

French President Francois Hollande has called on the international community to “make Assad leave as quickly as possible”, while the US State Department said the regime had become “more and more desperate”. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said the Syrian regime was “losing more and more control over a large part of the country’s territory”, before his government quickly distanced itself from his assessment.

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the growing predictions could signal that world powers are closing ranks on the 21-month conflict. “Either this is the beginning of an international consensus to end the regime, or Western countries are in contact with a large and influential group in the army that may turn on Assad,” he said. “Or they are ratcheting up the pressure for Assad to exit to avert a total disintegration of the state,” he said.

But Abdel Rahman, whose organisation documents

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the conflict through a large network of activists and medics across Syria, said the army was still very strong.

“Despite losses in its ranks and defections, it is still capable of protecting a large portion of territory from Damascus to the coast,” heartland of the Alawite minority to which the president belongs. But the military-security apparatus has significantly eroded, as exemplified by multiple car bombings in Damascus. “It is certain that the rebels have made advances and are acting more boldly, but for the moment the army maintains overall cohesion and defends the country’s major cities,” said a Western military expert in Beirut.

“Despite the desertions and deaths, the army still has 200,000 people, of all religious faiths, and has not yet engaged all of its units on the battlefield ... It believes it has a mission,” the expert said. “It felt uncomfortable at the beginning when (soldiers were) asked to fire on unarmed civilians, but there is no sympathy at all now that the revolt has transformed into an insurgency,” he added.

On the diplomatic front, however, Assad’s foes in the opposition National Coalition have gained widespread international recognition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Only three key allies remain: Iran and UN Security Council veto-wielding members China and Russia which have blocked all resolutions condemning the regime. A day after Bogdanov’s comments, Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said: “We have never changed our position (on Syria) and we never will.”

But a Syria specialist, speaking on condition of anonymity because of frequent visits to Damascus, said: “These statements prove that earnest negotiations have begun between the United States and Russia to find a solution to the crisis.

But to repeatedly announce that the regime will fall imminently can be counter-productive because if this is not the case in the coming days or weeks, the regime will claim that it is strong enough not to make concessions.” —AFP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

sp orts Schalke sack coach Stevens BERLIN: Champions League competitors Schalke 04 have sacked coach Huub Stevens after a poor domestic run, culminating in Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Freiburg which saw them drop to seventh in the Bundesliga, the club said yesterday. Dutchman Stevens, who will be replaced by youth team coach Jens Keller, was in his second stint at Schalke after taking over in September 2011. Despite leading the side into the knockout stages of this season’s Champions League, Stevens paid the price for a disappointing run of no wins and four defeats in their last six league games and is leaving at the start of the winter break. “This was a very hard decision for everyone involved given the merits the 59-year-old has earned with the club,” Schalke said in a statement.

Stevens had been a crowd favourite ever since leading the success-starved Ruhr valley club to a 1997 UEFA Cup victory and back-to-back German Cup wins from 2001 in his first stint at the club that ended nine years ago. — Reuters

NBA results/standings Golden State 115, Atlanta 93; NY Knicks 103, Cleveland 102; Miami 102, Washington 72; Indiana 88, Detroit 77; Orlando 107, Charlotte 98; Chicago 83, Brooklyn 82; Minnesota 114, Dallas 106 (OT); LA Clippers 111, Milwaukee 85; San Antonio 103, Boston 88; Memphis 99, Utah 86.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT GB NY Knicks 18 5 .783 Brooklyn 13 10 .565 5 Philadelphia 12 11 .522 6 Boston 12 11 .522 6 Toronto 5 19 .208 13.5 Chicago Milwaukee Indiana Detroit Cleveland

Central Division 13 9 .591 12 10 .545 13 11 .542 7 19 .269 5 20 .200

Miami Atlanta Orlando Charlotte Washington

Southeast Division 15 6 .714 14 7 .667 10 13 .435 7 16 .304 3 18 .143

1 6 9 12

Western Conference Northwest DiviSION Oklahoma City 19 4 .826 Minnesota 12 9 .571 Utah 13 12 .520 Denver 12 12 .500 Portland 10 12 .455

6 7 7.5 8.5

LA Clippers Golden State LA Lakers Phoenix Sacramento

Pacific Division 17 6 .739 16 8 .667 10 14 .417 9 15 .375 7 15 .318

1.5 7.5 8.5 9.5

San Antonio Memphis Houston Dallas New Orleans

Southwest Division 19 6 .760 15 6 .714 11 11 .500 11 13 .458 5 17 .227

2 6.5 7.5 12.5

1 1 8 9.5

NHL players to decide if board can file disclaimer TORONTO: NHL players will begin voting Sunday on whether they will grant the players’ association’s executive board the authority to dissolve the union because of the inability to reach a collective bargaining agreement with the league.

Two-thirds of the union’s membership must vote in favor of allowing the executive board to file a “disclaimer of interest,” a source told The Canadian Press on Saturday. Votes will be cast electronically over a fiveday period that ends Thursday. If the measure passes, the 30-member executive board would have until Jan. 2 to file the disclaimer.

The union is taking steps toward breaking up even after the NHL started mounting a legal challenge against it. On Friday, the NHL filed a class-action complaint which asked a federal court in New York to make a declaration on the legality of the lockout.

In the 43-page complaint, the league argued the players’ association was only considering the “disclaimer of interest” to “extract more favorable terms and conditions of employment.”

“The union has threatened to pursue this course not because it is defunct or otherwise incapable of representing NHL players for purposes of collective bargaining, nor because NHL players are dissatisfied with the representation they have been provided by the NHLPA,” the NHL complaint said. “The NHLPA’s threatened decertification or disclaimer is nothing more than an impermissible negotiating tactic, which the union incorrectly believes would enable it to commence an antitrust challenge to the NHL’s lockout.”

The NHL also filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board. The union issued a statement on Friday night that claimed the league overstepped its bounds. “The NHL appears to be arguing that players should be stopped from even considering their right to decide whether or not to be represented by a union,” the statement said. “We believe that their position is completely without merit.”

By filing the class-action complaint in New York, the league guaranteed that the legality of the lockout would be decided in a court known to be sympathetic toward management. If the NHLPA dissolves it will seek to have the lockout deemed illegal - something that could result in players being paid triple their lost salary in damages if successful.

Despite the focus of the lockout shifting from the board room to the courtroom, there is nothing preventing the sides from continuing to try to negotiate with each another. They met separately over two days with a U.S. federal mediator this week in New Jersey but failed to make any progress. — AP

Ndlovu critical after crash

Vettel and Schumacher win Race of Champions again BANGKOK: Germany, represented by Formula One world champions Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher, won the Race of Champions team crown for the sixth successive year in Bangkok on Saturday.

The event, which pits winners from various motorsport series competing in identical cars and being held at the Thai capital’s Rajamangala stadium for the first time, saw Germany comfortably beat the French pairing of F1 driver Romain Grosjean and rally driver Sebastien Ogier by two heats to nil in the final.

“Even Michael hasn’t managed six titles in a row before so this is something special,” said Vettel, who will be aiming for the individual title yesterday.

Schumacher, winner of a record seven Formula One championships including five in a row for Ferrari, said he and Vettel would be defending the title again next year.

“For sure we’re going to be here, that’s a must,” said the 43year-old, who retired from Formula One for the second time in November. “Actually, my lucky number is seven so we are going to push hard.” — Reuters

HARARE: Former Coventry and Sheffield United striker Peter Ndlovu was in critical condition in a hospital in his native Zimbabwe after a car accident yesterday that killed his older brother Adam and a female passenger.

Peter Ndlovu, Zimbabwe’s former captain, most capped player and record goalscorer, was taken to the hospital in his home city of Bulawayo after the crash near Victoria Falls in the west of the country. Adam Ndlovu, who was also a former Zimbabwe international, died after the accident along with the unidentified female. He was 42. Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said in a statement he was “deeply saddened at the passing on of a soccer legend, Adam Ndlovu” in what he called “a horror crash.” “My prayers are with the Ndlovu family, the football fraternity and the nation at this sad loss,” Tsvangirai said. Details of Peter’s injuries were not immediately known but he was expected to be flown to the capital Harare later Sunday in a helicopter provided by the Zimbabwe Football Association. — Reuters

LA Clippers rout Bucks MILWAUKEE: Matt Barnes scored 21 points, Blake Griffin had 18 points and 11 rebounds and the Los Angeles Clippers routed the cold-shooting Milwaukee Bucks 111-85 on Saturday night for their ninth consecutive victory.

DeAndre Jordan added 15 points and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles, which had lost three in a row in Milwaukee. Griffin had three spectacular dunks in a brief stretch in the third quarter.

It’s the longest winning streak for the franchise since the Buffalo Braves captured 11 in a row during the 1974-75 season. The Bucks, who had won four in a row, shot 36 percent from the field.

Marquis Daniels scored 16 points for Milwaukee and Monta Ellis had 13, but went 4 for 14 from the floor. Brandon Jennings was held to nine points on 3-for13 shooting.

Timberwolves 114, Mavericks 106 In Minneapolis, Ricky Rubio made a triumphant return to the court with nine assists and eight points in 19 minutes, sparking the Timberwolves to an overtime victory over the Mavericks.

Andrei Kirilenko scored five of his 14 points in overtime while Rubio watched from the bench because of a minutes restriction on his surgically repaired left knee.

Nikola Pekovic scored 21 points for the Timberwolves, who won their fourth straight game despite playing without AllStar Kevin Love because of an illness. O.J. Mayo had 20 points, six assists and five rebounds and Shawn Marion had 14 points and 10 boards for the Mavericks, who led by 13 early before Rubio came off the bench for the first time since tearing up his left knee in March.

Warriors 115, Hawks 93 In Atlanta, David Lee had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the Warriors completed an impressive road trip with a victory.

Stephen Curry collected 18 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for Golden State, which went in front to stay in the second quarter. Harrison Barnes and Carl Landry each had 19 points.

The Warriors capped a 6-1 tour against Eastern Conference teams, including a win at Miami. It was the team’s first winning road trip of at least six games since a 4-3 trip in the 1970-71 season. Al Horford led Atlanta with 17 points. Lou Williams scored 16 and Ivan Johnson had 15 points and nine rebounds. The Hawks had won 11 of 13. Golden State completed a sweep of its two-game season series against Atlanta one night after a 99-85 loss at Orlando. It was Lee’s seventh straight game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Knicks 103, Cavaliers 102 In New York, Raymond Felton scored 25 points, Tyson Chandler had 23, and the Knicks earned their fourth straight win, overcoming Kyrie Irving’s career-high 41 points and the absence of Carmelo Anthony.

outscored Washington 29-10 in the third quarter to build a 33-point lead. James had 16 points alone in the third, ensuring he would finish with at least 20 points for the 26th straight regular-season game and 42nd consecutive game overall dating to last season.

Grizzlies 99, Jazz 86 In Salt Lake City, Zach Randolph had 25 points and g16 rebounds, and the Grizzlies snapped a three-game losing streak. It was Memphis’ first win in Salt Lake City since an overtime victory on Jan. 24, 2007.

The Grizzlies outscored Utah 28-10 in the third quarter to turn a 10-point halftime deficit into a 72-64 lead entering the fourth. The Jazz shot just 15 percent (3 of 20) in the quarter after shooting 56.4 percent at halftime.

Al Jefferson led Utah with 21 points.

Paul Millsap added 12 and Gordon Hayward 11 for the Jazz (13-12), who have lost two straight. Marc Gasol added 16 points for Memphis (15-6), including nine in the decisive third.

Magic 107, Bobcats 98 In Charlotte, Glen Davis and Arron Afflalo each scored 20 points as the Magic handed the Bobcats their 11th straight loss. Jameer Nelson added 16 points and six assists for Orlando, and J.J. Redick had 14 points, including a big 3-pointer down the stretch. Nikola Vucevic finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

The Magic have won three of four.

Kemba Walker had a career-high 32 points for Charlotte. The second-year point guard was 11 of 19 from the field, and also had seven assists.

SAN ANTONIO: Boston Celtics’ Jason Terry (4) tries to pass the ball as San Antonio Spurs’ Boris Diaw (left) of France, and Tim Duncan (21) defend during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game. —AP The Knicks improved the NBA’s only Chris Bosh added 12 points for the unbeaten home record to 10-0 when Heat, who turned 21 turnovers into 30 Anderson Varejao missed the second of points. Bradley Beal scored 19 points and two free throws with 1 second left. It’s the Cartier Martin added 18 for the Wizards, best home start for New York since the who beat the Heat 105-101 in Washington 1991-92 team won its first 11 at Madison on Dec. 4.

Square Garden.

Anthony, the NBA’s No. 2 scorer, missed Spurs 103, Celtics 88 the game after spraining his left ankle In San Antonio, Tony Parker had 22 Thursday in the third quarter of a victory points and eight assists to help the Spurs over the Los Angeles Lakers. It almost was- get the win. Gary Neal added 20 points, n’t enough thanks to Irving, who had no Danny Green scored 12 and Tiago Splitter problems wearing a black protective mask finished with 16 points and eight after breaking a bone in his face on a hard rebounds for San Antonio (19-6), which fall Friday night against Milwaukee. CJ overcame the loss of Manu Ginobili to Miles finished with 17 points for the Cavs, improve to 8-2 at home. Ginobili departed who had three masked men in uniform as with a bruised left quad after he ran into they dropped their third straight.

Chris Wilcox’s knee on a screen with 2:42 left in the first quarter.

Heat 102, Wizards 72 Paul Pierce and Jason Terry each scored In Miami, LeBron James had 23 points 18 points for Boston (12-11). Kevin Garnett and 10 rebounds, and the Heat never added 13 points and Courtney Lee had 11. trailed. Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade Parker scored nine points in the final quareach scored 13 for Miami, which ter. He had one turnover in 36 minutes.

Bulls 83, Nets 82 In Chicago, Joakim Noah had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and helped force a key turnover as the Bulls rallied for the win.

Nets star Deron Williams missed a jumper that would have tied it in the finals seconds, helping Chicago win for the fifth time in six games.

Noah and Luol Deng trapped Joe Johnson late in the game, resulting in one of Brooklyn’s 18 turnovers. Deng turned the mistake into a basket that tied it at 79.

Brook Lopez had 18 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes for Brooklyn, which played for the fourth time in five days. Marco Belinelli led Chicago with 19 points and made two free throws to cap an 8-0 run in the closing minutes.

Pacers 88, Pistons 77 In Auburn Hills, David West had 23 points and George Hill added 18 points and seven assists to lead Indiana to the victory. Paul George added 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Pacers (13-11), who have won three in a row to move two games over .500 for the first time this season. Greg Monroe led the Pistons with 18 points and added eight rebounds. Rodney Stuckey had 15 points and seven assists, and Brandon Knight added 14 points. —AP

Popovic clinches Australian PGA COOLUM: It was a feel-good situation for a guy who’s had precious few this year. And for Daniel Popovic, it lasted for all four rounds of the Australian PGA. First-year Australasian PGA tour player Popovic, whose father is suffering from incurable bone cancer, completed an improbable wire-to-wire victory at the Palmer Coolum resort, shooting a 3-under-par 69 on Sunday for a four-stroke victory.

The 26-year-old Popovic, ranked outside the top 1,000, nearly quit golf earlier this year when he learned of his father’s terminal illness, solely to be close to him and his family outside Melbourne in Victoria state.

Instead the player who only made seven of 12 cuts in his first year on the Australasian tour collected $225,000 yesterday - more than $200,000 above his previous tour earnings. Fellow Australian Rod Pampling birdied the first six holes to take the lead after nine holes, but bogeys on 16 and 17 and a double-bogey on the 18th dropped him back into a tie for second after a 69.

Anthony Brown shot 71 to finish level with Pampling.

Popovic finished with a 16-under-par total of 272 and led or had a share of the lead since Thursday. “I just can’t believe this is happening,” Popovic said as he walked up the 18th fairway with his ball safely on the green. “I am just going to try to enjoy this now.”

Moments later, he tapped in for par, did a left-handed fist pump and doffed his cap to the crowd. “It has just hit me all over suddenly,” he said after accepting the winner’s check. “I was just so confident, and that never left me. Sure I made several stupid mistakes, but I bounced back quite nicely.” Popovic, who will now have an invitation to the U.S. PGA Tour’s Bridgestone Invitational, received a phone call from Greg Norman after his media conference. Norman stayed around to watch some of

Popovic’s round on Friday despite pulling out of the tournament after two holes on Thursday with food poisoning.

“2013 is going to be completely different to what I had planned,” Popovic said. “Two weeks ago I entered Q School for next year for Australia and was thinking I would just play one tour because of my father’s illness.

But now next year is just going to be bigger and better and hopefully he keeps pushing on as well.”

Pampling looked set for his first win since the Australian Masters in 2008 - he has two wins on the U.S. PGA tour, the last in 2006 at the Bay Hill Invitational.

This year, he finished just outside the top 125 - 127th place - to lose his PGA tour card, then failed at qualifying school two weeks ago, meaning he will have only conditional status next year in the US. But errant tee shots on 16 and 17 led to bogeys, then his approach to 18 went into the water, all but handing the win to Popovic. “Disappointing, obviously it’s been a long time since I have been in this situation,” Pampling said, adding that he was impressed with Popovic’s performance under pressure. “You couldn’t look back in the form guide and say that he is good under the gun ... you certainly expected Danny to maybe fall back,” Pampling said. “From off the tee he was phenomenal.”

Geoff Ogilvy, trying to be among the top three here to ensure he’d finish inside the top 50 in year-end world rankings thereby get a U.S. Masters berth next year, almost got there. He shot 69 yesterday and finished tied for fourth, just one stroke away.

Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland finished with a 68 for a 4-under total of 279 and tied for eighth, his best finish at any tournament since winning the British Open in 2011. Peter Senior, who came from behind to win the

wind-swept Australian Open on the final day last Sunday at The Lakes in Sydney, couldn’t repeat the feat at Coolum. Playing in the final threesome of the day and trailing Popovic by three to start the round, Senior shot a 77 and finished 11 strokes behind.

Rory Sabbatini shot 74 Sunday and finished tied for 48th at even-par 288. It seems the Australian PGA may not be moving from the Palmer Coolum resort after 11 years. — AP

COOLUM: Australian Daniel Popovic poses for a photo with the winner’s cup after his victory at the Australian PGA. —AP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

sp orts

Dilshan’s century leads Sri Lanka counter-attack

SIGULDA: (Left to right) Italian Armin Zoeggeler (second), Russian Albert Demchenko (first) and Felix Loch of Germany (third) celebrate after the Luge World Cup event. —AFP

Demchenko wins luge World Cup event SIGULDA: Veteran Albert Demchenko of Russia won the men’s singles race Sunday at a luge World Cup event in Latvia, narrowly beating long-time Italian rival Armin Zoeggeler. The 41-year-old Demchenko finished with a combined time of 1 minute, 37.605 seconds over two runs on the Sigulda track, beating Zoeggeler by 0.042 seconds.

“I feel younger than I actually am,” said Demchenko, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist. “We have a very good physiotherapist on our Russian team, and I have no back problems.”

Germany’s Felix Loch finished third with a time of 1:37.708, a result he attributed to a crucial error on a bend.

“I’ve made that really big mistake in the exit of curve 15,” he said. “It was such a stupid mistake it almost makes me laugh. But hey, things like that happen.”

Zoeggeler agreed with his German rival.

“Without that mistake, Felix would surely have won,” Zoeggeler said.

Despite the error, Loch retains his overall lead after four events this season. His compatriot Andi Langenhan is second, while Demchenko’s victory yesterday propelled him to third place.

American Chris Mazdzer finished 19th for the day, just 1.133 second behind Demchenko, while Taylor Morris came in 23rd. This season’s World Cup will wrap up in Sochi, Russia, in February. — AP

Long bags badminton crown SHENZHEN: Chen Long won badminton’s BWF Superseries Finals yesterday by downing Chinese compatriot Du Pengyu, while China also took the women’s singles and women’s doubles crowns.

Chen, the number two seed, bested Du 21-12, 21-13 to take home the championship in the event at Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre in the southern city. Chen and Du are ranked second and ninth in the world, respectively, according to the Badminton World Federation rankings.

In the women’s singles, Chinese Olympic champion Li Xuerui, the top seed, beat countrywoman and number three seed Wang Shixian 21-9, 15-4 after Wang retired from the match. Li is ranked No. 2 in the world, while Wang is No. 5.

China also took the top spot in the women’s doubles, where fourth seeds Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang defeated

Denmark’s Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl 21-16, 21-14. Wang and Yu, currently ranked third globally, were among eight players disqualified from the 2012 Olympics for attempting to drop round-robin games in a bid to secure a favourable quarter-final draw.

The scandal had led Yu to say she would give up badminton, but she resumed playing at the Super Series Premier event in Shanghai in November.

In mixed doubles, Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Pedersen knocked off number four seeds Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei 17-21, 21-12, 21-14. In the men’s doubles, world No. 1-ranked Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen of Denmark beat second seeds Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa of Japan 21-17, 21-19 to defend their championship.

Endo and Hayakawa are ranked No. 5 in the world. The men’s doubles match was the only one of the day that lacked a

HOBART: Tillakaratne Dilshan led a fighting counter-attack with an gutsy century as Sri Lanka trailed Australia by 141 runs with two days to play in the first Hobart Test yesterday.

Dilshan batted for almost seven hours for his 147 and shared in a record Sri Lanka stand in Australia with Angelo Mathews to get the tourists within 114 runs of the home side’s first innings of 450 for five declared.

The Australians tightened their grip on the match reaching third day stumps at 27 without loss and were in the box seat to press on for their first victory of the domestic summer after losing the recent three-Test series to South Africa. “It is very satisfying, especially as it was against a great bowling attack and in Australia with the extra bounce in the wicket,” Dilshan said of his first century in Australia. “I always try to score runs and I’ve always been positive throughout my career. I just go for it first ball.”

At the close, Ed Cowan was on 16 with David Warner not out on eight. Sri Lanka, boosted by Dilshan’s 15th Test century and good play from Mathews (75) and Prasanna Jayawardene (40), were bowled out for 336. Peter Siddle, leading the Australian attack in the absence of injured Ben Hilfenhaus, knocked over the Sri Lankan tail to finish with five for 54 off 25.3 overs.

“It’s about pressing forward tomorrow, obviously it’s going to be hard to start tomorrow morning for the batters, but they’ll dig in and we’ve just got to play it from there and see how we go and see what target we can go with,” Siddle said. Dilshan’s innings-saving effort came to an end when he was yorked by Mitchell Starc in the 98th over some 30 minutes after tea. The 36-year-old right-hander hit 21 boundaries off 273 balls and was primarily responsible for getting Sri Lanka past the 251 follow on after the tourists were in strife at 87 for four at stumps on Saturday. It was Dilshan’s second century against Australia following his 104 at Galle in 2004. He shared in a record 161-run stand with Mathews for the fifth wicket that took the momentum away from the Australians for a large part of the third day. It eclipsed Aravinda de Silva and Ravi Ratnayeke’s previous best stand for Sri Lanka down under of 144 for the seventh wicket at Brisbane in 1989.

Siddle triggered a late wicket collapse, trapping Prasanna Jayawardene and Rangana Herath (0) both leg before wicket, before Nuwan Kulasekara was caught in the deep by substitute Jordan Silk off Nathan Lyon for 23.

Siddle mopped up the innings with the wicket of Chanaka Welegedara for a duck, snapped up at gully by Mike Hussey leaving the Australians 14 overs to negotiate to stumps.

Australia, down a bowler with Hilfenhaus off the field with a side strain, toiled hard for most of Sunday, with only Mathews’s wicket to show for their efforts up to tea.

Vice-captain Mathews, who is expected to take over as skipper after Mahela Jayawardene announced he would be stepping down as captain after the Australia tour, was another Siddle lbw victim. Australia’s wicketkeeper Matthew Wade was left red-faced by a botched stumping of Kulasekara on three when he dropped the ball after the fast bowler jumped down the wicket to spinner Nathan Lyon.

Swing bowler Hilfenhaus left the field in the opening hour after delivering just two balls of his 13th over. Team officials said he had a left side strain and was taken to hospital for scans.

He had figures of 1-30 after claiming the wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne for 14 on Saturday.

Australia’s fast bowling ranks have been hit hard with James Pattinson (side), Patrick Cummins (back) and Josh Hazlewood (foot) all out of action. Pattinson was ruled out for the Test

season after suffering his injury during the second Test against South Africa in Adelaide, while Cummins is aiming to recover from stress fractures to his back for next year’s Ashes tour. —AFP

HOBART: Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews (bottom) dives back to his crease to avoid a run out as teammate, Tillakaratne Dilshan (top) and Australia’s Peter Siddle watch on the third day of their cricket Test match. —AP

SCOREBOARD HOBART: Scoreboard at close of play on the third day of the first test between Australia and Sri Lanka at Bellerive Oval yesterday: Australia won the toss and chose to bat Australia first innings 450-5 declared Sri Lanka first innings (overnight 87-4) D. Karunaratne c Wade b Hilfenhaus 14 T. Dilshan B Starc 147 K. Sangakkara c Hussey b Siddle 4 M. Jayawardene lbw Watson 12 T. Samaraweera c Wade b Lyon 7 A. Mathews lbw Siddle 75 P. Jayawardene lbw Siddle 40 N. Kulasekara c sub b Lyon 23 R. Herath lbw Siddle 0 S. Eranga not out 5 C. Welegedara c Hussey b Siddle 0 Extras (b-2, lb-6, nb-1) 9 Total (all out, 109.3 overs) 336

Fall of wickets: 1-25 2-42 3-70 4-87 5-248 6289 7-316 8-320 9-336 Bowling: Starc 24-3-104-1, Hilfenhaus 12.23-30-1, Lyon 25-8-76-2, Siddle 25.3-11-54-5 (nb-1), Watson 20.4-5-55-1, Clarke 2-0-9-0.

Australia second innings E. Cowan not out 16 D. Warner not out 8 Extras (lb-1, nb-2) 3 Total (without loss, 14 overs) 27 To bat: P. Hughes, S. Watson, M.Clarke, M. Hussey, M. Wade, P. Siddle, B. Hilfenhaus, M. Starc, N. Lyon.

Bowling: Kulasekara 6-3-10-0 (nb-1), Welegedera 5-1-10-0 (nb-1), Dilshan, 2-0-2-0, Eranga 1-0-4-0.

Lochte sets second world record

SHENZHEN: Chen Long of China poses with his trophy during the award ceremony for the menís singles final match of the 2012 BWF Superseries Finals. Chen beat compatriot Du Pengyu 21-12, 21-13 for the title. —AFP

ISTANBUL: American star Ryan Lochte kept up his phenomenal form at the world short course championships on Saturday when he set a world record 50.71sec in the men’s 100m individual medley semi-finals.

On Friday, the five-time Olympic champion broke the 200m individual medley world record on his way to winning his fourth gold of the championships.

He was already under world record time by the end of the butterfly leg and he continued to eat into it over the following three laps.

Australia’s Kenneth To recorded the second fastest time with 51.47 and George Bovell of Trinidad and Tobago was third with 51.66.

“I have the 200m backstroke final (before the 100m individual medley final) late yesterday so I knew if I wanted any shot at this record, it had to be tonight,” said Lochte, who knocked .05sec off the old mark set by

Beach girl targets seventh world title GRAND CAYMAN: Nicol David, who will be seeking to extend her record of world titles to seven in eight years on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches, hopes to show that the pack of would-be rivals is not closing in on her.

The phenomenal Malaysian is one of the longest-lasting front runners in the whole of sport, but two losses in recent weeks have offered unexpected encouragement to those who believe the hunt may have found a scent.

These rare winners were Raneem El Weleily, the world number two from Egypt who has improved markedly during 2012, and Alison Waters, the world number seven from England, who has made a remarkable comeback from injury. Their successes will have galvanised others to believe the chase can succeed.

However, David also has reasons for feeling encouraged. Crucial after six-anda half continuous years as world number

one is to ensure she peaks for important events-and she has just done that rather well. It was at the US Open in Philadelphia in October where she avenged herself on the two who had beaten her.

“It was a big achievement for me to win it that way,” said David, hinting at evolving priorities as she moves into her 30th year. “Recovery is key. It’s key to preventing injuries, and keeping the body ready for each day.” She has not been helped in her need to prioritise in this way by a section of the media back home which described her losses as “shocking”.

But David insists her motivation burns bright. “It’s that will to improve myself, as a player, also trying to get to perfection, and there is a long way to go,” she said. “I just feel old, looking at all those young players, that just keep going!”

Weleily is 23, and as the number two seed, is in the other half of the draw of the World Open which starts today.

Waters is 28 and seeded fourth but has landed in the champion’s half. They may have a semi-final meeting though there are unusually tough hurdles for David before that.

Her first round is about the hardest she could have had - against Omneya Abdel Kawy, whom she played in the 2010 final in Sharm El Sheikh. Since then injury has caused the Egyptian to fall from the top 20, until an excellent comeback in the last two months.

This opener could prove a thermometer of David’s chances, for the champion has occasionally shown signs of vulnerability early on. It may not get any easier though, for David has a likely third round with Nour El Sherbini, the 17-year-old Egyptian schoolgirl who contested this year’s British Open final with her. After that El Sherbini was widely touted as the player most likely to succeed David.

Insights as to how soon that might happen may shortly be available. —AFP

Slovenia’s Peter Mankoc in 2009. “I messed up in a couple of places tonight so I know there is some room for improvement.”

In the women’s 200m individual medley, China’s Ye Shiwen attacked in the final 25m to win gold as she touched the wall in 2:04.64 to record a championship record and win her first world short course gold after having previously won three silver.

Katinka Hosszu of Hungary held on to win silver with 2:04.72 for her fourth medal of the championships, while Great Britain’s Hannah Miley overcame a sluggish first 150m to win bronze with 2:07.12 to add to her 400m individual medley gold.

“I’m so happy I came in first today. It feels so good,” said 16-year-old Ye, who stunned the sport at the Olympics when she captured gold in the 200m and 400m medleys.

“I competed against Hosszu many times in many events. This time she was stronger than ever. But I thought ‘for sure I won’t give up’. I had a chance to come back because in the breaststroke she is not so strong.”

Ruta Meilutyte added the 100m breaststroke title to the 50m breaststroke gold that she won earlier in the week as she dominated the race to win with a new championship record of 1:03.52.

Meilutyte quickly took the lead and was under world record pace at the halfway mark and while the 15-year-old was unable to hold the pace in the second two laps, there was little chance of her letting the lead slip.

Alia Atkinson added the 100m breaststroke silver to the 50m breaststroke in 1:03.80, while Denmark’s Rikke Moeller Pedersen came home for bronze in 1:04.05. Robert Hurley finally ended Australia’s wait for a gold medal with victory in the men’s 50m backstroke.

Hurley touched the wall in 23.04 seconds to beat the USA’s Matthew Grevers in 23.17, whose silver adds to his gold in the 100m backstroke, and Russia’s Stanislav Donets who came home in 23.19 to win the bronze.

Nicholas Santos ended a similar wait with Brazil’s first gold medal as he raced home in a championship record of 22.22 to win the men’s 50m butterfly. He had already broken it

ISTANBUL: Ryan Lochte of US competes during the FINA Short Course Swimming World Championships at the Sinan Erdem Arena. —AP once in Istanbul and this time it was enough to hold off the challenge of 100m butterfly champion Chad Le Clos, who won silver with 22.26, and the 100m butterfly silver medallist Thomas Shields, who took bronze in 22.46.

There was a second gold for the USA’s women’s relay squad as their quartet of Megan Romano, Jessica Hardy, Lia Neal and Allison Schmitt won the 4x100m freestyle in 3:31.01. —AFP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

sp orts

Maze wins as Vonn slips

ITALY: Ted Ligety, of the United States, competes during the first run of an alpine ski, men’s World Cup giant slalom. —AP

Ligety shows his superiority ALTA BADIA: Ted Ligety’s giant slalom skiing is so much better than anyone else’s right now that his rivals are studying his technique. The American cruised to his third GS win of the season by a large margin Sunday after an opening run that left his fellow skiers in awe, giving the US team two wins in two days.

Ligety sliced his way down the classic Gran Risa course in a two-run combined time of 2 minutes, 37.27 seconds.

Defending overall World Cup winner Marcel Hirscher finished second, 2.04 seconds behind, and Thomas Fanara of France was third, 3.27 back.

“You can’t do anything at the moment. He’s way ahead,” former overall winner Ivica Kostelic said of Ligety. “You need a lot of work to do something like that, and a lot of talent as well.

“He’s skiing on the edge most of the time, and his angles are bigger than everybody else,” added Kostelic, who finished 21st, more than six seconds back.

“With the way my knees are I can’t do that.”

Both Hirscher and Kostelic acknowledged that they have been studying video of Ligety. The highlight reel in this race was Ligety’s first run, when he posted a massive 2.40-second advantage over Hirscher.

“At the moment I’m happy to be two seconds behind Ted,” Hirscher said.

“There’s not much more you can do to be competitive. We’re all looking to Ted. It’s perfect skiing. We’re all studying his lines.” For all intents and purposes, the race was over after the first run. “The first run was confusing for me and confusing for a lot of other guys,” Ligety said. “I had perfect grip whereas a lot of other guys were struggling with chatter. It was a bizarre margin for how it felt like, though. It didn’t feel like anything super special. I’ve skied better in training.”

In the second run, Ligety just needed to make sure he made no major mistakes in the second leg. He had a slight problem midway down in the second run, putting his left hand down on the snow, but quickly regained control. “He is No. 1 in the world, but he’s No. 1 in the world by (a huge) margin,” said current overall leader Aksel Lund Svindal.

Steven Nyman, another American, won the downhill in nearby Val Gardena on Saturday, making it the first time two American men won races on consecutive days since Marco Sullivan and Bode Miller achieved the feat in Chamonix, France, in January 2008.

Ligety also won the first two GS races

this season by large margins, finishing 2.75 ahead in Soelden, Austria, and 1.76 in front in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark set the record for margin of victory at 4.06 in 1978-79.

“Maybe the Stenmark record was in the back of my mind, but really I was just trying to go hard and make it to the bottom,” Ligety said of his second leg, when he was sixth fastest. “I definitely made some big mistakes, so I changed the tactics up a bit and I was happy to make it down. A couple times I had my elbows on the snow.”

Ligety ’s first run drew immediate praise from his rivals on social media.

Swedish downhiller Hans Olsson wrote: “Just in: Marvel pictures are going to make a new movie about a superhero! Its not The hulk, Spiderman or Batman! Its about Ted Ligety!”

Nyman asked, “Best skiing........ever?”

Both runs were held in perfect conditions, with clear skies and the temperature comfortably below freezing to make for optimal snow conditions.

Ligety also won this race - considered one of the toughest GS events on the circuit - two seasons ago. He was fired up after finishing third in the GS in Val d’Isere, France, last weekend.

With Svindal finishing ninth, Ligety narrowed the gap behind the Norwegian in the standings. Svindal now has 614 points, Ligety is next with 508 and Hirscher is third with 460.

Defending champion Massimiliano Blardone of Italy lost control when his skis touched toward the end of his run after posting fast times at each checkpoint. Blardone was aiming to match Alberto Tomba’s record of four wins on the Gran Risa. The way Ligety is skiing, though, the American may reach Tomba first.

“Ligety is a phenomenon,” Blardone said. “There’s little else to say.” It was the 14th win of Ligety’s World Cup career, all in giant slalom. The Salt Lake City, Utah, native also won gold in combined at the 2006 Turin Olympics and another gold in GS at the 2011 world championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

Only Bode Miller (33) and Phil Mahre (27) have more World Cup wins among American men. Miller, who won on the Gran Risa in 2002, is still recovering from left knee surgery and has not begun his season yet. Next up on the men’s circuit is a night slalom in the Trentino resort of Madonna Di Campiglio, which hasn’t hosted a World Cup race since Italy’s Giorgio Rocca won seven years ago. —AP

LORIENT: Groupama 4 Ocean Racing boat skippered by French Franck Cammas, arrives in first place at the Lorient Harbor after completing leg 8 from Lisbon, Portugal to Lorient during the Volvo Ocean Race. —AFP

Gabart holds on to Vendee Globe lead PARIS: Frenchman Francois Gabart was holding on to his lead in the solo, roundthe world Vendee Globe yacht race yesterday, with the fleet chasing around the seas south of Australia heading into the southern Pacific Ocean.

Gabart was around 40 nautical miles clear of countryman Armel Le Cleac’h, with another Frenchman, Jean-Pierre Dick, in third nearly 500 nautical miles adrift.

Welshman Alex Thomson was fourth. leading the challenge to become the first

non-French winner of the tough oceangoing classic, but he was more than 800 nautical miles behind Gabart.

In all 13 boats remain in the hunt for sailing’s toughest test 36 days after the race, which is held every four years, set off from the French port of Les Sables d’Olonne. They are due to arrive back in about two months time. Seven boats have pulled out, including the only woman skipper in the race, Britain’s Samantha Davies, who came fourth in the last edition two years ago. —AFP

COURCHEVEL: Tina Maze is looking more and more unbeatable in giant slalom this season and her lead over Lindsey Vonn in the World Cup standings is getting bigger and bigger.

Maze won her fourth straight GS race on Sunday to extend her overall World Cup lead and more importantly create a bigger gap to Vonn, the defending champion who had another disappointing day and failed to finish.

Maze had a comfortable lead of 0.63 seconds over Frenchwoman Tessa Worley after her first run and the 29-year-old Slovenian then held off Austria’s Kathrin Zettel in the second to win by 0.22. Worley was third, 0.40 back. Austria’s Anna Fenninger finished fourth but was 1:16 behind Maze. “This year I’m actually amazed by myself, how good I can do the races,” Maze said. “For this I have to thank my team, that’s working the whole summer and already for four now with me. They’re getting me ready to be able to follow all the races that are coming.”

The race was held despite heavy snowfall and the Stade Emile-Allais course was hard and bumpy, with poor visibility for the first run. “It was very difficult and very icy today.

We hadn’t trained much on ice until now,” Maze said. “It’s a very technical course, there’s a lot of movement and speed, and it’s very steep.”

Zettel lost some time at the top but was very quick down middle and bottom of the course. Worley did the opposite, pushing ahead of Zettel at first time split but then losing time in the bottom section.

“It was a tough race today, really tough with the light in the first run. I didn’t find a lot of rhythm and did get a lot of speed (in the first run),” Zettel said. “So I tried to attack the second run and did it much better, so I’m happy about that.”

After getting her 10th career podium - all in giant slalom - and first on home snow, the 23-year-old Worley said she “loved the tough conditions because I know I can do well if I can fight.”

Vonn, however, was left looking dejected after losing her balance in the first run, lifting up her right knee slightly and then falling sideways to the left. The latest setback came after her crash in Friday’s downhill and she dropped a place down to fourth overall as

Zettel moved up to third.

Vonn was way behind Maze at the first time split and then lost balance as she veered to the left. She stood for a few seconds with her head down and then lifted up one of her skis as if to inspect it.

“Hit a rock on my left ski in the GS and skied off course,” Vonn, who spent time in a hospital with a stomach bug in November, said on her Facebook page. “(I am) struggling

and that gap looks likely to get bigger before the end of the year. Having failed to gain any points on Maze when the super-G in Val d’Isere was canceled on Saturday, Vonn now has two more technical events - a giant slalom and slalom - in Are, Sweden later this week.

Following Are, Vonn then has a slalom and giant slalom in Semmering, Austria, and will not get back to her favored speed events until early January when there is a downhill and a

FRANCE: Slovenia’s Tina Maze (center) winner of an alpine ski, women’s World Cup Giant Slalom, celebrates on the podium with second placed Austria’s Kathrin Zettel, and third placed Franceís Tessa Worley, in Courchevel. —AP to find the energy I usually have...going to think hard over the next few days about my plan for the coming weeks and how to get strong again. Trying to stay positive. “ Maze has 799 points and a massive lead of 331 over Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany, who finished a lowly 26th. “I was already thinking about the overall for the last three years, every year I was trying to keep up with the best ones,” said Maze, who finished second overall last season and third the season before. “This year I’m leading so it’s working really good for me.”

Vonn, meanwhile, trails Maze by 385 points

super-G at St. Anton am Arlberg in Austria.

“We have a really tough rhythm with all the races to come. Tomorrow we are going to Are (Sweden),” Maze said. “It’s really hard to keep up your shape and change from one place to another.” The US team had something to cheer as Julia Mancuso finished sixth - although she was 2:33 behind Maze, while the 17-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin improved in her second run to finish ninth. “I knew it was a very long shot because the first run was really, really rough,” Shiffrin said. “I was more psyched that I actually made it down and survived the first run.” —AP

Wright wins saddle bronc season title LAS VEGAS: Jesse Wright edged Cody DeMoss by $797 in the saddle bronc season standings for his first world title, finishing fourth with an 80.5-point ride on Pedro on Saturday night in the 10th and final round of the National Finals Rodeo.

“I didn’t have that great of a finals, but to come down to the end of it and to ride my horses and win the world title without being high up in the average (NFR aggregate) feels outstanding,” Wright said. “I had a great regular season and everything panned out enough here for it all to work out. Wright, from Milford, Utah, earned $226,887.

“This is better than what I ever thought it would feel like,” he said. “It hasn’t come close to sinking in yet, and I can’t comprehend it. To be classified as a world champion and to be in the same category as my brother (Cody), who is a great bronc rider, is a dream I’ve had since I’ve started riding broncs.”

DeMoss, from Heflin, La., won the round with an 86 on Painted Feather and earned a $46,821 bonus by topping the NFR aggregate standings with 798.5 points for 10 rides.

Cody Wright led the NFR saddle bronc earnings race with $121,322. He was second with an 85 on Resistol’s Top Hat, and finished second in the aggregate with 740.5 points for nine rides.

In bull riding, Cody Teel of Kountze, Texas, passed J.W. Harris of Mullin, Texas, in the final round to take the title. Teel earned $11,484 with the sixth-place NFR aggregate standings bonus to take the title with $201,978.

Harris was second with $200,922.

Both were bucked off in the final round. “This is what you work all year to do and I think right now that it doesn’t matter how you do it, as long as you get the job done,” Teel said. “It’s my first gold buckle and I just couldn’t stop staring at it when they handed it to me.”

Beau Schroeder of China, Texas, won the aggregate race with five rides for 423 points.

Defending world champ Shane Proctor of Grand Coulee, Wash., won the round with an 86.5 on Squawk Box. In barrel racing, 53-year-old Mary Walker of Ennis, Texas, won the season title in her first NFR, finishing sixth in 14.01 seconds.

She earned $274,233, and finished with an event-best $146,941. Carlee Pierce of Stephenville, Texas, won the round in 13.57.

In bareback riding, Kaycee Feild of Payson, Utah, repeated as the champion and aggregate standings winner by tying for third with an 85.5 on Scarlett’s Web. Feild earned $276,850, and

Will Lowe of Canyon, Texas, was second with $220,269. Feild is the first bareback rider to win consecutive titles since Lowe in 2006-07. “I’m friends with a lot of past world champions, and they always say the second one is a little more tough than the first one,” Feild said.

“I don’t know why, but I found that to be true. To come here and stay on top the whole time in Vegas and stay strong was tough.

Bareback riding is simple. It’s just having the right mindset.” J.R. Vezain of Cowley, Wyo., won the round with an 86.5 on Top Flight.

In steer wrestling, Luke Branquinho of Los Alamos, Calif., won his second straight season title and fourth overall, finishing with $147,184. He tied for fifth in the round with a 4.2.

Branquinho is the first to win two straight titles since Ote Berry in 1990-91, and tied Berry and Jim Bynum for second place on the career steer wrestling title list with four.

“You hear that stuff coming up before you even get in that situation,” Branquinho said. “It’s great.

You just don’t think about it. You just go out there and try to win as much money as you can. Now, to be able to say that I’m in that elite group, it’s an honor. Four is just unbelievable.”

Les Shepperson of Midwest, Wyo., won the aggregate standings race at 48.60. Gabe Ledoux of Kaplan, La., won the round in 3.3. In team roping, there was a split world championship for the first time since 2007 when Chad Masters of Cedar Hill, Tenn., won the header title with $196,099, and Jade Corkill of Fallon, Nev., took the heeler crown with $190,797. Clay O’Brien Cooper of Gardnersville, Nev., who is Masters’ partner, was second for heelers with $189,666, while Kaleb Driggers of Albany, Ga., who ropes with Corkill, was second among the headers with $194,888.

Driggers and Corkill won the round in 4.0, and Masters and Cooper finished fifth in 5.2.

Masters and Cooper won the aggregate standings race at 73.40 to earn the $46,821 bonus.

Header Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, and heeler Patrick Smith of Lipan, Texas, who led for the first nine rounds, broke the barrier and failed to earn a check after finishing outside the top six.

Brazile, who was seeking his NFR record-tying 18th gold buckle, finished with $182,903, and Smith ended up with $184,403, which put both of them in third place in the world standings. In tie-down roping, Tuf Cooper of Decatur, Texas, won the title by finishing sixth in 7.9. Cooper earned $232,885, while secondplace Justin Maass of Giddings,

Texas, made $197,594. Adam Gray of Seymour, Texas, was the aggregate standings champion with a time of 87.80 over 10 rounds.

Cooper was second at 90.60.

Five-time world champion Cody

Ohl of Hico, Texas, won the round in 7.0. In all-around, Brazile clinched his record 10th world championship and seventh in a row Monday night, and finished with $298,626. — AP

LAS VEGAS: Les Shepperson of Midwest, drops down on a steer during the 10th go-round of the National Finals Rodeo. —AP

Wildcats beat Wolf Pack ALBUQUERQUE: Arizona quarterback Matt Scott threw two touchdown passes in the final 46 seconds as the Wildcats beat Nevada 4948 in the New Mexico Bowl to kick off the college playoffs season with a thriller. The teams combined for 1,237 total yards, the second most of any bowl game. Overcoming a slow start and three big turnovers, Arizona (8-5) recovered an onside kick in the last minute, setting up Scott’s 2-yard toss to Tyler Slavin with 19 seconds left.

Arizona had trailed 21-0 in the first quarter and was down 45-28 entering the final period. Scott threw for 382 yards and marched his team back into the game despite two earlier interceptions.

The nation’s rushing leader, Ka’Deem Carey, gained 172 yards for the Wildcats but fell just short of becoming only the 16th running back in collegiate history to reach 2,000 yards in a season.

Nevada quarterback Cody Fajardo threw for three touchdowns and ran for another score to lead the Wolf Pack (7-6). He had 256 yards passing and 140 yards rushing and controlled most of the game, completing 22 of 32 throws.

Stefphon Jefferson, the nation’s second-leading rusher, ran for 180 yards for Nevada and also seemed unstoppable as the Wolf Pack took a big lead and held on to it for most of the game.

But after forcing Nevada to kick a field goal with 1:48 left that made it 48-35, Scott drove the Wildcats 75 yards. Arizona then recovered an onside kick and Scott moved Arizona into the end zone after three plays and 51 yards.

Meanwhile in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Utah State beat Toledo 41-15 to win its first bowl game in nearly 20 years. Kerwynn Williams ran for 235 yards and three touchdowns.

The victory capped the best season in Utah State history. The Aggies finished 11-2, won the Western Athletic Conference title outright and had their first bowl victory since 1993.

Chuckie Keeton scored on a 62-yard run to put Utah State up 7-3, and Williams sparked a 28-point fourth quarter for Utah State when he broke through the Toledo defense and raced 63 yards for a touchdown to put the Aggies up 20-9. Williams, who had 18 carries, followed that with TD runs of 5 and 25 yards. Keeton ran for 92 yards and was 21-of-31 passing for 229 yards.

Toledo was able to move the ball on offense and made five trips inside the red zone. But penalties and miscues forced the Rockets to settle for Jeremiah Detmer’s three field goals. —AP

18

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

sp orts Preview

Wenger comes out fighting ahead of Reading clash LONDON: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has spent the past few days launching attacks of his own, but today he will discover if his players can do the same on the pitch at Reading.

The trip to rock-bottom Reading is Arsenal’s first fixture since they were beaten in a League Cup quarter-final penalty shoot-out by Bradford City of League Two last Tuesday.

That unleashed an avalanche of criticism towards the Emirates Stadium, with much of it directed at Wenger, who has not led Arsenal to a major trophy in seven seasons.

Wenger embarked on a vigorous defence of his own position, claiming he was still “determined” and

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger

“hungry” to bring success to the club and silence the critics who feel his 16-year reign should be brought to an end.

“My job is to be determined and give importance to what is important,” he said. “What is important is I love football, I love this club and I give my best for this club. I am very determined and very hungry.

“Our season will not be judged on how well we do in the League Cup but how well we do in the Premier League, the Champions League and the FA Cup.” Wenger also defended his squad, which is currently only the eighth best in the Premier League.

The Frenchman joked he would sign Lionel Messi of Barcelona next month to surprise his critics but made it clear he believed his players were good enough to prove the doubters wrong.

“We have not kicked on, that’s true. But we have rebuilt a team this year and we’ll see where we finish,” he said.

“At the moment, we have qualified for the Champions League knock-out stages for 13 years on the trot. When I listen to you (in the media), it must be a mistake there - ‘Why is this team in this spot?’ It sounds like we should be in the Championship.

“At the moment, you have to take a little bit of distance before making a definite judgement on what we are capable of doing. “At the moment we are not happy with what we have produced. But we will turn it around before the end of the season.”

Arsenal have already played at the Madejski Stadium this season, in the League Cup. In that game they found themselves 4-0 down before launching an astonishing comeback that saw them go through 7-5 in extra time.

Reading are managed by a former Arsenal player, although Brian McDermott was a Gunner long before Wenger came to north London. McDermott led the Royals to the top of the Championship last season but their return to the top flight has brought them just nine points so far.

McDermott made it clear he felt himself far more likely to be forced out of his job than Wenger. “I’m favorite to go first, we all know that,” he said. “Sixteen games ago I’d have been 50-1, now I’m 7-4. That’s how it works in football and I completely understand because it’s a results-driven business.” —AFP

Amir Khan stops Molina LOS ANGELES: Amir Khan was bigger, quicker and altogether much better than Carlos Molina for every minute of their 10 rounds together, which ended with Molina bleeding too much to continue.

After consecutive losses, the British ex-champion claimed a victory Saturday night that fostered confidence in his new trainer and restored faith in his prodigious ability. Khan (27-3, 19 KOs) simply battered the overmatched Molina, who began bleeding from cuts in the middle rounds. Referee Jack Reiss stopped the bout on the advice of Molina’s corner before the 11th, and Khan celebrated with new trainer Virgil Hunter, who replaced Freddie Roach

how to box. While Khan said he would still be an exciting fighter, he aimed to avoid brawls in favor of a complete game plan emphasizing a strong jab and intelligent exchanges.

The plan got a solid trial run against Molina (17-1-1), who just didn’t have the ability to disrupt it. “I thought I stuck to my game plan, which meant sticking to my jab,” Khan said. “Carlos took some really good shots, and he was still coming forward, and that’s when I thought to myself, ‘I’d better stick to this game plan.’”

Middleweight Alfredo Angulo also earned a unanimous decision over Jorge Silva at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, and unbeaten heavyweight Deontay Wilder knocked out

LOS ANGELES: Carlos Molina (left) lands a left hand to the face of Amir Khan of Great Britain during their Vacant WBC Silver Super Lightweight title fight at Los Angeles Sports Arena. —AFP in Khan’s corner after losses to Lamont Peterson and Danny Garcia.

“Virgil is a great trainer, and I’m getting better at boxing and at being a complete fighter,” Khan said. “He’s teaching me boxing, speed, patience, and picking the right shot and when to throw it. Sometimes I’m too brave for my own good, but now I know it’s better to stick to the game plan.” Hunter, the mastermind of Andre Ward’s career, has worked to instill a more thoughtful approach in Khan, saying the former British Olympic star had never been taught

his 26th consecutive opponent, stopping Kelvin Price in the third round.

The two-part show began in the early afternoon with Leo Santa Cruz’s decision over Alberto Guevara, defending his IBF bantamweight title. Molina is smaller than Khan and relatively stationary, making him a well-selected opponent for Khan’s return. Khan won every round on every judge’s scorecard while landing 312 of his 679 punches, including 56 percent of his power shots.

Molina connected with only 87 total punches in 10 rounds. Khan red-

dened Molina’s face from the opening round, pushing him back with shots too swift to dodge. Molina landed a few clean punches early, but they weren’t fierce enough to test Khan’s much-questioned chin.

Khan cut Molina near his right eye while unleashing multiple combinations in the fourth round. Molina wasn’t mobile enough to fight at Khan’s pace and level, and Khan steadily wore down his opponent until the finish.

“I wanted to pull the trigger, but for some reason I couldn’t get my hands to go,” Molina said. “I had a lack of precision. He was fast in his jab, and I was hesitant in trying to get in because he has a long reach. I didn’t do my job. I need to work harder.”

Molina was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, and the littleknown fighter was the hometown crowd’s favorite - but a vocal section of British and Pakistani fans was much happier to see the new-look Khan’s workmanlike, smart performance after his recent setbacks.

Garcia floored Khan three times on the way to a fourth-round stoppage five months ago, claiming Khan’s WBA 140-pound belt.

Peterson started Khan’s self-evaluation a year ago when he won a debatable decision that ended Khan’s eight-fight winning streak since joining Roach, who had been his trainer since shortly after his first career defeat in 2008.

Angulo (22-2, 18 KOs) led 97-93 on all three cards after a methodical win over Silva (18-3-2). The victory was the second straight for Angulo since he was released from 71/2 months of immigration detention and resumed his career under Hunter’s direction. “I asked for a fighter that would make me work, because I wanted to see where I really was,” said Angulo, a former 154pound champion. “I think I’m a lot better than I was before.” Wilder (260) is a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist who has progressed deliberately in his four-year pro career, building the 6-foot-7 former college basketball player’s experience. — AP

Official praises results of third round of Kuwait 2012 Desert Challenge KUWAIT: The General-Secretary of the Kuwait Quarter-Mile Auto-mobile and Motorcycle Club, Sheikh Ali Al-Fawaz Al Sabah, said yesterday the third round of the 2012 Kuwait Desert Challenge, “entertained the game fans.”

Al-Fawaz in a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) hailed the outstanding performance of the competitors during the tournament, who reflected high standards and great technical capabilities.

He also said this round had seen some fierce competition between the contestants, compared to the previous rounds, thus manifesting their capabilities to sharpen their skills further.

Club president expressed his hope that the champions would continue to excel in the event, allowing the quarter mile club to provide all the facilities available for the players. More than 40 riders participated in the tournament that took place in the three categories. Winners of the (Extreme) category are: Abdulaziz Bin Shakar, first, Abdulaziz al-Bashir, second, and Faisal Al-Sabti, third. In the second category, Moda Fide first place went to Mohammed Al-Eid, second place for Majid Al-Munei’, while the third place went to Hamad Al-Bahar. In the final category (Stoke), Jarah Al-Rabiah won the first place, Ali Lari came second and Sulaiman Al-Furaih third. —KUNA

TOKYO: Corinthians players celebrate with the trophy after beating Chelsea, 1-0, during the final of the FIFA Club World Cup soccer tournament in Yokohama. —AP

Corinthians clinch Club World Cup YOKOHAMA: Brazilian giants Corinthians won the Club World Cup in Japan on Sunday, overcoming European champions Chelsea 1-0 in a closely-fought encounter.

Striker Paolo Guerrero got the goal as the Sao Paulo club secured their second intercontinental title-they won the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship and became the first side from outside Europe to win the title since 2006.

“We played a high quality match,” a delighted Corinthians coach Tite said afterwards. “Everything went well.

Each player performed their own role and were able to do well in their position. I’m very happy.” But interim Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez felt his team were unlucky to lose, ruing several missed chances.

“We knew it would be a tough game against a good team. I think they had one (clear cut) chance and they scored and we didn’t take our chances. That was the difference.”

Benitez made three changes to the team that thrashed Mexican side Monterrey 3-1 in the semi-finalreplacing Oscar, John Obi Mikel and Cesar Azpilicueta with Frank Lampard, Ramires and Victor Moses.

Tite changed just one player from the side that scraped to a 1-0 last-four win over Egypt’s Al Ahly, bringing in

Jorge Henrique for Douglas. The match at the almost-full 68,000capacity International Stadium in Yokohama was frenetic right from the first whistle as play swung from end to end. Chelsea came closest to taking the lead after eight minutes when Corinthians goalkeeper Cassio fumbled a Gary Cahill effort from a corner, before gathering the ball just short of the goal-line as Victor Moses looked to pounce.

On 25 minutes the referee waved away a penalty appeal by Corinthians when centre-forward Guerrero went down softly under a challenge by Cahill. Emerson should have scored three minutes later after Cahill let the ball slip under his foot. But the Corinthians forward blazed his shot over the bar from the edge of the penalty box with just Petr Cech to beat.

Guerrero then had a shot blocked shortly afterwards before striker Fernando Torres was similarly denied at the other end. The Spaniard should have done better on 37 minutes however, expertly controlling a longrange pass from Lampard that split the Corinthians’ defence. But a weak shot at Cassio meant the Brazilians breathed a sigh of relief.

Moses did better two minutes later, cutting in from the left and curling

a shot that Cassio did well to tip round his left-hand post. The Corinthians goalkeeper-later named player of the tournament-was proving tough to beat, holding onto a long-range shot from Juan Mata shortly afterwards, and the teams entered the break goalless.

The second half started as quick as the first, with Eden Hazard causing problems for the Corinthians defence before midfielder Paulinho gave Cech a fright with a shot that narrowly went wide on 64 minutes. There was finally a breakthrough five minutes later when Guerrero headed in from close range after Danilo’s shot was blocked.

Benitez brought Oscar on for Moses almost straightaway. But it was Torres who missed the best chance to equalise when he shot straight at the goalkeeper from the edge of the sixyard box with only four minutes to go.

Cahill was sent off shortly afterwards, believed to be for lashing out at Emerson, but Chelsea managed one last chance in injury time. Torres headed the ball in the net, however it was ruled offside and Corinthians held on. CONCACAF champions Monterrey took third place earlier Sunday, defeating Al Ahly 2-0 through goals from Jesus Corona and Cesar Delgado. —AFP

Mulgrew: Celtic never stopped believing

HOUSTON: Nonito Donaire of the Philippines (right) fights with Jorge Arce of Mexico during their WBO World Super Bantamweight bout at the Toyota Center. —AFP

Donaire defeats Arce HOUSTON: Nonito Donaire stopped Jorge Arce with a left hook late in the third round Saturday night to retain the WBO super-bantamweight title and send the Mexican veteran into retirement.

Donaire, from the Philippines, improved to 31-1 with his 20th knockout. Arce dropped to 61-7-2. “My left hook was a damaging hook tonight,” Donaire said. “I felt very strong in the ring.” Donaire won in front of a raucous, mostly pro-Arce crowd of 7,250 at Toyota Center.

“The reason why people survive is because they are afraid to open up,” Donaire said. “I have a lot of respect for (Arce) because he came in there and he opened up.

He wasn’t afraid. He was aiming to surprise me. But when he was opening up, that gave me the left hook and when I can throw sitting down on that left hook, everybody will go down.”

The 30-year-old Donaire hasn’t lost a fight in more than 11 years. He also knocked down Arce with about 2 minutes to go in the second round with a right-left combination. “I’d promised my kids that If I lost this fight, I’d retire,” said the 33-year-old Arce, a former world champion. “Fortunately, I have taken care of what I have earned through the years.” The fight headlined HBO’s “World Championship Boxing” season finale, and the broadcast marked Larry Merchant’s last after 35 years as a ringside boxing commentator for the network.

“All good things come to an end,” Merchant told The Associated Press prior to the fight. “There will always be more fights. It was great to go out on a great fight like last week (Juan Manuel Marquez’s knockout of Manny Pacquiao) and to be able to speak directly to all the fans of HBO Boxing for all these years.” The 81-year-old Merchant was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2009.

“Thirty-five years on one show in television? I never imagined that it could go on for that long, because that is not what happens in the entertainment world.” An undercard fight between WBA super-bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux of Cuba and Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym of Thailand was scratched after Poonsawat failed a physical this week. — AP

GLASGOW: Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew said his team-mates always believed in themselves after finally grabbing their first league win at home since October following a 2-0 defeat of St Mirren.

The Hoops have excelled in European competition this season as Neil Lennon led his side to the last 16 of the Champions League for only the third time in their history.

But at the same time as picking up superb home wins against Barcelona and Spartak Moscow Lennon’s side also lost to Kilmarnock and Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Parkhead while St Johnstone held the Hoops to a draw.

However, after a first half tap-in from Victor Wanyama and a late strike from Gary Hooper Celtic finally put their home hoodoo to bed with their first win at home in the league since their 1-0 victory over Hearts on October 7.

Mulgrew, who set up both goals from superbly hit corner kicks, admitted it was a relief to get back to winning ways at home following away wins at Kilmarnock and Arbroath.

“It was great to get the win at home. St Mirren sat in and made it difficult for us as many teams have this season but we managed to get the two goals and should probably have been more,” the Scotland defender said. “We always had the belief that we could put a run together and we have begun to do that now after another good result for us. “The emphasis at home is on us to go and attack and it can be difficult for us at times but we managed to do it today and get the result.

“A lot was made of it when a couple of homes results did not go our way and people caught on to it. “But we always believed we could change that and go on a run.” The win against St Mirren extended Celtic’s lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League to four points with a game in hand against nearest rivals Motherwell. And Hoops boss Lennon was delighted with his side’s third league win in a row.

“We’ve got a four point cushion with a game in hand now,” Lennon said. “I don’t know if we’ll win the game in hand but four points is decent and with a game in hand we’re starting to get a bit of daylight between us and everyone else which is obviously what we want. “The most pleasing aspect today was the home win, the clean sheet and it was good to see Hooper scoring again. “There was nothing stodgy about our play today and we created some real clear cut chances and but for better finishing we could have won the game more handsomely.

“There is always that wariness, particularly when you’re at home and only a goal up. I’d like to see us put teams away a little bit earlier and if that comes then I think we’ll be rampant.

“Now we’ve got a lot to look forward to. Obviously this week we’ve got the Champions League draw and then the games in the new year and who knows what they might bring.” — AFP

19

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

SPORTS

Dakar rapped over 20 million year fossil damage SANTIAGO: Palaeontologists have warned that the Dakar Rally, which will thunder through Peru and Chile next month, poses a serious risk to whale and dolphin fossils dating back more than 20 million years.

Scientists issued their warning to highlight claims that the 2012 edition of the gruelling 8,400 kilometre endurance event had caused irreparable damage to ancient Miocene era sites in the Ica region of southern Peru.

“The damage is evident in the area of Ica, where you can see the deterioration of many fossils because the vehicles drove over them,” Vildoso Carlos, director of the Peruvian

Institute of Palaeontology, told AFP. “We have many skeletons of large mammals, especially whales and dolphins, and the fossilized remains of invertebrates that have suffered damage due to passing vehicles. The course passed virtually over the animals.”

The director of Lima’s Meyer Honninger palaeontology museum, Klaus Honninger, said he had informed the Dakar organisers of the damage, but claimed his complaints had been met with little interest.

He also said that some drivers steer away from the official track in order to take a simpler route. The problem is

compounded by hundreds of spectators who show little respect for the area’s history.

“They leave the desert in a terrible state,” added Honninger. “I have seen people smash fossilised whale vertebrae and throw tons of garbage around. I have even found old tyres left behind by the competitors.”

Neither the race organisers nor the minister of culture, who are responsible for Peru’s heritage, are “accepting reponsibility” for this destruction, he added. “Our position is that the organisers should find another route to avoid further deterioration of this fossil graveyard,” said Honninger. The

Ocucaje desert has yielded fossils of giant sharks and whales measuring up to 20 metres long and it was in the same area that Peruvian geologists discovered last February the remains of a whale believed to be 3.6 million years old.

Peru’s culture minister, Luis Peirano, who attended the official presentation of the 2013 Dakar Rally on Tuesday, said that the race will not compromise the country’s heritage.

“Peru has a rich heritage that must be protected,” he said, adding that officials in every region will work with organisers to avoid any further damage. In neighboring Chile, where the

January 5-20 event will end, the authorities have worked with organisers to mark tracks, especially in the north where vehicles could damage ancient cities such as San Pedro de Atacama.

“In collaboration with the organisation of the rally we have developed a route that avoids the areas identified as being at risk from the point of view of the environment and archeology,” deputy secretary for sports, Gabriel Ruiz Tagle, told AFP. The 2013 Dakar Rally will feature 459 vehicles-cars, bikes, trucks and quads-and will cover 8,400km of Peru and Chile, with a stay in Argentina.—AFP

Dortmund reclaim third spot

ITALY: AC Milan’s Ghanaian defender Prince Kevin Boateng (left) fights for the ball with Pescara’s forward Riccardo Maniero during their Serie A football match.—AFP

Juve extend lead over Inter to seven points MILAN: Juventus extended their lead over title challengers Inter Milan to seven points thanks to a 3-0 rout of Atalanta yesterday as AC Milan continued their Serie A resurgence with a 4-1 defeat of Pescara.

Champions Juve held a four-point lead going into their 17th match of the campaign but took full advantage of the Nerazzurri’s 1-0 defeat away to Lazio on Saturday to pull clear of the pack.

Montenegrin striker Mirko Vucinic opened the scoring with barely 90 seconds on the clock, and midfield veteran Andrea Pirlo doubled Juve’s lead on the quarter-hour with a sublime, curling freekick.

Claudio Marchisio made it three for Juve with a low drive from the edge of the area after latching on to Sebastian Giovinco’s squared pass. Atalanta were reduced to 10 men before the half hour when Thomas Manfredini was red carded for a second bookable offence after a rash challenge on defender Giorgio Chiellini. The Bergamo side came back into the game in the second half but failed to find a way past the Juve defence.

With only one more league game before the festive break, the Bianconeri lead Inter by seven points while third-placed Napoli can move up to second if they beat Bologna at home in Sunday’s late match.

However, coach Antonio Conte remains cautious: “It was a good result for us against a difficult team, but the season is far from over.

“Winning the title is never easy but through our good organisation and solid play we hope to show it’s within our grasp.”

Milan’s resurgence, following a disastrous start to the season, continued as the Rossoneri put four goals past outclassed league newboys Pescara. It took less than a

minute for Milan to go in front thanks to Alberto Nocerino.

Midfielder Robinho, who has recently been linked with a move back to his native Brazil, sidestepped a challenge to square for Riccardo Montolivo on the edge of the area and the midfielder fed Stephan El Shaarawy to his right. With the path to goal blocked by onrushing keeper Mattia Perin, El Shaarawy squared for Nocerino who had the simplest of tap-ins. Milan doubled their lead minutes after the restart when Pescara striker Elvis Abbruscato headed home Robinho’s cross following a short corner with El Shaarawy.

Pescara were given hope when Christian Terlizzi rose to meet a free kick from the right to beat Marco Amelia in the Milan goal just before the hour. But a dominant Milan were far from finished.

In the closing 10 minutes El Shaarawy saw a goalbound shot blocked by Terlizzi, only for Milan to score moments later when Brazilian striker Jonathas headed El Shaarawy’s corner past Perin. El Shaarawy was not to be denied, and powered down the left to slot home Giampaolo Pazzini’s low cross for his leaguetopping 14th goal of the season.

Earlier, Fiorentina’s 4-1 rout of Siena, complete with a brace from former Italy striker Luca Toni, saw La Viola leapfrog Roma into fifth place. Roma had hoped to restore order on their away trip to Chievo, a match played in heavy fog, but suffered a 1-0 defeat following a late goal by Chievo striker Sergio Pellissier.

Elsewhere, an on-form Catania took a precious 3-1 home win over Sampdoria and Parma were in similar form with a 4-1 home win over Cagliari thanks in part to a brace from Algerian striker Ishak Belfodil.—AFP

Serie A results/standings Fiorentina 4 (Toni 15, 79, Pizzaro 18-pen, Aquilani 44) Siena 1 (Reginaldo 70); Catania 3 (Paglialunga 55, Bergessio 65, Castro 90) Sampdoria 1 (Maresca 29-pen); Chievo 1 (Pellissier 87) Roma 0; Genoa 1 (Granqvist 29) Torino 1 (Bianchi 19); Juventus 3 (Vucinic 2, Pirlo 14, Marchisio 27) Atalanta 0; Milan 4 (Nocerino 1, Abbruscato 51-og, Jonathas 79-og, El Shaarawy 81); Pescara 1 (Terlizzi 56); Parma 4 (Belfodil 21, 86, Biabiany 54, Valdes 65-pen) Cagliari 1 (Sau 20).

Played Saturday Udinese 1 (Di Natale 89) Palermo 1 (Ilicic 33); Lazio 1 (Klose 82) Inter Milan 0.

Serie A table ahead of yesterday’s late match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Juventus Inter Milan Napoli Lazio Fiorentina Roma AC Milan Catania Udinese Parma Chievo Atalanta

17 17 16 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17

13 11 10 10 9 9 8 7 5 6 6 7

2 1 3 3 5 2 3 4 8 5 3 2

2 5 3 4 3 6 6 6 4 6 8 8

36 29 29 25 33 38 32 25 25 23 20 17

10 18 14 18 19 27 22 25 25 23 27 26

41 34 33 33 32 29 27 25 23 23 21 21

Sampdoria 17 5 3 9 20 26 17 Torino 17 3 8 6 18 22 16 Cagliari 17 4 4 9 15 30 16 Bologna 16 4 3 9 17 20 15 Palermo 17 3 6 8 15 24 15 Pescara 17 4 2 11 13 34 14 Genoa 17 3 4 10 17 29 13 Siena 17 4 5 8 16 24 11 Note: Sampdoria (one point), Torino (one point), Atalanta (two points) and Siena (six points) all docked points for involvement in ‘Calcioscommesse’ illegal betting scandal.

Conte: No Drogba for Juve MILAN: Juventus coach Antonio Conte has rubbished claims the Serie A champions are on the verge of signing former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba. Juve extended their lead over title challengers Inter Milan to seven points on Sunday thanks to a 3-0 rout of Atalanta.

But despite reports claiming the Bianconeri have been in talks with Drogba’s representatives, Conte said Juventus - and indeed other major clubs in Italy - are in no financial position to sign top players.

Asked if Drogba would fit Juve’s search for a top striker, Conte was unequivocal.

“Transfer talk seems disrespectful to the players in my team, especially at the current moment,” said Conte, who returned to the touchline last week following a fourmonth ban from the sport for his role in a match-fixing affair. Speaking to Sky Italia,

Conte added: “It’s a critical time as far as the economy is concerned and it’s the same for several other teams. “We won’t be signing any top players because we’re not in a position to. Neither us, nor other top teams in the Italian league.”

A report in yesterday’s Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper claimed Juve had made “significant progress” in their bid to sign Drogba, who the report claimed has agreed in principle to an 18-month deal to join the Serie A champions.

The 34-year-old signed a two-and-ahalf-year deal with Shanghai Shenhua in July but the Ivory Coast striker could be reconsidering his options after a disappointing start to his career in China.

Yesterday’s report said both parties had agreed “in principle” to an 18-month contract but had yet to negotiate and agree financial terms.—AFP

BERLIN: Defending champions Borussia Dortmund moved back up to third in the Bundesliga yesterday with a 3-1 win at strugglers Hoffenheim while neighbours Schalke 04 sacked coach Huub Stevens.

Goals by Mario Goetze, Kevin Grosskreutz and Robert Lewandowski gave Dortmund the three points, but Borussia remain 12 points behind leaders Bayern Munich, who drew 1-1 with Moenchengladbach on Friday.

Germany star Goetze, 20, opened the scoring with a superb strike from the left side of the penalty area on 26 minutes, but a defensive lapse allowed Hoffenheim to equalise when striker Sven Schipplock tapped home nine minutes later.

The champions made sure of the points when Grosskreutz tapped home on 58 minutes after some fine play from Germany’s Marco Reus before Lewandowski fired home from a tight angle on 66 minutes. “That was a spirited performance, we managed to get our heads out of the crap,” said coach Jurgen Klopp. “You could see we were lulled into a false sense of security in the first half.” This was Hoffenheim’s sixth straight defeat leaving them 16th in the league, seven points from safety having sacked coach Markus Babbel on December 3.

Last night, Werder Bremen needed a late equaliser to draw 1-1 at home with Nuremberg after Timo Gebhart had put the guests ahead in the 82nd minute. Niles Petersen levelled in the 88th minute from an offside position, but referee Manuel Graefe allowed the goal to stand much to the disgust of Nuremberg coach Dieter Hecking.

Schalke announced they had parted company with Dutch coach Stevens after Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat to Freiburg left the Royal Blues with two points from their last six league games.

Former VfB Stuttgart coach Jens Keller will take over for the rest of the season with his side seventh in the league having been second at the end of November. Stevens became the third Bundesliga coach sacked his season along with Felix Magath from Wolfsburg and Babbel at Hoffenheim. Schalke, Dortmund and Bayern will all discover their Champions League opponents on Thursday when the last 16 draw is made.

On Saturday, second-placed Leverkusen beat Hamburg 3-0 to

GERMANY: Hoffenheim’s defender Andreas Beck (right) and Dortmund’s midfielder Mario Goetze vie for the ball during the German First Division Bundesliga football match.—AFP trim Bayern’s lead at the top to nine points with striker Stefan Kiessling and current Germany forward Andre Schuerrle both netting.

Kiessling opened the scoring on 26 minutes when his close-range shot gave the Hamburg defence no chance and the hosts doubled their lead 10 minutes later when Schuerrle netted as the ball went in off the post.

Kiessling claimed his 12th goal in 17 games this season to make him the Bundesliga’s top scorer

when he latched onto a clearance from Bayer goalkeeper Bernd Leno and drilled home his second on 66 minutes. It strengthens his case for a recall to the Germany squad in 2013 having last played in the 2010 World Cup third-place play-off win over Uruguay. Eintracht Frankfurt are fourth, and level on 30 points with Dortmund, after their 2-0 win over 10-man Wolfsburg.

Mainz moved up to sixth after coming from behind to beat VfB Stuttgart 3-1 with midfielder

Nicolai Mueller scoring their second-half goals before Colombia midfielder Elkin Soto grabbed the third in the second minute of injury time.

Duesseldorf’s Denmark midfielder Ken Ilso drilled home an 83rd minute free-kick to seal Fortuna’s 21 win over Hanover 96. Greuther Fuerth remain rooted to the bottom of the table after they drew 1-1 at Bavarian neighbours Augsburg in a high-tension affair as both sides finished with 10 men.—AFP

German League results/standings Hoffenheim 1 (Schipplock 35) Borussia Dortmund 3 (Goetze 26, Grosskreutz 58, Lewandowski 66); Werder Bremen 1 (Petersen 88) Nuremberg 1 (Gebhart 82).

Played Saturday Bayer Leverkusen 3 (Kiessling 26, 66, Schuerrle 36) Hamburg 0; VfL Wolfsburg 0, Eintracht Frankfurt 2 (Inui 18, Meier 12); Mainz 05 3 (Mueller 55, 71, Soto 90+2) VfB Stuttgart 1 (Harnik 48); Greuther Furth 1 (Sobiech 69) Augsburg 1 (Moelders 10); Fortuna Duesseldorf 2 (Schahin 39, Ilso 83) Hanover 96 1 (Diouf 69); Schalke 04 1 (Farfan 20) Freiburg 3 (Rosenthal 26, 61, Schmid 32).

Played Friday Bayern Munich 1 (Shaqiri 59) Borussia M’gladbach 1 (Marx 21-pen) German league table after yesterday’s evening game on the final weekend of Bundesliga matches this year (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Bayern Munich Bayer Leverkusen Borussia Dortmund Eintracht Frankfurt Freiburg Mainz 05 Schalke 04 Moenchengladbach VfB Stuttgart

17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17

13 10 8 9 7 8 7 6 7

3 3 6 3 5 2 4 7 4

1 4 3 5 5 7 6 4 6

44 33 35 33 24 24 27 25 21

7 22 20 27 18 21 25 26 28

42 33 30 30 26 26 25 25 25

Hamburg Hanover 96 Werder Bremen Fortuna Duesseldorf Nuremberg VfL Wolfsburg Hoffenheim Augsburg Greuther Fuerth

17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17

7 7 6 5 5 5 3 1 1

3 7 18 21 2 8 32 31 4 7 28 29 6 6 20 22 5 7 17 22 4 8 17 27 3 11 23 41 6 10 12 29 6 10 11 28

24 23 22 21 20 19 12 9 9

Saracens put Munster to the sword

PARIS: English side Saracens avenged last weekend’s defeat to two-time European Cup champions Munster with a solid 19-13 victory in an engrossing contest yesterday to go top of Pool 1. Scoring honors, though, went to French side Toulon.

Having made heavy weather of their win against struggling English side Sale in last weekend’s fixture they had no such worries back in France, trouncing the same opponents 62-0 to move five points clear in Pool 6.

Their fellow Top 14 side Castres had opened the day’s proceedings

with a dire display in a 10-8 home win over Scottish outfit Glasgow to move second in Pool 4, three points behind Ulster. Saracens’ victory saw them move onto 14 points, two clear of Racing Metro with Munster, who took a point with a defensive bonus, a further point behind with two games remaining.

“It was a very, very important game and this time round we did the little things really well which was crucial,” said Saracens captain Steve Borthwick. His Munster counterpart Doug Howlett took defeat graciously

FRANCE: Toulon’s Delon Armitage (left) vies with Sale Sharks’ James Gaskell (right) during the European Cup rugby union match. —AFP

but said that they were far from out of contention. “It was a hard fought battle where defence was the dominant factor,” said the former All Black, who scored his side’s only try. “There are a lot of what ifs from the game.

However, we have lost the battle but not the war.” Richard Wigglesworth created Saracens try, his deft grubber kick into the corner catching the Munster defence flat-footed, which was touched down by England wing David Strettle. Owen Farrell added the conversion to give the hosts a 103 lead 21 minutes into the match.

However, a loose pass by Farrell four minutes later saw centre James Downey intercept just inside Munster’s half. The former Northampton back charged down the pitch but realising he was not going to make the line he offloaded to Howlett who scored his 10th try in the competition. Ronan O’Gara converted for 10-10.

Farrell subsequently missed two relatively simple kicks at goal and O’Gara showed him how to do it with a delightful long range penalty with 30 minutes remaining to give Munster the lead for the first time 1310. However, Farrell recovered his composure in the pouring rain to kick two penalties to give the hosts a 1613 lead.

Saracens, though, were reduced

to 14 men in the 62nd minute when French referee Jerome Garces showed a yellow card to flanker Will Fraser for what he adjudged a high tackle on Howlett. The visitors, though, were unable to take advantage of that with O’Gara missing with a drop goal and then a penalty in the unrelenting rain and with less than five minutes remaining Farrell added another penalty.

Toulon ran rampant against Sale, who have failed to register much of a revival since former All Black coach John Mitchell took over at the end of last month, with nine tries, seven of them in the second-half.

Several of their foreign stars got in on the try feast, former Springbok Joe van Niekerk scoring two while the Armitage brothers Steffon and Delon also scored a try apiece.

France fly-half Frederic Michalak contributed 20 points, including a try.

Castres only secured their win - their 14th successive home victory - when the visitors were reduced to 13 men with 10 minutes remaining and they scored their only try of the game through Yannick Caballero.

Glasgow, who along with Edinburgh have yet to secure a win for the Scottish sides in their eight games this season, had a chance to win it but Scotland fly-half Ruaridh Jackson’s penalty hit the post.—AFP

Amir Khan stops Molina

Lochte sets second world record

18

16

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

Dakar rapped over 20 million year fossil damage

Page 19

SPAIN: Real Madrid’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (center) looks on as Espanyol’s goalkeeper Kiko Casilla (right) catches the ball during the Spanish League football match.—AFP

Real held, pressure builds on Mourinho MADRID: A late goal from substitute Juan Albin gave Espanyol a 2-2 draw against stuttering Real Madrid who will be 13 points off La Liga leaders Barcelona if they beat second-placed Atletico Madrid later yesterday. The pressure is now firmly on coach Jose Mourinho with the reigning champions unable to beat relegation-threatened Espanyol.

Cristiano Ronaldo equalised for Madrid on the stroke of half-time after Sergio Garcia had put joint-bottom Espanyol ahead on the half hour mark.

Two minutes after the restart, Fabio Coentrao put Real ahead but it was not enough as Albin slotted home from close range two minutes from the end. Mourinho had already criticised his players for a lacklustre performance in a midweek Spanish Cup game where they lost to Celta Vigo.

He will be even more frustrated after his side failed to wrap up yesterday’s game. Barcelona have won 14 of their first 15 games in a record start in La Liga and a win against Atletico would be a significant blow in the title race.

Jose Callejon was given the job of leading the Real line with Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema

both injured. Angel Di Maria, who is widely believed to be one of the players that Mourinho was referring to for not giving their all against Celta, started on the bench. Madrid pressed forward from the start with Ronaldo firing past the post from 25 yards and then moments later poking a pass to Luka Modric who should have at least hit the target with a shot inside the area. New Espanyol coach Javier Aguirre has worked hard on making the defence more solid but he was without captain and first choice keeper Cristian Alvarez and so put his faith in the inexperienced Francisco Casilla to cope with the intimidating Bernabeu.

Casilla first parried a Ronaldo shot and then Pepe wasted an excellent opening when he headed a Mesut Ozil cross straight at him. There were warning signs at the other end when Simao struck a weak effort when well placed on the left of the area and then Garcia failed to connect with a long ball from playmaker Joan Verdu which would have put him clear on goal.

Modric hit the post for Madrid with a long distance drive midway through the first half while Wakaso Mubarak was pulled off by the Espanyol

West Ham in drab stalemate WEST BROMWICH: West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United both failed to West Brom 0 reverse disappointing sequences of results after a 0-0 draw between the teams in the Premier West Ham 0 League yesterday.

West Brom midfielder James Morrison came closest to breaking the deadlock at The Hawthorns, twice striking the crossbar in the second half, as his side ended a run of three consecutive defeats.

The draw left Steve Clarke’s men in sixth place, two points below the top four, while visitors West Ham lie 11th following a run of matches that has seen them pick up just five points from a possible 18. West Ham threatened first, Matt Taylor heading over from Carlton Cole’s left-wing cross, before the hosts took a grip on the game. Peter Odemwingie and Chris Brunt each tested visiting goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen from distance, while Shane Long dragged a shot narrowly wide of the right-hand post.

It was the visitors who created the better chances, however. In the 32nd minute, Winston Reid volleyed over from barely five yards following a knock-down by James Collins, before a vicious strike by Cole had to be beaten away by West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill.

If the first half had been a slow-burner, the second sprang to life immediately. Scotland midfielder Morrison hooked the ball onto the West Ham crossbar with an improvised back-heel volley from a corner, before Gary O’Neil curled a glorious effort a whisker wide of the left-hand upright at the other end.

Jaaskelainen then saved from Zoltan Gera at the second attempt, before Joey O’Brien lifted Mark Noble’s free-kick narrowly over the hosts’ crossbar as the game opened up.

Morrison found the woodwork again in the 74th minute, rattling the bar with a header from Brunt’s right-wing corner. West Ham procured one last chance in stoppage time, but Myhill was equal to Cole’s low strike.—AFP

coach after some wild challenges having already been booked. Garcia put the visitors ahead with a clinical finish from a Verdu pass that split the Madrid defence and silenced the crowd.

Ronaldo was denied again by Casilla before he did finally put the ball in the back of the net as he knocked in a cross from Sami Khedira. After the break Madrid had more of a cutting edge and Coentrao, bursting forward from full-back, latched onto a Ronaldo pass and slotted the ball past Casilla. The Espanyol shot-stopper was in inspired form though as he prevented Madrid from killing off the game by denying Callejon and substitute Di Maria before also tipping a powerful strike from the latter onto the crossbar. Madrid were made to rue their missed chances as Albin knocked the ball in after a goalmouth melee as the home side desperately sought to clear the ball.

Earlier, Valencia suffered their first defeat under coach Ernesto Valverde as they fell 1-0 at home to Rayo Vallecano. Chori Dominguez scored from the penalty spot after Tino Costa upended Roberto Trashorras. A first-half strike from Ruben Garcia gave Levante a 1-0 win away to Zaragoza.—AFP

EPL results/standings Tottenham 1, (Vertonghen 75) Swansea 0; West Brom 0, West Ham 0.

Played Saturday: Liverpool 1 (Gerrard 87) Aston Villa 3 (Benteke 29, 51, Weimann 40); Man Utd 3 (Van Persie 16, Cleverley 19, Rooney 59) Sunderland 1 (Campbell 72); Newcastle 1 (Ba 51) Man City 3 (Aguero 10, Garcia 39, Y. Toure 78); Norwich 2 (Pilkington 15, Hoolahan 64) Wigan 1 (Maloney 51); QPR 2 (Taarabt 52, 68) Fulham 1 (Petric 88); Stoke 1 (Jones 52) Everton 1 (Shawcross 36-og).

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Man Utd Man City Chelsea Tottenham Everton West Brom Norwich Arsenal Stoke Swansea West Ham Liverpool Fulham Aston Villa Newcastle Sunderland Southampton Wigan QPR Reading

17 17 16 17 17 17 17 16 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 16 17 17 16

14 10 8 9 6 8 6 6 5 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 4 4 1 1

0 6 5 2 9 3 7 6 9 5 5 7 5 6 5 7 3 3 7 6

3 1 3 6 2 6 4 4 3 6 6 5 7 7 8 7 9 10 9 9

43 33 28 30 28 24 19 26 15 26 21 23 28 15 19 18 22 18 15 19

24 15 17 25 21 21 25 16 13 22 20 23 29 24 26 24 32 32 30 31

42 36 29 29 27 27 25 24 24 23 23 22 20 18 17 16 15 15 10 9

Spanish League results/standings Real Zaragoza 0, Levante 1 (Santos 19); Valencia 0, Rayo Vallecano 1 (Dominguez 83-pen); Real Madrid 2 (Cristiano Ronaldo 45+1, Coentrao 48) Espanyol 2 (Sergio Garcia 31, Albin 88).

Played Saturday Getafe 1 (Diego Castro 90+3-pen) Osasuna 1 (Echaide 84); Real Mallorca 0, Athletic Bilbao 1 (Aduriz 11); Granada 0, Real Sociedad 0; Sevilla 0, Malaga 2 (Demichelis 49, Eliseu 70-pen).

Spanish league table after yesterday’s early evening match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Barcelona Atletico Real Madrid Malaga Levante Real Betis Getafe Sociedad Rayo Valencia

15 14 15 12 16 10 16 8 16 8 15 8 16 7 16 6 16 7 16 6

1 1 3 4 3 1 3 4 1 3

0 2 3 4 5 6 6 6 8 7

50 35 39 25 21 24 19 22 19 19

17 43 13 37 14 33 10 28 21 27 26 25 21 24 19 22 32 22 24 21

Bilbao Valladolid Zaragoza Sevilla Celta Vigo Osasuna Granada Mallorca Espanyol Deportivo

16 15 16 16 15 16 16 16 16 15

6 6 6 5 4 3 3 3 2 2

3 3 1 4 3 5 4 4 6 5

7 6 9 7 8 8 9 9 8 8

21 22 18 21 16 13 11 14 17 21

32 18 24 24 20 17 24 28 26 37

21 21 19 19 15 14 13 13 12 11

Spurs roll into top four Tottenham 1

Swansea 0

LONDON: Jan Vertonghen struck in the 75th minute to earn Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 win at home to Swansea City yesterday that lifted Andre Villas-Boas’s side into the Champions League places.

Beaten 2-1 at Everton in their previous outing, Spurs created most of the chances at White Hart Lane but had to wait until 15 minutes from time for Vertonghen to give them victory with a sharp finish. The win elevates Spurs into fourth place, level on points with third-place Chelsea but having played a game more, while League Cup semi-finalists Swansea who have not won at Spurs in 15 league games-remain 10th.

“It was very important and gets us back to four th place,” said Spurs coach Villas-Boas. “The table is tight but it was good to give something back to the fans at White Hart Lane.”

Swansea coach Michael Laudrup said: “It was a difficult game against a great team. We started well before they put us under pressure.

“We were not at our best offensively. The last 10 percent we missed, but I’m pleased with the perform-

ance of my team.” Swansea immediately settled into their familiar passing rhythm, but as the game slowly came to life, it was Tottenham who imposed themselves.

After Sandro had shanked a shot out of play for a throw-in, Jermain Defoe displayed slightly better accuracy by stepping inside Chico Flores and shooting straight at Swansea goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel.

The visitors were guilty of overelaboration on occasion and Michu, more accustomed to the opposition penalty area, had to produce a superb sliding block to deny Defoe after he had been dispossessed by Mousa Dembele. For all the commitment to short passing on show, the first half concluded amid a hail of long-range efforts.

Kyle Walker saw a brutal pile-driver parried in unorthodox fashion by Tremmel, and af ter Jonathan de Guzman had fired over at the other end, Aaron Lennon brought Tremmel into action again with his left foot.

Michu then sent Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris scrambling backwards with an audacious 50-yard lob that dipped over the bar.

Lloris and Michu shared a joke as they left the pitch at half-time but the Frenchman would not have been smiling early in the second period had Nathan D yer met Wayne Routledge’s left-wing cross with a more telling header.

Tremmel then tipped a looping header from Vertonghen onto the roof of his net before Walker squandered a fine opportunity, blazing well off target from Defoe’s lay-off after steaming into the box from deep.

There was a blow for Villas-Boas with 20 minutes remaining when Emmanuel Adebayor had to leave the fray after appearing to take a blow to his ank le. His mood improved significantly five minutes later, however, as Vertonghen put Spurs ahead.

Walker’s deep free-kick from the right found the Belgian international unmarked 12 yards from goal and he swivelled neatly to plant a crisp halfvolley in the bottom-right corner.

The former Ajax centre -back headed wide shortly after and then saw a free-kick deflected wide, while Tremmel thwarted Defoe again, but one goal was to prove sufficient.

Villas-Boas was given further reason to cheer in injury time when Scott Parker came off the bench to make his first appearance of the season after undergoing Achilles surgery in August.

The match dissolved into acrim o ny, h owe ve r, w i t h Swa n s e a’s players aggrieved that the hosts played on after an aerial collision between Lloris and Michu left the Spaniard flat on his back in the Spurs area.—AFP

EU, Singapore agree on free trade terms Page 22

Britain looks to Chinese tourists for Xmas cheer Page 23

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

Qatar Airways Boeing 787 takes off to Kuwait

Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait wins CSR Excellence Award Page 26

Page 25

MADRID: A vendor sits outside a shop in the Rastro Flea market in Madrid yesterday. The Rastro is one of Europe’s largest and most emblematic flea markets which attracts thousands of people each Sunday to look for bargains or just to enjoy the atmosphere. — AP

UAE CB delays exposure, liquidity rules Banks complain not given enough time ABU DHABI: The central bank of the United Arab Emirates has postponed introducing restrictions on commercial banks’ exposure to state-linked debt and requirements for them to hold liquid assets, after complaints from the banks.

“The Central Bank board of directors reviewed banks’ feedback on the amendments to the large exposures regulation and decided to postpone implementation of the regulation until all items of the regulation are reviewed with banks,” the central bank said in a statement yesterday.

As part of efforts to reduce risk for banks and prevent any repeat of Dubai’s 20092010 corporate debt crisis, the central bank announced in April this year that from Sept 30, banks would have to restrict their lending to state-linked entities. Any bank’s lending to the governments of the sevenmember UAE federation and related enti-

ties would be capped at 100 percent of its capital base, with lending to a single borrower limited to 25 percent.

But banks complained they were not given enough time to meet the deadline and when it passed, many of the largest UAE lenders were believed to remain well over the limit. Some, such as National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Emirates NBD, held private discussions on the issue with the central bank.

Any rush to cut exposure to state debt in the UAE, where many development projects are spearheaded by state-linked firms, could have hurt economic growth in addition to damaging profitability in the banking system.

Meanwhile, the central bank also said on Sunday that after receiving feedback from banks, it had decided to postpone implementation of a new liquidity rule “until

details of the requirements of the regulation are agreed”. In July, the central bank announced banks in the UAE would have to hold high-quality liquid assets equal to 10 percent of their liabilities from Jan. 1, 2013.

This aimed to prepare the sector to comply with Basel III banking standards that will be phased in around the world in the next few years.

The central bank said physical cash, reserve requirements, central bank instruments and UAE federal government bonds would qualify as such assets. But because the country’s financial markets are not highly developed, it was hard for some banks to meet the 10 percent requirement; the UAE has not even begun issuing federal government bonds.

The central bank’s statement yesterday did not elaborate on when its regulations were now expected to be implemented, or

how they might be revised.

Commercial bankers, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, welcomed the decision and said they hoped the central bank would coordinate closely with them before introducing any new rules. “The time limit given was too short and it was unrealistic to expect banks to reduce their exposures so fast,” an executive of an Abu Dhabi-based bank said of the loan exposure limit.

Some banks had begun to implement the liquidity rule but they had run into difficulties and the process threatened to hurt their operations, said another Abu Dhabibased banker.

“The liquid assets that qualified are very restrictive - only cash, bonds and CDs with central bank. There should be a more interactive approach with banks before any such rules are implemented.” — Reuters

Crisis-hit Greeks slash household heat ATHENS: Temperatures are falling fast in Greece but with new taxes sending the price of heating fuel higher than ever before many crisis-hit households are unsure they can afford to warm their homes this winter. The government in October abolished tax breaks on heating fuel in a bid to claw back millions of euros in tax revenue lost to petrol smuggling.

In doing so, they created a stark choice for hundreds of thousands of Greeks whose spare income has already suffered from three years of austerity cuts tied to EU-IMF bailout loans for the recession-hit country.

Conditions are even worse in Greece’s north where temperatures can fall under 15 degrees below zero Celsius (five degrees Fahrenheit) in winter.

Last month, residents of the northern town of Kavala symbolically dumped slabs of ice in front of the parliament in Athens to protest their plight. The fuel reform means that a litre of heating oil costs 1.35 euros ($1.76) compared to 95 cents a year ago.

Interior Minister Evripides Stylianidis pledged the sum of 80 million euros to heat up schools.

But local mayors and teacher unions insist the money is inadequate. “Even people with regular salaries cannot pay (these oil prices),” said Sofia Kanaouti, a 39-yearold Athenian who only has a part-time job as a university researcher. “Last winter we spent 1,500 euros on heating, this year we’re going to need over 2,000 euros,” she told AFP. “Many of the tenants still owe payments from last year, so the building manager

decided against fuel orders this year,” adds Nikos Bouskos, a 45-year-old unemployed man who formerly worked as a web designer. In recent years, smugglers would take advantage of the low price of heating fuel to pass it off as higher-price diesel for cars.

According to a recent study, a fifth of car fuel currently circulating in Greece has been siphoned off from heating and ship fuel reserves. With petrol now out of the question for many, attention has turned to alternative forms of heating-wood pellets for stoves, electrical heating panels or air conditioning. Others have turned to illegal logging. Kanaouti chuckles as she reads an advertisement from a subsidiary of German engineering giant Siemens, offering heating solutions to “get rid of oil”.

“We can’t rid ourselves of the Germans,” she says, a reference in anger in Greece towards EU paymaster Germany’s perceived role in pushing for ever-increasing austerity measures in return for state loans.

Meanwhile, the fall in demand has also hit petrol station owners. “Housing fuel sales are down 80-85 percent compared to last year,” says Michalis Kioussis, chairman of the federation of petrol station owners.

Another fuel station owner, Stefanos Karablias, says he’s confident that demand can only rise if temperatures continue to drop.

But many households say they’ll hold out as long as they can. “We still have oil in the tank from last year, it will be enough to warm us at least until Christmas,” says Anastassia Kanellou, a 64-year-old pensioner. —AFP

BEIJING: A Christmas season poster is on display outside a fashion boutique as an employee (right) waits for customers at a shopping mall in Beijing yesterday. China’s manufacturing activity rose to a 14-month high in December, adding to signs the world’s second-largest economy is recovering, but export orders weakened, a survey showed.—AP

Iran’s oil revenues down by half: Paper DUBAI: Iran’s oil revenues have been cut in half this year compared with last year, a newspaper quoted Iran’s economic minister as saying, an admission of how deeply Western sanctions are cutting Tehran’s chief source of funds.

US and European Union sanctions are designed to slash oil revenues to starve Tehran of funds that might be channelled into expensive nuclear weapons programs.

Iran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons, saying its atomic program is solely for peaceful purposes. “Because of the sanctions, revenues collected from the country’s oil have dropped by 50 percent,” Economic Minister Shamseddin

Hosseini was quoted as saying by economic daily Donya-e-Eqtesad.

“By managing our resources and revenues, there will be no problem in paying salaries until the end of this year,” he added, referring to Iran’s calendar year which ends on March 20, 2013. Hosseini had made the comments in an interview on state television on Saturday and they were published by the newspaper yesterday. Iranian legislators had previously hinted at the country’s budget woes as a result of sanctions and officials have said the government should depend less on oil revenues and more on taxation to fill its coffers. —Reuters

Egypt climbs to 3-week high MIDEAST STOCK MARKET DUBAI: Egypt’s bourse rallied to a fresh three-week high yesterday as foreign investors bought into risk but Egyptians were net sellers after a vote tally showed a narrow favor for a constitution shaped by Islamists.

Cairo’s benchmark index rose 2.7 percent to its highest close since Nov. 22. All stocks, except two, gained on the bourse. Palm Hills Development climbed 5.4 percent, Orascom Telecom and El Saeed Contracting added 0.8 and 5.1 percent respectively. The trio were the most actively traded stocks on the EGX30 index.

Egyptians voted narrowly in favor of a constitution shaped by Islamists but opposed by other groups who fear it will deepen divisions, officials in rival camps said on Sunday after the first round of a two-stage referendum. Next week’s second round is likely to give another “yes” vote as it includes districts seen as more sympathetic towards Islamists, analysts say, meaning the constitution would be approved.

“Some investors are taking the fact that a constitution voting is happening as a potential for stability on the long-term,” said Marwan Shurrab, vice-president and chief trader at Gulfmena Investments. “But as long as there is a lot of tension with no clarity on stability, Egypt will be a high-risk market. Investors are mostly very short-term due to the political condition.” Shares in National Societe Generale Bank fell 3.4 percent in a volatile trading session. Parent company Societe Generale on Wednesday agreed to sell its 77 percent stake to Qatar National Bank . The deal values NSGB at 35.56 pounds per share. QNB has to offer to buy the remaining stock for the same price under Egyptian stock market rules.

In Saudi Arabia, the bourse climbed 0.4 percent to its highest close since Nov. 11.

Investors are accumulating shares ahead of year-end earnings, which are expected to be better than the previous quarter’s numbers, analysts say. Petrochemical shares gained, with the index advancing 0.9 percent.

Saudi Kayan Petrochemical added 2.9 percent and Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical climbed 2.6 percent.

Elsewhere, Dubai’s bourse slipped to an 11-week closing low as investors find little reason to add risk amid a lack of positive regional catalysts. Emaar Properties and Dubai Investments weighed, falling 1.9 and 1.3 percent respectively. Dubai’s index shed 0.5 percent, trimming year-to-date gains to 16.6 percent. “There aren’t any regional catalysts until Q4 earnings... but there’s room for valuations to go up further looking into 2013,” said Amer Khan, fund manager at Shuaa Asset Management.

“This is especially true for banking names. Many of them are trading at a very significant discount to others in the region.” Shares in telecoms operator du slipped 0.9 percent, extending losses to 11.9 percent since the government announced new taxes or royalties fees.

The operator signed a $100 mln three-year loan facility with Singapore’s DBS Bank, it said yesterday. Smallcaps Gulf Navigation and Ajman Bank rose 3.7 and 6.2 percent respectively, in what traders say was speculative trading. These stocks tend to be favored by retail investors looking for short-term gains. — Reuters

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

BUSINESS

EU, Singapore agree on free trade terms

German rhetoric won’t stop the tide

By Hayder Tawfik

Move to open Asian markets further BRUSSELS: The European Union and Singapore agreed terms of a free trade deal yesterday, a move that should further open the Asian country’s markets for financial services and make it easier for European automakers to export there.

“We have finalized the negotiations, and I’m very pleased with the result,” EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht told Reuters by telephone from Singapore.

After the completion of negotiations by the European Commission, the EU executive, member states and the European Parliament need to sign off for the agreement to come into force.

Though EU countries have in the past sometimes rejected such deals for political reasons, this is unlikely to happen with Singapore, as EU leaders in October called

Singapore’s import tariffs are low. The deal will remove non-tariff barriers such as the double testing of cars, as Singapore would start to recognize EU standards, EU officials say. Other key benefits would be the further opening of Singapore’s banking and financial services sector, as well as better access to its public procurement markets. The push for free trade agreements comes as the EU struggles with a sovereign debt crisis and tries to supplement stagnant domestic consumer demand with free trade pacts with major economies. A deal with South Korea came into effect last year and one with Canada is near completion. EU trade ministers agreed in November to start negotiations with Japan, while preliminary talks are underway for an agreement with the United States. — Reuters

for a swift conclusion of negotiations. “I don’t expect that many problems,” De Gucht said, adding he hoped for finalization by the end of 2013. The bloc hopes the agreement will give it better access to Singapore, one of Asia’s richest countries per head of population, where currently the United States enjoys preferential access. Singapore has a population of only 5 million, but it is also a gateway to the 600 million people in the fast-growing economies of the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The EU is the city state’s second biggest trade partner after neighboring Malaysia, with bilateral trade in goods amounting to 46 billion euros ($60 billion) in 2011. The EU had a trade surplus of 8 billion euros, with cars making up a large chunk of its exports.

Up to 70% discount on all products for 3 days

Xcite.com celebrates its first birthday KUWAIT: Kuwait’s leading e-commerce portal for consumer electronics www.xcite.com celebrated its one year anniversary yesterday. On the occasion, xcite.com has launched a first of its kind promotion to reward its customers giving them a chance to save up on all their purchases for three consecutive days; December 16thDecember 18th.

The exciting promotion includes an up to 70% discount on all products available on the website. All customers need to do is visit the website and start shopping to enjoy the birthday exclusive offer.

Throughout the past year, xcite.com has

successfully developed and grown to become a leader in the industry reaching large number of audience and catering to the Kuwaiti market’s needs.

As the only electronics store in Kuwait to provide e-commerce services, xcite.com’s website has distinguished itself by many features such as being the only fully bi-lingual website offering accurate product reviews and specifications in both Arabic and English languages.

In addition, xcite.com’s team has been devoted to creating an excellent customer service to ensure customer satisfaction is met at all stages of their purchasing

Takeover deadline extended for Islamic Bank of Britain DUBAI: Islamic Bank of Britain (IBB), the countryís only sharia-compliant retail lender, said a deadline for a Qatari bank to decide on a proposed takeover offer had been extended to January. IBB is majority-owned by Qatar International Islamic Bank , which has been in discussions since June with Qatari lender Masraf Al Rayan to sell a controlling stake in the British bank. A deadline for Masraf, the biggest Islamic bank in Qatar, to announce a firm intention to make an offer for IBB lapsed on Dec 10; it has now been extended to Jan 7. In a separate statement released last week, IBB also said its lending growth for the first nine months of this year had been driven by two new home financing plans, and that it would look at ways to offer more products. IBB is trying to revitalize its business after struggling to turn a profit since its inception in 2004; it reported a loss of 8.9 million pounds ($14.3 million) in 2011. Management will focus on secured financing and targeting young savers, Iain Crawford, financial controller at IBB, told Reuters. ìWe are pretty optimistic for the UK market. The board is determined to grow the business.î IBB posted a 63 percent increase in home financing and a 43 percent increase in long-term savings deposits for the first nine months of 2012, the company said without giving monetary totals. — Reuters

process. One of the many achievements of xcite.com has been its nomination to few awards such Best Arabic Website award and Best New E-Commerce Website Award at the very early stages of its initiation.

In June 2012 xcite.com’s Facebook page won the Facebook Interactive Award for the electronics category in the GCC region.

With the effective use of different channels such as social media, xcite.com has created ways to engage and interact with its customers around the clock keeping them updated with the latest offers, promotions, new arrivals, exclusive online deals and much more.

Al Tijari winners of daily draw with Najma Account KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al Najma Account Daily draw on December 16, 2012.

The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry represented

by Saquer Al-Manaie.

date of the bank’s establishment.

With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or 2 months prior to the mega draw. In addition,

The winners of the Najma daily draw are:● Athari Khaled Abbas Al-Dousari — KD 7000, ● Zainab Abdulla Saeed Al-Ali — KD 7000, ● Nouriya Abdul Muhsen Hussain Al-Qattan — KD 7000, ● Ahmad Hussain Safar Khaja — KD 7000, ● Talal Salman AbdulHameed Al-Shatti — KD 7000.

The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account. Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000 each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha and on the 19th of June which is the

for each KD 25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50.

Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

ow about if Germany stops giving orders and starts contributing to growth in the euro-zone? The debate about the euro-zone’s financial crisis will drag on for much longer than expected. The crisis is now well spread and the latest sign is that France could fall into the same problems faced by Greece and Spain sometime next year. Even Germany is no longer immune.

The nature of the problem itself is about the lack of growth and the remedies suggested by the authorities are not encouraging at all. What the euro-zone need in the long-term is the rebalancing of their economies so as to avoid the problems they are facing today.

The rebalancing has to be on euro-zone wide basis and should be measured more accurately so not a single nation can avoid its responsibility. May be a lesson can be learned from the US economy. The focus has been on how to bail out those who are in trouble, obviously with strict conditions attached. However, there is another solution which Germany could have delivered long time ago and that is to create a German balanced economy not just relying on cheap Euro to export but creating a vibrant domestic demand at home so contributing to the rebalancing of the Euro zone economy.

We all well remember how Ronald Regan and Lady Thatcher tried very hard with the Japanese to open up their domestic market and with no luck and as a compromise the Japanese started investing abroad and now we see how the Japanese got it completely wrong and still suffering from lack of domestic demand. This may be a lesson to be learned by the Germans. At present the same argument has shifted to US/China rebalancing and the euro-zone has been left to Germany giving them orders what to do in exchange for financial help without Germany taking some aggressive measure to help with pan Euro growth. Germany have been running large amount of current account surplus for years and still building up more.

I don’t want to go into the argument which comes up all the time when there is the issue of unfair trade between different countries. The issue for me is about the original idea which was pushed against all the odds by Germany and France to create a pan Euro economy to rival the American or the Asians but we find out now that France has been paying the price and Germany has not contributed to the creation of a balanced economy throughout the euro-zone.

Let me be more blunt, simply put, Germany has been working on a full speed over the last 10 years to suck in all the global demand including the demands from the euro-zone without contributing much to either global growth and for sure not to the euro-zone. It is quite shocking that domestic sales in Germany have been flat for the last 10 years. Whereas export has been growing strongly since they changed the Deutsche

H

Mark into the Euro. . If we exclude export contribution to GDP in Germany over the last few years we could see that actual growth would have been negative. This is absolutely amazing for a country which has championed the creation of the euro-zone.

It does not take a lot to create a dynamic domestic demand like in the US or the UK. The German authorities should introduce measures which helps workers to have higher real wages and create more employment at the same time. The unemployment rate in Germany does not match its economic growth at all and the unemployment numbers have been relatively high. A good example to see these days is the US where real wages has been falling but job creation has been rising too. This is what we call a dynamic domestic lead economy. The euro-zone crisis again will present a golden opportunity to German companies to outsource and look for cheaper manufacturing bases outside Germany hence delaying further the hope of creating more jobs at home and creating a more balanced economy and increasing domestic growth at home.

There are several reasons for high unemployment in Germany. First, reflecting largely the German aversion to inflation, the European Central Bank has focused almost exclusively on price stability to the neglect of economic growth and conditions in the labor market. Second, the accession of several low-wage Central and Eastern European countries has led to significant outsourcing

by German firms, which has not only intensified the pressure on the labor market in Germany but also served to restrain investment at home. Finally, orthodox labor market and welfare reforms have considerably weakened the bargaining power of the workers, particularly at the lower end, without creating many jobs.

Wage restraints in Germany have been part and parcel of an attempt to increase competitiveness of the economy by reducing production costs. A policy of aggressive competition against their global counter parties has thus come at the expense of consumer demand. This has led to the friction among some of the heavy weights countries in the euro-zone such as France and Italy because they could not restrain wages at home. It has therefore threatened growth and stability in the euro-zone as a whole.

The demand on Germany is not to replace its export machine with domestic demand but it is to create a sustainable domestic demand so it can create jobs and contribute to the overall economic growth. This is needed in Germany with greater urgency than ever; otherwise the present crisis in the eurozone will end up at much higher costs to the Germans. Japan, Germany and China need to rebalance their economies and reduce their trade surplus in the hope that will lead to growth in imports thereby increasing their contribution to global growth.

—Hayder Tawfik is Executive Vice President of Asset Management, at Dimah CapitalHT@dimah.com.kw

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds

.2740000 .4510000 .3650000 .3010000 .2830000 .2940000 .0040000 .0020000 .0762300 .7426870 .3880000 .0720000 .7280720 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2808000 GB Pound/KD .4532670 Euro .3673990 Swiss francs .3031740 Canadian dollars .2852790 Danish Kroner .0492470 Swedish Kroner .0420500 Australian dlr .2963280 Hong Kong dlr .0362310 Singapore dlr .2299190 Japanese yen .0033600 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0764810 Bahraini dinars .7451240 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0749000 Omani riyals .7296350 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - transfer Irani Riyal - cash

3.430 5.192 2.905 2.188 3.258 231.750 36.451 3.449 6.899 9.219 0.271 0.273

.2840000 .4620000 .3740000 .3120000 .2930000 .3030000 .0067500 .0035000 .0769960 .7501510 .4060000 .0770000 .7353900 .0510000 .2829000 .4566570 .3701460 .3054420 .2874120 .0496150 .0423650 .2985440 .0365020 .2316380 .0033850 .0052480 .0022060 .0029160 .0035230 .0770530 .7506970 .4001410 .0754600 .7350920 .0069410

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 75.363 77.653 734.050 750.630 76.955

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 47.500 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 45.870 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.318 Tunisian Dinar 179.940 Jordanian Dinar 398.650 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.896 Syrian Lier 3.864 Morocco Dirham 33.432 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 282.500 Euro 366.970 Sterling Pound 455.530 Canadian dollar 287.090 Turkish lire 158.090 Swiss Franc 303.760 Australian dollar 297.190 US Dollar Buying 281.300 GOLD 321.000 162.000 84.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria

SELL CASH

301.000 750.090 3.690 289.600 553.900 46.000 50.400 167.800 47.900 375.300 37.080 5.490 0.032 0.161 0.242 3.480 399.700 0.191 94.000 45.500 4.340 242.200 1.827

51.400 732.630 3.080 7.220 78.020 75.310 232.810 35.230 2.686 459.700 43.200 310.800 3.400 9.580 198.263 76.900 282.400 1.360

732.450 2.915 6.886 77.590 75.310 232.810 35.230 2.192 457.700 309.300 3.400 9.400 76.800 282.000

GOLD 1,807.790

10 Tola Sterling Pound US Dollar

COUNTRY

Currency

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 457.700 282.000

SELL DRAFT

300.100 750.090 3.497 288.100

232.800 45.830 373.800 36.930 5.210 0.031

SELL DRAFT

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

301.89 290.16 311.87 373.94 281.25 458.58 3.45 3.479 5.173 2.194 3.236 2.886 76.64 748.87 45.66 400.69 731.98 77.67 75.21

SELL CASH

300.000 289.000 311.000 372.250 282.500 458.500 3.690 3.620 5.460 2.330 3.600 3.100 77.200 748.000 47.700 398.500 734.000 77.850 75.500

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 399.660 0.190 95.900 3.260 240.700

Rate for Transfer

Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

282.550 286.480 453.910 365.130

Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

302.305 748.045 76.905 77.555 75.310 398.295 46.053 2.188 5.197 2.915 3.453 6.897 693.099 4.426 9.295 4.385 3.340 92.425

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

281.600 2.884 5.191 2.205 3.458 6.885 76.775 75.250 748.600 45.619 459.400 2.990 1.550 375.000 291.600 3.265

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

281.500 373.600 457.550 287.950 3.400 5.180 45.650 2.194 3.460 6.850 2.889 749.950 76.700 75.200

23

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

BUSINESS

Britain looks to Chinese tourists for Xmas cheer

Brent boxed into price range of $90 to $125

Hotels, retailers, govt step up efforts

Crude oil in 2013

LONDON: With their shelves spilling over with festive goodies, London’s department stores are working hard to attract Christmas shoppers-but Chinese visitors are the particular target of a charm offensive. Hotels, retailers and the government are stepping up efforts to woo big-spending Chinese visitors in a bid to bounce back from Britain’s longest recession in half a century. Congee and dumplings are on the breakfast menu at enterprising hotels, major London stores have installed Chinese bank card terminals, and Mandarin-speaking staff are on hand to help out with the Christmas shopping.

Britain is courting Chinese travellers not only because they are a rapidly growing market-they made an estimated 70 million overseas trips in 2011, up 20 percent in just a year-but because they are serious shoppers. “My goodness, they spend,” said Patricia Yates, director of strategy for the VisitBritain tourism authority.

“The average Chinese visitor spends about three times as much — £1,600 ($2,600, 2,000 euros) — as the average visitor to Britain,” she told AFP. “So they’re very welcome by the retail industry at the moment, who have seen domestic demand soften.”

Purveyors of luxury goods in particular have welcomed affluent Chinese visitors with open arms. The renowned Harrods department store, in London’s exclusive Knightsbridge district, now has 70 Mandarin-speaking staff and more than 100

China Union Pay terminals allowing direct payment from Chinese bank accounts. A Harrods spokeswoman said jewellery and watches, fashion and fine wines were top of the shopping list for many Chinese customers. “They seek out the very latest, limited edition and exclusive products,” she told AFP. Beneath the twinkling Christmas lights on London’s central shopping artery Oxford Street, too, Chinese shoppers were on the lookout for designer items. “We think London is the capital of fashion,” said Harry Gao, a fashion student from the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou, who was wrapped up against the drizzle in a fur coat and gold trainers. “Lots of famous designers are from the UK. It’s lots of fun.” ‘Our European rivals do much better than us’- A record 149,000 Chinese visitors came to Britain last year, bringing some £240 million to the struggling economy. But Britain’s share of the coveted Chinese market is poor compared to several competitors in mainland Europe including France, which welcomed nearly a million tourists from China last year.

“We know that our European rivals do much better than us,” Yates admitted. “We really want to break the Chinese market.”

The complex British visa system is frequently blamed for the shortfall.

While Chinese tourists can visit 26 European countries on a single “Schengen” visa, a trip to Britain requires a separate visa involving lengthy forms in English as well as additional costs. Interior minister Theresa

May confirmed Wednesday that the government is looking at expanding online applications and making some visa forms available in Mandarin, as well as introducing an express service for premium travellers.

Meanwhile, the government is throwing £8 million at luring an additional 233,000 Chinese visitors a year by 2020, and VisitBritain sent its biggest-ever delegation to Shanghai last month to drum up business. Over a Chinese breakfast of congee (rice porridge), steamed buns and warm soya milk at London’s Landmark Hotel, marketing manager Yan-Ping Mew said he has had “very good feedback” since the meal became available to guests earlier this year.

The hotel also recommends smartphone apps to help Chinese guests navigate London and allocates them room numbers traditionally seen as lucky, such as those on the third or eighth floor. “The Chinese tend to be slightly more superstitious,” Mew explained.

He added that while many Chinese guests come to London to shop, they also want to see the sights and, in some cases, visit prospective universities for their children. Yates also insisted that Britain had more to offer than shopping. “There’s the history and tradition of our royal family with palaces that you can go and see, great museums that have world-class treasures,” she told AFP, adding that the London Olympics had been “an amazing showcase”. —AFP

Controversial skyscraper alters Chile capital skyline SANTIAGO: The skyline of Chile’s capital has been altered over the past year by a skyscraper-the tallest in South America and one so towering it casts a shadow nearly two kilometers (more than a mile) long. The 70-story Gran Torre Costanera Center, a giant that dwarfs the city’s other skyscrapers, overwhelms the view of a city founded in 1541 by Spanish conquistadors and that remains proud of its colonial-era buildings.

Workers completed the top floor of the nearly $1 billion structure in February, and in March 2013 tenants are expected to start moving in.

The 300-meter tall Gran Torre is not as tall as New York’s iconic Empire State Building (381 meters) and is less than half the size of the world’s tallest building, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa (828 meters). But it is significantly taller than the other regional giant, the Trump Ocean Club in Panama City (293 meters). A six-floor shopping mall has also risen next to the Gran Torre, and three other skyscrapers-two high-end hotels and an office building-are going up nearby. The Gran Torre was built to withstand earthquakes-Chile, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is especially prone to powerful quakes. The building came through with flying colors in February 2010, surviving the 8.8 magnitude quake that devastated much of south-central Chile with no structural damage.

Residents and city planners complain that people going to and from the complex will generate massive traffic jams and gridlock in an already tightly-packed city. Once the edifice is completed, there will be nearly 700,000 square meters of building space available built on 47,000 square meters of land. Planners estimate there will be some 240,000 people going to and from the site each day.

“We’re talking about five percent of the city circulating within a few square kilometers,” complained architect and urban planner Julio Hurtado. “The long-term consequences of this chaos it will be a topic for experts to study,” he told AFP. * Capitalist excess or icon of progress?

— The Gran Torre is located in the heart of Santiago’s financial district, and known locally as ‘Sanhattan.’ It was designed by Cesar Pelli, the Argentine architect who also designed the 452-meter tall Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. Taller than even some of the Andean hills surrounding Santiago, the Torre is now a universal point of reference in this city of six million people.

Its owner, German-born supermarket magnate Horst Paulmann, once gushed

many ways the Gran Torre is emblematic of 21st century Chile, a country with strong economic growth but with enormous income disparity, where ten percent of the country’s wealthiest have income 35 times higher than the poorest 10 percent.

The Gran Torre, which will have 41 elevators and 5,500 parking spots when it opens, “is a symbol of the evolution of wealth, which in Chile is shown but not shared,” said Hurtado.

SANTIAGO: The tallest skyscraper in South America and one so towering it casts a shadow nearly two kilometers (more than a mile) long. that the site will be for Santiago what the Eiffel Tower is for Paris-a comparison that raised eyebrows, if not snickers.

“The Eiffel Tower is a monument, not a building. There is no comparison,” said Luis Eduardo Bresciani, head of Chile’s Architects’ Association. The building may lack the graceful curves of Gustave Eiffel’s iconic structure, but the torpedo-like structure is not without some grace. “It’s a fairly neutral building,” said Bresciani.

Hurtado was kinder. “From an architectural point of view, it is interesting and unique. A pretty object,” he told AFP. In

It also symbolizes “a country at the threshold of being developed but still with brutal contradictions,” he said. The builders praise their structure as “the most imposing commercial and architectural landmark in Santiago” and “emblematic of Chile’s commercial development.”

Work on the giant structure halted for ten months in 2009, during the height of the global financial crisis. The shell at the time seemed to symbolize the country’s shattered dreams of economic grandeur.

But when work re-started, it became a symbol of Chile‘s economic recovery. —AFP

By Ole Hansen rent Crude oil has, despite times of elevated uncertainty, been trading within a relative stable trading range during the last couple of years, especially compared with previous years where extreme peaks and troughs appeared. Looking ahead to 2013, we believe that this range trading will continue, as Brent Crude is currently sandwiched between several equal important factors, the combined sum of which should keep the price boxed in between $90 and $125 during the next couple of years.

During these past two years Brent Crude Oil has become the global benchmark for a majority of physical oil transactions, and also increasingly the preferred crude oil commodity in investment portfolios. Just recently we have seen two of the world’s most followed commodity indices, the S&P GSCI and DJ-UBS, both announce another percentage point weight increase of Brent in their portfolio for 2013 at the expense of WTI Crude, which still carries the highest weight but is sharply reduced from previous years. The major spikes in Brent Crude during 2010 and 2011 were primarily triggered by both major and minor fears of supply disruptions, especially the Libyan civil war in early 2011 and the announcement of Iran sanctions due to uncertainties over its nuclear intentions in early 2012. Minor disruptions to production in Sudan, Nigeria, Syria and the North Sea also helped to support the price.

Up against these fears of supply disruptions, the global economy has been bumping along at a relative slow pace, resulting in only a small increase in global demand for oil. At times worries about recession, now realised in Europe, and other regions of the world has helped offset the above mentioned supply worries, resulting in minor (and a few major) downside corrections.

As a result the average price of Brent Crude has remained almost unchanged for the past two years at 110.75 USD/barrel in 2011 and 111.70 USD/barrel so far in 2012. The below chart shows the distribution of the traded volume on the front month contract since January 2011 and not surprisingly the result ties in very well with the average price observations. Almost nine percent of all volume during the last two years has taken place between 110 and 111 while 54 percent of all traded volume has occurred within a narrow nine dollar range between 106 and 115.

The downside tail, as also seen below, is somewhat longer than the upside one. This can among other things be explained by the presence of speculative investors such as hedge funds and traders. Speculative traders react to market movements by either by adding or reducing exposure and the two peaks in oil price (seen in the above chart) were both followed by one minor and a major sell-off as they were forced to reduce loss making positions. During such times of long liquidation we often find that the move gets extended much beyond what is warranted by the underlying fundamentals.

Now that we have determined two of the major drivers behind the price of oil, geopolitical concerns and speculative investment flows, let us take a look at some of the other reasons why we believe that the price of oil will remain range bound for the foreseeable future.

B

Saudi production During the early parts of 2012 when the price of Brent Crude was elevated we often heard verbal intervention from Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Petroleum AlNaimi in order to bring the price lower. As the Kingdom is one the world’s largest producer of oil and the only one with any available spare capacity, the world take notice when he speaks. Following the embargo on Iranian oil they increased their production close to 10 million barrels per day in order to make good on his intention to help bring the price of oil back towards 100 USD/barrel, a level which is acceptable to both producer and consumer. With the global economy still in a fragile state of recovery high oil prices act as a deterrent for growth and thereby demand.

Rising prices due to geopolitical tensions also carries the risk of OECD nations stepping in to calm mar-

kets by releasing oil or products from its Strategic Reserves. Members of the International Energy Agency are obligated to hold an emergency reserve that would cover 90 days of imports and with the US the largest consumer, they currently hold nearly 700 million barrels, according to the US Department of Energy. Although the release in June 2011 -due to the loss of Libyan production - had a limited longer term impact, the threat of a release is sometimes enough to deter speculative investors from getting too involved, thereby preventing the price from moving even higher.

US oil production Outside OPEC the main growth in production in 2013 will come from US shale. This growth has already resulted in a dramatic reduction in net crude oil imports over the last five years. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) in their Annual Energy Outlook 2013 said that “The advent and continuing improvement of advanced crude oil production technologies continued to lift projected domestic supply” and they see production reaching 7.5 million barrel per day by 2019. This paradigm shift in global oil markets over the coming decade could eventually, according to the International Energy Agency, see US production surpass Saudi Arabia.

Such an increase should help increase the buffer between demand and available supply, thereby reducing the risk of price spikes during periods of supply disruptions.

Shale oil production Just like we seen in the past where high prices have been the best cure for high prices the same also happens when the opposite occurs. The low prices in US natural gas during the early months of 2012 triggered a major shift by power generators from coal to gas and that eventually helped bring the price back to more comfortable levels from a production perspective. The price at one stage went so low that the cost of this new production technology exceeded the revenues, and had it gone on for much longer production would have been scaled back. The same goes for oil shale production, which at this early stage is still punitively expensive to produce. It is only the above the 100 USD per barrelprice level we have witnessed during the last few years that has made such new innovations economically viable. Untiltechnological advances in production methodsbring the cost down, it is estimated that a break-even price above $70 on WTI crude (equivalent of $90 on Brent Crude) is required to stay profitable.

Following the Arab Spring uprising in 2011 and continuation of tension in the Middle East, many OPEC governments have sharply increased their government budgets in order to spend their way out of potential socioeconomic problems. With oil revenues the main source of income for many of these nations, the break-even oil price needed to balance their budgets has shifted much higher during this time and it is likely to move even higher in 2013. Saudi Arabia is estimated to have a breakeven around 80 dollars while others, such as Nigeria and Russia, a non-OPEC member, are estimated to be much closer to $100. On this basis any price weakness much below 90 dollars is not going to be acceptable and could be defended by means of reducing production.

Conclusion While global oil prices continue to be exposed to sudden sharp moves, primarily to the upside, caused by supply disruptions, the recent changes especially in new production methods should leave the market in better and less volatile place than in previous years. While the worry about peak oil may not have gone away, it has at least been postponed for a number of years. This will buy the world additional time to continue to improve production methods through new technology. This will increase the demand for natural gas - and the world has plenty of natural gas.

Meanwhile, the automobile industry will continue to improve the effectiveness of engines, something that is already making an impact on US gasoline consumption. It’s truly a paradigm shift and one we feel will be the biggest positive input to growth and markets over the next ten years. The fact that one of the byproducts is reduced carbon footprint does not make this a less appealing case. We see the price of Brent Crude remaining within the 90 to 125 dollar range in 2013 with an average price around $111.

LuLu Exchange opens branches in Mangaf, Mirqab KUWAIT: LuLu Exchange, the leading global remittance and foreign exchange brand on Thursday, 13th December, 2012 added two branches into its fold by opening outlets at Mangaf and Mirqab simultaneously.

With these openings, the exchange house’s presence in the State of Kuwait has risen to eight.

Speaking on the occasion, Adeeb Ahamed, CEO of LuLu Exchange said, “With millions of expatriates residing here, Kuwait has emerged as a very important market for us in the GCC region. The new branches will further strengthen our network in the country and extend more convenience and value to customers, thus bolstering the trust among customers.”

“LuLu Exchange’s increasing popularity as the preferred and most trusted exchange house enabling smart and stable money transfer services in the State of Kuwait has invariably charted its growth plan. On this occasion, we dedicate these branches in the service of our customers, reinforcing our commitment to bring them only the best, be it ser vice offerings, accessibility, technology or customer experience. The success of our growth depends on the excellent Customer Service and Satisfaction that we have been tirelessly deliver-

ing,” Ahamed mentioned.

It may be recalled that LuLu Exchange opened two branches at Farwaniya and Mahboula last month.

LuLu Exchange’s firm belief in the

commitment to enhance customer experience by identifying customer requirements has made it to take money transfer services closer to its target customers around Kuwait. By

opening two new branches, the exchange house reinforces its commitment to improving customer accessibility and customer delight.

The new branches at Mangaf and

Mirqab focuses the company’s prime objective to make high-quality remittance ser vices available around Kuwait, where there is a growing need for timely and accessible finance transfer services. LuLu Exchange features a potent mix of highly competent and committed workforce paired with latest technologies to deliver the best possible customer satisfaction.

Ahamed further stated, “As a socially responsible organization, we have always ensured fair business practices including rigorous compliance with global anti-money laundering protocols, in the best interest of our regulators and customers. We couldn’t have achieved this success without the support of our customers, partners and regulators in every market that we operate in. We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for all the inspiration.”

LuLu Exchange has strategic partnerships with Western Union Worldwide Remittance Services, and Transfast, which only further guarantees that clients’ hard earned money reaches its destination in a fast and secure way. Currently the exchange house caters to markets world over with direct online remittance arrangements to India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Philippines, and Indonesia.

24

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

BUSINESS

Debunking sustainable energy myths Dr Yasser Al-Saleh he term ‘sustainable energy’ has become a ‘buzzword’ and a ‘catchphrase’ that is widely used by people who understand its meaning, but do not know what transiting to a sustainable energy future really entails. This is perhaps not surprising given the very common myths and fallacies surrounding the sustainability agenda.

The first myth is the claim that “We need to use renewable energy technologies because oil is running out”. Yes, it is true that oil is a finite source that could run out one day, but the reality is that such a day is very distant in the future and the world should not wait until this day comes to switch to other resources. Rather, this transition will happen, albeit gradually, well before that day. With this in mind, Sheikh Yamani - the Saudi Oil Minister during the 1970s - put it quite elegantly “Just as the Stone Age did not end for lack of stones, the Oil Age will not end for lack of oil”. This is true because the oil age, at least for some applications, will end only when cheaper energy sources are found.

In other words, we should be concerned with ‘the end of cheap oil’ rather than ‘absolutely running out of oil’. It is well known that as time passes, irrespective of

T

demand factors, the price of oil is likely to increase because it becomes harder to extract, especially when bearing in mind that the world has already passed the global peak of oil production. All of these factors add to the price of oil (which has witnessed a 5-fold increase over the past decade) and as long as oil prices remain high, the viability of other energy sources (including nuclear power) will be entertained. For example, it is only at the current level of oil prices that oil sands (and other unconventional sources of energy) become a profitable business. However, it is not quite as simple as this; many commentators would argue that oil pricing is more about politics, greed and speculation than a question of availability of supply. We also need to remember that although economics are important, other issues such as technical and environmental factors have a major role to play in deciding which energy source to pursue.

This takes us to the second common myth which is that “Renewable energy has the potential to replace the need for oil altogether”. I am a big fan of solar and wind power, but even I would not dare to imagine that they will replace the need for oil completely. We need to remember that the most feasible application for solar and wind technologies is electricity generation rather than transportation, which is likely to remain dominated by oil for the foreseeable future. What people also tend to forget is that we use oil for a lot of things, not just

to generate electricity or fuel our cars. It is estimated that 95% of all goods in the shops involve the use of oil in one way or another. We need to recognise that using solar and wind power will never replace the need for oil altogether. It can make our oil reserves last longer and hence, instead of burning it, we should maximise its use for other useful and added-value applications such as petrochemicals and plastic manufacturing.

If we consider the application of electricity generation, here comes a third myth: “100% renewable electricity is a foreseeable reality”. Some people think that all that stops us from achieving this is the high cost. They forget about technical hurdles and difficulties that prevent them from achieving this ambitious dream. Leaving aside the often overlooked massive transmission and distribution requirements needed to accommodate large-scale contributions from renewables, the technical issue of intermittency is yet to be solved. Let’s face it: you cannot rely on solar and wind power during a windless night. Even if you are willing to put up with the inconvenience of your computer or TV cutting in and out, it will damage the equipment. You cannot, therefore, escape the reality that there will always be a need for a backup power supply. Studies have shown that trying to operate a back-up diesel-power generator in a stop-go mode is extremely inefficient. In fact, a fossil fuel back-up system uses as much fuel backing up renewables as it would if you just eliminated the wind and

solar inputs. The only possible way to attain a 100% renewable electricity system seems to be when you have abundant hydro back-up.

For instance, the electricity sector in Denmark has been able to make an extensive use of wind turbines, partly because it is backed up by Norwegian and Swedish hydro power.

The last myth is the hopeful assumption that “Scientists will soon come up with a ‘silver-bullet’ energy source”. One does not need to be a pessimist to realize that the world will not be able, anytime in the near future, to discover a universal energy source that will solve all of our problems and address our needs. Just because some brilliant scientists have completed successful experiments, this does not mean that they will be scalable into a universal source of reliable energy. Many scientists are indeed researching wonderful and innovative ideas to produce clean energy such as the conversion of waste cooking oil to biodiesels.

However, their efforts will always be too small to do much good for the world because even if it proves successful, it will only become a part of an energy mix that is feasible for a few parts of the world. Every energy technology we hear about today has (or soon will have) the potential to supply a portion of the energy mix in particular world region. It would, therefore, be unwise for any country to ‘put all of its eggs in one basket’ and ultimately rely on any one energy form.

Additionally, we need to encourage any attempts to produce a clean energy source

because part of our problem is that we are not focusing efforts to address our joint challenges. Look around you and you will see fans of solar power are fierce enemies of wind power, busy attacking people who are advancing the solar agenda. So, there is a factor of competition, driven by the fact that people have different vested interests and commercial interests. Such competition, in spite of its potential benefits, is likely to slow down our transition to a sustainable future.

However, the biggest problem is that we tend to view energy issues from the wrong angle. Just as we would not accuse someone of having the wrong sized feet for their shoes, we need to move away from assuming that we simply have to supply enough energy to satisfy our needs. In other words, it is wrong to focus just on energy supply and forget all the creative things we could be doing on the energy demand side. We should be rationalizing demand with respect to supply and prioritizing consumption. Energy efficiency and conservation measures will not eliminate the need for fossil fuel power, but would facilitate producing energy more efficiently by making power stations run nearer design capacity as opposed to having spare stations running to take up unexpected demand. Thus, moving to pursue a sustainable energy future should not just entail diversifying and greening our energy supplies, but also unlocking the value gained from energy efficiency.

— INSEAD Innovation and Policy Initiative, Abu Dhabi.

US crude future rise, OPEC holds output GLOBAL WEKLY INTERNATIONAL REPORT KUWAIT: US crude futures rose on expectations that demand in China will improve after data showed the manufacturing sector expanding this month, and with the weaker US dollar also lending support to oil prices. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude oil settled at $86.73 a barrel, rising by $0.80 for the week. In London, Brent crude, settled at $109.15, up by $2.13. NYMEX RBOB gasoline settled at $2.6621 a gallon, for the week, the contract rose by 0.65 cents. NYMEX heating oil closed up at $2.9807. For the week, it rose by 0.65 cents. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed to hold its oil production limit unchanged at 30mn barrels a day, Saudi Arabia’s Oil Minister Ali AlNaimi said after the group ended its meeting.

Naimi said that the group would meet next on May 31 next year and that OPEC SecretaryGeneral Abdullah Al-Badri will continue in his post for a further year.

OPEC said in its monthly oil market report that expected demand for its crude in 2013 remains unchanged from its previous report, standing at 29.7mn bpd. This is 400,000 bpd lower than the 2012 level. The report also kept expectations for growth in world oil demand for 2013 unchanged at 800,000 bpd. NonOPEC supply growth is projected at 900,000 bpd in 2013 to average 53.8mn bpd.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecast global oil demand growth for 2013 at 865,000 barrels per day, 110,000 bpd higher than in its previous report, taking consumption up to an average of 90.5mn bpd. On the supply front, the IEA said spectacular growth in US production on the back of a boom in shale oil, which will be one of the top developments for the market in 2013. The United States will contribute heavily to an aggregate non? OPEC increase in output of 890,000 bpd to 54.2mn bpd in 2013. The IEA also said its forecast for demand for OPEC oil was unchanged for 2013 at 29.9mn bpd, much higher than the group’s current production of 31.22mn in November US crude stocks rose a modest 843,000 barrels last week to 372.6mn barrels, compared with analyst expectations for a drop of 2.3mn barrels. But stocks at futures delivery hub Cushing, Oklahoma jumped 1.19mn barrels to 46.8mn barrels.

Distillates, which include diesel and heating oil, jumped 3mn barrels to 118.1mn barrels, versus analyst expectations for a 1.4mn barrel build. Crude imports rose by 269,000 bpd to 8.46mn bpd on the week. Gasoline stocks rose 5mn barrels to 217.1mn barrels in the week to December 7, more than twice the increase that analysts had predicted.

US natural gas futures ended lower with record high supplies and moderate Northeast and Midwest weather forecasts again driving the front-month contract to a 2-1/2-month low. On the New York Mercantile Exchange settled down at $3.314 per million British thermal units (mmbtu). The EIA gas storage report showed total domestic gas inventories rose by 2 billion cubic feet (bcf) to 3.806 trillion cubic feet (tcf). Storage hit a record high of 3.929 tcf five weeks ago and is still at record highs for this time of year. The storage surplus is expected to widen further in next week’s report, with early withdrawal estimates ranging from 53 bcf to 81 bcf. The 17-nation euro gained against all of its major peers after European Union finance ministers agreed to put the European Central Bank in charge of the area’s lenders. The US dollar fell against the majority of its most-traded peers as the Federal Reserve said it will buy an additional $45bn of Treasuries a month, which may debase the currency.

US US trade deficit widened in October as exports suffered the biggest drop in nearly four year. The Commerce Department said the trade gap increased 4.9 percent to $42.2bn

even as imports declined to the lowest level in 1-1/2 years. September’s trade gap was revised to $40.3bn from the previously reported $41.6bn. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the trade deficit to rise to $42.6bn in October. The wider trade gap in October reflected a 3.6 percent fall in exports of goods and services to $180.5bn. That was the biggest percent drop in exports since January 2009. US Federal Reserve, announcing a new round of monetary stimulus, took the unprecedented step of indicating interest rates would remain near zero until unemployment falls to at least 6.5 percent. The Fed expects to hold rates steady until its new threshold on unemployment was reached as long as inflation does not threaten to break above 2.5 percent and inflation expectations are contained. It also replaced an expiring stimulus program with a fresh round of Treasury debt purchases. Officials committed to buy $45bn in longer-term Treasuries each month on top of the $40bn per month in mortgage-backed bonds they started purchasing in September. They repeated a pledge to keep pumping money into the economy until the outlook for the labor market improves “substantially.” US retail sales rose in November in a sign that steady job creation is adding momentum to consumer spending in the fourth quarter. Sales rose 0.3 percent, the Commerce Department said. Economists polled by Reuters had expected an increase of 0.5 percent. A separate measure of sales that strips out automobiles, gasoline and building materials rose a more healthy 0.5 percent.

US industrial output rose more than expected in November, posting its sharpest increase in nearly two years, as production bounced back from the disruptions of super storm Sandy. Industrial production expanded 1.1 percent last month after a revised 0.7 percent fall in October, the Federal Reserve said.

That was the steepest increase since December 2010. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected output to gain by 0.3 percent last month, after October’s previously reported 0.4 percent drop.

Europe Euro-zone sentiment improved for a fourth consecutive month in December boosted by a rise in expectations to their strongest level since May 2011, as investors took heart from pledges by the European Central Bank and politicians to stand by the euro. Sentix research group said its index tracking investor sentiment in the Euro-zone strengthened to -16.8 from November’s -18.8, though it fell short of expectations in a Reuters poll that mood would rise to -16.0. A sub-index of current euro-zone sentiment rose modestly to -31.0 from -31.3, while the expectations component climbed significantly to -1.5 from a previous 5.5. Output from euro-zone factories continued its steep fall in autumn this year, underscoring the feeble domestic demand that risks prolonging the bloc’s recession. Industrial production in the 17 countries sharing the Euro fell 1.4 percent in October after falling 2.3 percent in September, the EU’s statistics office Eurostat said, much worse than the 0.2 percent growth expected by economists in a Reuters poll. Eurostat revised September’s reading from an earlier figure of a 2.5 percent fall in industrial production. German analyst and investor sentiment rose sharply in December on the back of encouraging US economic data, entering positive territory for the first time since May. A Reuters poll of 41 analysts for a reading of -12.0. A separate gauge of current conditions rose to 5.7 from 5.4 in November, above a consensus for 5.0.

Germany’s trade surplus narrowed in October to its lowest level in over half a year as exports posted meager growth in the face of weakening demand from the country’s recession-hit European partners. Imports rose 2.5 percent,

far stronger than the 0.3 percent increase in exports. Still, exports were stronger than economists had expected. In a Reuters poll they had forecast a 0.5 percent decline, while imports had been expected to push up by a more modest 0.3 percent. The seasonally adjusted trade surplus shrank to EUR15.2bn from EUR16.9bn in September. It was the lowest level since March, and well below a consensus forecast for it to narrow to EUR16.1bn.

Germany’s consumer price inflation for November was confirmed at -0.1 percent MoM and at a rate of +1.9 percent YoY, the Federal Statistics Office said. The harmonized consumer price index stood at -0.2 percent MoM and 1.9 percent YoY, revised from preliminary levels of -0.1 percent and +2.0 respectively. The number of Britons claiming unemployment benefits fell unexpectedly in November and the number of people in work hit a record high. The number of people claiming jobless benefits fell by 3,000 last month and the increase in the previous month was revised down to 6,000 from 10,100. Analysts had forecast a rise of 7,000. The number of people without a job on the wider ILO measure fell by 82,000 in the three months through October to 2.510mn - the lowest since MarchMay 2011. The jobless rate stayed at 7.8 percent in line with forecasts.

Japan Japan’s economy contracted for a second straight quarter in July-September, revised government data showed, indicating that weak global demand nudged the exportreliant economy into a mild recession. Japan’s gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 0.9 percent in July-September from the previous quarter, revised government figures showed, unchanged from preliminary data reported last month. That compared with economists’ median forecast for a 0.8 percent contraction.

The figure translates into an annualized contraction of 3.5 percent in real, price-adjusted terms, also unchanged from the preliminary data issued last month. Japan’s current account surplus fell 29.4 percent in October from a year earlier, Ministry of Finance data showed, as persistent declines in exports weigh on the trade balance. The surplus stood at JPY376.9bn ($4.58bn), against a median forecast for JPY220.0bn. Japan’s industrial output rose 1.6 percent in October, revised data showed, suggesting that factory output may have bottomed out while the broader economy is seen in a recession in the face of the global slowdown. The figure compared with an initial reading of a 1.8 percent increase and followed a 4.1 percent decline in September, data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) showed. The capacity utilization index rose 1.6 percent in October from a month earlier to 82.4, the data showed.

China China’s exports grew 2.9 percent in November from a year earlier, the customs administration said, missing market expectations for a rise of 9 percent and easing from an increase of 11.6 percent recorded in October.

Imports were flat in November from a year earlier, below market consensus for a rise of 2.0 percent in a Reuters poll and slowing from growth of 2.4 percent in October. That left thecountry with a trade surplus of $19.6bn in November, compared with a forecast of $25.7bn and October’s $32bn. Growth in China’s vast manufacturing sector picked up in December, with rises in areas such as new orders and employment underlining a brighter outlook for the economy in coming months. The HSBC flash purchasing managers’ index for December rose to 50.9, a 14month high and the fifth straight monthly gain. A sub-index on overall new orders rose for the fifth month in a row to 52.7, its highest level since April 2011.

25

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

business

Qatar Airways Boeing 787 takes off to Kuwait State-of-the-art Dreamliner spreads its wings further across Middle Eastern skies DOHA: Qatar Airways yesterday expanded the commercial services of its brand new Boeing 787 aircraft with the Doha - Kuwait route becoming the Dreamliner’s second destination launched so far.

The state-of-the-art aircraft is being deployed on three daily rotations between the two cities marking a new era for Middle East aviation as Qatar Airways is the Boeing 787 launch customer in the region. Qatar Airways’ newest addition to its fleet heralds the start of an exciting new era for travellers worldwide with unparallelled levels of comfort and luxury onboard Boeing’s next generation aircraft.

The 787 services to and from Kuwait will target peak travel times in a combination of morning, afternoon and night flights to Kuwait.

The new operation comes less than two weeks after the aircraft’s delivery flight from Seattle to Doha.

Preceding the Kuwait Dreamliner operation, the airline

Cabin crew pose for a photograph onboard Qatar Airways’ Dreamliner 787

Flying new Dreamliner 787, a memorable experience

By Eiad Abdulahad KUWAIT: Qatar Airways invited Kuwaiti media representatives to a trip on board the newly-launched Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, introduced for the first time in the Middle East.

The flight to Doha International Airport offered a verity of top-quality privileges including food and entertainment services that set new standards for luxury travels.

Upon arriving at the Doha International Airport, the team members were accorded a VIP reception by a team led by Senior Media Relations Officer Middle East & North Africa at Qatar Airways, Christine Sarkis. The delegation was taken on a tour across the airport including the first class and business class lounges where passengers have access to multiple 5-star quality services. The first

and business class lounges feature a spa, jacuzzi, fine dining, meeting rooms and duty-free shopping, in addition to special bedrooms for passengers staying for short time where they can enjoy 5star-hotel quality service during their stay.

The lounges also include clinics and kid rooms equipped with educational and entertainment material that meet all safety standards.

After being invited to a lunch banquet at the first class lounge, the delegation had the chance to enjoy privileges provided on board of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner even more during the trip back to Kuwait.

Although the media delegation enjoyed an enriching experience, the trip was too short for us to enjoy the full privileges offered to passengers while traveling by Qatar Airways and at the Doha International Airport.

began the Doha - Dubai services on November 20, the aircraft’s maiden route.

Qatar Airways has orders for 60 Dreamliner, with the next four 787s due to join the fleet by the end of December. Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said the maiden commercial route marked yet another exciting achievement for the award-winning airline.

“Today signifies another highly exciting first for Qatar Airways. It is with great delight that we are embarking on another very significant moment for our award-winning airline, with the introduction of the second commercial 787 route.

“Kuwait is one of our high-traffic Gulf routes and we felt it important to provide our passengers with an opportunity to experience the comforts of our new plane before it begins long-haul commercial services.

“With this launch we reaffirm our continued commitment to challenge and lead the aviation industry, redefining the passenger experience as we deliver a truly fivestar offering to travellers around the world.

“I have no doubt that our passengers - aviation fanatics, seasoned travellers and first time flyers alike will cherish their first time aboard our 787s and look forward to savouring the experience time and time again. The 787 raises the bar for luxury commercial travel and the experience for travellers around the world will never be the same again,” added Al Baker.

Following the 787s’ welcome into commercial service across Middle Eastern skies, it will then spread its wings on one of the airline’s five daily flights to London Heathrow. As more 787s join the fleet over the course of the next few weeks, the aircraft will be inducted on other long-haul routes including Zurich, Frankfurt and Delhi.

Qatar Airways has 254 custom-made seats across its 787 Business and Economy Class cabins with specially designed interiors, together with a unique inflight entertainment system offering over 1,000 audio and video programming options. Its Dreamliners are also the world’s first fully connected 787s with wireless facilities for passengers to remain in touch with their friends and loved ones on the ground.

A striking feature of every seat throughout the aircraft is the award-winning touch screen Android system, where passengers are able to navigate through a truly interactive service offering more than 1,000 movie, TV programmes, music and gaming entertainment options in a sophisticated and user friendly way, just like the latest smart phones.

The touch-screen control unit has a unique dual screen interface allowing passengers to play games on their handheld device while enjoying a movie on their personal screen. Passengers are also able to be fully connected through WIFI and GSM telephony, sending both text and MMS messages, with each seat equipped with USB, MP3 and other charger ports, including laptop power outlets.

In addition, dynamic mood lighting and the composite design of the Dreamliner with lighter materials, will ensure passengers are less fatigued and more refreshed as the cabin pressure is 2,000 feet closer to ground level with an air purification system that is cleaner and healthier than many other aircraft.

The 787 Dreamliner is made up of composite materials making it a lighter and more fuel efficient than any comparable aircraft of its size and range. Key features include larger windows, lower cabin pressure at higher altitude ensuring less fatigue, mood lighting throughout the aircraft and more passenger space and comfort.

One of the world’s fastest growing airlines, Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 15 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 114 aircraft to 121 key business and leisure destinations across Europe,

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

Since the beginning of 2012, Qatar Airways has launched flights to 10 new destinations - Baku (Azerbaijan); Tbilisi (Georgia); Kigali (Rwanda); Zagreb (Croatia), Erbil (Iraq), Baghdad (Iraq), Perth (Australia), Kilimanjaro ( Tanzania); Yangon (Myanmar), Maputo (Mozambique), and Belgrade (Serbia).

Over the next few weeks and months, Qatar Airways will launch services to a diverse portfolio of new routes, including Warsaw, Poland (December 5), Gassim, Saudi Arabia (7 January 2013); Najaf, Iraq (January 23); Phnom Penh, Cambodia (February 20); Chicago, USA (April 10); and Salalah, Oman (May 22).

Seats on the 787 Doha - Kuwait flights are now bookable online at qatarairways.com, through any Qatar Airways reservation office or local travel agent.

The DOHA - KUWAIT Boeing 787 Dreamliner schedules, effective November 26 to 31st January: Doha (DOH) to Kuwait (KWI) - Daily QR132 Depart Doha at 0745 hrs, arrive in Kuwait at 0910 hrs QR140 Depart Doha at 1320 hrs, arrive in Kuwait at 1445 hrs QR138 Depart Doha at 0135 hrs, arrive in Kuwait at 0301 hrs Kuwait (KWI) to Doha (DOH) - Daily QR133 Depart Kuwait at 1030 hrs, arrive in Doha at 1150 hrs QR141 Depart Kuwait at 1615 hrs, arrive in Doha at 1735 hrs QR139 Depart Kuwait at 0450 hrs, arrive in Doha at 0610 hrs Flights on the Doha - Kuwait route are being offered for a limited time only before the Boeing 787 aircraft begins operations on select long-haul routes.

All-new 2013 Cadillac ATS arrives in Kuwait Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons Automotive holds launch event KUWAIT: Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons Automotive, the exclusive distributor of Cadillac in Kuwait, held a grand event in Olympia Mall on Saturday, December 15, 2012 to launch the all-new 2013 Cadillac ATS, a compact luxury sport sedan that is

designed to be quick and nimble with funto-drive dynamics. Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons Automotive officials, General Motors representatives, many members of the media, as well as Cadillac fans and enthusiasts who wanted to be the first to witness the all-new 2013 Cadillac ATS attended the exciting event.

The All-New 2013 ATS delighted its fans with progressive advancements in the realm of innovation, technology and cutting-edge design. The all-new 2013 Cadillac ATS comes in two engines that delivers real power and capitalize on the carís lightweight structure, complementing its performance with efficiency. The engines includes a standard 2.5L, 4 cylinder generating 202 horsepower and Cadillacís award winning 3.6L, V-6 generating 321 horsepower. The all-new 2013 Cadillac ATS also comes with a range of advance safety features based on Cadillacís ìcontrol and alertî strategy that employs advanced technologies including radar, cameras and ultrasonic sensors to help prevent crashes.

Among the most sophisticated features in the All-New 2013 Cadillac ATS is the CUE, Cadillacís innovative and exclusive infotainment system. CUE (Cadillac User Experience) pairs entertainment and information data from up to 10 Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices, USBs, SD cards and MP3 players, with a vehicle infotainment system that reduces complexity through customized information, voice commands and fewer buttons and larger icons. The vibrant LCD

screen displays CUEís home page, which resembles a smart phoneís screen, by using large, easy-to-target Icons to execute commands.

The overall highly-customized service for Cadillac customers has greatly increased

customer satisfaction and has become the new benchmark for success in General Motorsí showrooms around the Middle Eastern region. This initiative is helping Yusuf A. Alghanim & Sons establishing a strong and enduring relationship with all of

its Cadillac owners.

If you are a fan of distinctive luxury sports sedans, you can visit Yusuf A. Alghanim & Sonsí showroom in Safat Alghanim to discover the exclusive, all-new 2013 Cadillac ATS.

26

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

business Flagship new GL awarded ‘Golden Steering Wheel 2012’ DUBAI/STUTTGART: As Mercedes-Benz Middle East and Levant launched its luxury new 7-seater GL SUV at an exciting SUVenture off-roading event in Oman earlier this month, over 250,000 readers of German newspapers BILD am SONNTAG and AUTO BILD, together with a panel of motoring experts, crowned the flagship 4x4 as the best SUV, voting to award it the coveted “Golden Steering Wheel”. The award winning large size SUV occupies the top position amongst luxury off-road vehicles and is built around the modern Arab family with its seven seats, best in class engines, powerful performance, space, refinement and cutting edge technologies.

Over a quarter million readers of “BILD am SONNTAG”, “AUTO BILD” and 25 affiliated publications in 22 countries were responsible for ensuring that the Mercedes-Benz GL reached the final stages of voting for this year’s “Golden Steering Wheel” award, held at the Pirelli proving ground in Balocco (Italy). This is where, after a series of demanding field tests, a team of automotive experts met to agree on the best five vehicles. When it came to the SUV category, they voted to put the Mercedes-Benz GL in the top spot.

The award represents recognition, from both readers and experts, of the first-class standards that define every aspect of this large SUV from the Stuttgart Company’s premium brand. The sevenseater GL combines dynamism, efficiency and excellent off-road capabilities with elegance and the outstanding comfort of an S-Class saloon. With it, Mercedes-Benz has set a new benchmark in the SUV world.

Mercedes-Benz is continuing a long tradition with its win in this year’s “Golden Steering Wheel” competition: this year marks the 22nd time that the brand known by its three-pointed star has taken first place among the most successful automotive brands competing for the “Golden Steering Wheel”, an award that has become a highly regarded institution throughout Europe since its inception in 1976.

With excellent driving dynamics and high levels of ride comfort - both on the road and on difficult terrain - the GL pampers its occupants with the first-class comfort of a luxury saloon. Up to seven passengers enjoy an excellent amount of space and an optional ON&OFFROAD package for the new GL has six driving programs for optimizing driving dynamics

and handling safety, as the optimum drive system control is provided for an extremely wide range of on-road and off-road operating conditions. With the ability to travel almost 900 kms on just a single tank of fuel, numerous measures significantly increase the energy efficiency in the 435 hp GL 500 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY petrol model, with fuel consumption cut by about 18 percent.

Comfort, safety, elegance, efficiency the new GL from Mercedes-Benz demonstrates leadership qualities in all the decisive SUV disciplines, boasting value that makes it an easy choice for those wishing to invest in the very best for their families.

Innovations such as the Crosswind Assist, the STEER CONTROL steering assistance system, the load recognition and the COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST (CPA) increase the active safety.

Other new features to become available are assistance systems such as Active Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Assist, together with a parking package incorporating an automatic function for entering and exiting parking spaces. In 2013 a 360∞ camera will also be available.

Frank Bernthaler, Director, Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars, Middle East & Levant has it spot on when he describes the new generation as follows: “With the launch of the new 7-seater GL capping our unrivalled luxury off-road range, we now offer a stable of powerful, attractive, capable and intelligent SUVs that appeal to the tastes and sensibilities of a new generation of regional customers: Customers who question convention and seek only the very best for their families. This award is testament to the fact that the new 7-seater GL occupies the top position and is unequalled amongst luxury SUVs.” Even at first glance the 2012 GL is recognisable as a characteristic representative of the Mercedes-Benz Sports Utility Vehicle family. This new interpretation of the first generation impresses with its powerful dynamism and sporty elegance. In the front area the hallmark GL upright radiator grille with its central star and the clear, high-quality design of the headlamps with an LED flare dominate. The daytime running lamps featuring LED technology are integrated in a chrome insert in the bumper, and beneath the radiator grille the generously sized chrome-look underguard completes the self-confident appearance of the front.

Sahar Al-Therban and Ali Al-Baghli with Arab Organization members.

Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait wins CSR Excellence Award Classified by Arab Organization for Social Responsibility KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait, steadfast in its commitment of giving back to society, spearheaded its corporate social responsibility campaign at the beginning of 2012 with a catchy slogan “Our Society...Our Responsibility”. As authentication of its outstanding achievements this year in contributing to the welfare of society, the Arab Organization for Social Responsibility has awarded ABK with an Excellence Award, identifying it as the most active bank in the field of social responsibility in the State of Kuwait.

The award ceremony that was held in Dubai on the 15th of December was attended by an Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait delegation, presided by Fajer Al-Mutairi, the Executive Manager, Marketing and Public Relations, along with Sahar Al-Therban, Manager, Public Relations, Ali Al-Baghli, Assistant Manager, Public Relations and Faisal Al-Surraye; in addition to a large number of public figures from the Arab World, Chamber of Commerce and Trade officials, corporate heads , and heads of civil society organizations.

Pierre Moukarzel, the President of the Arab Organization for Social Responsibility presented the Award to Sahar Al-Therban and Ali Al Baghli, following a video presentation that highlighted the Bank’s CSR achievements in Kuwait during 2012.

Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait won the Award after a thorough study of the Bank’s nomination file that included a comprehensive review and follow up of ABK’s role and prominent milestones achieved in social responsibility during recent years.

Al-Therban expressed her satisfaction on this token of recognition, and hoped that the Bank’s success at creating awareness of issues related to environment and society in Kuwait would incentivize others to follow suit. “Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait believes in contributing towards a better society at different levels, by taking onus of the responsibility, therefore the slogan “Our Society...Our Responsibility.” The idea emerged from a desire to shed light on the Bank’s patronage of wonderful causes during previous years, whether related to education, youth, health or environment; and to highlight a planned schedule of the same in future.”

Sahar Al-Therban honoring the President of Arab Organization The Award aims to encourage both public and private sectors to play important roles with regard to corporate accountability. It does so by highlighting the value that can be created through their contribution to social development and environment protection, and stresses this concept so that it becomes a significant part of our culture.

Al-Therban confirmed that Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait will continue to strengthen its involvement and support to society under the banner of “Our Society... Our Responsibility”, with strategic focus on social, health, education and sports causes. These would be achieved through hosting and organizing various activities, courses and seminars, as they form an integral part of the Bank’s CSR. This Award is for organizations that excel in supporting society by developing special programs that serve the objectives of the community, as well as promote the concept of corporate social responsibility.

During this year, Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait aimed at fulfilling its social responsibility to its staff by organizing various sports, health awareness and entertainment programs for them. At another level, the Bank supported CSR events organized by private institutions and non-profit organizations, which reached a larger segment of society. The latter sponsorships were varied, related to student and youth affairs in Kuwait,

Sahar Altherban, Ali Al-Baghli and Faisal Al-Surayye with special emphasis on employment of Kuwaiti youth. Based on its vital contribution, Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait was granted the award by the Arab Organization for Social Responsibility.

Al-Baghli, Assistant Manager, Public Relations said “I am proud that Al-Ahli Bank won this prestigious award which is a result of the Bank’s continuous support to programs related to corporate accountability.” He added, “The award confirmed that the Bank is well aware of its role in society, and the concept enjoys good support, especially from the Board of Directors and the Executive Management.”

The Arab Organization for Social Responsibility award enjoys a reputation of high reliability among global institutions and societies, especially in view of the fact that the Organization liaises with ministries and official institutions in the Arab World to adopt the international standard of social responsibility, and encourages others to participate in regional conferences with experts specialized in the International Standards Organization (ISO). In 2010, ISO launched a new standard and began issuing the ISO certificate 26000 covering corporate social responsibility. Such conferences aim at assisting all entities in public and private sectors to achieve the best quality of operations management in an environment that takes social responsibility into account.

UAE Exchange launches gocash Mideast’s first six-currency prepaid travel card

Warba Bank adds personal financing solutions KUWAIT: Warba Bank, the most recently opened Islamic bank in Kuwait, yesterday announced the launch of consumer and housing Personal Financing solutions for all customers, including “La T7aty” customers.

The Personal Financing solutions enable customers to purchase goods and pay at easy installments within a period from six months up to five years for housing financing, and 15 years for consumer financing. Customers can avail finance up to KD 70,000 for housing and KD 15,000 for consumer products, while La T7aty customers can now apply for Personal Financing solutions at special rates.

Personal Financing solutions cover necessary and luxury products and are offered at competitive rates through quality customer service. A transaction could be smoothly finalized with the check issued on the same day if all conditions are met. The service includes house construction and repair financing, as well as consumer products such as new and used cars, furniture, boats and marine equipment, in addition to electronic appliances and all kinds of spare parts. The service is launched as means to attract new customer segments, and further enhance the bank’s market share while supporting customers’ needs.

Commenting on Personal Financing solutions, Personal Financing Manager

Waleed Khalid Al-Mosallam at Warba Bank, Waleed Khalid AlMosallam, said, “Our Personal Financing solutions meet a clear customer need for fast, fair and affordable financing on a huge range of goods. Furthermore, the launch of this service demonstrates Warba Bank’s commitment to support the economy of Kuwait by expanding access to finance for people.”

“Warba Bank’s Personal Financing solutions are offered for both nationals and expats of 21 years old and above who meet the required conditions, and at competitive rates,” added Al Mosallam.

Customers who transfer their salary account to Warba Bank during the La T7aty campaign will immediately enter a raffle draw for the chance to win prizes, including one of two brand new Mini Coopers. The La T7aty campaign runs until January 17, 2013.

DUBAI: The leading global remittance and foreign exchange brand, UAE Exchange, yesterday unveiled the Middle East’s first six-currency prepaid travel card, gocash, which will empower travellers to move around the world, hassle-free, with a power-packed plastic currency that can be used across 34.3 million merchant locations and 1.5 million ATMs. The gocash travel card is now available to UAE Exchange customers across the 122 branch in the United Arab Emirates and roll out of the new product will continue through the remaining branches in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar in the next few months.

Abdulla Humaid Ali Al-Mazroei, Chairman, UAE Exchange and Dr B.R. Shetty, MD & CEO, UAE Exchange, jointly launched this feature-packed travel card in Dubai. They expressed their immense happiness in launching the secure and convenient gocash travel card, the first-of-its-kind path-breaking innovation from a remittance brand in the region, in partnership with MasterCard.

“We have kick-started a revolution in world travel!” said Y. Sudhir Kumar Shetty, COO - Global Operations, UAE Exchange, at the launch, adding that “innovation and product diversification are at the core of our growth strategy.

Gocash is a testimony to our continuing spirit of providing customers with empowering solutions.”

A customer can load up to six different currencies on gocash from a bouquet of 15, a unique

feature that is unparalleled in its category.

“UAE Exchange has always been at the forefront in offering innovative and diversified product range.

We are confident to position gocash as a revolutionary product, which we have launched with MasterCard, our long time partner,” Sudhir Shetty said.

“This new innovation is in line with our vision to bring as much convenience for our customers as possible, under one roof,” he added. One of the significant advantages of gocash to the customer is the exchange rate lock facility that allows pegging the rate at the prevalent market price at the time of loading the card.

Promoth Manghat, Vice President - Global Operations, UAE

Exchange, said, “This feature protects the user from exchange rate fluctuations while on the move and gives the traveller peace of mind.”

“Choice of currencies, security features and worldwide acceptance add to the convenience, making gocash a unique innovation from the UAE Exchange stable.

With this, we take yet another step towards our vision of bringing maximum convenience to our customers, on the move,” Manghat added.

Eyad Al-Kourdi, UAE Country Manager, MasterCard Worldwide, said, “Innovation is at the heart of all MasterCard payment solutions and the introduction of the gocash prepaid travel card is yet another example of our capability to devel-

op tailored products that match the diverse requirements of consumers in the region and offer them real value.”

“This product innovation is a perfect payment solution that meets these requirements and we are confident that UAE Exchange’s customers will benefit immensely from this new prepaid product. We are proud of our collaboration with UAE Exchange to advance our vision of a world beyond cash.”

UAE Exchange and MasterCard share the same values and vision to achieve maximum customer delight. Both the brands enjoy the trust of millions of customers worldwide. The new multi-currency travel card is a dedication to these customers, who love convenience even on the move.

27

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

What’s the next Instagram?

MICHIGAN: Ever since Facebook announced its $1 billion acquisition of the company behind the popular photo-sharing app Instagram last month, the question on every nerd’s lips has been: What will be the next big thing in mobile apps?

For many, the answer is video. Apps like Viddy and Socialcam have picked up steam, gaining users-including pop stars Justin Bieber and Britney Spears-who are shooting and sharing videos with others within the apps and on social networks.

Like Instagram, many of these apps also include a number of effects you can use to give your videos an edge, such as filters and background music.

And with the upcoming unveiling of Airtime, a stealth social video startup from Napster cofounders Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker, it’s clear that the medium is on the rise.

With this in mind, a number of quickly growing video-sharing apps were reviewed. All are free and let you share your creations with friends in several different ways. Odds are slim you’ll use one of these to create a prize-winning film, but chances are you’ll have fun developing your inner auteur.

Socialcam: Availability: Android and iPhone, Sharing: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Posterous, Tumblr, Dropbox, email, and SMS

Socialcam is like having a little videosharing studio in your pocket. And unlike a number of other apps I’ve tried, this one doesn’t limit video length (though, if your videos are anything like mine, there may be limits to your audience’s patience).

The app includes filters which you can swipe through to choose before filming, including the flashback-inducing “Grunge” and Tron-like “Electronica.” Once you’ve shot your masterpiece, you can pick a theme for it (essentially, a title page that introduces the video) and a soundtrack from a variety of cheesy-sounding prerecorded tunes. You can post it to numerous social networks, as well as YouTube and Dropbox.

As its name suggests, Socialcam is very social. You can follow other users or tag those who appear in your videos. Like other apps I tested, you can also respond to videos, “like” them, or share them with others. If you want, Socialcam will automatically push all these actions to Facebook and tweet about the ones you like on Twitter. And the app has more ways to share your videos than any other I tried. So many choices can make the app’s interface feel too crowded, though.

Viddy: Availability: iPhone only, Sharing: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, e-mail, and SMS Short clips are the main event on Viddy,

where each video you take can be a maximum of 15 seconds.

Like Socialcam, Viddy is full of features.

A handy on-screen sound meter lets you keep an eye on volume, and an optional timer will count down several seconds before the app begins filming. You can lock the white balance, exposure, and focus.

When you’ve finished taking a video, you can change its look by adding a filter (the app comes with several, and you can download a number of others, most of which are free and some of which are celebrity-endorsed). Each filter has its own soundtrack that you can adjust or turn off, but I mostly found the tunes distracting.

People like the ability to adjust the strength of a filter, which is useful if, say, you’re using Snoop Dogg’s official smokefilled one but only want a hint of haze. It does take some time for Viddy to process adjustments, though, so while you can immediately see a thumbnail of the movie, you’ll have to wait a bit to watch it all the way through after doing any editing.

There are plenty of ways to share your videos and interact with other Viddy users and with your friends, and you can tag users, places, and things in your clips. Once you configure social networks like Facebook and Twitter, a little green circle will appear next to that network’s icon-tap to make it red if you don’t want your video

shared on that particular site.

Cinemagram: Availability: iPhone only, Sharing: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and email This addictive app allows you to turn a short video clip into an animated GIF that’s part still image, part lively video. You take a short video, choose a few seconds of it, and Cinemagram will show you a still image of the first frame of the clip. You then use your finger to shade in the portion of the screen you want to animate (you can zoom in to do more precise editing).

For example, if you shoot a video of a friend dancing in the sunlight, then highlight only their shadow, you’ll create a still shot of the person with just their shadow boogieing over and over. You can also add filters to your creations, ranging from simple black-and-white or sepia to various washed-out tints, and enable automatic sharing on social networks like Twitter and Facebook.

It takes a bit of practice-and creativityto come up with compelling Cinemagrams, but the results can be impressive and haunting. I came up with a still shot of boats with a tiny bird flying by as well as a frozen skateboarder’s disembodied legs grinding on a granite slab in a local park. I was happy to share them with friends on Facebook and Twitter. And it was fun to scroll through the latest

Cinemagrams created by other users, like one that showed a woman seemingly leaping in and out of a purse sitting on a desk, and another that showed two girls standing motionless with their hands out in front of them while their shadows played a game of patty-cake.

Tout: Availability: Android and iPhone, Sharing: Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, and SMS Like Viddy, Tout lets users take 15-second videos. But the appeal here is actually the lack of frills, which makes it very simple to quickly share clips with your friends.

With Tout, there are no filters to choose, and you can’t use the iPhone’s digital zoom. You simply shoot your video while a little on-screen clock counts down the seconds to zero. After recording a clip, you can add a note to describe it, choose a social network to share it on, or e-mail a link to your friends.

Within the Tout app, you can check out other users’ publicly posted videos, either by looking at what’s currently popular or searching for a specific word. And while you can’t post text comments in response to others’ videos, you can reply with a video of your own.

One thing to keep in mind: You can’t delete published Touts from the app-it must be done by logging into the Tout website. —MCT

Military robots to pick out human targets on battlefield?

Robotic arms race seems inevitable

Spectacular jets of a supermassive black hole dwarf their galaxy.

Weird physics of black hole jets MARYLAND: Astronomers examining the properties of black hole jets compared 54 gamma-ray bursts with 234 active galaxies classified as blazars and quasars.

Surprisingly, the power and brightness of the jets share striking similarities despite a wide range of black hole mass, age and environment. Regardless of these differences, the jets produce light by tapping into similar percentages of the kinetic energy of particles moving along the jet, suggesting a common underlying physical cause.

A new study using data from NASA’s Swift satellite and Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope shows that high-speed jets launched from active black holes possess fundamental similarities regardless of mass, age or environment. The result provides a tantalizing hint that common physical processes are at work. The finding simplifies astronomers’ understanding of black holes by showing that their activity is governed by the same set of rules-whatever they happen to be-independent of mass, age, or the jet’s brightness and power. The jets tap into similar fractions-between 3 and 15 percent-of the energy wrapped up in the motion of their accelerated particles to power the emission of gamma rays and other forms of light.

“What we’re seeing is that once any black hole produces a jet, the same fixed fraction of energy generates the gammaray light we observe with Fermi and Swift,” said lead researcher Rodrigo Nemmen, a NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) fellow at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Gas falling toward a black hole spirals inward and piles up into an accretion disk, where it becomes compressed and heated. Near the inner edge of the disk, on the threshold of the black hole’s event horizon-the point of no returnsome of the material becomes accelerated and races outward as a pair of jets flowing in opposite directions along the black hole’s spin axis. These jets contain particles moving at nearly the speed of light, which produce gamma rays-the most extreme form of light-when they interact.

“We don’t fully understand how this acceleration process occurs, but in active galaxies we see jets that have operated so long that they’ve produced trails of gas extending millions of light-years,” said Sylvain Guiriec, an NPP fellow at Goddard and a co-author on the study, which was published in the Dec. 14 issue of Science.

At the other end of the scale are gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the most powerful explosions in the universe. Astronomers believe that the most common type of GRB heralds the death of a massive star and the birth of a stellar-mass black hole. When the

star’s energy-producing core runs through its store of fuel, it collapses and forms a black hole. As the star’s overlying layers cascade inward, an accretion disk forms and the black hole launches a jet. The particles in some GRB jets have been clocked at speeds exceeding 99.9 percent the speed of light. When the jet breaches the star’s surface, it produces a pulse of gamma rays typically lasting a few seconds. Satellites like Swift and Fermi can detect this emission if the jet is approximately directed toward us.

To search for a trend across a wide range of masses, the scientists looked at the galactic-scale equivalent of GRB jets. These come from the brightest classes of active galaxies, blazars and quasars, which sport jets that likewise happen to point our way.

To match the amount of energy given off by a typical blazar in one second, the sun must shine for 317,000 years. To equal the energy a run-of-the-mill GRB puts out in one second, the sun would need to shine for another 3 billion years. Ultimately, the team examined 54 GRBs and 234 blazars and quasars.

The gamma-ray brightness obtained with Fermi, Swift and other observatories told the scientists how much light the jets radiate. Radio and X-ray observations allowed them to determine the power of the particle acceleration in each jet. By analyzing how these two properties related to each other, the researchers discovered that the GRB and blazar samples both exhibited the same relationship.

“Here we have a situation where the mechanism that launches material from a black hole either has to be very similar on both ends of the mass scale-from a few to a billion solar masses-or we need different mechanisms that manage to produce very similar efficiencies,” explained co-author Eileen Meyer, a post-doctoral researcher at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.

“It’s a bit like a poor man and a billionaire spending the same percentage of their incomes on their heating bills,” said team member Markos Georganopoulos, an associate professor of physics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The authors hope to extend the research to other blackhole-powered events that launch jets, such as the tidal disruption of stars by supermassive black holes.

“One especially useful outcome of this research will be to foster greater communication between astronomers studying GRBs and those working on active galaxies, which in the past we’ve tended to regard as separate areas of study,” said co-author Neil Gehrels, the principal investigator on NASA’s Swift. —AP

NEW YORK: The use of drones to kill suspected terrorists is controversial, but so long as a human being decides whether to fire the missile, it is not a radical shift in how humanity wages war. Since the first archer fired the first arrow, warriors have been inventing ways to strike their enemies while removing themselves from harm’s way.

Soon, however, military robots will be able to pick out human targets on the battlefield and decide on their own whether to go for the kill. An Air Force report predicted two years ago that “by 2030 machine capabilities will have increased to the point that humans will have become the weakest component in a wide array of systems.” A 2011 Defense Department road map for ground-based weapons states: “There is an ongoing push to increase autonomy, with a current goal of ‘supervised autonomy,’ but with an ultimate goal of full autonomy.”

The Pentagon still requires autonomous weapons to have a “man in the loop” “ the robot or drone can train its sights on a target, but a human operator must decide whether to fire.

But full autonomy with no human controller would have clear advantages. A computer can process information and engage a weapon infinitely faster than a human soldier. As other nations develop this capacity, the United States will feel compelled to stay ahead. A robotic arms race seems inevitable unless nations collectively decide to avoid one.

We have heard few discussions of robotic warfare without someone joking about the Matrix or Terminator; the danger of delegating warfare to machines has been a central theme of modern science fiction. Now science is catching up to fiction. And one doesn’t have to believe the movie version of autonomous robots becoming sentient to be troubled by the prospect of their deployment on the battlefield.

After all, the decisions ethical soldiers must make are extraordinarily complex and human.

Could a machine soldier distinguish as well as a human can between combatants and civilians, especially in societies where combatants don’t wear uniforms and civilians are often armed?

Would we trust machines to determine the value of a human life, as soldiers must do when deciding whether firing on a lawful target is worth the

loss of civilians nearby? Could a machine recognize surrender? Could it show mercy, sparing life even when the law might allow killing? And if a machine breaks the law, who will be held accountable “ the programmer or manufacturer?

No one at all?

Some argue that these concerns can be addressed if we program war-fighting robots to

grammed” to commit unspeakable crimes. But because most human beings also have inherent limits “ rooted in morality, empathy, capacity for revulsion, loyalty to community or fear of punishment “ tyrants cannot always count on human armies to do their bidding. Think of the leaders who did not seize, or stay, in power because their troops would not fire on their

apply the Geneva Conventions. Machines would prove more ethical than humans on the battlefield, this thinking goes, never acting out of panic or anger or a desire for self-preservation. But most experts believe it is unlikely that advances in artificial intelligence could ever give robots an artificial conscience, and even if that were possible, machines that can kill autonomously would almost certainly be ready before the breakthroughs needed to “humanize” them. And unscrupulous governments could opt to turn the ethical switch off.

Of course, human soldiers can also be “pro-

people: the communist coup plotters who tried to resurrect the Soviet Union in 1991, the late Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia.

Nations have succeeded before in banning classes of weapons “ chemical, biological and cluster munitions; landmines; blinding lasers. It should be possible to forge a treaty banning offensive weapons capable of killing without human intervention, especially if the United States, which is likely to develop them first, takes the initiative. A choice must be made before the technology proliferates.

How and why startups should tackle much harder problems NEW YORK: Technology startups, especially those in Silicon Valley, love to talk about innovation. But how good are they at actually inventing and commercializing important technologies? Not as good as they should be, says Max Levchin, a computer scientist who cofounded PayPal (earning him TR’s “Innovator of the Year” award in 2002) and is now an angel investor. Levchin, along with fellow PayPal founder Peter Thiel and former chess champion Garry Kasparov, is completing a book called The Blueprint, which will outline how and why startups should tackle much harder problems. Levchin, 36, says too many of the country’s best programmers are working for companies that have little prospect of doing anything transformative.

Levchin’s own startup record is mixed. Although building PayPal’s online payments technology into a trustworthy system was a technically difficult and risky project that ultimately prospered, he later founded Slide.com, which was best known for creating a somewhat silly series of Facebook applications such as Superpoke! Pets. Google bought Slide in 2010 for about $200 million but shut down most of its services last year.

Levchin discussed his ideas with Technology Review reporter Conor Myhrvold.

TR: What concerns you the most about the startup culture today?

Levchin: I feel like we should be aiming higher. The founders of a number of startups I encounter have no real intent of getting anywhere huge. They just want to build a company that is likely to get acquired for a mean-

ingful, but not necessarily enormous, amount of money.

The acquisition price doesn’t really matter, but it serves relatively well to measure the consequence of the startup and therefore indirectly measures the ambition of the founders at the outset.

What’s wrong with building a company in hopes it will be acquired?

I think it is less likely to result in truly revolutionary or groundbreaking companies being created. In Silicon Valley, the number of startups that could be easily confused with a feature [of some other service] is increasing relatively rapidly.

But what about big innovations in recent years like the rise of smart phones and social media?

There’s a fair amount of disruptive technology going on. In general, the train of innovation is rolling along. I’m not too worried about innovation at large. The point I was trying to make is that there’s an awful lot of effort being expended that is just never going to result in meaningful, truly disruptive innovation. And I think that’s a problem. A lot of resources are getting soaked up by these lesser companies-most importantly, talented engineers, talented builders of things.

Why is this happening?

Typically these things go through the sieve of scarce resources-e.g., capital. When you try to raise money and your pitch sounds like “I’m going to look at that video game, clone it, and make it a little bit cheaper,” under the right circumstances-under most circumstances-the potential backer says, “That’s a terrible idea. I’m not giv-

ing a penny to this. Why don’t you go invent something interesting?” But the overabundance of capital that resulted from just enormous successes in Silicon Valley over the last few years has actually made it possible for such things to get funding, and they do. And so people are building things that are, at times, trivial.

In many respects, Slide seems as trivial as these other companies you think should be aiming higher. Do you wish you hadn’t spent those years creating virtual pets?

Games and entertainment can aim pretty high. The world can occasionally be changed by an amazing piece of art or music or writing. At Slide we did some great work, but the result did fall short of my ambitions. I think the lesson learned for me was that I’m not that good at changing the world through art, and should stick to what I know: science. Have you shaped your investments accordingly? Tell us about a startup you’ve backed that has a truly big idea.

I’m really excited about Kaggle. It’s essentially a platform [that can tap the minds of the world’s top data analysts]. People are frequently employed in places where they make great impact on their employer’s data sets but are unavailable to make great impact on other data sets, so creating a platform where these people can be literally rented out per problem is really fabulous.

Because then you have people that can still keep their jobs at NASA and solve radio telescopy data set problems, and on occasion dig into things like human genome projects and cancer research. I think that’s a very powerful concept. —MCT

28

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

health & science

Vitamin D, the epidemic we face

By Dr Kashif Rizvi itamins are required in small amounts for normal metabolism.

As the human body does not have the capacity to make vitamins, they have to be ingested as part of a normal healthy balanced diet. There is however an exception to this and that is the vitamin D. Apart from the dietary sources, the human body synthesizes it within itself once the initial trigger of ultra violet rays of sun is made available to the skin. Subsequently through processes within liver and kidney the active form of Vit D is produced, which plays a major role in keeping the calcium & parathyroid hormone levels normal as well as protection of bones with deficiency resulting in an array bone disease some of which are mild aches and pains, fatigue etc and some very symptomatic i.e. rickets and osteomalacia or silent, i.e. osteoporosis

V

In Kuwait we are literally sitting on this evolving time bomb of vitamin d depletion coupled with a developing epidemic of osteoporosis which is ‘off radar’ unlike diabetes, although the incidence of bone disease would probably become higher than the former. The main reason for lack of awareness could b the absence of any symptoms and just a gradual slow evolution of the so called ëfragile or porous boneí which could break without significant trauma.

The key factors for almost a universal deficiency of this vitamin are the ëaversion to the very hot and fierce sun’, wearing sun blocking creams and a tendency to stay indoors due to inclement weather, conservative clothing due to cultural and religious reasons, a large percentage of overweight & obese people and a significant chunk of population having dark skin. All of these provide the obstacle in the synthesis of vitamin d from the sun. Additionally the contributors to poor bone health is the lack of weight bearing exercise and a diet adequate in calcium. High prevalence of smoking including widespread sheesha amongst females and an unpredictable use of

cortisone by health care providers also plays their part.

The lack of vitamin d displays itself with non specific symptoms of aches and pains and general fatigue, which could get progressively worse. It could coexist with low calcium and phosphates and ‘soft bones’. Additionally it could increase the risk of falls, fractures and is associated with decreasing bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis).

In order to counter this developing menace within Kuwait, the useful tips are as followed * Ensure diet rich in vitamin d, inclusive of fish and fortified milk, cheeses etc * Half an hour a day exposure to the body surface area of face and arms at least, with the proviso that the sun burn is avoided * Weight bearing exercise i.e. walking, jogging, weight training etc for 30 minutes a day * Avoiding/stopping smoking and alcohol and risks of fall * Awareness of the paucity of symptoms and getting the levels of vitamin D checked if non specific problems.

* If found to be Vit d depleted, getting a simple bone scan called DEXA to asses bone density and acting positively to encourage bone health, with simple changes to lifestyle, seeking medical help for replacing vitamin D and correcting the osteoporosis Once the vitamin D deficiency is identified, then in addition to the above mentioned, supplements may be required, which your doctor may chose to give in tablet or injection form. The usual recommended dose would be between 400 to 800 IU per day. There are pills with large amounts of the vitamin given per week. Alternatively a course of 3 injections could boost the levels and subsequently could be maintained with a booster every 3 months. Bone health is a vital part of our well being and in addition to being aware ourselves we should also provide our children with adequate vitamin d. an important caveat in this would be the lack of vitamin d in human milk and the need to replace it in exclusively breastfed babies. —Dr Kashif Rizvi MD, MRCP (UK), CCST (UK), consultant physician based at Mazaya Clover Centre, Jabriya 22269311/312.

Time for US states to decide on healthcare exchanges Defining challenge of Obama

YANGON: An HIV-infected woman (center) receives medication through an intravenous drip after she fainted, as another HIV patient (right) is also treated in a hut shared with other HIV patients at an HIV/AIDS hospice on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar. — AP

Myanmar healthcare system broken under military rule ZEE PHYU KWIN, Myanmar: In her long scarlet sarong, crisp white shirt and nurse’s cap pinned neatly in place, Khin Aye Nwe looks as though she belongs in a modern hospital.

Instead, the midwife’s clean sandals scuff across the dusty cement floor of a dilapidated clinic in Myanmar’s Irrawaddy Delta.

She covers a territory spanning 15 villages with 3,000 people, delivering babies, immunizing children and treating everything from malnutrition to malaria in an area where 80 percent of young children and pregnant women are anemic. For half a century, such work was almost completely ignored by the secretive military-run government, which starved virtually every sector of the budget except defense.

Now, with the dramatic change that has given Myanmar an elected government, there are hopes for improvement, but the country faces a long climb. Under military rule, it spent less than $1 per person on health in 2008, minus donor money, and ranks among the lowest countries in nearly every category of health care funding. Despite the neglect, Nwe and a small army of other dedicated women have continued to fan out across the country’s vast rice basket to help the sick. They walk, ride buses, climb inside rickety boats and hop on the backs of motorbikes to reach patients who have no other source of medical care. The work is exhausting, and Nwe knows no matter how hard she pushes herself, it will never be enough to help everyone. But she says now, for the first time, there’s reason to hope. “I’m not seeing it here yet,” she says, softly. “I haven’t seen the improvements or changes yet, but I think it will come.”

The excitement following a wave of political reforms and historic international visits is easily felt in bigger cities such as Yangon, formerly named Rangoon, where T-shirts adorned with pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi’s face are hawked at roadside stalls and Western business people are filling up hotel rooms.

But a half day’s drive away into the delta, it’s harder to sense that energy among the poor who live meal-to-meal in flimsy thatch huts on bamboo stilts along coffee-brown rivers and rice paddies. After being isolated from the rest of the world for so long, many are used to expecting very little in a country where running water and electricity are still considered luxuries in many areas.

For years, the US and others used economic sanctions to pressure the junta to clean up its dismal human rights record and allow democratic reforms. As international donor aid poured into nearby countries, with Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos receiving $52, $34 and $67 per capita respectively in 2010, Myanmar got $7. That, combined with the junta’s disregard,

meant most people in Myanmar, also known as Burma, had to pay for what little health care they received, or do without.

Wracked by corruption and mismanagement, the country’s overall health care system was ranked second worst in the world by the World Health Organization in 2000. The government spent the least of any country worldwide on health in 2009, as a percentage of the country’s gross domestic product. Its people pay the price in many ways: Myanmar has Southeast Asia’s highest death rates for newborns, infants and children under 5. * AIDS kills an estimated 18,000 people a year, and the country remains one of the hardest in which to receive HIV treatment. * Tuberculosis is at nearly triple the global rate, and Myanmar has the highest number of malaria-related deaths in the region. * More than 90 percent of pregnant women and 70 percent of children in coastal and delta areas suffer worm infestations, a major cause of malnutrition.

And all this is happening in a resource-rich country that was once the envy of its neighbors.

“Decades of disinvestment in health by Burma’s rulers, coupled with the collapse of the education system and censorship, have left the country’s public health system in ruins, without sufficient trained personnel or supplies to adequately offer basic, affordable health services for most Burmese,” said Dr. Vit Suwanvanichkij of Johns Hopkins University.

The lack of care is obvious at the country’s main hospital, Rangoon General in Yangon. Its once stately British colonial red-brick facade sprawls across a huge campus, but the grounds are cluttered with filth and weeds and food vendors sell cheap snacks to patients’ relatives near open sewage gutters.

Inside one ward, dozens of patients are packed into an open room.

Some drift in and out of sleep while others twist in obvious pain as family members fan them. As the country continues opening its doors to the outside world, historic visits such last month’s by President Barack Obama are symbolizing a new era. A parade of high-ranking global health officials also have recently filed through the country, taking stock of what’s left of the health system and vowing to help rebuild it. UNAIDS last month named Suu Kyi a global advocate to raise awareness of stigma and discrimination against HIV patients, a daunting problem in the country.

Myanmar has taken a few encouraging steps.

Its new health minister, Dr. Pe Thet Khin, is a pediatrician with firsthand knowledge of the challenges. —AP

MYANMAR: Village nurses, who are also midwives, gather at a village health room during a briefing meeting given by a UNICEF child nutrition specialist in Zee Phyu Kwin village, near Pathein, in Irrawaddy Delta, Myanmar. — AP

WASHINGTON: Nineteen states have turned down the Obama administration’s invitation to run the new health insurance markets that will begin serving millions of uninsured Americans less than a year from now. That puts a huge task on the feds, a defining challenge for President Barack Obama’s second term.

Friday is decision day for states to notify Washington if they will set up their own insurance exchanges under the federal health care law. Monitoring by The Associated Press finds a divided nation moving ahead, despite the misgivings of some state officials. Half the states now say they will participate in some way. Still, drafters of the law did not anticipate that so many states would remain on the sidelines at this late stage. Federal control of the new state markets where individuals, families and small businesses will shop for taxpayer-subsidized private coverage was seen as a failsafe, not the standard for nearly half the country. Critics predict delays.

All of the states refusing are led by Republicans. On the other side of the ledger, 17 states and Washington, DC, say they want to set up and run their own markets. The administration has already started granting approvals.

Eight other states have indicated they want to pursue a partnership with Washington, and more may do so. Only six remain undecided.

Exchanges are the gateway to the new health care law for individuals and families who buy their own health insurance, as well as for small businesses.

Currently, it’s hard to tell what’s a good plan or a fair price. You can get turned down if you have a medical problem, charged more if you are older or a woman. The health care law forbids insurers from turning away the sick, limits what they can charge older people and bans gender-based surcharges. It also requires virtually all Americans to get coverage or face fines.

Exchanges are supposed to make picking health insurance like buying an airline ticket from an online travel site like Orbitz or Expedia.

There will be a website, and you’ll be able to put in your ZIP code and get a list of available health

plans. There will be a section where you can find out if you qualify for subsidies, or for Medicaid.

There will be cost calculators to allow you to compare different levels of coverage: platinum, gold, silver and bronze. There will be tools that allow you to see if your doctor or hospital is with a particular plan.

Middle-class consumers will be able to find out if they are eligible for government help with their premiums for private insurance. Initially, nearly 9 of every 10 taking part will get assistance. Low-income people can use the exchanges to find out whether they are eligible for expanded Medicaid coverage under the law.

In addition to deciding how to implement exchanges, states must also decide whether to accept the Medicaid expansion. There’s no deadline set for that decision, and most are still weighing options.

Open enrollment for exchange plans starts next Oct 1, and coverage begins Jan. 1, 2014.

Initially around 10 million people are expected to sign up, growing rapidly thereafter. California, New York and Kentucky are among the states that have opted to create their own exchanges.

Among those passing are Texas, Georgia and Kansas. Partnership states include Illinois and West Virginia.

Republican governors rejecting state exchanges have cited a variety of reasons. Some say the administration has not provided enough information. Others say there’s too much federal regulation. Most have concerns about costs. But some Republican leaders have broken ranks, including governors in Idaho, Nevada and New Mexico, and the insurance commissioner in Mississippi. In announcing his support for a state exchange this week, Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter said, “it would be irresponsible of me to simply abandon the field to federal bureaucrats. In the face of uncertainty we must assert our independence and our commitment to self-determination, while fulfilling our responsibility to the rule of law.” Indeed, exchanges have a Republican pedigree. The idea was pioneered in Massachusetts under then-Gov. Mitt Romney’s

health care overhaul.

“All this is full of irony,” said consultant Jon Kingsdale, who founded the Massachusetts exchange for Romney. “If you had asked many of those (Republican) governors four years ago before this got politicized, it would have been a no-brainer: ‘We want the states to do it.’”

The health care law increased the power of the federal government, but states that run their own exchanges retain important roles overseeing insurance plans, addressing consumer issues and coordinating between the new marketplace and their Medicaid plans. That last item may be the most important, since Medicaid is a major component of state budgets.

Critics of the law believe the Obama administration will be overwhelmed trying to set up so many exchanges in states that are hostile to the idea. Some say the president may have to accept delays, perhaps in the face-saving context of budget negotiations where a delay would count as savings. Publicly, administration officials are adamant that won’t happen, and independent observers are starting to believe them.

“It would be politically unwise for the president to delay the start of these benefits,” said Dan Mendelson, president of Avalere Health, a market analysis firm. “If this is going to be a legacy item, he’s got to move forward.”

The key to that will be something called the federal exchange, the fallback, which is on a tight development schedule overseen by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The government has awarded two big technology contracts for exchanges. Virginiabased CGI Federal Inc. is building the federal exchange. Maryland-based Quality Software Services Inc. is building what’s called the federal data services hub, an electronic back office that will be used by the federal exchange and state exchanges to verify identity, income, citizenship and legal residence. Estimated price tag for the federal exchange: at least $860 million. “We are all keenly aware that open enrollment is coming quickly,” said Gary Cohen, who heads the HHS office overseeing the rollout. “And we will be ready to open our doors.” — AP

Mental health toll emerges among Sandy survivors NEW YORK: The image of his brother trapped in a car with water rising to his neck, his eyes silently pleading for help, is part of a recurring nightmare that wakes Anthony Gatti up, screaming, at night.

Gatti hauled his brother out of the car just in time, saving his life at the height of Superstorm Sandy. The two men rode out the hurricane in their childhood Staten Island home and survived. But weeks afterward, Gatti still hasn’t moved on. Now he’s living in a tent in the backyard, burning pieces of furniture as firewood, refusing to leave until the place is demolished. Day and night, he is haunted by memories of the storm.

“My mind don’t let me get past the fact that I can’t get him out of the car. And I know I did,” Gatti said, squeezing his eyes tightly shut at the memory. “But my mind don’t let me think that. My mind tells me I couldn’t save him, he dies.”

As communities battered by Sandy clear away the physical wreckage, a new crisis is emerging: the mental and emotional trauma that storm victims, including children, have endured. The extent of the problem is difficult to measure, as many people are too anxious to even leave their homes, wracked by fears of wind and water and parting from their loved ones. Others are too busy dealing with losses of property and livelihood to deal with their grief.

To tackle the problem, government officials are dispatching more than 1,000 crisis counselors to the worst-hit areas in New York and New Jersey, helping victims begin the long work of repairing Sandy’s emotional damage. Counselors are assuring people that anxiety and insomnia are natural after a disaster. But when the trauma starts to interfere with daily life, it’s probably time to seek help. And in a pattern that played out in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, symptoms may only get worse as victims transition from the initial shock to the disillusionment phase of the recovery.

“Folks are starting to realize that they may be in this for the long haul,” said Eric Hierholzer, a commander in the US Public Health Service. “And things aren’t necessarily going to get better tomorrow or next week.” —AP

MADRID: Protestors shout slogans as they hold banners reading, ‘public healthcare it is not for sale but to be defended’ during a demonstration against regional government-imposed austerity plans to restructure and part-privatize the health care sector in Madrid yesterday. — AP

Thousands in Spain protest health privatization MADRID: Several thousand Spanish public health workers and other people marched from four main hospitals in Madrid to converge on a main square in the capital yesterday, protesting the regional government’s plans to restructure and part-privatize the sector. The marches, described as a “white tide” because of the color of the medical scrubs many were wearing, finally met mid-afternoon in Puerta del Sol. Today, the region’s health councilor will meet with a committee responsible for coordinating professional services and union representatives to try and agree how to achieve ?533 million ($697 million) in savings.

Doctors, nurses and public health users - grouped into four columns -marched from leading hospitals located in the north, south, east and west of the capital.

“Our health care system is going to be damaged,” said Alberto Garcia, 26.

“Patients are doomed to get a much worse service and this will just make us poorer.” Health care and education are administered by Spain’s 17 semiautonomous regions rather than the central government and Madrid proposes selling off the management of six of 20 large public hospitals and 27 of 268 health centers.

Spain’s regions are struggling with a combined debt of 145 billion euros ($190 billion) as the country’s economy contracts into a double-dip recession triggered by a 2008 real estate crash. Madrid’s government, under regional president Ignacio Gonzalez, maintains cuts and sell-offs are needed to secure health services during a deep recession. —AP

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health & science

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

Huge DNA code of the X-mas tree being revealed

An employee (left) of the seal rehabilitation and research centre Pieterburen and biologist Laura Lauta van Aysma look at the carcass (inset) of the humpback whale Johannes which was stranded on a sandbank since December 12 near the Wadden Sea island of Texel, on the beach in Den Helder, the Netherlands, and died yesterday. — AFP

Humpback ‘Johannes’ dies, ending Dutch whale of a tale TEXEL: A 12-metre (32-feet) humpback whale dubbed “Johannes” has died after being stranded near a northern Dutch island, officials said Sunday, ending a fourday saga that’s gripped animal-loving Netherlands. “We have... received confirmation from a whale expert appointed by the government that the humpback has died,” said the municipality of the Frisian island of Texel. “The animal will be removed as soon as possible... from the sandbank,” it said in a statement published on its website.

The drama started Wednesday after the beached whale was discovered as it tried to free itself from the sandbank just south of Texel, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Amsterdam. Dutch daily newspapers tracked the aquatic mammal’s daily progress, sometimes devoting a whole page to the story. Nature conservation group Ecomare announced Friday a last rescue attempt had been called off, after it failed to pull the animal to deeper water late on Thursday after a net around the animal broke and a helicopter experienced technical problems. The rescue was also hampered by strong currents, high waves

and wind in the area called the “Razende Bol” (Raging Ball) in Dutch.

Late Friday, veterinarians injected the animal with a massive dose of tranquiliser in order to euthanise it, but on Saturday Dutch national television showed images of the whale again trying to free itself off the bank. This prompted accusations by animal rights activists-including militant conservation group Sea Shepherd-and a Dutch animal rights party that not enough had been done to save “Johannes”.

Activists tried to reached the whale by boat, but were turned back by Dutch water police, who had cordoned off the area, with authorities requesting that the animal be allowed to die in peace.

Lenie t’Hart, who runs the Zeehondencreche, a marine animal rescue centre that specialises in seal rehabilitation in northern Netherlands, told Dutch national broadcaster NOS: “Those who wanted him dead have won”.

“We could have saved him if from day one there was proper communication between those who work in the field and the scientists,” she said. —AFP

NEW YORK: To millions of people, the Christmas tree is a cheerful sight. To scientists who decipher the DNA codes of plants and animals, it’s a monster. We’re talking about the conifer, the umbrella term for cone-bearing trees like the spruce, fir, pine, cypress and cedar. Apart from their Yuletide popularity, they play big roles in the lumber industry and in healthy forest ecosystems.

Scientists would love to identify the billions of building blocks that make up the DNA of a conifer. That’s called sequencing its genome.

Such analysis is a standard tool of biology, and doing it for conifers could reveal genetic secrets useful for basic science, breeding and forest management.

But the conifer genome is dauntingly huge.

And like a big price tag on a wished-for present, that has put it out of reach. Now, as Christmas approaches, it appears the conifer’s role as a genetic Grinch may be ending. In recent months, scientific teams in the United States and Canada have released preliminary, patchy descriptions of conifer genomes. And a Swedish team plans to follow suit soon in its quest for the Norway spruce.

“The world changed for conifer genetics,” said David Neale of the University of California, Davis.

It’s “entering the modern era.” What happened?

Credit the same recent technological advances that have some doctors predicting that someday, people will have their genomes sequenced routinely as part of medical care. The technology for that has gotten faster and much cheaper.

“Until just a few years ago, the idea of sequencing even a single conifer genome seemed impossible,” said John MacKay of the University of Laval in Quebec City, who codirects a multi-institution Canadian project that’s tackling the white spruce. The new technologies changed that, he said.

How big is a conifer genome? Consider the 80-foot Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in New York. It’s a Norway spruce, so its genome is six times bigger than that of anybody skating below it. Other conifer genomes are even larger.

Nobody expects a perfect, finished conifer genome anytime soon. MacKay and others say

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is lit during the 80th annual tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center in New York. Scientists are working to decipher the DNA code of conifers, like this Norway spruce at Rockefeller Center in New York. This month, scientific teams in the United States and Canada have released preliminary, patchy descriptions of conifer genomes and a Swedish team plans to follow suit soon in its quest for the Norway spruce. —AP that reaching that goal would probably require become much faster and cheaper in recent some advances in technology. But even partial years. But then comes the task of re-assembling versions can help tree breeders and basic scien- these bits back into the long DNA chains found in trees. And that is a huge challenge with tists, researchers say.

Why bother doing this? For breeders, conifers, because their DNA chains contain “genomes can really help you speed up the many repeated sequences that make the assemprocess and simply do a better job of selecting bly a lot harder.

As a result, conifers present “these large trees, if you understand the genetic architecture of the traits you want to breed for,” MacKay said. regions I think we will never be able to piece The prospect of climate change brings another together” with current technologies, said Par dimension. As forest managers select trees to Ingvarsson of Umea University in Sweden, who plant after a fire or tree harvesting, genetic infor- is leading the Norway spruce project. Will scienmation might help them pick varieties that can tists develop new technologies to overcome adapt to climate trends in coming decades, that problem?

“You should never say never in this game,” Neale said. It’s all about “giving them a tree that will be healthy into the future,” he said. To Ingvarsson said. This past summer, Neale’s group sequence a genome, scientists start by chop- presented partial results for the genome ping DNA into small bits, and let their machines sequence of loblolly pine, based on DNA sequence each bit. That’s the part that has extracted from a single pine nut. —AP

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Celebrate Xmas and New Year’s Eve with Marriott SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! Let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

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TIES Centre programs

ith the festive holiday season approaching, Kuwait Marriott Hotels is set to spare no effort in offering its guests a refined selection of tailor-made menus and culinary delights accompanied in an inviting atmosphere at its various properties. On Christmas, diners visiting the famous Terrace Grill Steakhouse at the JW Marriott Hotel can enjoy a memorable holiday dining experience accompanied by the finest certified US Angus beef, Wagyu beef cuts and seafood for lunch and dinner. Meanwhile, guests visiting the La Brasserie Restaurant at the hotel can feast on an upgraded Christmas international buffet in the delightful French-inspired setting.

Furthermore, diners visiting the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel’s renowned

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Soul and Spice restaurant on Christmas could enjoy an exceptional lunch and dinner filled with the Christmas cheer. At the Atrium restaurant set in the heart of the

Marriott Kuwait City is set to be transformed into the trendiest place in town with an upgraded dinner buffet for Kuwait’s finest at the La Brasserie restau-

hotel’s eight storey high lobby, guests could also celebrate a cozy Christmas with a festive buffet together with the family.

The hotels have also set up exciting menus for New Years’ Eve. The JW

rant complete with a live DJ and a fascinating ambience with custom-made party poppers, hats and horns. The Terrace Grill Steakhouse will have live entertainment with a mesmerizing ambience and deli-

TIES Center lecture - 19/12/12

by Yousef B. Albader TIES Center is please to invite you to attend a lecture by Reseacher & Author Mr. Yousef B. Albader about The English Lexical Contributions to the Kuwait Arabic. Mr. Albader has published several books including Illustrative Examples in English Advance Learners Dictionaries. The presentation will be followed by questions and answers. If your interested in the topic, the TIES Center is the most appropriate place to visit on Wednesday 19th December 2012 at 6pm to 8pm.

King named Honeywell Kuwait General Manager

English Course at TIES Center - 9th January 2013 TIES Center announces new English Course Classes from January 9th 2013 to February 13th 2013, every Wednesday 6pm to 8pm. The course would be conducted by an instructor with vast experienced in teaching English Mr. Mohammad Abdullah Cathcart, native English speaker, California\Minnesota accent and TEFL Certified English teacher. The classes would be at TIES Center in Al Shuhada.

TIES Center International Bazaar - 19th January 2013 Stop by and have the opportunity to see and even own some international antiques on display and taste the delicious foods on display. Also have your name inscribed in Arabic calligraphy at no cost and have a taste of our Arabic Ice Cream.

Various items will be available for sale, such as pashmina shawls, accessories, jewellery, Mexican food, Indian food, Cosmetics, Cookies, Handbags, Traditional Kuwaiti - Style dresses and many more.

And there would be a lot of fun for kids such as Bouncy Castle for Kids. All Are welcome.

Announcements

Blood donation camp at Bhavans he gift of blood is considered as the gift of life. It is rightly said that money can buy anything but it cannot buy life.

Realizing this great philosophical thought, 101 members of the Bhavans family joined hands and spent the Friday evening in the school auditorium donating generously the ‘liquid love’ which was

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collected by the Kuwait Blood Bank by a team of cheerful staff, headed

by Dr Osama. Chairman Ramachandran Menon and Principal T Premkumar led the enthusiastic parents, staff members and friends of Bhavans Kuwait towards the cause of saving precious lives with a drop of blood. The program commenced at 1.30 pm

and ended at 6 pm. “This will be a regular event in the school,” announced Menon, after the successful maiden venture. This magnanimous gesture towards a noble and selfless cause will usher in blessings from many. That’s what Bhavanites seek....”Let noble thoughts come to us from every side.”

Abbasiya garbage problem: Badar Qattan offers solution he garbage problem in Abbasiya has come to the notice of the authorities and necessary steps are being taken by the Municipality Cleaning Department, said Farwaniya Governorate Municipality cleaning department head Badar Salih AlQattan. He was replying to the petition submitted by Youth India regarding the garbage problem in Abbasiya. Cleaning has started in different areas using bulldozers and tipper lorries and every day, the activities are being monitored by the cleaning department manager himself, he said. All necessary steps are being taken to rapidly solve the garbage problem. More boxes will be immediately installed wherever necessary. Necessary instructions will go out to the cleaning company, he said.

He also advised the steps necessary to be taken by the residents and it can be expedited faster by the co-operation of the residents.

The garbage is collected between

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6pm and 12am by the garbage trucks. The garbage should be dumped in the designated boxes and in time for the collection.

24761902 , Riggae -24893319, 24893698 , Jleeb-24335435 and inform the block, street and road number, and the boxes will immedi-

Vehicles should not be parked in a way that obstructs the collection of the garbage boxes. Garbage should not be dumped outside the boxes too, he advised.

The garbage should be dumped in plastic bags. In case enough boxes are not available the residents can contact the following number in their respective areas Khaitan 24768714, 24710579, Farwaniya -

ately be made available. In addition, any complaints regarding garbage collection can be intimated on the hotline 139, which is operational 24/7. The Youth India delegation consisted of President Arshad E, General Secretary Shafi PT and Convener Khaleelurahman

Arabic courses WARE will begin Winter 1 Arabic language courses with new textbooks and curricula on from December 2, 2012 until January 24, 2013. AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed & 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. For more information or registration, please log-on to our website.

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Charity show n the occasion of New Year Hangama 2013, which will be held on December 31, 2012 , from 6:00 pm to 12:00 am at Carmel School, Khaitan.

Rak Dance Academy is conducting dance competition in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi. The winners will

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Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

oneywell announced that James King has been promoted to General Manager of Kuwait and of the Kuwaiti Joint Venture, effective Jan 1, 2013.

Former Kuwaiti General Manager Mohammed Mahmoud will assume a new role with broader functional scope as Business Development Director Middle East, Honeywell High Growth Regions, and will continue to support the Kuwaiti company.

This change comes as Honeywell moves to strengthen its organization in the Middle East.

Further alignment of the Joint Venture with Honeywell internal processes, and increased investment in training and talent, will permit the company to offer better service to customers and further expand its role in Kuwait. Honeywell’s employees will provide comprehensive support for mega-projects locally, taking advantage of the company’s extensive international experience.

“James King’s success in building up business in emerging regions, including countries such as Iraq, makes him the ideal candidate to strengthen the Kuwaiti Joint Venture,” added Norm Gilsdorf, President High Growth Regions, Russia, Middle East and Central Asia. “Honeywell’s increased focus on this region means we need to streamline the company’s processes and structure to become more efficient and effective to serve our customers’ needs going forward. We have a more than 30-year history in Kuwait in collaboration with the Al Sagar family and will continue our success story here.”

“This increased investment in the Joint Venture will benefit all partners”, added Isam Al-Sagar, Board Member of the Joint Venture Company.”We welcome James King to his new role.” James King has been with Honeywell since 2006 during which time he has held different positions with Honeywell Process Solutions including International Project Sales Director, General Manager for Qatar and Bahrain and, most recently, Business Operations Director for New Emerging Countries. He has been resident in the Middle East for the past 16 years.

Mohammed Mahmoud has been working for Honeywell since 1992, working his way up from Technical Sales Engineer to Sales Manager for Honeywell Process Solutions Kuwait and then to General Manager of Honeywell Kuwait. In his new role he will continue to advise the Kuwaiti company, while supporting other business development initiatives in the region.

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TIES Center Arabic Course - 13/01/13 TIES Center is glad to announce the start of Arabic Courses. Starting January 13 and Ending March 7, 2013. We offer classes for all levels from beginners to advance level. TIES Arabic Classes are intended for all expatriates who wish to learn Arabic for whatever purpose - business, basic communication, as a second language or simply as a hobby. Throughout the course the students will learn how to read, write and speak Arabic in a friendly, relaxed and welcoming environment.

First Aid at TIES Center TIES Ladies Club invites all ladies to learn the basic life saving techniques in our unique Monthly First Aid Workshops. Do not miss this opportunity as you never know when and where these techniques would be required. Though basic but they might make a significant difference in life.

Date: Saturday 12th January 2013 Time 11am to 1pm Call and book a seat now as the number of seats are limited

cious food.

Diners and guests at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel can greet 2013 with elegance and style at the Soul and Spice restaurant with a five course set menu including beverages, while a special dinner buffet will be served at the panoramic Atrium restaurant for those wishing to have an intimate dinner. Furthermore, JW Marriot’s CafÈ Royal is offering its customers delicious Yule-log cakes, mince pies and puddings to feast on or take home to family and friends. Custom-made goodies will also be available at Courtyard

by Marriott Hotel’s Tiramisu Cafe and Atrium Lounge.

Mar Baseliose holds harvest fest t was a marvelous day to remember for St George Universal Syrian Orthodox Reesh Church, Kuwait as it celebrated in grandeur, 16th Harvest Festival of the parish. The chief guest of honour Dr Bassam Abdul Qader Al-Nomani, Ambassador of Lebanon adorned the function with his valuable presence and by inaugurating the function. Chev Bijou Varghese greeted the audience and all eminent personalities at the function through his warm welcome speech. The general convener of the event was Mathew Moolayail Varghese who was the backbone of the event and a guiding light to all those who supported him throughout.

The general meeting was presided over by the parish vicar, Rev Fr Sajan T John and his presidential

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address was very motivating and appreciated by all.

The souvenir for the Harvest Festival was released by Rev Emmanuel B Ghareeb, Chairman of NECK Common Council, which was handed over to him by the souvenir convener Abraham Jacob during the inaugural function.

Other guests of honours, who felicitated during the function, were the vicars of other parishes - Fr Chacko Thomas, Fr Varughese A Y, Fr Thomas Koshy, Fr N C Mathews Konnackal, Fr Saju Philip, Fr Binju Varughese Kuruvillaand Fr. C V Simon. It was a mesmerizing day for all with a potpourri of entertainment programs by church members inclusive of group dances, group songs, instrumental performances etc. and a mega show of musical performances by popular singers.

Indian Embassy Announcements Indian Embassy passport and visa Passports and visa applications can be deposited at the two outsourced centers of M/S BLS Ltd at Sharq and Fahaheel. Details are available at www.bls-international.com and www.indembkwt.org.

Consular Open House Consular Wing is providing daily service of Open House to Indian citizens on all workings days from 1000 hrs to 1100 hrs and from 1430 hrs to 1530 hrs by the Consular Officer in the Meeting Room of the Consular Hall at the Embassy. For any unaddressed issues, Second Secretary (Consular) can be contacted.

Furthermore, the head of the Consular Wing is also available to redress grievances.

Indian workers helpline/helpdesk Indian workers helpline is accessible by toll free telephone number 25674163 from all over Kuwait. It provides information and advice to Indian workers as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. The help desk at the Embassy (Open from 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 4:30PM, Sunday to Thursday) provides guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal and other issues. It also provides workers assistance in filling up labour complaint forms. For any unaddressed issues, the concerned attachÈ in the Labour section and the head of the Labour Wing can be contacted.

Legal Advice Clinic Free legal advice is provided on matters pertaining to labour disputes, terms of contracts with employers, death/accident compensation, withholding of dues by employers, etc. by lawyers on our panel, to Indian nationals on all working days between 1500hrs to 1600hrs.

Ambassador’s Open House The Open House for Indian citizens by the Ambassador is being held on all Wednesdays at the Embassy for redressal of grievances. In case Wednesday is an Embassy holiday, the meeting will be held on the next working day.

31

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office).

In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

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GUST will host largest book ‘This is Mohammad’ (PBUH)

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Canadian Embassy in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 7:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed for lunch from 12:30 to 13:00. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday.

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he Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) Professional Advancement & Continuing Education Center (PACE) held a press conference to announce GUST’s hosting of the largest book in the world in the Guinness World Records, “This is Muhammad” (PBUH) in April of 2013. Over 300 people participated in the making of the 430-page book. The book is five meters high and four meters wide, weighs over 1,500 kg and cost over AED 10 million to produce. The book achieved a world record as the largest book that carries the name of our Prophet (PBUH) and addresses the most important milestones in his biography, written in a style that is easy to understand by the masses detailing the Prophet’s (PBUH) journey which inspired minds, spread peace hearts and changed the face of the earth.

In this light, GUST’s PACE will collaborate with the

T

Moshahed Group, who oversees the books’ tours, to bring the book to GUST in Kuwait as a part of a whole program of activities during April 2013.

Mohammad Al-Khulaifi, PACE Business Development Director noted: “In attendance of this important event, which sheds light on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and the large impact of the message in the Islamic world on a humani-

tarian level, will be a number of ministers, diplomats, businessmen and social figures and various media.”

The press conference was held in the presence of: Dr Sabah Quaddoomi, VP of Academic Services at GUST attending on behalf of the Chairman of Board of Trustees Dr Abdulrahman Al-Muhailan, Dr Mutlag Al-Qarawi, Assistant Undersecretary for External

Relations at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Dr Mohammed Saeed Al-Awlaqi, Moshahed Group Chairman and the mastermind behind the idea of ??this book project.

During his speech on behalf of the GUST Chairman of the Board, Quaddoumi said: We are here today to honor a major literary and historical achievement; a product that excels in its drafting and vocabulary; a book which I see as a comprehensive, accurate, fun reference of the story of one of the greatest men who changed and developed on this earth, past, present and future.

Awlaqi, the mastermind behind the idea of the book, said: I dedicate my effort and the effort of the crew and all who worked to make this book a success, as expression to any false accusations which direction to our religion and our Holy Prophet. I want to thank the State of Kuwait represented

by the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) on the generosity and their welcoming nature, as well as thank Khulaifi, Nehal Al-Shafei, and Dr Hassan Al-Sady Nihal who have been in continuous open communication with us to ensure that the event is a success.

Qarawi said: “We have together today to celebrate this pioneering piece of work. The importance of this book lays in the fact that it is the first Arabic book to enter the Guinness Book of Records, as well as in the time, effort and financial effort that was spent, and in the accuracy, manner and style in which the book was written.

There are plans to start the translation of the book into a number of languages, starting off with: English, Chinese, French and Russian to reach the largest number of people to see it and understand it.

Movenpick celebrates Xmas tree lighting n the occasion of the heart-warming holiday season and as the town is gearing up for fun, festive activities and merrymaking, Movenpick Hotel Kuwait - Free Trade Zone, ringed in the season by bringing all of its corporate accounts employees with their families and children to its Christmas Tree Lighting Event.

The ceremony took place on Friday, Dec 14, in the spacious Taiba tent parking. Parents and children and guests all gathered exactly at 5:00 pm to celebrate this magical moment. Santa Claus himself with his team of reindeers lighted up the giant Christmas tree of more than 14 meters high with thousands of tiny fairytale lights and beautifully decorated by the Movenpick Hotel Kuwait team.

The countdown for the light up was led by Movenpick Hotel Kuwait General Manager Beat Peter and HODs. After lighting the giant Christmas tree, Santa Claus arrived in his magical horse carriage to meet and share his gifts with all the children. Everyone enjoyed a cheerful evening thanking the hotel for this unique and memorable yuletide experience.

O

OICC felicitates NORKA board director felicitation meeting was organized by Overseas Indian Cultural Congress (OICC) Co-ordination Committee in honor of Varghese Puthukulangara (General Convener OICC Kuwait), who was appointed to the NORKA Welfare Board Director.

All India Congress Committee Member PT Thomas (Member of Indian Parliament) inaugurated the meeting. OICC Co-Ordination committee Chairman M A Hilal presided over the meeting. Youth Congress State Committee President PC Vishnunath MLA delivered the key note address. Rajan Daniel, M K Pothen, Sharafuddin Kanneth gave the felicitation speeches.

Program Convener Varghese Joseph Maramon welcomed the guests and gathering and Binu Chembalayam gave the vote of thanks. OICC co-ordination Committee bid farewell to Skaria Cheriyan (Co ordination Committee member) who will be leaving Kuwait for good.

A

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on short-stay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database. Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, first-time applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS. ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform the Kenyan community residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that the Embassy has acquired new office telephone numbers as follows: 25353982, 25353985 - Consular’s enquiries 25353987 - Fax Our Email address: info@kenyaembkuwait.com.

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EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy has moved its office to new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, Al-Salaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes to advice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmar to contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location. Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, email:myankuwait11@gmai1.com.

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EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk.

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EMBASSY OF PERU The Embassy of Peru is located in Sharq, Ahmed Al Jaber Street, Al Arabiya Tower, 6th Floor. Working days / hours: SundayThursday /9 am - 4 pm. Residents in Kuwait interested in getting a visa to travel to Peru and companies attracted to invest in Peru are invited to visit the permanent exposition room located in the Embassy. For more information, please contact: (+965) 22267250/1.

Classifieds MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation in Salmiya behind Mercedes showroom only single Pilipina lady in a master bedroom. Tel: 97751739.

11-12-2012 FOR SALE Mazda (6) white color 2003, excellent condition, insurance one year, KD 1,100. Mob: 66729295.

(C 4256) 17-12-2012 TUITION AutoCAD tuition available by Highly Qualified Experienced Teacher, Learn

professionally AutoCAD 2D&3D with Projects, Flexible Schedule, and individual tutorial. Contact: 99302850 / 22467301. (C 4251) 15-12-2012 MATRIMONIAL Orthodox parents invite proposals for their son 30/172 cm M.Com PGDBA, B & B in Kuwait and employed in a reputed MNC in Kuwait from parents of Orthodox/ Jacobite/ Marthoma B.E/MCA/MBA/M.Com/B.ED or other suitably qualified and employed in Kuwait. Contact Email: thekalloors@gmail.com (C 4253) 16-12-2012 55 years well placed Indian

Muslim man seeks a lady for marriage 30 to 35 years age background and faith does not matter. Please email: asgar_kathawala@ymail.com 14-12-2012 32 years Roman Catholic boy 5’7” working as a private nurse invites proposals from God fearing and well educated girls. Email: shijopmathew@hotmail.com (C 4250) 13-12-2012 CHANGE OF NAME I, Muhammed Abdulla, holder of Indian Passport No: F6634470, have changed my name as MUHAMMED KUNHI ABDULLA.

I, Parayil Puthen Veetil Abdul Rahim, holder of Indian Passport No: K3650340, hereby change my name to AZAD MANZIL ABDUL RAHIM. (C 4254) 17-12-2012 SITUATION WANTED Accountant (5 years’ experience) B.Com, MBA Finance, Finalization of accounts, B/S, P/L, TB, Bank Transaction, Cash, Debtor, Creditors and Inventory Management, ERP Tally, Oracle. Seeking suitable position.

Contact: 97176224. (C 4255) 17-12-2012

GOVERNMENT WEB SITES Ministry of Interior Kuwait Parliament www.majlesalommah.net

The Public Institution for Social Security www.pifss.gov.kw

Ministry of Interior www.moi.gov.kw

Public Authority of Industry www.pai.gov.kw

Public Authority for Civil Information www.paci.gov.kw

Prisoners of War Committee www.pows.org.kw

Kuwait News Agency www.kuna.net.kw

Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.mofa.gov.kw

Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affair www.islam.gov.kw

Kuwait Municipality www.municipality.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Oil) www.moo.gov.kw

Kuwait Electronic Government www.e.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Electricity and Water) www.energy.govt.kw

Ministry of Finance www.mof.gov.kw

Public Authority for Housing Welfare www.housing.gov.kw

Ministry of Commerce and Industry www.moci.gov.kw

Ministry of Justice www.moj.gov.kw

Ministry of Education www.moe.edu.kw

Ministry of Communications www.moc.kw

Ministry of Information www.moinfo.gov.kw

Supreme Council for Planning and Development www.scpd.gov.kw

Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation www.awqaf.org

THE PUBLICAUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is

website: www.moi.gov.kw

1889988 Prayer timings

Fajr:

05:11

Shorook

06:36

Duhr:

11:44

Asr:

14:34

Maghrib:

16:53

Isha:

18:15

112

No: 15660

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines PIA JAI THY JZR JZR QTR ETH QTR GFA UAE ETD QTR FDB MSR DHX THY JZR BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC UAE GFA ABY QTR FDB ETD KAC GFA BAB KAC JZR MSC IRC MEA MSR UAE GFA FDB KAC KNE KAC SVA QTR JZR KAC JZR KAC

Arrival Flights on Monday 17/12/2012 Flt Route 205 LAHORE 574 MUMBAI 772 ISTANBUL 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 148 DOHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 6130 DOHA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 138 DOHA 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 170 BAHRAIN 770 ISTANBUL 503 LUXOR 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 855 DUBAI 223 BAHRAIN 121 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 352 COCHIN 213 BAHRAIN 436 BAHRAIN 344 CHENNAI 165 DUBAI 403 ASSIUT 6521 LAMERD 404 BEIRUT 610 CAIRO 871 DUBAI 219 BAHRAIN 57 DUBAI 672 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 546 ALEXANDRIA 500 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 561 SOHAG 788 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 284 DHAKA

Time 0:15 0:30 0:35 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:45 1:45 1:50 2:35 2:45 3:01 3:05 3:10 5:15 5:30 5:55 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:55 8:40 8:45 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:50 9:55 10:05 10:40 11:20 11:30 11:45 11:55 12:45 12:50 13:35 13:50 14:10 14:10 14:30 14:30 14:45 14:50 14:55 15:05 15:10

QTR OMA KAC UAE ETD RJA GFA SVA JZR QTR ABY UAL KAC JZR RBG KAC BAB FDB MSC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC OMA FDB JAI AXB MSR ABY QTR MSC ALK MEA QTR GFA ETD UAE JZR JAI DHX FDB AIC TAR JZR GFA JZR UAL BBC DLH

134 645 118 857 303 640 215 510 777 144 127 982 542 177 3553 786 438 63 405 618 742 674 104 774 647 61 572 389 618 129 146 401 229 402 136 221 307 859 135 576 372 59 975 327 239 217 185 981 43 636

DOHA MUSCAT NEW YORK DUBAI ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH DOHA SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO DUBAI ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI SOHAG DOHA DAMMAM DUBAI LONDON RIYADH MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI MANGALORE ALEXANDRIA SHARJAH DOHA ALEXANDRIA COLOMBO BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN COCHIN BAHRAIN DUBAI CHENNAI TUNIS AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DHAKA FRANKFURT

15:30 15:40 16:35 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:45 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:45 19:15 19:20 19:30 19:35 19:35 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:20 20:25 20:35 20:45 20:50 20:55 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:30 22:45 22:45 22:50 23:05 23:25 23:45 23:55

Airlines AIC AFG UAL DLH JAI PIA KAC ETH THY QTR FDB UAE ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR GFA THY KAC JZR FDB BAW JZR KAC GFA KAC ABY UAE FDB ETD QTR GFA BAB KAC KAC JZR KAC MSC IRC MEA KAC MSR JZR UAE GFA FDB KAC

Departure Flights on Monday 17/12/2012 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 406 KABUL 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 573 MUMBAI 206 PESHAWAR 283 DHAKA 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 6131 DOHA 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 560 SOHAG 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 256 BEIRUT 787 JEDDAH 224 BAHRAIN 671 DUBAI 122 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 437 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 406 SOHAG 6522 LAMERD 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 611 CAIRO 176 DUBAI 872 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 673 DUBAI

Time 0:05 1:00 1:10 1:20 1:30 1:35 2:25 2:45 2:55 3:15 3:45 3:50 4:00 4:10 4:50 6:05 6:55 7:00 7:35 7:45 8:15 8:25 8:45 9:05 9:25 9:30 9:35 9:45 9:55 10:00 10:05 10:30 10:40 10:50 11:30 11:50 12:15 12:20 12:30 12:35 12:55 13:00 13:45 13:50 14:15 14:20 14:30 15:05

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

KNE SVA KAC QTR KAC KAC OMA JZR ETD JZR QTR UAE RJA GFA JZR SVA ABY QTR RBG JZR UAL FDB BAB MSC FDB OMA KAC KAC JAI ABY MSR MSC DHX ALK MEA ETD QTR GFA KAC KAC FDB UAE JAI DHX KAC QTR JZR TAR GFA KAC

473 501 617 141 773 741 646 238 304 538 135 858 641 216 184 511 128 145 3554 134 982 64 439 404 62 648 331 351 571 120 619 402 171 230 403 308 137 222 301 361 60 860 575 373 205 147 502 328 218 411

JEDDAH JEDDAH DOHA DOHA RIYADH DAMMAM MUSCAT AMMAN ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH SHARJAH DOHA ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN ASSIUT DUBAI MUSCAT TRIVANDRUM KOCHI MUMBAI SHARJAH ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN MUMBAI MUSCAT DUBAI DUBAI KOCHI BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DOHA LUXOR DUBAI BAHRAIN BANGKOK

15:10 15:45 15:45 16:15 16:25 16:30 16:40 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:15 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:50 19:00 19:05 19:10 19:25 19:30 20:15 20:40 20:55 20:55 21:10 21:10 21:15 21:25 21:50 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:40 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:00 23:10 23:35 23:45 23:50 23:55

34

s ta rs CROSSWORD 41

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) A gathering of friends this evening is an enjoyable affair. Your friends may compliment you on your tastes and you will be feeling very well about yourself. There is talk of a reunion soon. You may find ways to encourage others to become involved in this reunion project. You have insight into your emotions and drive and you can talk about your feelings with great insight. Are you looking for a resolution? Secret: One way to create a balance is to stay within a daily schedule for a while. This could become a good habit as well as a good resolution for next year. Higher energy and enthusiasm lead you toward great accomplishments. Tonight you need to restock the freezer with low-fat foods. Now, pat yourself on the back for your good works.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You have increased self-confidence to try new things that are daring, unusual and inventive to pursue your goals for greater independence. It is a time of change, stimulating friends and new acquaintances. This is also a favorable time for any type of entertainment. Changes can emerge from obscurity, offering you more freedom, stability and leisure.

As your health improves tensions will ease and therapies are beneficial. Your determination to succeed is strong and you can focus on worthwhile goals and productive projects. Now is the time for psychological, psychic or spiritual studies. Indulging in rich foods just now can contribute to unhealthy habits or excessive weight gain. You are ready to jump back into some routine to get into shape.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. Goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment.

4. (trade name) A plastic film that can polarize a beam of light.

12. A member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times.

15. Thigh of a hog (usually smoked).

16. Acting according to certain accepted standards.

17. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

18. American prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942).

19. Emanating from God. 20. A clique that seeks power usually through intrigue.

22. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

24. A graphical record of electrical activity of the brain.

26. Light informal conversation for social occasions.

29. A city is east central Sweden north northwest of Stockholm.

31. Of or relating to a dialect of Sotho or the Bantu people who speak it.

34. (Sumerian) Sun god.

35. A point located with respect to surface features of some region.

39. A large strong and aggressive woman.

41. English essayist (1775-1834).

42. Cause to ripen.

44. A room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter.

46. Large northern deer with enormous flattened antlers in the male.

47. The use of nuclear magnetic resonance of protons to produce proton density images.

50. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

52. A book of the New Testament.

54. A condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people.

55. (Old Testament) The fourth son of Jacob who was forebear of one of the tribes of Israel.

56. An intersection or crossing of two tracts in the form of the letter X. 58. Conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence.

59. A colorless odorless gaseous element that give a red glow in a vacuum tube.

60. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

61. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

63. An imaginary elephant that appears in a series of French books for children.

69. A short labored intake of breath with the mouth open.

72. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

75. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar.

76. A local computer network for communication between computers.

77. Type genus of the Polygalaceae.

79. A light touch or stroke.

80. A doctor's degree in theology.

81. Having an illustrious reputation.

82. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

DOWN 1. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

2. The basic unit of money in Western Samoa.

3. Expel, as of gases and odors.

4. A number of sheets of paper fastened together along one edge.

5. A religious belief of African origin involving witchcraft and sorcery.

6. Actually being performed (or--for the audience--present) at the time of viewing.

7. A farewell remark.

8. Hybrid between mandarin orange and lemon having very acid fruit with orange peel.

9. Used of a single unit or thing.

10. Being nine more than ninety.

11. A design fixed to some surface or a paper bearing the design to be transferred to the surface.

12. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

13. Using speech rather than writing.

14. Offering fun and gaiety.

21. Lower in esteem.

23. (used of eyes) Open and fixed as if in fear or wonder.

25. Any taillike structure.

27. Sweet pulpy tropical fruit with thick scaly rind and shiny black seeds.

28. A decree that prohibits something.

30. Pierced with with a pointed weapon.

32. A blemish made by dirt.

33. Large North American deer with large much-branched antlers.

36. Appeal or request earnestly.

37. A person who owns or operates oil wells.

38. Flightless New Zealand birds similar to gallinules.

40. A small cake leavened with yeast.

43. An award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event.

45. The seventh month of the Moslem calendar.

48. God of love and erotic desire.

49. A fee charged for exchanging currencies.

51. A Russian prison camp for political prisoners.

53. A region of Malaysia in northeastern Borneo.

57. A long brightly colored shawl.

62. (Irish) Chief god of the Tuatha De Danann.

64. A woman hired to suckle a child of someone else.

65. An unofficial association of people or groups.

66. Make amends for.

67. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythology.

68. A rapid series of short loud sounds (as might be heard with a stethoscope in some types of respiratory disorders).

70. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

71. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

73. Angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object).

74. A coenzyme derived from the B vitamin nicotinic acid.

78. A mouth or mouthlike opening.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

Sleeping late may mean only about thirty minutes more than usual; however, thirty minutes can certainly make a difference when you work as hard as you work during the week. Dealing with adversity or time limits this last month may have sapped some of your energies; however, getting away from the workplace will do wonders for your outlook. Your financial situation is better than it has been in a while, but do not count the eggs before they hatch; no spending sprees yet! Enjoy a movie with a friend or loved one after the chores are completed. Then perhaps, you will consider dropping by a cafe for a little one-on-one conversation with that special friend. These are happy times— times when you get to know someone.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Your answer to some part of a husband and wife question today could be that a perfect wife is one who does not expect to have a perfect husband.

Advice is simple and easy—others gain from your simple down-to-earth input. Attitudes are positive and upbeat today. Any problems now will be of short duration. Computer science, electronics and scientific breakthroughs fascinate you. You may be discovering a new product or figuring out how to bring a new technical product into your own home today.

The universe will provide you with all that you need. Today is a lucky day—however, luck can come in ways other than money. You might consider transferring the dates of birthdays and anniversaries onto your new calendar today.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You have a fine way of being persuasive . . . you have ideas of places to go and people you want to see. You may have obligated yourself to teach a class or escort someone around town today. You enjoy showing off your home and your city and out-of-town visitors would be an advantage. This may mean that it is your turn to give the class lesson or take care of the young people. This situation may inspire you to be creative.

This is a vital day with much energy and lots of action. You might consider updating the old address book—getting schedules ready for next year. Plan to check your book often during next year in order to keep in touch with those friends you hold so dear. You have a special way of making people feel important.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) A change is coming but you may not have seen the beginnings of change just yet—you could be feeling two ways at once. Changes that are occurring soon will give you an opportunity to save money. If you go with the flow, you will find new opportunities to have more time for reading, listening to music, writing and enjoying new people. This afternoon would be a good time for you and a friend or family member to just celebrate and enjoy each other’s company. A little time to share with a special someone makes this day perfect. If you have been extremely busy lately, you may decide a movie is the best way to enjoy the afternoon. There are lots of phone conversations with friends and relatives in and out-of-town today.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) There could be a trip scheduled soon in which you and your loved one(s) could travel across water—perhaps a cruise? You have been in the mood for entertainment and relaxation this whole weekend. The body and mind both need recharging and this can be accomplished through rest and relaxation in many different ways but especially aboard a ship or boat. If not a cruise, perhaps you and your family will rent a houseboat for a future weekend. An important relationship, perhaps with someone in your near environment, comes into focus later. There could be an emotional overtone to all of this that may require understanding and flexibility on your part. There is a chance to understand those around you and to have time with a beloved.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) There is a feeling that anything is possible. There is optimism, faith and a tendency to take chances at the deepest emotional level. This is a time of exploring your feelings and emotions. A great deal of luck and good fortune is on your plate today—this could be a time of material gain. It is certainly a time when the purchase of quality merchandise has a great deal of importance for you. When you are rested you are more likely to think positively and you exude a large amount of energy. Make it a point to learn balance next year. There are only two reasons we do not reach our goals; one is we underestimate ourselves and the other is we tend to fear failure. What have you in mind for yourself next year? Time is wasting—let no time escape your attention!

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Your work represents self-esteem, security, financial and emotional feelings.

You may find yourself working on some ideas for next year. You may be writing out ideas and changes that you feel are needed in the workplace. This is a very lucky day for making plans or resolutions. You feel successful and can assess your life now with an open mind. Good advice from a guide or older person may be in the near future. You could find some enjoyable moments with your friends this evening. Networking at a social affair this evening may prove beneficial. Conversations seem to have fun-filled antidotes. You and a friend plan some celebrations for New Year’s Eve. You have certainly put in those working hours—it is soon time for play.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Spending might have to be put on hold. As this weekend has unwound, love blossoms. A chance to join your friends in celebration could be just around the corner. If you have not formed your plans for New Year’s, you will soon. Romance is ripe and you will have lots of fun during this time. There is a short trip in the picture for during the day today—there is a large out-of-town sale you may want to attend and you will want to make some future plans. You may take great pleasure in the beauty of the countryside.

You have an interest in a neighborhood watch program and may find that your neighborhood group needs your participation this evening. You might consider transferring the dates of birthdays and anniversaries onto your new calendar tonight.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You might consider updating your address book for next year; perhaps it is time to purchase a greeting card holder that has pockets for each month’s birthdays or other events. Plan to check your calendar often. A temporary obstacle may block your path today. Go with the flow and try not to take things too personally—laugh at yourself. This evening a misunderstanding with a friend or loved one may catch you by surprise. You, however, have the capability of working through misunderstandings without jeopardizing the whole picture. You may discover things about each other you never knew, thereby creating a very close friendship. Real insight into your own inner workings or psychology could surface today and in a manageable form.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) A question of legality or propriety might have to be addressed this Sunday.

You will accomplish positive results. Having attainable goals can reduce stress in numerous ways. Write down one little goal for each month on your calendar?

Everything conspires to reveal you at your most elegant, particularly in social situations. You will have a grasp for abstract and spiritual ideas and the ability to present or communicate these to others. You make good choices all the time, but may never realize it; you are also a mentor. Make a New Year’s resolution to choose to see the positive. You may be able to enjoy and value your own life situation today or feel especially kind toward a friend or loved one. A visitor in your home may compliment you on your taste.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Kaizen center

25716707

Rawda

22517733

Adaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Kaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salem

22549134

Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Qadsiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Gar

22531908

Shaab

22518752

Qibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

Sabhan

24742838

24575518 24566622

Al-Helaly

22434853

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Al-Faiha

22545051

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Hawally

ST TATE T OF KUW K WAIT A

Tel.: e 161

DIRECTORA AT TE GENERAL GEN OF CIVIL AV VIA ATION T METEOROLOGICAL DEP PA ARTMENT DA AY Y: Sunday

Ext.: 26 2627 - 2630

Fax: 24348714 WWW.MET.GOV V..KW

16/12/2012

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

19:00

Issue Time

Expected Weeather for the Next 24 Hours BY Y NIGHT:

Cold with light variable wind, with speed of 06 - 22 km/h

BY Y DA AY:

Cool with light to moderate variable wind changing to light to moderate north easterly wind, with speed of 06 - 26 km/h

WARNING A

No Current Warnings arnin a

18 °C

08 °C

Mirqab

22456536

NUW WA AISEEB

20 °C

11 °C

Sharq

22465401

WA AFRA

20 °C

07 °C

Salmiya

25746401

SALMI

18 °C

06 °C

ABDAL LY

20 °C

08 °C

Jabriya

25316254

JAL ALIY YA AH

19 °C

08 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FA AILAKA

17 °C

11 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

18 °C

14 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

19 °C

16 °C

W Hawally

22630786

WA ARBA A - BUBY YA AN

19 °C

07 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

ST TAT TION

SFC. CHART

16/12/2012 1200 UTC

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA ATE T

WEA AT THER

Monday

17/12

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

Tuesday

South Jahra

24775066

Wednesday e

North Jahra

24775992

Thursday

North Jleeb

24311795

MAX.

MIN.

cool

18 °C

08 °C

18/12

cool + scattered clouds

19 °C

19/12

cool + scattered clouds

20 °C

20/12

clouds to increase + scattered rain

22 °C

PRA AYER Y TIMES Fajr

Wind Speed

Wind Direction VRB-NE

06 - 26 km/h

08 °C

N-VRB

06 - 22 km/h

10 °C

VRB-SE

08 - 28 km/h

11 °C

SE

15 - 40 km/h

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WA AIT AIRPOR RT 05:11

MAX. Temp.

Sunrise

06:36

MIN. Temp.

19 °C 07 °C

24892674

Zuhr

11:44

MAX. RH

76 %

24719048

Asr

14:34

MIN. RH

Sunset

16:52

MAX. Wind

Isha

18:15

TOT TAL AL RA AINF FALL A L IN 24 HR.

24884079

24710044

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

23900322

34 % NW 28 km/h 00 mm

16/12/12 14:08 UTC

V1.00

T1.06

PRIVATE CLINICS Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Dr. Salem soso General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

22545171

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Al-Nuzha

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

22451082

Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

24810598

Jahra

12 °C

Fintas

Al-Shuwaikh

23915883 23715414 23726558

18 °C

N Khaitan

22545171

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

KUW WAIT A CITY

Omariya

Al-Shuhada Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

MIN. N. EXP P.

Firdous

22418714

Ahmadi

MAX. REC.

Ardhiya

PHONE

Al-Madeena

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 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 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

36

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

lifestyle G O S S I P

Janice Dickinson Hilary Duff

set to marry for the fourth time

he American supermodel - who once dated Sylvester Stallone, Liam Neeson and Jack Nicholson - is reportedly engaged to Los Angeles-based psychologist Dr Robert Gerner.

According to TooFab.com, the 57-year-old reality TV star met her 67-year-old new fiance on a blind date in the Chateau Marmont hotel earlier this

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year and the couple are planning to tie the knot in April. She said: “You just know you know it’s the right person, He’s the ying to my yang.” Robert proposed to Janice with a Victorian promise ring and they will reportedly shop for an engagement ring together. The former ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here’ star - who has been previously married three

Naomi Watts embraces her dark side

times, has a 25-year-old son Nathan and an 18year-old daughter Savannah. The newly engaged couple are set to host a housewarming and engagement party this evening (15.12.12) with guests including Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld, Donatella Versace, Slash and Oscar winning actress Sandra Bullock rumoured to be on the invite list.

Lindsay Lohan finally thanks

Charlie Sheen

he 44-year-old actress is known for her optimistic outlook but she admits she likes to show off a different side to her when she’s acting and isn’t afraid about not looking beautiful all of the time. In an interview with The Times newspaper, she said: “Look, we’ve all got a dark side. It’s just that some of us are OK with cracking it open and embracing it. I’m not looking for a pretty painting. I like something with a bit more destruction. Something that’s messy.” Naomi plays a Indian Ocean tsunami survivor in new movie ‘The Impossible’ and it is the latest in a long line of acclaimed movies she has worked on. But the Hollywood’s star’s life hasn’t always been so good, and she lived through a traumatic childhood which saw her father, Peter Watts, die of a heroin overdose when she was just seven. Naomi - who has two sons, Sasha, five, and four-yearold Samuel, with her partner Liev Schreiber - admits her early life experiences mean she will always have issues. She said: “Something like that leaves a lifelong mark, there’s no question about it. I’ve got demons and I’m someone who’s been accused of presenting myself as a lighter, happy-go-lucky person. And there’s possibly some untruth in that.” When she was 14 Naomi and her family moved to Australia, before she left to make it as an actress in Los Angeles and she admits she was close to giving up on her dream.

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emotional letter to her fans

he 24-year-old superstar was left reeling after her on/off boyfriend Chris was recently pictured partying with scantily-clad girls on tour in Paris and enjoying a meal with his ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran in Dubai, posting a series of cryptic tweets yesterday thought to be referring to Chris. She has now uploaded a photograph to Twitter of a heartfelt letter to her fans, thanking them for their constant support and telling them to stand up for what they believe in and refusing to be defeated by mistakes and “curve balls”. The handwritten note contains the lines: “There’s no question that life throws us curve balls, we do our best to deal with them, take the lessons and keep it moving without regrets... “I look forward to embarking on this ride with you, unwilling to sacrifice what we believe in, taking our lessons and growing from them. Don’t let one thing shake your core. Let our inspirations drive us, never steering from who we truly are....” Over the weekend, a furious Rihanna took to Twitter to vent her feeling about Chris - who was arrested for violently assaulting her in 2009 - in an X-rated rant. In between posting raunchy images of herself, she followed it up yesterday, musing: “Never underestimate a man’s ability to make you feel guilty for his mistakes.”

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Jessica Simpson planning a secret Hawaii wedding?

Rihanna writes

he 26-year-old troubled starlet who was given $100,000 by the ‘Anger Management’ star to help pay off her hefty $233,904 tax bill sent him a bunch of flowers and a hand-written letter to apologise after he revealed earlier this week that she never thanked him for his generous gift. Sources close to the ‘Liz & Dick’ actress told gossip website TMZ.com that Lindsay was very embarrassed by the situation and explained in her letter to Charlie that she didn’t mean to be rude but couldn’t contact him because she lost his number when her phone broke recently. The former ‘Two And A Half Men’ star generously helped out his ‘Scary Movie 5’ co-star when he heard she was having financial difficulties after not being paid for one of her projects but Charlie admitted he was unimpressed that she accepted money from him but didn’t acknowledge it. He said: “She got shorted and I found out, so I said: ‘Here’. I’m still waiting for a text to say ‘Thank you’. Anything you know?” The

flame-haired beauty’s pals also insisted she is extremely grateful for Charlie’s monetary gift but has been distracted by her ongoing legal and financial problems. A judge revoked Lindsay’s probation last week and she is reportedly facing a possible eight months in jail for lying about being behind the wheel of her Porsche during a car crash in June. The actress sent the bouquet and letter directly to Charlie’s house in a bid to repair their relationship and express her sincere gratitude. It was recently revealed Lindsay is struggling to pay her rent and has been scraping together all the money she can in order to pay $8,000 per month for her Beverly Hills mansion in Los Angeles. She has also fallen behind on monthly payments to a storage company, and now owes around $16,000, which could lead to items inside her locker - including designer clothes, family heirlooms and “potentially embarrassing” articles - being sold off at auction if the bill isn’t paid by the end of this month.

is permanently exhausted since she gave birth he 25-year-old former ‘Lizzie McGuire’ star - who gave birth to her first child Luca nine months ago with her husband of two years Mike Comrie - says their relationship has changed since they had their son but they still make time for each other. Speaking on ‘Access Hollywood Live’, she said: “It’s definitely different. I’m so exhausted at the end of each day, so I’m like, ‘Can this not happen at night when I’m exhausted?’ You find different times to do it. “I’m running around the house just trying to keep up with him.

He’s so fast... He’s trying to talk and he’s a little aggressive.” The popstar revealed she is planning to wait a few more years before having another baby. She said: “Mike and I are literally so obsessed with Luca. He’s perfect!

We should just be one and done. But I think once your kid starts getting older you miss that baby phase and you go in for round two.” The actress also admitted that she felt a lot of pressure to lose her baby weight but is “trying not to obsess” over it. She said: “I am worried because everyone wants their body back. It’s all in time, you know? It took nine months to get there, so hopefully it won’t take that long to get it off. But I’m doing it slowly.”

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Kelly Clarkson is engaged

he ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ singer has announced she will wed 35-year-old talent manager Brandon Blackstock, who popped the question after nine months of dating. The 30-year-old star - who shot to fame after winning ‘American Idol’ in 2002 shared her joy with her fans on Twitter, writing: “I’m engaged!!!! I wanted y’all to know!!

Happiest night of my life last! I am so lucky and am with the greatest man ever.” Kelly recently expressed her hopes that the couple would tie the knot even though they weren’t yet engaged. Last month, she said: “We are totally going to get married. We love each other. We are totally going to get mar-

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ried one day. “I mean, he’s got to put a ring on at some point. But I’ll wait it out.” Asked if she has thought about the kind of wedding she wants to have, the ‘Stronger’ singer said: “Honestly I’ve never been the girl to plan a wedding. We will totally, probably elope.”

Kelly previously called their relationship her “best accomplishment” after years of being unlucky in love. She said: “I completely fell in love. I did! Welcome to Cheeseville! I don’t know. Your priorities kind of shift and you become happier and all that stuff. It’s probably my best accomplishment because I think, for me, especially, I just didn’t think it would happen.”

he 32-year-old singer and her fiance Eric Johnson are jetting off to the tropical paradise on December 21 with a group of their closest family and friends in tow and are believed to be tying the knot in an intimate ceremony. A source told RadarOnline.com: “For the holidays, Jessica and Eric are going to Hawaii and they’ve invited a lot of their close friends and family. No one quite knows what is being planned, but family members are speculating that they could be planning a surprise wedding. “Jessica and Eric had planned to get married before the end of the year, but because Jessica was helping her best pal Cacee with her wedding she got sidetracked. Then, her father’s problems shattered her world and she discovered she was expecting.” Jessica - who is already expecting her second child after giving birth to daughter Maxwell Drew in May - and Eric have warned their pals they will be making a big announcement during the special getaway. Despite her parents Joe and Tina’s well-publicised decision to file for divorce in November amid rumours her father Joe is gay, the ‘Fashion Star’ host allegedly feels the time is right for her and Eric to make their union official and wants to get married before the New Year. The insider added: “Jessica is certain though that she wants to get married before her baby is born, and isn’t bothered if she’s showing in any wedding pictures. She just wants a relaxed and intimate ceremony and has been dropping hints that the big day could be right before Christmas.” — Bangshowbiz

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37

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Be merry, be active:

How to avoid packing on pounds during the holidays hortly after the mall doors opened, Douglas and Ouley Saulsberry made their rounds through the hallways. They walk the halls of both levels every day except Sunday, getting in about four miles before most stores open at 10 am. “I call the mall the poor man’s gym,” says Douglas Saulsberry, 61. He and his wife, Ouley - retired teachers don’t veer from their workout routine at Twelve Oaks Mall, even during the busy holiday season.

“I find by getting up and doing this, I have more energy to take care of all the extra things I have to do doing the holiday,” says Ouley Saulsberry, 62. “I find it even more important because I love sweets and there are more sweets to eat during the holidays,” says Douglas Saulsberry. “Just last night I had a slice of rum cake, sweet potato pie and HaagenDazs ice cream.”

The Saulsberrys are hardly alone. After all, ‘tis the season to eat, drink and be merry. There’s almost no getting around it. There are Christmas cookies at the office, pies and cakes baking in the oven at home , and holiday parties galore!

With all the extra stuff on to-do lists shopping, kids concerts, shopping, church programs, shopping, traveling, more shopping - it’s easy to get off track

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and pile on the extra pounds during the holidays.

“It’s easy to gain 5 to 15 pounds just from Thanksgiving to New Year’s,” says Colleen Greene, Wellness Coordinator for MHealth, a healthy living initiative for students and employees at the University of Michigan. But you don’t have to pack on holiday pounds. The University of Michigan and various fitness educators have advice aimed at helping people through the eating season. Think one word: Maintain.

Maintain your weight and maintain and/or implement a workout routine.

“This is not the time to go on a diet,” Greene says. “For most people, that would mean setting yourself up for failure.” It’s more realistic to aim not to gain, she says. A key ingredient of maintaining weight and health during the holidays is making sure you get in some exercise just as the Saulsberrys do. “People tend not to be as diligent with their routines during the holidays, but there are ways to burn calories even with all the extra things you have to do,” says Christina Eyers, supervisor of athletic training at Henry Ford Health System. “You can burn 240 calories during household chores.

Instead of using a leaf blower, get out and rake the leaves. Find ways to be real-

ly active in your daily living. If you’re going to the mall anyway, park far from the door. Take fruits and vegetables with you to snack on. And take a bottle of

Douglas and Ouley Saulsberry of Farmington Hills, Michigan, are avid mall walkers. —MCT water to drink so you won’t be tempted by their sugary drinks.” Eyers and Greene say don’t let company be an excuse.

Instead, get active with your loved ones.

“Go for a family walk. Go out and play touch football together,” Greene says.

“Put on some music and dance.”

They advise finding outdoor fitness activities that you’ll enjoy so the holidays and ensuing cold weather don’t become an excuse for inactivity. That’s exactly what Delores Muller, 40, did. She enjoyed roller skating as a child and took up ice skating as an adult.

Now, she ice skates at least twice a week during her lunch break in downtown Detroit, where she’s a computer programmer. “I love it,” she says of ice skating at Campus Martius. “They play holiday music and it just puts me in a good mood. And it’s also a way to get some fresh air and sunshine.” Skating during her lunch hour assures she gets exercise in spite of the extra holiday duties that come with her three children, ages 11, 9 and 7.

“I also find that when I exercise, I eat healthier,” she says. “When I get back to the office, if I see cookies, I think ‘I just skated an hour.’ I might eat a cookie, but I won’t eat as many as I would have. I’d say I cut my sweets in take in half when I’m exercising.

Many fitness facilities offer special packages just for the holidays. “Think of

taking care of yourself as your holiday gift to yourself,” says Nikole Saffle, senior program director at the Boll Family YMCA in downtown Detroit. “You have to prioritize you.” Saffle says the Y offers guest passes for individuals and families. “Think about hosting a family activity day at the Y,” she says. “It would make the holidays different and special.” Be Nice Yoga in Detroit offers a Home for the Holidays pass of four classes for $20.

“The holidays are the absolute best time to stay in tune with regular yoga practice because it keeps you grounded so you can share in the more meaningful aspects of the holiday,” says studio owner and yoga instructor Monica Breen. Tarek Hamade, general manager of LA Fitness in Royal Oak, Mich., suggests that in addition to asking gyms about holiday specials and guest passes, people should check facilities’ websites. LA Fitness, for example, offers free, three-day guest passes online. Fitness club members with out-of-town guests should talk with club managers about deals as well, he advises.

“Bottom line is we want people to work out and enjoy the facilities,” Hamade says. —MCT

From luxe to retro, holiday decor is all about contrasts

f there’s a sameness in holiday decorating, it stems from too much harmony.

Spaces exude a sheen of newness, and colors blend into predictable. And a season all about warmth and vibrancy can seem cool and sterile. The antidote is to embrace contrast in creating seasonal displays and adding holiday pieces that inject visual interest into a room. We asked designers about the best way to take popular seasonal trends in an unexpected direction.

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Twist on traditional “Our inspiration was nature and the traditional holiday look and feel for winter,” said Beth Kreienkamp, director of visual display for Ashley Furniture HomeStore and Phillips Furniture. She incorporated birch candles, a red lantern and a traditional wreath to complement the rustic aesthetic of the table. The table runner is simply a cut of burlap, with a scarf used as an overlay.

Linda Williams, designer with Dau Furniture, says that decorating with fruits, berries and twigs is a popular look for the holiday season. For a simple but elegant centerpiece, she suggested using a narrow vase and pulling together a large mass of baby’s breath in tight bunch. “It looks like a big snowflake and has a snowy look,” she said. Repurposing vintage jewelry to make ornaments or napkin holders adds authenticity to this style. It’s also possible to incorporate antique toys, such as old wooden blocks or trains, to add a retro element into a traditional look.

Sweet Christmas “Christmas brings back memories, and we were looking for fun things to do with colors,” Kreienkamp said. They chose to focus on candy, specifically nostalgic candy, which evokes memories, as well. “Color is really hot right now,” she added. The table runner is actually a bath rug, and the tree branch used to hang the ornaments can be found in nature. The holiday tree incorporates some of the candy boxes used in the specialty buckets created

by The Sugar Shack in Kirkwood, Mo. The lime

green of the throw pillows is a contemporary hue that still conveys a festive holiday mood.

The table and ornaments feature such a sensory overload of bright, intense color that the entire table becomes the centerpiece. This color-saturated display is a rebellion to the pared-down, monochromatic look popular in more contemporary design. The element of vintage candy adds whimsy to help pull off a bold color scheme, while the jeweled accessories give the table setting a holiday flair.

Monochromatic sparkle Holiday glitter, shimmer and shine are expected, but consider pairing them with classic neutrals to create visual contrast. The mantel was a thrift store find, and the deer antlers are part of Kreienkamp’s husband’s hunting trophy collection.

“We know that sparkle is what captures everyone’s eye during the holidays,” Kreienkamp said. They started with neutral decor and basic wooden tables and began adding glitz. The shine of crystal candelabras is highlighted against the worn mantel and weathered finish on the sunburst mirror. They used a faux fur throw as a tree skirt to soften the rustic aesthetic. The monochromatic backdrop gives the silver and crystal accessories a chance to pop. Adding natural elements, such as pinecones or branches, will instantly warm up any space. —MCT

The designers at Ashley Furniture in Ballwin, Missouri set up several holiday decor scenes in their showroom on Manchester Road.

—MCT photos

Al-Mazer with Enas and Rola Abdul Aziz

Lalique Beauty Center launches Nano Spa service

alique Beauty Center, which specializes in hair, body and skin treatment, recently celebrated its 12th anniversary at its headquarters located at the Shaikha Center, Salmiya. The ceremony witnessed the launch of the famous Lalique Spa service so that the center’s customers can start the new year with unique looks and dazzling shiny hair.

The ceremony started at 12 noon and lasted till midnight where the center’s staff was readily available to receive and tend to customers, iconic ladies, VIP media figures and many young ladies of various ages who all renewed their trust in the center and its unique Lalique Nano Spa service.

Speaking on the occasion, Lalique’s executive, Sondos Al-Mazer said that Lalique Spa was the outcome of long efforts and a long experience in hair treatment, that Arab ladies’ hair that has unique special traits hardly found in western ladies’ hair. “At the Lalique Center, we work hard to provide safe and effective product services that match the nature of Arab women in general and Kuwaiti ones in particular”, she stressed.

She added that on celebrating the 12th anniversary on the verge of the new year’s eve, Lalique thought of presenting a special Christmas gift to its customers so that they could experience the new Lalique Nano Spa service and enjoy a new year of beauty.

Notably, the unique Lalique Nano Spa service, which is 12-months-old now, is the result of inveterate experience gained by the center in hair treatment. It is the result of thorough studies made in collaboration with the best specialized hair experts. It was initially launched at the labs of the International Nano Keratin Company, UK. It includes an integrated hair treatment and has dazzling results that make the hair shiny, healthy and smooth. In addition, Lalique also launched its Lalique Magic product last December to be the first special formula to be followed by the Lalique Nano Spa today to more success to the center’s achievements in the line of beauty services.

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Lalique Spa staff

Charlotte Shalgoski and Rola Abdul Aziz

Lalique’s Executive Sondos Al-Mazer

Rola Abdul Aziz

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

lifestyle

Actor Depardieu ‘ giving up French passport’ in tax row rance’s leading actor Gerard Depardieu said yesterday he was giving up his French passport after being insulted by the prime minister calling him “pathetic” for becoming a tax exile in Belgium. In an open letter to Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, the 63-year-old “Cyrano de Bergerac” and “Green Card” star said he had been Gerard Depardieu unfairly singled out. “I am not asking to be approved of, but I could at least be respected. All of those who have left France have not been insulted as I have been,” he said in the letter published in newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche.

Depardieu has joined some of France’s wealthiest business figures in Belgium following moves by President Francois Hollande’s Socialist government to tax annual incomes above one million euros ($1.3 million) at 75 percent.

In the letter, Depardieu, who has extensive business interests including wine estates and three Paris restaurants, accused the Socialists of driving France’s most talented figures out of the country with their tax policies. “I am leaving because you consider that success, creation, talent, anything different, must be punished,” he said. Depardieu said he had paid 85 percent tax on his revenues in 2012 and that over 45 years of working and running businesses in France he had paid 145 million euros ($190 million) to state coffers.

He said he regretted leaving France and was insulted by accusations he was being unpatriotic. “At no time have I failed in my duties. The historic films in which I took part bear witness to my love of France and its history,” Depardieu said. “Who are you to judge me, I ask you Mr Ayrault, prime minister of Mr Hollande?” he said. “Despite my excesses, my appetite and my love of life, I am a free man.” Ayrault’s comments this week came after it emerged that Depardieu had taken up residence in Nechin, a tiny village just over the border in Belgium, which is a favoured spot for wealthy French nationals avoiding tax.

“I find it quite pathetic,” Ayrault had said. “Everyone loves him as an artist but paying your taxes is an act of solidarity and patriotism.” Real estate agents said on Thursday that Depardieu was selling his Paris home-a 1,800-square-metre (19,300-square-foot) 19th-century mansion that boasts gardens and a swimming poolamid reports of a 50-million-euro price tag. Labour Minister Michel Sapin kept up the government’s criticism yesterday, telling French media he saw Depardieu’s move as a “personal lapse” that was “not of the actor’s standard”.

“What could be more normal than for those who earn enormous amounts of money to pay a lot of tax?” Sapin said. Hailed as one of the greatest actors of his generation, Depardieu has in recent years become as famed for his erratic behaviour as for his acting talents. He had been due to appear in court on Thursday on charges of driving his scooter drunk through Paris, but the hearing was postponed. In August he was cautioned after punching a car driver who had forced him to swerve on his scooter, and last year he generated global headlines when he urinated in a bottle aboard a plane as it prepared to take off from Paris for Dublin. — AFP

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Hollywood responds to deadly school shooting ollywood has responded to the rampage at a Connecticut elementary school by pulling back on its offerings, and one star says the entertainment industry should take some responsibility for such violence.

Jamie Foxx, one of the industry’s biggest stars, said Saturday as he promoted Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming ultra-violent spaghetti Western-style film about slavery, “Django Unchained,” that actors can’t ignore the fact that movie violence can influence people.

“We cannot turn our back and say that violence in films or anything that we do doesn’t have a sort of influence,” Foxx said in an interview on Saturday. “It does.” In true Tarantino form, buckets of blood explode from characters as they are shot or shredded to pieces by rabid dogs in “Django Unchained.” Despite Friday’s mass shooting, the press junket for the movie, which opens in theaters Christmas Day, continued in New York as scheduled on Saturday. Tarantino, whose credits include “Pulp Fiction” and the “Kill Bill” volumes, said he was tired of defending his films each time the US is shocked by gun violence. He said “tragedies happen” and blame should fall on those guilty of the crimes.

Foxx’s co-star Kerry Washington said she believes the film’s explicit brutality serves an important purpose in educating audiences about the atrocities of slavery. “I do think that it’s important when we have the opportunity to talk about violence and not just kind of have it as entertainment, but connect it to the wrongs, the injustices, the social ills,” she said. In the Newtown, Connecticut, massacre on Friday, a gunman killed his mother and then went to an elementary school, where he killed six adults and 20 children before committing suicide. In response, premieres for Tom Cruise’s new action movie, “Jack Reacher,” in Pittsburgh and the family comedy “Parental Guidance” in Los Angeles were postponed. —AP

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This image shows Christoph Waltz as Schultz (left) and Jamie Foxx as Django in the film, “Django Unchained,” directed by Quentin Tarantino. — AP

Christmas decorations in the trees light up the path leading towards the London Eye in central London. Areas of central London are illuminated with Christmas lighting as the British capital gears up for Christmas. — AFP

Ravi Shankar’s virtuosity inspired a generation he Fox News web headline Wednesday morning captured something in the air despite its utter wrongness: “Beatles’ sitar player Ravi Shankar dies at 92.” Well, first, the Beatles’ sitar player was George Harrison.

Shankar, who died Tuesday in his Southern California home a week after heart valve replacement surgery, never performed on a Beatles album. He also didn’t introduce the Beatles to the sitar, directly at least. Harrison played it on “Norwegian Wood” in 1965 after first seeing the complex Indian stringed instrument on the set of the Beatles movie “Help!” - though, as the story goes, David Crosby is the one who actually got Harrison interested in the sitar as well as Shankar’s music.

Harrison did meet Shankar in 1966 and studied the instrument with him that year, immediately becoming the sitar master’s most famous disciple. The results of Harrison’s immersion in Indian classical music could be heard on “Love You To” from the Beatles’ “Revolver” (1966) and “Within You, Without You” from “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1967), zeitgeist albums that turned a huge new Western audience on to this exotic-sounding Eastern form of music.

Harrison also is credited with getting Shankar onto the bill of the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, and by the time the Beatles made their 1968 spiritual pilgrimage to India, it was Shankar’s style of music that served as the soundtrack to a Western pop embrace of Indian culture, religion, mysticism, fashion and food.

So, yes, the Beatles had much to do with Shankar’s cultural impact in the U.S. and Europe. Here was an Indian classical music virtuoso, years before the term “world music” would be coined, playing at massive rock events such as Woodstock (1969) and the Concert for Bangladesh (1971, the soundtrack of which opens with him playing a 16 {minute raga), and the kids were cool with that. Yet Shankar was already a towering fig-

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Sitarist Ravi Shankar, then 91, at a recital in Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California, on September 29, 2011. — MCT ure of Indian classical music by the time of his Fab embrace. He had composed the acclaimed scores to Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s “Apu” trilogy of the ‘50s and had toured the world.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra records show that Shankar played at Mandel Hall on the University of Chicago campus back in 1961, though Symphony Center Presents director Jim Fahey said Shankar told him he first traveled to Chicago in 1933 as part of his brother Uday Shankar’s dance troupe.

Shankar was in his teens when he quit touring as a dancer and began training on the sitar.

“Ravi Shankar was certainly the innovator and instigator of the development of sitar music in our time,” said Clar Monaco, who

teaches sitar at the Sadhana School of Indian Music in Orland Park, Ill, and plays it in the band Sandalwood. “There will never be anybody who can come close to doing what he did with that magnitude.” Monaco called Shankar, Vilayat Khan and Nikhil Banerjee the 20th century’s three sitar giants, but “Ravi Shankar was certainly the most versatile because, way more than the other two, he broke away from traditional Indian classical music and collaborated with Western artists such as Philip Glass and Yehudi Menuhin.

Even though he was collaborating with Westerners he was able to pull it off, and the sitar didn’t lose its integrity.”

Hema Rajagopalan, founder and artistic director of Chicago’s Natya Dance Theater, marveled at how Shankar could “bring the

music to a level where people could understand it, that non-initiated audiences could love, without diluting the form, without diluting the integrity of Indian classical music.”

Rajagopalan, who has choreographed dances to Shankar’s compositions and was part of a group that presented him in Chicago in the 1980s, described his music-making as “a very transcendental process,” with Shankar creating his own ambience through the lighting of incense and the slow playing of his ragas to establish the mood. He somehow was able to train audiences to hear the intricate interplay of melodies and rhythms, she said, “in a way that you can internalize and experience that inner joy that classical Indian music brings to you.”

She likened Shankar to a fellow cross-cultural musical ambassador, Yo-Yo Ma: “He’s another person who thinks of sharing the art form to uplift a person. It’s supposed to reach out and touch somebody.” Shankar touched many people in Chicago over the years. Fahey said he performed eight times at Orchestra Hall/ Symphony Center between 1996 and 2008, and he also had concerts there scheduled in 2010 and this October that had to be canceled due to health problems.

Shankar’s 2001 Symphony Center concert actually was billed as his “Farewell,” Fahey said, but “thankfully his health improved, and he was able to return to us four times after that.” By the time of those later appearances, Shankar had taken on living-legend status.

But he still had to play that sitar, sometimes accompanied by his daughter and fellow virtuoso Anoushka. (Pop singer Norah Jones is also his daughter.) “It’s such an amazing and complex instrument that to witness performances and to witness his virtuosity was one of the the thrilling parts of his performances here,” Fahey said. “Even in his later years, people would be on their feet when he walked in the door, but people would also be on their feet applauding after the amazing work he did on stage.” — MCT

Kathy Hilton hopes lifestyle brand follows formal dress line s the doting wife of hotel and real estate scion Rick Hilton, the mother hen to tabloid darlings Paris and Nicky Hilton, and the aggrieved childhood friend of Michael Jackson, Kathy Hilton has always been one step to the left of the spotlight. Half sisters Kim and Kyle Richards struck reality show gold with Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” but Kathy Hilton’s own turn at reality TV, “I Want to Be a Hilton,” lasted just one season on NBC. Now she’s trying out a new starring role aspiring lifestyle mogul - beginning with the Kathy Hilton Collection of party dresses.

When it comes to the holidays, Hilton is enthusiastic, to say the least. She hosted a Christmas party at her Bel-Air home recently to celebrate her new venture, complete with carolers, a high-end Santa Claus and little people cast as elves. It was all very happy homemaker, Bel-Air-style. Hilton, a creaseless 53, was dressed in a black, sparkly pleather lace short-sleeve peplum top and miniskirt she had whipped up by the tailor at her dry cleaner, with fabric bought at Britex Fabric in San Francisco. The outfit will be translated into a dress for the fall 2013 collection.

“I didn’t go to school for this, but I love fashion,” she said. The Trenton, NJ-based occasion-wear manufacturer Mon Cheri approached Hilton with the idea about a year and a half ago. And while the term “occasion wear” may conjure not-so-flattering images of mother-of-the-brides in floating chiffon and sprays of crystals,

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Hilton’s designs are more sleek, subdued and, yes, sophisticated than those usually found in the formal dress department with a heady dose of Hollywood inspiration, of course. A red silk ruffle halter gown with a keyhole cutout in the front recalls Valentino’s famously red, red carpet creations. (Hilton namechecks him as one of her favorite designers.) A black A-line jersey mini-dress with long, billowy sleeves and rhinestone cuffs brings to mind the mod ensemble Megan Draper wore during the “Zou Bisou Bisou” serenade on “Mad Men.” An emerald green cocktail dress with a jersey halter top and a ribbontrimmed tulle skirt was apparently designed with daughter Nicky in mind.

(Neither daughter was at the party; this was strictly their mother’s affair.)

“I went to the special occasion departments at all the stores and found the dresses looked really pageanty,” Hilton said. “I wanted something more feminine, flirty and reserved - with attention to detail.”

Priced from $350 to $870, the dresses sell at more than 400 stores worldwide, including Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. Many styles come in multiple colors and lengths, and many have sleeves.

“The sleeve thing is a big deal to me,” Hilton said. “Because sometimes you just don’t want to show your arms.”

Hilton sketches ideas for dresses (“like a 12-year-old,” she jokes), and her design team in New York translates them into prototypes, sending them to her for feedback

and input on beading and trim. “She’s very smart in the way she’s positioning the collection,” said Colleen Sherin, senior fashion director of Saks Fifth Avenue. “She understands the realities of what many women can spend on eveningwear.”

Hilton’s ambitions are not limited to clothing. She also has her eye on bedding, furniture, costume jewelry and more. It’s not such a stretch. In the 1980s and early ‘90s, Hilton, who grew up in LA and started acting at an early age, had her own gift and antiques store called the Staircase on Sunset Plaza. She’s sold home accessories on QVC and skin care products on HSN. And she is a decorating freak, as evidenced by the holiday wonderland in her home.

She’s had the tree up in the TV room since before Thanksgiving. “I like adding personal touches,” she said, pointing out the baby shoes (her own) hanging on the tree with the ornaments. “We spend most of our time in here. We like to have the fire on and have dinner on TV trays. Everyone always wants to know about the TV trays. Frontgate makes the best ones. In burlwood.”

“People like her. She’s high society but at the same time down to earth,” said Evelyn Anastos, president of the Kathy Hilton Collection, who has worked 25 years in the apparel market for brands such as Marc Bouwer and Adrianna Papel.

When it comes to special occasion wear, “lines are either very prom, or very mother-of-the-bride. We didn’t want to be either of those. —MCT

This black A-line jersey mini dress with long billowy sleeves is from the Kathy Hilton Collection. — MCT

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

lifestyle

Springsteen, Gaga join Stones; Newtown noted nly at a Rolling Stones concert could appearances by Bruce Springsteen and Lady Gaga seem almost like afterthoughts. Those superstars and other top acts including the Black Keys and John Mayer jammed with the Stones on Saturday night, winding down a series of concerts celebrating the 50th year of rock’s most enduring band (the occasion was also marked by a pay-perview special). The Boss rocked out with the band on out “Tumbling Dice”; Gaga matched Mick Jagger shimmy-for-shimmy on “Gimme Shelter”; the Black Keys joined on “Who Do You Love,” and John Mayer and Gary Clark Jr. showed their considerable guitar chops alongside Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood on “Goin’ Down.”

But the Stones would not be upstaged. While the sold-out crowd roared with each special guest, it was the aging but dynamic foursome that generated the most excitement of the night, as they put new energy into their decades-old catalog of hits, including “It’s Only Rock ‘N Roll (But I Like It),” “Start Me Up,” “Brown Sugar,” “Sympathy for the Devil” and more. The band took a moment to acknowledge the shooting deaths of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school Friday in Newtown, Conn. “We just wanted to send our love and condolences to all the people who lost loved ones in the tragedy in Connecticut,” Jagger early on in the concert as the audience applauded. Jagger noted the entire world was feeling the pain of the stunned nation. But it was the only somber moment in an a frenetic show that showed why the Stones are con-

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sidered by many to be the greatest rock band, and belied the much-discussed advanced age of the group’s lineup (their ages range between 65 and

Musician Bruce Springsteen (left) performs with Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones performs at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ on Saturday, Dec 15, 2012. — AP photos

Akram Khan’s dance of creative destruction

British dancer and choreographer, Akram Khan poses on December 11, 2012 in Paris. — year ago, Akram Khan was told his dance career was over. Now, with the Olympics ceremony under his belt, two films on the boil and three shows on tour, Britain’s bestknown choreographer could hardly be busier if he tried. The 38year-old ball of energy is in Paris this month with his most personal work to date, DESH, a full-length solo exploring his family roots in Bangladesh, through his signature fusion of contemporary dance with north Indian Kathak. Khan’s schedule for the coming months sounds like a plate-spinning act, but when he ripped his Achilles tendon during a rehearsal last January, doctors feared he would never dance again.

“It was very traumatic,” he told AFP. “Ballet dancers don’t come back after an Achilles tendon rupture. It’s very rarely possible.”

Shows were cancelled, plans cut short as Khan-unable to walk for two months-headed into a “humiliating” round of surgery and physiotherapy. “I’m a dancer, so it’s ego you know, somebody’s telling you how to do a simple walk. I wanted to shoot them!” “But from that it went into running, jogging, then jumping, then a little bit of confidence comes back.

“And then suddenly you’re in the Olympics!” joked Khan, who choreographed and performed in a segment of the August opening ceremony. In his solo DESH, a chameleonic Khan gives life to a dense cast of characters as the action shifts, dreamlike, from his south London birthplace to the grimy, noisy streets of Bangladesh over 80 visually-sumptuous minutes. While he has recovered mobility, Khan has yet to get his full strength back, and had to make changes to perform the show, on world tour after premiering in London to rapturous reviews last year. “You find other ways, and that was very valuable,” he said.

“I’m stronger in other ways.” Right now Khan is preparing a duet with the Flamenco dancer Izrael Galvan, in between touring with two more of his shows-Gnosis and Sacred Monsters.

Come May he will premiere a creation called iTMOi inspired by Igor Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” in the French city of Grenoble, before taking that show on the road as well. Recent sideline projects have included teaming up with the artist Anish Kapoor to shoot a spoof “Gangnam Style” video in support of Chinese dissident artist

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71). Jagger himself poked fun at the senior citizen status of the band and their fans; speaking of the pay-per-view crowd at home, he joked: “Some of

Kids play Mozart with violins made from garbage he sounds of a classical guitar come from two big jelly cans. Used X-rays serve as the skins of a thumping drum set. A battered aluminum salad bowl and strings tuned with forks from what must have been an elegant table make a violin. Bottle caps work perfectly well as keys for a saxophone. A chamber orchestra of 20 children uses these and other instruments fashioned out of recycled materials from a landfill where their parents eke out livings as trash-pickers, regularly performing the music of Beethoven and Mozart, Henry Mancini and the Beatles. A concert they put on for The Associated Press also featured Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” and some Paraguayan polkas.

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Ai Wei Wei. As if that wasn’t enough, he is choreographing a film called “Desert Dancer”, based on the true story of a young Iranian man persecuted for his love of dance, and is hoping to direct a film based on DESH. ‘My story, it’s part true, part lie’ In terms of juggling projects, Khan says he is busier than ever before. And in March he will become a father for the first time, when his Japanese dancer wife gives birth to a baby girl. The story of Khan’s injury and recovery loops back to an earlier one of how, as a little boy, he liked to break things to see what was inside. “I was destructive as a child, I was fascinated to see things broken and put back together again,” he told AFP. “I was very physical, I couldn’t keep my hands still.”

That was how Khan’s mother started teaching her three-year-old son the folk dance Kathak, today the backbone of his art. To tire him out, like others might send a child to kick a ball around the yard.

Formal lessons followed aged seven, but it was long a battle of wills with a mother determined to share-”impose”, he jokes-her culture with him. “It was traumatic,” said Khan, who talks with disarming candour, and wry humour, of his upbringing. “My mother used to bribe me, with toys, each performance I would get a little matchbox car.” While he jokes about his strong-willed mother, Khan is clear the “challenging relationship” in his life is with his father, bent on rooting out the Westerner in his son and making a true Bengali of him.

“DESH is very much about my father,” he says of the piece, which opens with a scene showing him burying his father before pounding violently at the earth, as if to root out the story of their shared past. Like a grown-up version of the creative destruction he displayed as a child. Co-created with the poet Karthika Nair, the visual designer Tim Yip and the composer Jocelyn Pook, the work has a political dimension too, reflecting his sense that “everything is political” in Bangladesh, starting with the drinking water polluted by Western waste dumping. “This is my story. It’s part true, part lie,” he says. “It needed to be epic, because it was very personal.” But for now, Khan jokes, he is done digging for his family roots: “I think I need to move on-I need to get a life!” — AFP

you have got your grandchildren watching you.”

But few acts in their so-called prime would have been able to match the energy the Stones radiated onstage. The group had the crowd on its feet for the entire show as Jagger gyrated across the stage, his voice in top form. Both Wood and Richards dazzled on guitar (Richards got a raucous, sustained ovation as he took over vocals on two songs). And Charlie Watts kept the beat strong on the drums.

Before performing in London together late last month for the first of the concerts, the Stones hadn’t performed in concert together since 2007.

Going into these shows, there was some speculation that Saturday’s concert, held at the Prudential Center, might be their last. Earlier in the evening, Jagger teased that the concert might signal the end: “This could be the last time; I don’t know,” he said. But by the end of the evening, it seemed clear that the question was not when the Stones would return, but when. “This is the last show of our anniversary tour, and we hope to see you all again soon,” Jagger said. Perhaps the night’s most special guest was Mick Taylor, the former Stones guitarist who was part of some of their biggest moments from 1969 to 1975, when he left the group. He rejoined his band mates (and the man who replaced him, Wood) onstage for a powerful performance of “Midnight Rambler”. At the concert’s end, while other special guests gave their final bows and left the stage, Jagger motioned for Taylor to stay, and the five took their final bow together. — AP

In this photo, Ada Rios (center) plays a violin made of recycled materials during a practice session with ‘The Orchestra of Instruments Recycled From Cateura’ in Cateura, a vast landfill outside Paraguay’s capital of Asuncion, Paraguay.

In this photo, a saxophone repaired with coins and keys by Tito Romero sits in Romero’s workshop at his home in Capiata, Paraguay.

Rocio Riveros, 15, said it took her a year to learn how to play her flute, which was made from tin cans. “Now I can’t live without this orchestra,” she said.

Word is spreading about these kids from Cateura, a vast landfill outside Paraguay’s capital where some 25,000 families live alongside reeking garbage in abject poverty. The youngsters of “The Orchestra of Instruments Recycled From Cateura” performed in Brazil, Panama and Colombia this year, and hope to play at an exhibit opening next year in their honor at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.

“We want to provide a way out of the landfill for these kids and their families.

So we’re doing the impossible so that they can travel outside Paraguay, to become renowned and admired,” said Favio Chavez, a social worker and music teacher who started the orchestra.

The museum connection was made by a Paraguayan documentary filmmaker, Alejandra Amarilla Nash. She and film

In this photo, Nicolas Gomez makes a violin with recycled materials at his home in the Cateura, a vast landfill outside Paraguay’s capital of Asuncion, Paraguay. — AP photos producer Juliana Penaranda-Loftus have followed the orchestra for years, joining Chavez in his social work while making their film “Landfill Harmonic” on a shoestring budget. The documentary is far from complete. The kids still have much to prove. But last month, the filmmakers created a Facebook page and posted a short trailer on YouTube and Vimeo that has gone viral, quickly getting more than a million views altogether. “It’s a beautiful story and also fits in very well with this theme of ingenuity of humans around the world using what they have at their disposal to create music,” said Daniel Piper, curator of the 5,000-instrument Arizona museum.

The community of Cateura could not

be more marginalized. But the music coming from garbage has some families believing in a different future for their children. “Thanks to the orchestra, we were in Rio de Janeiro! We bathed in the sea, on the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana. I never thought my dreams would become reality,” said Tania Vera, a 15-year-old violinist who lives in a wooden shack by a contaminated stream. Her mother has health problems, her father abandoned them, and her older sister left the orchestra after becoming pregnant. Tania, though, now wants to be a veterinarian, as well as a musician.

The orchestra was the brainchild of Chavez, 37. He had learned clarinet and

guitar as a child, and had started a small music school in another town in Paraguay before he got a job with an environmental organization teaching trash-pickers in Cateura how to protect themselves. Chavez opened a tiny music school at the landfill five years ago, hoping to keep youngsters out of trouble.

But he had just five instruments to share, and the kids often grew restless, irritating Chavez’s boss.

So Chavez asked one of the trashpickers, Nicolas Gomez, to make some instruments from recycled materials to keep the younger kids occupied. “He found a drum and repaired it, and one thing led to another.

Since he had been a carpenter, I asked him to make me a guitar. And so we just kept at it,” Chavez said. Come April, the classical stringed instruments that Gomez has made in his workshop alongside his pigs and chickens will be on display in Phoenix alongside one of John Lennon’s pianos and Eric Clapton’s guitars.

“I only studied until the fifth grade because I had to go work breaking rocks in the quarries,” said Gomez, 48. But “if you give me the precise instructions, tomorrow I’ll make you a helicopter!”

The museum also will display wind instruments made by Tito Romero, who was repairing damaged trumpets in a shop outside Asuncion until Chavez came calling and asked him to turn galvanized pipe and other pieces of scavenged metal into flutes, clarinets and saxophones. “It’s slow work, demanding precision, but it’s very gratifying,” Romero said. —AP

Adele’s ‘21’ is top-selling US iTunes album of 2012 B ritish singer Adele notched another accolade on Thursday as iTunes announced that her Grammy-winning album “21” was the topselling record of 2012 in its US store, extending the disc’s successful run almost two years after it was released. Adele, 24, who last year became the first artist to secure three iTunes milestones with topselling album, single and artist of the year, came in ahead of country-pop star Taylor Swift’s “Red” and British folk band Mumford & Sons’ “Babel.”

ITunes did not reveal its sales or download figures. British boy band One Direction’s debut album “Up All Night” and current Grammy nominees fun.’s

debut “Some Nights” rounded out the five top-selling albums on iTunes in the United States. “21,” released in February 2011, has performed strongly in the US music charts this year following the singer’s Grammy-sweeping win in six categories in February 2012.

Adele also landed Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe nominations for her sultry James Bond theme song “Skyfall” this week, becoming a strong contender in the best song category for Hollywood’s awards season. “Thank you so much for the honour of being included in something as brilliant as the Golden Globes! Never in a million years

did I ever think I’d come close to such a thing! Truly wonderful ... thank you to the Bond family for giving me the opportunity,” the singer said in a statement on Thursday. ITunes US compiled their Best of 2012 list by looking at the most downloaded items from the Apple iTunes store. Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen had the top-selling track for her infectious breakthrough summer single “Call Me Maybe.” Postapocalyptic action film “The Hunger Games” was the best-selling movie while the second season of British aristocratic period drama “Downton Abbey,” another Hollywood awards favorite, was iTunes’ top-selling television series. — Reuters

Britain’s Akram Khan’s dance of creative destruction

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012

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Models wear dresses by Georgian designer Avtandil during a fashion week in Tbilisi on December 15, 2012. —AFP photos

Fashion Week

Never mind the Mayans:

US ‘preppers’ ready for anything he Mayan end of the world is the last thing on Jay Blevins’ mind, but if it happens, he and his family are more than ready for it. In the basement of their comfortable home in this small town in the Shenandoah Valley, an hour’s drive from Washington, there’s a walk-in pantry packed with canned and preserved foods as well as medical supplies.

“We could survive for quite a while just on this stuff,” Blevins said. Out in the backyard where fruits and berries grow, barrels of fresh water stand under the eaves. Safely locked away is a small arsenal of pistols and semi-automatic rifles, all the better to hunt game and scare off looters.

And if the Blevins should have to make tracks, every member of the family has their own “bug-out bag”-a backpack filled with on-the-road essentials from a katana samurai sword to toys and games for the kids. “I don’t think we’ve spent too much money. I don’t think we’ve gone overboard,” father-of-three Blevins, 35, a business consultant and former deputy sheriff and SWAT team officer, told AFP.

T

‘It’s just like insurance’ “We have our normal life, and then we have this thing on the side. It’s just like insurance-if we ever need it, we’ll use it.”

Blevins is a “prepper,” one of a growing number of Americans making big plans for bad times, be it economic chaos, climate change, terrorism, natural disasters like the recent Hurricane Sandy or just a very long power outage.

In contrast to go-it-alone survivalists, preppers have embraced social media, blogging and self-publishing in a big way to share knowledge and build networks in the event of TEOTWAWKI, or The End Of The World As We Know It. Some of the more outgoing members of the movement, like Blevins, feature in season two of “Doomsday Preppers,” a National Geographic Channel reality TV series, now airing worldwide.

“It’s kind of this natural homegrown American thing that’s just catching on with more suburbanites,” said Mike Porenta of the American Preppers Network, an online forum for local prepper meet-up groups all over the United

States. Prepping enjoys a degree of tacit government endorsement: the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), on its ready.gov website, tells citizens to put together a basic disaster kit with food and water for three days.

But why stop there? Preppers can shop online for everything from a year’s supply of food for one person ($1,152 from Walmart) to pre-fabricated underground bunkers to sit out a nuclear, biological or chemical attack. In California, the Vivos Group markets luxury bunkers for anyone from a family of four (“discreetly installed just about anywhere in one week”) to a community of 1,000 people outfitted for a year of survival. “Members need to only arrive before their facility is locked down and secured from the chaos above,” it says. In a more modest and practical scale, 1-800-Prepare.com peddles a range of made-in-USA survival kits for individuals, families, offices, even dogs and cats-and in the aftermath of Sandy, it’s seen its sales explode ten-fold.

“My typical client is the everyday American, the mainstream consumer,”

said its owner, New York area volunteer firefighter Paul Faust, who turns over a slice of his post-Sandy profits to a disaster relief charity. James Stevens, 73, alias Dr Prepper, who lives on a secluded hilltop outside San Antonio, Texas with five years’ supply of food and his own water supply, has been prepping since 1974.

That was the year of the Arab oil embargo, which put paid forever to many Americans’ belief in a bottomless supply of cheap energy as they lined up for hours to fill up their cars.

“You prepare for the lifestyle you’d like to maintain when things over which you have no control take control,” said Stevens, who’s sold 800,000 copies of his “Family Preparedness Handbook,” now in its 12th edition. The Mayan end of the world? “It’s the last thing I’m worried about,” Stevens told AFP by telephone.

“I’m more concerned about the economic, political and moral situation.” Despite its guy-thing image, mother-of-two Lisa Bedford, whose blog TheSurvivalMom.com gives useful tips on how to weather a disaster with a brood of

boisterous kids, considers prepping “a very natural fit” for women.

“We start preparing for a baby even before we start getting pregnant,” said Bedford, who keeps a three-month supply of Spam, chili and peanut butter in the house, plus a survival kit in the car to hold out for 72 hours with kids. “I want my family to be less vulnerable, no matter what happens,” she added.

“There is power in being proactive.”

Back in Berryville, Blevins-whose own mother knows a thing or two about survival, having lived through war in her native Vietnam before coming to the United States-acknowledges “a fine line between preparation and paranoia.” But he puts his passion for prepping into context. “Since 2000, in this state (Virginia), we’ve had 17 major disaster declarations, everything from the September 11 terrorist attacks to earthquakes to hurricanes to blizzards,” he said. “As a husband and a father, I want to make sure that my family is prepared, really, for anything that will come.” — AFP